Shoe and Gear Review

Since my last post I have received a few pieces of gear that I am pleased to say have met or exceeded my expectations!

Montrail Badrock OutDry-

I had received an email a few weeks back that I was being sent a pair of the Badrocks to test out. Included in this shoe is an OutDry laminate that works infinitely better than Gore-tex for a few reasons.

First, OutDry is a laminate that is bound to the mesh, whereas Gore-tex is an independent bootie. This eliminates the possibility of water and debris buildup between in the mesh and the bootie of the shoe, which will keep the shoe truer to its original weight. Secondly, OutDry is able to "breathe" without a heat and moisture gradient, which Gore-tex ultimately needs to perform. Thus, the OutDry keeps the interior of the shoe at a more agreeable temperature.

What I really liked about this shoe was the seamlessness of the OutDry technology as its built into the shoe. In Gore-tex shoes I was always aware of the extra layer. While wearing the Badrock on several 20+ mile runs I never once felt any hint of added fabric or rigidity in the shoe on account of the waterproof laminate. As for performance, I'd say this is a true trail runner's shoe. I wore it on the roads up to my usual trails several times and I felt it was completely unresponsive and clunky. But once I got on the dirt roads and single track the shoe completely transformed under my feet. It became responsive, grippy, fluid, everything I want in a shoe. I also wore it yesterday while running in the snow and mud and I was actually aiming for puddles by the end. I've gotta say, this is the first waterproof shoe I've ever liked, and it will be a "go to" for any future muddy or snowy runs.

Montrail Rogue Racer-The Rogue Racer is a shoe I've been excited about ever since I approached the Montrail tent at Western States last June. Its light and fast, but also has a lot of added elements that I could never get with my usual road flats or even some of the trail flats I'd tried. I really like the 3 micro-lug system they have placed on the outsole. This system allows for fantastic traction on the trails, but also allows for a much more fluid motion on roads. I have used these shoes quite a few times on trails, but also for a 25 mile progressive run last wednesday on paved bike trails. I can say now, with complete confidence, that I will be able to race in this shoe (unmodified) at the Mad City 100k. This is definitely going to be a favorite of mine for the season.

Mountain Hardwear Geist Jacket-
This 6 oz slice of heaven was delivered along with my team uniform pieces. Since then I have not missed a single chance to wear it. It is completely windproof with small pockets of mesh for venting in all the right places. I also has 3 pockets for storage, which is very uncommon in such a light jacket (usually i've seen a lot of sacrifices in storage to save weight). Whether its 45 and sunny or 18 and blowing snow (on the progressive run that happened within 10 minutes), the Geist Jacket has kept me warm, dry and comfortable. And since its so light I am able to tuck it into my waist band when its not needed.

So that's all for the reviews for now.... Training has been going well. I took a few down weeks after the marathon to make sure I didn't put myself into an early deficit like last year. I want to make sure this year that I am fully recovered before starting training for the next race. But this week I have already logged 101 miles since Monday. I'm hoping to hold on to this streak for a few more weeks to gain some much needed strength for the 100k in April. I certainly have the aerobic capacity in place, but I can tell every 20 mile day I add on is bringing back that familiar ache and fatigue of early last season. Now I just have to wait until that starts feeling normal :)

TEAM MONTRAIL

As of 4 hours ago I thought this week couldn't get any better.... I was wrong. I am now an official Montrail Athlete for 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to the others who have been added, I went ahead and copied and pasted their info from the website:

Megan Lund: This Aspen, Colorado native is a 2-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier and 2-time USA Mountain Running team member. She’s the winner of the 2010 Sierre Zinal Mountain Race in Switzerland. Megan looks to run many high-profile mountain races in Europe this summer, along with the Pikes Peak Ascent and USATF Trail Half Marathon Championship.

Amy Sproston: Amy lives in Portland, Oregon and is a 2-time Massanutten 100 winner, winner of the 2010 JFK 50 and the 2010 Pine to Palm 100. Her focus for the first half of 2011 will be Western States 100.

Ryan Burch: Ryan is a native of Colorado and is a force in the mountains. 2010 highlights include wins at the Antelope Island 50, Leadville Marathon and Grand Mesa 100. This year, look for Ryan to compete near the front at Western States 100 and Leadville 100.

