Winter is Here!

HOW FAST SUMMER DISAPPEARS AND WINTER ARRIVES!


Running up the Toll Road at Stowe

Yesterday I ran my usual Mansfield Loop, a 26 mile mountain adventure, only to find winter in full swing, not what I expected.  With more than 3 hours of running/post holing in the snow on top of another 3+ hours of running in mud and water, I managed to get out of the woods just as the sun was setting.  Good thing as I decided I didn't need my headlamp and didn't have enough food to go any longer as the bonk mode was already setting in.  Oh well, just another training run.  The Gear:  I wore the Mizuno Cabrakan trail shoe which was great for the needed added traction for most of the terrain.  At times I could have used the Mizuno Kaza spikes for the ice.  For clothing I wore the Mizuno light weight tights along with the Mizuno techie wear for the top.  But most imortantly was the Cabrakan light weight shell for the howling winds on the summit to keep my core warm as toast.  I also wore a balaclava and hat too along with the Breathe Thermo gloves.

I've had a busy last few weeks since the Common to Common 30K race.  The following week after the 30K was the:

USATF National Championship Masters 5K Team Race in Syracuse, NY. 
Myself, along with 4 others from the GMAA in VT made the trip to defend our title from last year.  With speedster old guys, Norm Larson, Tony Bates, Kevin McMahon and Jim Miller, we made the drive over from Burlingto to Syracuse.  The course was an out and back, fast, 5K road race, something I'm not usually found doing.  Last year I nearly exploded at the finish after a way too fast first mile and a slow finish time.  My goal this year was to run my own race and hopefully do better.  The first mile I was 10 seconds slower than last year coming in this year at 5:28 instead of 5:18 and I figured out how to calculate kilometers as the rest of the course was in kilometers.  Running still way to fast for my usual, I ended up 9 seconds faster than last year.  So being a bit more conservative right from the start did make my time faster in the end.  Hmmm, maybe there's something there.  For the team, Jim had some issues which we knew could pop up but still he kept on going and with his incredible efforts, we placed second this year.  Not bad for a bunch of old farts from VT.  Even more impressive was our 60's team of Ted McKnight, Ed McSweeny and Chuck Arnold won placed first at this years event for their age group.  Congrats to these guys!  The Gear:  For this short road race I wore the Mizuno Musha 2's racing flat.  Super lightweight and fast.  Maybe that's why I was faster than last year.  After the race I ran around Syracuse and back to the hotel to make it a 20 mile day.  For the pavement poundiing I ran in the Mizuno Alchemy for added support and cushion to make the hard surfaces a bit softer.

The next weekend I opted out of any races but the following weekend ran the GREEN MOUNTAIN MARATHON in So. Hero, VT.   This was the 40th annual running.  I find this race a real challenge although it's mostly flat but run a lot on dirt roads and is an out and back.  And there is always a wind either heading out or coming back.  This year it was a headwind on the return trip.  From the start and directly into the wind for the first mile, we had a crowd of about 6 of us running closely together.  After mile 1, you make a 90 degree turn and the wind is at your back and for the rest of the first half, or most of it.  Eli Enman quickly took the lead.  Eli won the race last year.  After a few miles, Binney Mitchell caught up to Eli and gave him a good challenge up til mile 18.  Binney had been training this year for a western 30K trail race so was mentally good for 30k.  After that, he fell off a bit and Eli took control of the race.  Myself, I ran the race as I usually do, in my own mode, however I can.  I kept up running 6:15-6:20 per mile for the first half but on the way back was averaging more in the 6:45 range into the wind.  In the end, I still ran my fastest GMM in the time of 2:51:55.  I came in 6th overall and earned a star after my name for exceeding the USATF time standard for national ranking.  Any when you look at the age grading which they now do for all the races, I placed first for whatever that means.  Anyway it was a good trainer for JFK which was the intent.  For the Gear:  I ran in the Mizuno Musha 2's.  This was the longest I have run in these lightweight racing flats and it was also my fastest GMM.  Maybe there's something there??  I also wore the Mizuno techi shorts and the Mizuno Breathe Thermo gloves as it was a bit chilly.



