tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68345727719556179402024-03-12T23:15:33.115-06:00JV's UpHill Adventures"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. Its the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T', but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper, 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." ~unknown~Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.comBlogger1015125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-42220352162593528272015-09-02T08:13:00.001-06:002015-09-02T08:20:07.187-06:00Monday, 08/31/2015 Isolation and Mahana Peaks<div class="MsoNormal">
Isolation Peak, 13,118/Mahana Peak, 12,632<o:p></o:p></div>
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08/31/15<o:p></o:p></div>
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16.77 miles<o:p></o:p></div>
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5,144 vert.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5 hours 29 minutes (Start 6:41am, Finish 12:10pm)<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="https://connect.garmin.com/jsPlayer/884032628" target="_blank">Garmin Data</a> </div>
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I had some use it or lose it PTO to take before the end of
August, so I wanted to use this day for some time in the mountains before the
end of summer. I had originally
considered running the Aspen 4 Pass loop (have hiked it before, but never have
run it), but could not justify the time in the car. I kicked around a few other ideas such as the
Pawnee/Buchanan Loop, Longs/Meeker, but I ultimately decided it would be fun to
get in a few new summits, staying close to home and relatively short so that I
could spend the second half of the day with the family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few days prior, I sent out a few invites to friends with
Mondays off or had flexible schedules and David Ponak immediately signed
on. A check of the weather the night
before had me quite discouraged, calling for snow and rain in the morning,
changing over to all rain and lightning by noon. With kids and a busy schedule, I have very
little flexibility and so few days in the mountains for such adventures (I
planned this day off 6 weeks in advance), I was a bit peeved that
this one day I had off was looking to be a wash, sandwiched by seemingly sunny
nice days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh well, having faced this scenario many times before, I hoped for the best, yet prepared for the worst and met David in N. Boulder at 5:30am. It was too dark to really get a feel for the
weather, but it was in the mid 70's when I left home at 5am and obvious that it was cloudy.
A few miles from Allenspark, it began to rain, somewhat hard for a bit
and I was regretting my decision, but David helped me keep optimistic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fortunately, the rain stopped by the time we arrived
at the trailhead and surprisingly, it was completely dry (though still overcast and somewhat
threatening). It took me a while to decide what to wear/pack, not being sure which way the weather was going to go, so to be on the safe side, I added a hooded running shirt and
my bomber (but heavy) waterproof shell to my pack for good measure. The temperature was actually quite reasonable and perfect for running and we were on the
trail at 6:41am. </div>
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We were moving along at a
moderate conversational running pace, which made the initial miles pass
quickly. The trail is really buffed out
and well maintained, with the only very minor glitch being the new under construction
bridge at Ouzel Falls.
Though closed, it was early enough in the morning and the bridge was completed enough to cross with no
issues (though on the return, they were working on the bridge for the anticipated mid-Sept. completion date, so we had to bypass on some logs and rocks just
upstream, but not an issue since the creek is quite low).</div>
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I was surprised to see some aspen trees already fully
changed to yellow, not too many, but still a bit early and a reminder that
Autumn is quickly arriving in the high country.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we neared Bluebird Lake, the wind began to pick up and
with the cloudy skies, was getting a bit cold, so we made a short stop to
add a layer. We arrived at Bluebird Lake
shortly after this stop after 1:27 of running. </div>
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At Bluebird Lake. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">All photos by David Ponak.</span></div>
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From here, we transitioned into casual hiking mode, negotiating a miniature, but somewhat steep rocky box canyon to cross to the other side of Ouzel Creek, which was a
hidden surprise (but not difficult). </div>
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There were some cairns to follow above and on the North side of Bluebird
Lake, but soon dead ended us into deep willows and massive boulders. We slowly and carefully wormed our way
through the maze, but if I had to do it over again, would have stuck closer to
the lake shore as it would have been much easier walking.</div>
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Next was a series of benches, lakes and terraces, each of
which held scenic surprises. The walking
here was easy and generally wide open, any willows and marshes were easy enough
to bypass or negotiate. On the steeper
slopes up to Isolation Lake, we were quite surprised to see a party of 3 paralleling
us to the right and we waved to one another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isolation Lake</div>
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From Isolation Lake, we caught brief glimpses through the
clouds of what we assumed to be the reclusive summit of our first objective, Isolation Peak, which seemed
a bit discouragingly high and far away.
The gradient from here was steep, unrelenting and somewhat loose at
times, but we were able to piece together enough grass and solid rock that it
went easier than expected and we were on the summit about a half hour later
(2:48 elapsed). The summit is small and
the ridge leading to it, though easy with solid rock, has some dramatic
exposure to the N/NW, which was enhanced by the swirling clouds.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Summit</div>
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We backtracked our ascent route and though somewhat loose in spots, the upper section of the slopes we had to
descend to the Mahana/Isolation saddle were no problem, though we went extra
slow and cautious, since the party of hikers we saw earlier were now ascending directly
below us, yet out of sight. Once beyond,
it was fun, solid boulder hopping to the saddle, then an easy and short jaunt
to the summit of Mahana.</div>
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The tundra is changing.</div>
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After a longer break on top, we debated backtracking to Isolation Lake, or
exploring the long, but wide, grassy mellow East Ridge of Mahana, deciding on the latter. The upper 2/3 of the descent allowed for
intermittent easy jogging, but as we neared treeline, it was evident returning
to the trail would not be a slam dunk, as there was a ridiculous amount of
deadfall from the Ouzel fire that ravaged the area in 1978. In retrospect, we should have continued along
the ridge further, but with all the rotten fallen trees to negotiate, we were
anxious to get on the trail, so made a beeline for it just above Ouzel
Lake. Though it looked close, the slope
was longer, steeper and looser than it first appeared and negotiating the
fallen trees on a loose ~25 degree slope was a bit more difficult than it appeared from above. This section was really slow and somewhat tedious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After what seemed like forever, we were back on the trail
and though it was still another ~5 miles back to the car, I felt really fresh
and relieved to be back on cruiser terrain.
It was a quick and easy run out, finishing at 12:10pm, with the sun
actually making an appearance toward the end.
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Though the weather was overcast, it was never really
threatening and it turned out to be a great day in the mountains. It helped that it was a Monday with a poor forecast, but we only saw 3 people on the mountain and then some smaller groups on the way out within a few miles of the trailhead. It had been 7 years since I had last visited the Wild Basin section of the park, but a reminder that I need to go back again soon. It is an amazing area with seemingly endless possibilities.<o:p></o:p></div>
Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-9126265959948995252015-08-26T15:28:00.001-06:002015-08-26T18:51:26.952-06:00Sunday, 08/16/2015 Pikes Peak Marathon<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to get a race report up soon(er) after the race,
but have been crazy busy with other things, so this will have to be short and
sweet.</div>
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2015 Pikes Peak Marathon</div>
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26.2 miles/7,815 vertical</div>
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5:03:27</div>
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24th/768 overall</div>
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3rd master (over 40)<br />
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Preparation this year has been generally mediocre, averaging
15-25 miles over 4 days per week, usually Green Mountain after work in the
heat, or very early in the morning (forced efforts at 5am and very slow). I had only been to altitude a few times, Bierstadt on 2 consecutive days in June, a few 13ers (Squaretop, S. Arapahoe) and a
handful of runs to 11-12k, with the maximum distance being just under 16 miles,
followed by the 12.6 mile Barr Trail Mountain Race in July (where I was able to PR).<o:p></o:p><br />
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On some of my runs, I felt as fast as I have ever been and
my times have confirmed that, but on other days (the latter more frequent than
the former), I wondered if I would even be able to finish the Pikes Peak
Marathon and if I am just simply getting too old for this $hit anymore.<o:p></o:p><br />
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As race day approached, I was really thankful to have my in laws volunteer at the last minute to
come watch the girls, so I could leave the house on Saturday at 3pm instead of
8:15pm, as has been the case for the last 2 Barr Trail Mountain Races and the
2014 Pikes Peak Marathon, which enabled me to get my race bib, eat at the
spaghetti dinner and then catch up with the Kunkles who live very near to
Manitou and were putting me up for the night.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Was in bed at a decent hour (before 10) and slept quite
well, waking 10 minutes before my 5am alarm.
Drove into Manitou and parked in my usual spot very close to the start
and ate a slice of toast, some cereal and had a little espresso to rev me
up. As always, the final 90 minute
countdown goes quite quick and what would normally take 20 minutes before a
training run, preparation seems to take up a surprising amount of that time. I warmed up a little, which in reality is
just an obsessive/compulsive routine of finding a place to go to the bathroom
one last time over and over again.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Chatted with a few friends and acquaintances before the race, Brandon, JT,
Wyatt, Rickey and a few others, then eased into a spot on the front line. Once the cannon went off, the ascent was
essentially textbook and I was careful to maintain a decent position/pace, yet
not cook myself too early. A bit of
jockeying for position on Ruxton and the first few minutes in the W’s, then
position was mostly established aside from getting passed 2 or 3 times and passing a few myself. I hear stories of crowding further behind, but the experience for me is quite different, being a very peaceful,
if not lonely at times run up the hill.<br />
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My ascent was somewhat lackluster, I never felt bad, I actually felt decent, but my splits along the way were not reflecting that in the least.
Topped out in 3:06 and sat for a moment to drink a few cups of water and gatorade and eat an
orange, then started my way down in not too much of a hurry.<br />
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Since
last December, I have had a bit of a twingy knee, a minor bout of patellar
bursitis, nothing too serious, but annoying at times for sure. Ironically, it was not even a running related injury, it began after kneeling for about two hours working on a project.<br />
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All summer it was hardly an issue no matter how hard I pushed, uphill or down and I had for the most part forgotten about it, but on the Thursday before
the race while hiking easy, I found it to be a bit painful and even had me limping. </div>
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I could tell on the ascent that the descent would be difficlt based on how I felt on the short rollers before Barr Camp. Once I was heading down, as expected, I was feeling it and though painful, unstable and throwing off my stride, I just plugged away.
I knew, based on the nature of the issue that I would not cause any
damage, so I just had to suck up and grit it out. Even so, I could only do so much, which was a little disappointing, because I otherwise felt great and wanted to push much harder than the pace I was realistically able to maintain. I figured I would lose many
positions on the down, but I lucked out and was able to hold my position better
than I thought I would, only getting passed by 3 guys in their 20's, but passing 2 or 3 others along the way.</div>
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I knew I would not be anywhere near PR and before long, I
knew sub 5 was likely out of the question as well, so I was in the mode of just
cruising it in, trying to keep the knee pain to a minimum and soon my primary focus was maintaining a top 5 masters position. I was not entirely sure where I stood, but figured on the descent that I was
in 4<sup>th</sup> or 5<sup>th</sup>. </div>
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As always, the trail below No Name and especially the Ws onto Ruxton felt interminably long. Each turn through the Ws was like running into a brick oven, each turn getting a bit hotter. The forecasted high was 83, but it seemed a good bit warmer on those open slopes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The finish could not come soon enough and I was quite glad to be done. As usual, I swore it would be my last marathon and that next year I would for sure run the ascent. I felt reasonably well after sitting down in the tent for a few moments, much better than in years past, likely because of the somewhat easy descent. Headed over to the results listings and was surprised and quite pleased to see that I had placed 3rd master. I ran 4 minutes faster last year and barely squeaked into an age group award, so I lucked out that some of the faster guys did not show up.<br />
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Phew, I am never doing this again ;)</div>
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As 3rd place master, I got an awesome trophy and a free entry to either race next year (now worth more than $150), so I could not have been happier with that outcome. I wanted (expected) to run faster than I did, but a top 5 master placing was truly my number one objective and I accomplished that. Given the knee issue, I could have been a lot worse.<br />
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Beyond the trophies and awards I have won at Pikes, there is something about the race that keeps me coming back and hopeful. Every year
I set somewhat (maybe unrealistically?) high time goals for myself and each year I fall short of
them, much to the confusion and chagrin of myself and few running friends. Even so, I keep trying to fool
myself into thinking that one year, I might just have that amazing day I dream of, or breakout run, but
it never seems to happen. That possibility is slimming with each year that passes, partially because of the aging process, but also in part due to my waning (waning from already low levels of commitment to eking out all that I can from myself athletically).<br />
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Since GZ was absent, I actually got to stand on the wooden box</div>
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Some days I promise myself I will ramp up my level of dedication, more training, more specific training, better diet, better sleep, smarter training, but I increasingly find myself pulled in various directions. It is not always straightforward how to find that balance between personal goals and family, work, maintaining a house and other interests.<br />
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My A goal was to get any one of the 5 of these being awarded</div>
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Either way, it is all just folly and just for fun and I enjoy the journey to Pikes as much, if not more, no, certainly more than the race itself, along with the camaraderie and friendships I have built around Pikes and running mountains. I'll be back for the round trip next year for sure.<br />
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A very nice finisher's shirt/jacket and medal this year</div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-28144425850454248612015-07-01T11:34:00.001-06:002015-07-01T11:35:25.293-06:00Wednesday, July 1st, 2015 Bierstadt, Bierstadt, Squaretop, updates and ramblings.Last week, we had a (very rare) few days without the kids and were able to get to the mountains for the first time this summer.<br />
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On Wednesday, Allison, Sierra and I headed up to hike Mt. Bierstadt, not too creative, but fit the bill perfectly, as we wanted something not too far away, nothing too long and something high. It has been a few years since Sierra had climbed a 14er, partly because she is getting old (12), but mainly because we don't really hike 14ers all that much anymore. It is very rare we all get a day together and when I go on my own, I am always running because I am taking advantage of very limited time to train at altitude (and just love to run in the mountains), have to hurry to get home on time and so basically just don't have time for hiking at what would be Sierra's pace.<br />
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Sierra did surprisingly well though on Bierstadt and kept up easily at Allison's hiking pace on both the up and down. There was plenty of water for her to drink because of snowmelt and she was able to frolic and roll in the remaining snowfields. It was great to spend time up there with her after so long, as I was not sure I would ever share a 14er summit with her again. It ended up taking us around 3.5 hours for the round trip (with a lengthy summit stay), then we lounged by the creek for quite some time cooling off, as it was quite warm and sunny still at 1pm. Though I enjoyed the day very much, part of me was itching to run, which leads to the following day.<br />
