Double-Digit Run
I’m not going to be able to run for the next few days, so I decided to tackle a hilly 12 miler before my break.map of route
I started at 6:30 pm with my headlamp and a lot of warm gear on. The temperature was 8 degrees! Thankfully, there wasn’t any wind which made a huge difference. I dressed perfectly and was pretty comfortable for the whole time.
I took it really easy for the first several miles. Had some knee pain at mile four, but worked through it. Once I knew I had it in the bag, I lit it up and ran at a 7’ish pace for the last couple of miles. Finish time was 1:56. The condensation around my face combined with the cold air caused it to go numb as if I had been to the dentist. Luckily that subsided once I got in the car.
There was enough ambient light from a nearby road that I was able to run 80% of the way with my headlamp turned off. That was nice, because with my senses a little bit suppressed, I was able to concentrate a lot better on my breathing and stride. I tried really hard to stay smooth.
My previous long run was 8.5 miles back in October – before the knee troubles set in. It’s been a long road back, but I feel like I’m finally getting there. I’ll be really curious to see how the legs feel in the next day or two, kinda felt like the Tin Man getting out of the car…
HAPPY 2007!!!
Long time no post… I’m getting a fresh start for 2007.
We ZOOMED into the new year today. Went sledding at the park and enjoyed all of the snow we’ve gotten over the last couple of weeks. Natalie turned into a radical big-air monster and put us all to shame with her jumps.
I finished up the year with 5600 miles of riding, and 148 miles of running. I really liked the running I did, and want to do it a lot more. I ran three miles today, first run in almost two months because I’ve been struggling with a knee injury (ITBS). It seems to be under control now thanks to some PT and a really good massage therapist. It felt sooo good to get out and run again.
They cleared the paths around our neighborhood with some bobcat’s (small front-end loader), so the running was actually decent – though it was strange having snow piled up shoulder high on both sides… So I guess a new year means setting some goals. Eating-wise (big slacker last year), I’ve been doing great the past couple of weeks and actually lost 5 pounds over the holidays. Whew.
I think I will make running my main focus of 2007 as far as physical activity goes. Cycling has been great and I love it, but I felt like I pretty much coasted through last year – which still got me some decent results, but it’s just not the same anymore. I can’t keep fighting to stay on the razor’s edge of super-fitness like is necessary to be competing for a top finish around here. So, I will still race this year, it just won’t be the end-all for me. I think running will be better in terms of flexibility time-wise with lots of stuff going on in the family and with the kids. Plus, I feel ready for a new challenge, something that will push me like nothing else has. Another factor is that after trying to run, I could NOT believe how badly it crippled me. Doing 5000-6000 miles a year on the bike for the past 3 years did wonders for my cardio fitness, but left me pretty soft when it came to doing anything weight bearing. Gotta toughen up, boy!
It’s been a long time since I’ve feared not being able to finish a race, but now with the ideas of running an ultra-marathon that I have going around in my head, that’s exactly how I feel. I’m specifically targeting a 100k (62 mile!!) mountain race in August. It’s a monster, right in my old backyard (Utah). Tons of mountains, dirt, rocks, heat, etc.
Considering the fact that I started at 3 miles today, I have a loooong way to go. Should be fun!
RACE REPORT #2006-1Criteriums @ StazioCAT 4
We got our new uniforms last Thursday – 3 days later I was pinning a number on the back of my brand new jersey and lining up with 70 other guys to go for the glory. I felt the typical mix of excitement and nerves that come on when you’re waiting at the line for the official to yell ‘go!’. It was a little intimidating to drive up to Boulder for the first race of the year. It’s like the cycling motherland. Lots of strong riders… Worse yet, it was a criterium – historically my worst event (did 2 last year – didn’t finish with the group in either one). This year things are going to be different. It was so easy to come up with reasons not to go, but I made myself do it. I knew I needed to get in there and face my reservations and doubts.
While we were staging for the start, I felt pretty relaxed. I lined up about 5 feet off the back row, just doing my own thing. Deep down inside, I knew that my fitness was good, I had worked hard over the winter, and that I could handle this.
I surfed the back of the pack for most of the race, counting on my strength to get me across any gaps that formed ahead. Definitely NOT the most efficient way to race, but it worked for me to get acclimated and as the race went on I felt more and more comfortable in the group. I must say, everyone was pretty well behaved in the corners and I never had any real problems – nice…
I had never been on this course before, but thanks to Google Earth (way cool) I was able to get a preview the night before. It’s a 1.1 mile rectangle with a hill at the far end (finish line at the top). Great course for me, not too many corners and a good power climb.
The start was fast, and by the third trip up the climb I could hear a lot of guys really hurting. I felt fine. Not great, but never under any real pressure. At one point about halfway through, I got a little lazy at the back and a group of 15 of us got detached from the leaders on the hill. I saw it happening and was able to jump across without any problem at all. We consolidated down to a group of 25-30 for most of the race and started lapping riders, making it very difficult to tell what was going on. I stretched my legs on the climb a little and led the group over the line with 3 laps to go. While I was still in the lead on the descent, a guy took off and got the best gap I had seen all day. I kept it steady for a while, and much to my surprise, no one chased. I jumped off the front and took off after him, catching him on the flat before the climb. I shouted at him to get on my wheel as I went by, but he just freewheeled over to the side of the road looking spent. Dang! I thought we might have been able to do something there. I took one look over my shoulder, realized that I still had a good gap and said – screw it, I’m going. It was too early for me to go solo, and I would probably be throwing away a chance at a good placing, but I was already committed.
I put my head down and motored the best I could, trying to measure my effort. The wind was a bit much for me and took its toll eventually. I spent two laps off the front but just couldn’t quite make it stick for good, so I sat up after I heard the bell signaling the final lap and the group swallowed me up. From there, I had about 60 seconds of recovery before it was time to jam up the climb for the last time. I was last place in the group going around the final corner and went outside and tried to slingshot past as many riders as I could. I got quite a few and ended up getting 12th or so. Not as high of a place as I would have liked, but all things considered, I was pleased.
My group averaged 25mph for the race – the pros did 28+. They had some pretty heavy hitters show up including Scott Moninger (won) and Tyler Hamilton. This is a pic of the breakaway in their race.
I went out for another 2.5 hours of riding after the race to really cook the legs. It was a nice day and I was a little behind on my training time for the week. I decided to tackle a climb outside of Boulder called Flagstaff. I had heard a lot about it, but had never done it before. It ended up being 9 miles of climbing, including some really steep sections. On one part I was standing up and cranking as hard as I could when I looked down to see my computer say 3.5mph. My cadence was 28 rpm. That was a slooow climb, but I made it and felt pretty good on the parts that weren’t quite so steep. The legs are now officially cooked, it was a good training day.
The Scene Begins 