This week has been a bit of a blur...
All of a sudden, my 'vacation' is over and workload piles need to be delt with. Sucks.
It's been a bit of a struggle to get back in the groove and start chipping away at the endless ski proposals I've been putting on the backburner for way too long. While my brain is still recovering from an epic TR experience - the reality is that I'm way behind on the ski biz side of things...It's been a nice break - but the funs over!
After a week of lounging around the house with (very) limited excercise, I finally gave my ankle a test today and went running...not good - not bad, but not as good as I had hoped. I hate being injured, especially with little nagging (pain in the ass) injuries like this one. It's only a small irritation but it's enough to notice it and piss me off. But what really pisses me off, that I just registered for my first 50 miler next weekend - and I really want to run well in it.
Either way, I've decided that I'm going to run...here' s the plan:
1. Start stretching (again) on a daily basis - keep all the legs/core muscles loose
2. No running -
3. Go back in the gym and start training on one of those eliptical/stairmaster machines (fun) - I've done it before when I was training for mountain running worlds - seemed to work good back then.
4. ...I guess I could always go rollerskiing...then again...
5. Pool running? My friend Daryl busted up his hip pretty bad a few weeks ago - time to give him some pool running lessons!
6. Yoga? Not a chance...
7. Did I meniton no running?
8. Lots of Ibuprofen...
I figure I can make it to the start line and grin/bare it - unless I really get in lots of pain - which will most likely NOT happen - then I should be able to make it through ok.
That's the plan...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Calm After the Storm
After a great week of running, there was no better way to celebrate than with a kick-ass party at SnowMass Village in Aspen. The one thing I can say about runners, is that despite the fact that they always wear their 'running shoes' as dress wear (and go to bed at 9pm), they always know how to kick it up a notch AFTER the race...(more so than bikers that is...).
The TR Banquet and Awards was great with fantastic food and even better company. Chris, Dom and I shared the table with Kyle and Eric Skaggs of Team Montrail, the winners of the race - and with Whit and Billy (of Team Flying Monkeys) who finished 2nd in the 80+ Men, and Dustin, of Team Gortex Vortex, who finished 2nd Overall in behind the Skagg's. What a great crew to cap off the week with. After the Awards, anyone who had any fumes left in them, migrated to the local watering hole for a few (more) drinks. Nothing like a few RBV's to give you some extra juice...Good times!
It's a good thing runners are so slim...
In the morning, it was back to work for me as a TR employee. No, I'm not kidding. All the equipment used for the week had to be sorted and repacked according to destination. After a few hours of work, the TR crew dispersed, everyone heading back to their homes for a much needed break.
Dom and I had originally planned on running in the Aspen 1/2 Marathon (entry included because the TR race got reduced to 5 days from 6). But, needless to say that like many, we were both a little haggered and decided to skip the race and head home instead.
After dropping off Dom at the airport, Chris and I made a pitstop at one of the biggest outdoor stores EVER, Outdoor World. This store was a hunter's and campers paradise. If you're ever in Denver, make sure to stop by, you'll see it as you drive home from the airport...it's nuts. Afterwards, we figured we deserved a little break and so we went to the theatre to let our brains soak in some mindless entertainement - Resident Evil: Extinction - scared the shit out of me!. Eventually, we started the trek home, making it only a couple hours out of town to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and falling asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillow.
Outdoor World: This place had more stuffed animals than customers!
16hours later, 3 fast food pitstops, a crazy snow storm and a few close calls with deer, we were home safely - thanks to Sirius Sattelite Radio for keeping our brains from going crazy!
A few windmills doing there thing along the way
As I sit here sipping on a pipping hot cup of Kicking Horse Coffee - I look back at a fantastic week of running, some stunning scenery and some new found friends. I love running. This stage-race format is wicked. I can't wait 'til next year. After spending the week with Dom and other ultra-runners, I'm thinking of running in my first 50mile race in a couple of weeks in Seatle - The North Face Endurance Challenge: http://www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/cha_overview.html
Who knows...maybe I'll get hooked.
Until then, it's time to relax and let the body recover - and catch up on work of course...
Thanks to everyone who tuned in to my reports and for your words of encouragements - A few special mentions to:
Chris: I've never felt as good as I did this past week, thanks for all your pre/post race massages.
Dom: For $3,000, I couldn't think of a better thing to do than pulling your ass around the Colorado Rockies! Good memories...
Salomon: thanks for the great equipment! Your shoe line-up rocks and kept my feet comfy and blister free!
Swix:Poles were great and despite all the laughs, we proved that they are a huge help on climbs and descents.
HoneyStinger Gels and Ultima Sports Drink: Thanks Clay! These supplements kept me going all week long -
TransRockies: For the time off work and supporting me throughout the week!
View more TR-Run pictures at http://www.x-c.com/
The TR Banquet and Awards was great with fantastic food and even better company. Chris, Dom and I shared the table with Kyle and Eric Skaggs of Team Montrail, the winners of the race - and with Whit and Billy (of Team Flying Monkeys) who finished 2nd in the 80+ Men, and Dustin, of Team Gortex Vortex, who finished 2nd Overall in behind the Skagg's. What a great crew to cap off the week with. After the Awards, anyone who had any fumes left in them, migrated to the local watering hole for a few (more) drinks. Nothing like a few RBV's to give you some extra juice...Good times!
Post-race action: Whit fires off the 'flying monkey' - there team's mascot!
It's a good thing runners are so slim...In the morning, it was back to work for me as a TR employee. No, I'm not kidding. All the equipment used for the week had to be sorted and repacked according to destination. After a few hours of work, the TR crew dispersed, everyone heading back to their homes for a much needed break.
Dom and I had originally planned on running in the Aspen 1/2 Marathon (entry included because the TR race got reduced to 5 days from 6). But, needless to say that like many, we were both a little haggered and decided to skip the race and head home instead.