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I got a free pass for the morning, as the girls were still at the grandparents and Allison was content doing other things. Being my 44th birthday, I was eager to go push myself a bit to celebrate. Having enjoyed Bierstadt so much the previous day, I headed back up to run it hard.<br />
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I put in a pretty solid effort, looking to see how close I could come to my July, 2006 PR of 55:49. I made good time across the willows, making it to the creek in 5 minutes and change, but the water was flowing good and it was not the usual skip across, so I took my time to pick my way across the slippery and unstable logs and rocks. Easily lost about 30 seconds here, but was soon moving well again. Was able to run all but a few steps to the spot where the trail steepens on the way up to the ridge. I looked at my watch and was a bit discouraged, thinking there was no way I would be close to PR, so I backed off the intensity a bit as I began powerhiking. Before I knew it though, I was on the ridge and the numbers looked in my favor again, so I got back on the effort and hit the summit in 56:28. I did not stop for the views, as I thoroughly enjoyed them the day before, so did an immediate u-turn and was skipping fast across the talus. My feet were super accurate, my brain was focused and my North Face Ultra MT running shoes were hooking up perfect on everything I stepped on, wet rock, dry rock, steep snow, ice, slush, mud. Everything was in perfect sync and felt like I was flying down the trail.<br />
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Many who I had passed on the way up and were now only slightly further up the trail, while I was now on my way down, which inspired many comments and cheers of encouragement as I zipped past. I'll admit that this egged me on a bit to crank it just a little harder.<br />
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As I got down to the willows, I found myself lollygagging a bit for no apparent reason and kept having to remind myself to keep the effort up. The creek crossing was a little easier in the opposite direction, much having to do with not caring about getting wet now. I pushed hard on the last bit of uphill back to the parking lot, knowing that my goal of sub 1:30 car to car was a no go, but still wanted to keep it as close as I could. Ended up at 1:32:58 for the 7.3 miles and 2,513 vertical. Nothing spectacular, but I was really happy to be only 39 seconds off my 2006 ascent time (which I admit is soft, given I have never really worked on this route and it was POURING rain that day), especially since I am now 44 vs. 35, the creek crossing cost me a bit and I had not been above treeline since last August (where in 2006, I was above treeline weekly at least or multiple times weekly most of the year). Not sure what my round trip PR was (something I never really recorded or paid attention to), but I know this was a RT PR by a handful or more minutes. What does this all mean? Absolutely nothing, I just had a really good day and was happy that at age 44, I could match my younger self. I don't have these days nearly as often, but it keeps me hopeful that I can still push myself and compete with a younger me. I know these days are fleeting and numbered, so they mean all the more.<br />
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Once the adrenaline wore off, I felt like I should call it a day, but it was only 10:30am, the sky was clear and I had a few more precious hours, so I changed shoes and hat, packed a vest with gels and water and headed up Squaretop. I knew within the first few steps it would be a slog, but I was really enjoying being out and just went with it. The first two miles gained very little altitude, leaving about 2,000 feet of gain over the final mile. Normally my favorite, but I was bogging a bit due to the earlier effort and just resigned to taking it easy. 2:18 for the round trip.<br />
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I am looking forward to the Barr Trail Mountain Race on July 19th and the Pikes Peak Marathon on August 16th (and they are approaching now at a startling rate). "Training" (if you could even call it that) is going reasonably well, but I find summer to be the most difficult time of year to maintain or increase my fitness. I can either get out really early in the morning (like at or before sunrise), but find myself stumbling in a tired daze at that hour and question if I am doing myself more harm than good. Or, I get out after work and it is crazy hot and I am slogging in the heat. Then there are all the factors related to the kids being out of school, unforeseen issues that come up at home, someone getting sick, etc... I am lucky to get out 4 days per week and even that is somewhat of a forced miracle at times (though I do get out on the bike from time to time). I guess I could get out more if I ran from home or work, but I just can't get into that sort of running, to me it is almost like a completely different sport and takes an unbelievable amount of mental energy to will myself along flat paths. I guess I am just stubborn and addicted to the hills, Green Mountain or bust! <br />
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It's all good though, I am just happy that I am ABLE to run mountains when I can, even if not always on my own terms, I just have to be creative, flexible and constantly be adapting.<br />
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We'll be spending a few days in Keystone soon, so I hope to get in a few good runs there and take down a few Strava CRs (Jeff Kunkle!). I am also really hoping to get up to Aspen for a 4 Pass loop in late July, as this has been on my list for quite some time and I have some vacation time to burn. I have hiked it before in a very easy 10 hours with the wife, dog and friends, but would like to see how fast I can go on my own. This is right up there with RRR (and much closer to home).<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-16586870892853825122015-04-27T08:52:00.001-06:002015-04-27T08:56:17.117-06:00Saturday, 04/25/15 Green MountainMy time for blogging has been increasingly minimal, as has my enthusiasm for it, not sure which precipitated the other, but I do still plan to post something every now and then, whenever the mood strikes once every month or three.<br />
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We spent last week vacationing along the coast of Southern California, so upon returning, I was itching for a Green Mountain fix, but being on daddy duty impacts that a bit. Last year we had done some partial hikes on Green, often just taking one at a time, but today we were going all in.</div>
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To make the hike reasonable, we drove to the top of SuperFlag and started on the West Ridge Trail, which for most fit hikers or trail runners is a lark, but for these 4.5 year olds, it was a perfect challenge with a great summit reward.</div>
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Amelie</div>
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Isabelle making her very own animal tracks in the snow<br />
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We had to make a lot of stops to check out pasque flowers and any other flowers that are slowly emerging. We make lots of stops to learn about the environment around them, flowers, trees, animal tracks/sounds/sightings, geography and peak names, geology, flood damage (none on this hike, but they were talking about it often). It takes a lot of time, but they LOVE absorbing the world around them and are like little sponges. I love teaching them.<br />
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Isabelle taking a snack break<br />
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I thought the final steep and technical section would be the crux, but they had the most fun here and powered up it with no problem, matching the pace of some adults on the trail.<br />
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Amelie was really cranking ahead and later confessed that she was really motivated by the thought of eating gummy bears on the summit: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9J838wSnhfs" width="560"></iframe></div>
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The reward, summit views and gummy bears.<br />
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I am a proud dad.<br />
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They climbed the summit boulder on their own with a little spotting.<br />
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On the way back, they wanted to do some trail running on the smoother sections.<br />
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This hike (with some running at times) took a few hours with all the stops for snacking, learning and views, but they did remarkably well, getting a little tired toward the end, but otherwise were no worse for the wear aside from some sore leg muscles the next day and a ravenous appetite afterwards. We'll certainly be making this a weekly outing over the remainder of Spring and into Summer, with the goal of starting lower and lower down the mountain and getting to higher elevations as the snow melts.<br />
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Showing their trail running skills: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aVr6z9QHjaM" width="560"></iframe></div>
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Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-88372946715168876822015-01-04T15:35:00.004-07:002015-01-05T06:15:09.381-07:002014 Year In ReviewI debated posting a 2014 year in review, partly because I am always pressed for time, partly because it is cheesy and partly because I initially thought there was not much to post about. However, upon further reflection and digging through my photos to jog my (short) memory, I realized it was quite a busy year, filled with many quality adventures.<br />
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This was a transitional year, as my now 4 year old daughters are increasingly able and incredibly enthusiastic about getting out for hikes in the mountains and foothills. It is a constant evolution as they get bigger, trying to balance my desire to introduce them to new places and push their limits a bit to make them stronger, yet not push them over the edge to where they dislike what they are doing (I think this approach has been successful thus far). The majority of our hikes have been shorter (not more than 4 miles) and well within their abilities. We make it a point to keep it interesting for them along the way, which is not too difficult, as at this stage in their life, the World is so full of novel wonders and they soak it up like a sponge.<br />
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Running and racing was a bit of a mixed bag. I had some days where I felt as strong as ever, achieved a few PRs, but overall feel as though I am slowing a bit. Those great days where I feel as though I am defying gravity are fewer and further between. Age is catching up to me for sure and I am becoming less disciplined to a certain degree (not that I ever have been disciplined). Regardless of the numbers though, I had many enjoyable runs and races and still enjoy it immensely. <br />
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As for 2015, I have not really had time to give it much thought. I'm not sure how much I'll race or what my focus will be. Most likely the Pikes Peak Marathon, but I am also intrigued with some other races as well, so I have debated shifting my race priorities entirely. I also toy with the idea of not racing at all and fill that competitive void with doing what I like better anyways, just running my own challenges up/over/through the mountains. I would like to run the Pawnee/Buchanan loop again, though put in a bit of a more concerted effort this time. I would also love to run the Aspen 4 Pass loop hard (have hiked it before), want to summit some new (to me) 13ers/Centennials, be patient enough to hike another 14er with my aging dog Sierra, spectate/crew/pace at Hardrock, things along those lines.<br />
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Mostly though, I look forward to continuing to spend time in the mountains and desert with my wife, daughters and dog as the girls become stronger and more able bodied. Introducing them to the landscapes we love most has been infinitely more rewarding than anything else.<br />
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Oh yeah, almost forgot, for my fellow stat conscious friends:<br />
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1,335.5 miles (19 miles of that was "road" running (I include flat paths in road category)).<br />
553,934 vertical feet<br />
348 hours<br />
Avg. elevation gain: 2,506 feet<br />
Max. elevation gain: ~11,000 feet<br />
Max. distance: 42 miles<br />
159 Green Mountain summits<br />
20 Bear Peak summits<br />
16 S. Boulder Peak summits<br />
24 Sanitas summits<br />
6 Flagstaff summits<br />
4 14er summits<br />
9 13er summits<br />
1 12er summit<br />
4 Other summits<br />
1 Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim<br />
1 Pawnee/Buchanan Loop<br />
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I posted just a few favorite photos from 2014 below (OK, a lot, my mom is probably the only one that will look at them all) ;).<br />
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Racing the Sourdough Snowshoe Race in January (2nd place)<br />
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Running Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim, April. I went in fit and well prepared, but got sick, ran anyways and struggled to finish in a bit over 9 hours.<br />
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Spring Moab trip</div>
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Isabelle hiking most of the way up Sanitas on her own.</div>
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Very proud<br />
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Bolder Boulder. I was just barely able to sneak in sub 40, which I was relatively satisfied with, given my only flat running was the warm up jog before the race.<br />
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Early June trip to Lake City</div>
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The animal tracks chart helps to make these hikes even more interesting<br />
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A few new Centennial Peaks</div>
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Alpine Loop</div>
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Relaxing in Lake City<br />
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The Great Sand Dunes were a massive hit.</div>
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First (car) camping trip at the Great Sand Dunes<br />
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Amelie hiked up Green under her own power via the W. Ridge Trail</div>
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Just before the first crack of thunder which had me giving her a high speed piggy back ride to the car.<br />
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More hiking on Green Mountain</div>
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A banner wildflower year on the local hills</div>
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We went hiking at Brainard Lake at least once per week all summer</div>
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A day at the beach<br />
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Climbing (part way) up Mt. Spalding</div>
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Hiking to Lake Isabelle</div>
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Barr Trail Mountain Race</div>
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Just barely earned an old guy award<br />
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Maximizing my time (and yearly pass to Brainard), I was up here weekly running peaks and valley/lake trails.</div>
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My mum and niece Kylie came to visit</div>
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Allison, Sierra and I got to Crested Butte for a few days.</div>
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Before the start of the Pikes Peak Marathon</div>
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The Start<br />
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Bottomless Pit<br />
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Again, I miraculously snuck into an age group award despite a lackluster performance (a disastrous descent really).<br />
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Amelie on Sanitas</div>
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On my way up Buchanan Pass (Sept.)</div>
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Suffering bad on Pawnee Pass<br />
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Bill Wright's Rattlesnake Ramble</div>
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Very temporarily ahead of Andy Ames<br />
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Celebrating our 10th Anniversary at Rocky Mountain National Park</div>
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My dad came out for a visit too.</div>
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Sunflower Farm in Longmont</div>
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More hiking</div>
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Monster Dash in Louisville</div>
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A hike with the girls in lieu of the Basic Boulder</div>
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Sierra and I on Green</div>
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Celebrating Green #1,000 with great friends.<br />
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Maybe burrow racing in the near future? ;)</div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-69247968591422310752014-12-08T11:29:00.001-07:002014-12-08T11:33:42.253-07:00Monday, 12/08/14 Random Peak HuntingThursday, while on my way to run my usual Green/Bear/SoBo/Green circuit, I made an in car decision to go attempt Scar Top, starting from where the Eldo Road turns to dirt. I have been eyeing Scar Top and a few summits to the SW of Eldorado Springs for some time, yet had done very minimal research, just a quick glance at Google earth really. I was not sure if I would have the time to summit before I had to pick up the girls from school, as I had no idea what the distance was, but most importantly, did not know what the terrain would really be like. I ran into Eldo on the Fowler Trail, over toward the visitor center and stayed on the south side of the creek. I knew there was a side drainage that came in from the southwest, but it ended up being a bit further upstream from the center than I remembered seeing on Google earth. Initially there is a road, but this is just to access a major water pipeline and ended after just a minute or two. Above the pipeline, it was nearly 3 miles of hopping boulders through the flood ravaged box canyon. The flood was a benefit, in that it cleared out all of the brush, yet simultaneously somewhat of a detriment, as it meant a lot of loose rock and fallen trees. Progress was slow, but this valley was amazing, as there were quite a few newly formed emerald pools, a fair bit of moss, small waterfalls and was neat to witness the power of the floods.<br />