Running alone at mile 12 at the GMM



Somehow in between training and races I managed to get to some of my best mental training.  I like to head down to VT Skydiving in Addison, VT to jump out of airplanes at 12,000 ft. to relax.  It's always a blast to play superman.  The Gear:  Infinity 170 chute, part of the rental fleet as I don't have my own yet.  For footwear I chose an old pair of Mizuno Alchemy's for a good slide landing in the grass.

Post Jump

So from a 50 miler at the VT 50 to a 5K road race to the Green Mtn. Marathon and jumping out of planes.  Five days later was a special invite to the 8K XC race at St. Michael's Invitational at the College in Winooski, VT.  The GMAA was invited to participate in a college race.  For the men we had 11 runners and for the women, 6.  In the end we placed 2nd for the men and also 2nd for the women up against 6 or 7 college teams.  The only team that placed higher was the UVM team.  It was fun running with the young college kids and I wonder what they were thinking as a bunch of old guys were running along side with them.  It was a good trainer for our 50's team as we have the NE XC Championships coming up in 2 weeks in Boston and then the National 10K Club Nationals coming up in December in Charlotte, NC.  And in between, I have the JFK 50 mile speed event on November 20th.  The Gear:  For this XC event it was the Mizuno Kasa spikes for added traction in the grass and also the Mizuno Breathe Thermo glove as the northwest winds had brought in some cooler air.

Next up, the NE XC 8k at Franklin Park and then the JFK 50 miler on Nov. 20th.

Life After Leadville



It was hard coming back to reality after spending time in the mountains of Colorado.  Such impressive mountains that one could very easily get used to.  Hmm, it would be nice.  Anyway, after returning back to VT, I quickly returned to the race scene with four 5K races withing the first 8 days back.  First was the Tuesday night trail race at Catamount with maybe 4 hours of sleep.  Not good but still was nice to be on good single track trails.  Next up was the Stowe Trail Series race behind the Golden Eagle Resort.  One of the longest "5k" races I've been in this year.  They used a GPS to measure the course which included multiple switch backs in the deep woods.  Long but overall a fun course.  Oh, yes I managed to get lost too even after a prerun of the course.  Came back on the course and had to pass lots of folks to make more of a challenge.  Still fun.  Next day the GMAA Scholarship 5k XC run.  A bit more accurate in the distance and always a fast run.  2 days later another Catamount 5K trail race.  With each race, I felt more rested since Leadville and the times improved.  On my return back from Leadville, I had promised to not run for a week.  Well that didn't quite happen but I did take a step back and backed down on miles and also slowed down to enjoy my runs.  No schedule, just running what and when I wanted to.  Well sort of, as I know I have the JFK 50 in November and from what I hear it's a 50 mile speed event.  Also there's the USATF National Masters Team 5K road race in Syracuse in Oct. and the USATF Team 10 National Championships in Charlotte, NC in December.  So, speed is the focus.  With that in mind, I ran the Archie Post 5 miler a week later.  Always a fast start and first half leading to a gradual uphill to the finish.  I wanted to keep it under 30 minutes which would be under 6 minute miles and did acomplish that with a time of 29:38 and won an awesome apple pie.  Wore my Mizuno Wave Musha 2 racing flats.  Awesome shoe!  Next up, 6 days later, was the GMAA 30K Common to Common on the back rolling hills of Essex and Westford.  Beautiful day for a run.  Today's goal was to keep the run under a 6:30 pace.  I went out from the start with Binney Mitchell.  Binney has been running fantastic this year and after the first mile was gone.  From then on, I ran my own race with no one else around.  No one to really push me and no one to chase so I was on auto pilot, another trainer for JFK.  I like these back road hills but there's one section on bigger hills where you really slow down but after that it's 4 miles of flat and gradual downhill to the finish.  In the end I came in 2nd and was 10 minutes behind Binney and 5 minutes ahead of Todd. And I did achieve my goal with a 6:29 pace.  I also broke the age group record by 8 minutes.  And another day of running in the Mizuno Wave Musha 2's, the longest distance I've taken them so far.



The back roads of Westford.



The next week I surprisingly ended up at the VT 50 Mile Trail Race in Brownsville, VT.  With other plans cancelled I managed to drive down to Ascutney on Saturday evening 15 minutes before registation closed at 8:00 PM.  With no taper time this week, not sure how the energy levels will be.  Soon we will know.

