What a Week

This past week was a lot of fun. My mileage wasn't that high and I didn't do anything spectacular, but I spent a lot of time with great friends and family just cruising the trails. Here are a bunch of photos for you to enjoy.

 Working backwards: I ran the Lindon BST with Kim and Brent and had an awesome time in the mud.

Prior to the run, goofing off.

 

Brent coming up to the turn-around.

 The day prior I ran with Brent again on the Orem BST. Mostly dirt roads with the last couple of miles on pavement, this was a very enjoyable outing.

Scott and I climbed Wire Peak on Wednesday. It was very foggy and we couldn't see much, so we took other fun-filled liberties.

Scott nearing the summit.

Me completely goofing off.

One other day to note was my Saturday run with Kelli and her husband, Scott. We had a great time on the Pipeline Trail in Millcreek Canyon.  I didn't take my camera which I completely regret now, but we had a wonderful time all the same.

This coming week won't be nearly as exciting as I'm trying to heal a couple of nagging injuries, so I might be spending most of my time on the treadmill. Not exciting, but probably necessary. I'm looking forward to feeling good and ramping up training in expectation of the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 Miler in a couple of months.

Minimalism and Shoes

I regularly have discussions with friends and fellow runners about the new line of minimalist running shoes that is making a big wave in the shoe manufacturing world. What was once considered a fad is now a solid niche and possibly even the preferred - or suggested - shoe to go with. I'm not going to take sides on the minimalist vs 'normal' running culture. I have my own thoughts on the issue, some of which I'll address here, but will refrain from trying to express what I think should be gospel on the issue. Most specifically I want to address the new line of minimalist shoes that are coming out this year.

I'm a mid-foot striker, I'll get that out of the way right now. I used to heel strike, but after reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall I, like many others, got caught up in the wonder of minimalist running, even barefoot running. I hit the streets barefoot in an inch of fresh snow and blasted out 2 miles without any problems. I changed my form to a mid-foot strike and sought out shoes with a low heel-toe drop and reduced midsole. I had encountered some severe Illiotibial Band Syndrone as a heel striker and was certain that it would cure my problem. While it helped in the short term it did not cure me. It wasn't until I learned how to run properly from the hips up and how to relax and strengthen my hips that I was able to finally cure the problem for good. I also changed up my shoes and found some I really loved (Inov-8 Roclite 295). However, it was during this whole process of change that I also came to a few truths that I'm sure would not be looked at promisingly by those committed to the minimalist movement. I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, but here it goes.

2011 will be the year of the minimalist trail running shoe. Literally, every company out there who already produces a trail shoe will now have their own minimalist version. It is awesome. I'm excited about a lot of these. Unfortunately, I probably won't get to try many of them. Basically I'm just not cool enough for companies to want me to test out their products. That's fine. I run and race because it's fun; I don't need perks like being a tester, as fun as that would also be .

Traditional running shoes were pretty standard: stable upper, gnarlier sole, rock plate. Then New Balance came out with the MT100 and changed everything. They significantly reduced the midsole, whittled down the tread, and made the upper super light. They have now improved upon it with the MT101. However, even with these drastic reductions they kept the rock plate. Inov-8 really changed things up dropping a ton of weight, but still able to keep wicked-good tread. They claim to have a rock plate, of sorts, but I don't think I've ever really felt it.

This year will be about two things; reducing weight and minimizing the heel to toe drop. Let me address the heel-toe drop thing first. As a mid-foot striker I think this is pretty important, Ok, kind of important. I currently run in two different brand of shoes with a 10mm drop. Three companies this year will come out with 'zero drop' shoes. Altra, who actually owns the term 'zero drop' will come out with a whole line of shoes that will maintain the foots height off the ground from toe to heel. Pretty cool. I really look forward to trying these shoes. The other two are Merrell and Inov-8. It will be interesting to see how these shoes compare to each other. Here's my little hang-up though - if you are a proper mid-foot striker then is there really a difference between 10mm drop and zero drop? Your heel really isn't going to strike the ground anyway. I think the idea is fine, but I just don't think it is necessary. More like a nice to have. I know most minimalist proponents would argue with me, but I'm telling you, if you took 50 trail runners and put them in two shoes - one with a zero drop and one with a 8mm drop - and they didn't know which was which, I bet after running in each for 20 miles they couldn't tell the difference. I'm just saying.

