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From the Summit of Mount Bierstadt Today (Sorry about the Side View!)

2013-10-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Bierstadt is a 14,060-foot mountain about 90 minutes from Denver. The weather today was very cold (about 15 degrees at the summit) and windy (gusts 30-40+ miles per hour). Fortunately, the sun was out!

Sorry about the side shot and the video quality. The original file is actually excellent in video quality but Blogger reduced the file size when I uploaded it.

Book Review: Eat & Run, by Scott Jurek

2013-10-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Scott Jurek was, in his own words, �a shy kid with high blood pressure.� In school, he was spit on, called Pee-Wee and a target of bullies. Few could have ever imagined this scrawny boy would one day become a world-class endurance athlete and running legend.

Over the course of his nearly 20-year career, Jurek has won some of the world�s biggest and toughest ultramarathons, starting with seven consecutive victories at the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile trail race in northern California he dominated from 1999-2005. He�s broken the tape in the mountainous Hardrock 100, twice won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, and found victory three consecutive years at the 152-mile Spartathlon. In 2010, the versatile Jurek, who many had incorrectly dismissed as washed up, set a new American record for 24 hours, covering 165.7 miles in the IAU-IAAF World Championships in France. He ran in his mother's memory.

And he did all of that and more while adhering to a vegan diet�a diet devoid of animal byproducts.

Now, the 38-year-old Jurek has come forward with his inspiring life story, Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness, written with Steve Friedman and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In this honest, deeply personal 231-page, 22-chapter autobiography, Jurek traces his evolution as a vegan, his spiritual growth and his unparalleled dominance as an ultrarunner.

Having met Jurek twice, he comes across as a guy with everything going for him. He has the looks, resume and persona, though one might also be struck by his humility�a virtue he likely developed as a child and through the travails of running super long distances in extreme conditions such as Death Valley in the dead of summer. Beneath it all, though, Jurek is a man who has suffered�and endured. Indeed, Runner�s World (in an unfortunate feature in 2010) once called him �The King of Pain.�

Born in 1973, Jurek grew up in a modest home near Proctor, Minnesota, eating �government cheese� (his own way of saying food bought with food stamps), while the �cake eaters� across town lived the high life. His mother, a caring woman and accomplished cook who dedicated herself to made-from-scratch meals, suffered from multiple sclerosis, while his disciplinarian father, who worked two jobs, pushed Scott and his younger brother and sister hard. They had little time for play. Indeed, Jurek recounts that one time he couldn�t play with a visiting friend because he still had a few more hours of wood-stacking. His father�s motto, �sometimes you just do things,� has, for better or worse, remained with Jurek his entire life�and is often repeated throughout Eat & Run.

Jurek grew up on a �meat and potatoes� diet, learning at a young age how to cook pot roast, tuna noodle casserole, fried fish (which he caught and cleaned himself), pies and the like. He tells stories of helping his mother in the kitchen and painful memories of her gradual decline because of MS, the first signs being her propensity to drop things in the kitchen.

A skinny adolescent who studied hard (he was high school valedictorian), Jurek avoided contact sports and instead gravitated to endurance activities such as cross-country skiing. Through his experience as one of Minnesota's top-ranked high school cross-country skiers, he took his first taste of a plant-based diet, discovering healthy dishes like brown rice and vegetarian chili, but remained a meat eater. In these formative years, he met a hell-raising, rebellious kid named Dusty Olson, who would become his lifelong friend and a key part of his success in ultrarunning. The two eventually turned to ultrarunning, perfectly complementing each other like yin and yang. Olson called his friend "Jurker," a nickname that has stuck over the years.

Olson, a very talented athlete, exposed the inexperienced Jurek to trail running. Even as he went to college full-time in Duluth and worked jobs to pay tuition, Jurek found time to run the trails in Minnesota, often fueling his recovery with greasy chicken sandwiches from McDonald�s since it was a cheap source of protein. He kept running and soon set his sights on the 50-mile Minnesota Voyager, which Olson had won in 1993.

Jurek won the 1996 and 1997 Minnesota Voyager and, fueled by ambition and competitive drive, later moved to Seattle with his new wife, Leah, a vegetarian he met in McDonald�s of all places, to work as a physical therapist and take his running to the next level (he did, however, return to Minnesota and win the Voyager many more times). Driven by a desire to win on the biggest stages, he logged hundreds of miles on the local peaks, transforming himself into a bona fide mountain runner. Now a plant-based eater, he thrived in the progressive Seattle and realized great benefits from conscientious eating and living.

After placing second at the challenging 1998 Angeles Crest 100-Mile Run, where he encountered a team of Tarahumara Indians, Jurek, ringing up debt to finance his goals, set his sights on his next challenge: the Western States 100. Of course, Jurek, with Olson by his side, won Western States in his first attempt, despite those who discounted him as a flatlander. Indeed, when he crossed the finish line, he yelled, �Minnesota!�

Jurek recounts many other races, as well, such as the 2007 Hardrock, which he won despite a sprained ankle. In that race, the in-your-face Olson had the audacity to taunt record-holder Karl Meltzer, the imposing, unflappable �King of Hardrock� and �Wasatch Speedgoat." Jurek eloquently writes of the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon, where he befriended a low-key guy named Micah True, a.k.a. Caballo Blanco, and was a central actor in what would become a best-selling book by Christopher McDougall. He shares stirring details of Spartathlon.

To his credit, Jurek also tells of the bad, such as when he paced Brian Morrison at the infamous 2006 Western States. Just 300 yards from glory, an exhausted, overheated Morrison, who was firmly in the lead but foundering, collapsed on the track and was later disqualified for being assisted by Jurek across the finish line (warning: that video is painful to watch).

Like many of the great ones at one point in their career, Jurek found himself lost (think Michael Jordan in a White Sox uniform). In 2008, his marriage to Leah crumbled. According to Jurek, she no longer found him fun or interesting and had developed feelings for other men. Having just gotten out of debt, Jurek now faced a nasty, expensive and embarrassing divorce. In the ultrarunning world, there are few secrets�.

But things only got worse. In 2009, one of his closest friends, Dave Terry, an accomplished and beloved ultrarunner, took his own life, leaving many, including Jurek, devastated. Then his longtime friendship with Olson, who had paced and crewed Jurek in nearly every race, began foundering. Olson, in his own right an accomplished runner, was �tired of being Jurker�s bitch.� The two stopped talking.

In the face of crisis, a cynical, albeit heartbroken, Jurek retreated to the trail, hanging out with his pals, Ian Torrence, Hal Koerner, Anton Krupicka and Kyle Skaggs, and even considering �going off the grid� and working at an organic farm. In one touching moment, Jurek, still reeling from his failed marriage, writes of telling Krupicka that love wasn�t forever, to which the younger runner responded that love was everything (just makes me like Krupicka even more). At about this time, rumors that Jurek was washing dishes made the rounds. Critics said he had lost his edge.

Jurek also tells of a life-changing, redemptive experience in the Grand Canyon with his friend, Joe Grant. The two ran through the day and night, enduring harsh conditions and running out of food�and yet they reached their destination through sheer determination. There was, indeed, a light at the end of the tunnel. It was an experience that very much paralleled the state of Jurek�s life at the time�an experience that gave him hope.

Jurek soon rediscovered love when he met Jenny Uehisa, an employee at Patagonia. The two kindred spirits quickly bonded, and she was there with him when his mother passed away in 2010 after her long battle with MS.

The book�s final chapter recounts Jurek�s American 24-hour record attempt in France and what he endured as he ran countless loops and ultimately came to grips with his demons. Here we learn of his reconciliation with Olson, his visit with US troops in Afghanistan, and his feelings for his mom and dad. �This is what you came for,� he tells himself. His American 24-hour record still stands.

One miss I have to mention is the editing. Eat & Run, though a well-written and deeply personal self-portrait, could have used a more critical editing eye.

Eat & Run gets into the nitty-gritty of what it means to be an ultra racer, the sacrifices we must make to train, how to live and thrive on a plant-based diet, and how we ultrarunners do what we do. But it also explores what it means to be a human and to deal with pain and loss. In that respect, it�s a book for all audiences.

A few additional notes: I applaud Jurek for interspersing his favorite vegan recipes, providing reference notes in the end, and including a detailed index�something you wouldn�t expect in an athlete autobiography. Props also to Jurek for providing excellent photographs for the reader's enjoyment.

Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness, due out on June 5, is highly recommended.

Interview with Tim Long, a.k.a. Footfeathers

2013-10-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

He's known as "Footfeathers." Tim Long has been involved with endurance sports for 24 years, beginning with competitive road cycling.

Photo: Tim Stahler

Tim began running in 2002 and entered his first ultra in 2007 (Rattlesnake 50K in West Virginia). Since then, he's never looked back. Over the last three years, he�s racked up over 40 ultra races around the country, including several mountainous 100 milers. In 2011 alone, he finished five 100-mile races, including some of the toughest of them all: San Diego, Hardrock, Grand Mesa (which he won), Leadville and Bear. This year, Tim's off to very strong start, winning five races as he prepares for a demanding 2012, including a return to Hardrock and a possible unsupported attempt at the fastest known time on the Tahoe Rim Trail. In just four days, he's toeing the line at the San Diego 100.

Tim's passion for event management and running has driven his involvement as both participant and race director in trail, ultra, and mountain running for the last 10 years. Tim's interest in the sport runs so deep that he has often been teased for being an �encyclopedia of ultrarunning.� His greatest influences in the sport are Karl Meltzer and Dave Mackey.

Tim, 44, was born in Michigan and worked for Buick Motor Company after college--a job that left him feeling empty inside. He eventually stumbled upon the works of Dr. Wayne Dyer, whose books he read during his lunch hour. Dr. Dyer inspired Tim to focus on a passion. That passion would ultimately become endurance sports.

Today, Tim lives in San Francisco, where he and Tim Stahler run Inside Trail, a race management company. He formerally lived in Boulder, Colorado. He's sponsored by La Sportiva, Rudy Project, Hydrapak and Udo's Oil. You can learn more about Tim over at www.footfeathers.com and www.insidetrail.com, but before you click on those links, sit back and enjoy our little conversation.

WH: Tim, thanks for agreeing to this interview. You had a heck of 2011, completing five races of 100 miles, including San Diego, Grand Mesa (which you won), Leadville, Bear, and--the toughest of them all-- Hardrock. Oh, and you also found time for a few quality 50-milers and 50Ks, placing well in all of them. This year you're off to a great start, with five wins under your belt. With a decent amount of racing already in your legs this year, how are you feeling with so many 100s coming up?

TL: Thanks for thinking of me to do this interview. I'm honored. Last year was more about putting myself through the ringer with a stacked three month period of five 100 milers. I had only run one 100 (Bear) in September of 2010, so it was time to push it to the next level. 2011 was a mixed year with a couple of sharp performances and a lot of slogging through races without much quality. I was pretty dull by the end of the year.

Photo: Brazen Racing Photographer

I made a commitment to myself last fall to improve my climbing ability, so I've focused on it and long, fast tempos, which has paid off. I also realized this year that I can push myself harder than I believed possible in the past. This is a breakout year for me (finally). Granted, I'm aware that the wins I've had aren't very competitive races but I'm pleased with my times and the efforts at both Way Too Cool 50k where I was fairly sick all week and Miwok 100k where I ran dead even splits the entire 64 miles. So much of the sport of ultrarunning is mental and the challenge to learn and control your fears and strengths is one of the aspects I love about it.

With all the trail half marathons I've run this year (six), it seems like I've raced a lot but in terms of shear milage, it's only been around 270 miles of racing spread out over 11 races so far. I'm almost peaking right now and feel set up well for the rest of the year.

WH: Before we go any further...what�s behind your nickname (Footfeathers)?

Footfeathers. A guy I used to race against in trail duathlons (run-mountain bike-run) would kick my butt in the MTB portions and I'd beat him in the runs. After one race he mentioned something like I looked like I was floating over the trail (must have seen me falling) and that it was like I had wings or feathers on my feet. He said a few names and Footfeathers was the one that stuck.

WH: What's your big goal--or goals--this year?

TL: Well, without going into specifics, San Diego 100 this week is a big race for me. I ran it poorly last year and feel I have a good shot at improving on that performance. Hardrock is in my heart and mind constantly. I owe that event a great race and plan to do everything I can to deliver whatever I can for it. She tested me to the core last year and I passed, barely. After that, I'm messing around with the idea of running the Tahoe Rim Trail (165 miles) unsupported FKT in August and some other 100s and shorter distance events. I'm very focused on Hardrock.

WH: How were you able to stay fresh through all those 100s last year? It's not like you just went out there and stayed ahead of the cutoffs, or did �easy� courses. No, you raced some of the toughest 100s on the planet. What I'm most thinking about was that 44-hour Hardrock--a difficult race for you, as you wrote in your blog--but you were able to follow up it with a win at Grand Mesa two weeks later and then a very strong 20:59 at Leadville.

TL: I wouldn't say I was able to stay fresh. I felt very dull and, ironically, out of shape by the time Bear 100 rolled around in September. Hardrock was far and away the most difficult thing I've ever done, physically, in my life so far. I had a bit of a coughing fit when I semi-choked on something I was eating while descending into Telluride at mile 72. I was �only� about 24 hours into the race, so still on pace for a decent 33-34 hour finish. After that, I started having trouble breathing. I think my throat swelled a bit from the choking and that, compounded with a little high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), made it very difficult to breathe. I was literally suffocating and couldn't go more than ten steps at a time before I'd start to black out from lack of oxygen. The last 28 miles took me (and my amazing pacer, Jon Teisher) nearly 20 hours to finish. I'm not sure why I kept going. I tend to go into races knowing I'll finish; you need that attitude to get into 100s. At Hardrock you have to purchase your finisher buckle separately (it's not part of the registration fee). I haven't told anyone other than my pacer but I bought the buckle BEFORE the race. The thought of seeing that buckle after not finishing was crushing. There were two distinct times when I was certain (and almost hoping) I would die. I was mentally shaken for weeks after that experience. That race put many things into perspective for me. (Note to reader: click here for a post Tim wrote on his Hardrock follow-up thoughts).

