Weekly Roundup - May 22 - 29, 2011

Sunday - Off:  JP was out of town, so the kids and I hung close to the house.

Monday - Green - Bear Canyon - Mesa Loop: 9 miles; 1:44; 2,701 feet o' elevation gain.  One of my favorite runs in Boulder. Ran it counter clockwise from Chautauqua. Put in a solid effort up Green from Gregory Canyon, but couldn't muster anything better than 40:46 to the summit. Didn't work hard enough on the stretch to the ranger cottage.

Tuesday - Man...I can't remember what I did on Tuesday. Is that bad?

Wednesday - Bergen Peak Upper Loop:  8.41 miles; 1:11; 1,724 feet o' elevation gain. Ran up Too Long and down Bergen Peak. Ran the downs hard again. Felt good.

Thursday - Matthew Winters - Red Rocks - Hogback Loop:  6.62 miles; 1:06; 1,242 feet o' elevation gain. Squeezed this one in between the end of the workday and picking up the kids. Had planned on an easy pace, but quickly got in too deep time-wise and had to run the Hogback portion harder than planned.  Was thinking about rattlesnakes on the run through M-W. I've read twice recently posts on what do to if you're bitten by a rattler. Both had the usual recommendations...keep your heart rate down, don't try to suck the venom out, don't elevate the bitten appendage, seek help. Great advice. Funny thing was, both posts were written by ultrarunners, but neither said what to do if you're bitten when you're out in the middle of nowhere alone (anyone ever run deep into the woods solo?) with little prospect of someone wandering by soon. Reckon I ought to do a little research. Which reminds me, I watched the movie 127 Hours this week. Fair.

Friday - Elk Meadow/Dog Park Loop:  8.11 miles; 1:17; 1,017 feet o' elevation gain. Met up with Steve F. for this easy jog around the lower trails of Elk Meadow, including a run down Quarterhorse Road and back through the dog park part of Elk Meadow. Brought Maya along on this one. I hate running with a leash in hand. Wish Jefferson County Open Space would allow some off-leash use in their parks (a la Boulder).

Saturday - Manitou Follow Your Nose Loop: 25.01 miles; 5:13; 5,981 feet o' elevation gain. Up early for the drive down to Manitou Springs to meet up with Woody, Joe Z., Scott and Troy for a to-be-determined run.

We started just a few blocks from the start of the Pikes Peak Marathon/Ascent and headed south to pick up the Inteman Trail. We ran Inteman over to Ruxton and then up to the Barr Trail. We ran a steady pace up the Barr Trail to a sign about a mile and a half below Barr Camp where Woody and I hung a right and the other three guys continued on up the Barr Trail. Woody and I had designs on running a big part of the Ponderous Postier Pikes Peak 50K route, only in reverse. However, anyone that ran it would tell you we already were off course, only we didn't realize it...yet.

The trail down from Barr started as a rutted, washed-out gully, but soon turned into a reasonable, but unmaintained primitive trail as it wound in and out of small drainages, over creeks and through woods and meadows. There was one spot, on a grass-covered hillside, where the views of Pikes Peak were absolutely sublime.

Unknown trail dropping down from the Barr Trail. Pikes Peak in the background. Photo: WA

We eventually ended up at a marked trail junction. One of the options was the Heizer Trail, so we took that as it appeared to head in the direction of Highway 24 where we planned to pick up the trail up Waldo Canyon. Heizer climbed steadily to the apex of a mountain then plunged steeply 2.5 miles down to the town of Cascade on Highway 24.  We quickly figured out we were well above where we needed to be, so after a water refill at a wine bar (they loved us) we started running down Highway 24. The run down wasn't too bad, except for the sections where there were just five feet between a canyon wall and cars/trucks whizzing by at 55+ mph.

After a mile and a half, we hit Waldo Canyon and started climbing. Our plan now was to find a way over to Rampart Range Road, which we would run down back to town. So, up Waldo we went. At the canyon's loop intersection, we went left and cruised up...up and up. I really like this trail. The scenery is great, the grades are reasonable and the trail is well-maintained. From the upper reaches of the loop, we could see the water tank on Rampart Range Road where we wanted to be. Now...how to get over there?

