Category: Weekend Recap

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Ironman rescheduled, Presidential Traverse and more

It’s been an adventure-filled week of mountain biking, running in the humidity, swimming in lakes and rivers, and dogs wrecking my stuff. News about Ironman Mont Tremblant came this week. They offered some options about transfering to a 2020 race or postponing until next year. I have until June 29 to make a decision. Options include Lake Placid, Wisconsin, Chattanooga and Texas. All really great options that would get me training hard. I told Mark I’m going to concentrate on running this year and just postpone until next year. However, stranger things have happened since I may be up for more adventure and craziness.

Mont Tremblant options……

Mountain Biking
I bought a season pass for Bear Brook. It was time. I love this place. And since I never take pictures while biking all I have is a screenshot from Strava of a fun adventure on Sunday.

Running
Running has been difficult with a sore back (thanks dogs) and the heat. I had dog training on Saturday mornings for the last 6 weeks so runs sometimes were cut short. I didn’t have that excuse this past Saturday. Long runs are my nemesis and this needs to change pronto. 

Gunstock 50 miles is coming up in September.

My mid-week runs have been decent and certain hills I’ve been getting stronger. This coming Saturday I’m running/hiking with my Leadville friends so I know I’ll get in 22 miles. 

They promise water at Lake of the Clouds.

Presidential Traverse
I’m so excited for Saturday and running/hiking the traverse with the same people I ran/hiked the Pemi Loop with last year. I’ve been wanting to do the traverse for so long and now I get to. I even had an opportunity to hike it mid-week with another group this week but I couldn’t make dog kenneling and logistics work, but that would’ve been epic and helped training for Ragged Mountain.  

The YMCA is opening more options this week and I will start weight training this morning. I don’t want to overdo it before the Presidential Traverse on Saturday but I’m excited to get back to getting stronger. 

Having a beer with my dad at the Atlantic Grill on Sunday. Happy Father’s Day.

The week wouldn’t have been completed with some sort of destruction of property. I wanted to give Goldie another chance at free reign of the house while I biked and came home to this:

Goldie’s destruction of property. She is lucky she is so darn cute.

This week is the last full week in June and then it’s on to July.

Make this week a good one!

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Weekend Recap, June 15 Looking Ahead

It was a fun weekend of riding and running and hiking with the dogs. While we haven’t been hiking the big mountains or any real mountain, I think next week we will take it to the next level. Winnie and Goldie are ready for a longer hike. 

The trees in Winant Park are green and lush. Look up!

I was thinking this last week about all the plans and goals from the beginning of the year. It’s been such a strange year but no year goes completely how I’ve wanted. It’s like the saying that if you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans. I didn’t know that was attributed to Woody Allen. 2019 and 2010 were pretty great years.

Things I planned on doing on January 1, and status as of June 15:

  • 52 marathons in one year. I have only have completed one 26 mile run. There still may be time. 
  • 4,000 footers in my 49th year. I’m getting there slowly while placing blame on the stay at home order. There is time.
  • 100,000 feet in June, July, August. This is the new goal and I love seeing my calculations change every day. This is possible.
As of June 14, 2020, this is for the month of June – must hit 33,000 to stay on track for 100,000 feet of vert.
  • 100 mile finish. My training is not going well. The most important runs are the long runs on the weekend and I’m not hitting the numbers. There is still time. This is possible. 

I’m so behind but it’s all good. I love thinking of all the fun things that help me get psyched to do too many activities in one day that leave me so tired. As much as the tiredness lately has been driving me crazy, I know that I’m getting stronger, if that is even possible at 49. 

This week’s training plan – running!

This week is some big mileage and lots of activities: swimming, small group weight training at the Y, running, hiking and a hike or two. See you on Strava!

My new favorite place to Mountain Bike – Bear Brook!
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Weekend Recap, Podcasts, Book Review

My friend Shelly, from Houston, finished her first 100 mile race at Brazos Bend in December, and her name appears in this month’s Ultra Running Magazine. She is amazing. 

While I was in Houston in January for the Houston Marathon, I had a few minutes to talk to her about her race and get some tips for finishing my first 100. I wanted to know every training secret and figure out what I could do to get to the finish line at Umstead. 

Here are a few tips she gave me:

  • Find running partners
  • Join long run groups
  • Run after work and into the night (with someone)
  • Get up and run at 3 a.m. for a few hours
  • Listen to podcasts and books while running

As soon as I got home I joined Facebook groups and vowed to find people to run with. I have tried to run after work but I’m too tired and it’s too cold. I haven’t woken up at 3 a.m. to run either. And, I pretty much always run alone. 

However, today as I was running for hours on the treadmill I decided to look at some podcasts and take Shelly’s advice since my music wasn’t motivating me and all the TV channels were talking incessantly about coronavirus. 

I started listening to Motivation vs. Discipline from Trail Runner Nation because I’ve been having some problems with motivation and discipline lately. 

