Footwear

I think I am going to buy a pair of Salomon shoes when I go to run UTMB.

Weekly Run Log December 18-24, 2011

12/22/2011: Old Halfway House Trail and White Arrow to Monadnock Summit. Old Halfway House Trail was a great easy climb of 600'. Actually pleasant singletrack running. White Arrow was 1,100' of climbing in 1.0 mile. Pleasant steep climbing. 1:24, 5.0 miles, 1,700' vert.
12/24/2011: McCabe Loop. 0:24, 2.25 miles, 50' vert.

Weekly Summary: 7.25 miles, 1750' vert.

Time

It was only an hour and 24 minutes and yet I felt as though it was an entire day. I became aware of one more thing that I love about trail running while going for a jog up Monadnock yesterday. With the exception of my long runs in preparation for 100 mile events each run that I embark on is an adventure that takes little time and satisfies as though I had planned to be out for an entire day. Yesterday’s run lasted one hour 24 minutes involved stepping into the unknown and seeing a place that I thought I knew in a new light.

In the last few years my definition of wilderness has changed dramatically. In several hours time I can get in to the mountains deep enough so that I am encountering backpackers who have been out for days. That is something that is pretty special to me. These folks have dedicated several days of time, even a week and I am able to sleep in my bed every night and compress several “trips of a lifetime” into one week of running. Pretty cool.

Schedule and Weekly Run Log

Weekly Run Log - December 11-17, 2011:
12/13/2011: Short run down back in McCabe Forest because it was a nice day. 1.0 mi., 50'
12/15/2011: Skatutakee/Thumb Loop. Rainy and fun. 1:11, 4.5 mi., 850'
12/17/2011: McCabe Loop w/o garage extention. Not timed, 2.25 mi. 50'

Weekly Summary: 7.75 miles, 950' vert.

Lotteries
My biggest piece of news is that my name was drawn in both the Western States and Hardrock Lotteries. I was okay with running just one of the two but when my name was pulled in both lotteries it poses a problem: The races are three weeks apart. This is not enough time for me to recover from one before going to the other. Even if I were able to recover enough to run both the financial commitment would be much greater. I'm not even sure I will have the money to make it to one of the two.

When it comes down to it I want to run the Hardrock much, much more than I want to run Western States. Western States will be held on June 23 and 24, Hardrock the weekend of July 13 to 15. If the schedule had been switched around I might consider trying to run both with the expectation that I would run as far as I could and DNF at Western States. Running Western States and traveling to Hardrock with the expectation that I would DNF at Hardrock would not be acceptable for me. My number one priority is being 100% ready for Hardrock.

So what does that mean now? It means I will probably be taking a pass at Western States despite the strict "No Refunds" policy that will swallow up my $370 race fee. I just need to look at the loss of the race fee as, what was, a good hedge against losing the Hardrock lottery. It was just that the odds really worked in my favor this year and now I have to make some decisions.

Wapack and Back
For the last few years I have wanted to run a 50 mile race close to home. I have spent many hours running on the 21 mile Wapack Trail and have been looking forward to the day when I could run the Wapack and Back 50 miler because it is a beautiful trail with a great southern New Hampshire feel. Unfortunately the race date is May 12 this year, making it two months before Hardrock. While not impossible, if I were to run both it would make my chances of being 100% for Hardrock lessen.

Instead of trying to cram a 50 miler in two months before the Hardrock and having a questionable recovery and buildup for Hardrock it would seem wiser to plan conservatively for next summer with the big event being Hardrock and plan another 50 or even another 100 later in the fall (Mountain Masochist 50 or Grindstone 100 maybe?). To complicate things a little more, there is a 21 mile option at the Wapack and Back, which would fit into my schedule a little better (as a long run) but would lessen the 50 mile trail run experience in subsequent years when I would make it a priority to run the race in May. My plan, for now, it to wait it out and decide as the Wapack and Back draws nearer. Hardrock is set in stone but other races will depend upon how I am feeling down the road.

