in the past 6 days my feet have gone from a steady 8/10 to 9/10 on the pain threshold to a 2/10. my run this evening was the best my feet have felt in over 15 months. it's crazy really. the change most likely has to to with one or all of: i started wearing nike free's at work the past 6 nights, i started wearing orthotic's in my running kicks, it was the least miles i've run over a 7 day period in over 3 months. i'll enjoy it while it last but i'm not getting my hopes up yet...i've been in pain for way too long that it's difficult to imagine life without this injury.
yesterday's rest did the body well. i felt fantastic today...i had the trails to myself and kept having to slow myself down, running at a comfortable pace that i didn't think i'd ever find again only a couple months ago. the energy here is hard to describe...you have to experience it to really understand it.
mike and i have a big week ahead...two canyon runs, a back-to-back, and a tempo on the schedule. hopefully we'll come out on the other side in one piece!
rob
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
the long and winding road…
shortest week in a while, mid-60’s. 4 mile tempo at buffalo park this evening with mike. still trying to accept and adjust to the slower, longer miles we’ve been hitting. i’m very fit, but a different kind of fit than ever before. satisfying, but difficult not to want to itch the scratch for speed.
cool tune that mike suggested to me the other day is below.
rob
Friday, June 26, 2009
alive, nearly recovered, and hungry for more…
wednesday was a bit of a blur, spent mostly curled in a ball wondering just why in the hell i was doing this to myself. i had plans for a productive day but it was clear that the mind and body wanted only to drift to another place. a day of reflection and solitude was had.
i managed to get in a fairly comfortable 70 minutes yesterday evening then hit an hour yoga. i finished the night feeling strong and on the way to recovery. mike and i are planning on a tempo workout tomorrow evening at buffalo park. there’s still some aches and pains in the legs so i’ll keep it to an easy jog and a good stretch this evening.
it was a rough beginning to the week but the experience has only made me more eager to put the miles in and not let this race break me.
rob
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sometimes it’s really hard to explain why it is I do this to myself. For instance, I’m sitting here at the computer, a little nauseous, knees shaking from fatigue, eyes half open, and wondering how I would describe my last two days. What words will use. Can I make you feel it. Can I make you understand it. Does it matter.
Rob and I just completed a “back to back” which is where we try to inflict multiple days of pain on ourselves to mimic the fun of the TransRockies race. Monday called for 14 miles in the canyon, seven down to the Colorado River, seven back up on Kaibab. Yesterday we hit 20 miles up in the peaks here in Flagstaff. 20 silent miles. Not good.
I am trying to remember what it is I am chasing down because it seems very far away and the price seems very high.
Monday we were off very early to the South Rim of the Canyon and on the way there realized this would be my 6th significant attempt at a serious run there in the past 6 months, without victory. I am learning the hard way. The hard stubborn stupid painful way. So it’s 7:00am and we are at the rim looking over and it hits me that running in the Grand Canyon may have forever ruined what the Grand Canyon means to me. There it is, in all it’s splendor, all it’s majestic beauty, one of the seven wonders of the world, attracting millions of people from all over the world every year, and I don’t feel speechless awe, I feel very, very nervous. A knot in my throat for what is about to come.
We fall. Down down down like dropping in an elevator, falling to the Colorado River, surprising those we approach from behind, whoosh and then we are gone again. The sun is out and burning earlier than we thought and doing this sort of thing in June in Arizona, the idea is and out as fast as possible. Down by the river there are more people and I make eye contact with no one. I want to avoid all the “what are you crazy guys doing har har har” talks, get gels, get water, start the climb back. If I look crazy enough maybe they won’t talk to me.
We begin back up and the first 20 minutes are more of a mental wrestling match than anything else. I am estimating 1:20-1:30 back up but really have no idea. How do I spend this effort over the 14% grade? I have one handheld bottle. I decide to drink from 30-60 minutes continuously. Rob and I swap leads every 12- 15 minutes but by 40 minutes he is pulling away. And there I am. Me. The Grand Canyon. And severe discomfort. Too steep. Too hot. Too unforgiving. I am getting angry but my resentment does nothing to this trail. It wastes my energy. I see Rob ahead pressing. I can’t quit. I know the trick is simply one foot in front of the other. But the Canyon breaks me. Again. This trail is the same one that almost killed me in February doing a Rim to Rim to Rim run, and because of that the fact that I am suffering so much on a Monday morning in June there, again, makes me furious again to no gain.