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It took me almost 90 minutes to travel the ~4.5 miles to the train tracks and from there, my view was a bit obscured and I was not sure where the summit of Scar Top was. I ran the tracks eastbound for 2 or 3 minutes to get a better view and saw some summits still high above (turns out it was Crescent and Jack's). I still debated it, but they looked further away than I had anticipated and the terrain was bushy and rugged. I decided to err on the side of prudence and turn back.<br />
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The route I had in my mind on Thursday<br />
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Actual route on Thursday (with an added side trip on the return to check out the recently re-opened Rattlesnake Gulch Trail)</div>
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On Saturday, Homie and I had a few hours in the morning to get out, so we headed to Coal Creek Canyon to climb Crescent Mountain and Jack's Peak, maybe Scar Top if we had time. We made quick work of the bushwhack up Crescent, then over to Jack's, but Scar Top looked a bit too distant (not that far, but a significant drop to the saddle and some complicated terrain). We both decided it would be best to not chance being late getting home and then spent some time on Jack's Peak now that we were not in a hurry.<br />
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I think my next plan of attack for Scar Top will be from Walker one day soon. Also looking to hike/run Thorondin and Star in the near future as well.<br />
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View of Coal Creek Peak from Crescent (Homie and I climbed Coal Creek a few years ago)<br />
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Cool view of Eldorado Mountain<br />
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Homie signing in<br />
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Unusual perspective of Green, SoBo and Bear from Crescent<br />
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Indian Peaks and Lucho's neighborhood in there somewhere.<br />
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Scar Top from Jack's, tantalizingly close, but maybe a bit too much to fit into our limited time frame.<br />
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View from Jack's toward Green, SoBo, Bear, Eldo (this is where I would have ended up on Thursday had I decided to keep going up).<br />
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Homie checking in on the Hardrock 100 lottery<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-76023683307634391132014-12-01T14:54:00.001-07:002014-12-01T14:54:35.065-07:00Sunday, 11/30/2014 One Thousandth Recorded Ascent of Green MountainPerhaps a bit anticlimactic, as I had 100 or more ascents of Green Mountain prior to when I began keeping track on December 1st, 2004, but 1,000 sounded like a good round number over 10 years and cause to celebrate. At the very least, a good excuse to get a group of great friends together for a run on my favorite hill. <br />
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Back in October, since we have shared quite a few summits together, <a href="http://www.antonkrupicka.com/blog/" target="_blank">Tony </a>and I had discussed the possibility of coordinating our official 1,000 summits of Green milestone, as he was coincidentally only 20-25 behind me at the time and was hopeful that he would catch up in a month or two (normally easy for him to do), but a nagging and recurring shin injury prevented him from closing that gap. Without really trying and sooner than anticipated, I found myself easily within range of reaching 1,000 in an even 10 years, which sounded good to me and so I reluctantly decided to plan for Nov. 30th. Ridiculous I know, but since I am no math wiz, these even numbers would make it really easy for me to do the calculations in my head (1,000/10 = 100) ;). Hopefully I can join Tony for his 1,000th in the next month or two as his shin improves.<br />
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When I started keeping track back in 2004, it was primarily to record vertical gain, my fastest times on various routes, different peaks, the mileage I was putting on test shoes, etc... and was all in an Excel spreadsheet. I never thought of reaching 1,000 on any peak. I could go back and get exact numbers (though I don't feel like it), but from 2004-2010, I would typically only run Green between 50-80 times per year, mostly in the Spring, Fall and Winter. This was mainly because more often than not, we were off to the high mountains for grander adventures.<br />
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But, in 2010, we had twins and our opportunities to get to the high country became drastically reduced and thus I ended up doing more running/hiking/adventuring locally. My usual yearly count then ended up being 150-180 and the total was quickly growing. Though I often visit the other nearby peaks, I keep coming back to Green, mainly, it fits perfectly into my schedule, when on most days, I only have about an hour. I guess I could do 2 laps on Sanitas in that time, but I am not a fan of the crowds there and Sanitas quickly feels repetitive. Bear Peak is awesome, but the added 10-15 or so minutes required is often out of the question for me when I already feel as though I am stretching my limits being out selfishly running. SoBo is great too, but that takes even longer, especially with the added driving, recent trail re-routes and flood damage in Shadow Canyon.<br />
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No matter how many times I get out on Green Mountain, I miraculously never get sick of it and it remains one of my favorite peaks. Every trip is a new adventure and it never ceases to amaze me how many various routes I can dream up and how much adventure can be found on this peak, only a mile or two from town. It can feel remarkably and deceptively remote at times. I have come to know each and every rock and log step in the trail (and now ladder rungs), notice when my right foot steps on a certain rock or log that I am out of sync vs. stepping in the same spot with my left. I enjoy the consistency, observing changes, tangibly monitoring my fitness on given routes, knowing where to expect ice, lingering snow, water, mud, animals, seeing familiar faces, etc...<br />
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Not sure if now I'll work on adding another 1,000 (probably), or check other peak counts and push toward 1,000 in other places. Most likely though, as is the case with all of my running and outdoor adventures, it will all just come along naturally and without a plan.<br />
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Some random highlights, memorable moments or thoughts of note over those years in no particular order (and I am forgetting or omitting many):<br />
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<li>Getting out there and sharing the trails with great friends, sister, father, mother, mother in law, my wife Allison, my dog Sierra and now slowly introducing my daughters to the trails. </li>
<li>Running Green the day after my daughters were born and feeling as though I were floating on air with the biggest smile on my face, wanting to tell the World about my good fortune. I happened to bump into <a href="http://trulyamazinglife.com/blog-2/" target="_blank">Aaron Kennard</a> near the summit and I could not help but to talk his ear off about it. I did not PR that day, but I was very close and it felt like nothing.</li>
<li>Summiting in any weather, be it -15 degrees, 100+ degrees, hurricane force winds, blizzards, night, rain, 1,000 year floods, etc.... Lightning is usually the only meteorological deterrent.</li>
<li>Carrying my twin daughters up and down the mountain, either both at once, or individually. It was quite the circus act carrying them both, as well as managing the dog.</li>
<li>Exploring random routes on the mountain, either planned or on a whim. Flatiron climbs, scrambles, remote ridgelines, chossy hillsides, boulderfields, poison ivy/oak, bush choked ravines, caves, tunnels, arches, getting lost, getting cliffed out, backtracking and making a game straight lining it to the summit.</li>
<li>Joining Homie for his last 3 of 10 laps in a day on Green Mountain.</li>
<li>Running the trails after the floods last year and having the trails entirely to myself. Parking away from trailheads, wearing earthy colors, never wearing headphones, always on the lookout, staying off trail when necessary, tracking footprints, stealth evading, close calls, exploring washouts start to finish. It was somewhat disappointing when the trails reopened in an odd sort of way. </li>
<li>Not being able to summit, bailing 2/3 of the way up after a blizzard and a few consecutive snowstorms in January 2007. The snow was just too deep and even with 30" snowshoes, progress was frustratingly slow and tedious. Not to mention, I carried my skis with me, but chickened out on skiing back down.</li>
<li>Quick changes in weather, inversions, being above the clouds, sunrises, sunsets.</li>
<li>Wildlife. Bears, rattlesnakes, bullsnakes, deer, grouse, fox, owls, eagles, falcons. I have yet to see a mountain lion, but have tracked them and have been tracked by them.</li>
<li>Setting a variety of PRs on the hill, up, down, up and down.</li>
<li>Hill intervals with George.</li>
<li>Botching a leap off the summit block and being rudely reminded of how hard and unforgiving rocks are.</li>
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Some photos from celebratory summit #1,000. All photos by <a href="http://georgezack.blogspot.com/2014/11/sunday-113014-jvs-1000th-ascent-of-green.html" target="_blank">George Zack</a>, unless otherwise noted.</div>
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Pausing to regroup on the ascent. <a href="http://andrewskurka.com/" target="_blank">Andrew</a> and <a href="http://www.aronralstonspeaker.com/" target="_blank">Aron</a>.</div>
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Aron and I<br />
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The true summit, that Joe contends was heli-lifted there. Not a "proper" summit, like Bear.<br />
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<a href="http://alpine-works.com/" target="_blank">Joe</a> snapping a photo of me.<br />
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With a polaroid no less.<br />
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(Joe Grant photo)</div>
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Clockwise from left: Aron, me, Homie, Joe, Tony, Andrew, Bruce<br />
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We had the pleasure of experiencing an amazing inversion and were above the clouds.<br />
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The following two photos I lifted from BoCo Ranger on Twitter, the first from the area near Walker looking toward Eldo.<br />
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From Sugarloaf you can see Green just barely peeking above the clouds, center left, then Bear and SoBo in the direct center.<br />
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Tailgating afterwards. Since I am one of two grown men on the planet who does not drink beer (along with Homie), George decided to bring me kid cereal instead to celebrate.<br />
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It was cold afterwards, but the storytelling and banter was too fun to pass up. Especially Joe, he is as good at telling stories in person as in his writing.<br />
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The change in weather on this day was incredible. I had originally dressed in shorts, as it was ~55 degrees as I was preparing to run, but literally in the span of a half hour, the temperature dropped 30 degrees. It was a good bit warmer above ~7,000 feet and much better in the sun above the clouds.<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-73102870021614197072014-10-28T13:45:00.000-06:002014-10-28T13:47:14.609-06:00Saturday, 10/25/14 Monster DashAfter last year's starting line debacle (poor information from the race crew) Amelie and Isabelle were eager to go back again to make right. This year, we signed up for the medium distance, 1/2 mile out and back course (vs. the 1 block Spooky Sprint last year). In all honesty, their main motivation was the opportunity to get dressed up as Snow White and Cinderella and parade around the streets of Louisville, but once we were there, they really seemed to be into the idea of the race.<br />
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It was really fun to lead them along and see them gut it out, surging past one another, then either blowing up, or just being courteous to wait up for each other. There may have even been some seeds of rivalry mixed in there as well.<br />
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They said they want to race Pikes with dad next, but I had to explain they have another 12 years to wait on that one. Plenty of time to train!<br />
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Miraculously, no pre-race trips to the potty, unlike myself, who ends up there 4 or 5 times beforehand.<br />
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"Good luck sis!"<br />
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We bumped into their twin friends, Neve and Meadow.<br />
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Pacing themselves, being careful to not go out too fast.<br />
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Isabelle getting a gap.<br />
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Isabelle looking a little worked<br />
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A final surge, all downhill now!<br />
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The final sprint for the line (was a tie).<br />
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Proud of their accomplishment.<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-75800957718101085312014-09-05T10:49:00.001-06:002014-09-05T11:11:26.438-06:00Thursday, 09/04/14 Buchanan/Pawnee Loop<div>
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7,334 vert.</div>
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6:26:44 (including ~20-25 minutes of stops)</div>
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<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/582835943" target="_blank">Garmin Data</a></div>
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This loop has been on my radar for a number of years and despite it being so close, for some odd reason I had not yet got around to it until today. On Tuesday, I realized that there might be a possibility of me getting a day pass on Thursday, which also happened to coincide with a good weather forecast. Once everything was in line, I sent out a handful of invites, but not surprisingly, nobody was able to join, it being so last minute and on a Thursday. I did not mind though, as much as I would have enjoyed some good company, I was equally excited about doing this on my own and enjoying the almost guaranteed solitude (solitude was right, as I saw not a single person from lower Audubon Trail 20 minutes in, until I got to Pawnee Pass 5 hours in).</div>
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I started from the Long Lake parking lot at 6:33am and it was surprisingly warm and calm, sunny and in the low 50's. I had waffled over the previous day as to what my intentions were for this run, whether to push hard for a fast time, or run it casually, take a lot of photos and perhaps add on Sawtooth and Crater Lake. I could not decide on either and ultimately decided to just get out there and run and take the day as it came (it ended up being a very moderate run, cruising mostly and never really pushing).</div>
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I started off feeling quite good, most of it simply from being fresh and enthusiastic about the day to come, yet I was careful to not push too hard, as I knew pacing would be key to get through this challenging 26 miles. It was such a great feeling to be cruising along in the warm morning sunlight, seemingly having the entire Indian Peaks Wilderness to myself.</div>
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Route finding was quite simple, with the only exception being the Coney Flats area, where there is a network of trails and dirt roads, but with some tips from friends and familiarizing myself with the area via maps and GPS tracks ahead of time, it ended up being really simple.</div>
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I pretty much felt good for the first 2.5-3 hours, but then went through a series of bad patches, nothing too serious, but I was not feeling particularly springy on the ascent of the Cascade Trail and pretty much just gave into enjoying the scenery, side trips to the many waterfalls and picture taking. My stomach was not all that great and even on this not too crazy long run, I was getting pretty sick of gels and shot bloks. Several times, I spent 3-5 minutes just sitting and drinking water, hoping my stomach would settle, which it eventually did a little. </div>
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Then a surprise foot issue arose. I wore my Hoka Stinsons (a new pair that I had only used twice thus far for short distances) and for some reason they really worked their way loose on the 6 miles descent of Buchanan Pass, so I stopped to re-tie them, but I think I went a bit too tight, as the outside edge of my right 5th metatarsal ended up hurting. I have also had a recurring plantar wart in the same spot, so I was not sure what was going on. I tried to tough it out for a bit, hoping it would go away, but then began an extended series of stops to tie/re-tie my shoes, take them off and feel inside, rub my foot, wrap the area with band aids. Ultimately, the band aids, combined with keeping my right shoe really loose alleviated the pain, but a big loose Hoka is not all that stable and made for awkward running/hiking.</div>
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Though I had given in to any real time goals, I was a bit frustrated to take so many time wasting stops and was now just eager to get over the final climb of Pawnee Pass, but this was no small feat. With some accumulated fatigue and a not so great stomach, this ended up being a real grind and never seemed to end. Since I typically favor steep technical terrain, I figured this section would play to my strengths, but I ended up slowly slogging the entire way up, often stopping to try and figure out how on earth the trail would work it's way through the steep talus and cliff bands.</div>
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Once on the pass, I was quite relieved and eager to finish off the remaining 5 miles of familiar, mostly all downhill trail. My energy returned a bit, but I was not feeling all that coordinated through the rocky, technical sections and was preoccupied with not rolling my loose Hoka.</div>
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Overall though, this is a top notch, scenic, challenging, interesting, uncrowded run that is quite a blast, I highly recommend it. I had a very enjoyable run despite my minor issues along the way and being pretty worked over at the end. It did not disappoint and lived up to expectations.<br />
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Wearing shoes that I had not put many miles in might have not been the best idea (though I was confident, as I never had an issue with my previous Stinsons) and I think my fitness/endurance is not quite where I would like to think it is. I have really slacked off after Pikes Peak and it showed on this run. This is a tough loop and I was pretty worked afterwards.</div>
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Splits:</div>