The funny thing is that since I went so slowly at Hardrock, it didn't take much out of my body and I rebounded quickly for a couple of stronger 100s at Grand Mesa and Leadville after that. I've always been able to recover quickly from races, for which I'm thankful because I love to race.

WH: Unless I�m mistaken, Karl Meltzer, the King of Hardrock and Wasatch Speedgoat, was your coach last year. What did Karl bring to the table as you prepared for and executed what was, without question, a very impressive year?

TL: Though Karl isn't my official coach, I consider him my mentor. I admire him tremendously and have learned a great deal from him, both through his instruction and my observation. He doesn't necessarily teach me how to train but how to race 100s. I guess you could say he �soft coaches� me when I need it.

WH: You said you are �very focused on Hardrock�? Are you going to do anything differently for this year�s race, or just �go with it�?

TL: Yeah, you could say that. I didn't get into the race until about 36 hours before the start last year, so I wasn't certain I was even running it until just before the start. I didn't do any training specific to prepare for it. This year is much different. I've been focused on Hardrock and training with it in mind. It will be different this year.

I tend to appear to take things regarding racing (and life in general) lightly sometimes but there's always a purpose to every day.

WH: You mentioned going for the fastest known time on the Tahoe Rim Trail. What�s the record and what kind of strategy will you use for supporting yourself if you do, indeed, go for it?

TL: The current record is 63:54. With it being unsupported, I have to carry everything I'll need right from the start and obtain water from natural sources along the way. I'll be asking several questions from guys with experience. I'm good on little sleep and can hold a decent pace for long periods. I think sub 56 hours is a reasonable goal.

WH: Let�s talk about Inside Trail. You co-founded Inside Trail as a kind of ultrarunning news website but now it�s so much more. You and Tim (Stahler) put on a fair number of IT races in California (hope to make it to one in 2013), have a racing team and even sell branded gear. Kind of like Bryon over at irunfar.com, it seems like you�ve gone head-first into trying to make a living in this sport, which is ballsy and inspiring to say the least. How are things at Inside Trail going and what does IT�s future look like?

Photo: Brazen Racing Photographer

TL: Yeah, Matt Copeland and I started Inside Trail last year providing new commentary on the sport of trail and ultrarunning. We felt that there were many angles not being covered and were both interested in exploring them. Matt is an exceptional writer and has tremendous insight. He's still by far my favorite person to dissect the racing scene with and we talk often. We peeled away from that venture to take care of our own personal life responsibilities and Inside Trail and its readers suffered (I did too!).

Then, in November of 2011 I was hired to direct the races for PCTR. That didn't really take off in a positive direction at all, so Tim Stahler and I formed Inside Trail Racing. We are putting on approximately 24 events this year. The events vary in distances and location but most offer four distances from 10k, Half Marathon, 30k, 50k to 50 miles. Check out our full calendar at http://www.insidetrail.com/. We've put on nine events so far since January and things are progressing well. We've established some solid partnerships with major companies and individuals, including La Sportiva (best shoes on the planet) and Julie Fingar, who organizes and directs several races, like Way Too Cool, American River, and others. We custom design every course to showcase the beautiful trails along the California coast and inland.

WH: Tell me about your training. How many miles a week do you run? Or do you focus mostly on time on your feet? How about quality�I know you race a lot, but do you also do tempo runs, intervals, etc.? Also, I once read on your blog that you do a lot of hiking to prepare for 100s. Seeing you at Leadville last year, it was obvious you�re a very strong hiker, which will obviously come in handy at Hardrock. How much of your training is spent hiking?

TL: Lots to answer in that question! My training is very organic. I've found that strict plans don't work well for me and, like in a race, I tend to take advantage when I feel good and back off a little when I don't feel up to hard training. A typical week is roughly 60-70 miles. All but maybe one or two runs per week are quite hilly and I focus one day on a hill or stair workout. I focus another day on a long tempo, which can be anywhere from 8-22 miles. The rest of the runs are merely maintenance runs of 60-70 minutes in the low 7 min/mile pace effort. I use a lot of races for training. Many people feel racing too much is not good for reaching your goals at key events. I feel the opposite. Practice racing and you get better at it. Through doing it so much, I rarely even get the least bit nervous for races anymore, which allows me to focus on the race more.

Hiking fast is important. I regularly can either keep up or pass people who choose to run steep climbs and I'll just be walking. I work on the technique a lot. I practice shifting between running and walking. The goal is simply to find the highest even effort I can maintain while climbing without going anaerobic. Over the course of a 5 minute climb I may shift between running and fast walking 20 times. It just depends on the hill.

WH: Where does nutrition fit into your training and racing?

TL: I have some diet staples but I also allow myself to enjoy whatever I feel like eating. I have no problem eating a bacon cheese burger and onion rings if my training justifies it. It's not that often. A couple things that I eat EVERY day are my breakfast of salmon, cottage cheese, avocado, and two tablespoons of Udo's Oil mixed together, and I eat a lot of Clif bars, mostly the protein ones. The rest of the meals are things like big salads, chicken breast, veggies, and beer.

WH: OK, I can't resist asking this. Do you have a favorite beer?

TL: Lagunitas IPA, Dale's Pale Ale and Coors Lite (yikes).

WH: Yeah, I recently discovered Dale's and it's great! OK, back to running stuff. In your view, what is the #1 mistake most ultrarunners make in their training and racing?

TL: Mental weaknesses. A lot of my coaching revolves around the mental aspect of racing and running long. I see people with pre-conceived notions of their current abilities, weaknesses, strengths, goals and a lot of the time these notions don't match reality. This goes both ways. Some people want to achieve too much too soon. They read about people sprinting up Mt. Fuji or knocking out 14 hour 100 milers and think they're ready to take on a 100 miles after only running one 50k just under the cutoff. Other people don't recognize their own strengths and hold themselves back either in the events they choose to run or in races themselves. It kills me to have one of my athletes finish a race and tell me they felt great at the finish and feel fine the next day, especially when they missed their goal(s) in that race. It tells me they held back too much. I'm big on even effort and not going out too fast but you need to have the mental toughness to push your effort to the tipping point and hold it there.

Other, more pragmatic mistakes I see are fueling and the hydration/electrolyte balance, people not recognizing problems early enough in races, e.g. hot spots leading to blisters, cramping, stomach upset, chafing, and dehydration. By the time they try to address the issue, it's either too late or will take 3x longer to fix now that they waited.

WH: I recently saw that you�re opening up some additional slots for your coaching service. If folks are interested in your coaching, how can they contact you?

TL: Yep, I've been coaching people since 2003. I never really promoted it but I've had a steady stream of athletes for nine years and recently decided to devote much more time to it, so I opened up twelve slots for new athletes and have filled six of them over the last 24 hours. I've worked with high school cross country runners and veteran ultrarunners, all abilities. I make people not only physically prepared to run and race well but build the mental capacity to work with the physical. It's been a successful program that I customize for each individual athlete and it morphs over time as the athlete improves. I can be contacted at tim at footfeathers dot com or just friend me on Facebook and reach me there.

WH: Tim, thanks so much for your time. Like a lot of ultrarunners out there, I really admire how you live this great sport, both in your running and in your work at Inside Trail. Is there anything you�d like to add for our readers, such as a friendly insult lobbed at BrownieJ?

TL: Thanks much, Wyatt. I love the sport and the people I've met through it, like you. The only insulting I'll do to Brownie is at Hardrock next month (if he happens to beat me, you have to promise to go back and edit this comment after the race!). Thanks again.

Note to read: Tim finished 3rd overall with a 19:01 at the San Diego 100. Go to www.footfeathers.com for his race report.

Click here to read more interviews with interesting ultrarunners like Karl Meltzer, Geoff Roes, Mike Morton, Phil McCarthy and Nick Clark.

Week Ending 5/20

2013-10-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

My review of Scott Jurek's new book, Eat & Run, due out on June 5, has gotten tremendous interest. If you haven't yet read my review, it's here.

***

My energy wasn't good a the week wore on. I'm not sure what the issue was, but I was cranky (just ask my wife), a bit mentally down and just flat-out tired. The fact that I had 7:30 a.m. meetings on Thursday and Friday, which caused me to get up at 4:15 for my runs, obviously didn't help. Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy. Anyway, I still managed decent volume (72.5 miles) and decent quality with my intervals and tempo run.

Here's how the week went:

Monday: super-easy
AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes on my treadmill. Felt good for a Monday.

Tuesday: intervals
AM: 9.05 miles in 1:08--about half at the track and half on the trail loop behind Legend High School. Was a bit late getting out the door because I couldn't find one of my arm sleeves.... After a 1-mile warm-up run to the track from my doorstep, I did 3x100M striders to wake up the legs and then went right into my workout: 1x800 at 2:43 (400M recovery), 2x1200M at 4:13 and 4:15 (400M recoveries) and 2x400M at 1:24 and 1:22 (200M recoverie)s. I continue to see improvement in my times. Felt better than last week--lungs good, leg turnover good. Feet hit the track gently. Nice to have some good company with Scott also there working away.

Wednesday: easy
AM: 9.7 miles in 1:13 on the trails around my neighborhood. Lower back a little achy, probably from tight hamstrings.

Thursday: tempo
AM: Unfortunately, I had limited time due to my early meeting, so I did what I could. 7.4 miles in 51 minutes on Parker streets and the Sulphur Gulch "Trail" (paved). This was a decent, albeit short, tempo run. Splits were: 1) 8:40 (warm-up), 2) 6:23, 3) 5:50, 4) 6:03, 5) 6:11, 6) 7:30 (begin cooldown), 7) 7:34, 7.4) 3:08.

Friday: easy
AM: Once again very limited time because of an early meeting. 7.2 miles in 54 minutes on the trail loop behind Legend High School. (Would have liked an afternoon session but I spent the entire day in meetings.)

Saturday: long/road
AM: 17.2 miles in 2:14. From my doorstep, I basically took East Parker Road all the way to its end, and then turned around and came back, hitting the Legend High School trail loop for a few miles. This is a fairly hilly course. My original plan was a 20-miler but the weather absolutely sucked for running--cold, rainy and windy. My legs got numb and week toward the end because of the cold, wet conditions. My Garmin says the run involved 987 feet of climbing but there's no way that's true. I'd estimate closer to 1,500 feet. I no longer trust my Garmin on climbing--I've seen too many inconsistencies and crazy findings, such as climbing while I'm running intervals around a pancake flat track (WTF?).

PM: 4 miles in 33 minutes on the treadmill. Legs a little wobbly from getting frozen earlier in the morning.

Total miles for day: 21.2 miles

Sunday: long/trail
AM: 14.05 miles in 2:12 at Mount Falcon. Intended to go for at least 3 hours but my legs were trashed--not sure why. Made it to Walker's Dream in 34:55--a nearly 2,000-foot, 3.5-mile climb up rocky trail. After that, I felt an unusual amount of fatigue on the climbs up to the summit of Falcon. GPS reports 2,700 feet of climbing. That's actually fairly accurate, though I would have guessed closer to 3,000 feet.

Weekly totals:

72.5 miles run
~7,000 feet of climbing (estimated)
Total training: 9:39
8 total runs
Averaged 8:00/mile
Less core work than usual because of mild lower back issues

Year to date mileage:

1,320 miles run
118 miles biked
6.55 miles walked

So, overall, not the greatest week ever because of: a) limited time during the week due to meetings, b) general fatigue and c) crappy weather on Saturday that, for some reason, sapped my legs.

***

I think it's getting time to stretch out my tempo runs a bit. I've been keeping my actual tempo mileage (not including warm-up and cooldown miles) to about 6 each session. I want to start ratcheting that up with a goal of eventually getting in a tempo run of 10-12 miles by the time Leadville comes along. I'm fairly happy with my track workouts because, for the most part, I'm seeing improvement. I miss mile repeats, like what I used to do back East, but at 6,200 feet I'm finding that 400s, 800s and 1200s provide a nice workout.

My goal for the coming week is about 80 miles, including some quality trail work. On Memorial Day a few of us are planning to run Mt. Bierstadt, a 14,100-foot mountain that's pretty tame and runner-friendly. To the summit and back is about a 7-mile roundtrip, all between about 10,000-14,000 feet. In addition to a time trial on the Hope Pass double-crossing (would like to do Twin Lakes to Winfield and back to Twin Lakes in 5:30 or faster, which is what I need to break 20 hours at Leadville) and some more work on the Incline, this summer I also really want to run the Bross/Cameron/Democrat/Lincoln loop, which is about 7.25 miles and hits four 14,000-foot mountains. Can't beat that!

Week Ending May 27

2013-10-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Jumping ahead a bit, on Memorial Day/Monday I got to Mount Bierstadt, a 14,060-foot mountain, with Scott Williams and Bob Sweeney. I'd been wanting to summit Bierstadt for well over a year, but either life circumstances or the weather always seemed to get in the way. Not this time! Scott and I arrived at the Bierstadt trailhead via Guanella Pass at about 7:15 a.m. and met Bob there. The weather was a mixed bag. On the good side, the sun was out in full force and the sky was clear. On the bad side, the wind was quite hostile, with gusts of 30-40+ miles per hour, and the temperature was in the twenties. It was a good thing we bundled up. I had on most of my winter running gear, including my windproof/waterproof North Face gloves.

That said, we went right after it, reaching the summit in about 85 minutes. In most areas, the trail was in excellent shape. However, there were a few icy, but small, snow fields to contend with, and of course the wind added to the adventure. We put on our spikes about halfway up. Spikes were nice to have, but not required.