After dropping off Dom at the airport, Chris and I made a pitstop at one of the biggest outdoor stores EVER, Outdoor World. This store was a hunter's and campers paradise. If you're ever in Denver, make sure to stop by, you'll see it as you drive home from the airport...it's nuts. Afterwards, we figured we deserved a little break and so we went to the theatre to let our brains soak in some mindless entertainement - Resident Evil: Extinction - scared the shit out of me!. Eventually, we started the trek home, making it only a couple hours out of town to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and falling asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillow.
Outdoor World: This place had more stuffed animals than customers!16hours later, 3 fast food pitstops, a crazy snow storm and a few close calls with deer, we were home safely - thanks to Sirius Sattelite Radio for keeping our brains from going crazy!
A few windmills doing there thing along the wayAs I sit here sipping on a pipping hot cup of Kicking Horse Coffee - I look back at a fantastic week of running, some stunning scenery and some new found friends. I love running. This stage-race format is wicked. I can't wait 'til next year. After spending the week with Dom and other ultra-runners, I'm thinking of running in my first 50mile race in a couple of weeks in Seatle - The North Face Endurance Challenge: http://www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/cha_overview.html
Who knows...maybe I'll get hooked.
Until then, it's time to relax and let the body recover - and catch up on work of course...
Thanks to everyone who tuned in to my reports and for your words of encouragements - A few special mentions to:
Chris: I've never felt as good as I did this past week, thanks for all your pre/post race massages.
Dom: For $3,000, I couldn't think of a better thing to do than pulling your ass around the Colorado Rockies! Good memories...
Salomon: thanks for the great equipment! Your shoe line-up rocks and kept my feet comfy and blister free!
Swix:Poles were great and despite all the laughs, we proved that they are a huge help on climbs and descents.
HoneyStinger Gels and Ultima Sports Drink: Thanks Clay! These supplements kept me going all week long -
TransRockies: For the time off work and supporting me throughout the week!
View more TR-Run pictures at http://www.x-c.com/
Thursday, September 20, 2007
TR-Run: Stage 5 Report-
Today, Dom and I finished our first Gore-Tex TransRockies Run - it wasn't pretty, but we did it.
With a 'cankle' the size of a grapefruit, a battered calf and hamstrings, Dom lined up at the Basalt, CO High School, determined finish the event. With 30km of flat terrain to look forward to, we started very easy - There wasn't much sprinting off the line by anyone today!
After a few kms, our bodies started feeling better and we picked up the pace ever so slightly. We maintained a position around 10th to 12th position, making sure to keep some energy in the tank for the last 10km.
At CS 2, we were still within contact with quite a few teams. I was impressed with Dom's tenacity despite his injuries - He was running with pure grit. As I downed a can of Coke, he knew what was coming in the last 10km - my determination to finish as high as possible would never let up and he knew it - we clipped in the tow system and he hunkered in for the ride.
With 7km to go, Chris met us on the trails, having run backwards from the finish. With his encouragement, I slowly increased the pace and we started gaining on the teams in front of us. One by one we chipped away, passing 3 teams in the final 4km as I pulled as hard as I could to get us to the line. Dom hung on for dear life and we crossed to the line in around 7th place. A good effort considering...
So that's it, we're done! We ended up 4th Open Men and 6th Overall. The experience was amazing and despite the hard times, I've learned lots about long-distance stage racing...and developed a great friendship with Dom along the way.
As I'm sure you know, I'll be back next year to challenge for the win!
With a 'cankle' the size of a grapefruit, a battered calf and hamstrings, Dom lined up at the Basalt, CO High School, determined finish the event. With 30km of flat terrain to look forward to, we started very easy - There wasn't much sprinting off the line by anyone today!
After a few kms, our bodies started feeling better and we picked up the pace ever so slightly. We maintained a position around 10th to 12th position, making sure to keep some energy in the tank for the last 10km.
At CS 2, we were still within contact with quite a few teams. I was impressed with Dom's tenacity despite his injuries - He was running with pure grit. As I downed a can of Coke, he knew what was coming in the last 10km - my determination to finish as high as possible would never let up and he knew it - we clipped in the tow system and he hunkered in for the ride.
With 7km to go, Chris met us on the trails, having run backwards from the finish. With his encouragement, I slowly increased the pace and we started gaining on the teams in front of us. One by one we chipped away, passing 3 teams in the final 4km as I pulled as hard as I could to get us to the line. Dom hung on for dear life and we crossed to the line in around 7th place. A good effort considering...
So that's it, we're done! We ended up 4th Open Men and 6th Overall. The experience was amazing and despite the hard times, I've learned lots about long-distance stage racing...and developed a great friendship with Dom along the way.
As I'm sure you know, I'll be back next year to challenge for the win!
TR-Run: Stage 4 Report-
Well, today was officially the hardest day of the Gore-Tex TransRockies run for me…mentally.
With 46km to look forward to, rising up to 12,000ft over Hagerman’s Pass (Continental Divide), then back down (wayyyy down) to Chapman Lake, Dom and I decided to start off easy in order to have a strong finish and gain back the 3min we lost in yesterday’s stage. But from early on in the climb, Dom was already suffering and despite some constant coaxing, today was not to be.
As we studied the course profile yesterday, we thought it would be well suited for us. But it actually turned out to be very gradual – up and down – and wasn’t actually all that fun. We went with the towing system again but mostly for psychological effect as opposed to pure pulling. Besides, my achilles was starting to bug me so easing off the pulling was helping me deal with the irritation.
