In advance of the predicted snowfall tomorrow myself and a few of the girls got out for a lovely run this evening. I know it is far from springtime (though I keep hoping) but it was so lovely to run with 1 layer of pants and no hat/gloves!
Had to leave work early to deal with yet more layers of bureaucracy in my efforts to become a US resident (don't ask) so when I got done I met Shelley downtown and then we met Tanya and Val at my place. Ran to Harriet, Calhoun, and Harriet again, and home for around 11 miles. Apart from a few large puddles of melted snow here and there it was beautiful out and so nice to run in daylight for the most part. A lot of people out as you can imagine with the weather - even a guy in shorts!
Running has been going well since getting back from vacation. 4 months until Grandma's so I am trying to get into a proper routine. Had hoped to get that post-altitude running high but I have a cold since the day I got back so that's taken care of that! Nevertheless we ran a decent pace tonight and it felt pretty good. Outside of my left knee hurt a little - I think it's a residual issue from running at Afton Saturday - it was really difficult to keep good form on the semi-packed snow and I was pretty sore that evening and Sunday morning when we ran I got this pain after a few miles. Didn't start to bother me until about mile 9 this evening so will just have to keep an eye on it. Of course all good intentions to stretch went out the window as soon as we got done...
Lent started today. So I had cake for lunch and M&Ms for desert. Not only am I a bad Catholic having abandoned any attempts to get to Church but I am also a complete disaster at sticking to good eating habits. I'm good until around 11am and then it all goes out the window. If anyone has a cure for sugar addiction I'll gladly listen.
Anyways, it's nice to be back and settled into what is hopefully the end of Winter... at least the days are getting longer even if today is just a false hope of Spring. I will get around to a full report on my trip one of these days but am not motivated to transcribe pages of journal scribblings just yet. It was a great adventure but needless to say not making it to the summit doesn't sit well with me. I was okay about it at the time but thinking over it so much makes me question if I couldn't have just tried a bit harder. A classic case of when you're sick you think you'll never feel better and once you're better you think oh I wasn't that bad...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Things I learned on Aconcagua
- There are places on earth colder than Minnesota.
- Food tastes better at alttitude.
- Double plastic mountaineering boots are surprisingly comfortable.
- How to play Euchre. Yup, a true mid-westerner at last!
- There are no shortcuts to the summit. Just to basecamp :)
- The southern skies at night are unbelievably beautiful.
- How to use a pee bottle. And a poop bag. Though not at the same time.
- Life above 18,000ft is borrowed time.
- '3-person tent' is false advertising.
Working on the full report and pictures...
- Food tastes better at alttitude.
- Double plastic mountaineering boots are surprisingly comfortable.
- How to play Euchre. Yup, a true mid-westerner at last!
- There are no shortcuts to the summit. Just to basecamp :)
- The southern skies at night are unbelievably beautiful.
- How to use a pee bottle. And a poop bag. Though not at the same time.
- Life above 18,000ft is borrowed time.
- '3-person tent' is false advertising.
Working on the full report and pictures...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Back in Mendoza!
I will post all the details soon (a journal full of writings to transcribe - and reduce!) but just to say that Aconcagua was a wonderful adventure. I didn't make it to the summit unfortunately... 20,000ft was my limit... got pretty sick for 2 days but recovered to enjoy the last few days hiking out. Back here in Mendoza since Monday night and flying home today. Not looking forward to the Mpls weather after basking in warm sunshine almost every day of the trip - we really got lucky with the weather even on the higher parts of the mountain.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Mendoza
Hola! Arrived in Mendoza safe and sound - and surprisingly refreshed! After very little sleep Friday night, followed by a really enjoyable 2hr run with Kami Saturday morning around the lakes in the fabulous sunshine and 30+ deg weather, I was ready for a good sleep by the time we got on the long flight from JFK to Buenos Aires last night. I can usually sleep well enough on long haul flights so after reading a bit I dozed off for most of the 11hrs.