The Nitty Gritty
In the last year I have been compiling information on my mileage, vertical ascent and recovery times. This has been somewhat useful in helping me make decisions. I was able to look at mileages run after 50 mile events to figure out my average recovery time and "ramp-up" abilities. The reason it is only somewhat useful is that a.) I don't have all that many races under my belt, and b.) the circumstances have not similar enough from year to year. Last year I ran two 50 mile events within 3 weeks of each other which didn't give me good data on my ramp-up ability after just one 50 mile event. If I were to use this to create a training schedule for one 50 followed by a 100 mile event two months later, I would be comparing apples to orange. Unfortunately, I just don't know how long it takes me to recover from a 50 properly. Run Rabbit Run, being my first 50 would almost be a baseline, but for the fact that I ran it off of a 12 mile long run and didn't have the experience to run it well with attention to recovery afterward. My body has become more accustomed to the mileage and I train smarter these days. Therefore, I recover much quicker.

So there you have it. The plan for next summer is starting to take shape. I am more excited for this summer than last summer. That says a lot because last summer was pretty amazing, both in planning and execution. For now, I am trying to get back to a winter mileage plan. I don't know how that will pan out because work is taking off, but work, in itself is good training. On any given night I will hike 6 to 8 miles down the mountain on gun runs. That's 4,500' to 6,000' of descent in a night. Not bad!

Some Statistics

The view toward Monadnock (in the background)

from Pitcher Mountain on the M-S Greenway.

I just want to post some stats so that I can remember these numbers one day.

I started running again, after The Bear, on October 8th with a very quick 0.1 mi. run on a walk I was doing at the family cottage. For the month of October I ran 15.8 mi. in 8 runs.

For November I ran a total of 25 miles in 7 runs. I have not felt the push to increase my mileage very quickly and that is why I have been feeling pretty good joint-wise. My cardiovascular system has taken a hit though.

My longest run in November was 4.7 miles long on the 30th (yesterday).

Pictures from the Fall 2011

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the fall:

Yes.

Tree between old granite ledge.

Not really sure what these are. Some kind of sluice is my guess.

Views of Monadnock from Holt Peak, Wapack Trail.

Views of Monadnock from Holt Peak, Wapack Trail.

 Heublein Tower. Simsbury, CT.

Wapack Trail near Windblown Ski Area.

The classic New England stone wall, the wood road (in the back), 

and the trash dump in the woods.

Snow and the State of Unhealthy

We got our first significant snow in New Hampshire this weekend. This storm was considered a "freak" storm by many, including myself. I can't remember a Halloween in my life where there was snow on the ground but the 15-18 inches of snow that fell here was unprecedented in my 30 years. Last week I was in shorts and this week I was wading through knee-high snow to shovel out the cars. I was able to get some backyard turns in last night when the snow was "only" boot deep. Ha!

I have enjoyed the month of October here in New Hampshire. I have run a handful of times and have been able to keep my mileage down to 3 miles or less on each sojourn. The runs have been less than scenic but I was able to get up above one layer of clouds on a run up North Pack Monadnock (2,279') the other day. This is not typically done on the East Coast at all and especially not in southern New Hampshire.

My body has been feeling good. For the most part my joints have healed but my cardiovascular system has taken a hit. My heart rate skyrockets when I run and takes some time to lower to a more normal rhythm. I did need a break from training and I feel like I can settle into a base mileage phase for my winter running.

One more note: It appears I will be working the 3 pm to 11 pm shift this winter. I expect to be on a more normal sleep schedule this year and should be able to have a more normal training schedule.

Thoughts While Recovering

I have been going back through my stack of Trail Runner Magazines and Ultrarunning Magazines for several days now. Upon picking up an issue of Trail Runner that dates back to 2009 I began skimming the articles and reading the ones I had forgotten. I got to a particularly interesting article by Garrett Graubins who, I feel, writes in a pleasant and often humorous manor. The article describes two road trips that had been taken recently. One of the road trips was taken by himself, a seasoned trail runner, the other taken by a his friend, a seasoned road ultramarathoner. He compared the two trips in an amusing way. He (the trail runner) stopped several times to go for runs along the trail and took 3 days while his roadie friend took just over 24 hours with 4 stops total and lamented not driving sub-24.

This article struck a note with me because I feel I have strayed to the later in my posts this year. I set out to record my trail runs several years ago not with numbers, but with all the interesting things I saw or things I thought along the way. My early scratchings in my "analog" training journal of 2010 had some notes on wildlife that I had seen, interesting descriptions of the trail, and sometimes a discussion of a new idea I had thought of during the run. I don't think I do a very good job of that anymore. My latest blog postings have been filled with short, descriptions of the trail (not very interesting either), and statistics of how far and how fast I ran. While my records of this year do help me remember the important facts of my runs from this summer, they are not very interesting to anyone but myself.

