Ran on the road for the first time since the SLC Marathon. It felt like I forgot how to run and I thought I was going really slowly but turned out that I averaged about 6:26/mile. Last mile in 5:40. Two weeks of only cross training probably kept me in shape but there is something about running that can't be replicated in any other exercise. I guess it's that "runner's high" that makes the difference.
Yesterday I received some exciting news. I was given a competitive entry into the Pikes Peak Marathon. They only give out 10 to men for the marathon so I feel very privileged. What is even more exciting is that the person who notified me was Matt Carpenter, quite possibly the best ultra runner ever. He holds the ascent and marathon record for Pikes Peak (ascent record was set on day he did the marathon!) and just last year he won the North Face Endurance 50 miler which might have had the most competitive field of any ultra event in the country. Oh, and he was 44 years old! The guy is unbelievable. He holds course records everywhere.
Lung capacity: 90.2
VO2, recorded 9/13/90 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs, CO at an altitude of 6,100'. This is the highest known
recorded VO2 by a runner (average rate for non-athletes is 44-51;
average for athletes is 60-84).
http://www.skyrunner.com/bio.htm
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