I know someday I will win here and it will taste so, so good.
Tuesday we know will hurt and procrastinating it the parking lot of the start of the 20 miler means we are both thinking the same thing. The course is brutal, hours of climbing. The legs are simply destroyed from the day before, they cannot make sense of what I am doing to them. Are we running from fire? War? Are we being hunted by wolves? There is no reason for this running except extreme emergency. To save lives. Nothing can be this serious.
Waterline Road is a holy place for me. So beautiful. So many great memories from my time in Flagstaff up there. I’ll remember this one too, like the rest, some good some bad. But to actually participate in this one, not to remember it years later over dinner with friends, to actually do it, to swallow and partake in it, such a cost. Such a cost.
Still, the aspens at 9000 feet, that stupid tunnel of stripes, with the light coming through, just like nothing you have ever seen, it still affects me the same, even in my distress.
I reach the cabin where a spigot of cold mountain water runs and Rob is waiting for me on a log with his head in his hands. I walk past him and we say nothing. The Canyon ruined us from the day before. We are not running we are surviving now. There is nothing to say to each other.
We finish and are met by my girlfriend, Leea, like some holy saint waiting for us with everything we need. Like a mirage in the desert. I hope its real.
It is.
Damn this is difficult.
You read this and think I must not enjoy this and you are mostly right. But to see the change from start to finish, what I can craft my body into, molecule by molecule when no one is looking. That I will enjoy. I promise.
Immediate thoughts are this:
Plain and simple I am just not fit. I have a year of being a “normal guy” under my belt, an average citizen. What my friends don’t know is that I only ran when someone asked me to. I ate lots of cheeseburgers. I stayed up late. I danced at rock shows without worrying what it would do to my morning run. There were no more morning runs. An English major, I stopped using present tense when talking about running. I used the past.
BUT this can be reversed, and certainly with two months more to do it, a lot can change. I know my body very very well. Is that the secret?
I need to learn more about the ultrarunning side of this all. I come from the track world, “distance running” is 3 mile and 6 mile races. Some of us wander off and run this 26.2 mile thing on occasion, but that’s it. The ultra world and my world do not cross. We sort of look at each other curiously and that’s about it. I believe I can learn from them. Run slower. Run more. How do they fuel. How do they think. I want to study them so I can beat them. I know Kung Fu but now must learn Jui Jitsu otherwise I am a dead man.
Rob is way ahead. What he didn’t tell you is that in that Gaspin’ in the Aspen charade over the weekend he won by 2 minutes and broke the course record. I wonder how much he has been waiting up for me in these training runs. Probably more than I thought. So polite about it though. So humble.
The “back to backs” worry me right now. My quads worry me. My fueling worries me. One thing at a time. We’ll get there.
Thanks for reading.
Mike
Rob and I just completed a “back to back” which is where we try to inflict multiple days of pain on ourselves to mimic the fun of the TransRockies race. Monday called for 14 miles in the canyon, seven down to the Colorado River, seven back up on Kaibab. Yesterday we hit 20 miles up in the peaks here in Flagstaff. 20 silent miles. Not good.
I am trying to remember what it is I am chasing down because it seems very far away and the price seems very high.
Monday we were off very early to the South Rim of the Canyon and on the way there realized this would be my 6th significant attempt at a serious run there in the past 6 months, without victory. I am learning the hard way. The hard stubborn stupid painful way. So it’s 7:00am and we are at the rim looking over and it hits me that running in the Grand Canyon may have forever ruined what the Grand Canyon means to me. There it is, in all it’s splendor, all it’s majestic beauty, one of the seven wonders of the world, attracting millions of people from all over the world every year, and I don’t feel speechless awe, I feel very, very nervous. A knot in my throat for what is about to come.