THE VERMONT 50

Once I got myself registered and found some food, I drove up to meet up with Joe Carrara and Bill Kelner in the upper parking lot.  There I set up Hotel Nissan and joined the boys outside for a pre-race ritual, a cold beer.  Afterwards it was off to sleep for an early rise at 5:00 AM for a 6:25 AM start time.  It probably got down to the 40's overnight, not too bad.  It would be a chilly start but as always a fast start for the first 4 miles then, the uphills would start.  I started out running along with Brian Rusiecki and Glen Redpath, 2 local eastern trail boys who I have gotten to know over the years.  Brian has been running fantastic this year and 50 miles is a perfect distance for him.  He's still working on the 100's.  Glen helped me get up and over Hope Pass at Leadville 5 weeks earlier and ran in the Trans-Rockies that same weekend.  As usual we went out way too fast, under 7 minute miles for the first 4 miles but then the pace slowed somewhat for the climbs to follow.  We were running in a pack with about 10 of us.  The single track in the woods was great and if anything, a bit too dry.  We soon caught up to bikers who were also racing and on the downhills, they would go by us, kicking up a cloud of dust.  The dry dirt was a very fine silt with soft piles on the trail.  Running along with Brian, he was curious about a runner just ahead of us.  He soon found out it was a serious contender and he put it into another gear and took off to catch this runner.  That was the last I saw of Brian.  From there on, I just kicked back and ran my own race.  Brian was up ahead in a group of 3, Glen was just ahead of me with 2 others and I was bouncing back and forth from 5th to 10th.  In most of these races, there are always some who drop out and others who die off in the last 10 miles.  So doing my own thing, I just cruised along.  I felt ok, not totally energized but was enjoying the run for the most part.  I would pass bikers on the uphills and they would pass me on the downhills.  Then, nearing mile 30, I stepped aside on a steep downhill to allow a biker to go by and tripped on something.  Down I went, rolling down the hill in the soft silt.  No major pain but it was like I had been tar and feathered, without the feathers.  The soft silt stuck to my sweaty body like glue and wasn't going any where.  My arms, back, hands, legs and face were covered.  Not much I could do but continue on.  Even my water bottle was covered so the first sip of water was mud and water.  Somewhere around 30 miles, I was starting to tire.  I felt nasea coming on and was a bit dizzy.  It took a while to regroup and I had to focus on eating more which I did.  Somewhere around mile 37 or so on some fun single track I was feeling better.  There's a house in the woods which you run just about under the porch.  At this time I was running around 5th place.  Some guy on the porch, when he found out I was running 50 miles said I needed counseling.  Laughing as I went by I responded that this was my therapy.  A couple of miles later, as I was passing a 5 K runner, I tripped and again was rolling in the silt to add to my collection of dirt.  Onward ho.  Just about that time another runner, Greg had passed me feeling strong but soon I caught back up to him as his quads had given out for the downhills.  So he would pass me going up and I would pass him going down.  I knew if this kept up, I would catch him in the end as the last 1 1/2 miles is a down hill to the finish.  But by mile 45, there were some good downhills and never saw him again.  For the last few miles up and down the mountain, it was a grind up but I knew the end was near.  I wasn't sure where any of the other lead runners were either.  As I came throught the finish I knew it wasn't one of my better runs here but not my worst.  With a time of 7:13 I finished in 5th, and 1st in my age group.  I was within 2 minutes of the 3rd and 4th place finishers.  Brian finished 1st almost breaking the course record and Glen finished in 2nd.



Covered in dirt at the VT 50



The Gear:  For shoes, the Mizuno Cabrakan 2's were awesome as were the Mizuno shorts and shoes.  Perfect for a day in the woods.

Next up:  The USATF National Masters 5K Team Road Race.







Leadville 100 Mile Trail Run - 2010 Race Report

August 21, 2010:  Race Day

2:30 AM wake up. Way too early! Some last minute details to go, a quick bite to eat and we’re out the door. About a ½ mile to the start we decide to have Julia drive myself, Joe Carrara, Mike Weigand & Charlie Cowan to the start. Sounds kind of lame to be driven ½ mile but it’s chilly out, high 30’s and we are wearing extra layers to keep warm until the 4:00 AM gun start. Once we are there, we all sign in and back head back to the car to stay warm. What to wear? Mike Arnstein says we have to go shirtless, right from the start. I don’t think so. Maybe later but not right now. So I decide to wear a singlet figuring we will be warming up with a fast pace right from the start. With about 5 minutes to go, we get ready at the start. No signs of bare chested Mike Arnstein, not even Anton is shirtless. I’m glad today I listened to myself and at least wore a singlet. Forgot an extra pair of gloves to wear though, that would have been nice.