My goal for this winter was to improve my writing skills. I still hope to do this. If I could write several stories a week filled with interesting ruminations cool descriptions of running cool trails then I could still keep my boring weekly summary with its technical writing. I could have both to look back on and remember and others would be more interested in the stories I have to tell. Believe me, I have plenty of them!

Trip Home September 2011

09/28/2011: Stopped at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Des Moines, Iowa to check out some "hiking trails." What I found was two loops of ten foot-wide pavement sidewalk through the beautiful tallgrass prairie. If only it had been a real dirt hiking trail it would have been worth the fifteen minute one way side trip. Maybe I should just suck it up and admit that the landscape was beautiful despite the pavement. Beautiful, being rolling hills covered with head high golden tallgrass, flocks of Red-Winged Blackbirds, and occasional groves of trees... Naw!

09/29/2011: Stopped at Cuyahoga Valley National Park just south of Cleveland. I think I found a new place to stop for a couple of days on my way out to the West next time. The trail system would be worth a trip in its own right! I did a 0:26 minute out and back hike starting at the Blue Hen Falls Trailhead on the Buckeye Trail and it was just what I was looking for! Nice semi- to fully-technical trail that travels up and down the rolling terrain. I remembered seeing this in the Spring 2011 Runner's World Special on "The Trail" and now I can see why it is so coveted by Cleveland Trail Runners. The magazine states that there are 125 miles of trail here and what little I saw is that the trails are pleasant and easy to follow at a running pace (which can be a difficulty in Eastern North America running). I will be back after some careful planning and research on the trails here (beyond the Towpath and Buckeye Trails of course). There appears to be a guide book to the trails in the area and I think I will be purchasing it soon.

It is hard to say how I was feeling for the hike. The pace was strong but I could feel that my toes will be the last things to give me trouble. There was a great deal of pain when I stepped forward using my big toes to push off. I bet flexing them was beneficial but I think I should take it easier than even the 1.5 or so miles that I hiked today. Near the end of the hike the ligaments in my knees and my whole right foot were complaining loudly. Time to ratchet it back on the active recovery. I am looking forward to soft couches and soft beds. Tomorrow, tomorrow...

Upon Arrival

Upon arriving at home I have had time to do some research. It turns out that when I was hiking the Buckeye Trail in Cuyahoga I was actually reconning a section of the Burning River 100 mile endurance run (the USATF 100 Mile Championship). The races is not hugely appealing to me, being so flat, but it might be worth doing some day if I am passing through at the right time (Late July) and feel like an extra challenge.

In addition to finding out great things about Cuyahoga, I am finding some additional places to run along the way that might be worth taking a small detour from Interstate 80 (though I am not really sure that I want to take Interstate 80 anymore on my trips west). In my large stack of magazines I am finding old articles that claim "The 6 Best Cities to Live in" or the "25 Best Trails to Run in North America" and the like. I am taking careful notes and doing additional research in order to continue finding trails for road trips in the future.

But for now I am still healing from the Bear 100. My left foot still hurts from time to time and I am waiting for it to stop raining long enough for me to start going on rehabilitation hikes. I am excited to start running again but I am going to make the effort to stop running for at least a month or so. Too bad because the leaves are changing here and the running would be quite gorgeous!

Memories of the Bear

[This post may be edited in the near future to be less bland]

Looking back at my earlier writings the style of writing is very technical: "I was doing _____ and it made me feel ______. I was running on time or before and blah, blah, blah." It is one of my goals to improve my writing this winter, but I don’t want to take the time to start working on my writing style to be more creative before I write about the Bear. Right now I just want to record some of my thoughts before they are forgotten. So, I am sorry for the blandness of the writing. I promise more quality writing in the future.

The Race
I had a fast start. I found a good crew of folks to powerhike the initial ascent of 4200’ with. They had a good pace, a little more energy output than I had going at Leadville last year. I reached the first Aid Station in good time and continued to improve my time as I reached Leatham Hollow well ahead of my projected split. Thank goodness my crew was so well prepared and arrived early because I was running relatively fast and nearly missed them.

As the race continued the temperature got hotter and the sections were more exposed to the sun. I ran up Richard’s Hollow and came into Cowley feeling somewhat nauseas, with a painful left foot. In the following sections I figured out that I was eating too much and was able to reduce my intake to make my stomach feel better. The heat I just dealt with because I knew that we would be running into the night soon and things would just improve physically and degrade mentally.