We fall. Down down down like dropping in an elevator, falling to the Colorado River, surprising those we approach from behind, whoosh and then we are gone again. The sun is out and burning earlier than we thought and doing this sort of thing in June in Arizona, the idea is and out as fast as possible. Down by the river there are more people and I make eye contact with no one. I want to avoid all the “what are you crazy guys doing har har har” talks, get gels, get water, start the climb back. If I look crazy enough maybe they won’t talk to me.
We begin back up and the first 20 minutes are more of a mental wrestling match than anything else. I am estimating 1:20-1:30 back up but really have no idea. How do I spend this effort over the 14% grade? I have one handheld bottle. I decide to drink from 30-60 minutes continuously. Rob and I swap leads every 12- 15 minutes but by 40 minutes he is pulling away. And there I am. Me. The Grand Canyon. And severe discomfort. Too steep. Too hot. Too unforgiving. I am getting angry but my resentment does nothing to this trail. It wastes my energy. I see Rob ahead pressing. I can’t quit. I know the trick is simply one foot in front of the other. But the Canyon breaks me. Again. This trail is the same one that almost killed me in February doing a Rim to Rim to Rim run, and because of that the fact that I am suffering so much on a Monday morning in June there, again, makes me furious again to no gain.
I know someday I will win here and it will taste so, so good.
Tuesday we know will hurt and procrastinating it the parking lot of the start of the 20 miler means we are both thinking the same thing. The course is brutal, hours of climbing. The legs are simply destroyed from the day before, they cannot make sense of what I am doing to them. Are we running from fire? War? Are we being hunted by wolves? There is no reason for this running except extreme emergency. To save lives. Nothing can be this serious.
Waterline Road is a holy place for me. So beautiful. So many great memories from my time in Flagstaff up there. I’ll remember this one too, like the rest, some good some bad. But to actually participate in this one, not to remember it years later over dinner with friends, to actually do it, to swallow and partake in it, such a cost. Such a cost.
Still, the aspens at 9000 feet, that stupid tunnel of stripes, with the light coming through, just like nothing you have ever seen, it still affects me the same, even in my distress.
I reach the cabin where a spigot of cold mountain water runs and Rob is waiting for me on a log with his head in his hands. I walk past him and we say nothing. The Canyon ruined us from the day before. We are not running we are surviving now. There is nothing to say to each other.
We finish and are met by my girlfriend, Leea, like some holy saint waiting for us with everything we need. Like a mirage in the desert. I hope its real.
It is.
Damn this is difficult.
You read this and think I must not enjoy this and you are mostly right. But to see the change from start to finish, what I can craft my body into, molecule by molecule when no one is looking. That I will enjoy. I promise.
Immediate thoughts are this:
Plain and simple I am just not fit. I have a year of being a “normal guy” under my belt, an average citizen. What my friends don’t know is that I only ran when someone asked me to. I ate lots of cheeseburgers. I stayed up late. I danced at rock shows without worrying what it would do to my morning run. There were no more morning runs. An English major, I stopped using present tense when talking about running. I used the past.
BUT this can be reversed, and certainly with two months more to do it, a lot can change. I know my body very very well. Is that the secret?
I need to learn more about the ultrarunning side of this all. I come from the track world, “distance running” is 3 mile and 6 mile races. Some of us wander off and run this 26.2 mile thing on occasion, but that’s it. The ultra world and my world do not cross. We sort of look at each other curiously and that’s about it. I believe I can learn from them. Run slower. Run more. How do they fuel. How do they think. I want to study them so I can beat them. I know Kung Fu but now must learn Jui Jitsu otherwise I am a dead man.
Rob is way ahead. What he didn’t tell you is that in that Gaspin’ in the Aspen charade over the weekend he won by 2 minutes and broke the course record. I wonder how much he has been waiting up for me in these training runs. Probably more than I thought. So polite about it though. So humble.
The “back to backs” worry me right now. My quads worry me. My fueling worries me. One thing at a time. We’ll get there.
Thanks for reading.
