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