This past week has seen three days in a row of wonderful snow running. Prior to the storm I ventured out on the Borrego-Bear Wallow loop for an easy leg stretcher with the dogs. While the run was completely unremarkable by any quantitative measure, it was a ton of fun. There was a bit of foot traffic the first 10 minutes or so but after that it was just blissful, and made even more serene by the quieting effect of the snow underfoot and the (relative) solitude - exactly the things that make winter running in the forest so uniquely magical.
Below are several pictures from the brief adventure. Oh, and we are on for Sunday at the basin. Upper mountain open.
Happy New Year!
The trailhead
C'mon dad, let's go
Snow-packed hairpin turns will hone your descending skills
For the second half of the week including Christmas I was out at the in-laws in Michigan. I did a few treadmill runs, which I loathe, but given the absence of nearby trails it was either the treadmill or the road, so I made like a hamster for a few days. The thing about treadmill running with me is that the only way I can make it even remotely interesting is to run hard. And of course the uptick in intensity came back to bite me when I picked up a touch of the cold that had been bouncing around the house for several days. Oh well. Hopefully my immune system will conspire with the weather to make for a good day of snowboarding this weekend up at Ski Santa Fe.
This week there was a short but interesting article at the Running Times web site about winter running. One of the people interviewed for the article was elite ultrarunner Geoff Roes, and there was one quote of his in particular that really stood out to me: "Optimizing your pace when you’re feeling really good can save you maybe five or 10 seconds per mile. But being able to run when you’re feeling really bad can save you minutes per mile.” Something to keep in mind next time I find my motivation wavering.
For now I plan to keep the running volume relatively low for another month or so but then start cranking up the long runs maybe in early February. The numbers:
Mon: 4 mi / 400ft. Recovery run + 30 min core workout.
Tue: 7 mi / 1400 ft. Nail Trail. Tired legs and snow on the ground made for a slow pace.
Wed: 30 min core routine.
Thu: 9mi / 2600ft. Treadmill run: 2mi warm up, 2mi @ 5% incline, 4mi 10% incline, 1 mi cool down.
Fri: 3mi / 0 ft. Easy treadmill run + 30 min core/freeweight routine.
Sat: Off
Sun: 9mi / 0ft. Treadmill run: 4 x 1 mile repeats @ 6:15-6:30 pace, with 5 min or so of recovery in between plus 15-20 min easy on either side.
Last weekend's snowboarding day plus some oddball work hours plus a decent snowstorm Thursday made for a bit of an unusual (and relatively flat) week. My core work continues to pay noticeable dividends, but my body is tired from increasing the weight and/or rep count on certain exercises... allthough to be fair I'm intentionally pushing the intensity right now to get my body and mind used to running in that kind of state.
Speaking of mindset I've been trying to make a point during my training runs to target hard or adverse conditions, the notion being that the more experience I have with these during training, the better I'll be able to handle them during a race. Case in point, during my Saturday run the roads were clear following this week's snowstorm but the shoulders were generally a big slushy muddy mess. After a couple miles of staying on the pavement it occurred to me that this was a good opportunity to get some practice running in messy conditions - like what very well could be present at Salida in March, or even Jemez in May if we get some late storms. So I spent the rest of the run fully engaged with the muck. And it was actually kind of fun.
Anyway. The numbers:
Mon - 30 min core routine.
Tue - 4mi / 400 ft. Recovery run.
Wed - 30 min core routine.
Thu - 5.9 mi / 700 ft. Some good hill work around Bishops Lodge Rd in the pre-dawn snow. Lovely.
Fri - 30 min core routine.
Sat AM - 90 minute hike on Winsor trail.
Sat PM - 13.1 mi / 1500 ft. Mostly mellow pace on Bishops Lodge Rd out to Tesuque and back. Picked the pace up nicely the last 4 miles.
Sun -3 mi / 500ft. Tesuque-Winsor loop. Was supposed to be a recovery run (actually it was supposed to be a day off) but after a couple minutes of rockin' Metallica in the iPod I couldn't help but push the pace.
OK, time start the weekly training logs again. I'm trying to incorporate a fair amount of cross-training right now. Of course then I look at my weekly mileage and think that I'm not running enough and I have to remind myself that that's the point. My "long run" this week was a day of snowboarding up at Wolf Creek. The snow was surprisingly good and the crowds were nonexistent, making for a great if not epic day.
I've been doing a 30 minute core workout 2-3 times a week now for close to a month and I'm definitely noticing results. Last week I ran Picacho and Atalaya peaks starting from the Upper Canyon trailhead. On the way down I was astonished at how quickly and smoothly I was able to flow over the steep technical portions of the descent. I've noticed similar improvements in my Nail Trail runs, albeit that climb/descent is both less steep and less technical than Picacho and Atalaya. So all in all very encouraging.
Mon - 4.6 mi / 600 ft. Recovery pace in the wee morning hours.
