The Week In Review: 12/12-12/18

     I've gotten in a really fun week of running while working a few hours at the Black Mountain Running Company, graduating from college, and spending some quality time with a while lot of family: immediate, in-laws, and out-laws alike.  So here's the recap:

12/12- Monday

    AM- 7 miles in 1:10 at Salem Lake with the dad and Luna

     PM- 5.5 miles in 40 minutes around Lake Tomahawk with Luna

12/13- Tuesday

   PM- .55 miles... Should have eaten after trying to run...

12/14- Wednesday

    AM- 9 miles in 1:12 at Bent Creek/Arboretum with Luna.  Great morning workout, finished strong.

12/15- Thursday

    AM- 2.5 miles around the Black Balsam area with Mel and Luna in about 30 minutes.

    Later in the AM- 2.5 miles on the MST from Elk Pasture Gap in 15:30

Mel on the move!

Someones in a hurry...

12/16- Friday

     PM- ~6 miles in 51 minutes with Adam at the Blue Ridge Assembly.  Climbtastic, mudilacious, and funboyant.

12/17- Saturday

    AM- Graduation!

Got it!

12/18- Sunday

    PM- ~14 miles at Salem Lake in 1:50 with Luna.  First loop in :56, second in :54.  Good even effort.  The Inov-8s became less agreeable as the run went on.  IT-Bands were unhappy...

Totals:

 47 miles, ~6 hours 30 minutes

The Week In Review: 12/5-12/11

     I decided to bounce back the miles this week after completing my first ultra distance in sometime.  Next week I intend to breech into a 40 mile week and I don't foresee myself looking back after that.

12/05- Monday
After working up a nagging stone bruise and at the pleading of lingering fatigue in the legs from the Art Loeb, I elected to take this one off and start the week on Tuesday.

12/06- Tuesday
AM- Grocery Run (quite literally) with Mel and Luna, about 2 miles in 20 minutes.  Wore the Mizuno-clunkers to pad the bruise, it felt alright
PM-4.2 miles in 28:09 at Carrier Park.  Tested out the new Inov-8 Roclite 285s with little irritation to the stone bruise.

12/07- Wednesday
Where did the time go?!  With final projects and papers due Thursday, I just couldn't get a workout in.

12/08- Thursday
PM- 5.5 miles in 50 minutes, mostly on trail around UNCA with Mel and Luna in the Inov-8s

12/09- Friday
PM- ~7 miles in 53 minutes at The Dump with Adam and Luna, about mid-way through the stone bruise made its presence known

12/10- Saturday
AM- ~13 miles in ~2:40 with plenty of elevation (~3500 ft?) in Monteat.  Exhausting, stone bruise quite tender by the end.  Great running with some WNC Trailrunner folks.
Check out Lindsey and Tim's video and blogpost here!

12/11- Sunday
Day of relaxation with a heavy dose of inspiration watching Unbreakable at Fleet Feet Winston-Salem.


Totals:
~31.75 miles, ~5 hours 15 minutes

Art Loeb Trail Adventure Run

Watch the video footage and view photos from the run!

       Like a kid on Christmas Eve, I was, on Friday night; restlessly resting my body as my mind was running way ahead.  Next thing I knew it was 4:00 AM and I was eating breakfast and putting myself in my Saturday morning's finest: running tights, shoes, and something to keep the ears warm.

       Only six days prior the plan had come into being(thanks Asheville Brewing Company!), and here we were at the Davidson River Campground poised for a 6:00 AM start on what would prove to be a day-long run of the 30+ mile 9000+ elevation gain route that is the Art Loeb Trail.  Hayley, Damien, Lindsey, Tim, Rob, a couple of dogs, Kirra and Luna, and myself took off at 6:00 on the dot.  Melissa gave us encouraging beeps of the horn as she drove away from Pisgah National Forest after dropping us off.

      We followed closely the glow of our headlamps as we wound our way up the initial climbs and descents while taking the time to glance down at the lights of the buildings and cars that looked like reflections of the stars that shined so pretty and bright that night...  Then it was daytime...

      The warmth of the sun came and went as we wrapped around from the east to the west of varying peaks and bobbed along ridges.  During the first 18 miles of the run we would be knocking out the vast majority of the climbing for the day.  After the burly climb up Pilot Mountain, which resulted in a beautiful view allowing us to really relish in the fantastic weather we'd been blessed with, and the ascent to the parkway we were ready to rest a bit.