I am elated to be chosen as an athlete for this great brand! For more details on the Montrail team and products click on the montrail logo on the right hand side of the page.

In-Depth Review of Miami

As I stated in previous posts, this race was meant to be a test: a test to see where I was aerobically, a test to see how much pain I could endure, and also a test to see if my opinions hadn't changed about road racing. And if you're looking for the abbreviated version here it is. I think I'm in pretty good shape to do well at the mad city 100k as long as I put in some longer runs, I didn't push as hard as I could have during the race but the difference in time would have been insignificant, and no.... not so much a fan of road races still. For those looking for a more detailed explanation, please read on.

The last time I've actually had a marathon timed was at the split of the 2010 American River 50 Mile in Sacramento, CA. My time was 2:46:?? and I was elated to find that I had cut 6 minutes off of my previous PR (which was during another ultra). However, at the end of that race I had a nagging feeling that if I could run such a time with a hefty amount of fuel left in the tank, I might be able to put a solid time down on a paved surface.

Things came together when I was planning this year's schedule with a focus on making the 100k world team. I had made that a goal last year, only to come up short by 6 minutes. This year I wanted to be prepared to go the distance and reserve myself a spot for international racing. And as I began to formulate my schedule to build up for the big race in April, my coach suggested I try a marathon for time to see how fit I was. Eventually we set our sights on the Miami Marathon. There would be some good competition and it was a warm area in January, nuff said.

So, getting back to the actual race. I woke up at 4:45 to my watch alarm and slowly began my usual routine: forcing down some sort of "food" with a large portion of water or sports drink. This is always a difficult routine regardless of how nervous I am. I just can't seem to eat in the morning. Then, on to the race bib preparation. Next up, shoes and socks. Lastly, listening to some music that would be delightfully stuck in my head for the race (Ratatat has a great selection of music if you're interested). And then we were out the door.

I often wonder what a person might think if they were to wake up in their hotel room and look out their window at 5 am. It really is quite a spectacle seeing 21000 pedestrians congregate in a central location. I wonder if the noise woke anyone up?

Anyway, with about 30 minutes until the race started, I began wading my way (mother in tow) through masses of befuddled strangers; people wondering how to find their designated section, where to find a stick of body glide, talking race strategy, etc. Finally, after forcing my way through the crowd I made it to the front and began my warmup. A short 5 minute jog with a couple leg lifts was all I could manage. Any more than that and my heart would have exploded out of my chest. I was really nervous.

Making my way back to the crowd, I tried to pry myself into a good position to start at least somewhat close to the elites. However, it seems everyone has the same idea at these races and I soon found myself stuck behind a man that, at first glance, appeared to be wearing a sweater. Upon further inspection, I realized he was just extremely hairy, and thus spent the remainder of the time in the tent avoiding bumping into him.

When the gun went off everyone shot forward. Immediately I saw the front pack surge forward. My coach had advised me to start the first mile slow and then pick it up from there. This served a dual purpose as I would be able to make my own race once the urge to run up front left me, and also to warm up a bit since it takes me quite a long time to do. At the first mile I clocked in at 6:13. Yikes. Way off pace but I felt really good. I began to slowly pick up the pace, and in the process, picked off several people along the way. This was fun!

Going through downtown Miami was a bit strange, mostly due to the smell. I notice this in a lot of big cities, but there was an overwhelming smell of old cigars and trash and it really threw my stomach off balance. Another oddity was their bridges. It was very difficult to run a consistent pace since your mechanics are thrown off by the metal grating. Back to the race.....

Every 30 seconds or so I was able to pass someone and keep them behind me. This became the norm for the race. At around mile 8 I passed the three leading women and continued my journey to find the front-running men. At mile 10.5 I was able to see my mom and the rest of the cheer station. It was really exciting getting through that section. I felt renewed after leaving that area and put in a good surge to catch the next person. Another thing I noticed, every person I passed during the entire race was entirely gassed. It took absolutely no effort to pass them. At the full/half marathon course split, I was informed I was 21st place. Not too shabby, but I thought I could do better.