Tue - 7.1 mi / 1400 ft. Nail Trail fartlek run (1:10)
Wed - 30 min core routine
Thu - 7.1 mi / 1400 ft. Nail Trail tempo run. New best time (1:01, previous was 1:03)
Fri AM - 30 min core routine
Fri PM - 6.2 mi / 1100 ft. Easy run on portion of Jemez 50 course between Ski Lodge and Pipeline aid stations
Sat - Off
Sun - 7+ hours of snowboarding
When I started thinking about what races I wanted to run next year a line from that Monster Jobs Super Bowl ad (video at end of post) kept popping into my head: "I want to climb my way up to middle management." Or the runner's version, "I want to climb my way up to the middle of the pack." Although the implication is that nobody aspires to mediocrity, it kind of made me think that in running what counts is getting out there and doing it and that alone is a noteworthy goal. Like many, I draw immense satisfaction from completing a challenging task and pushing myself to do things I wasn't sure I could do. Races are a way to experience that and the competitive atmosphere helps motivate me regardless of where I end up in the standings. That's just how I'm wired.
My challenge for the upcoming season will be to try my legs at some longer-distance events... but not at the exclusion of shorter-distance events. There are a lot of really cool races around here in the 10k to half marathon range, and the intense nature of these shorter races is also what makes them exhilarating, albeit painful, in their own unique way. Given my unadulterated love for mountain running it was actually pretty easy for me to put together a tentative schedule with a good mix of distances:
Salida Trail Marathon. My wife and I love Salida so any excuse to go there is a good one. Total climbing for this early spring race is listed at around 3000 feet, with most of that coming in the first third. The eight mile or so finishing descent will be a particularly good challenge.
If I can keep a steady pace on the climb and still have good enough legs to run the final descent hard I'll consider it a success. Finishing better than 4:30 would be a bonus, although the weather will be a bit of a wildcard.
Jemez 50 Mile. With 12,000 feet of up and down this is a brutal course. So first and foremost I'm looking to finish, and if I can do so under 12 hours I'll be thrilled.
Jemez 50 mile profile from race web site
My biggest concerns will be the descents and the amount of time I'll need to be on my feet. I probably will try to do some back-to-back long runs and two-a-days during my build-up to pack on the miles and get used to running on tired legs. If Salida goes poorly I'll consider running the 50k distance instead. The fact that I'm already excited about this race more than 5 months out means it will probably be the highlight of my season.
Run the Caldera Marathon. This race appeals to me for some reason despite being relatively flat compared to the others I'm targeting. I don't know if it's the scenery of the area or what, but regardless, I'm looking forward to this race. The elevation gain is listed as 2100 feet, and most of that comes between miles 5 and 10:
Historically this race has taken place about four weeks after the Jemez races, so I'm hoping I can parlay my Jemez fitness into a good run here. But if my legs are still thrashed I'll just take it relatively easy and enjoy a relaxing cruise.
Taos Up and Over 10k. This is a nice low-key race featuring a 2600 ft climb and descent at beautiful Taos Ski Valley. This was my first trail race last year and I definitely would like to try to improve on my performance.
Taos Up and Over 10k profile from race web site
Although this race is "only" 10k, it's an extremely challenging and all-around ass-kicking course.
Big Tesuque Trail Run. This is Santa Fe's annual trail running classic. Despite missing the top ten this year by seven seconds or so I still ran a time I was happy with. I'm hoping that next year I can push my time down by five or six minutes and possibly sneak into the top five.
Big Tesuque Trail Run profile from course web site
I expect to run repeats of this course as part of my Jemez training and I'm sure that will pay dividends come race day.
Deadmans Peak 50 Mile. This was a new race in 2010 and will continue in 2011. With "only" 6000 feet of elevation gain, it doesn't appear as hard as Jemez on paper, but 50 miles in the high desert is no walk in the park any way you cut it... especially on an exposed course like this one. As with Jemez the goal here is to just run a good run and get to the finish intact.
Deadman Peaks 50 mile profile from course web site
So there it is. Two marathons, two 50s, one 10k, and one twelve miler.
In addition to these I'm eying several others as potential tune-up / training races. Here are some, listed in (approximate) chronological order:
La Luz Trail Run. An Albuquerque trail running classic that climbs 5000 feet over 9 miles. It's a question of when not if I will do this race.
North Country Trail Run Half Marathon, Marathon, and 50 Mile. This event takes place in Northern Michigan near my in-laws. If our vacation out there coincides with this race I definitely want to try to run whatever distance I can sneak into. I'm curious to see what kind of time I can put down on a mostly flat course at sea-level.
Dirty Half Marathon. This is a rolling half marathon trail race on a fast course in Albuquerque. If nothing else it would be a good tune-up for Big Tesuque.
Pajarito Trail Fest 15 Mile. I really want to try and do this race. Last year it fell between Big Tesuque and Duke City Marathon, and I didn't want to risk thrashing my legs or getting hurt. This year it will probably fall between Big Tesuque and Deadmans Peak. I'll just have to wait and see what the schedule is.
Pajarito 15-mile course profle from race web site
White Mesa Fat Ass 50k. This is a low-key event on a stunning and deceptively tough course. I'd love to run it again if possible.
I'm pretty much back in training mode now after a couple weeks of laziness and holiday gluttony disguised as R&R. Downhills and core strength will be my focus points over the winter, since I think those are where I need to improve. Then after Salida it will be as much high-altitude climbing as I can get. I'm hopeful that I'm still on the steep part of the improvement curve, and I'm looking forward to see how I well can do with a full year of training under my belt. And just maybe I can do a little better than the middle of the pack:
