T&H 12K, the track, Colorado Marathon

  A week ago last Sunday I ran the Tortoise & Hare 12K race put on by FCRC.  These handicap start races are fun as they give us all, but especially those improving in speed, a chance at a top finish.  I've finished in the points (top 10, but remember the handicap start) the last 2 races and hoped to do so again as I felt confident I could significantly beat Nick's predicted time of nearly 1:08.  Nick's predictions are at a disadvantage by having to include my slow 5K (including a missed turn) last November.  I felt a 1:03-ish time was in reach.  I ran 1:03:56 last year.  Of course when I made that 1:03ish prediction I wasn't factoring in having ran the Trudge the day before.

  I was a tad late getting to the park due to a road closure and detour so I didn't have a long time to warm up, but did manage to get in about 8 minutes of strides and such to loosen the legs a bit.  I would have preferred more, but you take what you can get.  For race strategy I took a page from Pete and I went out with the dash and crash mentality, knowing, and ignoring, that the out was net downhill and the back was thus net uphill.  I felt good from the gun and ran 7:57, 8:11, 8:15, and 8:20 pace (.75 miles) for a total of 30:38 on the way out.  The uphill back portion I ran in 8:24, 8:30, 8:41, and 8:38 pace (.75 miles) for 32:37 back, 1:03:15 overall.  Most of what kept me going on the back was knowing that Ean wasn't far behind me.  I passed her on the out and feared that a too fast early pace would bite me in the end of the race.  Though I slowed nearly every mile along the way I think overall I'm happy with that performance.  I was tiring but never blew up.  I was surprised to find I finished 5th overall, netting some points and putting myself solidly in the middle of a tight group vying for 2nd through about 7th place in the T&H series.  Top 5 win money.  Knowing this I'm getting excited for the 5K next month.  Nick should have me predicted at about 25:45, I know I can beat that.

This 12K and the 8K from last month have me right on the edge of what would predict a sub-4 marathon, which side of the edge depends on which prediction formulas you use.  I've also had some encouraging track workouts, doing 3x1600 the week before the 12K all around 7:30 pace and did 7x800 (Yasso lite) in times that ranged from 3:42 to 3:57 last week.  Those times put me in the realm of the 4 hour marathon.  It seems I have more confidence when running the short stuff, running out on the roads for longer runs that 9:07 pace seems awful fast.  I think I'm going to do some marathon pace work down the canyon with Marie and hope that it will build confidence.  If I can do that, bang out a 7:20 PDM in a couple weeks and shave a couple minutes off my current Towers time I think I'll be ready.

Twin Mountain Trudge

From a field of 65 down to 23 nuts

The Twin Mountain Trudge is a race put on by Alec Muthig of Journeymen Adventure Enterprises.  He bills it as an adventure footrace, not a trail race, through a lot of snow up near the Happy Jack rec area in Wyoming.  The trudge around Twin Mountain seems to represent the only foot traffic of the winter in this area and completing one 11 mile loop of the course often requires anywhere from 2 to 5+ hours.  Conditions can vary from year to year, best illustrated by Alex's times which in 4 years have ranged from 2:18 to 4:09.  There are big snow years and there are years that Nick Clark is willing to show up.  2011, my first year was a non-Nick year.  Other than 1/4 mile at the start and finish the snow was knee deep or higher.  That Trudge consisted of moving your feet from foot hole to foot hole left by the racers in front of me.  I finished in 4:20, besting my marathon PB by 8 minutes.  The 2012 race approached without the ominous snow warnings that Alec sent out in 2011 so at first I thought it might be a faster course this year.  Over the 2 weeks before the race though we were informed otherwise.

Best marked course you'll ever find, if you run in back at least. 