We were constantly on the lookout for trails headed north, hoping we'd be able to follow our noses and get to our next destination. Finally, we found a solid, unmarked trail heading northeast, so we took it.  Again, excellent trail. We were just cruising, soaking in the views and enjoying the spectacular weather.

As we descended, I started thinking we were heading into Williams Canyon. Soon enough, we hit a trail junction with a left-right option. Right was down canyon, left was up canyon, and likely the route up to RRR. We are 21 miles in at this point and opted to head down Williams. Good call as the canyon was gorgeous.  Finished things up with a mile or two through town back to the cars.

Looking down Williams Canyon.  Photo: WA

While we didn't take the route we had planned to follow, there's something to be said for simply following your nose and exploring.

Reflection:  Definitely not a high-mileage week, with just 57.14 miles. But, some good time on feet - 10:34; and decent elevation gain - 12,666 feet. Definitely need to get the mileage up a bit, while continuing with the mountain runs.  (And, I've got to figure out where my brain was on Tuesday!) I've been struggling a bit of late with the running mojo and not enjoying some of the runs as much as I typically do. Need to noodle on that a bit. Might be worth a more in-depth post soon.

Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon - Reflections

I never got around to writing race reports for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Pikes Peak Marathon, and with so much time having passed, it seems anti-climatic and dated to do so at this point.

Even though I haven't written race reports, it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about the races and the lessons and learning gained by running them.  So, in no particular order, here are some post-Pikes Peakalooza thoughts.

The weekend's haul.

The Ascent:  I was very happy to break three hours on the Ascent. This was my #1 goal for the weekend.  I crossed the finish line in 2:56:30.  Frankly, though, I had hoped to break three hours more convincingly than I did. Still, I'm pleased with the result. This year was my fourth time running this race. My previous times looked like this:

• 2007 - 3:23 (just started mountain running)
• 2008 - 3:27 (injured...strained chest muscle, couldn't take deep breaths)
• 2009 - 3:06 (poorly executed run)
• 2010 - 2:56 

Like last year, I received a small trophy for getting fourth place in my age group.

Cramps:  I've never experience cramping on a run, let alone in a race, before. I started getting cramps in my right calf just before Barr Camp (Barr Cramp?). The first time was when I stepped up on a rock and my calf muscle seized for a second, then released. I remember thinking, "Uh-oh!" Things were OK, but tight, up through the two-to-go sign. After that, both calves started cramping, slowing me down and making my footfalls much more tentative. Several times, I had to stop to massage the calves to get them to release.

Through the 16 Golden Stairs, the cramping became more regular. If the calves weren't cramping, they were feeling on the verge of cramping. The worst of it was around the Fred Barr memorial sign. I had to stop (with JM, GZ, Homie and others yelling at me to get my ass moving!) to pound the right calf. Fortunately, I knocked it enough to get it to release and was able to sprint to the finish, passing a final runner in the last 50 meters. (Turned out that guy was in my age group.)

Those calf cramps hurt! - Photo J. Mock

I figure the cramping was the result of not enough race-specific training. I ran pretty much everything on the way up, which meant I was running longer uphill on my toes and forefoot than I typically do in training. I fueled well on the way up, so I don't think I was low on electrolytes. So, I just must have out-run my training a bit. Aside from the Barr Trail, it's tough to find a place where one can run three straight hours up 8,000 feet.

The Marathon:  As I was hanging out at the race starting line Sunday morning, I had no idea what the day would hold. My legs felt reasonably solid. I was in a good frame of mind. I was enjoying the relatively mellow vibe at the race start (compared to the more hectic and crowded Ascent start).  My plan was to just let the race unfold. I hadn't studied splits. I didn't know what a fast descent time was. I was just going to see how things felt and react accordingly. My only plan was to work hard and see what happens.

The climb was hard. I hit Barr Camp about six minutes slower than the previous day. My legs were tapped out. No pep. I pretty much walked it in from Barr, summiting 22 (!) minutes slower than the day before. Terrible.