4:00 AM  Finally the gun goes off and so do 643 runners in all shapes and sizes. The first leg is about a 5 mile non-technical run slightly downhill to Turquoise Lake. I head out with the lead pack which is probably 20 or so runners. Soon I settle into a comfortable pace, running in the dark with headlamp on. I look over and who do I see but Mike Arnstein with a winter hat, tights and long sleeve shirt. I run along side to say high, “What’s with the winter clothing?”. Mike replies, “It’s cold out”.  It’s kind of quiet out and not much noise from any of the runners. I don’t recognize many but I see Anton just in front of me and someone else points out Hal Koerner. Still, no one is pushing the pace and we go onward in sort of a quiet mode heading towards the lake. Just before the lake there is a short uphill climb along a power line. At this point the pack seems to spread out a bit, which is good as the trail along the lake is a narrow single track that winds along the shore line for 6 or 7 miles. On the trail, the pack seems to spread out even more. I settle in behind Mike.  Almost immediately I trip and go down hard, landing on my hands. The trail is not very technical but has its share of rocks and roots. I figure I always fall at some point so hopefully this is it. I quickly get up and keep on running. The rest of the run is uneventful and kind of quiet. Soon we arrive at the May Queen aid station, mile 13.5 at about 5:45 AM. Wow, really close to my planned time. The night before I had come up with a race plan. I looked at AJW’s split times from last year and figured that was a reasonable place to start finishing just under 20 hours. If it was a good day maybe I would be faster, if not, slower but it was a place to start. Joe, Mike, Charlie and Nate all had done the same with varying times to shoot for. And Mike had made up some pace cards for all of us to carry along too. At May Queen I had a drop bag but didn’t need anything so I quickly topped off one of my water bottles, grabbed a ¼ p b&j and back out on the trail I went. So far so good but I wasn’t feeling 100%. Not sure but it just seemed like it was taking more effort today and my body was achy, sort of like a low grade fever.

The next 10 mile leg consisted of a short section on the Colorado Trail gradually climbing to Hagerman Rd., then it was an uphill climb on Sugarloaf Mtn. getting to an elevation of 11,100, the second highest part of the course. So far so good, and daylight was starting to appear as well as some warming temps. Once at top of Sugarloaf, it was a 4-5 mile decent along the power line. The trail was more like a jeep trail with decent footing but it kept going and going. Luckily we had run this section days earlier but from the opposite direction so I was somewhat familiar with it. I tried to conserve a bit knowing that it was way early in the race and hammering down would not be a good thing for the hammies. I was running mostly alone but never far from other runners. Soon I arrived on a paved road which was about a mile from the next aid station. I looked at my watch and again, right on schedule as planned. When I arrived at the Fish Hatchery Aid Station, friends Aliza & Chad where there to greet me. They were running the TransRockies Stage Race starting on Sunday so came by to cheer us on and help where needed. Also there was Julia, our shared crew for the early stages of the race and then she would pace for Mike. A quick stop to drop off the headlamp, top off the fluids, grab a quick bite to eat and back out on the trail, or for this section, the road.

For the next 4 miles, it was road, wide open prairie type landscape with surrounding mountains. Lots of crew vehicles driving along at this point getting ready for their runners. This was a section where you could make up some time if you were a road runner. Then there was the Treeline area, another power line but mostly flat and straight. There were some runners ahead and many behind all just cruising along. At one point, I could hear a bunch of runners yelling and finally looked back. Apparently I had missed a turn along with another runner ahead of me. I quickly whistled up and got his attention and flagged him down. Nice thing about these ultra’s, most of the runners are very friendly and helpful. A little more flagging would have been helpful as when we are running along, we sometimes have a hard time seeing and the more obvious the better. Now it would be another 4 miles to the next aid station. This part was mostly jeep type trails, nothing too difficult skirting along the foothills of the larger mountains. At the next aid station, Half Moon, the volunteers where happy to see us and offered the usual snacks and fluids. I grabbed my drop bag for a quick refill of my drink mix and gel, grabbed a pb&j and onward.  The next section was about 9 miles or so with a combination of jeep trails and then nice single track.  I came across Jason Lantz along this section and we chatted a bit.  Jason and I spent a lot of time running together at the VT 100 last year.  Soon the jeep trail turned to the Colorado Trail which was really nice single track through the trees with the last part a long downhill to the next aid station.  On one the sections I was cruising downhill and tripped on a log.  Good thing as this was the wrong way, again.  Back track and back on the trail.  The rest of the downhill was fun, mostly soft footing until closer to the end where it was more loose rock but still fun right up to the Twin Lakes Aid Station.  Julia was there to greet me with my drop bag.  I quickly grabbed a new supply of electrolyte pills, fluids, had a quick snack and out the door.  My time was still on track but I was still feeling achy and every time I took a sip from the bottle my arms hurt.  Maybe that fall earlier was harder than I thought. 