Slowly but surely I picked off 20, 19, 18, all the way down to 11. About every mile or so I would get these gut-wreching side stitches that would leave me short of breath. But it seemed that every time that happened I would see another runner ahead. Somehow that took the focus off of my stitch and I was able to hunt them down. Finally, around the 20 mile mark, I began to feel sharp. Tired, but sharp. I'm not sure if it was the realization that I would only be running another 35 minutes or some other physiological miracle, but I was able to put in a surge that lasted the rest of the race. In the last 10k I picked off 6 more people. I passed the last guy with 1.2 miles to go and put 3 minutes on him by the finish. Crossing the finish line was surreal. I was genuinely happy at my performance. About 10 steps after the finish line I began throwing up white foam, and this continued in spurts for the next half hour. In my mind I like to think it was just weakness leaving the body, because it hurt like hell.

So there it is, my first race of the season. I think this race is going to be a good indicator of how I perform in the 100k in April. I still like trails better, of course. And I still like running until my legs give out, rather than my lungs.

Hopefully this is a foreshadowing of what the season will bring. For now I've got 2 solid months of training to get in before the race, and one very important pacing job. My good friend Brooks Williams will be running the Brew to Brew 43.2 mile race from Kansas City to Lawrence on April 3rd, 2011. For all of you who would like to know more about Brooks or the race, you can visit his blog (a link is located on the sidebar under "blogs of interest").

Miami Results

Finished in a time of 2:26:37 and took 5th place overall. Had a good race but I'm glad its behind me, more details to come.

Miami Marathon

I've realized lately that it is very difficult to write or even be creative when it feels like I'm doing the same thing every day. I'm not big on finding the little differences in the day to day events that surround my life... specifically running. I believe that is why I try (and succeed) most times to throw in a new route or to explore a trail I haven't run yet. But lately it seems that my desire for new adventures has taken a backseat to calculated and well-managed training for my race this weekend.

The marathon has been a race I have looked over for the last 3 years as "insignificant" or "boring". In a lot of ways, I still see it as such. Most marathons are on roads, they are almost always crowded, they don't offer the scenery that most ultramarathons do, and they offer little in the way of changing terrain. But in these last few months I have really started to appreciate just what it takes to run one of these races to the extent of your ability.

Ultramarathons have been a safe haven for me mostly because I can avoid completely losing my breath (Leadville excluded) and also can be quite lax with my regulation of pace.... I can always count on catching the next surge of energy. I mean, if you have all day to run, there are going to be highs and lows no matter what you do. The marathon, however, is an elusive monster since it involves toeing the line of complete anaerobic meltdown for what I hope to be two hours and twenty-five minutes.

Three weeks ago I had one last test to see if I could manage this pace with a 30 kilometer progression. For those of you who have never done a progression (I hadn't until 3 weeks ago), the name implies the gradual nature of increasing effort and lowering pace throughout the run. During this run we chose a paved bike trail that travels 15k out, and 15k back.

We began with the pace at around 7 to 7:30 miles, then "progressed" each mile until we reached the 15k mark at just below 6 minute/mile pace. At this point we took a gel and began to hammer the pace until we reached my goal of 5:30. Shockingly, I felt great. We were cruising along for the next 4 miles at this pace and I decided to pick it up a bit. 5:23, 5:21, 5:18... I felt like a machine. Then the last 2 miles came about. 5:14, I felt like I was going to die. I had side stitches, my stride was breaking down, I couldn't breathe correctly, I was in the throws of anaerobic shock. My training partner Dan, a superb marathon runner, kept trying to tell me to breathe easier, focus on my stride, all the of the usual things one might try to say to deflect attention away from the pain. And in some ways it worked, but that last mile was excruciating. We crossed the last mile marker in 5:11. I dry heaved my way back to the car. The pace for the last 15k was 5:23. I couldn't help but smile as I drifted in and out of sleep.

And so this workout, combined with about 3 months of consistent yet redundant training has led me to the starting line of the Miami Marathon. Needless to say, this isn't my ultimate goal for the season. In reality it's a tester to see what I can run for the Mad City 100k in April. But I have a feeling if this race goes well, there won't be much stopping me from a good race in Madison.

One thing is certain. After this weekend, I'll be running a lot more unknown trails and consequently writing more....

Nov 29- Dec 5

This week went pretty well.