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Mt. Audubon TH - 5:36</div>
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Audubon Jct. - 28</div>
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Coney Flats - 1:01</div>
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Buchanan Pass - 1:59</div>
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Cascade Jct. - 3:06</div>
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Crater Jct. - 3:59</div>
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Pawnee Pass - 5:29</div>
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Lake Isabelle - 6:04</div>
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Finish Long Lake TH - 6:26:44</div>
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Looking North toward Longs early in the run</div>
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Typical terrain descending to Coney Flats. The trail was somewhat overgrown in spots.<br />
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Coney Flats, looking up toward Sawtooth and Buchanan Pass just to the right.<br />
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Decent scenery and I spooked a few moose through this section.<br />
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Sawtooth and Buchanan Pass on the right<br />
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Buchanan Pass<br />
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Looking West in the direction I am heading, dropping 3,000 vertical in 6 miles (most of the drop was in the first half)<br />
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An massive avalanche completely decimated the trail for a few hundred yards and required a bit of picking through to get across.<br />
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One of many waterfalls along the Cascade Trail. I took probably 200 pictures on the day, but I think I unwittingly had my camera on an odd setting for much of the run and this is the only half decent waterfall shot).<br />
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Surprisingly, there were still some decent lingering patches of wildflowers.<br />
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Looking down at Pawnee Lake<br />
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Looking up at Pawnee Pass. Seems impossible that the trail can go there.<br />
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But it does.<br />
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Looking back down the West side of Pawnee Pass.<br />
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Finally on the pass.<br />
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Looking toward Little Pawnee and Audubon<br />
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Just 5 miles to go down to those lakes.<br />
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Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-41201927808546275882014-08-20T07:41:00.000-06:002014-08-20T12:33:02.356-06:00Sunday, 08/17/14 Pikes Peak MarathonSunday, 08/17/14<br />
59th Annual Pikes Peak Marathon<br />
26.2 miles<br />
7,815 vertical<br />
4:59:38 (3:00:55 ascent)<br />
<a href="http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/race_results/2014_pikes_peak_marathon.htm" target="_blank">28th overall</a><br />
<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/568558039" target="_blank">Garmin Data</a><br />
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Short version: Could have been better, but am thankful that it was not much worse. Ran smart on the up, moving well, but still saving enough for the descent. Hit the summit in 18th place and was very much in the mix, close to a handful of guys who I hoped to pass on the descent. The descent ended up being a bit of a mess and I wound up losing 10 places, was 12 minutes slower than last year and not quite where I envisioned myself finishing. After some digesting though, I am reasonably OK with it.<br />
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Longer version:<br />
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"Training" or whatever you might call it (I generally refer to it as "just getting outside") went reasonably well this year. I got in my usual vertical (370,000 feet prior to Pikes this year), a Grand Canyon RRR run, a few PR's and some very solid and encouraging runs thrown in here and there. No injuries either to speak of, just the usual ups/downs of working full time and parenting 3 year old twins, maintaining a home etc... which can be much more exhausting than any runs or races I ever do in the mountains.<br />
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Normally I am able to get to 14k several times (or up to 30+ times in the pre kid years), but this year only managed to get up Grays and Torreys once. I was able to get in some 13ers here and there, primarily a few solid runs on Audubon/Paiute, which helps, but is not quite the same as getting to 14k in my opinion. However, despite the relative lack of altitude training, I still (correctly) suspected that it would not be much of an issue.<br />
I felt reasonably confident going into this race, felt well tapered and though antsy and somewhat nervous, had it all under control and was ready to give it my best.<br />
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Did not leave Louisville until nearly 7pm on Saturday evening (as Allison had to work and I was on daddy duty all day), which is a change from previous years, where I would arrive in time to get my number, attend the PPA awards and eat the spaghetti dinner. I like to soak up the race vibe and it puts me at ease being able to pin my number on the night before (but getting my number race morning turned out to be a non-issue).<br />
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Had a better than average night of sleep at my friend Jeff's house just 5 or so miles from the start (thanks Jeff!), a solid 7 hours worth, which is more than normal for me before this race. Parked a bit before 5:30am, just in time to get my favorite parking spot. Was able to eat breakfast with ease, a bowl of cereal with strawberries, an English muffin with jam and some coffee. I rode my bike up toward the finish to lock up for post race transportation and then bumped into <a href="http://georgezack.blogspot.com/2014/08/various-pike-thoughts.html" target="_blank">George</a>, where we ended up hanging out for much of the following hour leading up to the race. It was great prepping with George, as he helped keep me calm and distracted from getting too nervous.<br />
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The calm before the storm<br />
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(Gazette Photo)</div>
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)
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My shorts this year are actually shorter than George's</div>
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)
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Having some good laughs about Man Show bits</div>
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)
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I started off at the front and despite the pace feeling conservative, was surprised to find myself in 9th place until half way up Ruxton. I got passed by a few and did some re-passing, but generally maintained somewhere in the 11-15th range much of the way to Barr Camp. It felt as though I was moving well, but my time splits were not indicating any real magic and I knew I would go through my usual fading beyond Barr Camp. I just made a conscious effort to not be racing anybody (yet), stay within my own limits and pace myself reasonably.<br />
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo) </div>
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Looking at my watch, wondering if we are there yet.<br />
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)</div>
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)
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Up Ruxton. Seems MUCH shorter going up for some reason.</div>
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(Not sure who took this photo...)</div>
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(or this one)</div>
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Starting up the W's<br />
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(wait, who took this?)</div>
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(photo by Nancy Hobbs)</div>
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The ascent ended up being textbook for me, but it seemed as though I walked a bit more than normal just below A Frame and certainly above treeline. I forced a jog when I could, but most often noticed noticed that I could walk just as quickly at a slightly lower HR. Either way, I continued to will myself onward and upward and on the uppermost ~1,000 feet, I gained on and even caught several who had passed me just a mile or so below.</div>
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At the Cirque </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6xXdyzNje8/U_P_SnDqb4I/AAAAAAAAXqs/6OHcmUkdFrA/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6xXdyzNje8/U_P_SnDqb4I/AAAAAAAAXqs/6OHcmUkdFrA/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">(photo by Wes Go)</span></div>
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Looking haggard<br />
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I topped out in 3:00:55, 5 or so minutes slower than I intended, but at the time I thought I had conserved enough energy for a good descent. I paused for a moment to have my bib marked, sat and drank for no more than 30 seconds, and was on my way. Once I got my legs under me, I felt like I was moving well down the first mile or mile and a half, but I knew I was not moving quite as well as last year. My energy was still OK, but for good measure, I took another gel and drank some (my 4th and final gel after taking 3 on the ascent), hoping to give myself a bit of a boost. Below the Cirque aid station, the crowds became quite thick and although most were courteous and encouraging, there were a surprising percentage who took advantage by passing those in front of them who were properly yielding to downhill traffic. Ultimately, it most likely would have made very little difference, but I found it to be annoying and made it difficult to find a steady rhythm.</div>
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As I neared treeline, it was becoming more and more clear that I was quickly transitioning from not quite getting into a groove to starting to feel bad. Nothing specifically was wrong, no leg cramps, no abdominal cramps, but just a general feeling of not being strong or coordinated. My 32 minute split from the summit to A Frame (vs. 29 last year) confirmed this and I was a bit discouraged. I stopped at A Frame to drink a cup of water and a cup of gatorade, slowly walking trying to get my shit together, but it was not happening. From A Frame to Barr Camp was the low point for me and is where I got passed by the most people, as I alternated walking and picking my way through the rocks. On any given day, these more technical sections are where I should at the very worst be holding my own, if not gaining time on my competitors, but on this day, I was a bumbling fool.</div>
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I am ashamed to admit that I essentially gave up competing and felt sorry for myself. I just wanted to be done, but there is only one way off the mountain and that is down the trail. My resolve and willpower fluctuated wildly and I alternated between just surviving and pushing a bit.</div>
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Once at Barr Camp, I slowed and walked for more drinking and passed a guy who was in pretty rough shape, looking much worse than I (this very surprisingly happened 2 or 3 times). I was a touch better below Barr, but then slowed to a complete slow walk on some of the minor uphills and I kept expecting a train of runners. I also expected George to come by me at any point, as he was looking good and only a few minutes back at the summit. Sure enough, he soon came zooming by and I did not even try to keep up. I was happy that he was having a better day and encouraged him on to a possible masters spot.</div>
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I stopped for my last time at Bob's road and guzzled a few cups and was looking around for a place to sit, but there was nothing that looked comfy, so I pressed on. It was here that I started coming around a bit, not really feeling better, but something in my head clicked to push harder, I was back in a racing mindset somewhat, but I just really wanted to get this done.</div>
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By now it has progressed from pretty warm, to quite warm to very hot. One more quick cup of gatorade at the W's aid station and I could smell the finish. At that time, I caught sight of the lead woman, Anita Ortiz creeping up on me. A few switchbacks later, she was on my heels and I encouraged her by. She said I was doing fine, but I think she was just being nice. She gained a few seconds on me, but I stuck close and used her to pace off of.</div>
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Once at the final aid station on the dirt road, she peeled off to puke or dry heave, not sure which, but I shouted some encouragement and kept on going.</div>
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Finally on the last mile or so on Ruxton Ave., like previous years, I think I am home free, but also like previous years, I am deceived by how long it is to the finish. You have 7,800 feet of ascending in your legs and now nearly the same of descending, it is hot, it is paved and it feels like a cruel joke, as if somebody keeps adding another corner, then another, then another, then you think this has to be the last corner, then somebody yells "only 1/3 of a mile to go!!". I notice my watch clicking by quicker and quicker and I am getting really close to the 5 hour mark. I am sprinting now for all I am worth trying to not be the first person over 5 hours. I just barely sneak in at 4:59:38. Whew.</div>
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(Pikes Peak Sports Photo)</div>
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Dang that hurt!, but I am so happy to be done and take a seat next to George in the finish tent. Remembering how much it helped to lay on a cot last year and letting them talk me into an IV, I sheepishly head in that direction for some recovery. I most likely would have been fine with some time spent sitting and drinking, but being there early enough that most of the cots were empty, I figured I would head over there for some care, even if not entirely essential. They put a pulse ox on me and I had a reading of 82%, which concerned them a bit, so they put me on a nice flow of oxygen. Blood pressure was good, but they thought my color was a bit off, so again offered up the IV. Soon I was feeling much better and my oxygen level was back up to 98%, so I passed on the second bag of saline and was on my way. A huge thanks to the crew who took care of me.</div>
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(George Zack photo)</div>
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I finally headed out into the real world, cleaned up, ate and socialized with many friends and acquaintances, Dave H who came to cheer, George of course, Brett W, Don S, Tim S, Mark S, Bruce A (who was waiting for his wife to finish her double) and many others.</div>
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There was some confusion as to the results, but I called it to the race officials attention and after all the usual offsets for top 10 and masters, I ended up with a 2nd place 40-44 age group trophy. I felt a bit silly about it, somewhat undeserved, but I took it anyways.</div>
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George on the top step, me on the second. This has become somewhat of a tradition here at Pikes Peak. The empty podium step is for Dave Mackey, who could not make it to the race (who was racing some easier race in Leadville instead).</div>
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(Don Solberg photo)</div>
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Looks like a trophy, only smaller.<br />
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Though I was hoping to improve upon my 4:47 last year and once again score a masters top five placing (and the free entry that accompanies that), I came up a good bit short of that. I did not necessarily have a bad day, but I did not have a great day either. Maybe a good day with some bad moments, which I assume is the case for many others as well. That is the nature of these kind of events, especially something so unforgiving as Pikes. In shorter races, a bad patch can cost seconds or minutes, but on this hill, those deficits can compound quickly. During my down moments where I somewhat gave up, I figured I would end up walking it in for who knows what time, but am thankful that I was able to rally and sneak in under 5 hours. I have a bad tendency in these situations to be discouraged that I am last of those in front of me instead of being thankful of being ahead of the majority of the field behind me. I had to keep reminding myself of that which helped propel me forward.</div>
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Of course after the race, I pick apart the results and myself, questioning my resolve, my will to fight and compete, to improve upon my previous best and then am forced to reconcile that with reality. Like many, I really just do this for fun, I am by no means even close to a pro athlete and I don't have the desire to engage in a structured training program, speedwork, intervals, diet, or take away from my family. Perhaps those things may help for some, but I don't really respond well to it. It would become so much less fun, that it would most likely negatively impact my performance like it did when I was cycling in my 20's. Oh well, it sounds like a cop out, but I am slowly learning to accept that I get out of it what I put into it. Sometimes that is a lot (the journey and overall experience is very much worth it), other times I fall short. All part of the game.</div>
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I also have to remind myself that despite not meeting my expectations, it is quite an honor to be able to run up Pikes Peak and back and I do not take it for granted. My times will gradually slow and someday I may not be able to run this race, so I try to appreciate all that I have now.</div>
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Random thoughts in random order:</div>
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<li>I have heard various complaints about the shirts. Though in my mind not a big deal, I too have to admit that they are not my favorite (looks a bit like a LA Rams jersey, or perhaps something an Admiral would wear) and I would be a bit sick of the purple if I were running the Ascent. They have also seemed a bit too similar over the past 4 years. I would love to see a different design next year, maybe something short sleeve, gender specific colors, or even a no shirt option for the race at an appropriately reduced price. The grey short sleeve shirts that the race staff were wearing were quite nice and would be a step up from the usual. More of a suggestion though than a complaint.</li>
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<li>Questions and comments from my 3 year old daughters when I got home: "Daddy, did you see any balloons? Did you see any animals?
