2016 Year In Review

I wasn't going to do a year in review for 2016 for many of the reasons that will follow. But, it has become tradition and I enjoy looking back on my blog for personal reflection. There is a good chance that 2016 will be viewed as my climactic year in running. I hit several big goals: I ran a Boston qualifying marathon and ran probably my best 100 miler at Wasatch 100. However, I spent a good chunk of the year dealing with nagging injuries and losing motivation. How many years can I continue to focus this much on running? And, what do I really know about training? Running 2500 miles a year is pretty extreme, a fact we often lose sight of when we surround ourselves by like-minded runners. Is it necessary? I doubt it. I truly believe LCHF transformed my ultra running more than any training cycle did.

Perhaps my greatest day in 2016 was October 28th, my fortieth birthday. Knowing we'd had a mild few months, I asked my wife to climb Grays Peak with me to watch the sunrise. It required that we get up at 3:30 am and be at the trail about 5 am. It was the first time I've been the first one in the parking lot at a 14er! It was quite invigorating to be out on that trail in the pitch black (and with traction) and sharing the experience with my wife. She's not an ultra runner, so it definitely qualifies as one of the craziest things she's done in fitness. It was a blessed day and I am lucky to have a spouse fit enough and crazy enough to do something like that.

We didn't quite summit before sunrise, but this view was pretty awesome.

So cool to ascend to over 13,000 feet and look back at the valley we traversed in the dark.

Two pretty good views in that photo. Had it not been so cold, I would have stayed up there hours.

A fun collage from the day.

As for my races, it is really hard to pick my favorite. They were all great. In fact, I've been on an incredible run since knee surgery in 2013. A fortunate and blessed streak of great years. I would give a slight edge to Wasatch 100 as my favorite for two reasons. First, I was joined by some great friends and my sister. I love the team/social aspect to those events. I cherish the memories I make with my friends. Words cannot describe how deep my sister got me to dig those last 8 miles. It is something I'll remember forever. I cried. I prayed. I hurt all over.  It was worth it. Second, I think it was my latest evolution in really getting what it means to compete in one of these events. Western States was the first time I demonstrated the grit and mental toughness to run a good one hundred. But this year was the first time I added to that the gratitude to truly enjoy it and share it with others. And, I believe gratitude allowed me to run to my best.

My big sister, crew member and pacer extraordinaire

The memories, the friends.  Those are the things that last, races come and go.

In terms of achievements, Colorado Marathon may have been my biggest conquest in 2016. Having not run a marathon in four years, and doing very little pace work along the way, I wasn't sure I could do it. I trained my heart out, literally leaving everything I had out there. In fact, I spent the rest of the year feeling the impact. Once again, it was worth it. I exhibited faith in myself and just went after it. I caught the perfect day to run and made it count. My splits were near perfect the whole way. There were a few moments of doubt, but I conquered them all. As a bonus, I had my good friend Chuck running along side me the whole way. I have nothing left to give the marathon distance. But I am going to Boston to celebrate.

It is really hard to count North Fork 50k as a "throw in" -- I did finish 4th overall -- but that is kind of the way it worked out. I signed up as a "training run" and to fill the big void between Colorado Marathon and Wasatch 100. On race day, I decided to get after it and it also went perfectly. I love that race and may one day go back.

This is just running! There are so many countless awesome things that happened in 2016... family vacations to Utah for Christmas, Puerto Vallarta for summer break, I bought a smoker, I climbed 10 mountains, I started really reading again, the Broncos won the Super Bowl, and countless amazing conversations with family and friends. What a year!

As I eluded to in previous posts, I am starting to see a different focus as I approach my next decade of life. Somewhere along the line I decided my 30s was the decade to get physically fit. I think my 40s is a time to get spiritually fit. Running is a huge part of who I am and has taken me amazing places. I still plan to run and compete (hopefully well), but it feels like time to pursue a life bigger than running.