As we crested the pass, I took to time to soak in some fantastic views. The descent proved to be much of the same gradual stuff we had climbed with some technical sections. Dom rolled his ankle pretty bad on the top section which didn’t help his motivation – he got back on his feet after a short break and ran it off. We un-hooked the tow system from there on in and eased in to Control Station 2 at which point I called off the ‘racing’…Dom had had enough. We were already far behind our rival ‘Wings of Glory’ and there was no way the pace was going to increase.
From CS2 to CS3 I let Dom run his own pace – he was stiff, in pain and not enjoying the run…I kept mostly to myself staying 5m ahead to keep the momentum going.
At CS3 and after being passed by more teams, I told Dom to hook back up simply for pacing purposes. This seemed to help a bit more. As we reached the final stretch, a 6km paved section, I decided I had enough of running…I wanted the stage to end so I pulled- Dom was a trooper here and hung on for dear life as I increased to pace well beyond his comfort level. He later told me that he simply closed his eyes and let the rope pull him in.
I’m not sure where we finished today - I didn't bother looking. We are now out of contention for the podium finish tomorrow, especially with a flat 30km stage to look forward to. It’s hard not to feel anything else than disappointment after a good start to the event, but as I’ve mentioned before, this is a team event, and I will finish with my partner tomorrow, no matter what...
With 46km to look forward to, rising up to 12,000ft over Hagerman’s Pass (Continental Divide), then back down (wayyyy down) to Chapman Lake, Dom and I decided to start off easy in order to have a strong finish and gain back the 3min we lost in yesterday’s stage. But from early on in the climb, Dom was already suffering and despite some constant coaxing, today was not to be.
As we studied the course profile yesterday, we thought it would be well suited for us. But it actually turned out to be very gradual – up and down – and wasn’t actually all that fun. We went with the towing system again but mostly for psychological effect as opposed to pure pulling. Besides, my achilles was starting to bug me so easing off the pulling was helping me deal with the irritation.
As we crested the pass, I took to time to soak in some fantastic views. The descent proved to be much of the same gradual stuff we had climbed with some technical sections. Dom rolled his ankle pretty bad on the top section which didn’t help his motivation – he got back on his feet after a short break and ran it off. We un-hooked the tow system from there on in and eased in to Control Station 2 at which point I called off the ‘racing’…Dom had had enough. We were already far behind our rival ‘Wings of Glory’ and there was no way the pace was going to increase.
From CS2 to CS3 I let Dom run his own pace – he was stiff, in pain and not enjoying the run…I kept mostly to myself staying 5m ahead to keep the momentum going.
At CS3 and after being passed by more teams, I told Dom to hook back up simply for pacing purposes. This seemed to help a bit more. As we reached the final stretch, a 6km paved section, I decided I had enough of running…I wanted the stage to end so I pulled- Dom was a trooper here and hung on for dear life as I increased to pace well beyond his comfort level. He later told me that he simply closed his eyes and let the rope pull him in.
I’m not sure where we finished today - I didn't bother looking. We are now out of contention for the podium finish tomorrow, especially with a flat 30km stage to look forward to. It’s hard not to feel anything else than disappointment after a good start to the event, but as I’ve mentioned before, this is a team event, and I will finish with my partner tomorrow, no matter what...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
TR-Run: Stage 3 Report-
Ok, back in cell/internet range...
Another long day for the books, both distance wise and mentally-
Stage 3 wasn't exactly a great day for Team X-C.com as the course was much too gradual (up and down) and had a long road section at the end. I ended up pulling Dom from the start with a tow-rope to try and stay with our competition. Although our system worked well, I ended pushing Dom a bit too much early on and we paid for it in the final kilometres when the course flattened to paved sections. With 5km to go, we were with all the contenders fighting for 3rd overall and we just couldn't keep the pace. We could only watch as 'Wings of Glory' another Salomon team who we have snubbed out of 3rd place in Stage 1 and 2, pulled away finishing a solid 5min up on us. This dropped us back to 4th overall in the Open Men category (3.5min off the podium). A bit frustrating...but that's the way it rolls.
Another long day for the books, both distance wise and mentally-
Stage 3 wasn't exactly a great day for Team X-C.com as the course was much too gradual (up and down) and had a long road section at the end. I ended up pulling Dom from the start with a tow-rope to try and stay with our competition. Although our system worked well, I ended pushing Dom a bit too much early on and we paid for it in the final kilometres when the course flattened to paved sections. With 5km to go, we were with all the contenders fighting for 3rd overall and we just couldn't keep the pace. We could only watch as 'Wings of Glory' another Salomon team who we have snubbed out of 3rd place in Stage 1 and 2, pulled away finishing a solid 5min up on us. This dropped us back to 4th overall in the Open Men category (3.5min off the podium). A bit frustrating...but that's the way it rolls.
After a good massage, recovery food and lots of fluids, we're both ready to go for tomorrow's stage which will suit our strength much more. The course is built like a pyramid, so we go up...way up to 12,000ft, and then back down, down, down to our Stage finish.
Here are some interesting stats I've compiled about TR...so far.
-Stage 3 finish in Leadville, altitude of 10,200ft...or 3,100m - highest city in the US.
-TR Participants: 79-US, 21-CAN, 10-Germany, 2-UK, 2-Australia, 1-Sweden, 1-France, 1-NZ
-Most participants are staying in tents (100), the rest are in RV's or trailers
-Stage 4 altitude will be the highest at 12,000ft!
-Stage 4 distance will be the longest at 28miles or 46km (I think)
-Food has been fantastic - even serving beer!! (non-alcoholic of course), but as Michelob is one of the sponsors, we actually have lots of 'real' beer on-site as well...
-Sponsor/prizes give-aways have been great so far: Adidas gave out tons of little goodies like coffee tumblers, socks, towels, adventure 'kit'; Timex gave out a watch today and a podometer a few days ago and the participant pack was full of cool Adidas clothing...lots more to come too!