In 2011 I was prepared for wind, as Wyoming is the word for wind in some language I am sure.  2011 spared us from a lot of wind, though there was some at the end for us one loopers, and a lot for the 2nd loop of the two loopers.  2012 had winds howling from the get go. So much so that the race was actually postponed 1 week due to 70 MPH winds (not gusts) forecast the original date.  30-40 MPH greeted us as we got out of the truck at the starting line, sitting exposed on top of a hill.  With the wind it was chilly, and I briefly wondered just what I was getting in to.  Once we starting running I warmed up quickly though and the first turn had the wind mostly at our backs.  By mile 1.5 I had stopped to shed my thicker coat in favor of my light wind shell.  It's not so bad I thought, as there was already way more of the course that was runnable than in 2011 due to windswept trails without a ton of snow on them.  Eventually it dawned on me that wind at my back now meant I would pay for it at the end of the race, but I buried that thought and enjoyed things while I could.  Mile 1 was my fastest of the day at about 14:30, and mile 2 was a 16:something.  There was a crust on top the snow and it was hard enough to hold you up much of the time so far in the race.  The toughest conditions so far, I thought, was the sugary snow that was shallow enough you thought you should run through.  This snow flowed and was slippery so every step your foot would slide what seemed like feet (but probably was just 4-6 inches).  Regardless it made for hard work.

Mile 3 things started to get deep and there was some climbing too.  We were in the trees though so the wind wasn't bad.  Mostly the snow was knee deep but a few of the waist high drifts Alec warned us of were there.  Though the moving was slow it was a bright sunny day out and the scenery was wonderful.  There are a lot of really cool rocks up that way.  I hit the site where the aid station is in years that it's accessible for the aid crew, about mile 4.5, in 1:50.  I was making good time and having fun.  I made the fence line climb and pushed towards the Devil's Loop, meeting up with course photographer Wendy (who was snowshoeing the course backwards to take pictures of us) just before heading down into it.  Here there were lots more thigh and waist deep snow patches and a lot more breaking through the crust.

This year an 8 mile course would have been about perfect.  I hit 8 miles in 3.5 hours and while tired was doing OK overall.  Here climbing and becoming more exposed to the now headwinds with every step the going got tough.  Wind in your face, waist high drifts you occasionally had to crawl out of, and very slippery sugary snow when you could run.  The last 3 miles took me 100 minutes to complete including an 18 minute mile "sprint" straight into the wind for the final 1/4 mile.  I swear I was running with track interval intensity and barely moving into that wind.  Half way through I made the mistake of telling Wendy I thought it was easier this year than last.  I paid for that braggadocio for all of the last few miles. Over the second half of the race my devolving goals went from sub-4:00 finish to beat last year's 4:20 to beat my first ever marathon time of 4:58.  I crossed the line in 4:56, which was why I was putting so much energy into that "sprint".

I crossed the finish line, stopped running, and was handed a shot of Scotch.  Things seemed better.  Though I wondered what I was doing a few times during the last couple miles I never got to the point where I thought about not coming back in 2013.  I'll be back, and I'll enjoy it, mostly.  I like things like this, a challenge mentally and physically, success not 100% dependent on how fast you are, something that most people would not do.

Halfway through, having fun

2 miles left, just want to be done

Moab Red Hot 55K

It's been 3 weeks since the Moab Red Hot 55K.  I suppose if I'm going to maintain a blog I should write about it.  I haven't though, because I was (still kind of am) disappointed in my performance in the race.  I have run another couple races since then and was going to post about them but it seems the right thing to do to tie up the Red Hot loose ends first.  I did set a course PB, beating my 2011 time by about 5 minutes.  One of my rules is that nobody is allowed to complain about a PB.  I should probably listen to myself, as I am a pretty smart guy.

I had a great time in Moab overall, it's fun seeing all the other FCTR folks there.  I know I see some of them every week, but somehow it's different all being together out of town (and state) for a race.  FCTR represented 27 of 200 finishers in the 55K race and another 16 of 138 finishers in the 33K race. Throw in some Boulder folks I recognize and there was someone I knew around every bend it seemed.  My family came along as well, they enjoy Moab too.  We had a nice stop at the Ice Castles at Silverthorne on the way over and also picked up some info on the Grand Mesa State Park to plan a summer camping trip.  We didn't do much exploring of Moab  together on Sunday as the weather wasn't that great -- the reverse of last year where the race was met with ugly weather but Sunday was nice.  My wife and kids did go to Dead Horse Point state park on Saturday while I raced and enjoyed that.