The other issue is weight. I like that companies are trying to reduce weight in their shoes, but please, please, please, quit sacrificing what is most important, THE ROCK PLATE!! Seriously, as a friend of mine recently said, "the only real difference between a road shoe and a trail shoe is the rock plate". I couldn't agree more. Unless the outsole is a little stiffer I don't think I'm even going to consider a shoe that doesn't have some kind of plate. Maybe rock plateless shoes will work out there in No Cali or in some places in CO, but here in Utah where the trails are rock and root stricken, a shoe without a rock plate is a foot's death wish. I can personally attest to this after running a lot of trails in a shoe without a rock plate and coming out of it with foot problems. Again, if a company can produce a shoe that doesn't require one, fine, but I have yet to see it. I love my Inov-8s, I really do. They claim that the extra lugs on the 295 don't require a stiffer plate, but I kind of disagree. Sharp rocks get through. I've worn three pair and would gladly buy another one, but the fact remains that I feel rocks all the time. Adversely, the MT101 has a solid plate and minimal tread and I feel fewer rocks  in those than my Inov-8s.

I first began running trails in the Brooks Cascadia 4. I loved that shoe, except for one thing; I would get a blister under the bend in my big toe on longer runs (weird huh?). As I started into my minimalist phase I put them aside. However, in 2011 they will introduce the Cascadia 6 which is slightly lighter and only has an 8mm heel to toe drop. And guess what, they have a strong, visible rock plate. This could very well be one of my new shoes this year. If I can run in them without the little blister I might find a new home for my feet. Oh, and they come in red. Huzzah!!!!

Anyway, take it for what's its worth. I'm not a sponsored athlete. I'm not well known in the running community. I run because it is fun. I run thousands of miles on trails in every kind of condition and in any location. I've been through many shoes, I know how to run, and can attest to what will and won't work for the average to above average runner. If you think I'm wrong, cool, call me out. Then send me a pair of shoes and prove me wrong. I'd love to be wrong. But there you have it.

2010 Trail Running Video

I finally got around to finishing my little compilation video of last year's trail running. It's nothing big, in fact, it's pretty ghetto, but there is some pretty cool stuff to see. Enjoy it if you can.

Training Week 1/10 - 1/15

This was the first real week of training that I've had since trying to take intermittent time off for my Peroneal Tendontitis (ankle suckage). I didn't want to push it too hard; no high mileage days and reduced amount of hills. While it won't appear that I stuck with this focus, it really wasn't all that bad a week.

Monday 1/10 
4.2 miles, 100 vert - A quick loop on pavement during lunch. I was still nursing a strained calf and really didn't want to push it.

Tuesday 1/11
a.m. 3.8 miles, 2300 vert - Hiked Mt Wire (there's very little running to be done on this small peak) with Scott W and Matt VH. I felt good considering my lack of hill work over the last couple of months. It was a cold 6 degrees and didn't warm up. Made it to the top in 56:30 and roundtrip in 1:22:00. Saw about 8 elk that were really beautiful.
p.m. 4 miles, 0 vert - I did a treadmill run at the gym. Nothing special. I threw in a sub-7 min/mile just to stretch my legs. Boring.

Wednesday 1/12
6.06 miles, 1328 vert - I ran the BST in Draper. It was a beautiful day. After the 6 degrees beating the morning before I was able to run without gloves. Hit the trail with Matt W and we had to turn around a bit early due to larger snow drifts covering the trail.