Nov 29-Dec 5

M- 75 min, 10 miles
40 min, 6 miles (16)
T- AM 17 min warm-up

10 mile progressive run (56:10)

15 min cool down

PM Run 30 min, 4 miles (18)
W- 80 min, 10 miles
29 min, 4 miles (14)
T- 70 min, 10 miles
42 min, 6 miles (16)
F - 41 min, 6 miles

S- 20 minute warm-up

Workout 2 X 3200m (10:44, 10:40),

1 X 3000m (9:38), 5 min recovery run

20 min cool down (11)

S- 152 min, 19+ miles

Total: 100 miles

These are the weeks where I'm really glad that I keep records of my mileage and times. I used to be very opposed to this because it mostly just meant more work. The other reason was that I would worry too much about constant improvement. However, there are a lot of benefits to keeping track of where you are in your fitness, especially when you are doing the same loops and out-and-backs and track workouts. It gives you a reference point to see how far you've come and how quickly you've gotten there. And where most observations in running can be seen qualitatively (muscle definition, fatigue, level of effort, etc.), it is nice to put down numbers to add some clarity to the ritual.

For example, today I am doing 6 miles in the AM and 6 in the PM. I noticed on my morning run that even though I felt pretty fatigued from the 20 hilly miles I did yesterday, I was still averaging around 6:50 miles. This came as a surprise since I felt so tired, but numbers don't lie.

As for the track workouts, I'm still chipping away at my times. It's not so much that I'm getting a lot faster, I think I'm just gaining more control over my form at high speeds, as well as dealing with the discomfort of lactic acid build-up.

There is still a large part of me that wants to go for a 40 mile jog in the mountains on Saturday's. But for now the big race on my schedule is Mad City 100K, which consists of ten loops of a flat 10k course in Madison, WI.

Thanksgiving

Hello All,

I wanted to wait on a few solid weeks of training before writing again. Here is what has been going on the last few weeks for marathon training. There was one day I took off opportunistically in order to reset the schedule to a Monday-Sunday week rather than Sunday-Saturday.

November 7- November 13

S- 64 min, 9 miles

M- 61 min, 8-9 miles

T- 20 min, 2.5 miles

W- 75 min, 9 miles

Workout 10 min (2K) warmup, 3 X 2000m (6:38, 6:31, 6:23), 9 min (2K) cooldown

5 X 800m (2:43, 2:40, 2:39, 2:38, 2:35), 400m slow jog cooldown

T- 55 min, 7.5 miles

F- Workout warmup 20 min, 3 miles at 5:13 pace, 3 miles at 5:33 pace, cooldown 20 min

S- 90 min, 12 miles

Total Miles: 70

NOV 4- 0 miles

November 15- November 21

M- 89 min, 12.5 miles

40 min, 5 miles

T- AM Run 30 min, 4 miles

PM 30 min "portuguese warmup", workout fartlek 40 min @ 1 min on 1 min off

W- 32 min, 4.5 miles

45 min, 7 miles

T- 78 min, 11 miles

F- Run 20 min, 2 miles

Workout 20 min warmup, 3 X 1600 (5:04, 5:03, 4:57), 3 miles at MP (5:35, 5:25, 5:20), 20 min cooldown

S- 50 min, 6 miles

S- 104 min, 16 miles @ 6:30 pace

Total Miles: 94

These track workouts are really sending me into that fatigue I feel after a few 25 mile days in a row. Its all a very different kind of pain while its happening, but once you get home and lay on the couch.... TIRED IS TIRED! I'm finding it really exciting to see how far I can push myself, and even though the track is somewhat monotonous, the miles fly by really easily.

The biggest change to my schedule from earlier in the year is the long run. Although its a little bit shorter, its way faster than I'm used to running for long periods of time. Last Sunday before I flew to Florida, I partook in a grueling 16 mile run at 6:30 pace, of which the last 4 miles were right under 6 min/mile. At peak condition I wouldn't normally find this too taxing, but I'm nowhere near that point right now :) After that I boarded the plane, luckily receiving an exit row seat for the 5 1/2 hour flight.

This week has been a little weird. All of the running on pavement has been bothering my calves a bit and I took off a day in order to let them heal a bit.

As for this morning, I entered a 4 mile race to get a feel for exactly where my aerobic threshold is. I finished the race 2nd overall in a time of 21:04. The last half mile I let off the gas a bit and probably could have finished under 21 but I'm not really upset about the race since its the first race under a marathon that I've done since sophomore year of college.

Now I'm off to stuff as much food into my stomach as my body will allow, then go for a swim in the Gulf!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!