Jack at the 1st stream crossing

Next up, the stream crossing and other water before Hope Pass.  There were some other water holes most of which you could get around.  Then the bigger stream.  Aliza and Chad were there to cheer me on as I waded through.  The cold water felt good until I was almost at the other side and then the numbness and pain sunk in.  The water was really cold!  It took a little while for the feet to warm and now they were soaked too.  I slowly worked my way to the trail going up Hope Pass and was chatting with Thomas, from California.  He had some poles for the hike up which he was adjusting for the climb.  This section for the next 4 miles or so was fairly steep and I power hiked most of it.  Finally I broke out of the trees and could see the top of Hope Pass and the Hopeless Aid Station.  Once I arrived at Hopeless, I had a quick cup of soup, said hi to Vicky (one of the Lama owners), saw my favorite lama, Corky and continued on.  Lot of switchbacks to the top but once there the views were spectacular.  The elevation at 12,600 didn't seem to be a problem, especially doing more power hiking.  Next was the long downhill to the road.  Again, I took it conservatively knowing there would be a lot more downhill hammy trashing to go later on.  It was fun going though.  Soon I was back in the trees heading steeply down and finally to the road.  Another 2.5 miles to the next aid station where there would also be a weigh-in.  Weigh-ins get me nervous as I always lose a lot of weight initially to the point of almost getting pulled out, but then I level off for the rest of the day.  But today I felt different.  I felt fat midway through where I usually have lost 6-10 pounds.  Today I even had to loosen my waist pack, not good.  At Winfield I arrived again on schedule and was greeted again by Aliza.  I got on the scale and was only off my pre-race weight by 1/10 of a lb.  Something was wrong, I was retaining fluids and even my fingers looked swollen, never seen that before.  Aliza suggested I cut back on the electrolytes even though I had taken less than usual already but I listened to her advice.  A quick bite to eat, replenish fluids and back on the road for another 2.5 miles with Aliza running along side until the uphill climb back up Hope Pass.  After leaving Winfield's I also developed a strong stomach ache.  No bathrooms around and no leaves worthy in the woods.  I quess I'll have to wait to Hopeless.

Glen Redpath, my Hope Pass pacer

 

On the road from Winfield's I passed by Joe Carrara and Nate Sanel as they were running up to Winfield's, part of our Eastern crew.  They were both looking strong and were not that far behind. While on the road, I also came across Glen Redpath driving with Chad.  I didn't know it but Glen was also running the TransRockies race the next day.  I jokingly told Glen he had to pace me up Hope Pass and when I got to the trail, there he was waiting to go, excellent!  Glen and I have spent many hours on the trails running together. 

