Silver Rush Splits

The numbers more so speak for themselves, my climbing legs were non-existent. The drops were very reserved, which I credit to how my body feels today. I intend to run downhill in a similar manner at LT100 in order to preserve my body for miles 70-100. Looking at the results, the run is fairly similar to how I intend to run at LT100 as a whole. Never put myself into a hole I can't dig out of. Hopefully, I can match that for double, and hang on for the final miles. A lot easier said than done.

mi split
1 8:16
2 7:42
3 8:00
4 8:51
5 8:38
6 8:45
7 9:39
8 9:50
9 11:28
10 13:11
11 8:15
12 7:24
13 7:09
14 7:50
15 7:39
16 10:30
17 13:41
18 13:26
19 10:50
20 13:32
21 8:19
22 8:18
23 8:41
24 9:22
25 13:52
26 12:24
27 17:11
28 14:47
29 8:38
30 8:09
31 10:28
32 11:33
33 12:14
34 12:52
35 13:55
36 14:24
37 8:56
38 7:32
39 7:46
40 7:41
41 7:55
42 8:50
43 7:54
44 8:08
45 8:36
46 8:57
46.37 2:43

Total: 7:44:40 (4th & 1.5hr PR)

Cheyenne Mountain 50K

Well, not a whole lot to report as far as fireworks. I had a pretty blah day overall and was initially pretty frustrated with how things went, but as things have sunk in I'm realizing the good in what was going on and perhaps some things that I need to work on.

As for the trip, it was a lot of fun. Headed down Friday evening to JT's and had a few beers before heading downtown for more beers and the Lukas Nelson show. Then it was back to "elite headquarters" for some z's before the race.

Race morning felt a bit like any other morning except JT served me my coffee and it was overcast in Colorado. Temps were high 30's low 40's for the start, but it was nice to catch up quickly with some friends I hadn't seen in a while.

From the go I wanted to get a feel on what the big boys would do with the pace, but I let them go within the first 1/2 mile or so as it was too hot for me. I was in between the lead group and a chase group for the first few miles and after a quick stop to tie my shoe I was passed and working to get back onto the chase group. I felt fine, but similar to Way Too Cool, I just wasn't finding that next gear. The course was surprisingly fun with some really buffed out sections and some nice rocky sections mixed in.

Being that I'd never been down there, I was a bit disoriented at times with all the turns, but the course was really well marked and I managed not to get lost. Coming back through the Start/Finish I noted the course a bit long so I took a mental note so as to be unsurprised on lap 2. I didn't grab a split but I think I was somewhere around 2.13 or so for the first lap which was well off what I had planned going in, but about what I deserved given the effort and legs I had.

(Eyes closed!)

Starting lap two I had closed on Paul and Marco a bit, I'd get near them on the downs and lose them on the climbs, so I had some small motivation to plug a bit faster. I ended up catching Marco about mile 21 and it was clear neither of us was having a day to remember. Then I caught Paul at the base of the last grinder and put a bit of time on him, but could tell I wasn't going to be hanging on to a particularly good split for the second half and just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I think at these times you want to drop because it'd be easier to say that you know it wasn't your day and blah blah blah. Then you show up to the aid station and realize you're being a little bitch and keep going. I finally started feeling stronger around mile 28 and made good time through the rollers and the long swinging downhill to the finish.

Time at the line was 4:48:08 which was almost exactly 40 minutes slower than cool (I owe a lot of beer) but I think the course was actually quite a bit tougher. Certainly there are far fewer sections where you can really open it up due to all the turning. However, for a first time event, this was a well planned, and well executed race. Certainly there were some Triathalon touches to it with the planned "elite" wave and the actual podium for the overall and a/g winners, but it was a good time on a worthy course. Lucho would feel at home ;) I could definitely see it turning into a bigger event and drawing a lot of folks who otherwise would have run Greenland as the course is much more preferable. Perhaps we'll see an option for a longer race as well 75/100K, which would be a nice way to test some early season endurance.

It was nice to catch up with the CRUD contingent after the race as well as Brendan, Luke, Ryan, Tracey, and Los DeGraves. I introduced myself to Jason in the parking lot and had a good chat. His buddy with him was introduced as that guy who won JFK; Brian Drumm, the man who came out of nowhere (at least in the ultra world) and destroyed the JFK50 field, nice guy for sure.

(Brendan cruising the bridge)

(Leila shows the boys how it's done)

Lots of lessons learned here. I have a tendency to be both over-confident and over-critical and I was the former going in and the latter throughout much of the race. With raw legspeed in the race, there was really no way I was going to win, but I could have been better prepared to run my own race and run faster. What I can take away is that I am actually becoming more consistent and stronger as a runner. I've been finishing closer to the front more often than not so that is a good sign. I also felt like I could have kept racing, I certainly had the legs to run a few more laps and perhaps that's a sign that what I've been doing in training is really laying the groundwork for August. However, with that said, if I'm going to stay in contact with Yassine for more than a mile at FP50K I need to continue to devote some more time to getting some leg turnover into my workout routine. I have some more plans with how to do that thanks to some prompting from Justin Ricks, a guy who if you haven't heard of him, you surely aren't aware of much in the Colorado running world. He'll go after an OT in Eugene next week.

