June 20 to June 26

Off we go on another solid week of training. There have been three weeks of hard running and it should be time for a sloppy/recovery week, but with work looming next week and I am off this week, the hard training will continue. It's important to stay in tune with the ole body and know when you can push it and when to back off. Right now, all systems are operating very well and pushing it one more week will not be an issue.

Monday; June 20th: So, I took the day off! Spent it with my mom and two of the dogs.

Tuesday; June 21st: Dropped Mom off at the airport for the 630am flight YUCK!!! And out to Garden of the Gods for an 11 miler. Since the ole bones were feeling great, I pushed the pace quite a bit and found as many hills as possible. . Remembering JD's technique of speeding up on the uphills, I forced a quicker pace on these sections and used some of the downhills to recoop some oxygen.

Wednesday; June 22nd: In the gym at 5am for abs, back, and triceps and then out the door with Traysen. For whatever reason, he had a foot/leg issue and came back home after about a mile. (He probably tweaked something while playing stick on Tuesday.) Off I went for another 11 miles, again pushing the pace since all was feeling well.
Tile Man, aka, Jim the husband, has the house in disarray again. He is redoing his tile work from 10 years ago and adding a new section...so the carpet is almost gone!!! Oh yeah!!!! Do I help during these episodes? Oh NO...I just stay out of the way! Maybe I should have gone on an afternoon heat training run?!

Thursday; June 23rd:  Lazy girl here.....slept til 515am! Woo Hoooo.....and then out the door with Traysen....but let's back up to yesterday for a minute....I found a few minutes to finally watch/listen to the film clip with ultra runner, Geoff Roes.
http://wpblogs.runningtimes.com/blogs/performancepodcasts/2011/06/video-geoff-roes-slogging-to-the-top/

In this short video (by Joel Wolpert), Geoff gives us insight as to what drives him keep running, to keep racing, and what to do when the racing gets tough. In particular, he points out that a runner will always experience a low/bad/sinker spot during any ultra. He explains that it is often what a runner does during this low/bad/sinker spot that determines the personal outcome of the race. If the runner can just get through the rough patch without losing their head, the race outcome is usually positive; however, if the runner blows up and falls apart mentally, it is all over and disappointment is the result.
As Traysen and I were trotting through a rather lethargic run (not a bad run, just not very "lively"), these thoughts came to mind: During our overall training we will always experience low/bad/sinker days where the running is not fast, long, or the quality we were hoping for and applying Geoff's theory of dealing with the rough patch will determine the outcome of the overall training. So, during today's effort, the goal was to keep running smoothly and comfortably and not get too wrapped over a slower run (or the fact that Traysen had to stop three times!). When race day arrives, the overall training will have been good and (barring any other disaster), the outcome will be positive.
One other note about the video: Like many of us runners, Geoff enjoys the training more than the racing. Just getting up in the mountains, outside in the woods, and testing our abilities is more meaningful than any one day of racing. I have often told myself that if I would race more and train with faster runners more, I would be a faster runner. But it is the solitude of running alone in the mountains or out with a few friends or just with Traysen that gives the real meaning to the running.

Friday; June 24th: At the Mueller visitor center parking lot at 530am for an early start to a very long and hot run. It all started with this sound.....

http://www.ilovewavs.com/Effects/Animals/Sound%20Effect%20-%20Turkey%20Gobble%2001.wav

(you gotta click on the link)

Then it was off to the hills and dirt for 30 miles of pure bliss....well, the first 4.5 hours was bliss, venturing all over the state park and discovering a couple of new trails I had not run yet. (Lynne and Lori, you gotta try out trail number 33....yes, it's hilly, but very beautiful). After a refill of water at the visitor center  at 4.5 hours, the run went downhill; no really, it went downhill for a few miles, down to Brook Pond. Knowing it was getting hotter and the legs were very tired from 237.0  miles so far in June, the uphill portion was to be some training in walking and running uphill and transitioning back and forth between the two. This actually went very well and then to round out the 30 miles, I opted for the easy cruiser section of trail number 1. This particular trail is mostly tree covered and moss covered and it  is amazingly pretty.