Thurs 1/13
3.8 miles, 2300 vert - Wire Peak again with Matt R (yeah, I know a lot of Matts) and Scott W. Quicker day as it was super warm and the trail was beaten in better. Hit the top in 53:31 and roundtrip in 1:14:51, considerably faster than Tuesday. I think in the summer I could make it to the top in the lower 40s and round trip in under an hour. It will definitely be a goal of mine.

Friday 1/14
9 miles, 600 vert - I ran the Pipeline Trail in Millcreek Canyon. There were lots of people snow shoeing in big jackets, beanies, and snow pants. I ran by in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Ha. I went up Church Fork, out to the point and back, and a quick out and back east on the trail to get an extra couple of miles.
1 mile, 0 vert - After getting home I picked up my son and we drove down to a park where we ran 1 mile on the dirt path around the park. He just wanted to get some exercise in. I'm so proud of what he's doing.

Saturday 1/15
Nothing. I couldn't find the time or means to get out.  Shame really.

Weekly Total:
31.96 miles
6628 vert

I think overall I accomplished my goals. It seems like there was a lot of vert in there, something I committed to not doing. But most of it was hiking and low impact. I'll have another moderate week and then start pushing my training a little harder. My next race is Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 Miler at the end of March and I'd like to be well prepared so that I can perform at my best. Since few are really reading this and no one ever comments I'll keep my fingers crossed for myself and not ask anyone else to do it too.

I've Got a Dream

I've been procrastinating writing up my 2011 goals on this site. I've had them posted on my personal running blog on another site where only a few friends will see them. As expected, many were awed by my lofty sights, but all were very supportive. Throwing them on here, for the world to see and ridicule, is a new level. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 Miler - with my ankle hurt and considering the recovery time I really don't think I'll be in shape for the 100. I may even bump down to the 50k, but most likely will do the 50. I love running out on that island. Many people don't like the 50 because of the long, flat out and back on the west side. After running PE100 the last thing I fear is long and flat.

Timpanogos Double-up - this should be an easy middle of the week outing. I plan to run Timp about 10 times this year.

Timpanogos from Grove Creek - I am really excited for this one. I actually hope to do this a few times. About 30 miles round trip with about 8000 ft of vert (you actually lose nearly 1000 ft coming around the north side of the mountain that you have to gain again).

Zion Traverse - 48 miles of pure heaven.

Bryce Canyon Link-up - Doing it proper this year and definitely going to try and bag the very soft speed record. For those of you who enjoy the Grand Canyon R2R2R or the Zion Traverse, this is a must-do.

King's Peak Double - Yep, I'm going to run that silly mountain twice in one day. 52 miles. The last 5 miles are always a slog and now I get to do it twice. At least the first time will be in the dark. This goal is a guarantee for this year and down-right STUPID!

Quest for King's Marathon - Looking for a good turn-out this year. It is going to be a full-on party. I plan to have a very large campground set up a mile or two from the trailhead where we can all gather and party the night before. If it isn't on your calendar, set the date. Looking to do it the 3rd or so week in August. Reminder: this is a fun-run, not a real race. Although, the first person back does get the cow bell!

Wasatch 100 or Bear 100 - Whichever one I get into. This will be my big race focus of the year. All of my adventure runs during the summer will build for this.

Pony Express 100 - going for a sub-20 hour tour this time (hoping that I will be recovered enough from my previous 100). I think this race is going to get popular so I'm not going to target winning the thing. There is a solid chance some very good runners will show up this year. 100 straight, flat, long miles in the desert = awesome.

Grand Canyon R2R2R - there is no way I'm not doing it in 2011. I've waited too long.

6 days of Ultras - Yes, I plan to run 6 50k's in a row. It is helping me gear up for the next goal. 

Finally, I'm going to start running chunks of the Great Western Trail. My plan (about 5 years from now) is to run it from the Idaho border to the Arizona border in a single push. Should be 500+ miles. I'm hoping to run 25 - 40 miles a day. I need to get a good handle on the trail though. There isn't a single consistent trail (often times there are 2 - 3 trails that all bare the name and parallel each other) and it will be easy to get off track. I will be doing a ton of research over the next few years and just building mileage and getting to know the trail.