That's about it for now...I'm pretty tired but still feeling relatively good. Tomorrow I get to do my 3rd trail marathon ever...today was #2. Realistically, I doubt we have a chance to move up to 1st or 2nd, but 3rd place is only 3 minutes up...that's nothing is this event. Our goal will be to start off mellow again tomorrow, easing into the gradual climb, then push hard on the steepest pitch to hopefully gain so time on Wings of Glory. Then it's all downhill from there - a fun mix of single track and FSR roads for 20+kms to the finish. We're going for it...
ps. Stage 4 finish is out in the boonies again so I won't have access to internet until the finish line-I'll try to get something out as soon as I can - you can get full results at: www.transrockies.com. Thanks for tuning in...
TR-Run: Stage 2 Report-
Well, after a difficult first day of running, Stage 2 of the Gore-Tex TransRockies brought our moral up with good teamwork and steady running.
It poured most of the night, continuing late into the morning, leaving a good 3-4cms of wet snow at the top of the mountains– as we sat drinking coffee this morning, we watched sheets of rain falling from the sky…the boys and I unanimously agreed that renting our trailer was probably the best decision we had made all week! Unfortunately, the thunder/lightning combo forced a race delay because Vail Mountain Resort was not allowed to open the Gondola until this threat had subsided. The hour delay and potential for further lightning later in the afternoon also resulted in a course change that cut out the latter part of the race. This meant our course would be shortened to 20miles, instead of 26. Considering Dom’s calf issues yesterday, this was a good thing for us.
So off we went for stage 2, slow and steady…settling into a good pace as we climbed up beyond 11,700ft! After yesterday’s stage, we decided to go with a tow system (2-metre rope) that would allow me to pull Dom on climbs and maintain a better pace. As it turned out, we used the system the entire way and definitely proved to be beneficial. Our ‘start slow – finish strong’ philosophy worked out perfectly today as we gradually chipped away at the teams one by one.
Today’s course was fantastic! The entire climb was a good mix of fire roads and classic mountain single track. As we passed the tree line, the Colorado Rockies filled the horizon, a spectacular site made even better with the white peaks. After climbing for a good 2 hours, the terrain turned downwards into some fun technical descending on muddy and slushy tracks. We eventually popped out onto a gravel road that would lead us to the revised finish line in Redcliff – 15km away.
This is where the tow system paid dividends as we worked together all the way to the finish. We managed to pass 2 more teams within 2km of the line finishing in 3hr04min and placing 3rd overall! The Skagg brothers took the win once again about 25min up on us. And the Gortex Vortex repeated their 2nd place, with about 7 ½ min on us. We maintain a slim lead over Salomon's 'Wings of Glory' (1.5min).
In the end, not a bad day – We’re still on the podium and hoping to start closing the time gaps tomorrow. After today’s course revision, tomorrow will be the first of 2 long days, covering almost a marathon (42km) to Leadville, CO.
Stage 3 Details
25miles
Climbing: 2,954,ft
Descending: 2,100ft
Max Elevation: 10,800ft
Min Elevation: 9,200ft
I’m feeling good – and ready to pull hard for the team!
It poured most of the night, continuing late into the morning, leaving a good 3-4cms of wet snow at the top of the mountains– as we sat drinking coffee this morning, we watched sheets of rain falling from the sky…the boys and I unanimously agreed that renting our trailer was probably the best decision we had made all week! Unfortunately, the thunder/lightning combo forced a race delay because Vail Mountain Resort was not allowed to open the Gondola until this threat had subsided. The hour delay and potential for further lightning later in the afternoon also resulted in a course change that cut out the latter part of the race. This meant our course would be shortened to 20miles, instead of 26. Considering Dom’s calf issues yesterday, this was a good thing for us.
So off we went for stage 2, slow and steady…settling into a good pace as we climbed up beyond 11,700ft! After yesterday’s stage, we decided to go with a tow system (2-metre rope) that would allow me to pull Dom on climbs and maintain a better pace. As it turned out, we used the system the entire way and definitely proved to be beneficial. Our ‘start slow – finish strong’ philosophy worked out perfectly today as we gradually chipped away at the teams one by one.
Today’s course was fantastic! The entire climb was a good mix of fire roads and classic mountain single track. As we passed the tree line, the Colorado Rockies filled the horizon, a spectacular site made even better with the white peaks. After climbing for a good 2 hours, the terrain turned downwards into some fun technical descending on muddy and slushy tracks. We eventually popped out onto a gravel road that would lead us to the revised finish line in Redcliff – 15km away.
This is where the tow system paid dividends as we worked together all the way to the finish. We managed to pass 2 more teams within 2km of the line finishing in 3hr04min and placing 3rd overall! The Skagg brothers took the win once again about 25min up on us. And the Gortex Vortex repeated their 2nd place, with about 7 ½ min on us. We maintain a slim lead over Salomon's 'Wings of Glory' (1.5min).
In the end, not a bad day – We’re still on the podium and hoping to start closing the time gaps tomorrow. After today’s course revision, tomorrow will be the first of 2 long days, covering almost a marathon (42km) to Leadville, CO.
Stage 3 Details
25miles
Climbing: 2,954,ft
Descending: 2,100ft
Max Elevation: 10,800ft
Min Elevation: 9,200ft
I’m feeling good – and ready to pull hard for the team!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
TR-Run: Stage 1 Report-
It’s 9:24pm and raining steadily outside. The boys (Chris and Dom) are already wrapped up in their sleeping bags at the back of the trailer. Despite the fact that this was the shortest stage distance wise, it’s been a long day.
Yesterday afternoon, Dom went for a short run to stretch the legs – and pulled his calf muscle – out of the blue. Chris worked on it immediately and tried to loosing the sore tissue as best as possible but at this stage, there was little he could do…I crossed my fingers and hoped for a quick recovery.
