Old Man Still running

Ran with my son Kevin out on the Bonneville Salt Flats doing an out and back on the Bonneville Dike out to Floating Island and back.  It was an amazing run.  I'll post a detailed report with pictures later on Saturday.

Details and pictures at: http://www.crockettclan.org/blog/?p=652

Time for hill training.  Treadmill  6x8:30x15% and then a cooldown.  Held on to the front with that big incline and had plenty of step-offs, but the machine thinks it hauled me up 4,500 feet.  Near the end felt a twinge in my left patella and it is bugging me today.  Hopefully goes away quickly.  Weights and core too.  I think the little weights and core I have done regularly has helped in the races.  Possible Grand Canyon adventure this weekend.

I was taking it easy this week for my Grand Canyon trip this weekend, but that was cancelled.  The weather is going to be bad with possible heavy snow at the South Rim on Friday night and rain on Saturday.  It isn't worth the long drive for those conditions, so I will likely do it the next weekend.  I'm planning to do a 67-mile loop that I'm pretty sure has never been done in one day.  Four days is the fastest I've found.

Treadmill, crazy hills.   4.5 miles, 9:00 pace, 17% incline (holding on and step offs).  Then 1 mile, 13:30 pace, 25% incline.   Got the machine to click past 5,500 feet climbing.

Ten fairly easy miles on the treadmill, only climbed about 2,000 feet.

The left knee is loose for some reason, causes knee cap to track wrong.  Nothing serious right now.  Usually time, or a very long run can tighten things back up.

All my shoes are getting old.   Hokas still look fine but they have a lot of miles on them.  They won't work for Bighorn because they don't do well being soaked for hours, so I bought another pair of La Sportiva Wildcats for Bighorn.   I'm tempted to get the Hoka Bondi B for road races and dirt road races.  They would do well for Ogden Marathon, perhaps Tahoe Rim, Pony Express, Across the Years, Rocky Raccoon, and Buffalo Run.  Sound like you can get about 600 miles out of the shoe so that makes them worth it.  They would probably help my bad knee on hard surfaces too.-

My Hoka One One's have 550 miles on them.  With the modifications I have made to them I think I have extended their life because they still feel fine.  They probably still have another 100-miler in them.   This would be the shoe I would use for Cascade Crest, Wasatch, and Virgil Crest.

I use the Montrail Wildwoods for slower adventure runs and backup shoes during races. 

First some character building:  When out at 4:30 a.m. in the snow storm and ran three miles up Israel Canyon Road (Lake Mountain) in the mud and snow until it turned into mostly snow hiking.

Then went to the treadmill and did punishing hills, 6 miles 9:40 pace, 15-25% incline.

Its less about miles now and more about elevation, 7,000 feet this morning (if you can believe the machine claiming 5,000)

Thank you government for staying open.  Now I'm looking at a possible two-day adventure in the Grand Canyon, 68 miles the first day, 20 the second, using four trails that go down into the canyon.  That would be about 10,000 feet of climbing.

We'll see. It is such a long drive, I should get my money's worth.   If I did these two adventures, with all my adventures I will have traveled a 80-mile stretch of the Tonto Trail.

Was lazy and slept in when the alarm went off.

It's Grand Canyon week!  I've come up with an ultra crazy Grand Canyon Adventure.  My biggest GC adventure yet, even bigger than my R2R2R2R2R.

What I want to do is attempt to establish an end-to-end speed record on the remote and rugged Tonto Trail, from South Bass Trail on the West to Hance Rapids on the East.  That is about 86.5 miles, (likely 5 or more).   (I would get a GPS measurement).   The Trail actually extends further on both ends but is less of a trail, more like routes.  I've already run 45 miles of this trail several times so very familiar with what this will take.

This would be pretty crazy because it would require a bunch more miles than that, for about 100 miles in the canyon and 121 miles total.

To get to the start would require a 21-mile dirt road forest run up on the rim to get to the South Bass Trailhead from Grand Canyon village.  I could try to find someone to drive me to the trailhead or pay someone big money to do it, but the drive takes two hours on rough roads.  Why not just run it, on a more direct route?  So, I will likely run it the day before and then spend the night along South Bass, starting my run in the morning at the crack of dawn.

I would have several bail-out points along the way if I needed to cut it short and climb out of the canyon, at Tonto Trail miles: 26, 36, 51, 56, 75. and 80.  This week will be ideal for water with the big storm over the weekend.  There will be snow right below the rims and water in most the drainages so I can travel light.