Sightings from this run:



Wild Paint Brush. Very abundant.



Colorado State Flower, Columbine. Just a few of these near the Brook Pond.

Saturday; June 25th: Sleeping til 5am was almost Heaven! An assortment of dogs (no, no husband...he is out earning the bacon this weekend...darn) kept me pinned in til all had to step outside.
And then out the door by 6am with coffee cup in hand. You know it's going to be a slow start to the run if you head out with a cup of coffee. That first half mile was a nice stroll and then off we went....like a herd of turtles! Traysen the doberman was rearing to go but ole Mom here needed to ease into the effort. Nevertheless, a nice 9 miler was the result. We walked, trotted, and charged up some of the hills and trotted all of the downhills. (no flat land near the house).
This morning I was thinking that at the moment I am bit overtrained. OHHH NOOOO!!!! Meeee? Overtrain? Run too much? NEVER!!! Well, maybe it is so at the moment BUT that is ok. At this point, there are 1544.0 miles in the logbook for 2011..as compared to 1369.0 at this time in 2010....so there has been some serious running this year...plus I have really worked hard at getting stronger and a bit faster....and a bit leaner! So, being overtrained right now is ok since I know the results come race day will be worth it. I also know that the next couple of weeks will be the taper weeks and the mileage will reduce as we get closer to the Leadville race. I am also aware that I can still cannot wait to get out the door in the morning and enjoy a nice run in our beautiful mountains.......additionally, after the Leadville race, there are no racing plans. Remember, I like the training/plain ole running more than racing. So, the overall  weekly mileage will come down and the body/ head can recover.
Oh...out of curiosity, the formal definition of "overtrained" is :

Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individuals exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness.

Yep, that about covers it! The good news is that this ole girl is just on the very edge of overtrained and recognizes the condition.

Sunday; June 26th:  Off we (Traysen and ole Mom here) went to Leadville...well before daylight! Arriving in town before 7am, we blasted off on the Leadville Silver Rush 50 mile course.....needless to say, it climbed ...and climbed....and climbed....all was going well as we nonstop trotted but THEN, my phone rang! Ringadingdingdong! No idea why I even answered and was even more amazed that I had enough air to say hello! It was my dad...he was in Florida...the other extreme from Leadville!  (hot, flat, and humid) Somehow, we kept moving, talking and huffing....
The run was awesome....beautiful trails with lots of mud, lots of flowing water but no snow! and lots of climbing! The mining district in this section of Leadville  is really lesson in history and it was all I could do to keep moving verses stopping and exploring some of the old mining remains. Once we reached a huge stream across the trail, we turned back and headed back down, but took a slightly different route and ended up on a paved road (eeewwwyuck), but took a final detour onto the Lake County Mineral Bike Trail. Even though paved, it was really pretty with lots of aspen and of course, it climbed..what else would it do? Ending up back at the truck after just over 3 hours, mapmyrun says we did 13.0 miles.

http://www.mineralbelttrail.com/

As for the quality of the run': could not have been better! a good pace up the hills, with an easy effort at altitude and hoping over rocks and dodging Traysen when he decided to stop directly in my path. (he also had to pull over three times...again! No more tuna for that boy!)

A few pics to highlight the run:





What tha? A wooden erector set?



Just a few of these in bloom. Scarlett Gila flower. Grows right on the roadside, very little moisture and rocky soil.

Summary:  What a nice week of running, despite realizing the being a bit overtrained. This will be the last high mileage week until the Leadville race, July 17th. It is time to taper but not lose the intensity. Am I ready? Well, we will see...there should be about 2-3 more trips to Leadville to run the race course as well as one solo Pikes Peak Marathon next weekend. Other than those runs, there will be a few interval/hill repeat sessions and some basic "keep it together" runs.
Total for the week: 85.0
Total for 2011: 1590.0

June 13 to June 19

As mentioned in last week's post, the training will be adjusted a bit so that the long 30 miler goes as planned. Unfortunately, some painful news this week: One of my running idols, Tony Krupica actually broke his leg and did some muscle damage in the process! Needless to say, he is out of running for quite some time but hopefully he can make a full recovery. Luckily, with the amazingly strong will he has, he will be back on the trails before we know it!