After a good nights rest, we packed up the trailer and proceeded to the start line for Stage 1. Dom and I were both super psyched to get going and be part of the inaugural Gore-Tex TransRockies Run. 60+ teams from all over the world lined up at Beaver Creek Resort, for a 15mile trek to Vail’s Eagle Nest, where we would finish atop the Gondola station.
I didn’t warm-up tons but felt great. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time – muscularly, my joints and tendons are feeling good and having Chris around to work on us every night has been great…Dom was a bit nervous about his calf but was confident he could keep pushing despite the pain. Off we went-
Our pace of the start was relatively slow, as much as I wanted to chase the leaders off the gun, I stayed tucked behind Dom’s shoulder, letting him set the early pace. As predicted, many teams blasted off the start, rushing to get out in front but faded just as quickly. After the first climb up one of Beaver Creek’s runs, we were running about 8th or so. The course turned downwards (too early for my liking) and eventually popped out on highway 6 for a 10km run on pavement. This is where the trouble started…
Running on pavement has never been high on my list of thing to do because of the constant pounding. I was able to hold my own, but the pounding quickly got to Dom’s calf and within a few kms his stride length diminished considerably – bringing our pace to crawl. I did my best to pace him, keeping the moral up with a constant ‘positive talk’ chatter, but the pain was such that Dom had to stop and walk on multiple occasions to stretch. Although we did lose a position and some time to the leaders, we were surprised to hear that we had only conceded 15min to the leaders at the 20km mark. With only 5km of uphill to go, we remained optimistic as climbing was our specialty!
However, early in the climb, Dom started feeling the effects of his battered calf and fatigue overtook his body. I think the only thing that kept him going was my constant harassment and the threat of leaving him there…(kidding of course). Honestly, it’s not an easy position to be in when your teammate is down as the psychological battles in your mind is always firing. Regardless, I kept encouraging him and continued to pace him up the climb and eventually we even started catching fading teams. As we came up on the 3,000m altitude mark, I rigged a towing system and pushed the pace even more which resulted in catching another few teams within 400m of the line. In the end, we finished 35min back of the leaders – Skagg brothers – and 6th overall with many teams all around us. The fight isn’t over…tomorrow is the longest (and hardest) stage of the race, and anything can happen!
Stage 2 Details
Climbing: 5,553ft
Descending: 6,658ft
Max Elevation: 11,710ft
Min Elevation: 9,000ft
Chew on those stats…see you tomorrow.
Yesterday afternoon, Dom went for a short run to stretch the legs – and pulled his calf muscle – out of the blue. Chris worked on it immediately and tried to loosing the sore tissue as best as possible but at this stage, there was little he could do…I crossed my fingers and hoped for a quick recovery.
After a good nights rest, we packed up the trailer and proceeded to the start line for Stage 1. Dom and I were both super psyched to get going and be part of the inaugural Gore-Tex TransRockies Run. 60+ teams from all over the world lined up at Beaver Creek Resort, for a 15mile trek to Vail’s Eagle Nest, where we would finish atop the Gondola station.
I didn’t warm-up tons but felt great. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time – muscularly, my joints and tendons are feeling good and having Chris around to work on us every night has been great…Dom was a bit nervous about his calf but was confident he could keep pushing despite the pain. Off we went-
Our pace of the start was relatively slow, as much as I wanted to chase the leaders off the gun, I stayed tucked behind Dom’s shoulder, letting him set the early pace. As predicted, many teams blasted off the start, rushing to get out in front but faded just as quickly. After the first climb up one of Beaver Creek’s runs, we were running about 8th or so. The course turned downwards (too early for my liking) and eventually popped out on highway 6 for a 10km run on pavement. This is where the trouble started…
Running on pavement has never been high on my list of thing to do because of the constant pounding. I was able to hold my own, but the pounding quickly got to Dom’s calf and within a few kms his stride length diminished considerably – bringing our pace to crawl. I did my best to pace him, keeping the moral up with a constant ‘positive talk’ chatter, but the pain was such that Dom had to stop and walk on multiple occasions to stretch. Although we did lose a position and some time to the leaders, we were surprised to hear that we had only conceded 15min to the leaders at the 20km mark. With only 5km of uphill to go, we remained optimistic as climbing was our specialty!
However, early in the climb, Dom started feeling the effects of his battered calf and fatigue overtook his body. I think the only thing that kept him going was my constant harassment and the threat of leaving him there…(kidding of course). Honestly, it’s not an easy position to be in when your teammate is down as the psychological battles in your mind is always firing. Regardless, I kept encouraging him and continued to pace him up the climb and eventually we even started catching fading teams. As we came up on the 3,000m altitude mark, I rigged a towing system and pushed the pace even more which resulted in catching another few teams within 400m of the line. In the end, we finished 35min back of the leaders – Skagg brothers – and 6th overall with many teams all around us. The fight isn’t over…tomorrow is the longest (and hardest) stage of the race, and anything can happen!
Stage 2 Details
Climbing: 5,553ft
Descending: 6,658ft
Max Elevation: 11,710ft
Min Elevation: 9,000ft
Chew on those stats…see you tomorrow.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
TR Countdown: Time To Go-
Tomorrow, Dom and I will line up as Team X-C.com and compete in the inaugural Gore-Tex TransRockies Run! After a week of preparing for the event, there's no more training that will help us, only strong minds and healthy bodies...
Registration line-up
The Gore-Tex fabric tester - provides 'level 5 Hurricane' conditions inside a mobile shower unit!
Tomorrow's starting line at the base of Beaver Creek
Climbing: 1260m
Descending: 580m
Maximum Altitude: 3145m
Drew Bragg, TR announcer getting the runners pumped!
Whichever way we look at it, there are so many unknowns about this race that anything can happen. Our goal is to finish in the top 3 teams, but honestly, only time (and 5 stages) will tell.
