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