Monday; June 13: Up n at 'em at 215am....that is off to work, not running!

Tuesday; June 14: Waking up in Salt Lake, out the door for a run in the marshes of Salt Lake. Today was a non descript 10 miler but yet had these highlights:



One of my favorite birds...a western meadowlark. Their early morning call is really beautiful.



The shrill chatter of the killdeer is a distinct distraction from the pounding of the roads in the Salt Lake marsh area. These guys were buzzing around the ponds and dive bombing my head!

Wednesday; June 15th: Despite an easy two days of work, this was the usual slog fest of a run. A basic 8 miler; although a really pretty morning with no wind. Traysen really enjoyed getting out to see his "squirrels."

Thursday; June 16th:  In the basement gym quite early at 445am and then out the door to drive to the top of Pikes Peak. Even though the run starts very late (830am), it is worth the effort. Unmatched views, perfectly cool morning and no people! This was the first high altitude run of the season and it proved to be a challenge. The normal trot down Barr Trail was with caution and there were about three short sections of snow glopping....yes, that deep wet, sloppy, icy, post holing goop that occurs at this time of year....luckily, they were easily navigated and the trotting continued all the way down past A Frame but not quite to Barr Camp. I knew the return trip was going to be slow so the goals remained simple: run, walk, crawl non stop to the top. And that is almost what I did.....at the bottom of the 16 Golden Stairs, I fizzled....just plain fizzled, was lightheaded, dizzy, and nauseated. Nevertheless, to the top and was happy to have spent the time above treeline.
These first excursions  of the season to high altitude (or any new training regiment) can be frustrating in the beginning. The body isn't used to the new demands and it takes awhile to adjust. It takes patience and determination to work through the challenges. It helps to keep in mind that it is these challenges that are making us stronger. I am 100% certain my next trip above treeline will go even better.  10 miles for the day..
A few highlights of this outing:



Parry Primrose. Small ground cover flower growing well above treeline.



Alpine Buttercup. Very plentiful in the early spring.

Friday; June 17th: Up n out the door very early today. A basic 12 miler from the house; the run went very well, one of those "floater" types that required very little effort.

Saturday June 18th: Just an easy 7 miler today.

Sunday, June 19th:  Out the door at 445am. Honestly, it is really beautiful at that hour! Traysen joined me for the first 10 miles; many "squirrels" out and about this morning. After dropping him at the house, I took off for another 20 miles to round out the day with that important 30 miler that has escaped the training over the last couple of weeks. Luckily, this one went very well with no real issues; the legs, lungs, energy, etc were  feeling just right. A special thanks to Grandma (my mom) for taking care of the dog kids while ole Mom here trotted all over the neighborhood for 6 hours!

On a separate note: Happy Father's Day, Pa.....without your support and guidance I would never have come this far!!! Your occasional dose of reality has always kept thinking somewhat straight and steered me in a logical direction.

Summary: A fairly good week of running. The quality could have been a bit better but the ole body is dealing with accumulated running fatigue and an easy week will be due soon. The fatigue is not necessarily a feeling being overly tired since I am resting well but more a feeling of lots of good miles on the legs. At least there are no real aches or pains, just some minor stiffness here and there. I was explaining to my mom that running on a tired body is "normal" when it comes to training for these ultra distances. As the high mileage weeks accumulate so does the general fatigue; however, it is when we allow the body to rest that the body grows stronger and hopefully by race day, we have trained well, rested, and become  stronger. (she still thinks I am nuts, but understands that is her daughter!)
Weekly mileage: 77.0

June 6 to June 12

With only two days of work this week, it should prove to be a great week of running. From the hot temps in Colorado the snow is melting in the high country and on Pikes Peak. Goals this week are to run long and run hard.