Why was George Zack not wearing a shirt? Daddy, did you win? How come you did not win? Because you are older? Did George Zack win? I want to race Pikes Peak Marathon with you dad! (Amelie) I want to race the Tour de France (Isabelle)</li>
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<li>The Hoka Huaka was the PERFECT shoe for this event. Light, stable, great control, protection, cushion, just enough traction and I was the least beat up afterward of any of my previous Pikes Peak Marathons (wore the Stinson last year, Bondi the year before, Pearlizumis the year before). Some of that may have to do with not running as fast down the mountain this year, but still.</li>
<li>On the descent, I was grumpy and was thinking this was my last Pikes after 6 Ascents and now my 4th marathon since I first ran here in 2004 (missed 2009 due to a broken foot). I still contemplate other races, but suspect I'll be back next year to redeem myself. Even if I don't ever live up to my expectations here, I still love the race, the tradition, the mountain, organization, friends and overall experience.</li>
<li>I was surprised how minimally impacted I was physically after the race (well, after the oxygen and IV). I was a bit slow the next day on the stairs, but I could fake a pretty normal walk. Shoulders, glutes, arms and lower back were a bit sore and stiff. No blisters or sore spots on my feet/toes. Am taking 3 days off, partially as recovery, but mostly because live coverage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge is cutting into my normal post work running time.</li>
<li>Ate 3 gels on the ascent (before Bobs, before A Frame and around 1.5 to summit, then a last one ~1.5 down from summit. Carried a bottle, sipped off it often, but the bulk of my fluids came from stopping on the descent and guzzling a few cups each time.</li>
<li><a href="http://georgezack.blogspot.com/2014/08/various-pike-thoughts.html" target="_blank">George has an excellent summary here</a>, does a much better job conveying thoughts on the race and has many points I can relate to.</li>
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Splits:<br />
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Ruxton: 2:52<br />
Hydro: 9:32<br />
Top of Ws: 32:04<br />
No Name: 47:21<br />
Barr: 1:23:35<br />
A Frame: 2:02:50<br />
Summit: 3:00:55<br />
A Frame: 3:32:59<br />
Barr: 3:59:16<br />
Bob's Road: 4:19:32<br />
No Name: 4:28:12<br />
Top of Ws: 4:39:19<br />
Finish: 4:59:38<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-32939542331754580552014-08-19T06:49:00.000-06:002014-08-19T10:42:29.541-06:00Wednesday/Thursday 08/13-14/2014 Crested ButteAllison and I got a few days to ourselves while the girls went RV camping with Nana and Papa, so we headed up to one of our favorite places, Crested Butte for 3 nights. Staying there was almost tortuous for me, being right on the ski hill and near so many peaks I have not yet climbed, my brain goes into mountain madness overload, nearly short circuiting, wanting to run/hike/climb/bike up everything in sight. I feel like a kid in a candy store. But, with the Pikes Peak Marathon looming in a few days (and it being a trip to be shared with Allison), I was just barely able to contain myself.<br />
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We did get out for a few nice hikes, Ruby Mountain from Irwin Lake and then the following day, we started from Schofield Pass and headed for 13,323 ft. Belleview Mountain, which includes some of the 4 Pass Loop and sits between W. Maroon Pass and the Maroon Bells. I had climbed it before, but would have been a new one for Allison. The views are normally pretty amazing, but the weather did not cooperate and we ended up just hiking to W. Maroon Pass, which still ended up being our 2 nd consecutive 10 mile day, so probably for the best.<br />
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The wildflowers though were a highlight, surprisingly, even this late in the summer, they were at their absolute peak and I spent both days snapping a zillion photos. I was also really happy to bring Sierra along, she is getting older (11) and does not have the speed/endurance/fitness that she once had, but still loves getting out there and with a bit of patience, can do just fine. Like us, there is nothing she likes more than romping above treeline and is almost like she is a puppy again.<br />
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Here are a "few" shots:<br />
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Green Lake, beneath Ruby/Owen<br />
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Sierra enjoying the views<br />
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Owen from Ruby<br />
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Green Lake from summit of Ruby<br />
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All smiles. She could not have been happier<br />
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The flowers along 1970 Trail leading to the 4 Pass Loop are just absolutely insane, an almost surreal mosaic for as far as the eye can see.<br />
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On the 4 Pass Loop (which she has completed in it's entirety)<br />
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On our way up, these clouds were chasing us.<br />
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Heading for W. Maroon Pass<br />
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Those clouds finally caught us<br />
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Visibility became minimal and it was raining pretty steady<br />
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Even though a random Thursday, there were a few a few handfuls of people out there "card camping", hiking to/from Aspen/CB and hopping a shuttle stay a night in either spot. There were also some backpackers doing the 4 Pass Loop. Being here again has me itching to run the 4 Pass Loop (hiked it 7 or 8 years ago in a very relaxed ~10 hours).<br />
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Pyramid Peak, in that fog somewhere<br />
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Mt. Crested Butte. I LOVE running straight up/down ski slopes for some reason and almost went for this, it looks so close, but I have done it a few times before and know it is a stout climb, definitely not a great taper run just a few days out from a goal race.<br />
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The hotel provided a free lift ride. Kind of touristy, but was fun, and odd to be riding a lift without skis.<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-86142822545108572152014-08-04T11:13:00.001-06:002014-08-04T11:22:16.846-06:00Friday, 08/01/14 Mt. Audubon PRSince I have only been to 14k once this summer (in June) and previously once in December since last Pikes Peak, I was hoping to get in a solid run to 14k on Friday in preparation for the Pikes Peak Marathon, but family obligations once again prevailed. We settled with the compromise of Brainard Lake, where Allison and the girls could ride their bikes, do some light hiking, wade in the lake (they are braver than I) and search for moose (they spotted 5 huge bulls).<br />
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We got somewhat of a late start and I was a bit antsy about the building clouds early in the morning, but there was enough intermittent blue sky to remain optimistic. Because of the late hour and the need to easily meet up afterwards, we parked in one of the large lots on the East side of Brainard Lake. As I was preparing, dark clouds became more prominent, the clouds shrouded the summit and a cold wind kicked up, making the mid-50's temps feel even cooler. I reacted by putting on a long sleeve shirt (along with my short sleeve) and added a light windbreaker, beanie and gloves to my shorts pocket (turns out I was a bit too warm with the added shirt and did not use the other gear).</div>
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The added ~mile to the Mitchell Lake served as a good warm up and I started up the trail at 9:58am. I felt peppy on the warm up, but as soon as I upped the effort on the trail, I knew right away that I was in for a great run. The initial section is gradual, serving as a nice warm up, but since already warmed up, I was moving pretty good. I feel as though I hardly slowed as the trail steepened and became more rocky, was just in a perfect flow and I was feeling unusually strong and fluid.</div>
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The trail was quite wet in spots above treeline, somewhat of a creek really from the recent rains, but was only of minimal impact. I arrived at the Audubon/Notabon saddle in 46:50-ish and knew if I could maintain the effort, I would be at or near PR for the ascent. I kept up a good pace, but lost a little time doing my best to stick to the sometimes hard to follow trail, that is mostly direct, but meanders a bit.</div>
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Hit the far summit cairn/shelter in 56:48 and without pause turned to head back down, making quick work of the upper section and then started to push a little more below the saddle. It is hard to go too fast, as it is quite rocky and bouldery, but did my best to be efficient and my feet felt quite accurate and precise.</div>
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I pushed a bit toward the end, trying my best to gain time, but was not really aware of what my PR was and finished in 1:34:05. I just felt great and knew it would be one of my better runs. When I got home, I looked through my records and found that I have multiple ascents in the 55-56 range, but am not entirely sure which of those were sticking precisely to the trail or beelining it a bit from below the saddle (I know the 55 involved some shortcutting). The best RT time I could find was a 1:38:50 from 2010. I have been on Audubon or Audubon/Paiute weekly for the past 5 weeks and on the 4th of July, clocked a 1:03/43 on the same route, so to shave so much time was a huge surprise.</div>
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What does it all mean? History has told me that it means about nothing, but it sure made me feel great that day and indicates that my fitness is good. This run was certainly on par with any of my best runs ever. I often worry that I am slowing (and in general, I am a bit), but days like this prove to me that on a great day, I can still match or surpass my old self. Of course, Pikes is 900 feet higher in elevation and a LOT longer, but I am feeling as ready as I have ever been and confident that I can improve there still.</div>
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I must also take this opportunity to rave about the Hoka Huaka. This shoe really excelled on a run like this, as it is light and responsive enough to feel really speedy on the up and down, but also provide awesome protection and cushion, allowing me to push a bit harder on the down than I might otherwise. Key to this though is the stability and control in this shoe, which I have not found in other Hokas. Though the tread is minimal, I did not slip of skitter once, even when pushed hard on a rocky, wet, technical trail such as Audubon. I HIGHLY recommend this shoe for anybody looking for maximum performance in a very light shoe with tons of cushion and protection (I have no affiliation with Hoka, this shoe is just that good and the next step in shoe technology I believe).</div>
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Splits: 1st switchback - 7:50</div>
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Beaver Creek Trail Split - 18:59</div>
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Saddle - 46:50</div>
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Summit - 56:48</div>
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Saddle - 1:02:32</div>
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Finish - 1:34:05 (37:16 descent)</div>
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Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-85681078097094943232014-07-22T06:53:00.001-06:002014-07-22T07:01:01.564-06:00Paiute Peak and Mt. Audubon10 miles<br />
3,439 vert.<br />
2:48<br />
(Stats/Time from far end of the Eastern most lot, East of Brainard Lake)<br />
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Got out for a great little run/hike over the weekend on Paiute and Audubon. Arrived at Brainard a bit late (8:30am-ish) and had to park in one of the last remaining spots in the large lot on the East side of the lake, which meant an extra mile each way. No biggie, a nice warm up.<br />
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Took it fairly moderate up to Blue Lakes, then meandered a bit beyond there searching for the path of least resistance through the talus and tall willows, taking many wildflower/scenery photos along the way and enjoying the solitude.<br />
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The "route" up Paiute is steep and loose in spots and there are many different ways, but is fun and ends quite quickly (1:27 from the car), then another half hour to Audubon along the not too technical (but enjoyable) ridge.<br />
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As crowded as it was around the Brainard Lake area, there were only a few people to pass on the trail to Blue Lakes, then only 2 on the ridge between Paiute and Audubon, then a few handfuls on the descent of Audubon, so a relatively peaceful day in the hills.<br />
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Looking up at Audubon and the significant notch in the SE Ridge (have not done that route, yet)<br />
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Finally getting to see some Columbines, my favorite flower of all time.<br />
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Mt. Toll<br />
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Blue Lake<br />
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Paiute<br />
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Paiute and upper Blue Lake<br />
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I debated Mt. Toll, but was a bit too pressed for time to add it.<br />
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Looking South<br />
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Audubon, 1 mile to the East<br />
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Looking North<br />
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There is a hidden class 3 route there on Toll that I need to check out soon<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-65591867157678281272014-07-15T10:19:00.002-06:002014-07-15T11:41:27.653-06:00Sunday, 07/13/14 Barr Trail Mountain Race14th Annual Barr Trail Mountain Race<br />
Sunday, 07/13/14<br />
1:58:40<br />
12.79 miles<br />
3,633 vert.<br />
Avg. HR 174<br />
1:13 up to Barr<br />
:45 Down<br />
Avg. Pace 9:17<br />
<a href="http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=40999&relist_record_type=result&lower_bound=0&upper_bound=188&use_previous_sql=1&group_by=default#racetop" target="_blank">14th/188 Overall</a><br />
<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/541003443" target="_blank">Garmin Data</a><br />
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Had a great time at the Barr Trail Mountain Race. Ran this one in 2006 and enjoyed the course and organization, but had a terrible race due to the heat, sucking on the downhill, complicated by severe blisters on my feet. I have always wanted to come back to put in a better effort, but never really got around to it for whatever reason and for the past 5 years, have been working Sundays, so I save my Sunday favors for when I really need them. This year however, I passed on the Mt. Evans Ascent and decided to hit up BTMR instead, as it is a great primer for the Pikes Peak Marathon in just over a month.<br />
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Had great accommodations less than 10 minutes away from the start at my friend Jeff Kunkle's house (thanks Jeff!), but was wide awake before 3:30am. I was not nervous, but just woke to pee and could not get back to sleep, just getting antsy I guess. Headed into Manitou, found some close free parking near Soda Springs Park and biked up to the start line/cog to get my number. Took my time getting ready as I was quite early, with plenty of time for warming up (on the bike mainly riding up Ruxton and all over town looking for an open bathroom).<br />
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The race started promptly at 7am and it was warm, but not too hot yet. The fast runners went off the front as expected, as did the not quite as fast runners, as expected. I was sure to not get caught up in the excitement and settled into a comfortable and sustainable pace in probably 25th position, but it seemed further down.<br />
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Gazzette Photo</div>
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Once the course turned from pavement to dirt, I kept my effort the same, but runners started to come back to me one by one, pretty consistently through the Ws. I casually peeked down on each switchback and could see a few groups of two or three pushing a solid pace, so that motivated me to not let up, but I was in the rare (for me) mindset of hunting forward vs. worrying about who was behind.</div>
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Following photos from Darin Shearer's Flickr page: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106264346@N08/with/14670031453">https://www.flickr.com/photos/106264346@N08/with/14670031453</a><br />
