T-205 Days

The numbers have been crunched and we have only 205 days until the mountains.  We'd better make the most of what time we have left.

Time of Day - Noon
Weather - 53°, cool with a gusty north wind
Route - Bogata loop, extended south
Distance - Unclear
Pace - Reasonably quick pace

Time - 23 minutes, plus stretching, warm up and cool down; cross training action tonight
iPod -  New Radicals

Comments - The run felt pretty good.  I had to cut my time short due to work constraints so I picked up the pace and hit it pretty hard on the finish.  Nothing spectacular but a reasonable effort.

As far as the Hair Challenge, this is about as long as mine has been.  If we do this, we are allowed to get it trimmed or shaped up just a tad, but no length reduction!

Training Log - Day 24

Brian, as to the Hair challenge...gotta think about that one! After that many months I may look like my friend Troy here. HMMMMM!

Ran around 5:30PM - weather was clear and in upper 30's. 26 minutes on the road at a SMOW pace. Quads still a little tight but the calf is holding up. Also, did 10 minutes of core workout (planks and cruches). Good day.

Run, Willie, Run!

Training

Today's run was more of a challenge. My calves felt a slight bit tight and after what Willie went through, I didn't want to hurt myself. Pretty quickly I could tell that today would not be as strong as the previous runs.  My legs were heavy and I wanted to quit. To combat this, I decided to mix up my route and just run due north for 20+ minutes and see where that got me. When I arrived at my appointed time, I knew that the fastest way home was to turn around and keep on going. No short cuts. Sometimes you have to play games with yourself.  I got a decent 45 minute run in.

It reminded me of high school time trials where the coach would send us on a run to a point 3 or so miles out and we'd kill ourselves to get there in the Texas heat. Once there, we'd then run all the way back to the showers. Most memorable was the time we caught a ride in the back of a pickup truck all the way to school. Let's just say that didn't go over well.

Today was another beautiful day, clear and crisp, temperature of about 43. A great day to be outside.

Willie, here's a challenge for you.  Let's not cut our hair until the race. If we don't make the race (other than due to injury or emergency) we might not be able to cut our hair until the next year's race!  This would surely be the longest I've ever gone without a hair cut and I'm fairly certain the same can be said of you.  What do you think?  Before you ask, there is no significant purpose to this.  It just sounds like something fun to do.

Training Log - Day 23

Brian, thanks for posting the routes and stages. It is good to have that "in my face" as a reminder and motivator for the challenge ahead. I met yesterday with Chad Ricklefs who is an accomplished ultramarathon runner and world class athlete. As a matter of fact, Chad won the prestigious Leadville 100 in 2000 and 2002, as well as, set a course record. Chad is from Boulder and offers coaching services for those interested in pushing themselves to accomplish an ultra. I'm looking forward to working with Chad and gaining some knowledge that I can share to make this a greater success for both of us.

Today's run was 32 minutes long at a slow pace. It was the first time I ran with a compression sleeve on my left calf. It actually seemed to help...I suppose the tingling sensation was from increased blood flow. Inside quads a little stiff and a slight cramp on right side. Man, it feels good to be running again.

Run, Willie, Run!

Training

Another day is in the books. It's beautiful and crisp outside, with a temperature of about 46 degrees.  Sometimes it just feels right and today was one of those days. 

My legs felt strong, my lungs were healthy and I actually enjoyed the 43 minutes out on the course. I had a nice finishing kick, lifting my knees and picking up the pace as I covered the last two or three hundred yards as I crossed the finish, with the Eagles playing "The Long Run" in my ears. Victory!

I took a look at the TRR course route and schedule yesterday after Willie tipped me off to a few changes to find that the race has been extended to 119.5 miles.  It's only another 4.5 miles over the original distance, but I'm thinking that every inch is going to matter.  The 6 stages are 20.9, 13.3, 24.2, 14.1, 23.6 and 23.4 miles respectively. Given a marathon is 26.2 miles, we basically get 4 marathons and 2 halves over the stages of the event.  That's a lot to comprehend, but the scariest aspect might be that we gain almost a mile in elevation on the final leg (5,100 feet elevation gain & 20,800 feet in total). It's OK though. We'll still be fresh, right?

The distance made me return again to thinking about maximizing efficiency of motion and getting the most out of each stride.  Form and mental toughness are going to be so important to our performance.  Nutrition and conditioning are also critical to our success.  This race won't be about speed.  It'll be about survival.

As I finished running today, I heard the lyrics "Well, we're scared, but we ain't shakin'.  Kinda bent, but we ain't breakin'." The Eagles had it right.  As long as we stay healthy, we've got this.