I passed through Right Hand Fork and Temple Fork in a better mental state, arriving at Tony Grove just after twilight. Mark had arrived making our crew complete and I picked up Maryann as a pacer. We had fun running through the night and I admit to losing a lot of time on the sections to Franklin Basin (mile 62) and to Logan River (mile 69) and Beaver Mountain (mile 75) Aid Stations. Throughout the 11.5 hours of night I only traveled 24 miles!

My worst section was from Beaver Creek to Gibson Basin. I had not really spent any time looking at that section of race course so I was not sure what to expect. I think this was a mistake to learn from. Without knowing what to expect I have a hard time dealing with the pain. What could this mean for my future running 100 milers? What approach would I take if I were unable to recon any of the race? Perhaps I would need to learn to just accept not knowing what is next? Or maybe just knowing the mileage splits and elevation change would be enough. I suspect the later. I could imagine running Massanutten only knowing the elevatons changes on the course and following my altimeter watch for cues.

The rest of the race went alright. The pain in my right knee started to become really difficult to bear. I was taking a lot of breaks to sit down to relieve the pain. I was finding that after having the pain for 20+ hours I was needing some time without the pain just so that I could mentally prepare myself for the next section with pain. The climb up Ranger Dip Liftoff felt relatively good. Being the steepest climb on the course it exercised different muscles for the first time in the race and gave my other tired muscles and joints a reprieve. The final descent to the finish was difficult. The trail was steep, which put a lot of stress on the (already complaining) ligaments of my right knee. I made the descent in three sections, sitting down to rest in between each.

I did my best to run the final 1.4 miles of road to the finish. In about a mile of running on the road my left foot had sharp pain and I stopped for a moment to let the endorphins kick in. Brenden made the comment about the body knowing when it is just about time to stop and breaking down. I believe he is right. After a minute of resting I made the final push down the pavement to the park that marked the finish line. I was relieved to run down that final stretch to finish line with many folks to the right cheering me on. I did my best to finish in style with a running gait.

The after party was nice. I loved finishing early, being able to cheer for the final runners coming in. I ate part of a trout patty (delicious) and received my plaque and belt buckle. Proud to finish! 

The Crew
I enjoyed the crews energy immensely. Brenden was my Crew Chief and did a great job of coordinating the vehicles and people and pacing me to the finish line. He knew all of the details to take care of on the pacing side that made our team the “finely-oiled machine” that it was. Maryann’s energy and feminine presence was great. She volunteered her place to stay both before and after the run and it was really nice to accept. Mike’s willingness to drive and show up at every aid station was a huge addition. It was nice to check in with him at each aid station! Mark’s energy was also great. He was a perfect candidate for running through the night, suggesting some eating from time to time and very willing to allow me to sit for moment.

In thinking about it, the crew was the perfect mix of personalities to be so rock solid. I have heard from other runners that they have had a hard time with their crews at certain races because they are just so clueless. Here we had a crew that treated me so perfect I could never expect better treatment. I really need to do something for them…

The Unique Characteristics of the Bear
One of the things that appeals to me as a runner of ultramarathons is the uniqueness of each run. I heard references to the “Circus” that Leadville has become. I feel that the “circus” is all a part of Leadville and I like certain aspects of it. This year at the Bear the number of runners was far beyond the numbers of runners in previous years, but the feel was still that of a small race.

I had no idea if they were going to be offering some sort of live racer update on the website so that family could watch my progress from across the country. I assumed they were not, but when I got to the prerace briefing they told us that there would be a master spreadsheet on the web site that would be updated with a little delay. My family appreciated it immensely, a great success!

The presence of Errol “the Rocket,” Leland Barker (the RD) and Phil Lowry added to the character of the run as well. I had seen these folks in the documentary “Dancing the Bear” and these folks were represented perfectly in the movie as they appeared in real life. May they always be a part of the race!

There was so much that I enjoyed about the race. The venue at the end of the race was pleasant, running beside the crowds of folks hanging out to finish and the awards ceremony that followed. Leland’s dry and to the point briefing and awards ceremony kept me giggling with every sentence he said. Errol’s sound bites: “if you don’t like the soup at the aid station, well… just go to the next one and maybe they will have one that you will like!” and “the Rocket is just my name. I’m not really the Rocket anymore” and “they want us to mark the course so well that Ray Charles could find his way!” Phil Lowry’s geeky technical mindedness made me chuckle as well. Just look at the photos on the web. It was all so comical and obvious that fun was the goal of the race.