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Hunting at the top of the Ws. This was my final pass on the up, just at the top of the Ws that put me into 15th place.</div>
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After passing at the top of the Ws, aside from occasional glimpses of eventual women's winner Brandy Erholtz up ahead, I saw no other racers until near Barr Camp as the runners ahead of me were coming down. The out/back nature is great, because you can count your placing, see how others are looking and accurately gauge where you stand. It is also bad, because others see where you are and how you are looking. Everyone ahead of me looked really fast and too far ahead for me to catch, except for one guy who looked to only be a few minutes up and I could tell he was struggling a bit. I smelled blood.<br />
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A quick turn at Barr Camp and I was relieved to get going with the down (somebody was there cheering "Go JV!!, but I was not sure who you were, thanks for the support if you are reading and sorry to not recognize you, I was in the zone so to speak). I was tempted to just go for it right away, but took the time to take a gel and a few sips of water just for good measure. I'm not sure I really needed this though for a sub 2 hour effort and in retrospect regret the wasted time (I get distracted by this, taking me way too long it seems during a race, a good 5 or 6 minutes before I really started pushing at my best). In 2006, it was the descent where I really fell apart and crowds of people passed me, but this year I was determined to hold my ground. <br />
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I cruised pretty well in general, never letting my effort flag and keeping the HR up as high as I could, but I found myself occasionally getting some good abdominal cramps. It is odd that this NEVER happens to me in training, yet happens occasionally to me on the Barr Trail. Have not figured that one out yet. I found myself having to slow periodically to help temper the cramp while rubbing it with my hand as best I could, but did not let it discourage me.<br />
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Above No Name, I could hear the screams from the aid station crew just ahead and knew that I was gaining on somebody. Hearing this had me amped up and I blew through the aid station in full pursuit.<br />
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I caught my first glimpse of the runner ahead a little ways below the rock arch and could feel that primal surge of adrenaline pound through my chest and head. I soon caught him shortly into the Ws and moved into 14th place. At first, I seemed not so sure that I could make the pass stick, but I knew that I had gained those minutes on him for a reason and kept on forcing the pace. Soon he was gone, but I was not naive enough to coast it in and rest on my laurels just yet, as I have been bit by this mindset in the past. The watch kept clicking by way faster than I wanted though and I knew I was flirting with the 2 hour mark which had me motivated to keep pressing.</div>
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The finish is not all down hill though and I was fearing the short, but very steep kick up to the line. The crowds there were very enthusiastic and I was still feeling great, so I was able to give it a strong kick to the line.</div>
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I ended up a good 5 or so minutes slower than where I really expected/hoped to be (and anticipated placing a bit higher in masters/age group), but I was 5 minutes faster than my 35 year old self from 2006 and was comforted by the fact that I gave it my best effort on the day, ran smart and metered my effort quite well. If I have any regrets, it was the 2nd dinner I had at Chik Fil A at 9:30pm night before and waking up waaaay too early. The late night fast food might have had something to do with the cramps (and poor sleep), not sure why I did this really. I have a bit of work before the quickly approaching Pikes Peak Marathon in another month, but I feel that I am on track. All in all a great time at a well run race. A huge thank you to the organizers, race volunteers and fellow competitors, I can't wait to go back next year!</div>
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3rd place 40-49 trophy</div>
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Notes (to self next year when I am reviewing):</div>
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Wore my Garmin watch, which I don't normally do, but I think it helped me stay on top of my effort vs. distracting me (which is what I fear and thus typically leave it behind for races).</div>
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Used the Hoka Huakas for this race. They absolutely rocked, super light, great cushion and just enough traction for a highway of a trail like Barr.</div>
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I ate too much the previous night, much of it junk. I need to eat smarter the night before and perhaps a little less the morning of for such a short effort.</div>
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I am not much into massages, but I was one of the first ones down to Soda Springs Park, so I took advantage of a free massage, compliments of Camino Massage Therapy. I was on the table for what seemed like a good 20 minutes and felt much better afterwards, I would highly recommend them.</div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-35572896339016482952014-06-22T13:55:00.000-06:002014-06-22T14:04:05.657-06:00Sunday, 06/22/14 TrainingWe have been off to a bit of a slow start, but the girls are quickly becoming better at hiking and increasing their strength and endurance. They are really good at climbing and with a bit of patience, they can ascend Sanitas or the upper half of Green, but descending is still a bit of an issue on the steeper technical descents. <br />
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We are working hard on it though and I am trying to get them into better hiking shoes that have some traction, as their current shoes really suck for anything steep and somewhat loose. I hardly see any of these trails as that loose when running on my own, but even the slightly pitched gravel on hard pack proves to be a challenge to the 3 year old hiker. If I can't find any well treaded shoes for a decent price (they grow out of them in just a few months so I don't want to spend a lot), I am contemplating making them some screw shoes like I have so frequently used in the winter. <br />
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Despite all this though, they really enjoy exploring the trails and LOVE the mountains, so I am confident they will make great improvements over time and before long, I'll be struggling to keep up with them.<br />
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Isabelle climbed up most of Sanitas this spring.<br />
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Enjoying some great hiking in the San Juans a few weeks ago.</div>
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Amelie and I hiked Green Mountain last week via W. Ridge</div>
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Shortly after this photo, we were running off the peak at full speed because of a thunder storm.<br />
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Yesterday, we hiked from Realization Point on Flagstaff Road, up Greenman/Ranger onto the NW Ridge. I was tempted to coax them to the summit of Green, but we were short on food and there was a good chance I would have ended up carrying both of the down most of it. Was a good call.</div>
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Teaching them how to poach closed trails at a young age on the new Gregory Road bypass the parallels the washout on the North side.</div>
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The new trail soon ends, then some mellow bushwhacking.<br />
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Negotiating a washout.<br />
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Jellybean break<br />
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Cranking up some steps.<br />
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Another snack break<br />
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They thought the washout was "sad"<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-491666844966406042014-06-19T23:26:00.001-06:002014-06-19T23:28:54.187-06:00Thursday, 06/19/14 Bear/SoBo/GreenAfter spending the day doing house chores, digging up the yard to re-route some of the sprinkler system in the sun, chasing sprinkler parts at Home Depot, going to music class (for the girls) and chasing two 3 year old's all the while (along with a trip to the "sprinkler park" here in Louisville), by dinner time, I was downright beat. I had originally intended to join <a href="http://georgezack.blogspot.com/2014/06/brr-summer-meet-2-061914.html" target="_blank">GZ in running the mile race over at the track meet at CU</a>, just for kicks (I even pulled a light pair of road shoes out from down in the crawl space to prepare), but as the hour drew near, I was still hip deep in sprinkler system work and subconsciously kept pushing on and delaying my departure, until it was about too late. Too tired to go run a mile, I decided to use the pre-approved time to go hit some peaks and suddenly I was not all that tired anymore.<br />
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Parked at Cragmoor, headed up Fern to Bear, then SoBo, back to Bear, West Ridge to Green and back down Bear Canyon. Awesome evening run, went mostly casual with some occasional intervals where I pushed the pace a bit more (mostly on the descents to compensate for my many photo stops and to beat the impending darkness). The loop took 2:21 and I felt great at the end, quite fresh and rejuvenated. Would have done another lap if I had the time/daylight. I just love these June evenings where I can run until 9pm without a headlamp, cruising deserted singletrack on my own, having summits to myself and having the freedom to go as fast or slow as I feel, turn here, go there, temporarily with no obligations, responsibilities, worries, demands, expectations. Pure freedom.<br />
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The wild flowers are still great on Bear and this time I remembered to bring my camera and snapped a bunch of photos along the way which greatly added to my enjoyment this evening.<br />
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On Bear, just above the Bear/SoBo saddle<br />
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Looking South from the summit of SoBo. Things were pretty quiet on the trails this evening, I essentially saw nobody for most of the time.<br />
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Looking back at Bear<br />
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A long, boring and shaky video I took running down W. Ridge Trail, probably my favorite section of trail in all of OSMP. Buffed enough to cruise much of is fast, with just enough technical to keep it interesting. Not to mention the views (improved post fire) and the current explosion of flowers.</div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-54534887381936766492014-06-09T08:52:00.003-06:002014-06-19T22:50:51.649-06:00Monday, 06/02/14 Unnamed Pt's 13,832 and 13,811Unnamed Pt's 13,832 and 13,811<br />
06/02/2014<br />
14 miles<br />
5,510 vert.<br />
4:19<br />
From William's Creek TH<br />
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I knew that being on a
family vacation for a few days in Lake City would be a mixed blessing. On
one hand, it is a beautiful area with lots to see and do, but is simultaneously
tortuous not being able to just go nuts and tackle every peak in sight. I packed a bit of extra gear for this trip (Microspikes, a
good flashlight and my Ultimate Direction
AK vest), just in case I was able to fit in a short outing and as luck would have
it, I found a narrow window of opportunity on Monday morning. I debated what to do,
as I really wanted Sunshine/Redcloud for my very slim 14er x 2 list and scoped
out the Winter route from the Mill Creek campground. This looked great, steep and free of snow,
but I suspected it might be a bit tedious and perhaps time consuming navigating
the initial steep section through the minor cliff bands in the dark, as
efficiency would be key.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have also been looking forward to climbing
Centennial Un-named Pts. 13,832 and 13,811 for some time and after doing a
little research, found that there is a good trail to treeline from the Williams
Creek TH and figured these would fit well with my limited time. If I got started early enough and went fast
enough, I may be able to tack on Redcloud also.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Awoke at 3:40am, was
out the door at 4am and drove slowly to the Williams Creek Trailhead,
eating my breakfast and dodging deer standing in the road. Got started at 4:37am and
felt good, but I am a bit of a slowpoke in the dark and I struggled a bit to
maintain what seemed like a reasonable pace, casually jogging the flatter
sections and power hiking the shorter steeper pitches. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first smaller creek
crossing was flowing good, but there were a few logs to skip across which made
it easy. I knew there would soon be a second creek crossing and had
noticed a note in the trail register stating “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE
SECOND CREEK”, which I passed off as an exaggeration, but knew it might be an
indicator that I would be getting wet and or cost me precious minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I reached the 2<sup>nd</sup> creek
11 minutes in and it was flowing quite high with no bridge or logs to hop
across, so I bushwhacked upstream and downstream, but found no way across
without getting wet. I tried dragging a few logs, but moving and
positioning one large enough to span the creek seemed like more work than it
was worth. After 5+ minutes of this, I finally just decided that to get
across, I would have to dip a foot. Fortunately, I made a last minute
decision to wear my La Sportiva Crossover GTX (Gore Tex with built in gaiters),
which turned out to be a great decision for the day. Despite the deep
plunge (I nearly made it), my foot was perfectly dry on the other side.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Creek crossing on my return trip.</span>
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The trail beyond was
excellent and made for easy cruising. I finally packed away my light a
little after 5:10am, as the trail steepened, my pace slowed a bit and
the faint morning light became just enough to see. It seemed to take
forever to reach treeline, but I was happy to not really encounter any snow,
aside from some avoidable patches, or solid snow that I could walk
across.</div>
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This trail is awesome, buffed out single/double track with amazing scenery (pictures taken on the descent)</div>
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Once I hit the open, solid, snow covered slopes
above treeline, I put on the Microspikes and following Roach's description, aimed for point 13,632, which lies in between the two summits.
Having not been above treeline since my December climb of Evans with Homie, I
just plugged along, never really pushing, but never letting up either aside
from the occasional photo op. I was surprised to not be sucking too much
wind, feeling reasonably good considering (though my time/pace indicates that I
have a good bit of acclimating to go). I
think I was just enjoying myself so much, that I didn’t even think of much else, other than the views and how happy I was to be above treeline, in the San Juans, in
June. It does not get better than this.<o:p></o:p><br />
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13,832 and 13,632 at center of photo. My ascent line starts at very center right of photo to 13,632<br />
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Perfect snow for efficient ascending<br />
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Redcloud and 13,832<br />
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13,832<br />
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Uncompahgre<br />
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Wetterhorn distant center<br />
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Still some good snow up high, but it is game on in the San Juans<br />
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I arrived on 13,832 after 2:29 and spent just a few
minutes taking some photos and sucking down a gel, before heading East toward
13,811, which is 1.4 miles away. I felt great and momentarily considered
pushing on to Redcloud, but I knew that going there, with the return vertical
would have me a bit late returning to the family. </div>
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Though helpful, but not
entirely necessary, I kept the Microspikes on much of the time for the snow
above treeline, yet on occasion felt compelled to remove them, which cost a bit
of time. I am not entirely sure whether or not the snow helped or
hindered my progress, as I was generally pretty careful on it, not wanting to
take a slip, or plunge in too deep (it is pretty quiet out there on these non
14er peaks, early season on a Monday morning).