Mike
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
to the dark side
it was an ugly, ugly run. in the parking lot, before the run, we lingered, kicking our feet, glancing with apprehension at the mountains above, searching our arsenal of techniques to ease our mind of the many miles ahead. after a few more minutes of self reflection, mike and i looked at each other, managed wry smiles, and began our run.
the run began with a 17-mile steady, moderate hill climb (3.5% grade) from 7100’ to just under 10,000’, followed by a 3 mile steep decent to 8400’ on the north side of the mountains where we were retrieved by an angel bearing gifts of energy drinks, pesto pasta salad and salty home made flour tortilla chips amongst other treats.
i was counting on perking up a couple miles into the run after the tightness and soreness of the yesterday’s canyon run settled and a rhythm was found. but it never happened, it was 20 miles of unsettled running, pain, and near emotional breakdown…i’d entered the dark side.
it’s frustrating…were doing the right things and have already worked so hard, i thought we were past the point of having days like this. we’ve had the good, the bad, and now we’ve had the ugly…it’s all part of the journey i suppose.
heading to the wine loft where i hope a few drinks and VSB will wash away the thoughts of this morning.
rob
Monday, June 22, 2009
another visit with the colorado
kaibab to bright angel campground and back. very good day, the canyon didn’t get the best of me this time around. crashing…too tried to write now. recap and video to come.
----------------------------------------
wow, talk about crashing last night, i was fighting my eyelids for a couple hours before i couldn’t take it anymore. good sleep, quads a little sore, but think i’m ready for the run today.
we made it down the 4780’ decent from south kaibab trailhead, across the colorado to the water spigot at bright angel campground in 59 minutes flat, more than 5 minutes quicker than our previous runs. we weren’t pushing it down, but were fitter than the last time in the canyon and both of us wanted to challenge our quads to get an idea of where were at in that department. a quick 3 minute stop for the bathroom and fluids and we began our 4780’ ascent back up the trail.
from the river crossing to the top of south kaibab trail is a distance of exactly 6 miles with an elevation rise of 4640’, making the average grade over those 6 miles to be 14.6%. it’s no joke. throw in very difficult footing with loose rock, large natural steps, uneven and worn log steps, it makes for a tough grunt out.
i settled into a comfortable rhythm after the first mile and managed to hold a running stride the entire way with no walking or stopping other than 4 mild falls after clipping my feet on various objects. 82 minutes up for a total run time of 2:21. we had left flag just after 5 in the morning, began our run just after 7, and were home before noon.
rob
Saturday, June 20, 2009
another solid week in the books
just a little under 100 miles over the past 7 days, with two 20+ runs a trail race to finish the week. recovery is improving greatly from even a month ago, a very positive thing at this stage.
gaspin in the aspen is a trail race at flagstaff nordic center about 15 miles out of town. beautiful area, a mix of pine and aspen on rolling hills, quite and serene, highly recommended. it’s a challenging course—it begins at 8000’s and ascends about 1000’ over the course of the 15km. click here for a race profile. the footing is tough, plenty of fallen branches, lava rock, loose gravel and pine cones, grass sections…you really need to be paying attention to every step you take. we had a solid crew from run flagstaff out and we exchanged the lead several times over the first couple miles. i managed to find my way off the course, missing some arrows at 3 miles but quickly made my way back on the correct path, paying 100 meters or so for the lack of attention to the well marked turn. i fell into a good rhythm half way into the race and put a solid effort into the second long climb and maintained a comfortably hard pace the rest of the race. i was happy to have felt so good less than 48 hours after our 24-miler on waterline. check out NATRA and the AZ DAILY SUN for more race coverage and pictures. the writer of the AZ DAILY SUN was a little confused—apparently mike and i are competing in a 7-day MOUNTAIN BIKE challenge in august?!
we have another 2-day effort beginning tomorrow with a 15 miler down and up kaibab trail in the grand canyon followed by a 22-miler in the mountains the next day.