At the end I would need to hitch hike back to Grand Canyon Village.

This could be tougher than I can do.  We shall see.  The problem with the trail because it traverses the drainages in the same direction, it is always sloping somewhat to the left.  That can really wear on the feet and knees after long miles.

Tapering

Seven easy treadmill miles.   8:20 pace, 4% incline.

Getting ready for the Grand Canyon.  Below is my crazy pacing chart.  First day is just a leasurely 26-mile run to my starting point.   I'll explore around in the afternoon and camp and rest down in the canyon where it is warm.   The next day, will be my timed end-to-end run on the Tonto Trail.  I'll start at the crack of dawn, run through the night, and hopefully be up and out by noon on Saturday.  I can bail out earlier if needed.  I'm doing this legal-like, getting back-country permits for both nights down there.

 

Bright Angel
Pasture Wash Ranger	17.4
South Bass TH	21.1
Tonto Trail	26.1	5:00 AM
Serpentine	31.1	6:05 AM
Emerald	32.5	6:25 AM
Quartz	34.5	6:55 AM
Ruby	35.9	7:20 AM
Jade	38.5	8:00 AM
Jasper	39.5	8:15 AM
Turquoise	42.1	8:55 AM
Sapphire	45.0	9:40 AM
Agate	47.1	10:15 AM
Slate	52.3	11:30 AM
Boucher	57.3	12:40 PM
Boucher Trail	58.3	1:25 PM
Travertine Canyon	60.6	2:15 PM
Hermit Creek	62.6	3:05 PM
Monument Creek	66.4	4:05 PM
Salt Creek	69.8	5:05 PM
Horn Creek	74.6	6:15 PM
Indian Garden CG	77.1	6:55 PM
Pipe Wash	79.7	7:35 PM
South Kaibab	82.1	8:20 PM
Cremation Canyon	85.0	9:05 PM
Lonetree Canyon	88.3	10:20 PM
Boulder Creek	91.5	11:35 PM
Grapevine Creek	97.8	1:50 AM
Cottonwood Creek	103.6	3:40 AM
Hance Creek	110.5	5:40 AM
Mineral Canyon	114.6	6:55 AM
Hance Rapids	113.4	7:55 AM
New Hance TH	121.6	12:55 PM

At the Grand Canyon.  Spectacular weather.  60 at the rim.  Just taking it easy today.  I got my backcountry permit, so ready to go.  Didn't quite explain the entire plan, they wouldn't believe it, the 46 miles I put down for three days was enough to raise eyebrows.  But I do have a valid permit to be in the canyon overnight for two nights.  There are snow patches in shady north-facing areas near the rim.  That is good, so I can refill with snow as I run to the trailhead tomorrow.  This sure is running paradise!

I noticed that my yearly miles is at 1000 miles.  That is the soonest during a year that I have hit that mark.

It is just about game time in the Grand Canyon.   I'm waiting until 9 a.m. for it to get above freezing on the rim.   I'll then park at Bright Angel trailhead, take a shuttle to the Abyss view point and then connect up with a dirt road and start a 20-mile run/hike through the forest to get to the South Bass trailhead.  I'll probably take some site-seeing detours to go peek over the rim a couple times on the way.   I'll then descend the South Bass trail to where it connects with the Tonto Trail.  I'll camp there and just spend the afternoon and evening exploring.  I'll sleep in a light-weight emergency bivy bag.  I'll take extra food down for the afternoon and evening so I don't eat up all the food I need for the big run the next day.   Seems like I have almost as much food as I take for a 5-day backpack.  For my run Friday, I need at least 5,000 calories.  Tonight, while camping, I'll even have some soup, warmed over a little sterno can in a alum foil bowl.

Tomorrow morning, before dawn, I'll start my timed run on the Tonto Trail, hopefully for the next 87 miles to Hance Rapids.   Then I'll climb out the New Hance Trail.  We'll see.  I could cut it short if I have any trouble or get too pooped.   I'll pass six exit options before reaching New Hance Trail.    I look forward to the first 31 miles, a section of the Tonto Trail that I have never been on.  It goes through "the Gems," a series of side canyons named after gems.