We had to change to the domestic airport in Buenos A. so we had allowed plenty of time for that which was cool as the smaller airport is a pretty nice spot so we had some food... and yes, a glass of Malbec... well, I lasted a whole month! Then a 2hr flight over here to Menoza where the temperature is a fabulous 30 deg C and the evening is still perfectly bright at 8pm!
Almost all of the group were already at the hotel where we arrived so we met for about 20 mins to run through some logistics and will have dinner later. Turns out the group is 12 people (thought it was 6 but Mountain Professionals combine with another company called Summit Climb) so both guides will join us for the trek. A good mix of nationalities and ages - two females - though there is one person not here yet.
Tomorrow morning we have a gear check and then pack up for the jeep journey to Penetenties, from where we depart by foot Tuesday morning.
Planning to get out for a run in the early morning to explore the town. I like it already just from the taxi ride. Beautiful buildings, some falling apart a little but in an attractive way. And lots of parks and tree lined aviendos.
Not sure if there is internet access for next few days but will be online again at basecamp. Also, the guides have a blog at www.mtnprofessionals.com and www.summitclimb.com.
We had to change to the domestic airport in Buenos A. so we had allowed plenty of time for that which was cool as the smaller airport is a pretty nice spot so we had some food... and yes, a glass of Malbec... well, I lasted a whole month! Then a 2hr flight over here to Menoza where the temperature is a fabulous 30 deg C and the evening is still perfectly bright at 8pm!
Almost all of the group were already at the hotel where we arrived so we met for about 20 mins to run through some logistics and will have dinner later. Turns out the group is 12 people (thought it was 6 but Mountain Professionals combine with another company called Summit Climb) so both guides will join us for the trek. A good mix of nationalities and ages - two females - though there is one person not here yet.
Tomorrow morning we have a gear check and then pack up for the jeep journey to Penetenties, from where we depart by foot Tuesday morning.
Planning to get out for a run in the early morning to explore the town. I like it already just from the taxi ride. Beautiful buildings, some falling apart a little but in an attractive way. And lots of parks and tree lined aviendos.
Not sure if there is internet access for next few days but will be online again at basecamp. Also, the guides have a blog at www.mtnprofessionals.com and www.summitclimb.com.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Aconcagua
Tomorrow afternoon we leave for Argentina... flying via JFK and Buenos Aires to Mendoza. About a 24hr journey altogether so we arrive Sunday evening local time. A day to sort stuff out and then the trek begins...
I am pretty excited about it. Especially now that I have finally got everything packed! And it did feel rather nice putting my out of office on my email :)
Good Luck & Be Safe!
I am pretty excited about it. Especially now that I have finally got everything packed! And it did feel rather nice putting my out of office on my email :)
Cerro Aconcagua
Looks quite benign from this angle. All 6962m of it...
For anyone interested I thought I'd post the day-to-day itinerary:
Feb 1 (Sun): Arrive in Mendoza, hotel
Feb 2 (Mon): Sort Gear and get permit, transport to Pentitentes (2720 meters), hotel
Feb 3 (Tues): Drive to Punta de Vacas, hike 8k to Las Lenas (2700m), easy trail, mules carry baggage (this part I like), camping
Feb 4: Hike 18k to Casa de Piedra (3200m), easy trail, mules carry baggage, camping
Feb 5: Hike 15k to basecamp, "Plaza Argentina" (4200m), steep trail walking, mules carry baggage, camping
Feb 6: Rest in basecamp
Feb 7: Carry loads (what, no mules?) to Camp 1 (5000m), scree and melted ice mixed with rocks, 4-6 hour hike, return to basecamp
Feb 8: Rest day in basecamp
Feb 9: Return to Camp 1
Feb 10: Carry loads to Camp 2 (5900m), scree and melted ice mixed with rocks, 6-7 hour hike, return to Camp 1
Feb 11: Return to Camp 2.
Feb 12: Rest in Camp 2; prepare for summit attempt
Feb 13: Climb Traverse to connect with normal route at Independencia to Summit (6962m), descend via Normal Route and traverse back to Camp 2
Feb 15-16: Extra days allowed for inclement weather/acclimatization, as well as for multiple ascents of the mountain (yeah!)