Update: Marathon and Beyond

The Colorado Marathon has come and gone and I didn't write a race report.  I will leave you with these words from my Strava activity:

"The story of the week was weather and we drove up to FoCo in a steady rain, which had me quite worried and unsure of what to wear. But, we woke to dry streets, low 30 degrees, and a very light snow fall -- perfect! The bus trip up the canyon took an hour and we sat in the bus until almost 6:10 am (race started at 6:30).

Miles 1 - 10 were pretty uneventful as I tried to find the pace/effort I though I could sustain and broke free from the crowd. Chuck and I only chatted intermittently, mostly just focusing and listening to iPods. He did occasional 'fartleks' to pick items for people, run ahead to pee, etc.... I just kept going straight ahead, eclipsing every split I had intended.

Miles 11-17 where quite a bit more difficult and I started to wonder if I was in over my head. Nothing wrong, just that no-mans-land of so many miles to go and fatigue starting to set in. Coming out of the canyon is hard as you go briefly uphill and realize there is a lot of hard work to go. I was sick of the cambered road and ready to move onto flatter ground.

Miles 18 - 22 I had a surge of energy and felt strong, passing people quite frequently. I even ran a sub-7 minute mile in here and realized I was going to be able to get it done. Chuck would tell me each lap split and began to run slightly in front of me to motivate me, I assumed.

Miles 22 - Finish were just pain, mostly. I could smell the finish and just kept giving all I had with lots of self talk. I knew 3:10 was in play (minus 5 BQ and possible Wave 1 qualification) so I fought hard to keep working for that. When we turned the corner into to town, I had to give all I had to get sub-3:10 and was glad I did. I ran most of this section in Z4 and felt every step."

Long story short, I crushed it. These are the days we live for as runners -- everything went my way. My first and half splits were near identical.  My eight 5k splits were within 15 seconds of one another. Basically, I ran a perfect race. What's funny is that I am the same guy I was in 2012 (and probably was just as fit back then). But, you tell people you qualified for Boston and they view you as special. I don't feel special, but I am looking forward to one helluva a party in Boston 2017!

As for what's next? I am slowly running out of matches to burn. I have enough residual fitness that I plan to give it a go at North Fork 50k next month. Then I hope to enjoy more of summer than normal with my family. My kids are nearly grown and opportunities to hang with them are growing smaller. I don't even know what to expect at Wasatch 100, but I fill find a way to get it done. If things go as planned, I'll spend some time in the mountains with my kids and maybe climb a few mountains. Perhaps I will finally stop and reflect on this journey? We'll see.

I am losing the desire to blog, feeling like I have fewer and fewer new things to add. I am not a controversial guy, so you won't find much editorial or opinion stuff here. Just the facts. This blog has been about my journey to health and discovering my potential. That road is nearing an end and I am savoring every moment left. There are a few goals I have left -- Leadville "big buckle" and another trip to Western States, maybe even Hardrock. I plan to keep after it. But don't be surprised if I blog a whole lot less. Thanks for following along and keep in touch!

Colorado Marathon Training Update

Wow, I've had zero motivation to blog lately. I started writing this blog to document my journey through training, experimentation, and lessons I learn along the way. Perhaps I am just running out of things to learn? With each passing year I am certainly experiencing fewer journeys, instead focusing on spending more time around the house. I think that is a normal pattern for an endurance athlete. Or, maybe I am just lacking motivation right now as I wait for Winter to pass and Spring to begin in full? Eh, time will tell...

Anyway, the one thing I have been doing is training hard for the Colorado Marathon. I've run half a dozen marathons (counting "races" only) and this is the most I've stayed with a plan and consistent training yet. I typically get bored and run out of motivation to put in the hard work each day. This goal (3:12) feels so large that I cannot afford to slack. And, I had a rough patch that lasted three weeks due to a nasty, long-lasting illness. While I kept my head above water during that period, it definitely heightened my sense of urgency after getting healthy.