rob
Friday, June 19, 2009
a little bit about our race…
the stats on the race are awesome…113-miles, over 25,000 feet of elevation gain, 97% of the race above 8,000’ with 38% above 10,000’. it’s an interesting race, not an “ultra” race as the longest stage in only 24 miles, but certainly a much longer and grueling event than mike and i are used to training for. some random though below:
- we need run some big miles in training, but also not go over board and risk injuring ourselves before we reach the starting line. running 20+ miles is not the challenge during the race, it’s recovering well, coming back the next day and doing it over again, and again, and again…
- 25,000’ of descent! from past experience running marathons and our first drop into the grand canyon this spring, mike and i both realize our quads are a serious weakness that needs to be addressed. we’ll continue to work the quads on canyon runs as long as the weather provides, and we’ll also hit downhill specific runs here in flag in addition to specific strength exercises targeting our biggest weaknesses.
- nutrition and fueling are huge both in training and for the race itself. were fortunate to have an official unofficial third team member as alicia shay will be providing her knowledge and guidance to us. she’ll also bring us back to reality and keep us on track as mike and i have a tendency to get a little too over zealous with our day to day training regimen. (rob—hey mike wanna run up the mountain with 50 pound packs while juggling flaming torches? mike—oh sure rob that sounds great, why don’t we do it twice while were at it.)
6 days of fun in the mountains (click on the italicized names to see a profile of the stage)
Stage 1 : Buena Vista to Buena Vista, 12 miles, 1103’ up, 400’ down
Stage 2: Vicksburg to Twin Lakes, 10 miles, 3098’ up, 3570’ down
Stage 3: Leadville to Camp Hale, 24 miles, 2930’ up, 3833’ down
Stage 4: Camp Hale to Red Cliff, 14 miles, 3009’ up, 3580’ down
Stage 5: Red Cliff to Vail, 23 miles, 4407’ up, 4868’ down
Stage 6: Vail to Beaver Creek, 21 miles, 4623’ up, 4718’ down
a little about myself
i ran 800’s and 1500’s for butler university from ‘96 to ‘01. i threw my spikes in a trash can after my final track meet in ‘01 and swore i’d never run another step again. i woke up one morning mid-january 2007 deciding i wanted to run a marathon, and ran boston 3 
months later. i don’t have any explanation for that one, i have no god in my life, but that was the closest this to a personal calling i’ve ever experienced! it’s been an amazing journey ever since…the running community in flag is fantastic and my endeavors have led to great friends and new opportunities, enough so that i now consider flag as home and plan to be here indefinitely.
after a bit of a rough year that included two bouts of adrenal fatigue and a difficult injury that still hasn’t completely resolved, TRANSROCKIES is the perfect to transition back into serious marathon training. i haven’t raced competitively for over 16 months and have a serious itch to get back out there with the goal of representing canada in the marathon at the 2010 commonwealth games in new delhi, india.
my partner (we need to come up with an alternative description of the person i’ll be running the race with…partner sounds just a little too intimate)
i was driving into town last fall when mike rang me and proposed the idea of running a 113-mile race 10 months away. i didn’t hesitate to say yes on the spot, knowing little if anything about the race. mike and i were both struggling to find the enjoyment in running and were questioning the selfishness the art of running entails. TRANSROCKIES just made sense…a huge race that would test our commitment and focus, a possible transition back to running with the big boys, or a final hurrah and farewell to this phase of our lives. not to get teary eyed, but mike is simply one of the most genuine human beings around and i can’t imagine this journey would be nearly as fulfilling with anyone else. we’re both a ways from figuring the meaning of life, but we both see the beauty of the world around us and realize how fortunate we are to have the opportunities we’ve been given.
flagstaff, the best place on planet earth to train for transrockies?
flag rocks…there are literally hundred’s of miles of single track, forest roads, fire roads, crushed gravel pathways and everything in between. the mountains are magical, you have to experience it to believe it. we have altitude, hills, the grand canyon an hour away, sedona 45 minutes away, any training advantage we could ask for is at our doorstep!
rob
Thursday, June 18, 2009
24 miles on waterline
the motivation was a little lacking this morning for mike and i both. after discussing some alternative routes over coffee at late for the train, we settled on waterline…it doesn’t require a whole lot of thinking and you can help but feel pretty good when you get out into no man’s land.
the run went well, 12 out and 12 back. other than dropping and frying my camera in the only 1x1 foot body of water within 10 miles, the run was solid.
i took my first stab at video making this morning…i have some work to do but it’ll have to do for now.
rob
Monday, June 15, 2009
Greetings friends.
