Old Man Still running

Sore calves but feeling better. Too many people asked me today if I did a huge run over the weekend because they can see that I'm walking weird.  Pretty funny to tell them that I only did a half marathon.

New month, still on track for my highest mile year.  December will likely be a 400-mile month with Across the Years race.

Calves getting better but still sore on the downhills and down stairs.  I signed up for the Antelope Island 100K.  Just two days away, hopefully the soreness will be gone.  The danger of doing a very long run with tight calves is shin splints.  I've had that happen before, really bad resulting in internal bleeding/bruising.  Pretty nasty, takes a good month or more to heal.

Spent a half hour blasting the calves with water jets in the hot tub.  That always seems to give them a great deep massage and turn them to mush.  Also swam some laps.  Its been months since I've swam.  Boy, you really lose it if you don't do it often.

Heating pad treatment on the calves overnight.  Seemed to help.  I'll still have some soreness tomorrow.  It could loosen up and not be a problem or could seize up.  If this were a 100-miler, I doubt if I would start.   But this is just a fun 100K.  It would be nice to set a PR at this distance.   The only other 100K I've run is KM100 which is a crazy slow 100K.  At ATY 2007, I reached 100K distance at just under 12 hours.  At Pony Express this year, I would have been close to that mark, but I sat in the car for a rest right before the 100K mark.  So beating 12 hours would be nice.

I'm heading out to the island this afternoon to help Jim set up.

Predictions.   I think two runners from Colorado are the favories, Zach Hermsen and Tim Long.  Zach ran a sub-24 at Leadville this year. Tim ran Bear in 23 hours. I don't believe I can keep up with them.   There are also two swift guys from Wyoming who have run sub-8 50s, Christopher Dingman and Chris Lundberg, but they haven't race over 50 before.  Can they keep up the speed past 50?  Probably.  Then there are about nine others that are about my speed if my legs will work.

Full race report posted here.

My goal was to break 12 hours.   I cut it a wee bit close and really had to push the last ten miles or so.

It was a spectacular, perfect running day on the island.  This new course runs for several miles along the western beach and during loop 2 there was a cool breeze coming off the Great Salt Lake.  It really felt like an ocean breeze, full of salt.  Really neat.

My race went pretty well.  The field was pretty competitive, some speedy runners entered the last couple days.   My sore calves were not a problem, after a couple miles they felt fine.  In fact I was the overall leader as late as mile 12.  It was fun to run with the front-runners, even when we all went off course and went through a muddy march.  We ended up all going in seperate directions to get out of it.  When we finally run back out on the lake bed, Phil Lowry saw us come out with our lights and said we looked like Picket's charge at Gettysburg, all coming down on the lake at different points.  Really funny.

I backed off my pace as usual, sticking with Phil until about mile 20 and then started to struggle with a bad blister, left over from that stupid half marathon last Saturday.  It really slowed me down for the next 20 miles until I stopped, cleaned things out and removed tape that wasn't working. 

I finished the first 50K at 5:15 and reached the 50-mile mark at 9:27.   Around mile 48, I felt fantastic and turned on the jets.  At that point I knew reaching my sub-12 hour goal was in major jeapordy.  But I concentrated very hard and used my Garmin to keep my pace up.  Crossed the finish line at 12:58 to really nice cheers.  Brian Beckstead and others hung around until I finished.  That was nice.  This was a 100K race PR for me, mostly because there are so few 100Ks to run.   I really loved the fast course with the varied trails and the four tough long, but runnable, climbs. I came up two minutes short of my 100K distance PR during a longer race.   At 2008 ATY I reached 100K at 11:54 on a totally flat track..   By my Garmin today I reached 100K at 11:56, the course being a tiny bit long. (my off course adventure and a big detour around some buffalo added a little).

Looking at the Garmin data, my fastest mile was a 7:42 at mile 9 when I took the lead blasting down some switchbacks. Slowest was a 21:00 mile during the 1,000-foot two-mile climb on Loop 2.  During Loop 1, it was a 17:05 mile at this same point.  Looks like we only lost about 3 minutes going off course.  Mile 62 was a 9:24 mile as I "sprinted" to get under 12 hours.

Looks like I only walked about 3.5 miles of the entire 62 miles.

Recovery going very well, can already jog downstairs (with some quad pain).  No calf pain.  I think it is funny that I will recover faster this week from running a 100K race, than recovering last week from a half marathon.

