Roes in for Steamboat

Looks like it may be a race for second this year as Roes is showing on the site now. Being arguably the most dominant ultrarunner the last 2 years (and by far the most gifted in the field), it'll take a hell of a run to beat him, and I would expect the 7 hr barrier to fall as well. Though as the WS champ, he's already got the exemption which means that the WS slots could fall to 3rd place at least per Bryon's post.

Interesting stuff, Roes was posted to the site after registration was closed which I am taking to be some sort of "sponsor's exemption" into the race. I'm fine with the exemptions, but I'd like to see them extend it beyond Montrail athletes, to me it just seems unfair to announce the race late into registration, then allow your runners to get in after it's full but not allow other top athletes to get in... especially with more cash on the line.

Not that I have any interest in the cash, I'd just like to finish under 9 hrs ;)

Recently...

I've been running lately, starting to get back into a nice training groove that includes doubles and nice moderate pacing with some decent climbing. I've also been on the bike more which I think is a nice change of pace and gives my legs a break from the pounding. Last week was moderate on the running frong with only 50 miles, but also 50+ miles on the bike (in a single ride). Did Deer Creek Canyon from my house with my buddy James and it was a nice way to get back into riding! I forgot how fun it is to kill it downhill and get pulled along like bullet in slipstream.

On tap for this week is 70-80 miles with 20ish being on a high country 4x4 road outside of Casper, WY where I will be with some friends on a vacation. I love Wyoming, and I think I'm glad that most folks don't know how great it really is outside of Jackson Hole.

It will be my second weekend in a row in Wyoming as I attended a great man's funeral last weekend in Lander (aka God's country). JR Horton, my great friend Johnny's father passed away in a freak accident at thier house and was remembered well this past weekend. He was a man who I knew for a few years and had a profound impact on how I view life and the outdoors. While I may have only spent a small time with JR, I always knew he was truly and honestly attentive to me when I was with him. He gave these hugs that I cannot explain, like you knew that he was proud of you, just like I know that my own father is proud of me. I've spent a lot of time thinking about him recently, how the outdoors made him a better person. Respect, tradition, family, and thoughts like that. I can only hope that I can turn into half the man that JR was.

Competition at Steamboat

**EDIT**

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Geoff Roes shows Steamboat on his schedule, which I guess is possible since Montrail is putting this thing on now. If he's there, I think it's pretty much game over and a race for second.

http://akrunning.blogspot.com/

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And they are officially full
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I emailed and heard back from the RD Fred, they have let more than the 150 in figuring there will be some DNSers. As Marco pointed out, Dylan Bowman is in the mix so I'll add him. I'll try to stay up on the registrants list, but if you see someone I missed, please point them out! No telling when the actual registration will close (it's still open as of now) but probably soon. Their permit only allows 150 to compete.
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Now that Steamboat appears to have filled to it's cap of 150 runners. I've taken the liberty of running through the list and cross referencing the ultrasignup.com database for results to find out where the competition lies. My results are as follows:

Ryan Burch - Needs no intro here. Defending champ, no doubter to run fast.

Naz Alvarez - Ran 3:29 at CP25 but I'm not sure he's an ultra guy.

Allen Belshaw - Has run some really fast times on tough courses a few years back, though his recent results haven't been similar. Who knows.

Charles Corfield - Ran fast at low elevation on flat courses (ie. 7:50 at Rocky Raccoon) but it'll take a time like that on much harder course at elevation.

Donald Demetriades - Ran a 7:50 in Madison at the NF challenge a few years back.

Scott Drum - I think he's more of a short distance guy, but he's fast. And he knows running (works with DC, TP, and RB in Gunny)

Bill Fanselow - Never heard of this guy until he ran a 7:05 at CP and 7:37 at North Fork last weekend. Those times put him near the top of the list.

Bryan Goding - 2nd last year in 8:05. Always a fast guy. I don't suppose this year will be any different.

Ian Golden - Ran some good times in 2005, who knows. Mostly west coast stuff.

Corey Hanson - 8:05 at CP, 7:08 at the Rocky Mtn Double Marathon, 22:47 at Bighorn all this year, apparently, he's in shape!

Donnie Haubert - 8:15 at CP. Right about where it looks to be competitive.

David Pokorny - Fast 50K times, but at low elevation. We'll see.

**Dylan Bowman - 6:52 at Silver Rush last weekend, 4:55 at the GG dirty 30, 4:04 Quicksilver 50K, 8:20 Desert RATS 50 all this year and 8:51 on this course last year, he'll be right up in the mix with the top dogs.

For me, I don't see how Burch is beat here. Fanselow and Goding seem to be the cream of the crop as well. I'm always skeptical about folks coming up and trying to run at altitude, so I think the local guys will be favorites again. I think there is a possibility that I could get in the top 5, but we'll see how the next month of training goes. Really, what matters to me is that I take at least an hour off last year's debacle. I know where to take it easy, and where I can kill it. This year, I'm planning on doing just that.

Steamboat Filling Up

Only 8 spots left as of now... It's a Montrail Ultra Cup race now, top two to States...

Time for a nap...

Great Quote

Read this today:

"You can't replace preparation and execution with emotion and hope to make it. There was a lot of passion at the Alamo, and they all died." - Steve Sabol (NFL Films)

Barr Trail Blah

Not much to say about the race really, it wasn't all that exciting for me. Coming into the race I'd been dealing with some nagging pain in my foot and had managed to only run twice this week (though I put a significant amount of time in on the bike). Having only one prior experience on Barr Trail, I knew that I was not going to be doing anything special. Realistically 2:10 would have been something to shoot for, but I had splits in my head for 2 flat.