Monday; June 6th: Well, not a day off but a slog fest on the treadmill. Waking up in St. Louis, the forecast was for temps to be in the mid 90s with plenty of humidity. Wandering down to the gym at 730am, it was 80 degrees in the gym! No kidding...80 degrees! Unfortunately, the hotel had locked the thermostat control behind a plastic covering. In some hotel gyms, those of us that frequent these places have learned to get past the plastic covering and turn the thermostat down to the mid 50s. This one was not one of those I could get into without a hammer. So, after some weight lifting it was to the treadmill for a basic 10 miler while pouring sweat from every pore! At least it wasn't like Ron White, the comedian, who says if he were to ever engage in exercise, he would sweat scotch from every pore.

Tuesday; June 7th:  Ok, now a day  off due to work.

Wednesday; June 8th: Out the door at 530am with Traysen. This was actually quite a nice 12 mile run. As I have mentioned before the first day home after a trip is usually not a very good run but for whatever wonderful reason, the ole bones were feeling great and we trotted through the effort with ease.
That's one of the great things about running ...or any kind of exercise/sport....some days we are very surprised at how well we are able to perform, even when we are tired or when we might usually expect a poor performance.

Thursday; June 9th:  With the hardwood floor installer showing up at 8am, it was up and at 'em quite early this morning. (The carpet in the house is finally making an exit....!!!! Oh yeah!!!!) In the gym by 445am( with two dogs!), for back, shoulders and abs and then out the door. A nice 6 mile warm up and then 8 x intervals, ranging from 3/10 of a mile to 4/10 of a mile. These went well, so a good day of 9 miles.

Friday; June 10th: Another epic run on Pikes Peak today! Starting at 530am in Memorial Park in Manitou, it was a nice climb into the overcast of clouds. Into the lowest layer around No Name Creek (about 4 miles from the start) and then out of the thick layer around Barr Camp. Running in the misty fog was amazingly beautiful and gave the green trail a whole new look.  Continuing up through the technical section to A Frame, the clouds thinned and I could see face of the Peak through the trees. Being about 10 miles up the trail, it was a turn around and the long downhill back to Manitou.
This was a good effort, not too fast, but all goals were met: run nonstop from Memorial Park to Barr Camp, mostly run from Barr Camp to A Frame (one total stop to regain some oxygen, about 11,000 feet MSL), and the ole bones stayed upright the entire run (no tripping or falling...oh, there was that one rock that my big toe collided with....Owwwwwww). Much stronger than last week's effort on Barr Trail, so progress is being made.



Barr Camp with an overcast layer.



A Frame; almost at tree line and about 11,000 feet MSL.


Saturday; June 11th: Sleeping in late to 545am, it was a late start for a nice and very easy 7 miler at home. Traysen and I started out with a walk and cup of coffee and after the coffee cup was empty, we just kept walking. At three miles into the walk, we were stopped by a neighbor....about 20 minutes later, we continued our walk; then we came across the husband/dad and talked for about 4 minutes; and then! Susan (neighbor) stopped us.....about 15 minutes later, we pressed on toward home! So, not much of a run or even a walk,  but a  welcome break from the hard efforts and based on tomorrows plan, this was good.

Sunday; June 12th: At the visitor center in Mueller at 530am for an early start to hopefully a cruiser 30 miler. It is hard to describe how this run went since some parts of it were good and some parts really sucked!  The first hour was rather slow, consisted of two stops to unload clothes and then unload coffee but the next 2 hours were great....Since the usual route through the Cheesman Trail was closed I ended up running a section I had not run in a couple of years (trail numbers 13 and 14). (The Cheesman Tr. was closed due to elk calving season...now, did anyone tell the Momma Elk to just have their calves in this particular area?) The climbing on these two trails was good and a nice easy effort back to the truck to drop yet another light weight fleece top.  Off onto some new trails I have never run (trail numbers 2 and 21) proved to be quite the challenge of the day. Lori and Lynne: Remember trail number 3? That was easy compared to number 21...this sucker went up very steep hills for a long time! And then there were these little bitty short downhills for the recovery....and then....another steep uphill....anyhow, I made it. Blazing by the truck and back out for another couple of hours proved to be the worst part of the run. It was hot, the legs were trashed from Pikes Peak on Friday and from trail numbers 2 and 21, and most likely there are several other excuses on the table, but nevertheless, the run was completed at about 26 miles today. The remaining four miles would not have been productive.
This week of running has brought a couple of things to light: 1. The runs on Barr Trail/Pikes Peak are definitely making the lungs and legs stronger; however, with the hard effort produced by that run there is not enough recovery prior to attempting a hard 30 mile run. So, the fix is to back off the hard efforts of Barr Trail for a week or two and get those 30+ runs in. 2. The other thing has come to light is this: Even though the last two weeks, the long run has not been what I had hoped for, the overall conditioning is improving. Last week after the Barr Trail run (16 miles), the legs were very sore and the long run was only 20 miles. This week, after  the Barr Trail run (20 miles), the legs were not that sore and the altitude gained was higher than last week. While the long run this week was not the effort hoped for, it was at least a 26 miler on a very hilly course and the best part of the run was the beauty of Mueller State Park....so slowing down, even a bit of walking allowed me to view the scenery better!



