Reston Century 100 mile Bike Ride Recap

Reston Century Quick Recap

Start/End Location: Reston Town Center, Reston, VA

Date: August 25th, 2013

Total Moving Time: 6:07

Total Cumulative Time: over 7.5 hours!

Just a quick re-cap in the interest of time.  Knocked out my first 100 mile bike ride!  Calling it "hard" would be deceiving.  There really isn't a point in the ride where its difficult or you feel like failure is possible, its just a really long day out there on the saddle, peddling, stopping for breaks, eating and drinking along the way.

The registration and start was very informal, much more relaxed than
anything I have seen in the running world.

You could start as early as 6:30am, or as late as 10:00am!  I think full century riders were required to get started by like 9:00am though and be finishing up by 4:30pm.  We set off at around 7:30 in the morning, not as early as I would have liked but not too late either.

The first major aid station around 30 miles in.

You are out there a very, very long time for a full century ride.  I'm glad I did the 100 mile option (there was a metric option, or around 62 miles), but this was a tough ride, hilly, and with more stops&starts than I would like.  You can get very sunburned too when you are out that long.  Somehow, I managed not to get burned by applying sunblock in the morning, reapplying later in the day, and wearing my white arm sleeves for the last few hours when the sun was really strong.

Break time before getting back on the W&OD trail to head back toward
Reston.  This was about 70 miles in for us.

Pumping up that new tire!
About 80 miles in.

 Of course what ride would be complete without a flat tire?  I didn't even hit a big bump or any debris, just cruising along and hear a "pffffffff" sound.  I suppose I'm lucky that this was my first flat tire, and that I had an experienced biker along with me to make sure things were repaired correctly.  It really wasn't a big deal - pull out the flat tube, isolate the hole, inspect the rim and tire, put the new tube in, pump it back up as best I could (to about 90 PSI) and off I went.  The next rest stop pumped it back up to 115 PSI and gave me a new spare tube.

After finishing at Reston Town Center with my buddy Reza.

100+ miles in the books!

Since we had taken a wrong turn earlier we modified our route to still hit 100 miles.  However, once we got back to the start/finish area we were only at like 96 miles, so we undertook a [mentally] painful out and back on the trail to bump the mileage up over 100.  I was actually curious to see what would happen to the distance pane once I broke 100 (since it always shows 2 decimal places).  It wasn't very exciting just to see it go down to one!  But fun to see 3 whole numbers to the left of the dot.

I was freakin' starving after this one, and took it upon myself to order pizza.  All that bread just tastes so good after a full day of activity.  This is quickly becoming my go-to meal post Marathon or Ultra - and now for post-really-long-bike-ride too.

Post workout dinner of champions.

Insanity!

Insanity! Thats the only word I can think of to describe how fun my training was last weekend.  Ever since I recovered from Dahlgren (which only took a few days) I have been feeling great!  However this past weekend was particularly notable, just due to the quality and duration of my workouts.

Carbs!

Got things started off with some Never Ending Pasta from Olive Garden, which I took full advantage of.  Its amazing the difference something as simple as carbo-loading makes.  Plenty of people (especially tri-athletes) worry so much about diet, nutrition, and supplements.  While there is some truth to all of this, going out and eating a ton of carbs (in the form of pasta, rice, or potatoes usually for me), along with a decent dose of salty foods will go far in prepping you for a race.

Carbs give you the long lasting energy you need for endurance training and events.  Salty foods help your body retain water.  You do the math!

Long Ride!

Since I was already planning on a long run Sunday, and since the weather was amazing out, I decided to get my running group started off and then head over to a cycling group in Georgetown that rides long Saturday mornings.  This was a very good decision.

The weather was incredible out and I felt great.  I had done a long ride the previous Sunday and felt absolutely terrible.  I ran long the day before, didn't eat much, and had a bad night of sleep before that ride.  Contrast that with my carbo-loading and rest day before Saturday's ride which had me feeling strong, fast, and unfatigueable!

Solid ride, probably my best yet.  72 miles, some sections at over 22 MPH, and a total average of around 18 MPH,
which is great considering all the stops and slows you encounter.  The dry, 70 degree weather helped immensely.

This has me feeling very confident for the Reston Century.  Some friends have pointed out that I was perfectly capable of riding 100 miles weeks ago, but now I feel truly ready - not just to ride 100 miles, but have fun doing it and set a nice benchmark time.  I'm guessing somewhere between 5 and 6 hours depending on how many stops/slows are involved.