Looking back on the 100K, I feel pretty good about it.  With a perfect race, I think I could have run about 45 minutes faster on that course.  That gives me something to shoot for next year.

Back to training.  Focus on the flats, many miles and very long runs to get ready for ATY in less than 50 days.  Treadmill this morning.  Planning and starting up two-a-days.

Feel recovered from Saturday, just minor pain in the blister spots that aren't totally healed.

p.m. tempo run at the Lehi Legacy center indoor track.   Averaged about 7:40 pace.

I went out for a night run in Cedar Valley.  I started at Camp Floyd in Fairfield and ran a 25K loop that circled around the Jake Garn airport, went to Eagle mountain and then returned.  This would make a good route for a 50K race some day because it almost exactly 25K, very fast and flat and would bring people out to Camp Floyd.   People might think it is boring because it is so wide open and flat, but I get a kick out of running in that wide-open valley because it messes with your mind, the long straight sections seem to never end.

Map of the run: http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ut/fairfield/167128966569676934

I intended to run the loop twice, but wimped out after one loop because of the cold.  That massive valley is amazing.  All the cold air sinks at the lowest point.  My run only gained 95 feet along the way, but at the lowest point it was 20 degrees and at the highest point it was 31 degrees.  Amazing!   My coldest point was about three miles west of Camp Floyd.  After I finished the second loop, I just didn't want to go through that cold stretch again with a slight head wind.   Also my right foot was tender from the new skin healing the massive blisters from the last couple weeks.   At midnight I stopped and went home.

At mile 7 I had dropped a thermos of warm diluted Ensure to drink.  Yum, Yum.  At mile 10 I ran on what I now call, "Lost Scott Road."   Read the reason documented in this story.

I completed the 25K in 2:20 with an average pace of 9:10.  My fastest mile was the downhill mile (ha, ha, 20 feet downhill during the entire mile) for a 7:34 pace. Got to love those tough downhills, I really blasted down it.

I'm running these flat runs to get ready for ATY (Across the Years 48-hour run on Dec 29 in Arizona).   I might go back out there Saturday to run another longer loop to the south, once it warm up a little.

Went out and finished the 50K I interrupted at midnight.   Started again at Camp Floyd in Fairfiled and did a longer loop to the south.  At one point far south I couldn't see any modern structures for miles, a very cool remote feeling.   It wasn't as cold as last night, temp about 40.

Posted my Antelope Island race report at: http://www.crockettclan.org/blog/?p=496#more-496

Treadmill.  I did a 9x9x9.   Nine miles, 9:00 pace, 9% incline holding on to the front.  Actually did much of it at 8:00 pace to get it over with faster.  Got the usual comments from a firiend as I finished, "How many miles today? 50?"   He then tells a new guy about my 5 consecutive Timps.

p.m. six miles at the legacy center, 8:00 pace

Woke up at 4:25 a.m., five minutes before the alarm went off, turned if off.  Next thing I knew it was almost 7:00.  Oh well.   After work ran some miles in the foothills of Bluffdale on dirt trails.  Good fun, but I wasn't dressed warm and was freezing.

Treadmill  9x8x10.  nine miles, 8:00 pace, 10% incline.

p.m. Run on trails in the Bluffdale-Riverton foothills

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ut/bluffdale/101129013203672939

I wanted to get in a 50K run in this weekend.  Since there was a big storm coming in Saturday morning, I went to get it done Friday evening before the storm.  I selected a new route on the southwest side of Utah Lake.  I would start north of Mosida (north of the huge Bateman sheep farm) head on dirt roads to the west and make my way to a powerline road (the same powerlines that run through Cedar Valley to the north), and follow that all the way south to Elberta.   I then planned to loop around to the west and run along the old forgotton State Road 73, (now just a trail) and head back north.  I wanted to get through by midnight at average a 11:00 pace.

My actual run was a bit different.  I started at 6:15 p.m. in the dark. Things started off well, but about two miles into the run I took a wrong turn and then my road ended.  I backtracked made another turn, again wrong and really got turned around.   Eventually I found myself on a high ridge. I thought I was heading south, but I was heading east.  I was confused because I saw the lit up Bateman farm in the wrong location and soon saw that I was heading east with Utah Lake in front of me.   I backtracked again, and eventually found the correct road.  That cost me about two extra miles.  I looked at the sky.  No moon or stars to help, so I used the glow of the lights against the clouds from Salt Lake Valley far to the north.   I figured out that if I kept that glow behind my right shoulder, I would stay on course and not get turned around again.