Wonder if she knew to stay in the blocked off area?.

Summary: A descent week of running but the training needs to be adjusted. As we all know, our life pursuits/goals/dreams sometimes need a revision. The key is to recognize this and then act upon it. If a new plan doesn't work, then we often  have to analyze what isn't working and/or maybe we need to readjust our goals to something that is realistic. So, next week the training will be structured a bit differently. Let's hope it works!?
Total miles for the week: 80-82?

May 30 to June 5:

Another hard training week is in order. This will be a challenge with only three days at home and then six days of work.

Monday; May 30:  A day off due to work.

Tuesday; May 31:  Up an at 'em quite early and down to Barr Trail. Starting in Memorial Park in Manitou, it was the long up hill to somewhere past Barr Camp, about 7-8 miles of nonstop climbing. Not being concerned with time, this was not a fast effort but a solid, continuous run excursion...oh there was slight digger when I tripped and ended up in the dirt; no damage but those little deviations from vertical always take the momentum right out of the run and force a few deep breaths to get going again.
Barr Trail is one of the reasons these  ole bones ended up in Colorado. Many years ago I met a fella named Mike. He had just run the Pikes Peak Ascent and was raving about the adventure. Having heard of the Pikes Peak races, my interest was in full gear and so  after many visits I eventually moved to Colorado Springs in the mid 90s. Many, many miles have been logged on that beautiful trail, including a few Ascents and Marathons. Favorite part of the trail? It varies, depending on the season. In mid summer, it is the area leading up from No Name Creek since it is full of green grasses and wild columbines. Usually when running the upper half of the trail the area just above A frame is a favorite with its' twisted bristle cone pines. Oddly enough, Jim, the husband, has never been on Barr Trail!!! Hopefully this summer we can make it happen.
A total of 16 miles today.





Wednesday; June 1:  Yesterday's run was a wake up call! After climbing for the 7-8 miles on Barr Trail, these ole legs are trashed! Very sore today and no pep in the step. Even though many of the runs are done on hills, Barr is one of the few trails that presents a continuous uphill challenge; therefore, the legs/body are not used to that continual climbing. And I didn't even push the pace!
Today's run was a slow, painful (in the legs only; the rest of me was fine) effort of 20 miles. Even though the mileage and effort were not what had been hoped for, this was a good training run in forcing the body to do what it did not want to do......more head work than anything..... It would have been easy to cut the run really short at 5 miles, 10 miles, or ? but sometimes running just isn't easy and sometimes those rough days happen on race day. By pushing through an uncomfortable run, the confidence is stronger so that if the rough day happens on race or on a day where I really would like to complete  a specific run in, on specific terrain, then I know I can make the head and body accomplish the goal. Could I have run more than 20 miles today....well, yes, but it would not have been pretty and it would have been counterproductive. I knew it was time to call it a day.
With plenty of time off from work in June, there will be several more runs on Barr Trail.

Thursday; June 2: Up n at 'em quite early today. Weight lifting with abs, shoulders, and triceps and then out the door with Traysen. Amazingly, the ole legs are still trashed from Tuesday!!! Maybe it was the downhill on Barr? Anyhow, we slogged through a 9 miler and then off to work.