Feb 17: Descend to basecamp, Plaza Argentina
Feb 18: Descend to Punta de Vacas, transport to Pentitentes
Feb 19 (Thurs): Back to Mendoza
Feb 20 (Fri): Mendoza
Feb 21 (Sat): Fly Mendoza-Santiago-Dallas-Mpls
And as I head south, a few others are heading north... to the Canadian border... to the Arrowhead Trail... to compete in one of the most challenging events anywhere in the world:
Good Luck & Be Safe!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Running on Snow...
... is so much fun! After a last bit of mountain-trip shopping at Midwest Mountaineering today I decided to head out to Afton for a few hours on the trails. It was a fabulous run. The snow was packed but not hard or icy. Started out with the snowshoe loop, back to the car for water, then followed the race course for several miles down around the loop at AS#1 and back up on the open prairie. Cold but no wind at all. Perfect conditions for a winter run. Back to the car again for water and a few clif blocks and then the snowshoe loop again. Ended up running for 2.5hrs so I'm guessing around 15 miles or so. Felt good though I'm having a few issues with right heel and ankle area. Not really painful but definitely some tenderness there.
Today's run ended the week at 42 miles, the most since IM in November, after getting in a nice 2hr run in much different conditions on Friday. I was in Sligo for the day after a few days work in Galway. Weather wasn't the best with a mix of hail, rain, wind and sun - sunny showers as the weatherman would say. But the views more than made up for it... ran from the pretty seaside town of Strandhill into Sligo town and back, with a detour up towards Knocknarea on the return leg. Despite the overcast day the views of Sligo Bay and across to Ben Bulben were fabulous. Ended up at 14 miles and felt like I was keeping a decent pace for most of it.
Finished off the weekend with a swim this evening. Tanya and Pam were in the pool also so the time flew by. And the cold water felt great after today's run.
Today's run ended the week at 42 miles, the most since IM in November, after getting in a nice 2hr run in much different conditions on Friday. I was in Sligo for the day after a few days work in Galway. Weather wasn't the best with a mix of hail, rain, wind and sun - sunny showers as the weatherman would say. But the views more than made up for it... ran from the pretty seaside town of Strandhill into Sligo town and back, with a detour up towards Knocknarea on the return leg. Despite the overcast day the views of Sligo Bay and across to Ben Bulben were fabulous. Ended up at 14 miles and felt like I was keeping a decent pace for most of it.
Finished off the weekend with a swim this evening. Tanya and Pam were in the pool also so the time flew by. And the cold water felt great after today's run.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Bitterly cold?
Q: When does running in 4 degrees feel good?
A: When it’s on the centigrade scale.
Back in Ireland for the week where the weatherman’s “bitterly cold” means it might get below freezing so wrap up warm if you absolutely have to leave the house. Mind you the near constant rain sort of balances the mild temperatures so that it doesn't actually seem any better than Mpls!
But I was lucky to hit on a break in the clouds and even had some sunshine for a run on Sunday evening. I stopped off on my way from the airport to home at the park where I did a lot of my training for the Dublin marathon in '04. I remember all the mile markers that I clocked in my car so was pleasantly surprised to be able to average 7:15's. I was sucking wind but it felt good to push it without the risk of freezing the back of my throat!
In Galway now for work and got out with Dee this evening for my first track session in about 2 years. After a mile or so of warm up we did 6 x 800's at around 6:30 pace with a 90 second rest, and then a few miles cool down.
Now, back to Obamamania - full on coverage of the big day here also. Of course, with his Irish roots I wouldn't have expected anything less!!
Stay warm.
A: When it’s on the centigrade scale.
Back in Ireland for the week where the weatherman’s “bitterly cold” means it might get below freezing so wrap up warm if you absolutely have to leave the house. Mind you the near constant rain sort of balances the mild temperatures so that it doesn't actually seem any better than Mpls!
But I was lucky to hit on a break in the clouds and even had some sunshine for a run on Sunday evening. I stopped off on my way from the airport to home at the park where I did a lot of my training for the Dublin marathon in '04. I remember all the mile markers that I clocked in my car so was pleasantly surprised to be able to average 7:15's. I was sucking wind but it felt good to push it without the risk of freezing the back of my throat!