The views from the summit were incredible. Despite a wind chill in the teens, I marveled at the Sawtooth connecting Mounts Bierstadt and Evans and at the spectacular view of Grays and Torreys peaks, two notable Front Range 14'ers, off in the distance. Even better, I had a good descent, moving smoothly and feeling strong, though my quads were slightly tired. The stats on the adventure were 7.45 miles in 2:04, with 2,800 feet of climbing to an altitude of 14,060 feet.

There are few better feelings than standing atop a 14,000-foot mountain! The perspective you are afforded is almost life-changing. Here are some photos from our adventure.

View from the parking lot. Bierstadt to the right; Evans to the left. The sawtooth is in the middle.
This photo doesn't do the size of those two mountains any justice.

Bob gearing up. He's been on a 14'er kick lately.

Not sure what that pointy peak is. I heard it's a 13'er.

Grays and Torreys are to the right. They're the twin peaks.

A nice view of Grays and Torreys (in the middle).

Kind of a bad view of the Sawtooth, but you get the idea.

Don't know who this is, but this shot was from the summit. Mount Evans is off in the distance.

At the summit.

Yeah, I know--I'm not much of a photographer. Had the weather been better, I'm confident I would have taken some better photos.

***

Here's how the week went:

Monday: super-easy
AM: 4.5 miles in 37 minutes on my treadmill. Very easy pace. Legs didn't fully wake up until about 3 miles into my run.

Tuesday: easy
AM: 9.75 miles in 1:13 on the trails and a few roads in the Parker hills. Felt much better than yesterday, even as I slept poorly last night.This is usually my interval day but I decided to push my speedwork back a day to allow my legs one more day of recovery.

Wednesday: intervals
AM: 10.5 miles in 1:18. This was an excellent interval workout at the Legend High School track with Scott. After jogging a mile from my doorstep to the track, I did 3x100-meter striders to warm up and "wake up" the legs. Then I went right into my repeats, running 4x800 meters at 2:45, 2:47, 2:47, and 2:47 (400-meter recovery in between) and then 3x400 meters at 1:22, 1:20 and 1:19 (200-meter recovery in between). Very pleased with those last two 400s as they show I got stronger and faster. Cooled down on the trail loop behind the school.

Thursday: easy
AM1: 9.9 miles in 1:18 on the trails and a few roads in the Parker hills. Felt a little beat up; the outside of my left shin was sore. Not too worried, though.

AM2: 4.1 miles in 34 minutes on my treadmill. I had a few extra minutes before having to jet off to work, so I did what I always do when I'm alone and have some time on my hands--I ran.

Friday: tempo
AM: 10.25 miles (7 at tempo) in 1:12 on roads in the Parker hills. Still feeling pretty beat up, which translated to slow legs, bad turnover and an overall labored tempo run. Splits were pretty bad: 1) 8:48 (warm up), 2) 6:36, 3) 6:20, 4) 6:24, 5) 6:28, 6) 6:17, 7) 6:26, 8) 6:35, 9) 7:57 (begin cooldown), 10) 8:01, and 10.25) 1:56. My tempo splits were 15 seconds slower than they should have been--a sign that I'm tired and may need an easy week.

Saturday: long/road
AM: 15.25 miles in 2 hours on the Tomahawk and Legend High School trail loops. Besides nasty and annoying winds, my breathing capacity was horrible, and I was also quite tired and flat. Not sure why I couldn't breathe well--smoke from wildfires, allergies, tired? Rather than doing a second workout later, as I usually do on Saturdays, I decided to take the rest of the day off. Exceeded 1,000 feet of gain.

Sunday: long/trail
AM: 15.75 in 2:04 at Hidden Mesa Open Space. The wind from the south/southwest once again sucked. But Hidden Mesa is a fairly enjoyable place to run so I had a good time. I felt much better than yesterday and my breathing capacity was excellent. Unfortunately, I got dehydrated when I ran out of water with about 2 miles to go. Climbed about 1,300 feet.

Weekly totals:

80 miles
~5,000 feet of climbing (estimated)
Total training: 10:18
8 total runs
Averaged 7:44/mile
Lots of core work and push-ups. Also incorporated some upper-body weight-training.

Year to date mileage:

1,400 miles run
118 miles biked
6.55 miles walked

***

For this week (week ending June 3), my main goal is to get ready for a solid training run at the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty. I was a late entrant, getting into the Dirty Thirty via the waiting list only two days ago. I'm putting zero pressure on myself for the Dirty Thirty. It's a tough course and my legs are feeling it a bit from some solid training of late, so my goal is to be strong over the distance and on the climbs and descents and have some fun. But most of all, my goal is to put in a solid training run that gets me one step closer to a strong performance at the Leadville 100.

Speed vs. Time...You Make the Call

2013-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Note to Reader: This is the fourth article in a series that challenges various assumptions in ultrarunning. In some cases, we may find that certain assumptions are correct; while in others we may find a new and better viewpoint. Please contribute your insights in the comments section. Enjoy!

Runner #1 and Runner #2 are both training for a fast time at the Leadville Trail 100 but take different approaches in their preparation--mostly because of varying interests, time availability, and strengths.

Both runners live in the Denver area. Both are the same age and gender (male). And both are about equally experienced.

Runner #1 runs 100 miles a week in 13 hours, averaging about 7.5 miles/hour. He runs most of his miles on roads and smooth trails and gets to the mountains once a week for some quality climbing. Runner #1 also does very solid quality at the track and in his tempo runs and has excellent efficiency and leg turnover. He rarely does training runs over 3 hours (except in races) but has excellent daily consistency. He trains on parts of the Leadville course a few times during the summer.

Runner #2 also runs 100 miles a week, taking him usually 18 hours, for an average pace of about 5.5 miles/hour. He trains mostly on mountain trails, never goes to the track, and rarely does a tempo run except for some fast descents. Runner #2 isn't that fast but he's strong on the big climbs, pretty formidable on the downs, and an excellent hiker. He often does training runs of 4-6 hours on mountain trails and runs on the Leadville course a few times during the summer.

For Leadville, who's doing better training and has the better shot at a top finish...Runner #1 (the fast guy) or Runner #2 (the mountain guy)? And why?

Week Ending 5/13

2013-10-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

Despite a lot going on in my life, I managed a very solid week, hitting nearly 83 miles, good quality on Tuesday and Thursday, and 32 miles over Saturday and Sunday despite time restrictions due to visiting family and, of course, Mother's Day. The only thing missing was a big climb in the mountains, which just wasn't possible because of scheduling issues.

Here's how the week went:

Monday: super-easy
AM: 5.2 miles in 42 minutes on the trail loop behind Legend High School. Enjoyed the light rain. We get so little rain on the Front Range, so I try to enjoy it when the sky opens up a bit.

Tuesday: intervals
AM: 10.3 miles in 1:18 at the Legend High School track, followed by some cooldown miles on the trail, all with Scott. Warmed up with 3x100-meter striders at a comfortably hard and fast pace. Then I went into the meat of my workout: 4x800 at 2:42, 2:50, 2:48 and 2:49, each with a 400-meter recovery at about 2:00. I would have liked to get in a few more 800s, but my breathing was off because of allergies, so I did 2x400 at (a slow) 1:23 and 1:24 with a 400-meter recovery in between. Definitely felt the Cheyenne Mountain 50K in my legs. Finished off with some trail running behind Legend High School. Nice to have some good company.

Wednesday: easy
AM: 9.7 miles in 1:13 out on Buffaloberry and then on the Legend High School trail loop. Legs felt good.

Thursday: tempo
AM: 10.5 miles in 1:15 on city streets. My allergies were still affecting my breathing but I still managed a decent run and decent splits. Splits were: 1) 8:27 (warm-up), 2) 6:25, 3) 6:06, 4) 6:15, 5) 6:09, 6) 6:15, 7) 7:33 (begin cooldown), 8) 8:24, 9) 7:32, 10) 7:53, 10.5) 3:54. I would have liked to get another 1-2 miles at tempo pace, but my allergies made breathing a little difficult for such intensity.

Friday: easy
AM: 10.8 miles in 1:22 out on the Tomahawk loop followed by the Legend High School trail. Skies were gray and the air cold. Otherwise felt good, especially a day after my tempo run.

PM: 4.2 miles in 35 minutes on the Cherry Creek Trail single-track during my lunch hour. Legs felt super fresh.

Total miles for day: 15

Saturday: long
AM: 15.3 miles in 1:53 on the Forest Hills loop followed by the trail loop behind my house. Legs felt incredible. Would have liked to run several more miles but needed to get home, seeing as how we had family visiting over the weekend. The weather was more cold and more gray.

PM: 4 miles walking at a brisk pace with family. 58 minutes.

Total miles for day: 15.3 running, 4 walking

Sunday: long
AM: 13.5 miles in 1:43 on the Tomahawk loop and Legend High School trail. Legs a little fatigued. Needed to get back so we could get to breakfast for Mother's Day. Cold, gray and very foggy. I haven't seen the mountains since Thursday--it's that overcast on the Front Range.

PM: 3.5 miles on the treadmill.

Total miles for day: 17

Weekly totals:

82.9 miles run
~5,000 feet of climbing
4 miles walked
Total training: 11:31
9 total runs
Averaged 7:58 (includes walking)
Push-ups and core work

Year to date mileage:

1,243 miles run
118 miles biked
6.55 miles walked

Next week I'll continue with the good quality and definitely get to the mountains for a nice climb of a few thousand feet--maybe the Incline followed by the Barr Trail.

I've added Udo's Oil to the mix, taking the recommended tablespoon each day, and I've begun to notice even speedier recovery between workouts. I already knew Hammer Recoverite, which I take after every workout, speeds up recovery, but it's nice to boost things even further with some Udo's Oil in my oatmeal, salads, eggs, sandwiches, etc. Udo's should be used cold and should never be heated. Maybe something to try?

***

I rarely comment on race results, but I have to say I was pretty amazed by Dakoka Jones' performance at the Transvulcania Ultra in the Canary Islands this past weekend. Dakota, who hails from Colorado, beat out Kilian Jornet and a very stout field of international talent, besting the previous course record by 33 minutes. At just 21 years of age, Dakota, who goes by "Young Money," has a hell of a bright future in this sport and will certainly be in major contention at this year's Hardrock 100. And, he also happens to be a really nice kid (being that I'm almost twice his age and he just hit the tender age of 21, I consider him a kid). Click here for an interview Dakota did with Bryon over at irunfar.com after the race.

Week Ending 5/6

2013-10-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to ease off the quality, while still getting in some decent volume, in order to recover from the Cheyenne Mountain 50K on 4/28.

Turns out my recovery from Cheyenne has been much faster than I anticipated, maybe as a result of my vigilance in taking a full serving of Hammer Recoverite after every single workout. Or maybe my calf sleeves are really paying off, as I haven't felt much of any muscle soreness in my shins or calves in weeks. Or maybe I'm just really getting into good shape. Actually, it's probably a combination of factors. At any rate, there used to be a time when I recovered pretty well from races, and maybe now--after two years of struggles--I'm back to that place in my fitness?

Here's how the week went:

Monday: super-easy/recovery

AM: 4 miles in a little more than 34 minutes on the treadmill. I was surprised how decent my legs felt only two days after a 50K trail race.

Tuesday: easy
AM: 7.65 miles in 1 hour on the trails near my neighborhood. My legs and hips, which are usually sore after a long race, felt fantastic. Unfortunately, I'm still having some lingering posterior-tibial issues in my right leg. Will continue to ice and wear calf sleeves as a precaution.

Wednesday: mid-level effort
AM: 9.1 miles miles in 1:08, taking Buffaloberry out and back and then hitting the trails for a few miles.

Thursday: mid-level effort
AM: 9.35 miles in 1:10, mostly on the nearby trails. My legs were a bit tired. I was also labored in my breathing toward the end--maybe allergies?

Friday: mid-level effort
AM: 9.25 miles 1:10 on the trails. I felt much better than yesterday.

Saturday: long

AM: 16.05 miles in 2:05 on the Tomahawk loop and dirt trails in Parker. 1,000�. Not a very good run; I was winded and labored on the trail--maybe because of allergies?

PM: 4 miles in 33 minutes on the treadmill

Total: 20.05 miles

Sunday: long/trail

AM: 12.8 miles in 2 hours at Castelwood Canyon State Park. Did 2.5 loops around the canyon, hitting the Rim Rock Trail twice, and discovered a few new trails, as well. Enjoyed this outing and felt good--much better than yesterday. Felt like I ran well on the technical sections. 1524'.

PM: 3.1 miles on the treadmill.

Total: 15.9 miles

Weekly totals:

75,2 miles run
~5,000 feet of climbing
Total training: 10:08
9 total runs
Averaged 8:06/mile
Push-ups and core work

April totals:

301.6 miles run
40 hours, 37 minutes
Averaged 8:05/mile
Several hundred push-ups and core work reps

Year to date mileage:

1,160.1 miles run
118 miles biked
2.6 miles walked

This week I'll be getting back into quality, with intervals on Tuesday and a tempo run on Thursday, and will gun for about 80-85 miles. I'm also giving myself until Friday to make a decision about the Colfax Marathon on May 20. That would allow a one-week taper for the marathon. My hesitance is that I'm still fighting some lingering effects from poster tibial tendonitis in my right inner calf. The lingering effects aren't bad by any stretch. But the injury sidelined me for two weeks over Christmas, and sometimes too much road work can inflame the situation--so I'm inclined to be cautious. At this point, I'd say Colfax is 50/50.

I'm excited about the spring and summer and am planning some big outings in the next few weeks, including a Memorial Day weekend run up to the summit of Mount Bierstadt, a 14'er that sits right next to Mount Evans. Alternatively, I may do Greys and Torreys. Such limited time....

The plan still stands--keep my weekly mileage in the 80s in May, and then jump up to the 90s in June and the 100s in July, with some recovery sprinkled in. Because of work stuff, I'm going to have to do a two-week taper for Leadville instead of a three-week taper. I'll go into more detail on that later. For now, I think I'll go for a little run....