Notice that I'm only running three real races this year (I will do a road half and full with my wife this year, but those aren't goals, just expected). We are trying to buy a house in July and I want to focus financially on that. My adventure runs, while costly, are still about 1/4 of what it costs to run and support myself for an ultra race.

I know, these are a whole bunch of goals. Only two things will hold me back from achieving them; time and injury. If I can manage both appropriately I think I can do all of this. I don't fear any of them.

2010 In Review

While I know there are still a couple of weeks left in the year to do something cool, my commitment to heal up this Peroneal ankle tendonitis is winning out over running. With nothing to do, really, I find myself reflecting on my accomplishments of this past year. I will review each in its turn below, but some of the behind the scene bigger moments are; getting through 95% of the year injury free, continuing my streak of ultras without a DNF, eclipsing my total mileage of 2009 by several hundred this year, and the biggest yet, making new running friends and just thoroughly enjoying the trails with all my mates. 2010 has been a brilliant year.

Now, reflection.

Big Goals - Coming off of 2009 recovering from ITBS I set a pretty high goal of running a marathon length distance or further every month this year. January and December were the only months I failed to do that (December isn't over yet; don't count me out). While I didn't do it in each of the months, I did run 26.2 or further 15 different times this year, a huge accomplishment for me . . . or just about anyone, really (except Davy who seems to do it week after week).

Sapper Joe 50k - While I had some great runs early in the year, my real test was in May during the the Sapper Joe 50k, my first race of 2010. I knew the competition would be tough and I only had hopes for a personal good performance, but even though I had a really difficult day I was still blessed to run faster than planned and take 4th overall. I'm looking forward to bettering my time in 2011 by more than 20 minutes. Placement won't matter to me.

From 2009, but you get the idea

SL Valley Temple Run - If I get something in my head it generally gets stuck there until I achieve it. Not attempt to achieve it, but actually do it. Running to each of the 4 LDS temples in the Salt Lake Valley was an idea I got in my head very early in 2010 and I just couldn't sleep at night until I went for it. The wet spring and muddy trails really helped me make the decision to go after this urban ultra. 

Bryce Canyon Link-up - Another hair-brained idea was to link the three main backcountry trails in Bryce Canyon, making for an amazing tour of the park. While I didn't get to run every step of the trail I had planned, I still linked all three, technically, and did something I'm pretty sure has not been done before. I can't wait to head back and try the full version in 2011.

Utah Triple Crown - Setting the new speed record on the Utah Triple Crown has been my primary goal since I decided to start running. In 2001 I hiked all three in a day from an advanced base camp, making the papers (silly) and triggering a small wave of followers who were now set on repeating it. However, in 2008 Davy Crockett did all three in a day starting from the car. He not only stepped up the standard, but he set a solid time to beat. My intention was to target a different route and hopefully cut off mileage and time. The end result was that I not only set a new record of 9:41:46, beating the old record by more than 4 hours, but I summited 4 peaks instead of just the 3 tallest (I had to go over East Gunsight to get to Gunsight Pass). Davy thinks the record will stand for a long time. I think, and hope, that it is beatable and anyone who is familiar with the area could do it in the next couple of years. That would be awesome. 

Katcina Mosa 100k - August would be new ground for me, running further in a single go than ever before. The Katcina Mosa 100k is one of the toughest 62 mile trail races in the country, boasting over 34,000 ft of elevation gain and loss. It is run in the hottest month of the year through the mountains behind Provo, UT. I had set a pretty good goal and over-achieved, something I really didn't expect. It was an awesome race and I ran a 13:38:00, taking 9th overall. It was that race that really gave me the confidence to run 100 miles. While wrecked after, I knew I could have gone further if the race required it.

Quest for King's Marathon - In 2009 I devised this little fun run as a way to race the tallest mountain in Utah. It's not an official race since racing isn't allowed on pristine wilderness land, but it is a great way to get all my friends together and enjoy one of my favorite trails in Utah. This year we had a small turn-out and I had a rough day, but overall it was a really fun day. I set a new PR and came in 2nd overall. I'm pretty sure that next year I won't finish that high, but I do hope to knock off more than a half hour on my time. 