Did at trans-Grand Canyon run, attempting to run the Tonto Trail end-to-end from South Bass to Hance Rapids.  27 hours 56 minutes. I came up 10 miles short.  Ran out of time and worried that I didn't have enough food to spend another five hours in the canyon in the heat.  So I cut it short and came out Grandview trail.   Details coming, I haven't really slepts for 60+ hours.  Time to hit the hay.

I see I beat out flatlander on the mileage board last week.  Ha, ha. 

I still feel pretty beat up.  What I did feels like a tough mountain 100-mile race.  I'm guessing that I climbed about 16,000 feet along the way or more.  The GPSs get confused down there at time.  My Garmin thinks I climbed over 9,000 for the first half (then batteries died)   I know that isn't right.  My Magellin thinks it was 6,000 feet.  That makes more sense.

My feet are a mess.  I think the Hokas reached end of life.  All the taping I did, couldn't stop the hot spots.   The rugged trail was just too much.  But the bottoms of my feet aren't sore.  I did have a thorn go all the way up through the sole, the insole, and into my foot.  Ouch!  I would really like to see a minimalist try that trail!

I really still think I could do it much faster.  It is just so tough to keep the pace up.

Pictures are posted on facebook with detailed captions.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150546741175694.646922.754525693

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150547336240694.647121.754525693

Next step will be to work on the writeup.  Lots to tell.

It is fun to be lazy.  I think I'll quit all this stupid running stuff and just be lazy and eat anything I feel like.  That's what I'm been doing. It is fun.   I lost 2-3 pounds on the run, so I'm gaining it back.  Maybe I'll gain 20.

I've published my VERY long Grand Canyon run report at: http://www.crockettclan.org/blog/?p=691

My energy level has bounced back and my blisters have healed nicely so I don't have to walk funny anymore.   My problem knee is sore...always is after a pounding in the Grand Canyon.  I'm probably doubtful for BSTM this Saturday.  But I may come and run it slowly with my son or help at the aid stations.

I am likely to run the Salt Flats 100 a week from Saturday.  Vince has made some good course changes to make it into a more interesting and doable run.  We'll see how I recover.  He will be out measuring the course this Saturday.

I'm on the injured reserve list.  Running 100s are funny.  For the few days afterwards, a little swelling protects the joints from pain, but once that goes down, you can detect the problems left behind.  My bad knee is the problem.  The slanted trail to the left tooks its toll.  My knee does much better slanting the other way.  So, I have a sore achey knee that even woke me up last night.  The knee problem didn't develop due to ultrarunning, can't blame it on that. It was before running and ultrarunning when I was overweight (over 200 lbs) and tore the meniscus.  The inside/back of the knee joint is low in cartiledge due to the knee scope to fix things up in 2003.  So, a really tough run can leave that area sore, probably bruised cartiledge or bone.  I just hope each time that it will calm down and get better.  It always has.  In 2003 the doctor told me to give up running (I had not yet really started.)  Well, I've run nearly 20,000 miles since then, being careful and learning how to manage it.   Anyway, I'm hopeful, but always know my last run, may really be by last.  So I enjoy it like it is the last and try to pack in more before I get too old or the knee breaks for good.

The knee is improving.  I'll miss BSTM tomorrow, have fun to all those who go.  Instead I'm going camping with the boy scouts.

Went with the boy scouts (son included) out to the Pony Express trail.  They are getting in shape for a 50 miler.  We dumped them all out with packs six miles from Simpson Springs.  I drove to SS, got on my running gear and ran back to them.  Then as they hiked, I went off road running up and down the hillsides.  Soon some of the boys followed my lead and enjoyed going off road too.  Legs felt great and I didn't notice much if any knee pain.   Told the boys pleny of stories about the history of the area we were in.

The boys did a few more miles, this time without packs and just hiked in the foothills.  I told the leaders that I would run along and keep track of them.  The leaders drove along the road and waited for us.

I felt like a sheep dog, running along trying to herd they boys.  Some went fast ahead and a couple tried climbing too high.  One boy in back wouldn't listen to me and wanted to free-climb any rock cliffs he could find and fell way behind.   Finally after chewing him out twice he started to listen.   I finally herded them all off the mountain (Indian Peak) in safe condition.  They all had a good time.   I had a good short run going up and down the drainages.

3.5 treadmill miles untill I wanted to kill myself.  Running indoors after that Grand Canyon run just seems criminal.  So, I went outside and ran 3.5 on the JRP.