Week Ending 6/3 (Golden Gate Dirty Thirty)

2013-10-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Monday: mountains
AM: 7.45 miles in 2:06 at Mount Bierstadt, a 14,060-foot peak outside of Denver. Very cold and windy. Had a great time with Bob and Scott. A few snow fields here and there but nothing bad. Pretty strong on my descent (wore my Salomon Crossmaxes), though my quads did tire just a little about halfway down. Awesome adventure and the views from the top were spectacular. 2742'.

Tuesday: easy
AM: 7.8 miles in 1:02 on the local trails. Legs a little tired.

Wednesday: easy
AM: 7.1 miles in 55 minutes on the local trails. Legs still tired.

Thursday: easy
AM: 7 miles in 55 minutes. Legs a little better, but still not 100%.

Friday: very easy
AM: 4.85 miles in 40 minutes on the local trails. Legs much better.

Saturday: Golden Gate Dirty Thirty
What else to say except this was an off day for me, even as my intent was to cover the 31 miles as a training run and not a race. I finished 34th overall with a 6:06. Not good; I really wanted a time under 6 hours (by comparison, the winning time was 4:47). This course is no joke; you're at over 9,000 feet for much of the way and are constantly climbing or descending, often on rocky trail. The total climb is about 7,000 feet--not exactly a walk in the park.

From the moment the gun went off my mind just wasn't into it; I actually wanted to DNF when I got to the first aid station, having taken a nasty fall that took a chunk out of my left palm, but I stuck it out in the name of finishing what I start. My legs were tired and flat and lacked speed. I didn't feel motivated to attack any of the climbs or bomb any of the descents. Descents were a major problem for me--not because of skill, but rather because my Hoka Stinson Evos just didn't work well for me on rocky downs (good to find that out now versus at the Leadville 100). They're too high profile for a tall dude like me (6'2") and I found that my ankles were very unstable on the downs, causing me to hit the breaks and run the descents like an amateur. Yeah, I was really missing my Salomon Crossmaxes, which I wore at the Cheyenne Mountain 50K, where I ran the downs very, very well and finished 5th overall with a time I was/still am proud of. You live and learn.

On the good side, I finished pretty strong and never felt really that tired, though the altitude did get to me in a few areas, like the climb up to Windy Peak. More thoughts below.

Sunday: off
Took the day off completely. The most I did was walk to and from the pool with my family and wash both of the cars.

Totals for the week:

65.1 miles
11 hours, 45 minutes
11,500 feet of vertical
Average pace: 10:50
7 total runs
Lots of core work, push-ups and upper body weight training

Totals for the year:

1,460.7 miles run
118 miles biked
6.55 miles walked

***

The Golden Gate Dirty Thirty left a bad taste in my mouth. It was a mistake to even enter that race. The course is hard enough to totally kick your ass if you're not feeling into it. I entered via the waiting list four days before the race, which means I had no time to mentally prepare. I more or less just showed up with tired legs and struggled mentally and physically for the entire 31 miles. Not very often are the letters D-N-F floating around in my mind five miles into a race, but on Saturday they were. Two-thirds of the way through I was dehydrated, unmotivated and pissed off, but I put my head down and got through it all, somehow managing to finish strong. Oh well....

Taking Sunday off was a good decision. I didn't miss running and instead had a great time hanging out with my family and doing stuff I rarely have time to do, like wash our cars and sit on the front porch with Anne sipping lemonade. We also went to our neighborhood pool and had a nice time together.

For whatever reason, my ability to recovery after workouts has diminished. I saw this with my bad tempo run last Thursday. I saw this in my tired legs after the Bierstadt summit on Monday. And, of course, I saw this at Saturday's (shitty) 50K. Bierstadt should never have done to my legs what it did--it's just 7.5 miles and 2,700 feet of climbing. So what does this tell me? It tells me that I'm flirting with over-training, which is why I took Sunday off completely and will kind of go easy this week with more emphasis on cross training over the next few days (cycling and walking) to get myself back in good shape and ready for the next nine weeks of training.

As for my Hoka Stinson Evos, they're great on smooth trail. But when I'm descending rocky trails, like what you have at the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty, they're freaking awful (for me, at least). I've now had two bad rocky trail experiences with Hokas. Never again will I wear them at a hardcore trail race. Do I still love Hokas? Yes, they're great on smooth trail and road. But for me they suck on technical downs. With my height, I need low-profile shoes for technical descents. Period.

Now, I'll quit my bitching and move on, with my goal still being to crush it at the Leadville 100. It's good I had this opportunity to vent. Thanks for "listening," and please feel free to offer feedback if you'd like.

So, Who Wins...the Fast Guy or the Mountain Guy?

2013-10-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Regarding this post, which continues to get a lot of reader interest, I haven't yet provided my own take on who has the better chance at a fast finish at Leadville--the fast guy or the mountain dude. But now I'm ready to offer my take.

I see myself more as the guy whose weekly approach is to run 100 miles in 13 hours versus 100 miles in 18 hours. That's partially a product of the environment in which I live (Parker, Colorado, which has limited dirt trails and is 40 minutes from the mountains) but also of my identity as a runner. When it comes to races, I'm a runner, not a hiker (though I love recreational hiking). I do like the occasional difficult mountain race, such as the Jemez 50-Mile (which involves some insanely steep, scree-laced climbs and descents), but by and large I'm attracted to races that involve a lot of running, not hiking. That's not to minimize races that involve a lot of hiking; I consider Hardrock to be the ultimate challenge and one day I will confront that gnarly course as an official entrant.

What I most like about Leadville is that it gives me everything I want in a race at this stage in my life--mountains, beautiful trails and a little bit of road. My favorite section of Leadville is when you're dropping into Twin Lakes on the outbound. This part of the Colorado Trail is awesomely runnable and you can just fly into Twin Lakes.

Getting back to who has the better approach--the fast guy or the mountain guy--I think that for Leadville the faster guy's training is, by its nature, higher-risk/higher-reward than the mountain guy's. Because he did his intervals, tempo runs, etc. and has good turnover and efficiency, the fast guy stands the chance of running a stout time at Leadville since it's a "runner's race." But, if things go bad for him, which is very possible in a high-altitude environment like Leadville, he may have a hard time getting into the finish since he didn't put in a lot of time on his feet like the mountain guy.

Conversely, the mountain guy, even though his speed and efficiency aren't as good as the fast guy's, has put in the time on his feet to be able to withstand lots of punishment and a long day out there on the Leadville course. His training approach, while quite taxing from a time standpoint, has built up tremendous strength that will benefit him on Hope Pass as well as late in the race. His approach is lower-risk, but I'm not sure if it's higher-reward or lower-reward since he probably wouldn't stand a chance if the fast guy is having a good day.

At Leadville, I give the slight nod to the fast guy. Only slight, though.

In a race like Hardrock, I go with the mountain guy ten times out of ten.

I believe to my marrow that if you want to be a better runner, yes, you have to hit some good volume and go really long on a regular basis. If you're doing a race like Leadville, you'd better get out there on the mountain trails and do some serious climbing and descending. But you also need to log good quality. Go to the track and challenge yourself with some fast intervals that will improve your VO2 max and efficiency. Do a weekly tempo run, which will enhance your strength and lactate threshold, allowing you to go harder for longer. If you do no quality and just emphasis long, slow distance, you're not going to get faster.

Ultimately, I think the optimal training program is to marry both approaches and get to the mountain trails while also spending time at the track and on the road doing fast stuff. If you can do both, you're in a good place.

Where am I right? Where am I wrong?

Pressing the Reset Button and Focusing on the Road (for Now)

2013-09-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to press the reset button. After nine years of running long distances--six of which have been spent doing mostly trail ultras of the 100-mile variety--it's great to start anew.

I'm back wearing stability shoes and light-weight trainers and, for the first time in months, I can actually feel the ground beneath me. At this point, I don't really miss my Hokas. Yeah, they're super soft, but Hokas just don't give my feet the support I need. I can't help but wonder if Hokas weren't somehow connected to my injuries of late. Instability in the feet often leads to soft-tissue injuries such as tendonitis in the shins, knee pain, etc. I'm not necessarily blaming Hokas; I'm just saying maybe I need more support in a shoe. So I'm going back to the type of shoes that I started out in so many years ago, with particular emphasis on weight (or lack thereof).

I've managed to mostly put my DNF at Leadville behind me. I still have feelings of sadness over what went down that day, and I'm dead set on being ready for next year's race (already booked our cabin). But right now I'm trying to get 100% healthy (free of all of the little aches and pains you develop preparing for a 100-miler) and ready for my Phoenix Marathon training. Phoenix is on January 20. Coming from 6,200 feet to a sea level city known for its nice weather in January (average temperature that time of year is in the mid-50s), I'll be looking for a new PR in the "Valley of the Sun." To say I'm motivated would be an understatement. But right now I'm being patient and allowing some time to heal.

I've always been a road guy at heart. I love the trail, and I love the mountains we have out here in Colorado, but I started out a road runner and many (but not all) of my most memorable races have been on pavement (e.g., Cleveland Marathon in 2008, Lt. JC Stone 50K in 2009, North Coast 24-Hour in 2009). I still believe that the greatest measure of a runner is his or her marathon time. At the same time, I remain hopeful that road ultras will make a comeback.

My last marathon was in April of 2011, when I finished fifth overall and first in my age group at the small-town but very charming Eisenhower Marathon in Kansas. The hot, windy weather that day really posed difficulties, leading to a disappointing 3:11. With Phoenix, I want to get my marathon time back down below three hours, with the added benefit of early entry in Boston in 2014. I figure I don't have many more years to try to best my 2:58 marathon PR.

The last time I was really focused on a marathon was the fall of 2008, when I trained for the Columbus Marathon. A few days ago I looked back on my Columbus training and it reveals the building blocks of a good marathon program--intervals, tempo runs and 20+ milers. Unfortunately, my training was a bit inconsistent, as Noah was just a few months old at the time. A couple of weeks before Columbus I strained my hamstring, but I still came in under three hours. The next spring I ran another sub-three as I was training for a 100-miler, but that marathon (Cleveland) wasn't a goal race.

So this fall I'll be 100% dedicated to Phoenix. I'm having a minor surgical procedure in mid-September, probably requiring a week off from training. But, other than that, I'll be banging out the miles and doing lots of quality. I know what I have to do--lots of 20+ milers, intervals and tempo running. The good news is that I can crank out a 20-miler in ~2:30 or better, starting from my doorstep. I'm super excited and hopeful for decent weather through December. Hopefully I can find a few half-marathons for tune-up runs.

As always, I'll be posting updates on my training. Yeah, it'll be good to put away my trail shoes for a bit and hit the road for some fast stuff, with dreams of a new 26.2 PR.

Leadville Trail Marathon Race Report

2013-09-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

First of all, how lucky am I to live in such a beautiful place? Sometimes I can't believe I'm so lucky to live within a two-hour drive of the high-altitude racing capital of the world (Leadville, of course)!

I finished with a 4:40 and 21st overall, out of 509 finishers, at yesterday's Leadville Trail Marathon. 6,000+ feet of vertical gain, all between 10,200-13,185 feet. From the start, my legs weren't feeling it. Despite a slight taper going into the race, my legs felt tired and sluggish. But because this is Leadville, where you have to dig deep when things get tough, I decided to battle through the leg fatigue and get 'er done. I left myself no choice.

The start of the 2012 Leadville Trail Marathon. Photo by the Leadville Race Series.

What I didn't see coming were some stomach issues mid-way through the race. Again, I dug deep and got 'er done.

My best guess is that I wasn't yet over the virus/bug I dealt with for the better part of the week (this virus has now affected others in the Hornsby house). The bug involved not only GI issues, but also reduced appetite. I just didn't want to eat all week--not a good thing going into a big race. Basically, I felt like crap all week.

Leadville Marathon course profile.

Remarkably, I ran pretty much the same time as last year (4:40 in 2012, 4:39 in 2011). I got to the top of 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass in 2:23 (2:24 last year), having fought hard on the long and rocky climb. When I started the climb, I was running about 14th. The pass was littered with half-marathoners (they take a short-cut to the hardest section of the course). I passed, I'd say, well over 100 half-marathoners, many of whom were in death-march mode, and one marathoner. The fast-walking in my training is paying off, because I was strong on the Mosquito Pass climb despite the tricky footing.

Finally, at the top of Mosquito, I took a Hammer Gel (I fueled with Hammer Gels and water for the entire race), downed some fluids and got going! When I started the tough, rocky descent, I was in 13th place, but still not feeling 100%. I just didn't know what I'd have in the tank for the return trip, but I tried not to fixate on what lay ahead.

I hit a low point between miles 18-22, a mentally difficult stretch that involves a bunch of gentle climbs at about 12,000 feet of elevation. Basically, my legs were shot and my stomach was complaining. I'm in pretty good shape, so I figured my problems were more about the virus I'd battled and not about conditioning. A few runners passed me while I shuffled about, trying to regroup and stay positive despite the fact that I'd run out of water (which meant I couldn't take any gels for the time being) and was starting to feel dehydrated. I'm sure the altitude didn't do me any favors, either, in my compromised state.

On the rocky, ~2,000-foot descent into town (which, of course, you have to climb on the outbound), I started to feel slightly better after rehydrating and taking a Hammer Gel, though my legs were still uncooperative. I descended with confidence and felt more and more positive as I knew the finish was getting closer. Finally, on the road into town I starting moving well, running at about 7:15 pace (again, this is at 10,200 feet) with the finish line in sight.