In Galway now for work and got out with Dee this evening for my first track session in about 2 years. After a mile or so of warm up we did 6 x 800's at around 6:30 pace with a 90 second rest, and then a few miles cool down.
Now, back to Obamamania - full on coverage of the big day here also. Of course, with his Irish roots I wouldn't have expected anything less!!
Stay warm.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Need more sleep?
I had a wonderful unplanned sleep-in this morning (guess I forgot to set the alarm) - resulting in about 3hrs more sleep than usual. So I missed my run (not to mention a meeting or two...) and decided to hit the gym after work instead. And had a wonderful 7 mile run (in the sense that running my first sub-8's since Nov felt smooth). And then a solid 2000 yard swim. Felt totally energized. Which got me thinking that maybe I would benefit from more sleep than I am used to (~6hrs). Which means I should be in bed already for a 5am start... but that would mean missing the Daily Show. Not sure I'd be able sleep!
Check out the 2008 Ultra Runners of the Year:
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/news/pacheco-semick-named-2008.shtml
Congrats to Joe Z getting his name in there!
For me, 2008 will be remembered for Kyle Skaggs performance at Hardrock. I think we all look forward to see what he is capable of in the years to come. Considering both #1 slots went to 41 year-old runners (Jorge Pacheco & Kami Semick) I suspect the 23 year-old's best years are yet to come.
Check out the 2008 Ultra Runners of the Year:
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/news/pacheco-semick-named-2008.shtml
Congrats to Joe Z getting his name in there!
For me, 2008 will be remembered for Kyle Skaggs performance at Hardrock. I think we all look forward to see what he is capable of in the years to come. Considering both #1 slots went to 41 year-old runners (Jorge Pacheco & Kami Semick) I suspect the 23 year-old's best years are yet to come.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Famous last words...
During his last press conference in office President Bush made a wonderfully defining statement in his opening comments this morning:
"Sometimes you have misunderestimated me..."
One wonders why.
"Sometimes you have misunderestimated me..."
One wonders why.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Phew!
I am officially knackered. What a weekend. Got outside quite a bit ahead of the week to come. -2 for a high? I guess on the bright side anything will feel like Spring after that...
Some more snowshoeing fun - Saturday at Afton and today at Hyland. I carried my pack for Argentina both days (though it's only about half as heavy as it will be for the trek) and wore my new hiking boots. Good thing I have a few weeks to break them in... they are a good fit and I am sure they'll work out great but I ended up with 2 huge heel blisters after yesterday and despite being well bandaged today the skin came completely off! Lovely.
It's been a while since my heels looked this bad - probably last summer playing soccer back in Ireland with my sister's team in boots 2 sizes too small. But I'll bandage them up and just try to wear the boots a lot the next few weeks. Toughen 'em up...
Between the snowshowing, another decent run this morning, a 3hr spin yesterday morning, and a threshold (for me at least) swim this evening the legs are well and truly fatigued. No, I haven't suddenly started to enjoy biking to go along with the swimming (no more IMs for me, really...) but Tanya is off to New Zealand in early March to do the Ironman there so I said I would keep her company for some of the long indoor rides. Though I think my limit will be 4hrs! Casey & Anthony (fellow IM AZ folks) are spending the next 3 months touring NZ and are also doing the IM so Tanya is taking a trip out there for the race and a vacation. Sweet!! I had the chance to visit Taupo, where the race is held, last year while I was on hols in NZ - fab, fab location for a race.
I was pleasantly surprised by the temperature when I popped my head outside this morning before heading off to meet Bronywn and the girls for a run around the Lakes. I think we got in around 9 miles - felt pretty good though I am having a bit of pain along the outside of my left heel just under the ankle bone. I think it started yesterday at spin or maybe it was running on Friday. Both inner and outer sides are a little tender on both feet so I'll just have to take care of that. I am blaming everything on tight calves these days and it seems plausible here also... more stretching and strengthening should help.
You learn something new everyday... I am a terrible speller so if I'm writing a word I don't use too often I'll check it on http://www.dictionary.com/ - never really thought about the origin of the word 'plausible' - though I guess it seems kinda obvious now...