Now on the right course, heading southeast, going over a mild pass, I hit a terrible headwind about 30 mph or so.  I was very startled by what looked like two porcupines running toward me.  They turned out to be tumble weeds.   The wind got fiercer and I had a hard time keeping my pace up.   Next I was very startled by tumble weeds coming from nowhere, slamming into me.   After awhile I just go used to it, no big deal.  Then little mice would run out on the road and try to keep ahead of me.  I almost stepped on a couple.  I reached the powerlines and my route shifted due south.   The headwind was now a little to the side of me and I was able to increase pace.   I now faced a long 9.2-mile straight route.   It seemed like it would never end.   

I came out behind some low hills and had great views of the lake and the lights across the lake including Santaquin  to the southeast.   Finally I hit Elberta Slant road and could really pick up my pace as I headed west on this smooth dirt road.   I was able to get back on my pace goal.   When I reached State Rd 68 (Redwood Road), I stopped to refuel.  Before my run I had dropped some coke, water, and Ensure.   I was dehydrated because I was running with only one water bottle and had run out a few miles back.  It was good to get hydrated again.

I looked at my distance.  Because of my blunder, I was already at 17 miles.   I decided to take the easy route and run SR 68 back directly to my car.   On the pavement I was able to really push the pace well.  After a couple miles, to avoid the occasional car going by, I jumped onto a ranch dirt road that parallels the highway for about ten miles.  That turned out to be great.  My pace slowed a little back on the dirt, but I enjoyed it much more.  With the full moon out, I was able to run without my light, totally by moonlight.  It was fantastic.

At times the wind was fierce, but now I had an incredible tail wind.   It would really push me along!  I looked out toward the east and saw huge dust clouds glowing in the moonlight, out a couple miles where the powerline trail would was.  I was glad that I was not there, it would have been nasty.

Finally I could see the blazing lights of Bateman farm to the north, but it seemed like it would never arrive on the long straight 12-mile stretch.   Again, I started to get dehydrated, so my joints started to ache.   I was ready to finish.  Soon the car came into view and I completed my Mosida/Elberta loop, almost exactly at 11:00 pace, a little before midnight.   Once in the car, the windstorm really kicked up and my car rocked back and forth, and tumbleweeds were really flying.  I was glad to be through.

Treadmill, easy pace.   Noticed that I've surpassed the number of miles I ran  last year.

Caught a cold or the dust messed up my sinuses from the run Friday night.  But I slept a ton this weekend and feel much better.   Planning on a 88+ mile adventure in the Grand Canyon this weekend, double crossing using the tough Boucher Trail on the South Rim.

Looking back at the past year, it has been a surprisingly good year, with PRs at every distance.  I can only wonder what my PRs could have been if I would have run in my 20s and 30s.

5K PR - 19:51

10K PR - 42:04

1/2 marathon PR - 1:30:34

marathon PR - 3:23:43

50K distance PR - 4:45

50 mile distance PR - 8:51

100K PR - 12:58

100 mile PR 20:53:02

At ATY next month, hopefully I'll set both a 24-hour and 48-hour distance PR.

Treadmill 8x9x10

I cancelled my plans to run 90 miles in the Grand Canyon this weekend. Great disappointment that I will miss it this year.  Record cold will plunge the temperature to 12 degrees Thursday night at Phantom Ranch.  Wow!  I've been there several times on Thankgiving night and it has never been below freezing those times.  Running 50 miles at night in the teens just didn't sound much fun.   During the day it will be in the 40s on the Tonto Trail but bitter cold at night.  Bummer.  

So, I expect I'll do a bunch of miles on the treadmill and try to get out in the afternoon when it warms up.  I now have some new nice warm running gloves.

50K on the Treadmill.  Ouch!   Thankfully the time seemed to go by fast.  Six groups of of people came and went.  When I was on mile 16, one lady asked me how far I had run.  My answer caused quit a stir in the room.

I brought a little drop bag so I did eat some on the way.   Alternated between music and sports radio to not go totally insane. 

It actually felt pretty easy.   I reached the marathon distance in 3:37 and 50K in 4:16.  That is the fastest I've ever ran that distance, but it was totally cheating on a treadmill.

31x8.5x1

Pictures!