All in all this was a great race surpassing my expectations in almost every way. I am proud of my buckle and plaque and was already thinking about the next step just after crossing the finish line. I enjoyed this climbing course and am interested in doing more 100 mile runs with a lot of vert. I just need to rehabilitate my joints!

Weekly Run Log - Sept. 18-24, 2011

09/19/2011: Logan Peak Aid Station to Millville Pass. A fun quick run to the top of the pass with just a little vert. 0:45, 3.4 miles, 300' vert.

09/20/2011: Richard's Hollow Aid Station, 0:15 up the trail then back. Feeling good! 0:27, 2.0+ miles, 500' vert.

09/23/2011 to 09/24/2011: Bear 100! Look for race reflections in a later post. 33:43:21, 100 miles, 22,518' vert (according to a detailed mileage chart on the website).

Weekly Summary: 105.4 miles, 23,318'+ vert.

Weekly Run Log - Sept. 11-17, 2011

Example of Great Basin Highlands as a brochure calls it.

09/11/2011: Ran another section of the Bear 100 from Franklin Trailhead up the Steam Mill Trail (139) and then the cutoff to Steam Mill Pass and Hell's Kitchen Pass. Then turned around and came back. The trail is dusty with loose dirt until the trail switches over to the North side of the ridge in Steam Mill Canyon. Then the trail improves and stays pretty nice through the 120 degree cutoff up the 200' to Steam Mill Pass and down and up to Hell's Kitchen Pass. Steam Mill Canyon is pretty nice once you hit the more alpine meadows near 8,000'. Too bad I will be running it in the dark. 

Ran into Bruce Copeland on the way back down. He is the "Trail Boss" as he introduced himself. He marks the course. I recognized the name from the link on the website to get to his Blog. He said that some of the trickier places have been marked already for folks like myself who are "previewing" the race course. He said the bulk of the marking will be done the two or so days before he race. I guess there is a problem with hunters not liking the race as it disrupts the game movements. I would hate to disrupt the movements of game so that the hunters couldn't blast the hell out of them.

As I write this I am camped up Franklin Basin near the future location of the Logan River/Steep Hollow Aid Station. Someone is discharging firearms nearby. I guess I am not in the land of the fitness buff anymore! 2:52, 11.0 miles, 2,100' vert.

09/13/2011: Checked out the countryside surrounding Beaver Mountain today. Ran up to Peterson Pass and checked out the other side, then ran down to the Yurt and followed the race course to the Winter Trailhead.

Got off the race course on the way up. I found the new flagging on the race course but misinterpreted them as I was coming from the opposite direction as the running. Also there was a flock of nearly 100 sheep blocking the view down the proper trail. I took off up a game trail and was soon discouraged looking across the creek at the side of the valley I was supposed to be on. Finally, I bushwhacked my way over and hiked several hundred feet up the hill to where I found the trail. All-told I probably lost 15-20 minutes looking for the trail.

The rest of the run was great. Great views, pretty good quality trail. Stood at the top of the pass and debated on dropping down to the Peterson Trail. Decided against it when I realized that I needed to start limiting myself or I would run 20 miles every day checking out the race course. At this point I need to check out the sections that I presume will give me the most trouble navigation-wise.

On the way back down as I got closer to the Beaver Mountain access road and the Yurt I ran into the flock of sheep again (they hadn't moved) but from the other side. The side that the three sheep dogs were on. They barked at me and I didn't know what to do so I went around by way of the access road. Recconning the route was surprisingly straight forward through the Beaver Mountain Ski Area. Only some slight confusion trying to skirt the tree cutting operation going on below the parking area. 1:59, 6.9 miles, 1,400' vert.

 That ain't snow. Hail naw!

Looking at the trail in the near distance and 

the majority of the course behind that.

09/15/2011: Reconned a section that will come late inthe Bear. Bugler's Holiday to High Top Grunt as it says on the mileage chart. I was almost going to start from a place I thought was the Ranger Dip Aid Station but decided to drive to Bugler's Holiday instead to maximize the amount I was reconning. Good thing because I was a mile or so off on where Ranger Dip was going to be. I realized my mistake when I drove by a more obvious trail shooting off to the right (toward Gates of Paradise). I had to four-wheel it from he sign pointing to Fish Haven Canyon to the start (next time go around the loop in the other direction) of the run. It was gnarly but short. I was proud of my truck.