About 200 feet before the finish, a runner came out of nowhere and passed me. I wasn't about to allow that to happen, so I hit the jets and blew past him into the finish line, beating him by one second. I felt like Mark Cavendish, the famous cycling sprinter who has the ability to accelerate like a jet into the finish line. Lots of people complimented me on my strong final kick, which made me feel good. I may not be a beast in the mountains, but I still have good closing speed and will fight to the death if someone's trying to chase me down late in a race. Here's a photo sequence of how it happened:

He's surging past me! All photos in this sequence by Rob Timko.

I'm about to hit the jets. The finish line is less than 100 feet away!

A la Mark Cavendish, I overtake my challenger.

And I break the tape!

After the race I hung out at the finish for over an hour, enjoying the good company of friends like Matt C., Lucho (who finish second overall and is going to shatter the Leadman record), Rob T., Jeremy B., Leila D., Jason R., and others. I didn't get a chance to see Scott W., who had a strong result. Had I known Tim Deboom, the two-time Ironman Kona champion who finished third with a 4:02, or Susan Williams, who medaled in the Olympic triathlon in 2004 and finished with a 4:57, were there on Saturday, I'd surely have introduced myself.

I felt horrendous and just drank as much as I could. A few hours later, in Georgetown on the way home, I had a Subway flatbread sandwich and it actually tasted good despite the fact that I hate fast food.

All in all, I'm pleased with my result. I'm confident that, had I been 100%, I would have run at least 5 minutes and maybe 10 minutes faster. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think this race is the hardest marathon in the U.S. It beats the hell out of you from start to finish, and the technical descents (and climbs) only add to the challenge. It is very hard to get decent footing on Mosquito Pass and on the climb out of and back into town. All that said, it's incredible how much the Leadville Trail Marathon has changed over the past three years. It now has the look and feel of a big-time mountain event (but could definitely use some improvement in the way of finish-line food).

I have five more weeks of training before starting my Leadville 100 taper. I have some key runs on my schedule, including a Hope Pass double crossing on July 30 and a Fish Hatchery-to-finish night run on August 4. In late July I'm also spending three nights in Keystone for business--good altitude exposure. It's hard to believe, but the big race is right around the corner!

Interview with Dean Karnazes

2013-09-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

There have been faster ultrarunners, but never has an endurance athlete (not named Lance Armstrong) come even remotely close to achieving the fame, fortune and "cross-over" appeal of Dean Karnazes.

Courtesy of Dean Karnazes

Dean's meteoric rise started in 2005 with the release of a memoir he never envisioned as a New York Times best-seller. But Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner sold big, catapulting the self-described "bored" San Francisco working stiff, who had already achieved notable success as a runner, to unprecedented worldwide fame. In Ultramarathon Man, Dean shared the personal story of his colorful entrance into super-distance running. Garnering a legion of inspired Dean followers, the book shined a bright light on a freakishly blood and guts sport that, until that time, had largely existed in the shadows.

Just like that, Dean became somewhat of a household name, following up his memoir with 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!, which chronicled his 50 marathons/50 days/50 states challenge dubbed the Endurance Challenge. Along the way, Dean, who is sponsored by The North Face and is a "yes-I-can" poster boy for fitness, landed on Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" list, attempted the 48-hour treadmill record, won both the Badwater Ultramarathon and Vermont 100, founded his own charity (Karno Kids), quit his day job to run full-time and motivate people, adopted children's health as his #1 cause, and otherwise took his celebrity to unheard-of levels.

Courtesy of Dean Karnazes

With his growing fame, Dean became a polarizing figure in a sport that, nearly overnight, had gone from underground to exposure in places like airport bookstores. All of a sudden, many men in their thirties, after years of neglecting their health, felt inspired and saw a way to a better place in life. As some claim, many of the top races, such as the Western States 100, started selling out and had to hold lotteries because so-called Dean followers flooded registrations. Once viewed by many as a fad, it's clear that Dean, like his idol, the late, great Jack Lalanne, is here to stay.

Last year, Dean released his third book, Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, that once again landed him on the best-sellers list, as well as seats on Letterman and Leno (he'd already visited with Regis and Kelly). Only this time, Dean, who had clearly been hurt by the criticism of his own community, came across as slightly more guarded than the guy with nothing to lose back in 2005.

Today, the 49 year-old Karnazes, who lives in San Francisco with his family, is a vocal champion of healthy living and works hard to raise money for childhood obesity. He's run across the country to bring attention to this vitally important issue and is now planning a feat that is, to say the least, logistically daunting (more on that below). In just a few weeks, he'll attempt his tenth finish at the Badwater Ultramarathon.

A final note. Some people think Dean is insulated from "the rest of us," that he has high-paid PR types hovering around him to manage his "brand." I sensed none of that from the man. In fact, less than a day after e-mailing him via Facebook to request an interview, Dean personally responded to my inquiry and said yes, of course he'd answer my questions. Though he is famous, Dean's just like the rest of us--he loves running and he enjoys spreading the joy of putting one foot in front of the other.

WH: Dean, thank you for coming on The Running Man for this interview. It's an honor and I appreciate your time. Let's get right down to it, and I'd like to start off with an issue that's near and dear to both of our hearts. Today, about a third of kids and two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. Through efforts like your 50-marathon challenge and trans-continental run, you�ve worked hard to combat obesity, especially among children. Coaching people on the need to choose the right foods and stay active is one thing, but winning over their hearts and minds and actually changing behaviors is another challenge altogether. Are we moving the needle on the obesity epidemic?

DK: I think we are chipping away at the problem. The level of awareness is higher now than ever. However, as you pointed out, getting people to actually change their behavior is the hard part. Programs like �Couch to 5K� are helping. Running or walking a 5K is something most people find approachable, no matter how badly they�ve let their health slip. Baby steps, I like to say.

Courtesy of Dean Karnazes

WH: In a recent podcast interview with Endurance Planet, you said too many runners just run and don�t cross-train, which can help prevent injury and burnout. As someone who�s recently implemented fast-walking into the mix, I�m eager to learn what kinds of cross-training you suggest for runners.

DK: Specifically, upper-body and core strength are important for injury prevention. You don�t need to go to the gym. Doing sets of push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups will do the trick. Also, as runners, most of us spend the majority of our time moving forward in a straight line. Consequently, the muscles deployed during lateral movement are underdeveloped. Conditioning these muscles will help, too.

WH: Your first book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, was a national best-seller and inspired thousands to start running. But it still seemed to irk some old-schoolers who felt you came off a tad bit immodest. Yet those who know you best say you�re a humble, self-effacing guy. If you had a �do-over,� would you change anything about that first book?

DK: When I wrote that book, I thought that I�d be lucky if ten people bought it (mostly family, at a discount). When the book landed on the NY Times bestseller list I was shocked. Had I known the book would be so successful, I probably would have approached things differently. Hindsight�s always 20/20. I�m sorry if I came off as immodest to some old-schoolers--that was certainly not my intention. I�m not a very boastful person by nature. In fact, like many runners, I�m a severe introvert and don�t like being in the spotlight. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

Courtesy of Dean Karnazes

WH: You�ve accomplished a lot in life. You�ve won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon and Vermont 100. Four times you�ve finished in the top 10 at the Western States 100. You�re easily one of the top multi-day racers. You�re among the first�or maybe the first�to actually make a living as an ultrarunner, thanks to three best-selling books. And you�ve given back through your foundation and other charitable endeavors. How do you handle the criticism you still get from the few who question your credentials and motivations?

DK: No matter what you do, some people will always find fault in it. It�s a harsh reality I�ve had to learn. That said, I�ve received tens of thousands of letters from individuals across the globe telling me how much I�ve inspired them to start running and to become more physically active. Enduring the criticism of a few is worth it when you consider the upside. My father always told me that if you have a problem with someone, at least have the decency to tell them directly. I�ve never had a single person tell me to my face that they have a problem with me. When I read criticism online by someone who hides behind the moniker, �toe jam,� I try to keep it in perspective. Frederick Douglass may have said it best: �I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence."

WH: Recently, you announced your plans to run a marathon in every nation in the world within a one-year period. By my count, that�s something like 200 nations. What�s motivated you to tackle such a daunting and logistically difficult challenge?

DK: One of my main sponsors, The North Face, has this terrific saying: �Never Stop Exploring.� I love the spirit of exploration more than anything else. The challenge of running a marathon in every country of the world in the span of one year ignites my passion. I think the world could use something like this right now. There are so many things that divide us and tear us apart. Running unites people. Regardless of race, creed, religion or socioeconomic status, we can all run. It�s something we humans share together. There is power in focusing on what we have in common rather than on what separates us. That�s a major part of the reason I want to undertake this endeavor.

Courtesy of Dean Karnazes

WH: How do you battle through a dark moment in a race, or in a training run?

DK: I try to stay in the moment. I try to be present and to not get ahead of myself. Many times a low point comes as a result of suffering and thinking about how much more suffering is still ahead. I try to remain in the moment and just put one foot in front of the other to the best of my ability and not to think about anything else except for each individual forward stride.

WH: One night, while out drinking with friends on your thirtieth birthday, you had a �midlife crisis,� left the bar, and ran 30 miles on a whim despite the fact that you hadn�t run in years. What was going on in your life that led to the events of that fateful night?

DK: Boredom. I thought that if I went through college and then business school and was then able to land a cush corporate job, I would find happiness. Instead, I found drudgery. I didn�t like being in the corporate world. It just wasn�t me. So I ran away from it all (quite literally).

WH: How do your motivations today differ from your motivations when you got into ultrarunning in the mid-1990s?

DK: They�re the same, really. I�ve never been highly competitive with anyone but myself. Sure, I enjoy competition, but I don�t live for it. Too many of my friends that were zealous racers burned out on the sport. To me, I just love running. That might be at a race like the Badwater Ultramarathon, or it might be running across the country. The passion is there either way. All my trophies and medals are stashed away in boxes in my garage--they really don�t mean that much to me. I just love to run.

WH: I can certainly appreciate that! A lot of elite ultrarunners today feel they should be paid like professional athletes since they�re the fastest among us. Yet this has always been a sport in which even the best worked day jobs. For example, Tim Twietmeyer (one of my ultrarunning heroes) won Western States five times while holding down a full-time gig at Hewlett Packard and having family responsibilities. Do you think ultrarunning will�or should�get to a level where elites are well-paid?

DK: I think if people can make a living doing what they love to do, it�s a good thing. That said, one of the greatest elements of ultrarunning is that no matter where you cross that finish line, first or last, everyone gets the same belt buckle. There�s a sense of shared struggle, and that�s part of the magic of our sport. I�d hate to see prize money and big salaries change that dynamic.

WH: What is it about ultrarunning that fascinates people so much?

DK: Ultrarunning is a step into the unknown. It�s an exploration into the potential of self. There is a deep human yearning to be the best you that you can be. Ultrarunning is symbolic of testing how far one is capable of going.

WH: Do you ever miss your life before fame?

DK: Sometimes, but I can always go for a long run in the wilderness to regain my soul. I have been blessed by meeting some of the most inspiring people imaginable, and for that I will remain forever grateful. The modest fame I�ve achieved has been worth it because of the people I�ve met along the way.

WH: How do you want to be remembered?

DK: Wow, that�s a heavy question. I guess I�d like to be remembered as a simple guy who followed his own path and tried to always do his best. In the end, I�m just a runner. I�m no one special. I'm just a humble guy who loves life and loves to run.

WH: Dean, this has been an honor. Thank you for the opportunity to interview you. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors! Is there anything you�d like to add for our readers?

DK: The honor�s all mine. Thanks for having me. Maybe I�ll end with a quote from my first book, that seems fitting: �Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up!�

Best wishes to you and all who are reading this interview.

Looking for Leadville 100 Pacer

2013-09-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm in need of a pacer at the Leadville 100 on Aug. 18. My goal is sub-20 hours. Last year I finished in 22:35 due to some issues late in the race, and the year before snagged my first El Plato Grande buckle, a coveted prize in this sport. I have a cabin in town where my crew and I will be staying (and where you are welcome to stay after we finish). If you are interested in being a part of a legendary ultramarathon, as featured in Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, and if you are inclined to spend a day in one of the most beautiful areas in the entire country, please e-mail me and we'll discuss details.

Update: I now have a pacer for miles 70-100. If you are interested in pacing me for miles 50-70 (that includes Hope Pass), please let me know.

Mount Evans Race Report

2013-09-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

A quick recap of today's Mount Evans Ascent, an challenging 14.5-mile race to the top of Mount Evans. Evans is a glorious 14,265-foot peak just outside Denver. The race is on all road and is a 3,500 vertical-foot climb with no super steep sections but a fair number of switchbacks with which to contend. The last three miles are pretty challenging.

Makes Heartbreak Hill look like a parking lot speedbump, eh?
All photos by Jim Petterson.

First off, all things considered, the weather today was great. The temperature was maybe in the 40s up top and the wind was no where near as bad as last year. I finished 22nd out of 369 finishers (top 5%) with a 2:17:19, which breaks down to 9:34 pace. That's a 24-minute improvement over last year, when I averaged 11:09 pace. I'm pleased with the improvement, especially considering my goal was break 2:30 today. But I'm also aware that the conditions today were far better than last year, and so I should have improved if for no other reason than I wasn't running into 30-50 mile-per-hour winds.

Taken at about 14,000 feet.

Still, I feel like today I took a step forward in learning how to run mountains. I went out conservatively, maintained even splits, and used my new heart rate monitor to stay within the right zone (for me) for the first 12 or so miles. If my heart rate started to get too high, I slowed the pace until I was back in the right zone. If my heart rate was lower than necessary, I sped up. As you'll see in the attachment below, my heart rate never went over 156. I stayed right in the 150-155 range and ran strong pretty much the whole way up, except for walking (really fast) through the aid stations and on some short stretches above 13,000 feet. The last two miles, when it pretty much comes down to desire, I ignored my HR monitor and just ran as hard as I could. I felt strong and confident and I'm happy with my time, especially as I'm training for a 100 and am not exactly Mr. Fresh Legs.