I felt decent on the descent down to the A-Frame. I was chasing a solid descender in front of me and holding off anyone behind me. After A-Frame, the rock-laden trail and a brief pit stop above Barr Camp set me back a bit. I ran into Barr Camp feeling fair.

I quickly refilled my bottle, grabbed a handful of grapes and dashed out of there, leaving three runners grazing at the table. Suddenly it felt like a switch was flipped. I started feeling good...really good. I decided the race was starting over. No one was going to pass me. Over the remaining miles, I picked off about eight other runners, including two in the last 1.5 miles. Since I leapfrogged over the runners at Barr Camp, no one passed me (whom I didn't pass back) on the descent.  I finished strong. If I had run the ascent even 10-12 minutes faster, I would have picked up a bunch of spots in the overall finisher ranks, more, perhaps, if I'd had run the descent just a bit faster as well.

Chillin' out in Fountain Creek post-Marathon.

Makes me think I will run the Marathon next year (only).

The Double:  Running both the Ascent and the Marathon in the same weekend was a bucket list thing for me...just something I wanted to do for the hell of it. During the weeks leading up to the races, I had lost some enthusiasm for running both races. I was clear in my head that the Ascent was the priority. I would give that race my all and do the Marathon for kicks.

After the Ascent, it would have been wise to have gone back to our B&B and kicked back to aid recovery for the next day's 26,2 miles. Instead, the family and I spent a good two hours walking around Manitou Springs, seeking out food, visiting the race pavilion and goofing at the playgrounds. We had a great time, time I wouldn't trade for anything, but in terms of racing, it wasn't the best decision. I definitely learned about the importance of getting off one's feet, refueling and letting the body do it's thing in preparation for the next day's physical stress.

For the weekend, I had the sixth fastest double, or combined, time, behind the likes of Tim Parr, Keri Nelson, Megan Kimmel and Jim Mallory.

I doubt I'd do the double thing again.

The Training:  I've had the most consistent, highest-volume training year I've ever had. Still, I fell short in a number of key areas related to this race. I did a lot of uphill running, but I didn't do enough fast uphill running, nor did I run uphill as long as I should/could have. I ran at higher elevations a number of times, but far less than I should have. In the late spring, I mentally committed to getting up high at least two mornings a week. I don't think I ever made it more than once a week, and even once a week was rare. I also slacked off tempo and interval work after the San Juan Solstice (for which I was following a loosely prescribed plan courtesy of AJW). Still, I did enough of all of the above to meet my goal, but not enough to convincingly exceed the goal.

The Fun:  For my money, the Pikes Peak races are among the best-run, most enjoyable races around. The course is stunningly beautiful. The volunteers are first rate. The race is brilliantly executed. The course is challenging (to be sure!). The competition is fierce. It's a great race for meeting up with friends, acquaintances and other folks one may only know from their blogs. And, Manitou Springs is only 70 miles from the house! Everyone should run one of the races...at least once.

There's more to do in Manitou Springs than just run up large mountains.

Pikes Peak Marathon - Quick Update

Twas a tale of two cities out on Pikes Peak today.

The first tale 'tis one of struggling on the ascent. Literally walked 97 percent of it from Barr Camp on up. Legs just had no pep...none whatsoever. Calves seemingly from No Name Creek up felt like they were on the verge of cramping.  Summited in something like 3:18. Not good.

The second tale 'tis one of running well downhill. I was passed by three runners on the descent...one while running, two while making a quick pitstop behind a tree. Passed them all at the Barr Camp aid station and vowed not to be passed again. I wasn't. Picked off 10-15 runners on the descent, including two in the last mile while barreling down Ruxton.

Results: 5:11; 36th place; 2nd in age group; 6th best cumulative doubler time, right behind Mr. Steady (also right behind him in the age group!).

Satisfied with how things turned out, but can't help but imagine how much better it would have been had I summited 10-15 minutes faster.  Maybe next year.

Full race report in a day or two.