Thanks for reading our blog as we record what will certainly be a mighty adventure for Rob and myself as we tackle the 2009 GORE TEX TransRockies Run in just two months. Reading this blog should provide you with some serious entertainment as we train for and tackle this epic event. Thanks for being with us.
Ok, I promise to give you the pure honest truth in anything I type in this blog. Last week was a real test for me: I went against every rule in the Running 101 textbook by quadrupling my weekly mileage. Don't try that at home. Really. I mean it. A year without racing has left me a little behind and a race like TransRockies will not allow for me to arrive with any weakness. My partner seems a little farther ahead with his fitness which is not a problem except for the fact that this is a TEAM race and we have to run together. I have some work ahead of me- that is for sure. But so far, so good.
Last week I felt like each step I was asking my body to remember that there was a good runner somewhere in there, and I was going to pull it out no matter what. Sometimes little glimmers would come through, even just for a second, and that's what gives me hope.
In this year off I have wondered what it would take to make me feel hungry about training and racing again. It was something about a six day, 113 mile, high elevation, team race that did it. I don't know how or why. But I'm glad to be here, with Rob, taking this monster on. I can't guarantee that we'll win you know? But it will be a hell of a fight, that I promise.
More from me soon! Again, thanks for reading.
Mike Smith
Co Pilot, Team Run Flagstaff
Thanks for reading our blog as we record what will certainly be a mighty adventure for Rob and myself as we tackle the 2009 GORE TEX TransRockies Run in just two months. Reading this blog should provide you with some serious entertainment as we train for and tackle this epic event. Thanks for being with us.
Ok, I promise to give you the pure honest truth in anything I type in this blog. Last week was a real test for me: I went against every rule in the Running 101 textbook by quadrupling my weekly mileage. Don't try that at home. Really. I mean it. A year without racing has left me a little behind and a race like TransRockies will not allow for me to arrive with any weakness. My partner seems a little farther ahead with his fitness which is not a problem except for the fact that this is a TEAM race and we have to run together. I have some work ahead of me- that is for sure. But so far, so good.
Last week I felt like each step I was asking my body to remember that there was a good runner somewhere in there, and I was going to pull it out no matter what. Sometimes little glimmers would come through, even just for a second, and that's what gives me hope.
In this year off I have wondered what it would take to make me feel hungry about training and racing again. It was something about a six day, 113 mile, high elevation, team race that did it. I don't know how or why. But I'm glad to be here, with Rob, taking this monster on. I can't guarantee that we'll win you know? But it will be a hell of a fight, that I promise.
More from me soon! Again, thanks for reading.
Mike Smith
Co Pilot, Team Run Flagstaff
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
our first multi-day effort
waterline went pretty well yesterday. the run begins at 8000' about a 20 minute drive up the mountain from town. it's a simply beautiful dirt road, closed to traffic that hugs the east side of the mountains, maintaining about a 2% grade the entire way. it's about 10 miles to the watershed, fresh spring water, and traditional turn-around point. but we entered uncharted territory and continued another 2 miles past, reaching a maximum elevation of 9700'. other than a wild turkey at 9000' on our way down, we were the only souls around the entire 24 mile run.
our training plan for transrockies includes several multi-day efforts attempting to mimic the discomfort and challenges we expect to experience during the race. we kept the pace comfortably slow yesterday, focusing simply on the cardiovascular benefits of running close to three hours above 8000' and not banging ourselves up too much that we risk hurting ourselves today. no matter how you go about a 24-miler, it's still a 24-miler...not a word was spoken the last 6 miles as mike and i had entered our happy (unhappy?) spot in our minds as the miles added up and the pain and discomfort of the 12 mile downhill built. but we'd accomplished what we set out to do, bruised but not battered and thankfull for the experience.