Origin: 1535–45
plausibilis deserving applause, equiv. to plaus(us) (ptp. of plaudere to applaud ) + -ibilis -ible
In other news I managed to continue to spend an inordinate amount of money on gear for my trip. I had better climb a mountain every year for many years to come in order to get my money's worth! At least it's a good time to be buying gear with all the sales. And if I have to be giving money away it may as well be to two great stores... Midwest Mountaineering and REI.
Some more snowshoeing fun - Saturday at Afton and today at Hyland. I carried my pack for Argentina both days (though it's only about half as heavy as it will be for the trek) and wore my new hiking boots. Good thing I have a few weeks to break them in... they are a good fit and I am sure they'll work out great but I ended up with 2 huge heel blisters after yesterday and despite being well bandaged today the skin came completely off! Lovely.
It's been a while since my heels looked this bad - probably last summer playing soccer back in Ireland with my sister's team in boots 2 sizes too small. But I'll bandage them up and just try to wear the boots a lot the next few weeks. Toughen 'em up...
Between the snowshowing, another decent run this morning, a 3hr spin yesterday morning, and a threshold (for me at least) swim this evening the legs are well and truly fatigued. No, I haven't suddenly started to enjoy biking to go along with the swimming (no more IMs for me, really...) but Tanya is off to New Zealand in early March to do the Ironman there so I said I would keep her company for some of the long indoor rides. Though I think my limit will be 4hrs! Casey & Anthony (fellow IM AZ folks) are spending the next 3 months touring NZ and are also doing the IM so Tanya is taking a trip out there for the race and a vacation. Sweet!! I had the chance to visit Taupo, where the race is held, last year while I was on hols in NZ - fab, fab location for a race.
I was pleasantly surprised by the temperature when I popped my head outside this morning before heading off to meet Bronywn and the girls for a run around the Lakes. I think we got in around 9 miles - felt pretty good though I am having a bit of pain along the outside of my left heel just under the ankle bone. I think it started yesterday at spin or maybe it was running on Friday. Both inner and outer sides are a little tender on both feet so I'll just have to take care of that. I am blaming everything on tight calves these days and it seems plausible here also... more stretching and strengthening should help.
You learn something new everyday... I am a terrible speller so if I'm writing a word I don't use too often I'll check it on http://www.dictionary.com/ - never really thought about the origin of the word 'plausible' - though I guess it seems kinda obvious now...
Origin: 1535–45
plausibilis deserving applause, equiv. to plaus(us) (ptp. of plaudere to applaud ) + -ibilis -ible
In other news I managed to continue to spend an inordinate amount of money on gear for my trip. I had better climb a mountain every year for many years to come in order to get my money's worth! At least it's a good time to be buying gear with all the sales. And if I have to be giving money away it may as well be to two great stores... Midwest Mountaineering and REI.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Races, races, races...
It feels like there's been an explosion of local races this year - both trail and road. Check out Steve's blog for the Fab 5 Fifties races and also the UMTR website for the full details on the local trail series'. And then there's the new road marathons in Stillwater and Minneapolis. Although... I have decided to opt for Grandma's! The timing works much better for me given that I will need some recovery from Chippewa and then a decent stretch of speed and tempo work as well as the long runs. Hopefully I'll find a few other willing souls to split the ridiculous cost of 2 nights hotel...
I've been getting back into the swing of more regular workouts this week. The early mornings have not been as bad as I expected though I am making a better effort to get to bed early so that helps. Still not running much which suits me just fine right now. I might venture outdoors later today if the temps creep up to 20. Swimming has been going well, which continues to surprise me. Some days the strength training gets easier and other days lifting the same weight as the previous day seems impossible... but I'm finally able do more than a few girly push-ups so something must be working! As for spin... I nearly died last night. Thursday's 2hr class includes stair running and walking lunges and whatever else Johnny J decides to throw in the mix. We did a 30 minute time trial also to get a baseline for the year. Even though I most likely won't do any triathlon this year it's a killer workout and since he's great with teaching form I feel like I'm building good overall strength with very low injury risk. Having said that my shoulder hurt like hell going to bed last night. I think the aero position for the time trial did me in. But an adjustment this morning seemed to release it. Often I find no difference when I get an adjustment but something definitely moved the right way today.