The weather this year was beautiful.  Race day started with me in shorts and a short sleeve shirt under a long sleeve.  I had on a hat and gloves by took them off a couple miles in.  The long sleeve shirt was gone by mile 13 but should have been gone sooner, I just didn't want to stop and take my hydration pack off.  It was sunny all day long and temperatures were easily in the 50s.  This was a big contrast to 2011.

Beautiful blue sky day

Also in contrast to 2011 was my mental state during the race.  In 2011 I let my mind go negative and really didn't have a great time over the second half of the race.  I felt like I was the last runner on the course, though I wasn't and was beating myself up mentally for running slow.  I am not often like this and the depth to which I went that day surprised me.  In 2012 I kept a good mental outlook all day long, even when things slowed at the end.  I've commented before that my picture quantity during a run or race is proportional to how much fun I'm having and I took a lot of pictures this year, only 2 in 2011.

I think my disappointing performance in 2012 was mostly due to 2 things.  First I am just not good at running on slanty slick rock.  Much of the last 11 miles of the course is generally downhill but on side to side slanted slick rock.  I find this surface really difficult to run on, it beats me up and I never feel comfortable enough to let go and fly.  Second, I went out way too fast and ran a stupid race.  It was so easy to get caught up in the excitement early.  Miles 2-4 are all gently downhill and I ran them in 25:20.  I ran a 5K on New Year's Day in 25:19.  That's probably all that needs to be said there.  In my defense, I was talking the whole time so it wasn't 5K effort, but it was still too fast to be running with another 47K left to go.  I'd do it again though, I really did have a good time chatting with Kemp and Mindy and Lindsey as we cruised down that hill. 

Mindy and I when were still rocking the course

I reached the top of the first part of the course, mile 10, about 10 minutes faster than I did in 2011 but I felt 10x better this year.  I ran up most of this section with Mindy and Marie, chasing Lindsey.  Feeling good I took off down down the nearly 7 miles of downhill running to the 3rd aid station.  I was bounding from rock to rock, had great footwork on the technical spots and felt strong.  Mindy and I hit mile 15 at 2:50, faster than I've run 15 miles on trails in a long time.  I hit the mile 17 aid station 15 minutes faster than in 2011 and still felt pretty good.  Over the next couple miles of steeper downhill I started to feel it in my hips though.  Pounding downhill does that to me.  I got through it though and hit the cutoff point at mile 19 again 15 minutes ahead of 2011. 

Red rocks against the LaSal range, a cool juxtaposition.

I hoped the climb from mile 19 to 22 would let my hips rest and leave me strong for the overall downhill last 11 miles.  The climb seemed harder this year than last, though I did it in about the same time as I was again 15 minutes ahead of 2011 pace when I hit mile 22 at 4:35.  I think the climb seemed harder because I was along doing it this year.  In 2011 I happened up this hill in a crowd of others and the chatter kept my mind occupied I believe.  At mile 22 I was tired, but not wiped out I thought and running an average 12.5 minute pace.  My realistic goal for the day was a 7:00 finish, which is a 12:40 pace so I was still slightly ahead of that with 2/3 of the race and the biggest climbs done.  My legs were tired but did not feel as trashed as they did in 2011.  In 2011 I remember not being able to hop down off even the smallest edges, instead needing to ease myself over.  I remember being very jealous of those who were just hopping down, barely missing a stride.  So after a few bites to eat and some Coke I forged on.  11 miles, 2:20 to run it in, no problem, right?  It seemed very possible.