As I've mentioned, climbing is probably the worst aspect of my running "abilities" and I was just planning on surviving the climb to perhaps make some noise if I was around 1:15 on the ascent. Ultimately I thought that I would need to just chill out and keep everything in check for 3ish miles before the grade eases up. I did just that, and was god knows how many places deep by the time we saw any dirt. Being a big race, I was bottled up behind a ton of guys and the pace was so slow I could walk and still keep pace with the pack.

At the top of the W's I was well off the pace I had hoped to be at (was thinking 12-13 min/mile) and stupidly tried to make up for lost time which brought my heart rate wildly high and I really just became lazy from then on to the top, walking a bit and cruising the flats I should have hammered. I was 13 minutes over my goal ascent time and I had lost any desire to kill the downhill so I just tried to find an acceptable pace to get home in a decent time. I settled in right around 7:20 miles on the drop which was actually pretty pedestrian, it felt like the pace I was running was right about what I was splitting at Sun Mountain.

(How'd that guy beat me up the hill?)

I managed to pass a few folk on the drop and pushed it for the first time up Hydro street to finish a touch under 2:14. Not something to be really all that proud of, but whatever, it was a nice day for a run, I just wish I could have had a few more miles to get in a groove. The race organization was great, and the aid stations were really a distinct feature to this race (they are a a competition for high school xc programs and the winners get some more cash). The race shirt was actually really nice, run worthy even, which was a pleasant surprise. Caught up a touch with Nick Clark at the finish and warmed down to my car with 4th place finisher Alex Nichols of team Inov-8. Nice guy, but all these fast guys are so short! Perhaps that's my problem!

Thoughts, update, and Barr

I've not run much since Sun Mountain, hence the little posting. Last week I ran the second loop of the North Fork 50M course with Gunner and we both were feeling that it was a bit too soon for anything that major! Man I was tired, we got lost for a while and added a solid 4 miles to the run so it ended up being 23 when I was unsure of getting close to 20. My left foot started acting up about 10 miles in, sort of a pain behind my big toe on top of my foot which I had after Sageburner last year, and the left side of my foot was cramping bad (wierd, never happend before). So I took the Sunday-Tuesday and spent it on the bike while icing my foot and my short 5 miles yesterday felt pretty good. My foot is a bit sore but nothing like Saturday and I'll keep icing and making sure it's in good shape.

Now onto Barr Trail. I'm not particularly sure of my abilities to run a course like this, in fact, I think I'm about as unskilled in this particular type of race as one could be, but I like the trail, and it will be fun to see the top dawgs come ripping down (provided my face isn't stuck to the ground wheezing). Hoping to meet some ultrabloggers that I follow and some generally awesome folk down in Manitou.

Happy Hunting...


[edit]

Some additional notes, apparently the official results won't move anyone around at Sun Mountain even though I know for a fact that two of the guys ahead of me cut the course. Whatever, not a big deal (I go back and forth on how much I care, ego I guess...). So offically I'm 5th overall. Still, first top 5. Also, I am offically in for Steamboat. Spots are running out if you are going to get in, they cap at 150 and I got an email from Fred (RD) saying they've become part of the Montrail Ultra Cup, so if you want in get in now. Likely when it's offically announced WS seekers will be trying to grab spots in a fast course...

Photos from Washington and Sun Mtn 50

I don't have any pictures of me running or finishing, but that's what you get for being the first buddy in! I'm stoked for Gunner, super strong race in his first ultra, and already up for #2 in Steamboat. Who needs 50K's eh Gunner?

(I, unlike tom hanks, slept quite well in seattle)

(crazy planted houses)

(from the front of our hostel)

(Laurie! badwater next!)

(Gunner finishing with a high five!)

(backside of the Sun Mountain course)

(the meathow valley... mmm...)

(passing the time in our beastly toyota yaris!)

(amazing amounts of smoked salmon chowda')

June's rearview mirror

June was a good month, really low volume of miles as I tapered pretty drastically for Sun Mountain and then took the entire week off after to recover. I feel pretty good now, a bit of tired legs still lingering around and some low energy levels (could be due to work craziness). 14 days off! Wow! But it helped me stay fit, focused, and prepare for my race and as well recover without injuring myself again.

Total Miles: 172.44
Total Time: 28:00:20
Total Elevation Gain: 20,700'
Average miles per day of running: 10.78

Lots of rest there, but it helped me run stronger than I ever have and recover without a hitch so far. Right now the Sun Mountain site shows me in 5th overall but it is preliminary and not accurate. 2 guys ahead of me cut the course by over 3 miles and likely will be moved and I was bummed to hear that Brian Morrison DNF'd around mile 40.

I'm not sure what the rest of the year holds, ideally I'd like to cap the year in December with either the Quad Dipsea or NFEC 50K in San Francisco. This will depend on family schedules, time off, and scrilla. Interesting thoughts on the NFEC 50K is that I could possibly run for a win there with the heavy hitters going for the cash in the 50M event. Who knows. I'm happy with my running coming around and that I was able to prepare and execute a race plan. I think with a more solid base (somewhere in the 70-90 mpw range) and specificity of training, I can continue to improve and get faster/more mountain goat-esque.

On to Barr trail... That one's gonna hurt a bit :)