The Heat is on!

Not really sure how to dive in to my next post.  That's the dangerous thing when you mix blogging with running, you want to have a "big update", a race report on some crazy ultra, travel run, or big PR.  Sometimes there isn't really much to talk about.  I run a lot, bike some, oh and try to write about it when something semi-significant happens.  This can make you want to race when you shouldn't be racing, and schedule events when you shouldn't have anything on the horizon.

I've been back almost 3 weeks from Telluride, CO and I'll tell you this much: its really humid out now.  This shouldn't come as a newsflash to anyone on the east coast, but it came as kind of a shock at first.  Out in the the San Juan Mountains I was treated to hot (but dry!) days, followed by cool nights and early mornings.  I was lucky enough not to experience a single rainy day as well.  After I got back I think it rained almost every day for a week, and then got swealteringly hot and humid.  D.C. is a swamp.  This is just reality for 2-3 weeks every summer.  You can complain about it all you want, but you better just embrace it, train in it, and get ready for the cool, dry weather that fall brings.  I do feel somewhat fortunate to only have to deal with it for a few weeks every year - if you live anywhere south of the Carolinas its basically like this for 3 months straight.  No thanks.

Abbey Sez: Its too hot out!!

Legging it out at the 4.5km mark of a
hot and humid 5k.

So my weeks have shaped up pretty well actually.  I still can't say in good faith that I'm feeling 100%, but pretty darn close.  Been running or resting on Mondays, biking Tuesdays, doing a hill ride or running longish Wednesdays, mid-run at my Fun Run Thursdays, Long run Saturdays, and a 40-50 mile bike ride Sundays.  Though I skipped the 4 miler race I had planned on doing, I got in a hot & sweaty 5k on last Wednesday.  I used this as a chance to run a little faster than normal and let loose the last half mile.  Again, felt good (maybe even great) but not perfect.

On the plus side, I really feel like I'm still quite fit even though I took a bit of a hiatus from running after Northface, and since have only been doing low mileage (I consider 20-30 miles per week low).  I attribute this almost in full to all the cycling I have been getting in, exclusively earlier and since still about 50% of my workouts have been on the bike.  Biking is also much easier (or at least more forgiving) in the heat, since you are moving, have a breeze to cool you down, and can carry 2 huge bottles of fluids.  Okay, a breeze isn't always favorable as riding into the wind is insanely hard, but staying moving at least keeps you from overheating.

This is the face of trail running in D.C.
humidity.  Sweaty, tired and discheveled -
but still with a grin.

After feeling fit as a fiddle and incredible in my 15 mile long run last weekend I decided that considering the Dahlgren trail 50k isn't out of the question.  Saturday I managed to get my running group started early so I could pound out 16 miles on the C&O canal tow path, and then stubbornly continue on for 7 more miles on one of my favorite loops of trails inside of D.C.  The result: 23 miles covered, 3.5 hours of extremely sweaty running, over 6 liters of nuun infused water consumed, and one very tired runner.  If I'm still feeling pain free after an easy run Monday I'm signing up for Dahlgren.  I have 2 weeks to taper.  The biggest issue is dealing with the heat, knowing how to drink on the run, and starting slow (and sticking to that pace).  I think I've got the bases covered.

When I ran Dahlgren last year it wasn't a terrific race, but still a solid and fun 50k during summer.  Expect it to be hot, but also flat so still a worthy PR for a 50k.  Running it last summer was my first 50k so I was still getting adjusted to all things trail and ultra running.  I also took a wrong turn at one point which added to my time, so I feel the need to redeem myself this year.

Um, this is the trail right?!  Okay, I know its the trail :)  In fact, this is at a point in D.C. after the Battery Kemble trail
cross over MacArthur Ave, down a steep ravine, and then passes under a highway to reach the Fletcher's Boathouse
area (note: functioning water fountain at Fletcher's!)

Vienna, a cute town along the W&OD trail.

Sundays I have been pretty good about getting out on the bike.  At first I was aiming at getting a lot of miles in, 4 or 5 hours on the bike makes for great Ultra training, but now that I'm back running more I have been doing shorter, more intense rides.  My go-to Sunday ride is hosted by Revolution Cycles in Clarendon.  We ride down to Georgetown to pick up more people, and then do a 30 mile loop through Maryland.

They split the ride up into rider levels of A, B, and (sometimes) C.  C riders are typically beginners and average below 16 MPH on flat roads.  The B group is where it picks up a bit, probably averaging 18-20 MPH on flat roads.  I started riding with the B group to get the hang of things but worked my way to the front and wanted something more intense.  After getting badly dropped by the A group my first time out I was hesitant to try it again.  Sunday morning I did end up going out with the A group and had an awesome, intense and fast ride.  This is what I really want out of cycling, especially if I'm only doing 30-40 miles.  Don't let the rider classifications fool you, the A groups likes to haul; we were probably averaging 25 MPH on flat roads and going close to 30 in some sections.  I would still like to get in some long, steady miles (60-80 miles would be nice) but I'll save those for weekends that don't feature a 3 and a half hour running death march through DC heat.

