Old Man Still running

Did my 74th Timp Summit.  Labor day is typically the busiest day on the trail.   I got going a 1:30.  There were only a few groups going up Timpooneke because of the parking limitations but there was a steady train of lights coming from Aspen Grove.  Favorite comment today as I passed a group, a girl says, "You are running?"  I should have replied, "You are walking?"  As I approached a group in the basin, I could tell that they had set their sights on being the first to the top, they were moving pretty well and probably passed several groups.  Well, they finally stepped aside and looked at me.  I pushed it up a notch, ha, ha.   They did pretty well keeping me in their sights, but I reached the summit and descended to them before they made the final steep summit push.  They made some "amazing" comments and I told them "good job."   I reached the top in 2:20 which isn't bad for the dark.  There was a bright moon overhead.

Running through the basin, a little storm blew over with some soaking rain.  The group that started the same time I did was just below the basin taking shelter under some trees.  I took it easy the rest of the way and finished in 4:10. 

Just power walking during lunch.  Concerning pain in the leg while walking this week.  Backing off the running and increasing the resting.  Not yet helping.  Oh well.  The pain doesn't seem to be bone pain.   We'll see what Wasatch pacing does to it.  I bet it disappears after ten miles or so.   But it has me spooked.

56 miles running in the Wasatch mountains, 42 miles of it pacing Matt Van Horn.   Got him to the finish in 28:32.   Great fun.

Recovered from the fun weekend run.  The leg came out a little sore, but coming down.   I made an appointment with the ortho doctor to get x-rays on Thursday.  We'll see how it has healed up.

Power walk during lunch.  I've totally recovered from Wasatch pacing. Wow, almost pain-free in the leg.  Much better than last week.   We'll see.  I'll get x-rays tomorrow.

X-rays were encouraging.   The Dr. could still see the faint fracture line but said he would not classify it as "the dreaded black line" when there is non-union going on.  He told me that I probably should expect some continued pain for the next six months.  If after that, still a problem, come back in for another x-ray.   The stress fracture and healing around it is massive.  The area really lights up on the x-ray.  He even called in his PA to see the x-ray, calling it "classic" stress fracture.

So, I'm not going to worry as much anymore.  I'll still be careful, but I think I can start kicking it back in.   He asked me if I was running again and I did admit that I ran a 100-miler a couple weeks ago.  He laughed and shook his head, but didn't seem very concerned.   I said I had run 57 miles at Wasatch 100 and was left with a little pain.  The PA chimed in and said he would a ton of pain.  OK, so I'll put all this within propective and just continue to be careful, but not worry as much.

Ran up above the Saratoga Springs flood area.  Wow!  Those homes didn't have a chance.  The downpour hit a slope and everything funneled down across a very wide area to those homes.  The slope of that valley shows that for centuries water as always funnelled down there and then they build homes in the path of the water.  Bad place.  There are several other areas in a similar situation.  A lot more needs to be done to protect those homes that were just put in bad places.   The water and mud tore up massive new washes, very deep.   It distroyed all the roads and trails in that area.   The powerline road has kind of been filled back in so trucks and get through.   Just amazing.   I suspect even without the fire that homes would of still been flooded, minus all that mud.

The little run left the leg sore again Oh well.  I know it isn't in the bone, it is in the surrounding "cast" that the leg has built around the fracture area.  Tendons pull at that area and makes it sore.   I'll just have to live with it.   I can block out that kind of pain just fine as long as I know I'm not doing any damage.

Tough incline treadmill and JRP run.   The controlled environment of the treadmill seemed to help the leg.  Very little pain afterwards.  For the first time in 10 months I could run with some speed on JRP.  Quite a difference from a month ago.  

I signed up for Javelina Jundred in Phoenix area, the weekend after Pony Express.  It will be my second time running there.   I'll have to do a little heat training.  Although last year they had some terrible rain during the race.   Last time I did run a sub-24, but had a really bad last 20 miles.   If I was healthy and in shape, a sub-20 would be within reach.   I suspect that sub-24 will be the goal.

So if all goes well this year, I'll still come away with four 100-mile finishes and perhaps 100 at Across the Years.   That wouldn't be bad at all for less that 1,000 miles running so far this year.

Same morning routine as yesterday.   The forecast for The Bear is looking good.

Tough treadmill.   Leg felt good.

Timp summit #76.  Probably last of the year.   Went up in the evening.   Had the trail to myself except for two guys, two girls with packs and sleeping bags.  The girls were really wide-eyed as they watched me run past.   Fall is really here.  The trees are turning great colors and it got chilly right after sunset.   Coming down, running across the basin, I notice those college kids had taken the wrong trail at the basin.   That happens often in the dark.  The groups get convinced that it is faster and easier taking the trail directly in the direction of the summit.  They always get a nice surprise, longer and harder.  Their headlamps watched me closely coming down.  The rest of the way I had the trail totally to myself because the next groups don't start until midnight and I finished at about 10:30 p.m.   Going down, I had decided to run back up and do a double, but once down, going home for a good night's sleep seemed more attractive.

I felt very little leg pain and had good strength.   I think I'm ready to go attach The Bear 100.   Hopeing for at least a sub-30-hour finish.

Ran about 20 miles up above American Fork canyon.  Wow, the colors are really coming out.  Get up there soon.   I started at Alpine Loop Summit, ran the Ridge Trail to Rock Spring and then half way to Pole Line pass, descended to Forest Lake and then down to the main dirt road, super highway for ATVs.  Ran almost to Tibble Fork Res, and then ran up trail 40 to the Mud Spring Trail, connected to the Ridge Trail with a couple miles back to my car.  I took a bunch of video....I'll patch those together and post on Facebook.   It was an amazing afternoon, perfect running weather up there.   Nice last long run before The Bear.

I'm into my usual taper before a 100-miler.  Last month I went into Cascade Crest with doubts and fear.  I go into Bear 100 with guarded confidence.  The leg seems to continue to improve.  With all the miles I did Saturday, I'm pretty much pain-free today.  So I think I'm ready to push this race.  My best time was in 2010, a 26:30.  But that was just two weeks after a 28:30 Wasatch 100.  Shouldn't I be able to come close to a 26:30, being more rested?   Looks like I'll have one or two sons coming up with me to crew or pace.  Weather looks perfect.  

Six easy miles on pavement.  Just to keep the legs fresh.

Power walk during lunch.   Soft tissue leg pain about an inch below the fracture area.  Swells a little.   But usually after a couple hours of running that area calms down, so I won't worry.

Charted my 100-mile finish times over the year.   Interesting how my best times were improving each year.

Finished my 50th 100-mile race. Started off fine.   I tried to push this one harder, but discovered that I just couldn't run it even close to what I did in 2010.  Taking 4:30 to reach Leatham vs. 4:00 is a telling tale.  Oh well, coming to terms with it.  Age, lack of training, an still some because of the leg.   The leg did hold up pretty well but I did hold back on most of the downhills.

Had good fun with pacers, brother Bob and son Kevin.  Son Ryan crewed all the stops.   I had company from mile 37 on, except for a rough section from Beaver Lodge to Beaver Campground in the early morning.

All went pretty well until about mile 63 when terrible GI issues slowed me way down.  I could solve them until mile 83.  That problem cost me about 2 hours. Other issues were lung problems starting at mile 80.   Then blisters for the last 50 miles.  The trail was very dusty, more than usual.  I should have stopped to clean my feet often.

So, it was a rough night at The Bear.  But the fall colors were amazing. 

I think with a perfect race I could have run it at about 27:30 compared to my PR of 26:30.

But, 31:46 it was.   I'll take it.