Overall...a fabulous weekend, and not just for the running. Spending the time w/ JP, jP and CP was priceless, as was absorbing the running/race vibe for two straight days and spending time chatting up running friends and running strangers.

Pikes Peak Ascent - Quick Update

Managed a Pikes Peak Ascent PR, summiting in 2:56:30 and knocking 10 minutes or so off my previous best.  Came in 66th overall. I achieved my 3-hour goal (although I had hopes of breaking 2:50, or at least coming closer to it...still, I'm very pleased to have the 3-hour monkey off my back). Had a lot of calf cramping the last two miles - both calves. Never had that problem before. Saw some pics that Justin M. took near the top (see pics #99-102). The grimace on my face said it all. The cramping hurt.

Just saw online that I will get an age group award at the awards banquet this evening. I think I got fourth in the 40-44 age group - the same place/award as last year. 

Really enjoying running into familiar faces today...including, so far, Jim M., GZ, Homie, JV.

More later...

Pikes Peak Goals & the Big Race Weekend

Tomorrow marks the first day of the two-day Pikes Peakalooza down Manitou way. I'm doubling-up on the weekend, running the Ascent on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. I've been thinking a fair bit about goals for each race. The Ascent is where I intend to work the hardest, just taking what comes with the Marathon. That said, I still will bust my a** to get down the mountain as fast as I can on Sunday.

The trail from Manitou Spring to the top of Pikes Peak is on the Barr Trail

For the Ascent, I want t break three hours. Missed it by seven minutes last year, after blowing up at Barr Camp. I hope I learned a few things from that experience and will ease up through the Ws and on the short, steep climb out of No Name Creek. Great post from GZ on Pikes Peak lessons learned here. I intend to take those lessons to heart and see what happens.

On the Marathon, I think I predicted a finishing time of 4:45 when I registered. I completely pulled that time out of thin air in the rush to register. I had never even thought about it. I ran up and down the mountain in July in 5:07, starting about a half-mile from the official start line (and jumped on the Barr Trail at the official trailhead, pausing a number of times to take pictures). So, we'll see how close to 4:45 I can get.

My most ambitious race-weekend goal is a bit more daunting, a challenge that may test my mettle in ways it has never before been tested. I want to have a least one of my Marathon Foto race pictures feature yours truly running with his mouth closed! I know this may sound daunting, but what the hell, goals should require pushing one's limits, eh?

The Weekend

This weekend is probably Colorado's biggest trailrunning race weekend all year. Between Leadville, the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon and the start of the three- and six-day TransRockies stage race, a lot of folks I know and follow will be running and putting it all out on the line. Good luck to all the runners testing their mettle in the glorious hills of Colorado.  Some of the folks I'll be following:

Leadville

Brandon F. - Pursuing the big buckle granted to sub-25 hour finishers at the Leadville 100. Got to be one of the most organized and mentally ready 100-mile rookies out there.

JT - He and Brandon have been trash-talking all summer on who will finish. A great bit of competitive drama to add to the drama of getting oneself across 100 miles of roads and trails at over 10K elevation.

Tim W. - The best trained guy around. Can he keep his head in the race and use that training to bust out an impressive finish in his debut 100-miler?  I say yes.

Tony K. - Back to Leadville, no doubt in pursuit of a course record. It should be cooler out this year.

Shad M. - Looking to complete his first 100-miler, after dropping at 76 miles at last year's Leadville 100.

And, there's a host of talented runners out pacing at Leadville this year, each also will have great stories to tell, including Todd G., Footfeathers and JP.

Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon

Nick C. - Big year. Now, off to the Pikes Peak Marathon. A strong race is assured. How high will he place?

GZ - No one better articulates the lure of Pikes Peak than George. He's taken a more Zen (for him) approach to the race this year. Will that translate to a PR and no trips to the medical tent?

JV - Remarkable mountain runner whose easy jogs up Boulder's Green Mountain's best my tongue-dragging PR by multiple minutes. Doesn't race too much. Will he exceed his own expectations?

Jim M. - He's doubling at Pikes again this year.  Great PR on the Ascent last year.  More to come this year.