I am also back to toying with the idea of doing a Tri. My goal would be an Iron Man but I'm not stupid so I would attempt a few shorter distances first to get my feet wet (no pun intended).  I could see maybe doing a Sprint Distance next Spring, using summer to prepare for a Half Iron Man, and then committing to a full Iron Man a year later.  This would all have to somehow work around my Ultra aspirations, namely the races in the Lynchburg Ultra Series, and a Marathon (or two?) next year.  So many goals, so little time!  Runners (and all endurance athletes) have to deal with this dilemma.  I would also like to set some new PRs in shorter distances (5k, 10k, 10 miler and half marathon) but I've decided to leave that until a time when I have much less free time since the time required is far less than to prepare for the really long distance events.

There is nothing "small" about this!

Okay, this is off the wall and has nothing to do with running but I recently went to the movies and got a drink at the concessions (which I almost never do).  I got a small - this is nothing but small! Shown next to a dime for scale.  Actually it was an Icee :)

Man, gotta go run and burn off all that sugar right?!

Telluride, Colorado: Remote, Tough, and Genuine

I took a trip out to Colorado last week.  Though I spent some time in Denver and Boulder, the main purpose was to see the town of Telluride and the surrounding mountain areas.  Since I have been taking it easy lately to recover from Northface and experiencing some aches and pains I had no intention of going too crazy running.  This was probably a good approach even if I was feeling in tip-top shape since going from basically sea level to and altitude over 8,000 ft can humble even the most fit athletes.

There are three words I use to describe Telluride:  Remote, Tough, and Genuine.  Remote because this place is in the middle of nowhere, about 2 hours drive in any direction to the nearest major town.  This is not a populated area of the state, especially in summer.  Tough because outside the several square flat square miles of streets all trails lead in one direction: Up.  Basically, straight up into the mountains of exposed rock, alpine lakes, and glacially carved valleys.  The town is at 8,750 feet above sea level, and heading up the trails you can quickly get above the 10,000 foot mark.  And finally, Genuine:  a former mining town, Telluride feels like the real deal, far removed from the ski resort that its associated with in the winter.  There aren't hoards of tourists gawking at everything, or their tour buses spewing smoke everywhere, no RV parks in sight, and you don't have to deal with anal-retentive park rangers like so many great parks out west.  Just people hiking and biking in the daytime (or doing not much of anything at all), and relaxing with a drink in the evening.  This place feels nothing like a National Park.  This however has some downsides as well: trails are not blazed and trailheads are not marked.  You are pretty much on your own.

Looking down Colorado Ave (basically main Street) in the small town of Telluride, squeezed into a huge box canyon.

This is the land of the Hardrock 100, arguably (and mostly agreed upon as) the toughest 100 Miler out there, run through peaks and valleys, during ever changing temperatures and weather, and with over 33,000 ft of elevation change.  Most 100 milers have a winning time of around 15 hours and a middle of the pack finishing time of between 24-30 hours.  Not Hardrock, the winner is lucky to crack 24 hours, and the cut off time (which eliminates plenty of people) is 2 days.  This would make for an incredible life time achievement to finish in under 48 hours.

The views and terrain were incredible.  I managed to fit in a few trails runs and a mega-hike.  The actual trails were easy in terms of terrain, mostly flat and packed dirt, and some jeep roads closed off to traffic.  A far cry from the craggy, rocky, stepping stones found on trails out east.  However, the views were the real danger.  You need to concentrate on what you are stepping on, not the scenery miles away.

Yes, this is seriously a trail you can run on.

An old jeep trail high above the Bridal Veil falls area.  This trail (like so many others) is unmarked.  The Hardrock 100 course actually goes right through here as it descends from the Lewis Lake alpine region to the town of Telluride.

And so is this...

One of the Alta Lakes, part of a series of alpine lakes between Telluride and Ophir.

oh and I almost forgot to mention this:

A trail that runs through the remnants of a small ghost mining town near the Alta lakes.  Mt. Wilson (a 14-er) is in the background in the Lizard Head wilderness area.

Mountain Biking

I didn't do all my activity on foot.  One day I rented a mountain bike from a shop so I could take to the trails on 2 wheels.  It was fun to cruise around town but once I hopped on the gondola to head up the mountain things started to feel real.  Although it did give you a nice start, the gondola only took you about 1/3 the way up the ski mountain, the rest of the way had to be peddled.  This was one of the hardest efforts I have ever put forth.  Cranking forward in the lowest of gears, straight up Green and Blue rated ski slopes.  It's much harder going up these slopes then it is skiing down!

I also gained a new appreciation for mountain biking.  First off, its really hard to ride uphill on gravel, barely getting traction with big studded tires.  Oh, and when you are in thin, 9,500 foot high air it makes things even tougher.  Its hard to regulate your body temperature too.  When I was in full sun, peddling my heart out I was dripping sweat, but as soon as you hit a flat area and get into the shade you'll start shivering.  The toughest aspect requires almost no cardio - the going down part.  This is scary as hell, your tires bounce around and slide back and forth.  While you need to brake enough to stay at a safe speed, braking too much or too hard just causes you to wipe out.  With not a soul in sight I tried my best to play it safe and go slow.