The forecast improved so Thanksgiving afternoon I decided to go ahead and travel to the Grand Canyon to do my run.  But, as I approached the North Rim entrance at 7:30 p.m. I went through dangerously cold pockets of air.  It got down to -18.  That is minus 18 F!!   It really freaked me out.  I envisioned finishing my 90-mile run in below zero temperatures moving very slowly up the North Rim.  What if the car wouldn't start because of the bitter cold?  No one would be around ot help because the services at the rim are closed.   I decided to turn around at the North Rim entrance.  I wasn't willing to take on that danger.

Instead, I decided to make the long drive around the canyon to the South Rim and then do a shorter but amazing run during the next day when it would be warmer.   I arrived around 11 p.m.   The motels were all crowded and I knew would be expensive, so I decided to just sleep in my car at the Bright Angel Trailhead.  It was 12 degrees.  I had a warm sleeping bag and blankets.  I woke up every 90 minutes to turn on the car and heat.

At 5:30 a.m. I was away, running down Bright Angel Trail.   There was snow and ice for the first mile or so, so I had to be pretty careful.  I arrived at Indian Garden in 1:05 and it was warmer but still below freezing.  They had left the water fountain flowing a little to prevent the pipes from freezing.   It was now bright enough to pack away me light.

Instead of taking the usual route down to the river, I turned west (downriver) and ran along the West Tonto Trail which rolls along the Tonto Platform about 1,000 feet above the river.   I've been on this section of the trail twice before and I love it.   It is a primative trail that only gets foot traffic (no mules).   It is tough to run it fast because of many rocks along the way.   I struggled to run at a pace faster than 12:00.  I didn't want to try blasting down the technical trail because if I had a bad face-plant, I was far away from any help.  There are also many nice long smooth sections where I could increase the speed.

The sun started to shine on the rims above and exploded my eyes with colors.  I love watching the sun rise down inside the canyon.   It was so peaceful and quiet.   I ran into my first humans at Monument Creek (mile 15.4).   As I descended toward the creek, I could see about 20-30 backpackers down below breaking their camp for the day.   I passed others making their way westward to Hermit Creek.   There were all surprised to see a solo runner, but I didn't stop to explain.

At Hermit Creek (mile 19.2) I decided to do an out and back to the Colorado River to view the Hermit Rapids.  That trail down to the river followed Hermit Creek and it was slow going because it would keep crossing the creek and going through bushes.  The Hermit Rapids on the Colorado River was amazing and well worth the effort, but it put me a little behind schedule.

I continued on westward toward Boucher Creek.   I ran past more backpackers.   The views were incredible and I will post pictures later.   I kept getting delayed because I wanted to stop for pictures and also to view everything that I was going past.

At Boucher Canyon, I missed the junction for the trail up to the rim.  I think I was looking at my GPS and ran right by it.   So I did an extra mile until I figured things out.  Finally I was on the primative Boucher Trail that would take me to Hermits Rest on the South Rim.  This trail was created by a Hermit who lived down at Boucher Creek.

This was the 5th trail that I have used to ascend to the South Rim.  It was slow, tough, going, but I was having a blast.   I loved that trail because it was tough and varied from hand-foot scrambling to runnable sections.  At one point it climbed through the Supai formation making its way through boulders the size of houses.  

I kept an eye on my watch.  I really wanted to reach to top before sunset so there would be no risk at missing the shuttle that would take me eight miles back to my car.  I really didn't want to run those miles in the dark on the bitter cold rim.  The last mile, as with all climbs up to the rim, was like a steep death march.  I ran out of water and was getting very cold.   I reached the top at 5:30 p.m. just as it got dark.   No one was around Hermits Rest.   I could feel hypothermia setting in as I was still wet from sweat.   I went to the shuttle stop, but it was quiet, cold, and dark.   I went to the gift shop, saw someone in the warm store, and I knocked on the door.  The guy didn't let me in but explained that the shuttle would be along in about ten minutes.

I did my best to stay warm and eventually just had to start running down the road.  I flagged down the shuttle when it finally came and the driver was so very nice to me.  It was warm inside and he helped me get water that I desperately needed.   He was very concerned, never before seeing someone trying to recover from a long run.   On the drive back I started to shiver like crazy.   I took out my emergency blanket and that helped.   The driver dropped me off only 100 yards from my car and once I got inside, cranked up the heat, and drank a ton, I felt much better.

I drove for the next six hours and then slept until dawn in my car in a location that was 31 degrees.   I finally arrived home at 8:30 a.m.   It was a wonderful adventure.

Treadmill.  5 degrees out.   I noticed that I passed 3,000 miles for the year.   I need to step up the miles for the next couple weeks before tapering.