Are we there, yet?
Came up just short of 200 miles for May, 195.4 miles but still a big month for me.
Temps have been whipsawing between 90F and mid-50s for highs. I need some consistent warm weather to acclimate for summer races, though it has been nice running in the cooler weather.
Also waiting to see how races will adapt to the easing of Covid restrictions, especially at the aid stations. One of the appeals of races is being able to run long distances and not have to be self-supporting.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K, 9:11:09 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Felt good about May. Didn't quite make it to 200 miles (193.4) but close enough. Did a 12-hour race in CO and a good hard training run at Saturday's WSER training camp. Living in coastal NorCal, I never really acclimate to heat and I was feeling it for sure on Saturday, when it hit 90. A couple dips in the rivers save me. Going to to Auburn for a 50k next Saturday too, and it will be in the 90s. Bring it on!
June means WSER 100 so I'll be getting stuff together for my aid station in the coming weeks. At the training run, things looked reasonably normal at the A/S, just touchless instead of people grabbing stuff. It'll be more work for volunteers to hand out food, but to be honest, is it such a bad thing to keep grubby runner hands out of the food bowls? I'm looking forward to it. Don't think anyone here will be at States?
5/11/24 Grizzly Peak Marathon, Berkeley, CA
7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV
9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR
Pain is my friend
June was so good to me. Ran 304 miles and 45,275 ft vert. Temps were great for my 100 miler. Felt great most of the time. Even dropped my pacer from time to time on the ups and downs.
ATY 24 141.445 2019 1st
Bear 100 22:08 2021
Jackpot 100 Feb 14:59 - 5th
Pulse endurance 48 hr 175.3 miles
Bonnevile Backyard ultra
Ute 100 Aug
24 hour loop race?
king of the non-sequitur
<200 in May for me
Gatsby i hear you about heat training. we dont get much either but yesterday it was 85 and i ran 20 up and down hills (in the woods) but still i could feel i was overheating and a dip in 45 degree sound made a huge difference!
making some life changes to see if it helps for upcoming 50. quit drinking beer, started cycling every other day, trying to eat better
Bridle Trails 50k 1-13-24 5:39
Cottontail 6 Hour 4-13-24
Cougar Long Series (May,June,July,Aug 2024)
Carkeek 6 Hour 10-19-24
206.6 in June, I added in more vert to start the prep for my Achilles not blowing up when I really start to get serious.
I was considering a local 50k as a training run Sunday, but it's supposed to be 93F, so I said screw that. I'd be shot for work Monday. I'll just run 16 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday or something like that. 6 weeks to Tahoe and my first vacation race of the year.
I traveled to Virginia for work a couple weeks ago, got to run on the AT two nights after work. It was fun.
Istria 110k 4-6-2024
WS100 6-29-2024
UTMB 171k 8-30-2024
MCM 10-27-2024
I did the Ruck a Chuck 50k yesterday in the Sierra foothills, not too far from Auburn. Pleasant and 60s at the start, >100 at the middle of the day. It was an out and back on the WS trail between Driver's Flat and Foresthill. The river was down below us, tantalizingly in view, but there was no way to get to it from the course. So, the cool water, rafters, and swimmers just taunted us. Adding to the fun was over two miles uphill at the end, very exposed, very hot. I think a lot of people were wishing they had more than one or two dinky bottles. I, however, filled my pack with ice and water and dunked my hat and bandana in water every chance that I got. I gave water to one guy lying down in the shade on the verge of heat exhaustion, who had only one (empty) bottle. A day when goals went out the window. Glad to be done just under 8 hours. Proud of myself for sticking it out. With all that walking, my legs actually felt pretty okay today, and I did another 15 here at home.
If you looked down, you saw this:
If you looked up, you saw this:
Four weeks to go until Beaverhead 100k!
Looks like fun Gatsby, or not! Just finished up another week in the low 50's with around 5k feet of gain. Like so many people, we've been socked with unusually high temperatures the past few weeks. Not unusual to finish a run in the 90's, which helps encourage chafing from the humidity and sweat.
The good is that Garmin Connect says I'm 100% acclimated to the heat, which is unusual, normally we go hot and cold all spring.
Gatsby, great job surviving that! idk how i would do in that kind of heat. Beaverhead looks really nice.
Sawtooth is coming up in < 3 weeks and there is gonna be a lot of snow. zoom meeting on wed to find out more details about exposure.
dealing with an ongoing proximal hamstring issue that i have had for a year off and on so ive been looking at trekking poles. actually went to rei today to buy some but they seem way too clunky to run with. i see videos of people with the poles on their waist when not in use but all the ones i looked at i just can't imagine being able to stow those anywhere when collapsed without extreme discomfort. are there telescoping types that get small enough to put on your waist?
so my 2 QOTD questions:
1. poles or no poles for a 50M with 15k vert?