Takeaways:

Heart rate monitors work in high-altitude mountain races--if you allow them to guide you. I'm going to use my HR monitor to keep myself in check for the first 13.5 miles of the Leadville 100, when I tend to go waaaaaaay too fast, and maybe also for the Hope Pass section.
Going out conservatively in a high-altitude race pays off big time in the end. I never got into oxygen debt and was able to move strongly all the way to the top, though of course the last 1.5 miles were a struggle (as they are for almost anyone).
Hill repeats pay off. I've been doing them and today felt strong on Evans. There were a few climbs above 12,000 feet where I felt like someone was pushing me.
I also think all this walking is paying off. I just seem to move better and more efficiently.

2012 Mt. Evans splits

2011 Mt. Evans splits
(Note: Last year's time was 2:41, but in the splits below it says 2:47 because I missed stopping my watch at the finish)

2012 Leadville 100-Mile Run: DNF

2013-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

I DNF'd at Winfield, which is the halfway point of the race. Coming into Twin Lakes (mile 39.5), I felt some pain in my left knee, but I wasn't too worried. The pain, however, intensified as I was descending Hope Pass on the southside. By the time I entered Winfield, I'd already made my mind up that it was over. To my family's shock, I had one of the volunteers cut my wrist band. I was very fortunate to have Diana Finkel, multiple-times women's winner at the Hardrock 100, there to counsel me through my decision. She was very supportive and my respect for her is even higher now than it was before.

To say it was an agonizing decision would be an understatement. My pacer, Scott Schrader, had driven up to Leadville to help ME finish this race. My parents and Anne and Noah were up there to support ME. I had so much support--so many people behind me--and so to DNF really cut deep. This was my first DNF ever. It hurts like hell--it's the worst mental hurt I've felt in a long, long time. It's going to take a long time to get over my disappointment.

I'm pretty sure what I have is a case of runner's knee. Structurally, my knee seems to be okay, but on descents the pain is very bad and I have very little strength in my left leg as a result. I guess you could say the course won yesterday. But I do think, having gotten the opinion of others, that the very aggressive deep-tissue massage I got the Monday before the race played a big factor in the issues I experienced during the race. Getting such a hard massage was a mistake.

I'm going to think hard about my future as an ultrarunner. Ultrarunning will always be part of my life, but yesterday I felt like my body came apart on me. Not only was my left knee a major issue, but I fought wicked leg cramps going up Hope Pass. I was just having a bad day, and my knee ultimately was the greater decider as to whether I continued or dropped. But, then again, I just didn't have a lot of fight in me at Winfield. I didn't ask to have my knee taped. With 50 gueling miles still in front of me, I was unwilling to see if I could somehow battle through the very bad pain in my knee. If I had just 20 miles to go, I'd have gutted it out, as I always do. Time-wise, I was doing pretty well--I entered Winfield in about 9:30 (9:15 last year but, with the new trail connecting Hope Pass and Winfield, the course is now longer and harder).

I am thinking about focusing on shorter races in 2013 (and by shorter I mean marathons, which are long to most normal people) and seeing if I can finally get a new marathon PR. I'm sure I'll come back to 100s, but at this point it's hard to imagine doing that in 2013. Sometimes you just need a break. For me, I think a year off from 100s will do wonders for my body...and mind. I've been going pretty hard for six years, and have fought some pretty good battles in that time. At some point damage accrues, and you're left with few other options than just healing. That's where I am now.

Returning to Leadville

2013-09-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I've been blown away by the e-mails and blog posts I've gotten expressing support and words of encouragement. I cannot thank all of you enough--you know who you are. Your support has really lifted me in these past few days and put a lot of wind in my sails. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you.

I want to congratulate everyone who finished Leadville this year! That is a huge accomplishment, whether you were sub-25 or sub-30. Believe me when I say I have a new appreciation for finishing a 100!

I've decided to return to Leadville in 2013. I want to run a fast marathon in January, and then I want to transition into a new kind of Leadville training that will have me mentally and physically dialed in next August. I believe I can do it, but, most importantly, I know I can do it. Having spoken with a few people I trust, I know what I need to do. I don't need to start doing it yet (now is the time for recovery and, believe it or not, I need to lose some fitness before I start training with a purpose again), but I know the plan, and a plan is where you start. I have to rebuild myself. I have to start over--and I like that.

Book Review: Fit2Fat2Fit, by Drew Manning

2013-09-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Drew Manning was a militant personal trainer who pushed his clients hard. Like many of us who have worked hard to achieve better health and fitness, the Salt Lake City fitness guru failed to really understand the plight of overweight, out of shape people, chalking up their lot in life to bad choices and lack of discipline.

I suspect Manning�s world view of obesity and poor fitness is quite common among our ilk�those of us who run every day because we enjoy it. Nothing will stop us from getting in the miles�not rain, not sleet, not snow, not even injury and illness. The same could probably be said of cyclists, triathletes, weight lifters, CrossFitters, etc. And yet, paradoxically, many of us, including me, have weight loss stories. Over time, the fat burned away and we developed lean bodies, big lungs, hard muscles...and militant attitudes. As we lace up our shoes for another 20-miler, we wonder why it�s so hard for others to also get it together when our lives prove that it can be done. Yeah, they must be lazy. Too much Judge Judy, too little blood, sweat and tears.

Some of us develop almost hostile feelings about obesity. We self-righteously dismiss people who are obese as lazy, weak and undisciplined. We stare at them, silently judging their appearance, behavior and decisions. While our commitment to health is almost militaristic, the obese, because of what we perceive as personal weakness, make bad choices�from living on the sofa to visiting the drive-thru daily. In a world of rising obesity (two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese), the disdain only intensifies, giving way to righteous indignation.

As told in Fit2Fat2Fit: The Unexpected Lessons from Gaining and Losing 75 Lbs. on Purpose, Drew Manning lived in that world daily. Sure, he had his fair share of client success stories�those who overcame their weight problem in discovering better health through lifestyle changes�but too often Manning�s clients didn�t make it. Takes James as an example.

For a few months Manning had been working with James, a family member who was struggling with his weight. James showed progress in the beginning, but soon he began skipping workouts, falling prey to old habits and putting weight back on. Manning was perplexed, unable to understand why James had fallen off the wagon when he had seen encouraging progress. Manning stewed over the situation, pushing James hard. Then came James� decision to go it alone, effectively firing Manning.

Manning�s experience with James proved pivotal, caused him to question his entire approach with clients. Maybe he�d been doing something wrong all these years. Maybe clients didn�t need a drill sergeant; maybe they needed something more�someone who could truly connect with them in their journey to better health, someone who had been there themselves.

Manning was, he writes, on top of a mountain, and James was at the base, stifled by the fear of having to get to the summit by himself. Manning had failed to understand why James couldn�t get to the top. But then Manning realized it wasn�t the summit, per se, that hindered James; it was the journey through endlessly challenging terrain that overwhelmed him. James didn�t have the support he needed to navigate the pitfalls on the way to the top. �If the start of my trail was at the top of the mountain, enjoying the view,� he writes, �how could I understand what it was like for people to find their way from the bottom?�

That realization ultimately drove Manning to do something few of us could ever conceive. To the shock of his family and friends, he decided to stop working out, stop eating healthy, and put on 75 pounds over the next six months. Green smoothies would be replaced with big bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. He'd shop the junk food aisles, avoiding the produce section. Time spent at the gym would now be spent in front of the TV. He would document his journey via a blog that would soon attract legions of followers.

Not surprisingly, the weight came on fast, and soon Manning began experiencing what it was like to live with obesity�shortness of breath, judgmental stares from others, exhaustion, addiction to certain foods, chafing and even problems tying his own shoes. He had trouble keeping up with his daughter. Even his marriage was affected, despite his wife Lynn�s support of the experiment (his wife authors a chapter in the book).

But Manning�s journey to obesity is only half of the story. In his book, he also documents his return to fitness, which didn�t come as easily as he expected it would. A full 75 pounds heavier, he had developed addictions to certain foods, like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Mountain Dew. Overcoming these addictions and getting back in shape were a far greater struggle than he anticipated. Early on, he decided to correct his diet, and then eventually he got back in the gym, having to compensate for his weight as he worked out. This part of the story reveals the true plight of the obese in confronting the many daunting obstacles to achieving better health�and it�s what ultimately helped Manning become a better personal trainer and motivator for his clients.

At only 135 pages, not including sections with recipes, meal plans, exercises and workouts, Fit2Fat2Fit is an easy, fast read. In many ways, it�s a touch and go account of Manning�s extraordinary journey. He probes some significant issues related to obesity, like food addiction and troubling grocery store marketing practices, but I would have liked a far deeper dive into his experiences with getting fat and getting fit again, and into the environmental factors related to obesity (like food marketing).

Fit2Fat2Fit: The Unexpected Lessons from Gaining and Losing 75 Lbs. on Purpose, by Drew Manning with Brad Pierce, is recommended.

Week Ending 6/10 / The Most Overlooked Component of 100-Mile Training?

2013-09-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

This was, without question, the best week of training I've had all year. I decided to mix things up a bit and incorporate some fast-walking. If you've never fast-walked, let me tell you, it really works your hips to the degree that you'll be sore for days.

For the week, I ran 70.7 miles and fast-walked 19.3 miles, covering 90 miles total in 14 hours and 25 minutes. I hit some good quality on Wednesday with hill repeats, Friday with a strong tempo run, and Sunday with an outing to Pikes Peak with 5,200 feet of climbing. When I went to bed on Sunday night, I slept well knowing that I'd just completed a hell of a training week.

When we lived back East, I ran every step of my training, because in most 100-milers at sea level the entire course is completely runnable. Sure, there may be a few nasty hills where walking is appropriate, but for the most part 100-milers out East are almost entirely runnable (except for a few, such as Grindstone, Massanutten, Barkley, etc.).

Not so with 100-milers out here in the Mountain West. At Leadville, a time of 20 hours comes down to 12-minute miles, and that includes aid station stops. There are sections of Leadville, such as the Hope Pass outbound and inbound climbs, where you're walking regardless of how well-conditioned you may be. Yeah, I mean that. Most Leadville entrants also walk the inbound Powerline climb, a 1,500-foot climb that comes very late in the race. If you're not a strong walker, you may suffer badly at Leadville and come up short in achieving your goal.
So last week it just kind of hit me. To be in optimal shape for Leadville and truly race this epic event, I need to be not only a good, efficient runner, but also a damned-good hiker. I need to think not as a runner, but as a Leadville racer. Specificity! With my new thinking, this week I started incorporating quite a bit of fast-walking and, as the days progressed, felt it in my hips (in a good way). Walking/hiking really fast engages the hips in ways running doesn't. And believe me: walking fast is totally different than just walking at a leisurely pace. I actually think walking at 11:30 pace is harder than running at 8:00 pace (maybe because my running efficiency is far better than my walking efficiency). When you're hoofing it on a fast walk, it's hard to move efficiently, but with practice your walking efficiency improves and it becomes a more natural form of movement. My goal is to be such a good walker that I can use it to my advantage at Leadville, versus seeing walking as a form of defeat.

Here's how the week went:

Monday: fast-hiking
AM: Fast-hiked 4 miles in 45 minutes on the trail loop behind my house. Used my trekking poles for practice. Legs felt decent thanks to Sunday's layoff.

PM: Walked 2 miles in 26 minutes in the neighborhood just to keep my muscles loosened up.

Tuesday: easy
AM: Ran 8.75 miles in 1:10 on the Parker trails.

PM: Fast-hiked 3 miles in 38 minutes on the trail loop behind my house. Used my trekking poles.

Wednesday: fast hill repeats
AM: 9.3 miles in 1:14. Met Scott on Canterberry Trail for some fast hill repeats. Felt he Golden Gate Dirty Thirty in my hips but still managed five hard intervals, each at about 1/4 mile. Splits were 1:36, 1:33, 1:38, 1:39 and 1:41 (yeah, not great). Jogged back down between each. These were hard with a headwind coming down Canterberry Trail and my hips feeling quite tired. Will increase the number of intervals on a weekly basis leading up to Leadville, as I definitely believe these improve strength and efficiency. Will also continue to eek out a few intervals at the track.

PM: 3 miles in 33 minutes on the treadmill. Every 1/4 mile alternated between fast-walking and running. Transitions not easy! I had to do this workout indoors due to the horribly violent weather blowing in (severe thunderstorm with damaging hail and winds).

Thursday: easy
AM: Ran 8.35 miles in 1:08 on the Parker trails. Saw some bad destruction from last night's storm and hail. Lots of erosion and many of the trails I run were severely damaged. Took it easy and didn't push myself at all.

PM: Fast-hiked 2 miles in 26 minutes in the neighborhood just to stay loose.

Friday: tempo
AM: 10.1 miles in 1:11. This was a very solid tempo run, though I would have liked another fast mile but decided to stop after. Splits were: 1) 9:14 (warm-up), 2) 6:19, 3) 5:54, 4) 6:06, 5) 6:17, 6) 5:56, 7) 6:26, 8) 8:04, 9) 7:54, 10) 8:54 (included some fast walking toward end), 10.1) 0:33 (all fast-walking). Really like those two sub-6:00 miles.

PM: Fast-hiked 3 miles in 34 minutes down Club Drive and then back up the Sulphur Gulch Trail. Pretty warm.

Saturday: long run
AM: Ran 15 miles in 2:01 on the Tomahawk and Legend High School trail loops. Very warm. Went pretty easy pace so to avoid blowing up in the heat. Held up well.

PM: Fast-hiked 3 miles in 32 minutes down Club Drive and then back up the Sulphur Gulch Trail. Saw improvement over yesterday's time, despite extremely warm (read: hot) conditions. How does 96 degrees sound? Carried a water bottle. I thought of all the Denver-area Western States entrants and how Saturday's conditions were perfect for heat training.

