Old Man Still running

How do you come up with 23 miles? I can't do math well enough to add up all those runs.

I've heard of, and done 2 a day's, but 4 a days? I must be lazy or something. Maybe 2 of those were really 1, though how you go from road and then treadmill, I'm not sure, unless you just do it to get the incline, which seems almost a good enough reason to get on a treadmill. Either that or someone is running me down on the mileage board for the week.

Jun, you have to be smarter than a 5th graders. DV. 4-a-days, that is where it is at. I quit doing road and go to treadmill to save the knee. It doesn't like lots of road in one stretch. Can't wait for the mud to go away so I can get back in the foothills.

I can certainly understand that. Anything to get the miles in with less pain and stress on the body.

...but, you would have a tough time beating me in mileage this week. Target is 120.

I can't wait for the mud to go away. That being said, Matt and I might come down and do the Lake Mountain 50k a week from Saturday. I figure if we can hit the muddy sections while they're still frozen then be on the dirt roads once it warms up we can manage to get it in without much angst.

Wow, I don't think I'll hit that. Is your next race the antelope 100? How much and how soon, if any, do you taper before a 100? What do you use for drop bags? Antelope 50k will be my first Ultra, ok, so it is barely an ultra and less than a third of the race you are doing, but us newbies have to start somewhere.

For that loop, the worst part would be the front stretch to Enoch Pass. Can really be shoe-sucking mud slow.

I would love to join you for the Lake Mountain 50k. What time would you be starting? Do you place out anything or just carry everything with you? I'm new to that kind of distance.

Crockett, you are totally right. We'll have to start early and hope that it stays solid until we are over the top of the pass.

DV, I think we'd start really early so that we could make sure and have semi-frozen mud to run on until we get to the short, paved section. Maybe start at 5:30 or even 5, just to play it safe. We'd drop supplies on the south side of Enoch Pass where the trail meets Redwood Rd. That is the half way point and would allow us to restock and head out. Private message me if you are definitely interested.

For 100s, I usually taper the two weeks prior, but this is likely my last high mileage week.

Drop bags, with experience in 100s, I do far fewer drop bags than most people. I just don't use the junk. For Buffalo Run, I'll have all my stuff at my car or the start to be used the three times I hit that point. Besides that, it is probably just ziplock bags at other points with gels and Ensure. I still have to figure out where to put my flashlight since I won't quite finish the first 50 before dusk. Might just finish the last part with a small headlamp. My goal is to finish before you start.

Ask him why he drinks Ensure!!!

Doing the LM loop early is also important because of the shooters on the east side from Enoch Pass to Redwood. I've seen them out there even this month. Get to the half-way point no sooner than sunrise. Once I ran the loop in the opposite direction, hit that point in the late morning and had to run Redwood Road.

Ensure is for old farts.

Hahaha, YEP.

And as for the shooters, it would have gone a lot better that time in reverse if you hadn't been wearing deer antlers. But I totally agree. I was out there last spring running for my life, literally.

In fact, when I was there in November a dad and his two kids were shooting guns up into a hill at the mouth of Israel Canyon. All they had to do was aim a bit high and they would have been shooting directly up the road. I was so mad.

Jun, I am definitely interested. Is it both paved and dirt road? single track, so trail shoes, or are road shoes good enough for this?

Crockett, why ensure? I'm guessing its not because you are older than I am. If I remember from one of your blogs, it doesn't taste that bad and has a ton of calories for how much fluid it is. Yes, looks like you should be finishing within an hour of us starting, hoping you can pull a sub 20. That would be sweet.

There is only about a half mile of paved road. The rest is rough double track to well-groomed dirt road. If you visit Crockett's personal blog he has a few trip reports with maps. It's a pretty straight forward route (except one part which we'll just have to figure out at the beginning). Email me and we'll work out the details. craig.lloyd@gmail.com

Jun to make the loop closer to 50K, I would make these changes. On the pavement, go clear to Soldier Pass road (has stop sign) instead of the closer short cut. At top of Soldier Pass, don't take the short cut there, run down the long switch back. Also don't start at the powerlines, go a little further north where the trail goes throught the valley. I think with those changes, it will be very close to 50K.

If I do break 20 hours while you guys are getting ready to start, I expect major celebration, guy carrying me around on their shoulders, etc.

Its funny you say that because I was just thinking of adding the longer road route coming off of Soldier Pass. Adding the part at the start makes more sense too. I'll map it out.

And yeah, if you break 20 hours I'll rally the troops and we'll carry you around. Certainly all the way to one of the water troughs where we'll dump you in; a well deserved soak!

Yes, you could do that longer section after Soldier Pass instead. But I just love the option to jump on the motorcycle single-track, in the next little valley to the north, it really wakes up my legs. The alternate starting point also helps make it a little faster since you don't have to climb as steep at the start.

Last time I ran it, I did go clear to Soldier Pass Road, but I think I was still about 0.2 miles short.

If I finish at 19:55, you won't see me, you'll be out running - 50 mile right? But I really hope to finish before you finish your first 25K loop. I'll be there to cheer.

Dang - if you finish that early, I might miss your finish. I think I am scheduled to be at the ranch from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. But I guess that means I get to experience the joy of your company twice during the night.

You should probably shoot for 17:55 then. Good point though, I would say I'd be finishing my first 25k loop except that I have to add in Elephant Head which will add 30 min or so, probably making me late enough to miss you.

The reality is that I'd rather NOT see you. I'd rather you finish under 20 hours while I'm still on the first loop than me seeing you some time after that. I would like to call this day "PR Saturday". Not like it will be hard for me, my previous 50 PR isn't fast - 9:04 at last year's PET. Barring any problems I should crush that.

Looks like I'll hit the Ranch about 5:15 p.m. and 4 a.m.

I find it amazing that you can figure out how fast and when you will get places, especially over the varying terrain, and how close you are to those times.

Well, I'm cheating because I did run the 100 out there last year. I know where I can improve on my time. Last year much of my first loop was in the dark and it was pretty cold. I can improve that. What is really funny is at the Bear. For the last two years there I hit the aid station that Cody and Paul do, within 60 seconds of my predictions. Blew them away both times.

I think we might be setting a record for comments on a blog entry. Like I said, your times are always so close to what you predict. Awesome. I am just guessing at what time I think I could finish the 50k, and I could be maybe 15 minutes before or an hour after, just have no idea.

Yeah, you hit the aid station on time cause you sat in the trees just before it, waiting till the exact time!

when you say sit, do you mean squat in the trees?

Yep, I hid in those trees for a half hour. I saw Jon run by, but let him pass me because it was more important for me to stay on schedule.

The real question we should be discussing is: Will I run my first 50 miles faster than Jun's 50-mile finish time? How humiliating would that be if an old man running 100 miles would run his first 50 faster than the young punk? Place your wagers here.

If Davy does run the first 50 faster than Jun's, Davy's second 50 will be at least 3 hours slower...

If Davy's first 50 is faster than my race 50 I'm going to cry. I will then buy him a six pack of Ensure and walk away with my tail between my legs.

Yep, that gives more time to kick back and lounge around at the aid stations.

Let's see. At Across the Years in the rain and mud I hit 50 miles at 8:15. At RR100 with nearly a half hour delay signing autographs at mile 40 it was about 8:55. Phil Lowry and Tom Remkes will be pushing me this time. Watch out.