      Rob and I had biked in on the Blue Ridge Parkway the day prior and dropped off a few gallons of water and some snacks, which we graciously indulged in upon arrival.  After a 20 minute or so break we took off again, legs and bodies feeling mostly rejuvenated.  A short and steep ~500 ft climb immediately following the break humbled us immediately.  Fortunately the flat stretches that followed enabled us to stretch out the legs and find a rhythm for a while.

     The ascent up the balds (Black Balsam and Tenant Mountain among them) led to awe-inspiring views.  After a brief stint of bushwacking after taking the wrong trail out of a confusing intersection I found myself mentally and physically drained.  Hopping down the wildly technical trail from rock to rock wore heavily on my feet, which were scarcely protected by the minimalist Nike Zoom Streak XCs I'd elected to wear, and I felt an inkling of a stone bruise beginning to form on my right forefoot.  I continued pushing forward with Rob for a couple or three miles through an overpowering desire to curl up and take a nap (we'd been on our feet for over 6 and a half hours at this point).

     Rob was moving strong despite having legs decorated with cuts from the bushwacking excursion and it was in his best interest to move ahead of me while his energy was still at a high.

    The next 5 or 6 miles were grueling and technical, most notably the stretch through the Narrows.  At last I arrived to Deep Gap along the side of Cold Mountain.  From here I knew it was about 3.5 miles downhill to the terminus and surely I could run it strong(I had been looking forward to it for hours).  But, alas, a combination of 8 hours of hard work and continual pounding of the stonebruise I'd worked up made managing even 12 minute miles a daunting task.

     Slowly but surely, I made it down the exquisitely beautiful trail, which was consistently cut by chattering streams and wonderful waterfalls, to arrive at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp in a time of 8 hours and 45ish minutes.  Rob and Luna had been there for about 15 minutes and, within an hour or so, the rest of the crew arrived and we enjoyed some Cold Mountain Winter Ale from Highland Brewing Company at the base of the namesake mountain.

      Some things I learned on this endeavor:
       1) Last minute adventure runs are a good idea
       2) There is nothing that helps recovery from a long day like good food and laughter with a group of great friends
       3) Luna is a more incredible runner than I will ever be
       4) Wearing racing flats on a mountainous ultramarathon does not serve my feet well in the long run(no pun intended)

6th Annual Bent Creek Gobbler

      It was a pleasure, as always, to gather with a group of WNC trailrunners new and old for the 6th Annual Bent Creek Gobbler.  The run is designed as a ~50k that runs in a figure-8, the first loop is about 16 miles and the second is about 14.  The weather was impeccable and the forest beautiful.

      Having run the Turkey Strut just a couple of days prior, I was uncertain as to how many miles my body would be interested in putting on and how hard I would be able to run due to the lingering soreness in the lower legs.
    

       We took off at about 9:30.  I ran with the speedsters in the lead pack, Luna wouldn't have had it any other way.  The first couple of miles were great, rolling along South Ridge Road slowly gaining elevation.  Shortly thereafter I was deterred for 6 or 8 minutes to wait for Luna while she pursued a deer for who knows how far down the north face of the mountain.  By the time she returned we fell into place with the other group of runners who brought with them smiles and great conversation.  Upon reaching the Mountains-to-Sea trail at its intersection with Hard Times Road, Luna and I worked hard up the climbs on our way to the aid station where we refilled the water bottle and met up with Jason and his dog, River.
 

      Jason led the way for the next few miles with the two dogs at his heels and me trailing their tails close behind.  We had a speedy march up a couple of climbs and enjoyed the fantastic descent heading down Truckwheel Mountain to one of my favorite stretches of trail- the ~4 miles from there up to Bent Creek Gap.  Around here I took over the lead position and pushed the pace on and off with the dogs and Jason running as strong as can be, which provided great motivation to keep me working hard.  About a mile or so out from Bent Creek Road we came up behind Brandon and Matt and hung with them until we reached the ~2 mile descent back to the start/finish area.

      After a few minutes of trotting on the downhill my arch-enemy, the IT-band, began to make its presence known so I turned to its kryptonite, running fast.  Luna and I turned up the speed to what was likely a sub-6:00 pace for the last mile/mile and a half to reach the start/finish after about 2 hours and 6-8 minutes of running.

      After scarfing a bit of food, contemplating the state of my IT-band, and being beckoned by beverages being chilled in the babbling brook, I elected to call it a day and not pursue the full 50k.

      As always, the post-run gathering was a delight Momma-Kirk got a nice fire burning and there were beverages and snacks to suit every taste.  The only breaks in conversation and laughter were to cheer for runners who were finishing the first loop and eventually those who finished the full 30 miles.