It's snowing a little now - some nice fresh power for the weekend... Snow shoeing is on the cards again. I think I'll strap on the backpack this time and get some training in for the big mountain hike.
I've been getting back into the swing of more regular workouts this week. The early mornings have not been as bad as I expected though I am making a better effort to get to bed early so that helps. Still not running much which suits me just fine right now. I might venture outdoors later today if the temps creep up to 20. Swimming has been going well, which continues to surprise me. Some days the strength training gets easier and other days lifting the same weight as the previous day seems impossible... but I'm finally able do more than a few girly push-ups so something must be working! As for spin... I nearly died last night. Thursday's 2hr class includes stair running and walking lunges and whatever else Johnny J decides to throw in the mix. We did a 30 minute time trial also to get a baseline for the year. Even though I most likely won't do any triathlon this year it's a killer workout and since he's great with teaching form I feel like I'm building good overall strength with very low injury risk. Having said that my shoulder hurt like hell going to bed last night. I think the aero position for the time trial did me in. But an adjustment this morning seemed to release it. Often I find no difference when I get an adjustment but something definitely moved the right way today.
It's snowing a little now - some nice fresh power for the weekend... Snow shoeing is on the cards again. I think I'll strap on the backpack this time and get some training in for the big mountain hike.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Top 100 100s
Congrats to all the locals who made the Top 100 finishes of the year - Wynn, John S, John M & Julie! Nice work folks.
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/reference/finishers/index.shtml
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/reference/finishers/index.shtml
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Let it Snow...
As pretty as the white carpet looked when I got back to Minneapolis earlier this week (after a not-at-all white Christmas in Ireland) I was soon complaining when I had to clear my icy steps (my very kind neighbours took care of the footpath while I was out of town). But this weekend I had a blast snow shoeing 3 times in Hyland Park so I'm all about more snow...
After sweating more than I thought possible at Johnny J's 2hr spin yesterday morning, I headed out with Val and Ginger, her golden lab, who along with us had loadsa fun. Then this morning, after a swim and despite the -15 windchill Pam, Kami and I had fun catching up after the holidays as we meandered around the trails including a few trips up the old ski jump trail to warm up - it worked. I got back and got myself organized for the return to work tomorrow (ugghhh) and then Val called to say she was heading out again - the feeling had returned to my fingertips so of course I said I'd join! As well as Ginger we had neighbour dog Jack along also - who is about twice the size of Ginger who is not a small dog... so you know it when Jack steps on the back of your snowshoe :)
Started off the weekend with 'Candelight Yoga' Friday night so I figured it was a good way to finish it when I realised there was an early evening class at the Edina studio. Great way to stretch out while at the same time seriously relaxing!
So, a fun active start to the year. Too bad work has to get in the way tomorrow though I guess it will be nice to get back into a routine. At least for 2 weeks. Work trip back to Galway in mid-January which I think is a sign of the year ahead. Last year I did a good job of prioritizing my running over my job (hope the boss isn't reading this!) but I don't think I'll have the same luxury this year. BUT of course I need to remember I am lucky to have a good job - not to mention one I really enjoy!
After sweating more than I thought possible at Johnny J's 2hr spin yesterday morning, I headed out with Val and Ginger, her golden lab, who along with us had loadsa fun. Then this morning, after a swim and despite the -15 windchill Pam, Kami and I had fun catching up after the holidays as we meandered around the trails including a few trips up the old ski jump trail to warm up - it worked. I got back and got myself organized for the return to work tomorrow (ugghhh) and then Val called to say she was heading out again - the feeling had returned to my fingertips so of course I said I'd join! As well as Ginger we had neighbour dog Jack along also - who is about twice the size of Ginger who is not a small dog... so you know it when Jack steps on the back of your snowshoe :)
Started off the weekend with 'Candelight Yoga' Friday night so I figured it was a good way to finish it when I realised there was an early evening class at the Edina studio. Great way to stretch out while at the same time seriously relaxing!