Pony Express 100 - My focus since mid-year 2009 was to work up and run a 100 mile race. While I am a mountain runner at heart, the Pony Express 100 was a draw for me for several reasons. First, the race director is a friend and my running mentor, Davy Crockett. Second, I ran the 50 last year, knew the course, and enjoyed the remoteness of the course. Finally, I was on the race committee and therefore had no choice but to go for it. Oh, and Davy was way too smug about always winning it. He needed someone to take him down. While it wasn't me or anyone else for that matter, I did come in 3rd overall, set a 100 mile PR of 22:46:00, and wet my tongue on the world of 100 milers. I'm hooked. Next year I will have no other goal but to win it . . . and try and go under 20 hours. I know I can do both.

Halloween Half Marathon - One of my most prized moments of the year was running a road half marathon with my wife, mom, and brother (and my mom's friend). I can't express how proud I am of my wife and how much I value having the experience to run with her. She beat her goal time by 15 minutes, ran strong the whole way, and we just had a TON of fun. I am so proud of her.

While the year was dotted with other fine accomplishments, such as; running two ultra distances in Cedar Valley, monster days on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, pacing at the Wasatch 100, Lake Mountain marathon, and discovering how amazing the Timpanogos trails are, the ones listed above were truly the highlight of an amazing year. Will 2011 be even better? I don't know. I'm not sure I could ever have a better year than this one, but you can be certain that I am going to try. Stay tuned for my 2011 goals. They should be impressive, even for me.

Euro Racing

I've been doing a bit of reading and watching race videos of trail races held in Europe, specifically two kinds of races that differ from those (if only slightly) we offer here in the States; Sky Racing and Vertical Challenges (Vertical Kilometer). Both of these types of races interest me greatly. I'll address them seperately.

First, Sky Racing. This has been defined by the International Skyrunning Federation as - The discipline of running in the mountains above 2,000m where the incline exceeds 30% and the climbing difficulty does not exceed II° grade. Ski poles and hands may be used to aid progress. There are three types of sky races; Sky Marathon (20 - 26.2 miles in length), Sky Race (15 - 20 miles in length), and Sky Raid (multisport team races at elevation). There is also Sky Ultramarathon, which is anything more than 5% greater than a Sky Marathon. We have a few of these in the States that would qualify; Wasatch 100, Hardrock 100, Leadville 100, Wasatch Speedgoat (best possible example) and others. We also have races that are similar in nature to Sky Races, but aren't quite at elevation. One that comes to mind is the Wahsatch Steeplechase.

Often times these races run up and over mountains. The grade is extremely steep for most of the ascent, requiring the use of trekking poles and on occasions, ropes to pull yourself up. The distance of such a race (15 - 20 miles) is ideal in that, for most, runners will likely push their limit on not only climbing but outright running. Often with ultras we just get into a casual rhythm and grind it out to the finish. With Sky Racing you have the challenge of doing difficult mountainous ascents at marathon pace.

I would love to host or co-host races like this here in Utah. For those familiar with the Wasatch Mountains I can easily think of several options that would fall into this category; Bullion Divide, Beatout Hike, Devil's Castle / Sugarloaf / Baldy loop, Alta-Brighton loop, etc. The requirements are easy - make it steep and do it at altitude. I just think it would be cool to do more altitude racing, especially since our local options are in such abundance.

Now, as for the Vertical Kilometer. These races are simple and insane. Find the steepest, toughest trail you can and push racers up it for 1 kilometer. I've watched videos on this and its crazy. The old Widow Maker trails on South Mountain would work perfectly for this. I wonder if Draper City would let me run a race like this. It's individually timed and people leave about 2 minutes apart. And they just go up as fast as they can until they collapse at the top. Sound fun?

What are your thoughts on the whole concept?