Joe heading up the backside of Hope Pass

The climb up was slow and steady going up and up and up.  Not too far up, Mike Weigand passed by as he was heading down and then Charlie Cowan too.  They were looking great and this was their first hundred.  Soon we were out of the trees and could see the steep ascent with switchbacks to the top of the pass.  Glen was great, telling me when to drink on schedule and to swing my arms.  Then he had me eating too.  GU time he said so I grabbed a GU.  Not good.  It went in, it came out.  Then I got into a heaving session but nothing else was coming out.  I don't mind purging if it's going to be productive but this was only hurting my belly more.  After about 4 attempts, I sucked it up and continued on.  I had a little bit to drink and felt better.  Onward ho.  Soon we reached the summit and ran down to Hopeless where I found the temporary facilities behind the tarp.  Much, much better meanwhile Glen is yelling at me to hurry up.  I thought for time savings but no, he needed to use the facilities.  A quick drink, food, replenishing of fluids and down we went.  We were off to a slow trot.  My body was aching and I was doing all I could to run.  Usually this would be the fun part as I really enjoy the hills.  We came across Hal Koerner, I guess he wasn't having a great day either.  Then I came across Sherpa John.  He still had to go up and over and back.  He was looking a bit tired and I hi 5'd him as I went by.  John was attempting the Grand Slam this year.  Hopefully he would make it in time.  Glen and I continued on with Glen pushing me to run.  I was having difficulties but still able to run most of it with the occasional walk thrown in.  Finally we were out of there and now had the final mile or so to cross the stream and then to the Twin Lakes Aid Station.  Glen had all he could do to keep me running as my body was not happy.  While crossing the stream I had an extended stay.  The water felt great this time through and I got my head wet and got in deeper to fully immerse the quads.  The final slog to the aid station and Glen was done.  At Twin Lakes, Julia was there with my bag and helped me change my shoes and socks.  She even arranged for a pacer for me.  I thought that would help me get going.  I refueled, ate, grabbed more electrolytes but had a hard time getting out of the chair.  Meanwhile, friend Joe Carrara came in.  Even with his not so good knee, he was able to catch me on the downhill.  Joe was looking strong and pumped to keep going.  I met my pacer, Greg, from Lincoln, Nebraska and off we went.  Joe was right there too.

Hal after Hope Pass

And up we went, and up and up on the Colorado Trail.  It was slow and steady but I was still passing some other runners.  Joe had moved ahead and was doing great.  He hadn't run a hundred since 2005 so I was hoping he would be able to hold it together.  He was in the best shape of his life and had trained really hard this year so I was confident he could pull it off in style.  Meanwhile, my pace was not getting any faster.  Greg would try to pull me along and I ran some sections, slowly.  We even caught up to Mike Arnstein, to my surprise and his.  I guess he was not doing so good either.  He would run for a while, then walk.  We kept this up for a short time, then my body just wouldn't run any more.  I had no energy and my body ached.  And I still felt like I was retaining fluids.  It was a slow walk to Half Moon and not much different up to the Treeline crew access.  There Greg was to be replaced with another friend of his.  At that point I didn't see any reason to have a pacer walk with me.  I even thought of DNFing...but no, I couldn't do that.  I came all this way, damn it, I'm going to enjoy the night even if I have to walk all the way to the finish.   I was trying to figure in my head when I might arrive at the finish if I could average 3 miles/hour.  I could possibly still get in under 25 hours, not plan A but I could live with that.  Could that be possible?  It was starting to get dark now as I was leaving Treeline heading off to the road section towards Fish Hatchery.  The road was long and unforgiving.  I tried to run, but no going.  The body was not following.  I arrived at Fish Hatchery as darkness set in.  I enjoyed my stay there, grabbed some warmer clothing, a second headlamp, ate some wonderful potato soup while chatting with other folks and off I went.  Next up, Sugarloaf Mtn. 

The climb up Sugarloaf was slow and quiet except for the buzzing sound of the power line overhead.  I could see a light up ahead and one below but no one was making it any faster.  Finally up on the top I came across another runner bent over, purging.  At a low point.  We chatted while we were walking along and he was attempting 100 # 3 of the Grand Slam.  I told him DNFing was not an option and that he was going to finish.  Soon he was feeling better and took off.  After Sugarloaf, it was down the Colorado Trail and off to the final aid station, May Queen.  May Queen had a nice warm inviting tent set up with food and drink and chairs.  A dangerous place to get too comfortable.  I grabbed more potato soup and was trying to figure out in my head where I was at with time.  I can walk quite fast and was now looking like I could possibly break 24 hours, amazing.  I grabbed some chocolate cookies and stored those in my pocket for later on and out I went into the cold. 