This will be the first glimpse of Bear Lake on the run.

From the start of the run it was pleasant. I was running on a beautiful broad alpine ridge. The ridge rolled to top of High Top and got a couple views of Bear Lake when the trees on the edges of the alpine meadows afforded views to the East. Then descended to the junction with FS 494 called High Top Grunt. I would imagine it is called that because it is the beginning of the uphill "grunt." the return was nice. None of the uphills are all that bad. Each is runable. I will be conflicted during the race as to whether I will want to run or powerwalk the uphills. 1:41, 6.6 miles, 1,050' vert.

09/17/2011: After 24 hours of rain/cloudy weather I took a run from where Cowley Aid Station is going to be located to the summit of Ricks Pass, then down he short ways to where the trail descends the rest of Ricks Hollow. The trail descending down is obscure and I ran to another trail on the map and descended down to the trail and as ended the hundred or so feet back up to the road to be sure that I had it right. I love reconning 100 mile trail races though this race course has a lot of ATV Trails that are very actively used. I feel frustrated often as ATVs come power-sliding around corners to see me right there. 1:15, 5.0+ miles, 1,000' vert.

Weekly Summary: 28.5 miles, 5,550' vert.

Bear Reconnaissance (Part 2)

One week left to the Bear 100! I am pretty excited to get on the trail and test my will one year after finishing Leadville.

I have spent the last week camping up Logan Canyon in many places off the sides of Forest Service Roads. The camping is pretty good, with the only exception being the neighbors. The scenery is great. The trails are pretty good singletrack and ATV trails mostly with a little 4WD road running thrown in. The most interesting thing about the terrain is the livestock that are been raised free range. One morning I woke up to about 200 sheep moving through my campsite on the side of a road up Beaver Creek. This morning I woke up to cows in my camp site. They were sniffing my fold-up chair. Probably wondered where I got it.

Speaking of sheep... I had a first on the trail the other day. In running into a herd of sheep I also ran into the three sheep dogs that were tending the flock. One of the dogs was barking at me, though it was also wagging its tail. I wasn't quite sure what they would do if I had proceeded to try and walk through the sheep, remaining on the trail. No one was nearby so if they had attacked I would have been alone in trying to fend them off. I finally bushwhacked around them, giving them a wide berth.

My days have consisted of getting up when I felt like it, making breakfast and driving to a trailhead where I could recon some trail that is a part of the course. I have made some mistakes in efficiency for sure. There have been several times when I could have run a section of trail and made a loop back to my car by some road. In one instance it would have been shorter to run a loop of trail and road, I would have  seen more of the course, it would have been shorter, and it would've avoided an out and back. Another piece of efficiency would have been in bringing a bike. Because most of the Aid Stations are progressively higher as the course unfolds it would be beneficial to leave a bike at the higher aid station, start running at the lower aid station, then take the bike back to the car, coasting the whole way. I thought about bringing a bike but then thought against it. I don't know why I guess I shanked that one too! Maybe someday I will create a framework for looking at a course and breaking it down into reconnable sections in an efficient manor.

Bear Reconnaissance (Part 1)

I arrived in Logan on Thursday evening after driving across the Southwestern deserts of Utah. My plan is to spend the last two weeks before the Bear 100 previewing the course and making my final arrangements for the run. Because there is so much going on right now (actually there is always so much going on) I figured it might be worth updating my blog more than weekly. Since I had originally imagined this as being a blog dedicated to my adventures, not just running, I figure it would support my aim to include my daily life and reconnaissance notes while I am preparing for my race.

At this point I have reconned a little more than 12% of the race course. My focus has been on checking out the parts of the course that I will be running in dark, then on reconning the final miles. I have left the beginning of the race up to the joy of discovery on the day(s) of the race. I suspect that I will be checking out that part of the course when Brenden and Maryann come to up the day of the pre-race brief.

My impression of the race course so far is this: The course will most likely be dusty. There isn't much water on the course and the trails are heavily traveled by horses and cattle. I have occasionally mistaken a fresh cow plop for an old, dry cow plop. Luckily the trails have been dry enough that the manure dries and falls off well before hitting the trailhead.