Can't wait...
Friday, September 14, 2007
TR Countdown: 2 Days To Go-
Race Weight (pre-spa)!...I weighed in at 147lbs after a good jacuzzi, a light swim and steam session (even while drinking water! Everbody should go to the spa at least once in there life...
Laugh if you will, but don't knock it until you've tried it - really. Today was a scheduled day off, meaning we chilled out in the condo this morning, mostly catching up on email and even taking the time to enjoy a great relaxing visit at the Beaver Creek Spa. Then, it was off to Denver to get the RV trailer and pickup some TR equipment...a busy day, but no 'real' training. You don't end up feeling great on these days because the fatigue that your body has been keeping under submission finally gets a chance to come out. The important thing to remember is to stay confident throughout your sluggy stage, knowing that this is part of the business.
Days off are often ignored as most people think that more IS better. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes in basic training. In order to race fast, you need to rest your body appropriately - and that means not being afraid to take a day off, even if you're feeling good.
With that said, off we went to the spa...wow! We were like a bunch of giggling highschool girls...(in a spa). After an hour of lounging around in a 5-star hotel spa, my body was almost turning to mush - all I needed was a giant fluffy pillow to fall asleep in...probably a good thing since I had been bouncing off the walls ealier that morning due to the anticipation of race.
Laugh if you will, but don't knock it until you've tried it - really. Today was a scheduled day off, meaning we chilled out in the condo this morning, mostly catching up on email and even taking the time to enjoy a great relaxing visit at the Beaver Creek Spa. Then, it was off to Denver to get the RV trailer and pickup some TR equipment...a busy day, but no 'real' training. You don't end up feeling great on these days because the fatigue that your body has been keeping under submission finally gets a chance to come out. The important thing to remember is to stay confident throughout your sluggy stage, knowing that this is part of the business.
Days off are often ignored as most people think that more IS better. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes in basic training. In order to race fast, you need to rest your body appropriately - and that means not being afraid to take a day off, even if you're feeling good.
With that said, off we went to the spa...wow! We were like a bunch of giggling highschool girls...(in a spa). After an hour of lounging around in a 5-star hotel spa, my body was almost turning to mush - all I needed was a giant fluffy pillow to fall asleep in...probably a good thing since I had been bouncing off the walls ealier that morning due to the anticipation of race.
Just one of the 5 outdoor Jacuzzis at Beaver Creek Resort
Good thing they found the robes...The trip to Denver was uneventful - 400km of driving to pick up our RV, a stop at the screening shop to pickup some TR staff outfits, lunch and back we went. The highlight of the trip was listening to two hours of Paul Oakenfold beats (Chris' favorite...ha), oh, and jamming Chris' fingers in the automatic window - I'm sure I'll pay for this one during our massage session tonight.
Hopefully our trailer doesn't look like this after Chris drives it for a week!
After a glass of wine (part of the relaxing process), a great fajitas supper and some 'chill' beats, I'm almost ready for bed. I'll cap off the night with a(painful) massage to try and get my hamstring to loosen up - right now it feels like a wad of spaghetti that has been sitting on the counter for a week - not good.
Tomorrow we officially register...
Tomorrow we officially register...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
TransRockies Run lures Villeneuve
Here's an article that appeared in the Rocky Mountain Outlook...
TransRockies Run lures Villeneuve
By Jason Pirie - Canmore
Sep 12 2007
Despite being a four-time Canadian Mountain Running Team member, a past National Ski Team athlete (1995-97), and experiencing a handful of World Cup cross-country ski events, Phil Villeneuve of Canmore has been seeking an adventure like no other. And now he's found it.
To read more: View Article Here
TransRockies Run lures Villeneuve
By Jason Pirie - Canmore
Sep 12 2007
Despite being a four-time Canadian Mountain Running Team member, a past National Ski Team athlete (1995-97), and experiencing a handful of World Cup cross-country ski events, Phil Villeneuve of Canmore has been seeking an adventure like no other. And now he's found it.
To read more: View Article Here
TR Countdown: 3 Days To Go-
Pain is your friend…
At least, that’s what Chris (Manhard) says. I call BS. Every night as we wind down our day, Chris has been providing the essential massages that will keep us ticking throughout the 5 stages. In anticipation of the race start in a few days, Chris has been tuning up our bodies (mostly our legs), working on all the little nagging aches and pains that could become an issue over the long run.
Now I know what you’re thinking... “Oh, you’re are so lucky to have a massage therapist with you”. Well, let me tell you this…If you knew how much Dom and I have been squirming around on Chris’ massage table, you may not think of it so much as a ‘perk’! Chris is very good as what he does, BUT, he goes deep, very deep and holy crap does it hurt at times – and this coming from someone who enjoys having a deep massage. As I suffered through the pain of Chris’ elbow literally tearing my quad apart, I could hear Dom snickering away…talk about a supportive teammate.
Today Dom and I ‘tickled’ our energy system with a little 20min threshold workout. The idea was to simply wake up our bodies...kind of like saying: “Hello Mr. Heavy Legs…meet Mrs. Altitude – now please go along and be friends”. Ok, not really but you get the picture (I think the altitude is getting to me…). After 4 days of living at 2,500m, the thin air is still very noticeable and gives the impression of running in a can of beans when you pick up the pace – not the most exciting feeling in a world but with 3 more days to go, I’m looking forward to a bit of punch coming back in the ol’ legs. Either way, aside from a handful of teams that come from Colorado, I think that most of our competition will all be in the same boat –
From now on, we will change gears, making sure to stay active, but with short runs, just enough to stay loose. Most people forget that there’s very little you can change so close to an event – the best is to rest, eat well and stay loose! Besides, we’ll take the opportunity tomorrow to pick-up our trailer in Denver, a 20ft beauty that will be home for the next week…let’s just hope it doesn’t become known as the ‘house of pain’!