I am also going to rest up (sleep wise) the day before the race, and opt for an easy middle distance run (in the 7-8 mile range) rather than a long run (long being at least 11 miles).  With my Iron Mountain 30 mile trail run coming up next weekend there is really no point to do a long run anyway, especially on pavement.

Long Run!

Sunday was also way too much fun.  A couple runner buddies and I headed out to a training run put on by Virginia Happy Trails Running Club - also a good step in getting more involved with a legitimate trail running club.

So we cruised west on I-66 for about an hour for a prompt 7:30am start.  About a dozen of us got started, everyone was serious about trail running and there really was no weak link.  We all circled up at big turns to make sure everyone was headed in the right (or left ;) direction.

Now in [nicely groomed] Sky Meadows State Park we hoof it up several steep climbs.  That's me in my dorky white hat.

I need to keep getting out to these trails if I want to keep up the trail and ultra running, especially the hilly, mountainous trail runs in Virginia.

Plenty of elevation change on this run, great training for ultras.  The cool, wet weather was perfect!

The real mileage was more like 22 miles, this includes the 21 mile course and an extra half mile out and back after taking a wrong turn!  No harm done!  The elevation was intense but runnable in most areas.  This was encouraging to me since the 100 Miler I want to do, Grindstone, is known for its intense elevation change.  It has about 23,000 ft of elevation change over 100 miles - we did about 4,000 ft of change in 22 miles.  Add it up and this is about the same rate.  I know doing that 5 times in a row would be an incredible feat, but at least it helps convince me that staying moving, at a reasonable average pace, is at least possible!

So I'm marching forward - running, cycling, shuffling and walking forward that is.

Back to bringing ultras into focus, and Dahlgren 50k race recap

I think I'm back.  Not that I was ever gone, but it sure felt like it for awhile.  Really, ever since Chicago almost a year ago things have felt off.  Sure, I was injured, I came back, I ran some, I ran Boston.  But the whole time I just never felt "perfect", and then after Boston the aches came back.  I was able to complete Northface in a respectable time but didn't feel great either and then had to take even more time off.  Somehow (thanks largely in-part to my newfound love of Cycling) I have managed to stay in shape and although I have definitely lost of lot of speed my longer distance endurance has stuck around.

It hasn't been until the last few weeks but I have been feeling great.  Some days I'll have a run where ill feel on-fire, oozing with energy, and then another day I'll be feeling tired and dead legged - this should actually be viewed as "normal" I suppose.  I've been keeping up with the cycling pretty well too and I think its really helping with my cardio, sticking with a couple tough rides each week and some easier riding another day.

I had really been itching to get another trail race in, and after some unfinished business last year at Dahlgren I wanted to return.  I told myself I wouldn't sign up if I was feeling achy, but after a 4 hour hot and sweaty training run a couple weeks ago and a few more shorter distance tempo runs I gave myself the green light to sign up.

Race Summary

Race: Dahlgren Rail Trail 50k
Date: August 3, 2013
Time: 4:34:52


I somehow got up at 3:45am the morning of the race, picked up my buddy at 4:15am, proceeded to get pulled over by a Cop for doing 51 in a 35 MPH zone (no ticket issued - he was obviously looking for drunk drivers at such an hour), and then high-tail it to the race start.

This year Dahlgren had a different start/end than last year.  I'm guessing the rail-trail is finally finished so now they could start at Mile Marker 0.  I actually liked last year's locale better, had a big field to hang out in, plenty of space, and a big outdoor pavilion.  This year was fine though, and actually easier to find.  After I got on I-95 South there was basically 2 turns to find the race start.

The race check-in was in a red caboose, pre-briefing at 6am, and the gun (yes - the director had a cap-gun) went off at 6:30am sharp.  A few packs stomped out ahead of everyone else and then about 20 runners back is where I was.  I was running with a couple buddies I knew and we were fine keeping a relaxed, comfortable pace together.

We got lucky with the weather.  Last year it was 80 and humid at the start, and got into the 90s as the searing sun came up.  This year was much different, still warm and humid (I mean, this is southern Virginia in August we are taking about) but not nearly as hot and overcast the whole time.  Starting temps around mid-70s and they didn't get much higher than 80 that day.  We even had a few small sprinkles towards the end.