OK, I decided to run the Salt Flats 100 on Friday.  Should be chilly, windy weather, kind of like Buffalo Run 100.   It is a first-time race with aid stations far apart.

Going to go buy some Hoka Bondi-Bs for it this afternoon.

Eight miles on wet roads, JRP and Lehi/Saratoga roads.  Great to be outside.  But then I'll watch Biggest Loser tonight and get mad because that show is teaching America that the only way to workout is being in a gym.

Took the Hoka Bondi Bs for a test drive.  Couldn't detect any defects, no hot spots felt or pressure points.  I need to take them on some uneven trails.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm dreaming about my next bucket-list adventure run.  95-miles around Mount Rainier on the Wonderland trail.  I grew up at the foot of that mountain.  Only a couple guys have done a solo-self-supported run around it.   Weather is always the big problem there, so I would probably need to go there with very little notice to get the great weather.

28 degrees out this morning.  What is up with that?  Wimped out and did treadmill, testing out the new Hokas some more.  Still seem fine, just debating which insoles to use.  Just easy miles, taper run.  If there is only two weeks between 100-mile runs, there is no real training in-between, just recovery and taper.   This will be a good test for later this summer when I do three 100s within six weeks.

Looking at my last year results on ultrasignup.com. I noticed something interesting.  They show your overall place but also place by gender.  I noticed that in every race I ran during the past 12 months that I only was chicked at most twice in each race.  Some races no women beat me, others only one, and a couple two.  That is a huge difference from past years, another indicator of progress.  Some of these were huge races like Rocky Raccoon, Wasatch, Bear, Bighorn, Squaw Peak, etc.   I don't like the way they calculate ranking.  It is all based in comparison to the guy who won the race.  In Rocky where Ian posted that record winning time, even though I placed high, 34th, I get a 59% ranking for that race pulling my average down.   Also, it doesn't take into account recent years, my low placements years ago still bring down my average.  So it is hard to use that ranking to really rank the competition.

My 40th 100-mile finish is in the books.   This is a new 100-mile race and this year it was a free test-run.  Good thing, there were a bunch of challenges but the rookie race director has learned a lot.

The race was held near the Bonneville Salt Flats, mostly on the very remote islands to the north.  I thought the race would be flatter, but it had several pretty long and tough climbs up to the top of some rpasses giving incredible views of the salt flats. It looked like a frozen ocean.

The biggest problem was that the race director marked the course a week in advance.  As we were running we discovered that someone had carefully removed all the markers for about 75% of the course.  It must have taken them hours to do.  The race director had to quit racing and remark portions and help direct those in the rear.   I was the only one who ran the right course without help because I used my GPS starting at mile 30. I had critical turns marked.  The winner was an elite local runner, Jay who finished in sub-17, but we think he skipped about 3 miles of the course because of marking problems.  One section at night was impossible without a GPS.  There should have been glow sticks, you just couldn't see any of the markers at night.

Anyway, I'll work with the RD to greatly simplify the course for next year.  It was just too complex.  It could be more straight-forward and still visit the same areas of these islands.  Also all aid stations were about ten miles apart.  The is pretty far as you start slowing down.

The weather was a worry, but we only had short stretches of flurries.  However, we had constant wind.  For miles is would be a 20 mph headwind and at times 30 mph.  I took it easy but was amazed that I still had a good time.  If I would have really pushed it, no telling what I could of done, but the wind made it tough and I really worried about the other runners getting lost.  When I worry, I slow way down.   After midnight, it got really chilly when there was a headwind, windchill below freezing.  I had to stop for ten minutes and warm up in a car.  When I got pretty cold, I kept getting very sleeping and started to stumble around.

Anyway I had a good time.  For some reason I am hardly sore at all.  I can't understand it.  By far I came out of this 100 the less sore.  Perhaps the cool weather the entire time in the 30s and 40s helped.  Maybe it is because I did that 110 mile Grand Canyon run two weeks ago.   I could run uphills the entire race just fine.  I just got lazy and at times walked because the next runner behind me was more than two hours behind.  No one was pushing me and I knew I couldn't catch Jay.  But I could crank out a sub-10-minute mile at will when I wanted to.

There was one section on Crater Island way to the north that felt as remote as I have ever run.  It felt like we were running off the end of the world.  It was amazing.  There was a guy with a SUV aid station at the far end. 

Lots more details later.  I wish I would have taken some pictures.