After a distance-covered PR of 45 miles last weekend, and a few easy'ish days to recover, I should be more than ready to race hard at the 10k Saturday then turn around and have a great 20 miler on Sunday. My recovery is noticeably better than ever.
The 10k will definitely take more out of me than the 20 miler, since I'll be going for a PR. The course is easy and flat along the Platte River, so my "A goal" is to run a low 35 minute 10k -about 5:40 per mile. It should be possible if I can fully recover in time. Still, as long as I feel strong and run some 6:00, or better, miles I'll be content.
I've been having tons of fun at shorter races since I've moved my focus to ultras, so I'm really excited for this one.
From now until May 12th (50's For Yo Momma) I'm going to run three to four more 20 milers to prep for summer. On Sunday, I'm running the first 20 miler around Lakewood with some good, long climbs. If I manage to recover for Saturday's race, I'll be dead again Sunday for the 20, so the goal is just to finish strong.
Showing posts with label ultra marathon runners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ultra marathon runners. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Moving Closer to the Mountians
Thankfully, February marks the end of my lease at The Golden Nugget Apartments. When we (my girlfriend Sabrina and I) moved from Illinois to Colorado six months ago, the only two solid requirements for our place to live were a cheap price and an immediate opening. So Golden Nugget, at Broadway and Belleview Avenue in Englewood, it was. At $555/month and less than two miles from Arapahoe Community College (ACC), it seemed close to perfect.
In May, two months before I eventually moved out to Colorado, I had visited the property and meet the manager. She offered to waive my application fee since I was going to be a student at ACC, which seemed nice but also gave me a pretty sales'y vibe. When I came back in July, she told me that they "can't do that anymore." Ah, sharky sales at its finest.
But I had the money so I payed it. Sleeping in my backpacking tent was getting old for Sabrina. And a place other than the car to keep food was necessary so we could stop eating all of our meals out.
We moved in on July 20th.
By August 20th, we had seen just about every person in our building intoxicated -including our landlady Suzanne. By September 20th, I had seen two people get arrested on our complex.
None of that bothered me in the slightest, but getting bit every night by mystery bugs got a little annoying -they turned out to be bed bugs in case you haven't read my other post about my living conditions. Other than those funny, living-with-the-under-class events, there were dozens of random events that happened almost too quickly to notice how strange they were.
One night a hideous, leather skinned, 40'ish year old woman that we were somewhat familiar with (we'd seen her most nights drinking and smoking in the courtyard) knocked on our door at around 7:00 pm. She stared at me for about five seconds before telling me that she must be at the wrong apartment. Yeah. Sorry. no drugs here.
One of the most quintessential fixtures of the Golden Nugget is the people who sit on the steps all day and night (smoking) and try to make you feel bad for asking for a way past them. There's the woman that came to our door, but also another woman who wears exclusively black pajama pants and a hoodie and sits on the staircase we use most often. Worse even than the smoke, is her backside. Presented to every person bold enough to walk down the stairs past her is her dark, dirty, cellulite clinging, ass crack.
Unfortunately, not all the people are totally benign. Take a minute to read this article, as sad as it is: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19073450 -Deer Creek, where the body was found, is my favorite place to run. And I've been living here for six months without knowing any of this. I suppose the area turned around a bit after the Englewood Police "established a presence" at the Golden Nugget. -Score one for the good guys.
The worst thing I've had to put up with since moving here has been Suzanne's (my landlady's) male "friends." Just this morning I had a 30-some year old intoxicated man, he said his name was Bull, wanting to come into my apartment to show me where I must be leaking water into the room below me. As it turns out, it wasn't even his room, and he doesn't even live here. He was just there visiting a friend while Suzanne got some work done, and in his drunken mind he felt the need to show me the water dripping into the room below me instead of talking to maintenence about it.
The water was coming from a busted pipe -not my place. And, in my assumtion, the reason his friend, the one who was living in the drippy room, hadn't complained about it earlier is because he couldn't speak english. ...
Anyway, despite all the antics the reason where moving is mostly to get a better location. We're too far from the mountains, too far from work, and too far from our grocery store, and they're all in the same direction. So we're moving to Lakewood, Colorado in a month and I couldn't be more excited.
In May, two months before I eventually moved out to Colorado, I had visited the property and meet the manager. She offered to waive my application fee since I was going to be a student at ACC, which seemed nice but also gave me a pretty sales'y vibe. When I came back in July, she told me that they "can't do that anymore." Ah, sharky sales at its finest.