There isn't much to report.  We just kept on trucking, blowing through the aid stations for the most part.  We were all carrying hydration so it was usually just a quick walk through to grab a cup of Gatorade and maybe a cookie.  At the turn-a-round (roughtly 25 km out), we all fully refilled and had bigger snacks.  The women's leader at the time excitedly passed us there opting not to grab anything but I felt bad because I know rushing through aid stations only comes back to haunt you in Ultras.

Heading back my cardio and energy level felt great, but my legs were starting to get tired and stiff.  I felt it coming on around 22ish miles in, and I had to slow down in a few sections, but was able to power through it for the most part.  Our 3 runner pack started to thin out too - one guy was feeling great and went on ahead while the other hung back a bit.  I stayed in the middle.  About half-way back there was a steep section that I walked up, a great chance to stretch my legs and get a breather.  Back on the flat trail it was time to pick it up.

I soon started to realize the trail markers were giving us a countdown.  The 5.5 Mile Marker was tough to stomach, but more encouraging was the 4.0 Mile Marker.  I figured we would pass at least a handful of people on the way back (and I was right).  What I didn't expect was to still be able to pick off 2 more runners, 1 around the 5 mile mark and another guy with only about 2.5 miles to go.  At the 2 Miler Marker things get much easier mentally - just keep it steady for 1 more mile, then a half a mile, than a quarter mile.  If you were keeping track that leaves us with quarter mile left, an opportune time to pick it up, stride it out and shave a few seconds off your time!  Something tells me my friends and I all had similar experiences in the final few miles, all finishing within about 10 minutes of each other.

New 50k PR of 4:34:52, 12th place overall.  I have to say, not as good as I thought I would do (or could do someday?), but pretty happy about it.  This was about 5 minutes faster than last year, but last year was much hotter causing me to walk/run some of the latter miles, and I also had a lot of tactical mistakes.  Tactical mistakes being: taking too much time in aid stations, using a drop-bag that burned up some time to mess with, and stopping at the port-a-pottie.  Taking those into account, my moving speed was probably faster last year.  However, I was coming off of consistent 60-70 mile weeks last year, and this year I had been taking it very easy all Summer.  My longest run since Northface (which was 2 months ago) was only 23 miles/ 3.5 hours long too, so running Dahlgren really gave me hope that as long as you make an effort to stay in maintenance mode your endurance sticks around.  The PR is certainly a plus too!

The race starting area, very low key just like an Ultra should
be!  Check in was in the red caboose.  Starting line was
off in the distance by the white tent.

Talk about a low-key event.  This felt like a real ultra, or at least it aligned with my vision of one.  Beyond the 30,000 person Marathons, beyond, the social 10k races with drink tickets at the end, and beyond the high-production, advertising plentiful Northface sponsored trail races, you can still find tiny races where a group of strangers show up, run a lot, and head home.  There are lots of plus sides to this so don't take it as a negative that its so small, its just a different experience.  Getting in (and out) is a breeze, its a friendly crowd, and you are bound to recognize people if you show up to enough of these.  Heck, I even recognized a guy I talked to at Logan Airport after I ran Boston!

Not the most exciting race map - it was just a huge out and back (which worked nicely).

For some reason this past year my favorite post-race refueling food is french toast, preferably with caramel, syrup, and sliced bananas on top.  Its basically sugar and carbs, which I don't have a problem with after running for over 4 hours.  This was probably thanks to my introduction to The Paramount in Boston, but you can find it all over.  Silver Diner is a start --  Bananas never tasted so good!

Next up: keeping on with my training plan, but also staying cautiously optimistic to not over-do it.  I want to keep up with the cycling, which takes places mostly Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  I'll need to work in some trail runs too, one of which needs to take place in the mountains.  In a few weeks is the Reston Century 100 mile Bike Ride, which I am viewing as more of a mega-workout than a true test.  Then a week later I have got the Iron Mountain 30 Mile Trail Run (still tempted to do the 50 mile option...).  This should test my hill climbing and descending abilities.

The JFK 50 miler remains my focus race for Fall.  I will have a bit of a blip in late September, when I go to Europe for 2 and a half weeks - 1 of those weeks being spent at Oktoberfest in Munich drinking copious amounts of beer.  Though I'm bringing running shoes along something tells me that will be mostly a period of resting (and liquid carbo-loading).  Then I can get back at it for 2 months until JFK, upping the mileage and really hitting the trails in the cool, dry fall weather!