Woody - a fellow newbie(ish) to the ultrarunner world. Been running well all summer and is looking to drop significant minutes from last years PPM time.

JM - Coming off a big year...top American at the London Marathon, pacing Nick C. to an amazing finish at Western States. There's a lot of competition in the PPM this year. Will all the road running translate again into a top-five finish at the PPM?

So many good stories...so little time. Good luck to everyone!

Pikes Peak - Up & Down

Got up way early to make the 95 mile drive from home down to Manitou Springs for a run up and down Pikes Peak. I had perfect weather and a decent, but not perfect, run.


Time:  5:07
Distance: 25 miles
Effort: Hard
Body: Average
Weather: Sunny & Warm


On the road by 4:15 a.m. and running by 6:10 a.m. I parked about .06 miles up Ruxton Avenue from the official Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon starting line. No interest in running any more of the roads than I had to. By the time I got to the area, the Barr Trail lot was full and Ruxton was filling quickly.


After a quick pit stop at the Barr Trail trailhead, I jumped onto Barr at its official starting spot, rather than heading back down to Ruxton and running the official race course. I'd never been on the first half-mile or so of Barr before. This section was just a continuation of the Ws above. The plan today was to run steady and take a few pictures along the way. There was a good amount of foot traffic coming down the Ws, presumably originating at the top of the Incline.

Looking east back down toward Manitou Springs from somewhere above No Name Creek

Pikes Peak from somewhere above No Name Creek

I made respectable, if not speedy, time through the Ws, over to No Name Creek and up to Barr Camp. One highlight was seeing a guy on a unicycle a bit below Barr Camp. The thing was equipped with a beefy mountain bike-type tire. I didn't see him riding, since he was paused to let me and some hikers go by. Still, it was quite a sight.


I was a bit worried that my wheels were coming off post-Barr Camp, but I pulled it together at the three-mile sign and ran pretty well up to the 16 Golden Stairs. Along the way, I was stopping to take pictures of all the key landmarks (Barr Camp, A-Frame, Three- Two- and One-to-go signs, etc...).  Somehow I ran right past the one-mile sign without seeing it. I kept thinking that it was taking forever to run from three- to two-to-go. Before I knew It, there was the sign for the 16 Golden Stairs - the last stretch before the summit.

After making my way through the Stairs, I cruised to the finish area and clicked the watch - 3:02. No idea what to make of the time given where I started, early course deviation and stopping to take pictures. Still, it felt like a solid effort.

Sign at the summit next to the Cog Railway tracks

After chatting with a few Cog Railway riders interested in how long it took me to run up, I headed into the visitors' center to refill the hydration pack. The place was packed with gift-buying masses. I couldn't wait to get out of there.


Just as I started heading down, the Garmin beeped - low battery warning. I only got 3:36 out of a fully-charged battery. Not good. I may need to send it in for a new battery. Frustrating.


I've never run down Pikes before, having only run the Ascent. I figured I'd be in for some hurtin', and I was. 


I took it relatively easy down from the summit, just focusing on not tripping (I never fell) and taking lines that would protect my quads as much as possible. Right around the Cirque sign, I passed Matt Carpenter heading up. He had a steely look of determination on his face as he flew by me. The look immediately reminded me of the look Lance Armstrong had on his face during a few of the mountain stage breakaways when he was in his prime. There will be some fast guys challenging Matt next month. I wonder if he's been thinking about 'em...

The rest of the descent was pretty uneventful. Just a lot of cruising, 3-4 stops along the way to dunk my hat in cold creeks and a whole bunch of "thank yous" to people stepping out of the way to let me by.


By the time I hit the Ws, my quads were hurting and I was eager to be done. This time I followed the course down Ruxton back to the car. The descent took me 2:05. 


Once back home, I spent the day pretty much laying around watching the Tour de France. Just didn't feel like doing much else. The run wore my ass out.  Made me wonder why in the hell I signed up for both the Ascent and the Marathon. Seemed like a good at the time...and it probably will seem like a good idea tomorrow. Today, though...no so much.


Elevation gain: 7,639.