All but one of the aid stations is accessed from Highway 89 (the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway). Along the Byway are several places to camp in campgrounds or pull off onto an unmarked FS road and there are many places to camp without having to pay. In addition, there are picnic sites (at least one with water),  historical houses, and trailheads, all with great pit toilets to use as one is driving by. All of these things make Logan Canyon a great place to stay and camp while reconning the route. This will also make crewing much easier as we can have a base camp midway up the Canyon for crew to go back to to sleep, eat, and relax.

The only downside to camping up Logan Canyon Scenic Byway is that there are a large number of other users from the redneck category: Hunters, Horse packers, ATVers, Four Wheelers. I have been bothered by loud swearing, and gunfire from the neighbors several times in the four nights I have been here already.

At the mouth of Logan Canyon is the City of Logan with all of its amenities. On rest days one can go into town and get food, coffee, check email, buy supplies, etc. All very handy. From a needs-based perspective the Bear 100 is well set up for runners.

Weekly Run Log - Sept. 04-10, 2011

09/06/2011: Ran Prospect Mountain from the Diamond Mine up CR3 as an out and back. Cut off from the Mosquito Pass road high and ran the rollers up the the summit. A good, low intensity run. 1:43, 7.0 miles, 1,300' vert.

09/07/2011: Turquoise Lake Trail, out 0:33 and back. Slow day for me. 1:06, 6.0 miles, 50' vert.

09/09/2011: Got my first impression of the race course today in running from the Temple Fork Aid Station to the Tony Grove Aid Station (or where they will be) and back again. I had a little confusion in the Tony Grove Campground but finally pulled out the course description and nailed down where the course goes.

 Looking up Blind Hollow.

Entering the Aspen. A more Colorado feel.

For the most part the trail is graded for horse packing. It was obvious that the trail is still used for horse packing. The surrounding land is also free range for cattle I had to shoo a group of 7 or 8 cattle from the trail on the way up but on the return they had moved to the side so I could go around them (mooooove over!).

I had another snake encounter on the trail (jumped many feet over it). It was a Rubber Boa (Charina Bottae) about a foot and a half long. Quite harmless but I thought it was a giant worm until I poked it with a stick and got close enough to notice that there were scales on it. Then I noticed the eyes. This brings my summer trail running herpetology tour to the viewing of 1 Grand Canyon Rattlesnake, 1 Milk Snake, and 1 Rubber Boa!

I drank from a stream in the middle of cattle grazing land and I shouldn't have. I hope I don't get sick before the race. 3:28, 12.7 miles, 3,000' vert.

Weekly Summary: 25.7 miles, 4,350' vert.

Weekly Run Log - Aug. 28-Sept. 03, 2011

Snapshot of the ridge North of Mount Massive.

08/30/2011: After two days off and a week of nasty weather I decided to attempt the Massive Traverse along with a return by Colorado Trail/Highline - a run I dub the Massive Super Loop. I watched the weather forecasts waiting for a break in the cycle of raining/thunderstorms from late morning through the evening. On Sunday I saw a slight decrease in the chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday in several weather forecasts so I knew something had to change in the weather patterns. I gambled on the change and I timed it just right with the weather as it only sprinkled on me two or three times but never went to the next "level".

The Run:

I walked more of this than I would've preferred. At 4:40 am I shuffled up the Hagerman Road (CR4 or FS105) in a quasi-run. I was lacking motivation for sure and there was a little worry about my joints and the weather. You could say that I wasn't attacking the hills at all. At daybreak I hit the the pass and departed from the road to off-trail towards Massive. The alpine terrain was good traveling and for the first few bumps on the ridge I only had to work my way through the maze of Juniper and some Willow from time to time.

 

Mountain Goats on the ridge north of Massive.

Early morning North of Massive still.

The sun came up helping me warm a little and I continued ticking off the bumps on the ridge progressively climbing higher and higher as I got closer to Africa Bowl and the familiar territory between North Massive and Massive proper. I made one wrong turn and followed the east side of a fin (between Point 12,654 and Point 12875) instead of the west side and found some great 4th class scrambling which slowed me down dramatically. Upon looking back at the fin it was obvious that it would've been faster to take the west side 2nd class route that wasn't quite as obvious from the other side.

Still found some snow to kick steps into.

 Bad runnout below but I am good at kicking steps with running shoes.