At least, that’s what Chris (Manhard) says. I call BS. Every night as we wind down our day, Chris has been providing the essential massages that will keep us ticking throughout the 5 stages. In anticipation of the race start in a few days, Chris has been tuning up our bodies (mostly our legs), working on all the little nagging aches and pains that could become an issue over the long run.
Now I know what you’re thinking... “Oh, you’re are so lucky to have a massage therapist with you”. Well, let me tell you this…If you knew how much Dom and I have been squirming around on Chris’ massage table, you may not think of it so much as a ‘perk’! Chris is very good as what he does, BUT, he goes deep, very deep and holy crap does it hurt at times – and this coming from someone who enjoys having a deep massage. As I suffered through the pain of Chris’ elbow literally tearing my quad apart, I could hear Dom snickering away…talk about a supportive teammate.
Today Dom and I ‘tickled’ our energy system with a little 20min threshold workout. The idea was to simply wake up our bodies...kind of like saying: “Hello Mr. Heavy Legs…meet Mrs. Altitude – now please go along and be friends”. Ok, not really but you get the picture (I think the altitude is getting to me…). After 4 days of living at 2,500m, the thin air is still very noticeable and gives the impression of running in a can of beans when you pick up the pace – not the most exciting feeling in a world but with 3 more days to go, I’m looking forward to a bit of punch coming back in the ol’ legs. Either way, aside from a handful of teams that come from Colorado, I think that most of our competition will all be in the same boat –
From now on, we will change gears, making sure to stay active, but with short runs, just enough to stay loose. Most people forget that there’s very little you can change so close to an event – the best is to rest, eat well and stay loose! Besides, we’ll take the opportunity tomorrow to pick-up our trailer in Denver, a 20ft beauty that will be home for the next week…let’s just hope it doesn’t become known as the ‘house of pain’!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
TR Countdown: 4 Days To Go -
Ever run over 3,000m?
It’s pretty incredible to think that there can be such big differences in the earth’s landscape. A few days ago, I rolled into Vail, Colorado in preparation for the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run…sitting at 2,484m (8,150ft) it’s a bit of a shock coming from pretty much anywhere! As I’ve lived Canmore (1,325m) and trained in the Rockies the past 13 years, my body has had many opportunities to feel the burn caused by high altitude. Dom on the other hand (my running partner) is coming from Vancouver (sea level), and will need every single day between now and race day to acclimatize.
Although it was nice to finally get out for a quick run after sitting in the truck for 3 days driving to Colorado – our excitement quickly faded as the thin air made quick work of our stiff bodies. Physically, I felt good, but the moment I tried to test myself, the breathing got heavier almost instantly. With one week to go until the start of the event, the last thing one wants is to feel like absolute crap for a simple hour run! Needless to say that Dom and I were looking forward to 7 good days training to get the full effect of the acclimatization.For our first run, I decided to take the crew (Dom and Chris Manhard, our team therapist) to the Vail resort, where I’ve run many events in the past (Teva Mountain Games, Vail Hill Climb). The area has tons of beautiful single-track trails that cruise up and down the alpine runs. We ‘warmed-up’ on a few up/down sections and eventually made our way up the hill, eventually crossing the 3,100m mark, still a few hundred metres shy of our Stage 1 finish line (ouch) – It would have been easy to open up the engine and start hammering to test each other out but honestly, Dom and I both agreed to save our energy, and follow the plan…run SLOW. Running at this altitude kills you. Your body is stressed simply trying to adapt to the altitude difference. So if two overactive runners start ducking it out, you can quickly end up nursing tired and heavy legs as opposed to feeling ‘ok’ the next day. Instead, we yapped away like highschool girls, talking shop and getting to know each others running habits and style…oh, didn’t I mention this was our first run together?
Despite our background differences, I’m really excited about our partnership. Call it a gut feeling, a good vibe, whatever…I’m confident we’ll run as well as we can. Personally, I wish I coulda, woulda shoulda – but it’s too late to dwell on the past. We’re here, we’re psyched and the race starts in 4 days! I’m getting nervous…
Tomorrow I’ll test the lungs with a 20min threshold workout – based on the way I felt in this afternoon’s run, all should go as planned.
Until then-
It’s pretty incredible to think that there can be such big differences in the earth’s landscape. A few days ago, I rolled into Vail, Colorado in preparation for the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run…sitting at 2,484m (8,150ft) it’s a bit of a shock coming from pretty much anywhere! As I’ve lived Canmore (1,325m) and trained in the Rockies the past 13 years, my body has had many opportunities to feel the burn caused by high altitude. Dom on the other hand (my running partner) is coming from Vancouver (sea level), and will need every single day between now and race day to acclimatize.
Although it was nice to finally get out for a quick run after sitting in the truck for 3 days driving to Colorado – our excitement quickly faded as the thin air made quick work of our stiff bodies. Physically, I felt good, but the moment I tried to test myself, the breathing got heavier almost instantly. With one week to go until the start of the event, the last thing one wants is to feel like absolute crap for a simple hour run! Needless to say that Dom and I were looking forward to 7 good days training to get the full effect of the acclimatization.For our first run, I decided to take the crew (Dom and Chris Manhard, our team therapist) to the Vail resort, where I’ve run many events in the past (Teva Mountain Games, Vail Hill Climb). The area has tons of beautiful single-track trails that cruise up and down the alpine runs. We ‘warmed-up’ on a few up/down sections and eventually made our way up the hill, eventually crossing the 3,100m mark, still a few hundred metres shy of our Stage 1 finish line (ouch) – It would have been easy to open up the engine and start hammering to test each other out but honestly, Dom and I both agreed to save our energy, and follow the plan…run SLOW. Running at this altitude kills you. Your body is stressed simply trying to adapt to the altitude difference. So if two overactive runners start ducking it out, you can quickly end up nursing tired and heavy legs as opposed to feeling ‘ok’ the next day. Instead, we yapped away like highschool girls, talking shop and getting to know each others running habits and style…oh, didn’t I mention this was our first run together?