TransRockies Run Route and Stages

The latest from the TRR organizers:

http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/transrockies/race_route.htm

Route and Stages

With extensive experience in creating dynamic and challenging courses that run the gamut of mountain environments and conditions, the 2011 GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run organizers have once again designed a course that will, in every definition, leave you breathless.

The route and stages listed below are offered as inspiration, and a guide of what to expect. The actual route will remain secret until just before the event so that all competitors can maximize the adventure experience of entering something totally brand new.

Note: The route information provided is preliminary only, and is subject to change pending final route planning and U.S. Forest Service permit approval.

Stages

2011 Stages

Stage 1: Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge (15 min. shuttle to camp)
Stage 2: Vicksburg to Twin Lakes (30 min. shuttle to Leadville)
Stage 3: Leadville to Nova Guides at Camp Hale
Stage 4: Nova Guides at Camp Hale to Red Cliff (2 nights at Camp Hale)
Stage 5: Red Cliff to Vail

Stage 6: Vail to Beaver Creek

RUN 3 Stages

The RUN3 route covers the first three stages of the overall TransRockies Run, and runs concurrently with stages 1-3. The total RUN3 distance is 58.4 miles with 8,600 feet of elevation gain. See the profiles below for details.

Route Overview (Click for full size PDF)

Running Elevations and Surface Types

The route of the 2011 GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run will take place at elevations between 7,400 and 12,600 feet above sea level. Based on the preliminary route proposal (subject to change and approval by the U.S. Forest Service), the percent of distance at various elevations is as follows:

• 7,000' to 8,000' - 3%
• 8,000' to 9,000' - 31%
• 9,000' to 10,000' - 28%
• 10,000' to 11,000' - 27%
• 11,000' to 12,000' - 10%
• 12,000' to 13,000' - 1%

The following numbers are preliminary estimates and are also subject to final approval. In the event of extreme weather during the event and any subsequent re-routing, running surface types would also be subject to change.

• Dirt and Gravel Roads - 37%
• Non-Motorized Single and Double Trails - 33%
• 4-Wheel Drive and Motorized Trails - 18%
• Paved Roads and Pathways - 12%

The following Stage Elevation Profiles are based the proposed route plans presented to the U.S. Forest Service and are subject to change. They are provided here for illustration purposes only. All route plans are subject to U.S. Forest Service approval. We have updated these profiles as of November 17, 2010.

Stage 1 (TRR & RUN3): 20.9 miles, 2,550 feet elevation gain

Stage 2 (TRR & RUN3): 13.3 miles, 3,250 feet elevation gain

Stage 3 (TRR & RUN3): 24.2 miles, 2,800 feet elevation gain

Stage 4 (TRR): 14.1 miles, 2,900 feet elevation gain

Stage 5 (TRR): 23.6 miles, 4,200 feet elevation gain

Stage 6 (TRR): 23.4 miles, 5,100 feet elevation gain

Totals:
RUN3 - 58.4 miles, 8,600 feet elevation gain
TRR - 119.5 miles, 20,800 feet elevation gain

Camp Locations

All camp locations will be passenger vehicle and truck accessible, although most will have no services beyond those provided by the organization. Driving directions for support crews 
will be provided with camping passes.

Training

OK, so I'm not yet the machine I had hoped to be, but today I felt like a champion. 

I ran the Bogata loop twice in a little over 40 minutes at a fairly consistent pace.  I slowed a bit on the second lap, but noticing my elapsed time, I picked it up and with a good finishing kick. I clocked in at about the same split time as I had on the first lap.  The run felt really good.  This was probably the best I've felt yet.

It was 34 degrees out, but the sun was bright, the sky was blue and there was little wind.  With long sleeves on and my cap, I was perfectly warm.  I've let the snow, rain and temperatures in the teens keep me away for several days, but I've relearned not to let weather dominate me.

The tunes consisted of a mix of Frampton, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Boston and Zepplin.  I knew I was in for a good time when "Eye of Tiger" worked it's way in early.  Cheesy, yes, but still motivational.  Also, "Fly Like an Eagle" by the Steve Miller Band came on half way in.  That was one of our pre-race songs in high school (we were the Eagles) and it seems I'm still conditioned to get slightly nervous when that song plays.  A little extra adrenaline is always good in my book.  And what randomly came up for my kick?  Clapton's "Running on Faith".  Very timely.

I'm very pleased with today's effort and I'm looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.  Willie, glad the calf is getting better.  I can't wait to get a run or to in with you and do the Super Bowl in a few weekends!  It can't come quickly enough.