The almost full moon was shining on Turquoise Lake and it even kept it somewhat bright in the woods.  About halfway around the lake I came across another runner going slower than me.  I laughed as it was Mike Arnstein again.  He thought I was stalking him.  We chatted and then I passed him as I was walking faster than him.  Not far from there I could hear another runner approaching.  It was Nate Sanel, a running client of mine.  I was getting worried that he had fallen back but no, he was in great spirits and really enjoying the run.  We chatted for a short time and then I told him he had to get going.  He hooked up his tunes and happily ran off with his pacer Jeff, tryng now to break 23 hours to the finish.   While we were chatting, Mike Arnstein had another surge of energy and ran by again.  Will I see him before the finish?  From there it was out of the woods and onto the road for the long slog uphill to Leadville.  This seemed to take forever.  With about 2 miles to go on this long uphill dirt road I could see a light in the distance up front and one way behind.  Up front it could be Mike or Nate, behind it could be anyone.  I kept tripping on some loose rocks and was getting annoyed.  I wanted this over.  Believe it or not, I found just a little bit on energy to do a run walk combo for a while and all the way to the final 1/2 mile to the finish.  I was along the road and turned off my light as there was enough light to see without it. Suddenly I realized it was Nate just ahead of me and slowly caught up.  He had no idea until he looked back and saw me.  He freaked when he saw me and took off in a fast sprint to the finish.  I told him he better run and laughed all the way to the finish.  I finished in 23 hours and 7 minutes, about a minute behind Nate.  Not that far behind, Charlie Cowan finished in 24 hours and 24 minutes while Mike Weigand with Julia Lewis pacing him, finished in 27 hours and 36 minutes.  Joe Carrara had a great race, even though he slowed down near the end too, finishing in 21 hours and 50 minutes.  So we flatlanders from the East all made it in, finishing in respectable times.

Mike, Charlie, Jack & Joe

THE GEAR:  For the first 60 miles I ran in the new Mizuno Wave Cabrakan 2's which were fabulous.  After the second stream crossing I changed over to the original florescent orange Cabrakan's opting for dry feet and fresh socks.  I wore the Mizuno shorts and singlet most of the race but at nightfall as temps were dropping I put on a fresh Mizuno tech T and used the Cabrakan shell which is the ultimate lightweight shell and it was awesome.  Thanks Colin!

Although this turned out to not be my day it still was a great experience.  We've had a great time training hard for the past 6 months, had a spectacular week in Leadville leading up to the race and are now looking forward to next year.  Hardrock?? We will see.  As I look back I try to find where I lost time.  Not every day can be right on.  The fall I had early on may have been more serious than I thought as 5 days later, my wrists are still swollen and ache and I have lost some motion.  Was my nutrition off too, why was I retaining water?  And was this too close to the Burning River 100, only 3 weeks prior to Leadville. 
 
 

Leadville 100 Race Week - Day 7

Day 7, August 20, 2010
Yes, it's finally here.  The race starts tomorrow at 4:00 AM.  Woke up this morning to see snow over Hope Pass.  Got out for a easy 5 miler this morning on the Mineral Trail, an interpretive trail about the mining operations in this area.  Then it was time for the medical check and weigh in.  The weigh in always scares me as I usually lose a lot of weight in the first half of these races and am close to the limit.  No breakfast until after the weigh in but in the end, there were no surprises.  Weight was where I figured it would be.  Tomorrow I just need to remember to be smart about hydration and electrolyte replacement which for me is most important in whether I have a good race....or not.  In any event, I will make sure I enjoy myself during the race and have fun with it no matter what.  The views will be too spectacular to ignore and I'm sure all the volunteers will be wonderful.  We also dropped off our drop bags this afternoon as we have a limited crew.  Julia Lewis arrived today to help out.  She will be group crewing for us as much as possible and then pacing for Mike later on.  Organizing drop bags is always a challenge and trying to calculate where you might be to estimate fluids, electrolytes, clothing, headlamps, etc.

Loading up the drop bags

Dropping off the drop bags

After we dropped off the bags Joe took us on a little baha driving to get to the famous Leadville sign so to get pics.

We Love Leadville

Then it was time for the real pre-race pasta dinne and then early to bed tonight as we will be up at 2:30 am on Sat.

Leadville 100 Race Week - Day 6

Day 6, August 19, 2010

Here it is Thursday already, just 2 more days until race day.  We're still hanging out like tourists and today we took a ride to Independence Pass.  This was part of our altitude training as the pass is located at 12,100 feet.  The road is an adventure in itself with narrow twisty turns, steep drop offs and hairpin turns.  Once we got Joe off his cell phone he could better focus on driving us up the pass.

Looking down the canyon

Heading to the Pass we drove through some rain and the skies looked threatening but the time we arrived at the Pass, the rain had stopped.  The top of Independence Pass is located at 12,100 feet, another great way to acclimate for the race.