2. what to do about the proximal hammy (it's where the hamstrings tendon wraps around the sit bone). some say don't stretch if you have that. is cycling bad?
let's get some substance in here! thanks!
Gatsby, great job surviving that! idk how i would do in that kind of heat. Beaverhead looks really nice. Sawtooth is coming up in < 3 weeks and there is gonna be a lot of snow. zoom meeting on wed to find out more details about exposure. dealing with an ongoing proximal hamstring issue that i have had for a year off and on so ive been looking at trekking poles. actually went to rei today to buy some but they seem way too clunky to run with. i see videos of people with the poles on their waist when not in use but all the ones i looked at i just can't imagine being able to stow those anywhere when collapsed without extreme discomfort. are there telescoping types that get small enough to put on your waist? so my 2 QOTD questions: 1. poles or no poles for a 50M with 15k vert? 2. what to do about the proximal hammy (it's where the hamstrings tendon wraps around the sit bone). some say don't stretch if you have that. is cycling bad? let's get some substance in here! thanks! IMHO it's too late for you to deal with poles. Unless you can drop them if you don't like them. I have a pair, have never used them in a race, just tried them. I hate carrying things in my hands when running, I hate stopping to strap things on a pack I need to take off. They do make good use of your shoulder muscles etc, but if your not used to them, I'd guess they will be more of a bother. You can certainly use them for every run up until the race to see how you like them though.
IMHO it's too late for you to deal with poles. Unless you can drop them if you don't like them. I have a pair, have never used them in a race, just tried them. I hate carrying things in my hands when running, I hate stopping to strap things on a pack I need to take off. They do make good use of your shoulder muscles etc, but if your not used to them, I'd guess they will be more of a bother. You can certainly use them for every run up until the race to see how you like them though.
Easy-ish week, around 37 miles, not much vert.
nOOky, I remember Beaverhead as being very hot. I was stuffing snow everywhere. I think I put it in my pack and drank it too. Fortunately no adverse bugs were in it. I'm hoping to get some heat acclimation from running in crazy heat. Can't do much to acclimate to the altitude, unfortunately.
Alan, I've never used poles and I think they would be irritating to carry. But, that's just me. Looking at pictures from Cascade Crest 100, it seemed like at least half the people were toting poles. So, I dunno. I could see how they'd be helpful in the snow, save you from sliding around. Does anyone here run with poles?
Re the hammy problem, my philosophy is don't stretch something if it hurts. At most, I'll do some gentle foam rolling when I feel niggles. Not sure if you can use a roller for your issue, though. With 3 weeks until the race, I'd stop with the biking. Hard to know if it's aggravating the hammy, but it might be, given the location of the injury. How about walking instead?
thanks guys, i got some poles today at 7 hills shop. the best running shop if you are ever in Seattle btw. they are near a hilly park where i took them for a spin. Nooky i see what you are saying. who wants something else to fiddle with esp if you are trying to eat and drink and maybe brace a fall...but i always wear the naked running band anyway and they seem to fit in there without much bother and yes i can drop them at mile 28 or perhaps have them in my bag to grab at mile 28 but i gotta say they really did take a load off the proximal hammy. after 17 miles today it's just mildly sore. didnt really have any learning curve with them, just pace along every other step and my t-rex arms were working a little which i probably need.
Margaret, thanks that is what i am doing, plus going really slow. i am not stretching but just light rolling. walking is good. i actually walk all day long at work...standing and walking around in the classroom and almost always take walk breaks during runs.
i think my goal pace for sawtooth will be <20 minute miles
oh and Phil and Arya from the 7 hills shop here will be running WS so take good care of them when they come through!
Note of possible interest: Joe Klecker, son of Janis and Barney Klecker, noted ultra runners of past years, finished 3rd in the 10,000m at the US Olympic Trials last night and qualified for the US Olympic Team.
I was rooting for the "old" guy that finished 4th.
38.3M this week. taking a day off today. happy Father's Day!
48.5 mile week with just over 5k feet of gain. I tried a 3 hour run Saturday with poles, I don't think I'll be using them for any ultras. I'm sure I'll be in the minority for UTMB, but I don't care.
I am considering a signed up for a 50k July 2nd, extended forecast looks to be 90F and humid. It would be my last long run before Tahoe 2 weeks later. I absolutely hate the heat, but it'd be good training. I can't bring myself to run 50k as just a long run myself.