Sunday: long run/mountains
AM: Ran 15.3 miles in 3:08 on the Manitou Incline and Barr Trail heading up Pikes Peak. Felt strong on the 2,000-vertical foot, one-mile climb up the Incline, setting a new PR of 27:18. Would have broken 27 minutes were the Incline not super crowded. I passed a ton of people, a few of whom were so out of it that they were slow in accommodating me as I went by. After the Incline, I dropped to the Barr Trail and then took it up to 11,415 feet. Man, I was so tempted to go for the summit but, because of limited time (and a lack of warmer clothing on hand), turned around and just absolutely cruised back into town. Very strong, confident descent, passing several runners on the way down (wore my Salmon Crossmaxes, which are perfect for aggressive descents). 5,208 feet of climbing. Planning a Pikes summit in the next few weeks--will have to wake up before dawn, though :(.

PM: Fast-hiked 3.3 miles in 36 minutes down Club Drive and then back up the Sulphur Gulch Trail. Legs and hips slightly sore and tired.

Totals for the week:

Training time: 14:25:40
Running mileage: 70.7
Fast-hiking mileage: 19.3 (included some brief running)
Total climbing: ~11,000 feet
Total outings: 14
Pace per mile: 9:37
Push-ups, weights and core work

Totals for the year:

1,531.35 miles run
25.7 miles fast-hiked
116.5 miles biked

***

So, yeah, I'm going to stick with the running and fast-hiking thing through Leadville and then get back to running 100% of the time when I start training in October for a 2:50 at the Rock 'n Roll Phoenix Marathon.

This week I'm going to scale back my mileage with the hopes of feeling fairly fresh for Saturday's Mount Evans Ascent, a 14.5-mile run up to the summit of 14,265-foot Mount Evans for a total gain of about 3,500 feet. Last year's ascent featured absolutely hostile weather with extremely strong winds and frigid conditions up at the summit. I'm going to assume this Saturday's race will be equally as hostile and will pack for all kinds of conditions. The key to the Mount Evans Ascent is to dress for worsening conditions without carrying so much that you're weighed down. It's a delicate balancing act. For me, the perfect items are things like mittens, a skull cap, a thin vest, arm sleeves, calf sleeves and multiple upper body layers. Anyway, I just want to break 2:40 and get the trophy. Last year I came in at 2:41, having struggled quite a bit because of the wind. I am very confident that all of this fast-walking will pay off big time when I'm at 13,000+ feet this Saturday.

Planned schedule this week (a slight taper/race week):

Monday: Off or some light walking
Tuesday: 1) Hill repeats, 2) fast-walking
Wednesday: 1) Easy run, 2) fast-walking
Thursday: 1) Tempo run, 2) fast-walking
Friday: Off/taper
Saturday: 1) Mt. Evans Ascent
Sunday: 1) Deer Creek Canyon (easy), 2) fast-walking

Projected mileage: ~60-65

Leadville 100 Information for First-Timers

2013-09-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a lot of e-mails from first-time Leadville 100-Mile entrants. It's great to see so many folks psyched about what is undoubtedly one of the two or three most awesome 100-milers in the world today.

My two El Plato Grande buckes. Yep, I look forward to adding a third.

Over the past few years, I've written quite a bit about Leadville, including a detailed, two-part course description. Below is everything you might need to know about the big race, and I would encourage you to also reach out to other veterans via the Yahoo group. Also, here are three bits of advice I encourage you to consider if this is your first Leadville 100:

Do not go out too fast, even if a slow(er) start means you're in that epic traffic jam along the lake. Leadville is at 10,200 feet. If you go out fast, even if your pace "feels good," you'll likely pay for it later when the altitude finally catches up to you. Leadville is a race that rewards patience. The true essence of Leadville is from Fish Hatchery to the finish, when most runners are staggering. If you can run/hike those last 24 miles strong, you will pass a ton of people.
Hike the big climbs. Most runners will hike Hope Pass both ways and also the Powerline climb. Hopefully you've incorporated walking/hiking into your training.
The return trip is way harder than the outbound trip, so be sure to have a lot in the tank when you turn around at Winfield. This is a well-established fact. It's very hard to even-split Leadville when you have the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb on the return trip. If your goal is 25 hours, then I would suggest your first-half split be something like 11:30, allowing for a second-half split of 13:30.

Detailed course description

Miles 1-50
Miles 51-finish
Also check our Dana's Strategy on Run100s.com, but note that the course has changed slightly from when Dana ran it.

Tips for First-Timers
Here I cover everything from trekking poles and dealing with the altitude to nutrition and pacing.

Also check out Coach Weber's very helpful Leadville Pacing Patterns and Charts.

My Race Reports

2011 (29th overall, 22:35)
2010 (92nd overall, 24:47)

History Lesson
Here I write about the town's history and the aura behind its legendary 100-mile footrace.

More Stuff
Click here for my All Things Leadville landing page.

Also, check out www.runleadville.com, which is maintained by a friend of mine, Brandon Fuller.

Finally, check out Adam Feerst's Leadville 100 pacing guide.

Inspirational Videos

This video makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. RIP, Micah True.

You really want to know what Leadville is all about? This video of AJW losing his lunch represents the essence of Leadville. Yep, Leadville has a way of making you puke. Last year I barfed while still running, to the shock (and amazement) of my pacer, Lance.

And this video gives you a good idea of what Hope Pass is like. The lakes in the top righthand corner of the screen are Twin Lakes--where you're coming from and have to go back to. Oh, and that's Timmy Parr, an elite, hiking up Hope.

Hal Koerner

2013-09-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ultrarunning is about grit and determination. It's about digging deep when the chips are down, even if that means just putting one foot in front of the other.

Late in a race, when your legs are trashed and your spirit is nearly broken, sometimes all you have is raw desire. At that moment in time, nothing else in the world matters--not your job, not your house, not your bank account, not that stack of bills to pay, not your iPhone, and not even the shoes on your feet. All that matters is that you're here, with so many miles still in front of you and even more behind you, and you have to go deep in the well to finish.

Ultrarunning holds great appeal to me because it allows me to step into another life that is very different than the one I live every day. It strips me down to my core being. It simplifies life to its most basic terms, which is very refreshing because life is just too damned complicated. The primal side of ultrarunning is what draws me to races like the Leadville 100. There's nothing pretty, fancy, comfortable or easy about running 100 miles, and I like that.

Having said that, unless you've been under a rock, Hal Koerner, 36, from Ashland, Oregon, won the Hardrock 100 a few weeks ago with a time of 24:50. Held in the beautiful San Juan Range here in Colorado, Hardrock involves over 33,000 feet of climbing, with an average elevation of over 11,000 feet. The San Juan Range involves some seriously rugged mountains that require your very best.

I've long admired Hal, who grew up right here in Parker, Colorado (his folks are still here) and now owns and operates a specialty running shop in Ashland. When talking about Hal, lots of people may refer to his two Western States 100 wins, or maybe his recent bullet fast times at the Javelina 100 and Rocky Raccoon 100, or maybe even his Hardrock victory. Me? I think back to a race many might consider one of his worst--the 2011 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. I wrote about his performance at the 2011 Mont Blanc a few days after the race and even honored him with my very own "Get 'er Done Award." You see, Hal had kind of a bad day at Mont Blanc and finished way behind the leaders. But unlike many other elites out there that day, Hal didn't drop to save his legs for the next big race. No, he forged ahead, battling through some nasty adversity on the way to finishing one of the toughest 100-mile mountain races in the world. Hal showed true grit and determination.

I would contend, and call me crazy, that Hal's ability to fight through dark times at Mont Blanc later served him quite well at Hardrock. Hardrock isn't a race you're going to get through without some nasty moments. I mean moments that would make the final 10K of a marathon look like Disney World. Hal was prepared for those moments, thanks in part to the never-quit attitude he displayed at Mont Blanc. Granted, he's DNF'd at a few races in his day, but for some reason last August he refused to quit in France--he persevered. And through perseverance you build character--the kind of character that helps you finish (and win) the toughest 100-miler in the world.

It's no wonder Hal is one of the most popular ultrarunners alive today and a mentor to many, including Timothy Olson, who just set the record at Western States. He's kind of an old-school guy who's managed to stay quite relevant years and years after entering the sport. Just when you think Hal might be washed up, he runs 13 and change at a few flat and fast 100s, and then breaks the tape at a hardcore mountain race despite living at 1,800 feet in Oregon (he did use an altitude chamber to prepare for Hardrock).

Beyond his grit, Hal's also very versatile. He's managed to somehow burn up fast courses like Javelina and Rocky Raccoon while also prevailing in a hardcore mountain race like Hardrock. That's what I call versatility, and we see so little of it these days, unless we're talking about the exceptions, such as this dude and that gal.

I'll be thinking about Hal at Leadville when I'm battling through dark moments going up Powerline and wanting to walk from Mayqueen to the finish.

So here's to a true champion--Hal Koerner!

Leadville Night Run

2013-09-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I headed up to Brandon's (beautiful) place in Leadville for his annual Leadville night run. I'll be honest; I was scared going into this run because I've been dealing with this bizarre issue in my right heel for the past few weeks. I had to start my taper a week earlier than expected, hoping that some rest, self-therapy and cross-training would allow whatever the problem was to clear up. But, alas, on Saturday my heel was still aching a bit, causing me to really second-guess attending the run. However, not wanting to miss the opportunity to cover a critical section of the course and enjoy some good fellowship in the process, I ventured up to Leadville.

I arrived at about 5:00 p.m., with a case of Dale's Pal Ale in hand (which I handed to our gracious hosts), and quickly got to work setting up my camp in Brandon's "backyard." Any time I get the opportunity to camp out, especially in a place like Leadville, I'm happy. So, with the capable assistance of Scott W., I set up my tent and got my stuff all situated, before heading up to the cabin to hang out and enjoy a delicious pre-run meal of spaghetti, grilled chicken and eggplant parmesan (which I'd later regret...).

At about 7:30, Brandon convened all of us--about 35 in all--in his driveway for some pre-run instruction, and then we all got into vehicles and were driven to the Fish Hatchery. The hatchery is at mile 76.5 of the course. The planned route for the evening would take us from the hatchery over Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass (elevation 11,100 feet) via a 1,500-foot climb, and then down the pass and the Colorado Trail to the Mayqueen camping area. We would then take the trail along Turquoise Lake and eventually connect with the Boulevard, before meeting back at Brandon's house.

The run started promptly at 8:00 p.m. From the first step (in my Hoka One One Stinson Evos, no less), I knew this was going to be a good run for me. My foot quickly loosened up, allowing me to run with confidence. My legs felt fresh and ready for what was ahead.

Remarkably (for me, at least), I ran up the Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass climb with Nick Clark and a guy whose name escapes me (updated: former 2004 and 2008 Olympic middle-distance runner Michael Aish, who is a 2:13 marathoner!)--he owns (or maybe operates?) the Boulder Running Company store off Arapahoe Road. I'm sure they weren't going at maximum effort, but the fact that I could keep up with these two very capable runners all the way to the top of the pass, even holding a conversation, really struck me as amazing. I haven't run a lot of big climbs this summer, but I have done well with my long tempo runs, so as I ran up Powerline/Sugarloaf with Nick and the other dude all I was thinking was, "Well, maybe this is from those hard tempos?"

So, there we were at the top of Sugarloaf (about 5.5 miles into the run), refueling and waiting for the rest of the group (I'm sure there were others who could have gotten to the top quickly, too, but instead chose a more leisurely effort). I was thrilled that I got to the top so effortlessly, and by effortlessly I mean I wasn't ever out of breath. I could hold a conversation the whole time. And I had barely broken a sweat. This was a great confidence booster since Powerline/Sugarloaf has been such a mental challenge for me in the past two 100s.

Once all of us were at the top, we resumed our run. Boosted by a Hammer Gel, I took off down Sugarloaf Pass, trying to keep good turnover despite pitch-black conditions. Scott blew past me just before the Colorado Trail entrance. Once on the Colorado Trail, Nick took the lead and I settled in behind him, paying close attention to how he moved and handled the fairly technical terrain. Here I was running behind a trail running master and a heavy favorite for the win--a cool opportunity to learn from one of the best.

About ten miles into our run we came upon George and Footfeathers (Tim Long), who had graciously agreed to set up a makeshift aid station on the back of GZ's SUV. I had a few chips and partook in a shot of Dale's Pale Ale. The rest of the crew filtered in and then, after a few minutes of fellowship, we took off for Mayqueen.

I have to be honest--I hate the section of the course from Mayqueen to the finish. It's boring and it seems to take forever. So I didn't particularly enjoy the last 11.5 miles of the run nearly as much as the first 10. I slowed my pace a bit but still stayed fairly close to the lead group. There's nothing exciting at all to report on those final 11.5 miles, except that I hated the thought of having to do it again in two weeks!

Unfortunately, some post-run stomach issues prevented me from really enjoying the festivities afterward. While everyone was inside enjoying delicious soup, I was in my tent on the verge of throwing up. All I got down was some water and orange slices. Maybe I ate too much before the run? I got next to no sleep that night and drove home with the assistance of a big Starbucks coffee purchased in Frisco.

Stats on the run:

3 hours, 32 minutes
21.5 miles
2,400 feet of climbing

This run was a great confidence-booster. I can now enter my taper knowing my foot is okay. In fact, my foot is better since the run--maybe it just needed a little extra bloodflow and movement to heal. At any rate, I'm still amazed that I got to the top of Powerline/Sugarloaf Pass so well. I'm sure those three nights in Keystone (elevation 9,300 feet) the week before played a factor, but I felt a new kind of strength in my legs that I haven't felt maybe ever. I'm positive the long tempo runs have paid off.

I really have no expectations for Leadville, except to (try to) run a smart race starting with the first step. I'll be entering Mayqueen in 1:55-2:00 (last year 1:48--waaaaay to fast) and will look to get to Winfield in around 9 hours (once again). The real race begins at Winfield, but not until the Fish Hatchery inbound do things really get interesting. I'm not worried about Hope Pass; it kicks everyone's butt, especially the steep backside.