It didn't take long (well distance-wise) to suspect I was wrong.  My watch beeps as it takes auto-split times every mile.  I heard a beep awhile after leaving the aid station and thought wow, 2 miles down already.  Then I looked and realized it was only 1 mile.  1 19-ish minute mile, going kind of downhill, all on difficult to run on slick rock.  I had stopped to re-tie my shoes once, but still, 19 minutes?  I am just not cut out of running on this slick rock stuff it seems.  (It is slightly reassuring to hear everyone complaining about this section of the course, even the fast runners.)  As I plodded along over the 6 miles to the last aid station I watched my chances at 7:00 slip slowly away with every mile split beep from my watch.  I did stay positive mentally though, accepting what was happening as just that and enjoying the beautiful views of the course, and come mile 15 or so, the wonderful company of Ean whose bubbly voice I heard yell out "Brian!" as she came up over a hill behind me.  Ean graciously ran with me for 6 or 7 miles before pulling away to the finish.  I'm sure she could have run that stretch faster but I did appreciate the company and conversation, it makes the miles go by so much faster when you're chatting with someone. 

Just.  Need.  To.  Get.  To.  That.  River.  Down.  There.

Anyway, this dissertation on a pedestrian race is getting way too long.  The long and short of the last 11 miles was that it took me 3:15, over 17 minute miles.  I really did try and push things a few times, especially in the last 4-5 miles on the jeep roads, but I really had trouble sustaining even a 12 or 13 minute pace for long.  Did I not eat and drink enough?   Was I under trained?  Was it all due to going out too fast?  Was it the damn slick rock?  I guess that's one of the reasons we keep doing these, to try and figure out those answers.  I do know I'd like to run that 6 mile section from aid station 4 to aid station 5 without 22 miles in my legs as that stretch has been my biggest downfall both years.

So, a 5 minute PB, I should be happy.  I'm getting there, some days.

I'm still upright, I guess that is success.  Photo courtesy of Chris Hinds.

Moab, here we come

In Moab, Utah one of the marks of the coming spring is the descending of runners from Fort Collins and Boulder into the Big Horn Lodge.  This happens in mid-February every year for the Red Hot races, 55K and 33K trail races.  Once again Fort Collins runners look to be over 10% of the field with probably as many from Boulder as well.  It was a lot of fun seeing so many familiar faces out on the trail last year and should be much the same this year as well.

Photo from Alex May

I had a bad race last year, really falling apart pace-wise in the last 10-11 miles.  I can come up with some reasons why and some excuses but what's done is done.  After being disappointed last year I am hoping to run better this year.  Overall my longest runs were longer last year than this year but I still put in several in the 22-24 mile range.  One thing that has been different this year is my overall mileage.  With the streak I have been much more consistent this year and have run about 35% more mileage in Red Hot training for this year.  I have felt overall strong and free of niggling aches and pains as I've tapered down the past couple weeks, I'll take that as a good sign.

I'm still haven't come up with a race day plan yet.  It's tougher for trail races than road races as it's more difficult to compare training runs to race day performance.  This is especially true with the slick rock surface in Moab, which is difficult to approximate here.  I have not found running downhill on slick rock to be as easy as it sounds.  I've tried to include a good mix of trails, hilly harder surface runs like Centennial, and harder effort runs on hard surfaces like the bike paths.  Last year my training was much more skewed to trails.  Originally I was hoping to chop an hour off 2011, so 7 hours or about 12:40 miles.  Maybe that will still be my goal.  Some runs it seems very possible, some it still seems far off.  I still need to think about that one.  Heck, I still need to decide which shoes to wear and what to carry for water/gear.  The weather does look nicer than last year at least.  That will be nice.  Four days of work left, that's a lot of time to day dream about the details ;-)  I'm getting kind of excited to find out how it all unfolds.

Early view from the overcast and rainy course in 2011

100 days

I was going to post either a geeky statistical breakdown or something sappy and inspirational, but I'm already on day 102 and haven't gotten there yet, so here it is.  100 days of streaking, 603 miles, Woo Hoo!  Congrats to Ean on her 100 days yesterday and Mindy on hers come Monday.  Oh yeah, this is all Ean's fault.  Thanks!