the recovery went well yesterday although i struggled to keep my eyes open during my physio appointment in the afternoon. mike and hit the coffee shop and hammered out some details for the race in august. there's more planning and logistics than i had expected...from accommodations before, after and one night during the race (we plan on ditching the tents after stage four and treating ourselves to a comfortable bed for one night), researching gear for the race (we're required to carry a waterproof jacket and pants, emergency foil blanket and hat and gloves at all times during the race), getting this race blog up and running, sending letters out seeking sponsors to help with the cost of the race ($2700 entry fee alone!), and talking about race strategy and nutrition.
in a bit here i'll meet mike for our 20-miler. we'll drop a car off at the base of mt elden, drive another car to the top and begin our run at 9300'. the plan is to run down 6-7 miles, run back up, then run down again for a total of 20 miles, 2400' descending and 1200' ascending. mike and i have both conditioned our weak quads to handle the downhills after 5 long runs into the grand canyon over the past several months but now that the canyon is too hot for our adventures we've had to find alternative methods of maintaining that muscle memory and not risk having our quads blow during the race.
i'm excited but a little apprehensive about the run this afternoon, recap to come...
----------
the subaru had the performance of the day, tackling a seriously gnarly "road" to the top of elden...whether the vehicle was going to make it back down the mountain was highly questionable at times. began the run with a trip to the radio tower...the barren landscape, hurricane winds and whirling dust created quite a lonely and isolated sensation. it wasn't the most pleasant run, legs felt rather dead, not particularly tired and not sore at all from yesterday, just off in a strange way. but we got it done, 20 miles in the bank.
good friends, good wine and good music tonight at the wine loft, the perfect reward after a solid two days of work.
our training plan for transrockies includes several multi-day efforts attempting to mimic the discomfort and challenges we expect to experience during the race. we kept the pace comfortably slow yesterday, focusing simply on the cardiovascular benefits of running close to three hours above 8000' and not banging ourselves up too much that we risk hurting ourselves today. no matter how you go about a 24-miler, it's still a 24-miler...not a word was spoken the last 6 miles as mike and i had entered our happy (unhappy?) spot in our minds as the miles added up and the pain and discomfort of the 12 mile downhill built. but we'd accomplished what we set out to do, bruised but not battered and thankfull for the experience.
the recovery went well yesterday although i struggled to keep my eyes open during my physio appointment in the afternoon. mike and hit the coffee shop and hammered out some details for the race in august. there's more planning and logistics than i had expected...from accommodations before, after and one night during the race (we plan on ditching the tents after stage four and treating ourselves to a comfortable bed for one night), researching gear for the race (we're required to carry a waterproof jacket and pants, emergency foil blanket and hat and gloves at all times during the race), getting this race blog up and running, sending letters out seeking sponsors to help with the cost of the race ($2700 entry fee alone!), and talking about race strategy and nutrition.
in a bit here i'll meet mike for our 20-miler. we'll drop a car off at the base of mt elden, drive another car to the top and begin our run at 9300'. the plan is to run down 6-7 miles, run back up, then run down again for a total of 20 miles, 2400' descending and 1200' ascending. mike and i have both conditioned our weak quads to handle the downhills after 5 long runs into the grand canyon over the past several months but now that the canyon is too hot for our adventures we've had to find alternative methods of maintaining that muscle memory and not risk having our quads blow during the race.
i'm excited but a little apprehensive about the run this afternoon, recap to come...
----------
the subaru had the performance of the day, tackling a seriously gnarly "road" to the top of elden...whether the vehicle was going to make it back down the mountain was highly questionable at times. began the run with a trip to the radio tower...the barren landscape, hurricane winds and whirling dust created quite a lonely and isolated sensation. it wasn't the most pleasant run, legs felt rather dead, not particularly tired and not sore at all from yesterday, just off in a strange way. but we got it done, 20 miles in the bank.
good friends, good wine and good music tonight at the wine loft, the perfect reward after a solid two days of work.
rob
the subaru getting it done!
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