Thanks to Brandon and his family for hosting Saturday's run. It was great to get to Leadville and spend time with friends who I don't get to see nearly enough.

It's Not Working Anymore: Confessions of an Insecure Runner

2013-09-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Only a few years ago my 100-mile training routine seemed to work. It really wasn't that complicated:

Run 100-110 miles a week, including lots of doubles
Train through races before my goal event
Do some hard mile repeats on the track every week
Do a hard tempo run two days after the track intervals
Resist rest
Repeat

Since moving to Colorado, I've cut back on my mileage and now max out at about 90-95 a week. This cutback is due in part to the fact that running at elevation is so much harder than running at sea level. I've found out the hard way that doing tons of volume here places me at great risk of injury and exhaustion.

But, alas, I'm finding that even my "new" routine doesn't seem to work. I'm not getting the results I should, which leads me to the conclusion that I overtrain and am experiencing diminishing returns. I'm even open to the fact that back in the day, maybe I wasn't getting the results I should have and was operating on diminishing returns despite one PR after another. Let me explain.

Running 55 miles a week from 2004 to the spring of 2007, I consistently clocked marathons of 3:05-3:08 and rarely got injured. I don't ever remember running being a huge commitment of time, and I usually took one or two days off a week. But then in the spring of 2007, I got into 100-milers and, on the advice of a few who I trusted, jacked up my mileage to triple digits (breaking many rules but somehow averting disaster) to build a body strong enough to go insane distances. But I was still doing marathons and found myself perplexed by the fact that my marathon PR dropped to only 2:58. Yes, it's true, I did win a few ultras in that time span. But does it make sense that a near-doubling of my mileage would result in only a 7-minute reduction in my marathon time? One would think that, by doubling my output and doing good intensity, my marathon time would drop far more than 7 minutes.

I used to get ribbed for having only a 2:58 marathon PR when my half-marathon PR is 1:22 (set in the midst of a 100-mile week, I would add) and my 5K PR is 17:39. A 1:22 half PR and 17:39 5K PR should translate to a marathon of about 2:53. Still, a few guys I knew back in Cleveland were convinced I could go sub-2:50. Obviously, I've never come close to that (but hopefully will in January when I run in the Rock 'n Roll Phoenix Marathon).

So here I am today, an almost 39-year-old runner who hasn't set a PR in a few years and is now questioning everything I'm doing. Granted, it's not like I've done PR-friendly races lately. No, I've signed up for some monsters like the Jemez 50-mile, the Leadville Marathon and, of course, the Leadville 100. But, still, the PRs seem to be in the rear-view mirror. Or, maybe I've just been doing a bad job of signing up for PR-friendly races (geez, are there any PR friendly races in Colorado?). What I now see when I look in the mirror every morning is a guy who used to think he had it figured out, but who is now clueless.

But that's not all I see. I see guys out there breaking 20 hours at the Leadville 100 on 60 miles a week. I'm doing 25-30 percent more than that and last year I finished in 22:35, still a very solid time but, like many of my results over the past few years, a time that was out of whack with how I trained.

Confession: Saturday's race up in Golden Gate State Park has forced me to think a lot about how I train (volume-based approach). But even before Saturday I was kind of in the wilderness. Only now am I admitting my cluelessness. Right now I desperately want someone to help me figure this out. Last Sunday I thought about driving down to Manitou Springs to see if Matt Carpenter, if he had a moment at his busy custard shop, would help give me that Yoda insight I want so badly. Of course, I didn't do that (thank God--I'd have made a fool of myself) and, even if I did, how (or why?) would a guy like Carpenter, who I consider one of the giants in this sport, help a dude like me, who has 1/100 of his ability in the mountains?

So instead I just stewed and was a cranky bastard.

I know what you may be thinking: Wyatt, why are you taking running so seriously? You should do it for enjoyment. I take running seriously because it's who I am. I'm not out to finish; I'm out to achieve bigger and better things. That's the story of my life, for better or worse. And you know, I love that part of it, even as it brings me to the situation I'm now in.

Even as I don't know the solution, I think I know the problem. And here it is: I'm a volume guy who pushes it hard--too hard. Every single weekend I do back-to-backs and rarely do I take a day off. I'm always going for it, because, deep down, I'm an insecure runner who "finds" (false) security in pressing the pedal to the medal. I convince myself that I'm doing the right kind of training so long as it's heavy in volume. Big miles=big glory. Wait, no, it doesn't. What I now see is an equation I can't figure out (yet). And it goes something like this: X+Y+Z-A=goal achieved. In that equation, I don't know what X, Y or Z is, and I sure as hell don't know what that A is (rest? but how much?).

So in my clueless state, I'm questioning everything, including whether or not I'm consuming enough calories on a daily basis. Maybe I'm not eating enough to support how I'm training. Should I be in minimal shoes, or are Hokas and Salomons the ticket? Is 7.5 hours of sleep every night enough? Should I take one tablespoon or two tablespoons of Udo's Oil? Is a day of rest every week a requirement?

Beyond that, I'm struggling to find my new "sweet spot." What's the maximum amount of miles I can run while still improving? Is it 65 a week? 70 a week? More? Less? What about intensity? For races like Leadville, what's going to get me into the finish in under 20 hours: Track intervals? Hill repeats? Tempo running? Jump roping? Mountains? All of the above? None of the above? Ah, the 800-pound gorilla question: Am I even capable of doing Leadville in under 20 hours, especially as I live in Parker and can get to the mountains only 1-2 times a week because of family and job stuff? What about long runs? What's better for ME: back to back 20s? Or 30 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday? And here's a big question I'm dealing with: What about walking as part of my training? Since to break 20 hours at Leadville I have to average 5 miles per hour (not easy, believe me), should I also be focusing on walking? Is walking just as valuable as running, or is it just a big waste of time? Another 800-pound gorilla question: Why does sub-20 at Leadville even matter?

I'll do what it takes, but what does it take? Yeah, we're back to that mysterious equation. Hopefully I'll find the answers. This week I've incorporated some new practices. On Sunday, the day after the 50K, I rested. I walked hard and on the trail for 4 miles on Monday and then that night walked 2 miles on neighborhood streets. Then on Tuesday morning I ran nearly 9 miles and that evening walked for 3 miles hard and on the trail. This morning I did hill repeats on the road, and tonight I'm going to get back out and walk hard and on the trail. This weekend I'm going to hit the Incline and Barr Trail.

I'm taking it day by day, not sure of what will work but open to the fact that I have to try new things to see if they do work.

Because this I know: I can't keep doing what I've been doing--since it ain't working.

Leadville 100 Training Update

2013-09-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

My training for the Leadville Trail 100 is going well. Between work, family and getting in the miles, I haven't had much time to keep my blog as updated as I'd like.

My 4:40/21st-place finish out of 509 finishers at the Leadville Trail Marathon on June 30, while not quite as fast as I'd have liked, was nonetheless solid. I wasn't 100% going into the race and definitely wasn't 100% a few days later when I battled a low-grade stomach bug/throw-up virus. The Leadville Trail Marathon is a hardcore trail race and not for the faint of heart. It will destroy you if you're not ready mentally and physically. I'm tough enough to have gotten through it in a compromised state.

With the Leadville 100 now a little over five weeks away, I'm trying to take pressure off of myself, focus on what I need to do, and enjoy the journey. I'm not thinking about a specific time or place; I'm just trying to train well on a daily basis. I see that as focusing on the journey, not the destination, and it's honestly the best way to approach a big race.

I've come to realize that I can still get in big training blocks, but because I'm now 39 I have to follow up those big blocks with some recovery, even if it's just a day or two of going easy. I can't do big week after big week after big week anymore. I need to build in some rest.

Over the next three and a half weeks my training will revolve around weekly long tempo runs (goal is an 18-mile tempo run in late July) and really long trail runs. I've been doing weekly tempo runs, but they've been in the range of 6-8 miles. Longer tempo runs will take my strength to the next level. I'll run my long tempo runs on Saturdays and then the next day put in long trail runs at easy pace and at elevation. Should be fun (and very hard). Mondays will have to be serious rest days!

I'm not going to schedule any more races between now and the Leadville 100. I feel like the two 50Ks, marathon and "short"-distance mountain race I've already done, along with my training and my planned Hope Pass double-crossing on July 30, are/will be enough. I thought seriously about running in the Leadville Silver Rush 50-mile this weekend, but I think 50 miles at this stage in the game is too much. Unlike trail marathons and 50Ks, you can't run 50 miles without incurring some damage to the legs that requires more than a few days of recovery. Right now I need to be training, not recovering (or tapering).

The annual Leadville night run is Saturday, August 4, which is exactly two weeks before the race. I'm not 100% sure I'll be there, especially if I'm tired from all the training. My taper is scheduled to begin on July 31, the day after my Hope Pass run. I think that, especially at elevation, recovery is hard to come by, so you have to really dedicate some time to it or else you're going to show up at the starting line with fried legs (and a fried mind). Running ~23 miles at 10,000+ feet two weeks out might be a bit much. I could potentially do a shorter variation.

In addition to the Leadville 100, I've been thinking a lot about the Phoenix Marathon in January as an opportunity to finally go after a new marathon PR (around 2:50). After taking September pretty much completely off from serious running, my training for Phoenix will start in earnest on October 1 and involve three months of marathon-specific training. I'm excited about it. I just hope I stay injury-free this year. Since 2006, I've averaged one injury a year, and they seem to be getting more and more serious, though nothing has ever come close to the plantar fasciitis I battled in 2010-2011.

Good luck to all the Silver Rush, Badwater Ultramarathon and Hardrock 100 folks out there!

The Final Four Weeks before Leadville

2013-09-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

At right about this time in the training process--four weeks before the big event--I'm usually reminded of how tough it is to train for a 100-mile race, especially the Leadville Trail 100. I love running, but at this stage it can often become a mentally and physically exhausting grind that can reduce you to the walking dead.

July has been a very busy month at work. We also just recently got a puppy. Amid of all of this, I've kept banging out the miles every day, including long tempo runs twice a week. Despite the busy month, things have been different than in previous years (at least so far). I have great strength in my legs. Yesterday I went a little over 25 miles up section one of the Colorado Trail, climbing over 3,000 feet. My long tempo runs have been super solid. I'm getting in very high-quality 90-plus-mile weeks, versus daily junk miles like what so many runners log (and don't get better from). I've been very vigilant about taking daily doses of Hammer Recoverite and also taking Udo's Oil and my green protein shakes.

No doubt about it: The long tempo runs I incorporated a few weeks ago seem to be paying off both physically and mentally. My leg strength has improved dramatically and I seem to move more efficiently. My mental toughness and focus have sharpened. When you run hard for 10+ miles, you have to be focused, especially in the final few miles. Basically, I feel like the tempo runs are getting me in good shape. Case in point: a few Sundays ago I went for a 2.5-hour run at Deer Creek Canyon. I ran 16 miles, climbed 3,000 feet, didn't walk a step and took in zero calories (just water). And when I got done, I felt fresh as a daisy.

I'm also working on upper body conditioning. I use dumbells and am doing push-ups and all kinds of core work. In 100s, the upper body and core play a big role. After a mountain race, I'm usually sore through my back and abs and sometimes in my arms. It's important for me to have well-conditioned arms since I may be carrying a water bottle for long periods of time.

I've also come to really focus on key workouts. Last week included three key works. The first was a 10-mile tempo run on Wednesday. Check. The second was an 8-mile tempo run on Friday. Check. The third was that that 25-mile trail run on Sunday, which came on the heels of a 19-mile Saturday. Check (and check). Today I'm recovering to allow my body to strengthen from the long run (very critical), and then on Tuesday I start a 7-day cycle that will take me right into a three-week taper. On Saturday I'm planning a 15-mile tempo run.

The cycle will end with a Hope Pass double-crossing run on July 30. I'd like to do the run in 5 hours--easier said than done. The double-crossing involves 21 grueling miles, a high point of 12,600 feet, and 12,000 feet of total elevation change.

One area of my training that might be lacking is high-altitude climbing. But lately I've been strong on the climbs I've done, which makes me think the tempo runs are giving me extra strength. As far as altitude, I'll be spending six of the next 25 night at above 9,000 feet. That includes a few nights in Leadville right before the race, when it really counts. Also, hey, it doesn't hurt that we live at 6,200 feet.

I do think most people who train for Leadville focus way too much on climbing and not enough on just running and quality workouts. They obsess over Hope Pass (and Powerline) and then make those sections the focus on their training, rather than bearing in mind that Leadville is a runner's race with just one fairly hardcore mountain section that most people hike. With that said, why over-focus on climbing? I mean, this isn't Hardrock.

All that said, I'm one of a thousand people signed up for Leadville. Of that, about 900 will show up. And of the 900, about 450 will finish. And of the 450 finishers, maybe 150 will go sub-25 hours. So basically 1 in 6 runners will be in pretty good shape and ready to rock 'n roll from start to finish. Like me, those 150 will have trained hard for months, making sacrifices in the process. I'm no one special; I'll be out there putting it on the line like most everyone else. Only about 10 runners out there will be true contenders, and maybe a handful, like this guy, that guy, maybe the great one himself, and a few others, will be in play for the win. I'm definitely not among that special class (far from it, as I don't have the time or talent), but I will surely be giving it my all, running my own race and showing patience in those first 50 miles. Because if you're not patient at Leadville, the chickens will come home to roost on Powerline and certainly around Mayqueen inbound.

Yeah, if this is your first Leadville, do yourself a favor and be patient. Almost anyone can run 50 miles fast. Not everyone can turn around and do it again, especially at 10,000+ feet and especially when you have to go back over Hope Pass again and do that grueling return trip that will surely make you puke (and crash and burn?). The good news is that if you are patient, Leadville is runnable--you just have to let it come to you....