      It was the last big group fun-run of 2011 and a huge success.  Definitely looking forward to getting faster and stronger as we move forwards to all the great runs plotted out for 2012!

    

A Calligram

Turkey Strut

      We awoke to a beautiful Thanksgiving morning in Winston-Salem.  The pre-run breakfast/snack slowly settled as the thermometer creeped its way up to 40 degrees.  Melissa, my dad and I laced up our shoes, reproached our already aching bodies and jogged a mile warm-up from the house to the starting line.

      It was certainly a family affair!  At the start/finish area there were 800 people; families, dogs, strollers and the likes in all quarters.  I lament to say that I did not realize dogs' participation was permitted until after the race was over, so Luna did not get to join in on the fun.

      The course was 5k with a few good climbs and through familiar terrain winding past my alma mater and through the neighborhood of my teenage years.  I had the pleasure of running into a couple of friends of old from the lacrosse team at Reynolds as well as a number of other friends and acquaintances.  It is always a pleasure to return home.

     During high school I had been a member of the Cross-Country team for a season, though I elected to practice(train) only a couple of times a week manifesting a PR of a whopping 22:22 5k.  That was the last 5k that I had run, about 6 years ago.  Needless to say, my intentions were to wipe that time off the slates and replace it with something, ideally, around 20 minutes.

      And we were off!  The race poured downhill for the first mile or so before entering a climb-descent-flat combo and a final mile to get us back up to the starting point.  I unfortunately do not have a good internal gauge of pace, so I found a rhythm after the initial descent that didn't allow me to get winded but also did not allow anyone to pass me.  I maintained this pretty comfortably, working really hard on the climbs and using flat sections or descents to recalibrate my heartrate.  After the last climb, a little over a quarter mile from the finish probably, fatigue really began to set in.  But great folks out cheering, among who were my mother, my aunt, a cousin, and Luna, made it a painless push to the finish.

  

      I managed to pull in at 14th place with a 19:14 finish time(~6:12/mile), which was good enough for 1st place in the 20-24 age group.  I could scarcely have been more delighted with the morning.  My dad and Melissa were both able to surprise themselves out there as well running their personal bests!!

      As you may expect, we had a recovery meal to remember with about a dozen family members crowded around the table giving thanks for each other and the wonderful communities and endless opportunities life brings our way!

Short And Sweet!

     Last week I caught wind of the FootRx Asheville Cross Country Series.  Unfortunately, by the time I came up to speed, so to speak, there were only two races remaining.  So, with my recent speed work(of sorts), I decided that a shorter race could be a great way to test myself and serve as a nice diagnostic test for what I can ask of myself and what goals I can set for the next months of training.

      So race #9 of the series it was.  The stage was Jackson Park in Hendersonville.  Another place worth checking out if you find yourself in the area.  The course was very much a cross country course featuring running through grassy fields, a couple of short stints on asphalt, and predominantly on wide trails.  The race was a 6k, about three times shorter than any race I'd run prior.  Given my inexperience in running short distances I was aloof as to what to expect with regards to my performance, but I knew I'd work my hardest.

      At the starting line I met a few of the runners and was informed as to who the top-runners in the group would be, and then the race had started.  I found myself seeking to stay on the tail of the two notorious frontrunners in the group and was able to keep the gap within about 15 yards for the first kilometer where a cramp led to a little faltering in my speed.

      As we entered the woods I was able to regain a little peace of mind and began to push myself through a couple of quick kilometers.  In the open spaces the two leaders were still in sight, but I didn't have a whole lot more to offer that would allow me to catch them.  Thus, I settled into to a pace that was still very quick for me hoping to ensure that I wouldn't be passed by anyone.

      In the final kilometer or so fatigue really set in and the cramp in my side returned more vigorously that before.  But through the final couple of hills I was able to keep up a reasonable pace and come to the finish line just where I had started, in 3rd place!

      Running "fast" in a race was a very new experience for me.  I have always worked hard in races from half marathon to 50 miles and, don't get me wrong, it exhausts you, but to keep up a fast pace throughout a short race brings about a totally different type of fatigue.

      It felt great to finish.  The top two performers put on an amazing show finishing twenty seconds apart in the mid-22 minute range.  I pulled in two minutes behind at 24:48 (~6:21/mile) with the forth place finisher arriving a minute and a half after me.

      It was a great race to be apart of, a million thanks to Aaron Saft and the rest of the FootRx for the preparations and cheering they provided before and during the race.  And a million congratulations to all of the runners that worked hard and got to enjoy a beautiful day on a beautiful course.