I think overall it may have cost me some time, but it did make for
enjoyable walking for the most part.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking back at 13,632 and 13,832 from 13,811</div>
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The summit of 13,811 arrived
35 minutes later (3:04 elapsed), I took a few minutes here for photos, soaking
in the views and another gel, then got boogying down the upper snow
slopes. It was not too steep, but it was
frozen and I would have been a bit more confident with an axe, so I took it
pretty slow and easy until I reached the grassy ridge and less steep snow. From there, it was off with the spikes and
was all fun cruising on the way back down, where I finished up just before 9am
(4:19 total). Though a moderate effort, I figured this would take me closer to 3 hours, 3:30 tops, but the tough creek crossing, snow, stopping for photos and lack of acclimatization made things a little slower than I thought. Plus, how could I hurry too much and not enjoy it a bit?</div>
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Cruising down this gave me the biggest grin and I may have let out a few loud joyous cheers.<br />
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It seems like so long since
I have been down to the San Juans, perhaps 5 or 6 years when Homie, Sierra and I went on a couple day peak bender. It
was refreshing to see so many peaks I have not climbed or even know the names
of. Being in Lake City also got me fired
up to run the SJS next year, something that has always been on my list, having
even registered once but had to bail on due to injury.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Post hike/run, we had a great
day taking the girls on a hike and ghost town tour, which they absolutely
loved. They are eager to get up the big
peaks too, so there will be much more of this to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-42612349051632817622014-05-28T14:25:00.002-06:002014-05-28T14:30:24.116-06:00Monday, 05/26/14 Bolder Boulder2014 Bolder Boulder 10k<br />
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39:39</div>
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8/434 age group (42 y/o)</div>
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454/50,000 + depending on the source</div>
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This was my 6th consecutive Bolder Boulder and each year after the race, I promise myself that next year, I will commit to some specific training for the event, yet each year in the preceding months, I simply can't deviate from my routine of running mountains. The thought of leaving the house or the office for a run on streets or flat paths, no matter how beneficial it may be to increase my speed, has absolutely no appeal for me. It feels incredibly forced and it takes all of my willpower to urge myself to move forward and I almost always pick doing nothing over flats/roads if I can't make it to a hill. Some years, I'll do a few runs on the flats, even regularly in 2011 and 2012 when I somewhat embraced running with the baby jogger, but I enjoyed that added challenge and frankly, it was that or nothing on some days. I am just not a runner at heart, for the sake of running I guess.</div>
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So, I basically approach the race each year with the acceptance and understanding that I am way out of my wheelhouse and just give it my all on the day with whatever fitness I have from my much slower trail running.</div>
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This year I was a bit unsure as to my ability to meet my baseline goals for this event, run faster than my age, break 40, place in my age group. Anything beyond that would be a bonus, anything worse would be deserved and I certainly would deserve it, having only run 6 miles of flat path this year, struggling to maintain 7:50 pace 3 weeks ago.</div>
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I got to the race start with about 45 minutes to warm up, which for me really just means searching for uncrowded places to use the bathroom over and over, then jogging around socializing with friends and acquaintances that I happen upon.</div>
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Once in the start coral, I was a little bummed to be in the AA wave after having the honor of being in the A wave last year, but knew deep down I was in the appropriate spot. Waiting for this race to start each year, I hear what must be the highest concentration of sandbagging on the planet and it is always amusing to me. "Yeah, I have not been running much", "my knee hurts", "I was up till 1:30 last night", "I have been sick", "I have been at sea level", "I just run Green Mountain every day". One friend complaining of not running AND having a knee injury ran the course in 32 minutes. Only in Boulder.</div>
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I debated easing my way up to be on the front of the start line for the AA wave, but just settled for a six or seven person deep start position. Once the race started though, I found this to be a bit of a mistake, as I felt a bit limited by being stuck in a crowd and was running slower than I would have liked. On the plus side though, I figured it was not all bad, as it prevented me from starting off too fast, which I can be tempted to do on occasion.</div>
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I eventually eased into what seemed like a sustainable pace and held my own in the crowd, rarely getting passed and slowly picking people off, passing crowds of runners by just simply running the tangents. I just can't understand why so many people, maybe half that I see, swing so wide on the turns and run clear across to the far side of the street.</div>
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Around 2 miles in, I spot a short figure ahead. As I get closer, I see that it is a young girl, hard to tell her age, but she was really small and it took a while to get around her, as she was really moving strong. I looked her up later and found out that she is 12 years old and was only 11 seconds behind me. Impressive.</div>
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The "big hill" on the course at mile 4 seemed a bit slow, I noticed that my pace dipped to over 7:00 pace and my HR went up to 178, but I was careful not to blow up and with the nice downhill following, I was able to regain my momentum. Though I was pushing, I never really felt like I was going too hard and the pace seemed quite sustainable. I have no top end, just one gear really and felt like I could have sustained the pace I was running for at least twice the distance. As I neared the stadium, I could hear the announcer and I did a quick glance of my watch as I crossed Boulder Creek and was just over 37 minutes. I went back and forth between thinking I had sub 40 in the bag and thinking I would just miss it. I hammered it home the best I could on the awkward surface of the stadium with 21 seconds to spare.</div>
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Much of my motivation to run this race each year stems from the fact that my company pays our entry fees, but I have come to really enjoy the vibe of this race and the festive atmosphere. It is amazingly well run and organized, I hope to return for many years to come.</div>
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Warming up.</div>
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Of the entire AA and A waves (many of whom I caught up to), it was only myself and the guy in white who were NOT wearing tank tops (he is a trail runner too).<br />
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Rocking the new Hoka Huakas. They were awesome!<br />
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Clank, clank, clomp.<br />
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Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-64156507208919536842014-05-23T08:46:00.000-06:002014-05-23T15:54:07.720-06:00Friday, 05/23/14 Hoka HuakaJust picked up a pair of the soon to be released Hoka Huaka. Having run in many pairs of Hokas since I became a loyal fan back in 2010 (Mafate, Bondi, Bondi 2, several pairs of Stinson EVO Trail, Rapa Nui 2), I have found the Huaka to be a huge breakthrough for the company.<br />
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For starters, the Huaka is notably lighter than all of the previous Hokas, weighing in at sub 9 oz., yet still has plenty of cushion (27mm in the heel and 25mm in the forefoot, probably the most cushion you can get at this low of a weight, at least the best combination I have seen thus far. The Huaka has a lighter and more pliable upper, yet still holds the foot in place extremely well and is the most comfortable Hoka I have worn by far, feels like a pillowy soft pair of slippers, but with excellent protection and response.<br />
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From the best I can tell, this shoe is made to be a road shoe, but it performs quite well for high speed running on the trails with plenty of traction, protection, control and stability for even steeper more technical trails. This shoe feels way more speedy, agile and responsive than previous models and just begs to be pushed hard.<br />
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I'll use these for the Bolder Boulder 10k on Monday and they are also my top pick for the Pikes Peak Marathon in August (my only reservation is that my test pair is a half size too small, so I question how they will work for me on a 13 mile descent). Speaking of fit, these run a little large. I normally wear size 10 in all of the other Hoka models, but my Huakas are a 9 and fit quite well for day to day use (though given the choice, I would go 9.5 for just a little extra room in the toe).<br />
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I'll also be interested to see how they wear over time, as the outsole is already showing a little wear and tear after just 16 hard trail miles (not entirely unexpected though, given that it is a road shoe with a lot of foam).<br />
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I think I have heard that these will be released in July, but I don't remember where I heard that, so I am not entirely sure. Keep an eye out, I highly recommend them!<br />
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Those are insoles I robbed from another pair of shoes, as the supplied insoles felt somewhat awkward to me (low in the arch creating a very annoying sharp-ish edge, but putting in a "normal" insole alleviated this issue entirely).<br />
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Comparing them with other Hokas, (Huaka, Rapa Nui 2, Bondi 2, Stinson EVO Trail<br />
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With the Stinson EVO Trail<br />
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Comparing with the Bondi 2<br />
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Chasing the Rapa Nui 2<br />
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With the Mafate Speed (Allison's shoe)<br />
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Women's Huaka</div>
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Sage Canaday/Vo2 Max Productions has an excellent video review here:</div>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-49249415459647122322014-04-21T06:36:00.001-06:002014-04-21T06:46:00.960-06:00Saturday, 04/12/14 MoabAllison and I got a few days away to ourselves in Moab, always a great Spring ritual. We got in a little hiking, a little running, some fun, easy, non committal scrambling/canyoneering and a lot of eating.<br />
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A short shakeout hike before dinner on our first evening in town.<br />
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Somebody had a rough descent off of Lion's Back (now closed to vehicles).<br />
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Everything was in full bloom.</div>
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Descending the Lathrop Trail in Canyonlands<br />
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Crazy color setting on the camera, adds a little zip to the desert landscape (yeah, I went a little crazy with it)<br />
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Mesa Arch in Canyonlands (way better at sunrise)<br />
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Arches National Park, Fiery Furnace scrambling. We lucked out and got the required permit (issued in limited numbers), but if I had to do it over again, I would sign up for the ranger guided tour. We scoffed at this idea initially, knowing we would hate being chaperoned with 25 tourists, but I think it would be helpful to at least become familiar with the area, mainly for the sake of efficiency. The terrain here can be a little confusing and technical, but adding to the navigational challenges are the strict rules of staying on rock or in drainages to preserve the sensitive soils, plants, etc... We did not get many miles in, but instead did a lot of short out/backs, loops and up/down (basically aimless wandering).</div>
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Tight squeeze.<br />
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His/her Bushidos were perfect for this terrain. They stick to sandstone like glue.<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-8692448290491465222014-04-08T15:05:00.000-06:002014-04-09T08:07:57.350-06:00Saturday, 04/05/14 Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">04/05/14</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">South Kaibab/North Kaibab/South Kaibab</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">42 miles/~11,000 vert.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:14:12</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travel partners: John (Homie) Prater, Kevin Lund</span></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Short story: Prepared quite well in the preceding months, I felt really strong and ready to make an honest attempt at my 2010 PR of 8:15 on my 5</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> RRR. However, I got sick which had everything in question the week prior and right up to the morning of the start. I ended up tentatively running, but it was clear an hour into the run that I was not 100%, but my sense of inspiration and stubbornness got the best of me. I faked it somewhat for 5 hours, but slowly faded up until the final 4,700 foot climb up S. Kaibab. Then, the wheels came off entirely and I struggled to a 9:14 finish. Uggg.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Longer version:</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really enjoy coordinating my RRR with the Dawson group, who has been going to do the RRR each year for the past 11 or 12 years. Typically ~20 show up, but this year, there were more than 30 loosely associated and I was excited to join for my 5</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> RRR trip. This is a really loose knit group though, sometimes starting from different trailheads in sub-groups of anywhere from 1 to 4 or 5 and even they often split up. We are really only a group in spirit, coordinating more for travel purposes, training, camaraderie and lodging/camping. Each group generally starts at different times based on pace, route preferences, etc… Some hike the majority of it, taking 17+ hours, others alternate between hiking and running and complete the double crossing in 13-17 hours. Then, a handful of us push it a bit faster than that. </span></b></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traditionally<b style="font-weight: normal;">, we have gone on the 3</b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">rd</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday of April, but went a little earlier this year to lessen the chances of heat in the canyon, though it increases the chance of snow on the N. rim and possible inclement weather.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I got in some really good training this year, some nice solid runs just under 3 hours and one that was 3:20+, but I focused more on quality, opting for different routes that still had good vertical, but were much more runnable. Not a ton of volume, but I made my limited time count, which is essential when trying to balance work and family life. </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I did everything I could in the weeks prior to avoid getting sick, avoiding taking my daughters to locations crowded with potentially sick kids, not sharing food or drinks, washing my hands religiously at work, but lo and behold, on March 28</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I got sick. I thought I would kick it in time, maybe even being a benefit as it would keep my taper in check and provide me the benefit of being well rested on the big day (has happened before) but the cold hung on and on, through today even (April 8</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). It varied enough in severity throughout the week, that I was never really sure of my plan.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf8f685-42c0-c657-cb44-09d7ece1b4fe"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My sickness was never that bad, a sore throat/fever a week out, sometimes low energy, but then I seemed to improve, then reverted to more sore throat and lost my voice entirely on Weds.. This also compromised my sleep quite a bit, but on the long drive Thursday, I was fortunately able to nap for hours in the back of Homie’s van.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.0791666666666666; white-space: pre-wrap;">We got to the park around 5pm and Homie wanted to climb Coronado Butte which is accessed from the New Hance trail off the rim road. Though I sounded lousy, I actually felt good and planned to go with him as far as I could, until it got more technical than I was comfortable with. This ended being longer than expected at 2.5 hours, 2,500 vert. and around 5 miles, where we still came up a bit short of the summit due to the limited daylight and not extensive enough research. Even without making the summit though, it was a really fun little outing.</span></div>
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I had no way to carry my helmet, so I just wore it.</span><br />
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Coronado Butte</span><br />
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Homie</span><br />
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Fun talus/slab hopping</span><br />
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A great place to catch a sunset</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday, I was feeling OK, but not great and the cold temps on the rim were not helping with my enthusiasm all that much. Kevin and I started with Homie at the Hermit Trailhead, where we got in an easy ~4 miler with ~1,500 vert.. It was fun to be out and see new territory, but my energy level was only so/so. All day I waffled as to whether I would make a RRR attempt the next day, or just do something easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After dinner at the lodge with the group, I went to bed at 8:30, decided to not even set my alarm and just take the next day as it comes . I slept a solid 7 hours and when I awoke Saturday morning, I assessed my condition and knew I had to try at least, see how it went to the river and if things were bad, I would just make an easy day of a Rim to River and back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Started down South Kaibab at 6:12am and as usual was full of excitement to be in the Grand Canyon, something I had looked forward to for so long. Within minutes I caught a mule train and was barely able to croak out a “good morning, do you mind if I ease past when you find a safe spot?”. I used this time to pack away my beanie, windbreaker and gloves and was soon past them, nothing but wide open trail ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I took it pretty easy on the descent, making sure to not push it too fast and ruin the day prematurely, but the slower pace was more to assess my health one way or the other. All systems seemed good, so I committed to going to the North Rim. Once on flatter ground and working harder though, it was obvious that my breathing was not quite right. I could move along and breathe just fine, I just knew that I could not really dig in like I knew I needed to do to get back on or ahead of pace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At that point, I knew deep down that running a fast time was a long shot and that turning around would probably be the most prudent action, but I was really enjoying myself and it was a perfect morning, so I kept heading up N. Kaibab.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I quickly filled up at the pumphouse and kept at it up to the N. Rim and felt surprisingly good, despite not really being able to breathe deep. As always, the last section beyond Supai seems to take forever, but this is where I saw the most people, many from our group who started earlier and several other RRRers. There were a few scattered handfuls of runners/hikers out there, but overall, it was a pretty quiet day on the trails, even near the upper sections near the S. Rim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took me 4:03 to get to the N. Rim, 8 minutes slower than 2010, but I felt good and did not need a break, so I just tagged the kiosk and headed down. Without any break, I was now only 3 minutes off PR pace. As soon as I started down, it began to snow and picked up somewhat heavily at times until I was just beyond the bridge. I was a little chilled, but never enough to consider adding layers, as I knew it would end soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(next 8 photos courtesy of Dave "Hoot" Gibson"</span><br />