Friday; June 3: This was an appreciation run. After weight lifting (chest, back, abs), I was really wanting to venture outside for a run (the gym/treadmill area was a sauna). Being in downtown Indy, IN the options were going to be limited but sometimes these downtown areas have paved trails nearby, often along a river. The nice fella at the front desk said to go out 'that' door, turn right, go three blocks, past  the museums and turn right; the canal trail is right there. Sounds easy enough, right? No museums, no canal, no trail....just concrete side walk with several  stops n starts to cross streets. I did find the Lilly (big drug company) complex and was able to run laps there without stopping and without getting mowed down by a motorized maniac on a cell phone. A  couple of laps around the Lucas Oil Stadium parking lot and it was back to the sauna treadmill to round out the day at about 11 miles. Luckily, there was some opportunities to do some intervals around the Lilly complex and those went quite well.
I say this was an appreciation run because when forced to endure the chaos of a city, I truly appreciate our beautiful, quiet, peaceful, natural trails of Colorado. We are really blessed to live in such a perfect place.



Lilly complex; actually quite a few blocks worth of buildings, lots, etc. Being about 75 degrees and almost humid, that fountain almost had a visitor!



The Indy Colts know how to build a stadium; this thing is huge!!!



Ahhh, now this is a running paradise; Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak in the background. Easy to appreciate.

Saturday; June 4: Still in Indy this morning and it was an early start on the treadmill. A good warm up of 3 miles and then it was 5x 3/10s of a mile intervals with a 2/10s recovery. These went well and it was good to get the run done early in the day.

Sunday; June 5: Spending the night in Salt Lake, it was a sleeping in morning and out the door at 7am! lazy girl! This was a good effort of 10 miles on the paved (yuck) roads. As the run progressed, the day was heating up and it was good to start getting used to the warmer temps and bright/blinding sun. This was also a bugs n breakfast run......the area is in the flat marshes just west of the airport and as such it is covered in grasses, water holes with lots of bugs and birds. So, while running here I usually ingest a few bugs along the way and of course, one or two has to zing the eyes. How do they aim so well as to hit the eyes?



Running along the roads near I-80 and near the hotel, the views of the marshes with mountains in the background are great.

Summary: Not a bad week of running....a good run on Pikes Peak, two weight lifting sessions, and one good interval session. Even though the 30 miler didn't happen, the ole head was able to slog through some runs with some very sore legs after the Pikes Peak/Barr Trail run. As I have mentioned many times, running these high mileage weeks if often at least as much mental conditioning as well as physical conditioning.
Total Miles for the week: 72.0.
 As I was running on Sunday morning, I was thinking of a running friend who is training for Leadville 100. He has a family, a full time job and lives out in the flats of Parker, CO. He is also a high mileage psycho AND he is also fast! (ran a 24:00 hour Leadville last year and a sub 3:00 hour marathon) He too finds it difficult  to juggle the mileage (and get the quality miles in), family and work. Hopefully over time he can come to terms with doing the best he can given the wonderful life he leads (Yes, he realizes he has a wonderful life but he also expects to be able to get the training in to run a high quality race time.) I often have to remind myself of this fact.....I am a pilot, not a paid, professional runner and as such my running is limited by work and my family always comes first. (Luckily, they (husband/dogs/parents )realize that I need to run to  be worthy of being around and they allow me the time). I also have to remind myself that to run well, I cannot dog train/show, go to grad school (and make As), keep a big house clean, volunteer at races, work, take care of 4 dogs and one wonderful husband.....it is a matter of putting what is important in the forefront for now. For my friend, running Leadville 100 is most likely on his front burner and it takes a serious commitment to train properly for that race. No doubt he will do what it takes to get the proper training in and succeed in his goal of a sub 20 hour Leadville 100. Personally, Leadville 50 is on my front burner.
So, the point of all of this: We sometimes have to remind ourselves of our own personal reality and then remind ourselves of what we can do with that reality. Also, we often have to remind ourselves of our personal and immediate goals and make adjustments to our lives in order to meet these goals.