The view from the top made it pretty worth it.  I also took a good 20 minutes to rest at a ski restaurant.  Though it was closed for the season, I was still able to have a snack on the sun deck and relax.

Posing on the ski resort, post-rest and post-snack.

One serious downside however of this region is the lack of trail blazes and markings.  My guess is that since this isn't a National Park and much of the area is privately owned, the trails are just kind of there and its up to you to know where to go.  It can be really dangerous as times even.  At multiple points as I was riding through the woods on a bike trail I would reach 2 or 3 way forks in the roads.  Where the heck do you go?  I had to err on the side of caution and head back to what I thought was the mountain village.  This can be really dangerous when you haven't seen another person for miles.  Fortunately I have a good sense of direction and never got into serious trouble.  

Um, where now?!

My only regret was not doing more research ahead of time, but everything I looked at made it sound like it would be pretty easy to navigate without having full topographical maps and a compass.  Live and learn.  When I make it back to train for Hardrock I'll come prepared!

Some very approximate route maps made after the fact.
Green was hiking, Red was trail running, Black was Mountain Biking.

I took another ride early one morning up Tomboy Road which heads toward an old mining town.  It was a rough, gravel road which headed straight up the hillside toward the old mining town of Tomboy.

Riding on "Tomboy" Road just after dawn.

I only had a couple hours so I basically just had to turn around at a certain point.  I was able to get a reward out of it though, a view just as the sun came up of the town of Telluride, the San Juan Mountains, and Bridal Veil Falls.

Incredible morning view of the San Juan mountains by Telluride.  You can barely see Bridal Veil falls on the left.

Ending my trip in Denver, back in civilization, I was able to contrast the experience in Telluride with everyday life.  I wondered if I lived there, would I really make it out to the mountains enough to make living in basically a mid-western town worth it?  Most locals I talked to in the city rarely make it past city limits, don't ski, and couldn't care less about endurance sports.  Living in the D.C. area I have the opportunity to make it out to our mountains (albeit smaller mountains than in CO) in just a couple of hours.  However, I find myself almost always sticking with trails around town since I hate driving long distances and the time waste associated with it.

I was still able to sneak a few trail runs in close to the mountains near Denver.  There are some solid trails in parks like Red Rocks, Golden Gate Canyon, Green Mountain Park, and Bear Creek Park (to name a few).

Trail running just outside of Denver, sporting my DC Road Runners gear!

I already miss the unparalleled views in Colorado.  I do try to remind myself that this all happened on vacation, and the people who actually live and work in populated areas of Colorado do not experience this on a typical basis.  It is however very accessible to those who choose to seek it out.  Colorado does a good job marketing itself as the Rocky Mountain State.  Looking at these pictures its easy to forget that the eastern half of the state is flat as a pancake, and that the city of Denver feels more like a city in the mid-west than the gateway to the mountains.  They do at least have an arid, dry climate (even in the city) which I could really get used to.  I have been sweating buckets in our swampy, humid weather back in Virginia.  At least we have trees and shade to hide in while its hot out.

I have also been thinking about some very long term goals.  I think I should stick with Ultras.  I'm not just going to get much faster at short races and running exclusively on pavement just seems to result in injuries for me.  I am still feeling achy in the hips, but at least I am back out running.  Still a bit depressing, as I just don't have any "pep" in my legs and anything faster than an 8 minute mile feels uncomfortable.  This feeling should pass once I'm back to 100%.

I don't know how long until I want to attempt another Marathon PR, but its going to be awhile.  The only road Marathon on the horizon for me is Boston 2014, and even that it tentative.  In the next year I want to continue with some more 50k's and 50 milers. JFK should be a good chance to get a 50 miler baseline time in.  The weather will be cool out then.  I could see doing a 100 miler in Virginia in the next year or two - maybe do Umstead 100 in N.C. (a flat and good first timer 100 miler) to get my feet wet before I attempt a feet like Massanutten Mountain Trails or Grindstone.  Then who knows, maybe move out to Colorado Springs someday to get into real mountain running at high-altitude.  I could do the Leadville trail marathon, "Silver Rush" 50 Miler and eventually the Leadville 100.  Then try to run Hardrock or Western States someday.  One thing is certain: I would not attempt an Ultra at high-altitude unless I could live and train there.  I realize all this could be 5,10, maybe 15 years off but its easy to get excited about even the prospect of such an achievement.

I could try to get faster at shorter stuff.  I could (and probably will) try to improve my Marathon PR someday but there is a certain lure to Ultras that makes them fascinating to me.  They seem intensely satisfying and challenging and really appeal to most runners' desire for true adventure.  Its an introspective feeling, about self-fulfillment and being "one with nature".  There is always the chance that I hate running such a long ultra, but after getting my feet wet at Northface  50 miler I think there is potential here.