Specificity, specifically

I really think my long term plan moving forward is to abide by the rule of Specificity:  that is, focus on what matters to you at the cost of other distances.  I want to keep up the ultras, even at the cost of my 5k times.  This means less track-work (but not necessarily no track work), slower track work and speed sessions, more miles on the trails and longer duration workouts on the weekends.  Doesn't necessarily mean more mid-week miles so hoping it doesn't mess with my work schedule.  Staying injury free is a huge deal, so I will be keeping up with the cycling.

I have plenty of Ultras penciled in for next year, and while I look forward to all of them they are all in support of my one goal for 2014: that is, to complete the Grindstone 100 miler in Swoope, Virginia.

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.

Running versus Biking

How can I incorporate cycling into my Summer Ultra-Training?

Its actually tough to find advice on this online.  Most plans either have you doing all running or all cycling depending on your goal race.  Not to mention, any "beginner cycling" programs just assume you are not fit or very athletic yet.  I plan to get in at least a couple mid-distance runs per week and always a long run on Saturdays.  Sundays I will do a big trail run every third week.  This should get me in good Ultra shape, round me out so I can do the Reston Century Bike Ride in August, and springboard me into more focused Ultra Training for the JFK 50 miler in Fall.

  So I'm hoping my summer "cycle" will look something like this:

Day of Week	Workout
Mon	Medium Run (7-8 miles) OR Spin Class, and weights
Tues	20-24 Mile Bike Ride, moderate effort
Wed	22-26 Mile Bike Ride, hard effort and hills
Thurs	Medium Run (6-9 miles)
Fri	Rest Day or Easy Bike Ride (14-16 miles)
Sat	Long Run Day (13-20 miles) on road, if more desired do on trails   - OR - Long bike ride (~40-80 miles)
Sun	3 options: Medium bike ride (~25-40 miles) and short run (~5 miles) Long bike ride (~65-110 miles) Long trail run (~4-5 hours)

That being said, ever since the ultra I have felt banged up, achy, and sore all over my legs and want to wait until they feel 100% (not 75%, or even 95% like usual) to start back up running.  So for the past few weeks (and more likely the next few weeks) I've been doing only biking (with a weekly spinning class and weight lifting session).

Me impersonating one of those coooool
D.C. bike dudes - getting my bike out of my
company's bike parking lot.

What am I good for?

Mentally I am more of a runner.  Running is tough, and there are no excuses, its just getting out there and putting in the miles and hard work.  Cyclists (and don't even get me started on triathletes) have to deal with equipment and maintenance of that gear.  All the matching outfits, branded jerseys, and high-end bikes only feed their (sometimes enormous) egos.  I love that running just feels pure, just you and the road (or trail), with only your own body either holding you back or propelling you forward.

Physically I think I am actually better suited as a cyclist.  The optimal body type for both sports is to be much shorter and smaller than I am, typically the best marathoners and cyclists are something like 5'7" and less than 140 lbs. However, being on a bike it doesn't hurt you nearly as bad to weigh more, and the added height at least gives you some mechanical advantage as far as torque and power transfer goes.  While you are on the bike its all about your power-to-weight ratio.

You also can be better suited for a role if you are on a cycling team - that role usually being to block the wind for your teammates to draft off you in the early stages of a race.  I'll also never be super skinny which taller runners need to be, and find it easier to pack up extra muscle when needed.  We have all seen the huge quads and calf muscles on cyclists.

Now THIS is a commute I can get used to!  Even better than I got to pass
over a completely gridlocked 495 while riding comfortably on by.

I have also been enjoying biking to and from work lately.  While I have attempted to run to and from work in the past, its tough (at 10 miles each way), and takes a lot of logistics to pull it off since you can really only carry a key and an ID while you run.

Thursday I was fortunate enough to make it out to my local Fun Run.  I felt super fit in the lungs and had plenty of energy to run fast, though my hips still held me back a bit.  Things felt kind of sore the next morning as well, but better within 24 hours.  This is encouraging but also reinforces that I should take it easy with the running, no consecutive days, and spend a few weeks to realistically build back up to longer distances.  The cycling should keep my cardio in check in the mean time.

Next week I'm going out to Colorado for vacation.  This will provide a much needed break from work and an overall change of scenery.  I won't be getting any cycling in but I am hoping to run plenty of soft, packed dirt trails.  I've already checked out a Denver Trail Running group, local trail race, and a rave run in Telluride. Oh, and a conveniently timed Beer Festival, but that's not related to running or biking... is it?

Diving Helmet-First into Cycling

Apparently I'm a cyclist now

That is, in addition to being a runner first and foremost.