I didn't find water until just above Africa Bowl and even then it was only a trickle. I felt like I would find a better water source soon (I was wrong) so I half filled my bottles and continued on toward the five peaks above 14,000' that makes up the meat of the Massive ridge.

The 14,000' peaks all traveled easily. I was prepared for the 3rd class scrambling of the south side of North Massive and there was a great path being formed from the large amount of travel all the way over Massive Green to the Summit of Mount Massive. 

Looking toward Champion. OB's cabin's up that basin. 

Bouquet on the ridge.

There is no trail from the Main Massive Trail to any of the southern summits. The running became remote again and good off trail travel. It would have been runnable if I had been in a better shape for high altitude running (hence the reason I was there!). The last three summits (South Massive, Peak 13,630, Point 12,381) were pleasant with the temps warming. The clouds built but didn't threaten all that much.

After hitting treeline I descended through the beautifully spaced (for skiing) trees down South Willow until I hit the Colorado Trail at 10,800'. The run back to the truck was long. I ended up walking longer stretches than I had hoped. I was able to run the downhills pretty well but I was maxing my heart rate out quickly on the slightest of uphills.

Despite my disappointment with how much I walked, I did keep my heart rate high so it probably did a lot of good. All than time in oxygen debt above 14,000' must've done some good. We'll see at the Bear in about three weeks! 

At this point I am done with the long runs in the 20 miles range. I feel I have done a good job of training this year and now I just need to maintain my fitness for these three weeks (and maybe work on preparing my knees for the extra pain of tendinitis). 10:36, 25.0 miles, 7,000' climb.

09/01/2011: Turquoise Lake Trail. 0:30 out and then a return. Stopped to go to the bathroom at Matchless Boat Ramp. Felt sluggish but pain wasn't huge or sharp indicating dire issues. 1:07, 6.0 miles, 100' vert.

09/03/2011: Turquoise Lake Trail again 0:35 out and back. Was hauling: 18 minutes 07 seconds to the Tabor Boat Ramp. I would recommend not running there on holiday weekends. Was snapped at by a dog that was tied to a tree on the trail. Only got my shorts and I thought it might've ripped them but apparently not. I don't like how dog owners are oblivious of their dogs capabilities and then tie them up on the main thoroughfare. 1:14, 7.0+ miles, 50' vert.

Weekly Summary: 38.0 miles, 7,150'  vert.

Weekly Run Log - August 21-27, 2011

 Elbert in the background.

 Surprised by such a developed Interlaken Historical Area.

Elbert above the sagebrush.

08/23/2011: Ran the Interlaken Trail on the South side of Twin Lakes Reservoir. The run was rolling singletrack through lodgepole with many views of Elbert (looking west) and the Mosquitoes (looking east). The trail travels through Historic Interlaken, several old houses restored and kept for tourists. As far as I can tell the only ways to get there are by boat and by trail (hiking, biking, trail running, etc.). It was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't prepared for a small village in the middle of my run through the "wilderness." The mileage is not right in the Trail Runner's Guide to Colorado: I left from a day use area at one of the gates to the east of the dam on CR25. I wasn't going to pay $5 to park at the fishing place. Even starting in a different place I calculated the mileage to be 13.2 miles, longer than in the book. 2:42, 13.2 miles, 1,000' vert.

Mosquito Peak from the "bump above the pass"

08/25/2011: I extended the Mosquito Pass out-n-back to include the peak immediately to the north with the communications building. The road ran around back and probably added another 1.5 miles to the 6.5 for just the Pass. I definitely have tendinitis. Something to think about for next year though it is probably too late to do anything about it until the Bear. 2:16, 8.0 miles, 2,300' vert.

08/27/2011: Decided to run a short one today instead of a long run. I want to see if I can rehab my knee a little before the Bear. My last goal before the race is to get in one last long run without destroying my knee. If I can do that I might resign myself to power hiking the sections of the Bear when I get there (departure date of Sept. 7th as of right now).

The run today was Turquoise Lake Trail to Tabor Boat Ramp and back. I had planned on running it slow but when. I got to he boat ramp I was in the same time as my fastest run. On the return I passed an old guy on a mountain bike and ended up putting on the speed to beat him back. Finished the fastest time ever for this run and still felt good! 0:39, 4.2 miles, 50' vert.

Weekly Summary: 25.4 miles, 3,350' vert.