But I had the money so I payed it. Sleeping in my backpacking tent was getting old for Sabrina. And a place other than the car to keep food was necessary so we could stop eating all of our meals out.
We moved in on July 20th.
By August 20th, we had seen just about every person in our building intoxicated -including our landlady Suzanne. By September 20th, I had seen two people get arrested on our complex.
None of that bothered me in the slightest, but getting bit every night by mystery bugs got a little annoying -they turned out to be bed bugs in case you haven't read my other post about my living conditions. Other than those funny, living-with-the-under-class events, there were dozens of random events that happened almost too quickly to notice how strange they were.
One night a hideous, leather skinned, 40'ish year old woman that we were somewhat familiar with (we'd seen her most nights drinking and smoking in the courtyard) knocked on our door at around 7:00 pm. She stared at me for about five seconds before telling me that she must be at the wrong apartment. Yeah. Sorry. no drugs here.
One of the most quintessential fixtures of the Golden Nugget is the people who sit on the steps all day and night (smoking) and try to make you feel bad for asking for a way past them. There's the woman that came to our door, but also another woman who wears exclusively black pajama pants and a hoodie and sits on the staircase we use most often. Worse even than the smoke, is her backside. Presented to every person bold enough to walk down the stairs past her is her dark, dirty, cellulite clinging, ass crack.
Unfortunately, not all the people are totally benign. Take a minute to read this article, as sad as it is: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19073450 -Deer Creek, where the body was found, is my favorite place to run. And I've been living here for six months without knowing any of this. I suppose the area turned around a bit after the Englewood Police "established a presence" at the Golden Nugget. -Score one for the good guys.
The worst thing I've had to put up with since moving here has been Suzanne's (my landlady's) male "friends." Just this morning I had a 30-some year old intoxicated man, he said his name was Bull, wanting to come into my apartment to show me where I must be leaking water into the room below me. As it turns out, it wasn't even his room, and he doesn't even live here. He was just there visiting a friend while Suzanne got some work done, and in his drunken mind he felt the need to show me the water dripping into the room below me instead of talking to maintenence about it.
The water was coming from a busted pipe -not my place. And, in my assumtion, the reason his friend, the one who was living in the drippy room, hadn't complained about it earlier is because he couldn't speak english. ...
Anyway, despite all the antics the reason where moving is mostly to get a better location. We're too far from the mountains, too far from work, and too far from our grocery store, and they're all in the same direction. So we're moving to Lakewood, Colorado in a month and I couldn't be more excited.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thoughts Going Into The Lake Arbor 5k
Well, I'm not exactly fast right now -after not taking a single fast stride in over a month. And to add to it I've been sick for a few days now and today has been the worst so far. Thinking about running hard when standing up makes me dizzy is rough. I rarely get sick: running generally helps the immune system, but 27 miles in a day will turn the tables a bit.
Despite all that, I'm really excited for this one. I've run 80 miles a week for six weeks in a row now and I'm starting to get hungry for a race. Also, recently my running dreams have been reaching further than ever. I'm feeling the need get out a see how I do against runners that I've idolized. I'm slowly getting ready to take my heroes off their pedestals and put them in my dust (at least at the 50k distance). Also 2012 is gona see a new 5k PR for me.
Since junior year of high school I've been running almost the same pace at every 5k I've run and I'm sick of it. Since chasing the 50k more seriously, my mental game has gotten exponentially stronger. When I race my self-talk is always positive: in my mind every difficulty the course throws at me hurts everyone else more. When I'm hurting, the guy next to me must be ready to quit. So this year it's about time to see myself running sub-16:10 for the 5k... even if I never do short speedwork again.
As far as this race however, I'm just looking to place well (there're going to be plenty of people faster than me here) and have fun.
Despite all that, I'm really excited for this one. I've run 80 miles a week for six weeks in a row now and I'm starting to get hungry for a race. Also, recently my running dreams have been reaching further than ever. I'm feeling the need get out a see how I do against runners that I've idolized. I'm slowly getting ready to take my heroes off their pedestals and put them in my dust (at least at the 50k distance). Also 2012 is gona see a new 5k PR for me.