I just got my new bike a little over 3 weeks ago, and in the last 2 weeks I have really been getting out on it.  Here is what my workouts have looked like for the last week:

• Monday: 55 minute spin class (call that ~16 miles @ average speed of 18 MPH)
• Tuesday: 20 mile group ride
• Wednesday: 25 mile hill ride
• Thursday: (Rest)
• Friday:14 miles easy (to and from work)
• Saturday: my first Metric Century! ~100km (62.1 miles)
• Sunday: 58 mile easy ride

195 Miles in a week.  That feels solid for starters.  

I've been trying to figure out a formula to translate cycling into running fitness.  Long story short, there isn't one, but there are some theories on it.  One place I read said that the time you spend cycling is equivalent to about 2/3 of that time running.  For instance, if you bike for 3 hours (say, roughly 55 miles) you could think of that as a 2 hour run (probably around 15 miles).  Another idea is to look at the mileage at a 1/3 rate.  So, if you bike 60 miles you could equate that to a 20 mile run.  Or, lets look at last week, 195 miles, thats about 64 miles of running by this count (which is a reasonable sounding estimate).

Yet another theory is that as long as you can maintain a comparable heart rate while cycling the fitness is almost equivalent.  My resting heart rate is about 52 BPM (beats per minute), and I estimate my max at 195.   When I am on an LSD (long steady distance) run, my heart rate is usually in the 150-160 range.  On an easy bike ride ill stay below that, but in tough, strenuous sections I can average about 160 BPM.

I think the most accurate predictor is the 2/3 time rule.  If it isn't apparent yet, I also now understand why heart rate is much more important to monitor while cycling than running.  One thing is for sure, you can push your legs and cardio to the limit and not pay the same price as in running that - price being getting really banged up, sore, and risking injury.

Cycling also feels like a great tool for Ultra-Training, besides the low risk of injury, its all about just having to keep moving for many hours on end.  Eating and drinking are more important when riding (similar to in ultra-running) then during short road races or even marathons.

Just Ride

Number one rule on how to be a better cyclist: Just get out there and ride a lot.  There are other great ideas, like ride with group, pick a race to train for, and doing focused workouts, but the biggest thing is just ride.  Ride often.  Ride a lot.

Metric Century

Saturday morning I went out with the DC tri club's weekly ride based off a friend's recommendation.  We met in Georgetown at rolled out promptly at 7:30am.

Georgetown in Washington D.C., looking North from the intersection of
Wisconsin and M street.  This looks kind of boring since its empty at
7:20am on a Saturday, an extreme contrast to the typical mid-week gridlock.

We rode up to Potomac, Maryland where everyone started solidifying their options.  I ended up on a 45ish mile ride with 4 or 5 other guys, the "Senaca 'T' route" (see upper half of route below).  It was a blast!  Fast, and very hilly.  We averaged over 19 MPH during that portion.  Rather than spending well over 200 bucks on a GPS bike computer, I found a bracket from Garmin to fit my current running GPS device on my handlebars and voila!  I have bike GPS with elapsed time, heart-rate, distance, speed (in MPH), and more.

Taking a quick break at the small
Francis Scott Key Park in
Georgetown.  There is a water
fountain near by!

 I had only planned on getting in 45-50, but after arriving back in D.C. I was looking at about 50 miles so far for the day and decided I would take the long way home to get in 60.  I ended up with 62 miles, enough for my first Metric Century!  The ride time is super handy while I'm taking a break from running since I would normally be running with my Saturday Long Run group.  The only downside is that I won't be able to go when I do start back up with the running.  There are plenty of great Sunday morning rides though to keep me busy even when I am back to logging plenty of miles on foot.

And more for good measure

If the metric century wasn't enough I headed out to the country to get a ride in with my Dad for Father's Day.    The ride was more relaxed and not nearly as hilly as my ride with the flashy DC Tri club the previous day.  I was really able to appreciate the wide open roads and minimal stops to make along the way, not to mention the scenery.  Taking it easy was a must after the previous day's ride.  I was tired and a little sore, and needed to play it safe.  Luckily I had enough energy to hammer out the last 8 miles and get to enjoy a rest day today.

58 Miles, a solid ride but not as intense as Saturday.

This is the kind of scenery I've been missing!

So whats next?  I'm actually hoping to get back to running this week, targeting a Thursday Fun Run as of now, and keep up with my cycling groups during the rest of the week.  No idea what kind of shape my running is in, but man do I feel fit!