Joe, Jack & Mike

We found a great single track trail to run along that traversed the ridge and rose to an elevation of 12,800 feet.  After about 2 miles we hung out on this knoll in awe of the surrounding views in every direction.  Even with the clouds the mountains were everywhere. 

After a short visit, we ran back down to the car and ventured back down the road towards Twin Lakes.  There we checked out part of the Leadville course that traverses through the marsh land before it rises up to Hope Pass.  And then it was back to Leadville to settle into our new condo on 11th St. before heading over to the pasta dinner and race packet pickup.  The rest of the night was spent organizing drop bags as we need to have them ready for Friday by mid day. 

The end of another day in CO.

Leadville 100 Race Week - Day 5

Mike, Gerry & Charlie

Day 5, August 18, 2010

Another blue bird day today.  Joe and Mike were busy doing work this morning as I slept late.  Then it was time for the usual breakfast with waffles, pastries, cereal, etc.  We headed out to meet Charlie and Gerry this morning on the Hagerman Rd. and planned on running from May Queen to Hagerman Rd. on the Colorado Trail.  Joe, Mike and I planned on running back to May Queen too.  We dropped a car off on Hagerman Rd., and then off to May Queen.  There was a slight uphill on the road to the Colorado Trail then it turned into very nice single track.  The trail was soft and dry with a slight uphill for most of it, then a steeper climb to Hagerman Rd.  The lungs felt great today and no problems on the uphill climb.  Once we got to Hagerman Rd. I continued up to where Sugarloaf Mtn. dumps out, a gradual uphill for another mile.  The return trip was even nicer with a gentle downhill  back to the May Queen aid station.

Jack & Joe at May Queen

After the run, we drove parts of the course from Fish Hatchery to Half Moon to Twin Lakes and then the 12 mile dirt road to Winfield. Along the way at Twin Lakes we ran into one of the lama crew, Vickie, with her 4 female lamas. Corky took a quick liking to me so we have a date to meet on Saturday up at Hope Pass.

Jack & Corky at Twin Lakes

Another great day in CO.

Leadville 100 race week-Day 4

Day 4, August 17, 2010

Jack & Joe on top of Mt. Sherman

Here it is race week and we should be resting but there's too much to see and do here.  Today was a bluebird day and it was too nice to pass up the opportunity to bag a 14er.  Never having been that high before I figured this would be a great way to acclimate to the high altitudes of Leadville.  Mike snuck out early to meet an old friend to bag their own 14er, Mt. Quandary at 14,265.  Joe and I slept in late and took advantage of the breakfast and carbo loaded again with waffles, etc..  After breakfast we grabbed some lunch to have at the summit and headed out to Mt. Sherman, just outside of Leadville at an elevation of 14,036.  Luckily we were able to drive quite a ways up and could start at 12,000 but still there would be a 2,000 ft climb in 2.25 miles.  On the drive up there are a number of old abandoned mines and interesting landscapes and of course incredible views.  There are no signs but a website at 14ers.com has great directions and pics to find the way.  The sun felt warm but there was a wind humming through and we knew it could be cranking on top so we packed some warmer clothes.  Once on the trail there was a slight downhill, a small stream crossing then up, up, up.  We were able to run some of it then it became more of a power hike.  Lots of loose rock and steep climbing made the calves burn a bit but the elevation factor seemed to be fine.  By the time we got half way up, the wind was really blowing up through the pass.  We decided to layer up which included hats and gloves.  Other hikers were wearing full winter attire.  It was a power hike up most of the way from there, went through a knifes edge and then came to the final accent, a nice runnable trail to the summit.  Yes, running along at 14,000 ft.  At the summit the wind seemed to die off and the views were just incredible.  Mt. Sherman, 14,036, my first 14er!  We found a nice rock wall on the back side and sat down to enjoy lunch while acclimating.  We probably hung out for a good half hour before descending.  On the top we found a memorial stone from some hiker who must have died back in 2005, a bit spookie.  Descending was certainly easier but there were a lot of loose rock so I had to be a bit careful as my ankle is still tender.  Time up was about 1:07, coming down was 40 minutes or so for the 4.5 mile round trip adventure.  Another great training run!

Mike had a great hike too and met up with some rather large critters.

Mountain Goat on top of Mt. Quandary