Tomorrow morning I leave for San Francisco to run The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon on Sunday. It was supposed to be my ultra marathon debut, my first dip into the world beyond 26.2 miles. It will, however, be just 13.1. Not too exciting.Don’t get me wrong, 13.1 miles is a long way and I am grateful to be able to come fresh off an injury and run a… Read More »Ready to Go? Excited? Ha! Are you kidding me?
In one week, I will run my final race of 2015, the North Face Endurance Half Marathon near San Francisco, CA. It was supposed to be my first ultra marathon, a 50K. Unfortunately, when the knee injury hit, plans got changed. I missed the Hot Chocolate 15K and the Back Country Half Marathon completely. The 50K becomes a Half Marathon. No problem, adaptability is a human characteristic and I have… Read More »Look Out NYC, Squamish, and Imogene! I’m coming for ya!
First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving. In this topsy turvy world, there is much for which to be thankful. Not today’s run, however.I awakened this morning to thoughts of a longer run, something in the 11-14 range. I even plotted a few various courses allowing for wind direction changes. I was a man on a mission. Then, I didn’t head out the door. And the longer I didn’t head out the… Read More »One of Those Days…
Suunto Ambit2 Yay! The “final” decision was made today. I have opted down at the North Face Endurance Challenge on December 5. Originally, the plan was to run the 50K. With the prolonged knee issues and the loss of training therein, I am instead running the Half Marathon. I consider this an extreme disappointment. Yet while hovering at the bottom of that decision I have found the road to an… Read More »The UP Side of Downgrading
The more things stay the same, the more they stay the same. Not exactly how the saying goes but it captures the current status of my running life. In the last three weeks or so, I have gotten in about 60 miles. That’s it. That is less than a normal week under normal conditions. I suppose it’s better than zero, right? I began treatment by gimping around the house, figuring… Read More »Knee Stuff
Awesome trails in Tabernash, CO This two week period has been marked by the extremes. Consistent running, an good twenty mile run, some awesome trails and an injury.First, a week ago I logged 83 miles. It was my fifteenth 70+ mile week in a row. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how abruptly the streak would end. Spending most of the week in Idaho, the challenge was the morning run. With Idaho… Read More »Long Run, Darkness, Cool Trails, Bad Knee: Two week log
YAWN……. Quite the boring week. While boring, several things of note:1. Fourteenth week in a row over 70 miles. 1905 for the year. I just don’t seem to be able to stop. Any run less than 6 or 7 miles doesn’t seem worth doing and most of the time I’ll be on an 8 or 9 mile loop and add on. There are worse problems to have….2. Seem to be… Read More »Boring Week: Log September 14
DNF: Did Not Finish. That was/is my final status at the 2015 Imogene Pass Run. I don’t take dropping out of races lightly. In fact, in 49 years of running it’s happened less than a half a dozen times. My drop out rule is simple: if I am hurt to the point where I believe I will be doing considerable damage by continuing, I MIGHT drop out.This year I reached… Read More »The Many Faces of DNF: Log week of Sep 7
“I saw that going differently in my mind,” said Will Smith’s character in the movie Hitch. While he had seen his Ellis Island date turning out much better than it actually did, I too had envisioned my run with Mountain Ultra Trail running superstar, Emelie Forsberg. I figured that at some point in what I thought would be a 6-8 mile run, I’d get a chance to move up along side… Read More »I’ve Fallen Down and I Can’t Catch Up: My Run “With” Emelie Forsberg
Less than a week to go until the Imogene Pass Run (Sep 12). To work a little on the impending vertical of that Ouray to Telluride journey, I decided to tag a 14er this week, Mt. Bierstadt (14,060).I’ve lived in Colorado since 1978 and have run many miles while here but I have to confess that this week, this 14er, was only my second. Yep, number two. In 1979 I… Read More »Mt Bierstadt and the Week of August 31.