I am averaging around 60 miles a week these days without much vertical gain, but with tons of structure. A typical week has me doing 2 workouts (intervals, Fartleks, or tempo variations) plus a long run, of course. I've used my long run to do way more pace work than previous training cycles. Being so far out of practice from running hard for that long, I feel very adamant that I need that type of work. My long runs are far from fun -- I much prefer adventures at places like Indian Creek or Deer Creek -- but I am committed to my goal. Three more of these long runs and then I can see if it has all worked.

One thing that has stood out about this cycle is the number of times per week that I run between eight and twelve miles. About five days a week I run eight miles or more. While some of that is with pace and a bit faster than when I ultra train, each day is a pretty big commitment to running, rarely squeezing my workouts under an hour. When I consider what it takes to apply the appropriate stress and get to an appropriate weekly mileage (without B2Bs to rely on the weekend), this makes sense. But it isn't easy! I have enjoyed my journey back to the marathon and experiencing the contrast in training, but it certainly isn't the type of training that stimulates me over a long period of time. I'll be happy when trail season is officially here. In the meantime, I'll continue attack this marathon the best I know how.

Where Have I Been Lately?

.... or maybe more appropriately, where am I going?! I guess it isn't all that unusual for me to go quiet blogging this time of year. Anyway...

2016 planning has been totally unlike the last 4 years where I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Having run Western States last year, a major life goal was accomplished and my thirst for continuing down the 100 mile path was quenched, at least a little bit. The lotteries were a total bust and everything I'd care to do in 2016 has filled up lightening fast. On something of a nostalgic whim, I entered the Wasatch 100 lottery and now await the results of that on February 6th. Should that go bust, there is a very real chance I am taking a year off of running 100s. It might be good for me, possibly exactly what I need to recharge the batteries. I have zero idea what I'll do in that instance. It will likely involve some type of trail ultra, but likely something short(er) and scenic. The thought of it kind of excites me, particularly since I am already training for speed anyway.

In the meantime, I am marathon training. My hope is to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2017, a pretty ambitious goal as well as one of my few remaining running goals. I am not taking this challenge lightly and far from certain I'll pull it off. The qualifying standard is 3:15 and I have once surpassed that, but I think it will take something closer to 3:12 to actually get into the race, which would be a small PR for me. Considering that was four years ago, it might be a BIG PR for me. I am quickly remembering how hard marathon training is and why I gave it up! The biggest difference is that there aren't B2B long runs to lean on for padding weekly mileage, the result is a lot more midweek mileage. That means less sleep and more cold, dark runs. Of course, there is also a lot more structure as well -- intervals, fartleks, tempos, progressions, etc... Honestly, I kind of enjoy that part. Once I gain the confidence to get out the door, the structure keeps me engaged and the miles pass quickly. Plus, I am a data geek and that gives me lots of things to consider later.

Another unique aspect of the marathon is the structured, hard long runs (aka specificity!). Most ultra long runs are not as challenging as a marathon pace long run in terms of recovery. I can run for three hours easy in the mountains and bounce back relatively quickly. But a 2-hour long run with pace has left me pretty wiped out on several occasions this cycle so far. Of course, over the course of the last four years I have optimized my body for that type of mountain running, so it makes sense that changing has confused my body.

One thing I have not changed is my diet. I continue to be disciplined in following a low carbohydrate regimen. The only difference between now and ultra training is that I have used a bit more Generation Ucan for fueling before some harder runs -- maybe six times now in six weeks. So I am not abusing it, but using it strategically when I have to hit a hard run or feel a bit low.

In short, I am in a bit of a waiting pattern on the trail and ultra front, but I am busy working my butt off for another goal. It has been a nice change of pace and maybe more of a challenge than I expected. It is a struggle to run 10 miles at 7:30 pace right now, I cannot fathom running 26.2 miles faster than that. The reality that I once did that blows my mind.