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Some lingering patches of snow near the N. Rim from a squall earlier in the week, but there was no lingering seasonal snow.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had hoped to make up a bit of time on the down, but was only able to maintain my 3 minute (maybe even lost a minute) deficit back down to the pumphouse, where I again quickly filled up my bottles and felt the need to sit on the bench for about a minute to drink. That spot always tempts me to linger, but I forced myself out of there and toward Cottonwood. This is where I started to falter a bit and kept coming up with reasons to briefly slow to a walk, needing to slow my breathing for drinks or a gel, not that I was breathing hard, but that anytime I ingested anything (even water), it would seem to congeal at the back of my throat and cause coughing fits. Though annoying, it was not a game changer, but I was just starting to run out of steam by this point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At Phantom, I lingered again for 4 or 5 minutes and knew I had lost a bunch of time. I had long since stopped really caring about the watch, but I still had some consolation goals in mind, nothing to actually try for, but mostly goals to accept.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Still hoping for a miracle, I stepped off the black bridge on the S. side of the Colorado at 6:47 elapsed, still figuring I would have sub 9 in the bag, but it only took me a switchback or two to realize that my only real goal was to make it out of the canyon without help. The wheels fell off entirely and it became what seemed to be an eternal slog to the top. Landmarks that I normally look to pass and check off with eager anticipation looked like nearly unattainable points in the sky. Tonto Plateau, Skeleton Point, O’neil Butte, Cedar Ridge, S. Rim. Instead, I had to focus on more immediate and attainable goals, like one step at a time sort of goals. Even though I was hardly moving, it felt as though I was really working hard. Just for kicks, I took a few manual heart rate readings, expecting 160s at least, but was surprised that my HR was only around 100. Quite low considering my perceived effort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After what seemed like forever, I finally made it to the rim after 9 hours and 14 minutes but held back on the celebrations, as I still needed to get back to camp. I filled up my water bottles and tried to get back on my bike to ride the ~2 miles back, but was too trashed to do it, probably more trashed than I had ever been despite being so off the mark. I debated taking the bus, but even that is more painful, so I just waited it out until I could muster the energy. Once on the bike, I was surprised that I felt fine and all I could think about was puffed Cheetos and pepperoni pizza as I sprinted back to the tent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite being sick and not meeting my goals, I still had a fun time in the canyon (well, except for that final climb which was pure misery) and am satisfied that I was even able to pull it off. Every year, I say never again, until I recover and a little time passes, then I start conjuring up plans for next year. This time however, I truly feel as though I am content with 5 RRR runs under the belt. Having had a small glimpse of some of the other lesser travelled trails like Hermit and New Hance, I would be more inclined to go explore new terrain and scenery on my next trip, or even be open to more RRRs with a much more casual approach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Splits: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start S. Kaibab: 0:00</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Bridge: 1:00:00</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cottonwood: ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pumphouse: 2:3?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">N. Rim: 4:03</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pumphouse: 5:02</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cottonwood: ??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phantom: 6:33?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Bridge: 6:47</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S. Kaibab TH: 9:14</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gear: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shoes - Hoka Bondi 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Socks - Injinji</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zensah calf sleeves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PI Ultra Shorts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TNF short sleeve</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PI arm warmers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PI cap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunglasses</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UD SJ pack (carried gloves, beanie and minimal windbreaker, but only used for the first few minutes, but decided to carry since snow was in the forecast).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Food: 6 V-Fuel gels and 2 packages of Clif Shot Bloks = 1000 calories total, 4 S caps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breakfast: single serving of Perpetuem, yogurt/granola/banana, instant coffee/hot chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Random thoughts</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Hoka Bondi 2/Injinji combo was awesome, my feet were comfortable all day and the more minimal traction of the Bondi 2 (a road shoe) was not an issue at all, as the South/North Kaibab trails are quite buffed out super highways and not particularly steep. Also, did not get a single blister, chafe or hot spot. Once again after wearing Hokas, my quads were a little sore the following day, but could have easily run to the river and back as I did last year, if I had time (and was not sick). When I ran RRR in shoes other than Hoka, my legs were utterly destroyed for a good 4 days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I probably should have eaten a bit more food. Even though I enjoyed the V Fuel gels, I got kind of sugared out after 6 of those plus the shot bloks. Being sick kind of complicated that a bit too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a very cool day, no more than 70 in the canyon, snowing on the N. Rim and then 50's at the finish. This made it easy to stay hydrated and keep breaks to a minimum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As bad as it was to not be feeling well for my run, it was equally or more difficult to not be able to talk the entire time and be able to catch up with so many friends and acquaintances.</span><br />
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</b>Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-78189255756052711322014-03-13T19:59:00.002-06:002014-03-13T19:59:22.136-06:00Thursday, 03/13/14 Green Mountain22.6 miles<br />
3,210 vert.<br />
3 hours 22 minutes<br />
8:57 pace<br />
151 AHR<br />
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The planets aligned today to take our van in for long overdue maintenance, so I dropped it off at the garage a little after 8am near 55th/Arapahoe and used the opportunity to get in a long run as preparation for my upcoming double crossing of the Grand Canyon on April 4th/5th.<br />
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Headed North on 55th to the creek path and followed the creek path all the way up until it ended, then on to Red Lion and up Chapman Drive (~8 miles just to get here). I have not really traveled along Boulder Creek since during the floods and was impressed to see the changes now that the water has receded. There is still quite a bit of debris and the creek bed is quite altered in spots. There were multiple tractors and work crews working in and along the river. There is still quite a bit of clean up work to be had, which I assume they are working hard to complete before the anticipated heavy Spring runoff.<br />
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Chapman has been closed since the floods and I have seen parts of it, but this was my first time running it's entire length and I was surprised (well, not really too surprised after all the inconsistent and illogical decisions OSMP has made since the Sept. floods) and certainly annoyed to find that the lower closed section of trail (dirt road) is minimally impacted with only a few short sections of moderate erosion and one very deep (but small) hole that could easily be fenced off for the time being.<br />
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Once on the open upper section of Chapman trail/dirt road, I was amazed at how severely eroded it was for about a half mile or more, certainly one of the more significantly impacted segments of trails I have seen since the flooding, yet this is open. I need to find out why this is, I just don't get the logic here.<br />
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From the top of Chapman, I headed up Superflag, then up Green via W. Ridge, which was a bit slow as there is still a good bit of ice and my Bondis don't have the best traction. There was actually a surprising amount of ice on the upper section of the Canyon bike path and on sections of Chapman as well, which slowed things a bit on the up and down.<br />
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The descent was a cruise and it felt good to keep my cadence up. I planned on running as far as I could go until I intercepted with Allison who I was keeping in touch with on the phone and we ended up meeting at the library (Allison also ran Green via Gregory/Ranger, but I missed her on the summit by just a few minutes).<br />
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This was a good training run for RRR, as the mellow gradient of the creek path is very similar to the almost imperceptible grade from Phanton Ranch through the box canyon and on to Cottonwood, followed by a steeper climb. The September floods even deposited a good bit of sand that helped replicate conditions, so I aimed for it and kept off the cement as much as I could.<br />
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All in all a good outing despite involving some city running. I was never really killing it, but it was a solid effort where I felt great the whole time (well, after 2 or 3 miles to warm up) and certainly could have gone much further, as I felt quite fresh at the end and after. I think the variety and turnover will help my run at the ditch, but more importantly, I have been enjoying these runs where I have been getting off my usual routes that involve more slogging than running this time of year and seeing some different scenery.<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-15659414605368715802014-02-24T10:38:00.000-07:002014-02-26T11:09:32.119-07:00Monday, 02/24/14 La Sportiva Bushido, The Ultimate Mountain Running Shoe?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nvCAdrYXC8/Uwt8kaOuiSI/AAAAAAAAUz4/igFWd3Tleh4/s1600/2-24-2014+9-27-50+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9nvCAdrYXC8/Uwt8kaOuiSI/AAAAAAAAUz4/igFWd3Tleh4/s1600/2-24-2014+9-27-50+AM.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
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After running in the Bushido for a few weeks in a wide variety of conditions, I can honestly say they are the most competent and versatile mountain running shoes that I have worn. This shoe strikes what I feel to be the perfect balance of grip/traction, stability, agility, responsiveness, ground feel, protection, fit and cushion, all in a light (for all the it offers) package.<br />
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I am quite impressed with how well this shoe hooks up in just about all conditions, snow, mud, slush, wet rock, dry rock, steep gravel and even moderately icy trails. It even scrambles quite well and can double as an approach shoe. Certainly the best I have used for a wide variety of conditions, it handles it all very well. I never really worry if it is going to stick or not.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pwPqU44ksxY/Uwt8kfdzLaI/AAAAAAAAUz8/-sxrrp5Rons/s1600/2524116-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pwPqU44ksxY/Uwt8kfdzLaI/AAAAAAAAUz8/-sxrrp5Rons/s1600/2524116-p-MULTIVIEW.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The "STB Control" TPU frame that wraps underfoot offers amazing stability and control (don't ask me what that really means, all I can tell you is that whatever it is, it really works). This shoe is amazingly stable and precise when pushing one's limits in the most technical and rocky terrain.<br />
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The rock plate is bomber. I have aimed for the sharpest embedded rocks and hardly feel a thing. Though this is not the most cushioned shoe out there, my feet never get tired or feel as though I need more cushion.<br />
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Fit has been an occasional issue for me when it comes to La Sportiva and even though these shoes are pretty low volume, the upper hugs the foot in a soft, yet very supportive manner. Lateral stability is unmatched and there is no compromise in comfort.<br />
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The toe bumper is just right, not too obtrusive, but just enough to adequately deflect all but the most severe and sloppy toe hits.<br />
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And they are light. In the past, it seems the only way to get this sort of protection was with a 10+ oz. shoe, but Sportiva pared it down to 9.1 oz. and with all the high end performance features, the Bushido may well be the best mountain running shoe yet.<br />
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If you happen to be in the market for a new pair of shoes, they are worth a try:<br />
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<a href="http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain-running/bushido">http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain-running/bushido</a>
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-20763053941545425882014-02-10T09:23:00.001-07:002014-02-10T09:25:49.300-07:00Monday, 02/10/14 Sourdough Snowshoe PhotosA few photos taken by Amelia Tanttila, who was photo/video documenting the Sourdough Snowshoe Race last month.<br />
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Seconds into the race<br />
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Kendrick (in green) going out too fast ;)<br />
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Geoff Roes back to racing<br />
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Yet another Tony impersonator. I almost said something, but I know the response "yeah, I have heard of Anton, but I have had this look since before I knew who he was and it is just coincidence that I wear all the same clothes (or lack thereof), shoes and drive a white pickup with a cap"<br />
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I look horrible here in my unflattering shirt, 1991 tights and deformed fun house fat mirror face.<br />
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Charlie Nowacki (11.5 miler winner)<br />
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Me chasing (I think)<br />
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Love this shot of Joe Grant and I. Was glad to have the hooded shirt, as the Atlas Race snowshoes really flick a good rooster tail.<br />
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Geoff<br />
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Charlie winning.<br />
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My good buddy (and RD) Kevin Lund<br />
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<br />Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6834572771955617940.post-46463525556416214402014-01-28T13:36:00.001-07:002014-01-29T06:59:57.283-07:00Saturday, 01/25/14 Sourdough Snowshoe Race<br />
Sourdough Snowshoe Race<br />
1/25/14<br />
11.6 miles<br />
~1,500 vert.<br />
2:02<br />
2nd Place<br />
<a href="http://sourdoughsnowshoerac.wix.com/sourdough-snowshoe-race#!results" target="_blank">Results</a><br />
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My good friend Kevin Lund is the race director of the <a href="http://sourdoughsnowshoerac.wix.com/sourdough-snowshoe-race#!" target="_blank">Sourdough Snowshoe Race</a> and I pretty much have no choice but to participate. Sometime in the Fall, both my wife and I are automatically signed up by default and I largely forget about it, aside from the occasional reminder from my wife, Kevin, or friends who are considering racing and up until about a week prior, did not even know what date it was being held, just knowing it was some Saturday in January.<br />
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So, for the 3rd time since first <a href="http://www.jeffvalliere.blogspot.com/2010/01/saturday-010910-hardwater-snowshoe-race.html" target="_blank">participating in 2010</a> (I think Allison has done all 5, or at least 4), we headed up to the Nederland Community Center Saturday morning for check in. The only hitch, was that we were both a bit under the weather, catching colds from our 3 year old twin daughters who each took turns being sick over the week. Allison was in bad enough shape that she pretty much knew she was not going to race as soon as she got out of bed, but wanted to head up and volunteer, spectate and get a little fresh air. I was feeling a bit run down on Friday and awoke Saturday morning with a runny nose and was hacking up orange phlegm, but fortunately my energy and enthusiasm for the race was high.<br />
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I hung out a bit with <a href="http://kendrickallan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kendrick</a> before the race, who was there to have a crack at his first snowshoe race and I chatted briefly with <a href="http://alpine-works.com/footnotes/" target="_blank">Joe</a>, <a href="http://akrunning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Geoff</a>, <a href="http://athlinks.com/athletes/109492523/profile" target="_blank">Charlie</a> and a handful of familiar acquaintances. I spent a few short minutes warming up on the course (was really just looking for a place to pee and had to make sure the new snowshoes that I have never used before worked) and was a bit fearful of the pain that was to come, having not really run hard or “trained” since Pikes last August. The starting altitude is around 9,200 feet and I was severely under acclimatized, having only been above 8,500 feet only two or three times since last August. Just easily jogging in the snowshoes had my heart pounding out of my chest. How will I run 11.5 miles?<br />
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The race started a bit after 9am and I was happy to let 2 time winner Charlie Nowacki take the lead. I figured he would slowly pull away and I would get swamped by a few of the faster guys just behind, but we all seemed to settle into a "comfortable" and sustainable rhythm. After about a half mile, I creeped up on Charlie as the grade steepened a bit and slowly eased past. I (correctly) suspected that I would not get too far ahead or that I would lead the race for too long, but kept at it regardless, just sticking to my game plan of running my own pace and not worry about what others around me were doing. But still, I was itching to look back and see what was happening, yet just settled for out of the corner of my eye glances on the switchbacks, where I could see Charlie looking strong, then Joe (<a href="http://www.irunfar.com/2014/01/switching-things-up.html" target="_blank">his report</a>) close behind and another guy, who might have been Ryan Herzog (knowing Joe was in the 18 mile race, but was not sure of the other).<br />
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The miles ticked by and trail conditions were very good. I felt strong, feeling like I was moving quickly and efficiently. A bit after 4 miles, I figured I should probably take a gel so that I could wash it down at the turn around/aid station, as I opted not to carry water. I debated this, as I knew it would slow me, but I figured I should do it just to be on the safe side, as it could pay dividends later in the race. Of course, choking down a gel at near max effort is no easy task for me and it took way too long and slowed me a bit. Around the time I finished this gel and very close to the turn around, Charlie came powering by in a convincing fashion and I figured he would be long gone. I was however able to rally a bit and keep him close, as I yo-yoed 10-20 seconds behind, all the way to the turnaround/aid station at mile 5.8, where he was just leaving as I arrived. I took a quick swig of water and took off in pursuit with my game face on. <br />
<br />
Shortly down the trail, I passed Joe where we exchanged encouragement and a failed (on my part) low five. Then it was Ryan (I think) and not long after saw Geoff (<a href="http://www.irunfar.com/2014/01/why-running-and-racing-are-not-the-same-thing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+irunfar%2FwAAy+%28iRunFar%29" target="_blank">Geoff's report</a>), who was all smiles and seemed to be really enjoying his first race back in ~2 years. I maintained my 10-20 second lag, but was struggling a bit on the now churned up trail and even walked briefly a few times on the steeper uphills. The trail was not that bad, but any loose snow seemed amplified as I became more tired and my footwork was becoming sloppy.<br />
<br />
I stayed pretty much within sight to mile 9.2, I never gave up, but at that point I pretty much knew that unless he really blew it, I was racing to maintain 2nd place. At 9.6 miles I caught one last glimpse, which gave me a touch of hope that I could rally on the final descent, where last year I maintained 6:?? and even saw high 5:?? Pace on my Garmin, but once I got to this long gradual descent, I got an abdominal cramp and could not muster a pace any better than ~7:20. I pretty much had no choice but to jog it in and knew it was over at that point. As always, the final mile seemed to take forever, expecting the next bend to be the end of the trail. When I finally arrived at the finish, Charlie was already holding his award, so I knew I had lost a good chunk of time and suspected that even if I had not had a cramp, I most likely would not have caught him.<br />
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Charlie finished in 2 hours even to my 2:02, each of us finishing 9 minutes <a href="http://www.jeffvalliere.blogspot.com/2013/01/saturday-01192013-sourdough-snowshoe.html" target="_blank">slower than our times last year</a>. Heart rate data suggests that I put in a near even effort, so I think snow conditions were just a bit slower this year. We lingered for over an hour post race, trading war stories, eating and helping Kevin hand out raffle prizes for finishers (I got a nice pair of collapsible Atlas poles).<br />
<br />
This race is a blast, as it is small, low key, well organized, has great prizes, is close to home, the course is fun and the people and competition are great. Although I was 2nd yet again, I had a great time and it felt good to be competing. Charlie was 7th at snowshoe Nationals last year and plans to go better this year, so finishing as close as I did felt like an accomplishment. Having now run/raced on snowshoes 3 times, I really wish I could do this more often.<br />
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Jeff Vallierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08106877622296558733noreply@blogger.com1