Despite our background differences, I’m really excited about our partnership. Call it a gut feeling, a good vibe, whatever…I’m confident we’ll run as well as we can. Personally, I wish I coulda, woulda shoulda – but it’s too late to dwell on the past. We’re here, we’re psyched and the race starts in 4 days! I’m getting nervous…
Tomorrow I’ll test the lungs with a 20min threshold workout – based on the way I felt in this afternoon’s run, all should go as planned.
Until then-
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Running Scared
There's nothing better than running scared...really.
The big news in last week's paper was about this small controversy regarding the new Highline Trail in Canmore - which runs high up the South side of the Bow Valley between Grassi Lakes and Three Sisters. The 'controversy' involves the use of a small 'Bobcat' type machine to build the trail - which was leaving a big scar in its wake. Local trail enthusiasts stopped the machine's use as soon as they realized the damage it was causing and rallied to finish the trail by hand and ultimately build a much more estatic trail that meets our 'single-track' criteria.
After all the fuss in the paper I decided to go exploring...
Off I went last Thursday evening in search of this new Highline Trail, choosing to run up the gap (Grassi) and try to find the trail's access via the Spray Reservoir pipeline. After a bit of 'running' around, I found some flagging tape with I assumed (correctly) was the soon to be trail. So off into the bush I went.
With light getting dimmer by the minute I raced across the side slopes, following the flagging tape from tree to tree in an attempt to connect with the mystery trail monster that loomed over the Peaks of Grassi. I was very aware that being this high above the wildlife corridor, my chances of running into evening critters were high, so as crashed through brush, yelling 'HEY BEAR' every 10 seconds or so, I kept my bear spray close at hand in my water belt -
I love this 'adventure' runs as I call them - Getting off the beaten track is my favourite type of running. I duked, jumped and ran from animal trail to animal trail, blowing off the spider webs every time I sneaked in between trees - it was awesome. Every once in a while I stopped and listened...
and soaked in the twinkling lights of Canmore down below...
The big news in last week's paper was about this small controversy regarding the new Highline Trail in Canmore - which runs high up the South side of the Bow Valley between Grassi Lakes and Three Sisters. The 'controversy' involves the use of a small 'Bobcat' type machine to build the trail - which was leaving a big scar in its wake. Local trail enthusiasts stopped the machine's use as soon as they realized the damage it was causing and rallied to finish the trail by hand and ultimately build a much more estatic trail that meets our 'single-track' criteria.
After all the fuss in the paper I decided to go exploring...
Off I went last Thursday evening in search of this new Highline Trail, choosing to run up the gap (Grassi) and try to find the trail's access via the Spray Reservoir pipeline. After a bit of 'running' around, I found some flagging tape with I assumed (correctly) was the soon to be trail. So off into the bush I went.
With light getting dimmer by the minute I raced across the side slopes, following the flagging tape from tree to tree in an attempt to connect with the mystery trail monster that loomed over the Peaks of Grassi. I was very aware that being this high above the wildlife corridor, my chances of running into evening critters were high, so as crashed through brush, yelling 'HEY BEAR' every 10 seconds or so, I kept my bear spray close at hand in my water belt -
I love this 'adventure' runs as I call them - Getting off the beaten track is my favourite type of running. I duked, jumped and ran from animal trail to animal trail, blowing off the spider webs every time I sneaked in between trees - it was awesome. Every once in a while I stopped and listened...
and soaked in the twinkling lights of Canmore down below...
View from the soon to be Highline Trail - great views!Every run-off creek offered a quick glimpse of the trail's potential once completed. It will offer amanzing terrain and scenery.
Then, as I took in a drink, there was loud 'CRACK' about 50m below me...OH SHIT! Whatever it was it sounded like an elephant (although it was most likely a squirrel). Either way, the adreline rush was instant. I crouched down, bearspray in hand, safety off, ready for action. I couldn't see anything moving, so I just stopped, eyes as big as toonies, scanning the terrain. Moments passed. I look around for a rock and threw it down to scare whatever was there. After yelling some more, I decided to get out of there and RUN! Screw the flagging tape, I was on a tear through the bush, going warp speed towards the Peaks of Grassi looking back every 2 seconds expecting a cougar nipping as my ass.
PHEW! That was awesome...
Long story short, I made it out safe and sound, and ran into one of the connectors leading up to the Highline Trail - as expected, it was ugly. As I cruised up the track which looked like an overused quad trail, I ran into Ken Davies, who is leading the charge to build the new single-track. It was certainly nice to see another person off the beaten track - off course, he was being smart and leaving the area as the night approached...I kept going.
Heavy trail damage - not pretty!
The machined connector up from Quarry Lake - night approaching...
I got up to the first intersection and turned right following what looked like an overused animal trail - heading West back towards my freak-out run...this will be part of the new handbuilt trail and honestly, it has the potential to be one of the best! I followed it for a while until it was definitely time to turn back - it was almost dark. On my return to the connector 'highway' I took a sneak peak at the other side which was built by the machine. I was actually surprised at the difference between the rough cut, and the actual finished product - sure it was wider than a usual single track but the builder actually made a great effort to 'landscape' the machine damage and give a more natural look. (I went back the next day and ran its length, worth checking it out).
On the new Highline Trail - the machined section
Bottom line, once completed, this trail will be fantastic. If you're keen to help, there is work party meeting on the weekend at Quary Lake (and every following Sunday) to help finish the trail before winter.
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