Lastly, thanks again to JT and Katie for letting me crash the place and hang out for a few days. Thanks also to Drymax for yet another blister free race! Good times out there.

Pre-Steamboat Update

Thought I'd write up a bit about how I feel physically before driving up to Steamboat tomorrow. I feel better, not running this week has been tough mentally, but the deadness in my legs is starting to subside a bit and I'm hoping that I'll have the natural spring back in my legs before 6 AM on Saturday morning.

Otherwise I feel good, physically I've got no aches or pains. Nothing that I'm worrying about, which is good, I can wait to deal with that until mile 30!

Mentally I'm sort of in the place I was at before Silver Rush, but with one minor difference. I'm not scared about the distance. Funny, I know. But really, 50 miles is 50 miles is 50 miles. Now with the good potential of 100 hanging over my head in February and June, the point seems as Joey would say, "moo." Like moot, but different. Better. I've read Karl Meltzer saying "100 miles isn't really that far." I think that's a good way to look at things; not a disrespect, but a different perspective. If you're always looking at a certain distance or challenge as unbelievably hard, it will be. If, however, you convince yourself that you are hard core, and that anything is possible. It is.

Weather for race day looks to be ideal (but this is Colorado right?) with 40's in the am rising to the mid to lower 70's. Good day to pound some trail... For Gunner - My selected mantra will be out of a prior post, "gotta stay strong, gotta be tough." It's 50 miles through the Rocky Mountains, and it shall be as Denny Green has said "what we thought they were." Hopefully...

Until Sunday evening or Monday morning, I'm signing out.

PJ

The Stars Align

What a great week of running! Saturday I went out with the Evergreen Runner's Circle at Flying J and brought the wife and little man. It was a good run, with a decent turnout. Mary was back for the first time in a while, Joanne, John, and Norm all joined in as well. John's gearing up for Leadville next weekend, good luck man! It was a fun run, did a couple loops with Xavier in the jogging stroller and capped it off with a run by myself in the opposite direction.

Sunday saw Gunner and I heading off to do Evergreen Mtn. from the Dedisse lot. It was a great 16 mile loop run with some great climbing and moderately technical descent. Weather was perfect, nice and cool with a slight breeze and we didn't have to use the headlamps too much because of all the stars. On the way down we decided to take a loop around the lake because we'd cut the trail up in Alderfer by a few miles and it was a wonderful decision.

Coming around the south side of Evergreen Lake, just past the boarwalk, it was starting to get pretty dark but as we passed this man I just caught a glimpse of a man and I knew it had to be. It was Rusty, a great member of the ERC who's been gone for quite a while. He'd had some trouble landing a teaching during the end of last school year, but went up to direct his summer camp, so no one had seen him for a few months.

Turns out, he had just gotten back into town and landed a sweet teaching job in Golden, CO. This makes me super happy for a number of reasons, mostly because Rusty is one of those guys who just GETS IT. Running, life, and everything else. He's bursting with passion and is as nice a person as you'll ever meet. We ended up catching up and talking for about half an hour before we decided to head back home.

On a side note: Rusty makes the best pancakes ever. EVER. Seriously. If you told me there were better pancakes, I would tell you that you were a liar. Because that's what you would be.

My week in full:
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 7 mi @ Cherry Creek Res
Wednesday: 8.5 mi @ Matthew Winters Park
Thursday: 7.5 mi @ Green Mountain
Friday: Off
Saturday: 9 mi @ Flying J Ranch
Sunday: 16 mi @ Dedisse/Alderfer

Total: 48 (all on trail!)

Purity Week

Let me explain.

A normal week has me running trails once, perhaps twice if the goods come around and I can manage to get out.

However, this week has seen a shift, as ALL of my runs have been and will be on trails. Wonderful. I ran at Cherry Creek Res on Tuesday, Matthew Winters (see pic) on Wednesday, and again last night at Green Mountain.

Both the C.C. and GM runs were quick, pushing the pace sub 8ish minus the real climbs at GM which were right around 10:30ish pace. However, the MW run was awful. Not in the fact that it was on trail or hard, just how I felt. I mistakenly drank a protein shake prior to running in the heat (90ish) and was miserable. I pushed the pace hard up Zorro (1 mile/900 feet) and was zapped at the top. I trudged through the top of the hogback, was humbled up Red Rocks trail and was just grinding through the Morrison Slide uphill.

I had the awful bloating sensation. It was bad. Yet funny in retrospect. I chatted with Jon as we were heading out to GM last night about the ill affects protein shakes can have if you drink them pre activity. I was laughing so hard I almost choked.

In any case. Life is OK now, a bit busy with birthdays, weddings, batchelor parties, and the like. Otherwise, it's life, enjoy it.

And run trails.