I’ve also been having recurring pain in my legs as my mileage increases; I’m thinking from my prior injury. 

I’m a mess. 

I decided to start listening to this podcast to force me to stay on the treadmill and finish the workout. I don’t listen to podcasts because they become cringeworthy to me, and it’s feels like I’m listening to a reality show that I want to turn off when everyone starts talking over each other. Today, I decided to give podcasts another shot and listened to this entire podcast.

The biggest take away from Motivation vs. Discipline was the discussion about the ultra running community and how at races people ask “what was your experience” not, what was your time. These runners care about having a great experience. And this is what needs to motivate my running. Another discussion topic is about how motivation is needed at the beginning of learning a new distance versus discipline; however motivation and discipline fuel each other. My favorite discussion point in the podcast: listen to your body.

“If you only go out and exercise when you feel great you are not going to reach your goal.” It seems like my legs are always tired. When I do my long runs they are so tired during most of it. I acknowledged that it is good training to run on tired legs, but why are they ALWAYS tired? This podcast really motivated me to keep going. 

Then, I looked for another podcast to help me fight longer on the treadmill. 

However, as I walked for a bit on the treadmill I decided to find the Libby App for the library and find a good book to listen to.

But my mind moved back to a point from the podcast, Motivation vs. Discipline, that I should use Training Peaks to plan my week because seeing a red workout (meaning not completed) would help motivate me. So I tried to Log In to Training Peaks.

It all helped pass the time and I kind of, sort of, finished my workout.

I need to do more of Shelly’s recommendations since it’s now just about 6 weeks to race day. Training is not going as well as I’d like, but I’m doing it. 

“Individuals on the path of mastery are driven from within.” The Passion Paradox

Reading The Passion Paradox is helpful too. The idea of mastery and a goal of getting better, has helped me realize that I’m in this for the long-haul. I really want to finish a 100, get better at figuring out what my body needs to go long [successfully], and try other distances and endurance sports. The only way to do this is to learn more about what will cure all my aches and pains, get better at nutrition and recovery, and to figure out what truly motivates me. After 17 years of training and racing endurance sports you would think I’d have figured it out. 

Maybe this is what keeps me motivated: there is always so much to learn.

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Mount Sunapee in November

On Sunday, I took Winnie hiking to Mount Sunapee. I’ve hiked the Andrew Brook Trail three times now and it never gets old. It’s a gentle, nice hike to great views. Originally I was thinking about hiking the Tripyrimids or Tecumseh so I could get started on hiking (again) all 4,000 footers. But it was so cold in the morning, despite the sun, and wanted to wait until it warmed up a bit. I went for a swim at the Y and once I got back and made lunch it was almost noon. There wasn’t enough time left to hike in the Whites.

It’s a 45 minute drive from Concord to Sunapee versus over an hour to Waterville Valley, so I decided that we would hike Sunapee and get comfortable winter hiking on a smaller peak before Waterville peaks. 

Andrew Brook Trail

The first .75 miles of the trail I was able to bareboot it. Then it started to get icy and slick so I put on my microspikes. We got to Lake Solitude in an hour and then about 30 minutes to the top where snowmaking operations had started. According to the Mount Sunapee website they open next Wednesday for skiing. It’s been so cold that I suspect there will be a lot of trails open.

Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail Sign

I love being on the Greenway Trail. The sign reminded me of the 3 day trail running event that I’ve been wanting to do for a few years: The Ragged Mountain Stage Race. I wanted to do it last year but I trained for the Leadville 100 instead. So this year, I might just sign up. Three days of 50Ks – sounds awesome.

Solitude Trail Sign

It was a beautiful day for views. I only saw six people the entire afternoon – so quiet. I didn’t see or hear any wildlife other than chipmunks. It was a great day to get used to winter hiking conditions before heading to the White Mountain next weekend to bag some 4,000 footers.

Although, not so quiet from the snow guns at the Ski Resort.
Winnie is pooped

Total miles: 6
Elevation gain: 1,614

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Run the Witch Half Marathon Race Report

Kassandra arrived on Saturday from Tucson not only to visit me but to Run the Witch half marathon in Norwich, Vermont. We chose this race because it was a great way for her to see Vermont; a place I believe is so magical and beautiful, especially in the fall. I have always said that as soon as you drive over the Connecticut River from New Hampshire into Vermont it’s a different world. 

On Sunday as we drove in the misting rain, knowing that it was going to downpour at any moment, we were excited for the race and seeing a new place. 

The temperature hovered around 40 and once the race started we warmed up a bit; but not entirely. The course is hilly. The first mile was a warm up and then the hills came. Up and down, up and down, more rain, then the wind. 

Strava data

The first part of the half marathon course is paved and then we turned and ran on packed dirt; it was a nice change. The trees displayed their colors boldly and the scenery took our minds of the pain. 

We finished, got our medal, and changed out of our wet clothes as fast as we could. It was a good day to run and later appreciate the warmth of dry clothes.