Since junior year of high school I've been running almost the same pace at every 5k I've run and I'm sick of it. Since chasing the 50k more seriously, my mental game has gotten exponentially stronger. When I race my self-talk is always positive: in my mind every difficulty the course throws at me hurts everyone else more. When I'm hurting, the guy next to me must be ready to quit. So this year it's about time to see myself running sub-16:10 for the 5k... even if I never do short speedwork again.
As far as this race however, I'm just looking to place well (there're going to be plenty of people faster than me here) and have fun.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Next Few Months of Training
Last week was my first week at 80 miles. I plan to hit 80 miles 12-15 times between now and the beginning of April. I've done 60 for extended periods before, but dispite the diminishing returns of running more and more miles, I strongly believe the extra 20 miles a week will help me run MUCH faster than currently. -Others have seen it when moving from 60 to 80 miles per week and so will I.
-my average week should look something like this:
Monday: run to/from work (15 miles for the day/15 miles total)
Tuesday: run to/from work, maybe some more with Sabrina (18 for the day/33 total)
Wednesday: decent warm up, 400-800 meter repeats, decent cool down (10+/43)
Thursday: 20 minutes running in the sauna before going out for a few miles (8/51)
Friday: off*
Saturday: 15, once a month some of these miles with come from a trail race -from 5k to 12k (15/66)
Sunday: whatever I need to run to close the week out at 80, hopefully not much to allow myself to recover from races when I do them (14/80)
*Most "serious" runners don't take too many days off, but I take one each week. It helps me stay hungry -nothing makes me wana run more than knowing that I can't. Also, taking one day off means I have only six days to run as much as most people spread over seven days, which makes my days bigger. So taking a day off means better training days AND better physical and mental recovery.
-my average week should look something like this:
Monday: run to/from work (15 miles for the day/15 miles total)
Tuesday: run to/from work, maybe some more with Sabrina (18 for the day/33 total)
Wednesday: decent warm up, 400-800 meter repeats, decent cool down (10+/43)
Thursday: 20 minutes running in the sauna before going out for a few miles (8/51)
Friday: off*
Saturday: 15, once a month some of these miles with come from a trail race -from 5k to 12k (15/66)
Sunday: whatever I need to run to close the week out at 80, hopefully not much to allow myself to recover from races when I do them (14/80)
*Most "serious" runners don't take too many days off, but I take one each week. It helps me stay hungry -nothing makes me wana run more than knowing that I can't. Also, taking one day off means I have only six days to run as much as most people spread over seven days, which makes my days bigger. So taking a day off means better training days AND better physical and mental recovery.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Moab Trail Marathon
This was the most technical/dangerous race I've ever done by a long shot. And the fact that it rained for the 12 hours leading up to the start didn't help. A few sections of the course had more than a little 'exposure,' and one section went down about 700 feet in less than half a mile which meant dozens of 3-4 foot drops from slickrock onto slickrock and shuffling over soaking wet switchbacks. The few parts of the course that weren't rock or sand were so muddy that they might as well have been ice.
This post has taken me a while to get up because I didn't bring a camera during the race and I ended up with only a few mediocre pictures of my own. -all the pictures in this post were taken from other runners off facebook. I just might be posting more pictures as i find them.
The night before the race was spent in the back of my car listening to the rain. It started raining around 10pm and didn't let up until the race started.
My pre-race dinner was the usual bacon cheeseburger and a salad.
Breakfast was half a piece of Ezekiel sesame (sprouted grain) bread with peanut butter and virgin coconut oil, along with some Awake tea with Grapefruit Seed Extract and a piece of ginger.
I had a little nauseousness during the first five miles or so, but Vespa does that to me a bit so I wasn't
concerned and it passed quickly. After mile eight or nine, the course opened up to follow a wide, sandy track and lost some altitude giving me a chance to settle into a more controlled effort. I drank my first 10 ounces of water over the next few miles and enjoyed the view before the trail got technical again.
At roughly the two hour mark I took an S!Cap. From just before the three hour mark until just before the four hour mark I took a Strawberry Stinger gel, with another 10 ounces of water. Right after finishing most of it, I took another S!Cap and tried to keep drinking. During the last few miles (I had only a vague idea of how much was left) I took a mouthful of Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane for the amino acids, just to try to boost recovery, but it sat like a rock in my stomach so I left it at that and stuck to water until the end.
Other than the nauseousness during the first few miles, I had no major GI problems. But taking in a meager 120-130 calories and about 30 ounces of water is hardly a lot by almost anyone's standards but my own.
I finished 13th overall in 4:21. Nowhere near where I need to be. But for now, for this race, it'll do.
The course lead through tight squeezes and open rock ledges. There was a huge climb right in the middle that had virtually everyone walking. Parts of it had rappel lines that took you up and down sheer rock formations. The course seemed to drastically change every half hour...
It's hard to describe exactly what was so special about this race. It was the most hardcore trail running I've ever done.
I'm excited to go back next year for sure.
This post has taken me a while to get up because I didn't bring a camera during the race and I ended up with only a few mediocre pictures of my own. -all the pictures in this post were taken from other runners off facebook. I just might be posting more pictures as i find them.
The night before the race was spent in the back of my car listening to the rain. It started raining around 10pm and didn't let up until the race started.
My pre-race dinner was the usual bacon cheeseburger and a salad.
Breakfast was half a piece of Ezekiel sesame (sprouted grain) bread with peanut butter and virgin coconut oil, along with some Awake tea with Grapefruit Seed Extract and a piece of ginger.
 |
| The start of the race took us into Pritchett Canyon and through some beautiful, rolling, canyonlands |
concerned and it passed quickly. After mile eight or nine, the course opened up to follow a wide, sandy track and lost some altitude giving me a chance to settle into a more controlled effort. I drank my first 10 ounces of water over the next few miles and enjoyed the view before the trail got technical again.
 |
| open, soft, beautiful |
 |
| to the side of the trail I saw my first waterfall of the day |
 |
| the last part of soft trail for the rest of the day, excluding the slick muddy sections |
Other than the nauseousness during the first few miles, I had no major GI problems. But taking in a meager 120-130 calories and about 30 ounces of water is hardly a lot by almost anyone's standards but my own.
I finished 13th overall in 4:21. Nowhere near where I need to be. But for now, for this race, it'll do.
The course lead through tight squeezes and open rock ledges. There was a huge climb right in the middle that had virtually everyone walking. Parts of it had rappel lines that took you up and down sheer rock formations. The course seemed to drastically change every half hour...
It's hard to describe exactly what was so special about this race. It was the most hardcore trail running I've ever done.
 |
| gently heading back onto the course, down the hill by the finish line to get the last few miles |
Saturday, October 15, 2011
400 meter repeats
i chose, on an impulse, to do something fast thursday night. after having such a great trail run the night before, i wanted a good, fast road run, and 400s are my favorite -i love um!
i don't feel that ultra- or trail marathon- runners have any reason to do conventional, track-style intervals (with a set period of non-active rest between them). since the ultra running motto is 'relentless forward movement,' why would you ever stop moving in a workout? -repeats for any runner who's event lasts longer than four hours should never stop or walk during workouts, period.
so the workout went down like this:
>800 meter WU(warm up)
>12X 400 meters slow: 400 meters at sub-5:20 pace
>2 mile CD (cool down)
-since I'm going to race a 1.4 mile halloween run at Clement Park Lake on the 28th, i did the workout entirely on the 1.4 mile loop that the race is going to be run on. breaking 8 minutes would be great in a costume...
-my Garmin 405 made this workout possible for me: its relentless beaps told me when to sprint and when to jog. i feel way better knowing that there isn't any human error in my workout.
i felt great with the effort and remembered fully why i love the short-lived pain that comes with fast running. looking forward to Moab, i should have the aerobic capacity to do very well, but that still seems far off
i don't feel that ultra- or trail marathon- runners have any reason to do conventional, track-style intervals (with a set period of non-active rest between them). since the ultra running motto is 'relentless forward movement,' why would you ever stop moving in a workout? -repeats for any runner who's event lasts longer than four hours should never stop or walk during workouts, period.
so the workout went down like this:
>800 meter WU(warm up)
>12X 400 meters slow: 400 meters at sub-5:20 pace
>2 mile CD (cool down)
-since I'm going to race a 1.4 mile halloween run at Clement Park Lake on the 28th, i did the workout entirely on the 1.4 mile loop that the race is going to be run on. breaking 8 minutes would be great in a costume...
-my Garmin 405 made this workout possible for me: its relentless beaps told me when to sprint and when to jog. i feel way better knowing that there isn't any human error in my workout.
i felt great with the effort and remembered fully why i love the short-lived pain that comes with fast running. looking forward to Moab, i should have the aerobic capacity to do very well, but that still seems far off
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