So, a fun active start to the year. Too bad work has to get in the way tomorrow though I guess it will be nice to get back into a routine. At least for 2 weeks. Work trip back to Galway in mid-January which I think is a sign of the year ahead. Last year I did a good job of prioritizing my running over my job (hope the boss isn't reading this!) but I don't think I'll have the same luxury this year. BUT of course I need to remember I am lucky to have a good job - not to mention one I really enjoy!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year!
2009. Already. It's come way too fast but at the same time you can't beat that feeling of a fresh start... out with the old, in with the new... For me the 'old' are a few bad habits including sugar, chocolate and over-training! I have to say for the first time in my life I think I actually over-dosed on chocolate while back in Ireland for Christmas. It was pretty bad. So that's my first resolution (along with 90% of the population) - Healthy Eating!! As for over-training - I think (hope) I have learned my lesson from the past few months. Everything went great up to Sawtooth but Oct/Nov/Dec were a bit of a mess. Sure, I had a good time at TCM and IM AZ but I was bordering on hurting myself and ended up doing just that over Thanksgiving. Which resulted in 3 weeks off running. Which of course turned out to be a great thing - got me back swimming - and finally got my ass to the gym for strength training. Susan put it best when she said that she didn't know me anymore - I was enjoying swimming, actually using my gym membership - and was bemoaning the fact that I couldn't use my new treadmill!! I'd been thinking about investing in one for a while and because I seem to have lost all interest in running outside this winter and mostly because I want to train for an early summer marathon I decided to take a look in 2nd Wind on 'Black Friday'. And sure enough I found a good deal on a 2nd hand True, trading in my completely under utilized stairmaster while I was at it. And then proceeded to look at it lovingly for a few weeks without being able to use it! The first week of no running was the hardest. But then it was the Holidays and things were busy back in Ireland. And I still getting my anerobic threshold buzz in the pool. I wanted to wait until I had zero pain in my shin walking/stretching/jumping etc and by last weekend that was the case. So Monday I ran the mile down to my neighbours house (my family live in the countryside!) and back again. Then I got back here and christened the treadmill with a 5 mile run on New Year's Day. I like it! And the squirrels outside the window were equally fascinated with my new toy...
The next few weeks will be all about building up a base and easing into the New Year. I don't think I'll run further than 10-12 miles. Then at the end of the month I leave for a trip of a lifetime to climb Aconcagua in Argentina. It's something I've wanted to do ever since a trip to Kilimanjaro just before moving here in 2005. Even though I feel out of running shape right now I should be fine for the climb. The altitude of course might be a problem but altitude doesn't care about fitness. I didn't have any problems on Kili until the summit climb once we got over 18,500 so I'm hoping it will be the same here. And then I'll just have to take it easy the last few days to the top (unlike Kili where we were trying to keep up with the cute French dudes who were making a documentary). Hopefully the weather will cooperate. It's 18 days on the mountain which includes a few days at camp for inclement weather. Once I get back I'll have 9 weeks until Chippewa. Thrown in there for my long 'training' run is a trip to Virginia (had to use the Hellgate flights for something...). Still undecided on which marathon I'll do - the timing (and past experience) of Grandma's are compelling but not the cost. Stillwater doesn't look as bad a course as I was expecting. And then there's the Minneapolis one. Madison, Rochester... funny to have so many choices all of a sudden!
So with resolutions of better diet, more focused training and less racing I guess a few goals for the year are a marathon PR (3:12 would be nice!), beat current CR at Voyaguer (and yeah a win would be nice too!), and run AC-100 in under 24 hrs (ambitious but it's January 2nd so I'm allowed to be!).
Hope 2009 is a good one for you all.
The next few weeks will be all about building up a base and easing into the New Year. I don't think I'll run further than 10-12 miles. Then at the end of the month I leave for a trip of a lifetime to climb Aconcagua in Argentina. It's something I've wanted to do ever since a trip to Kilimanjaro just before moving here in 2005. Even though I feel out of running shape right now I should be fine for the climb. The altitude of course might be a problem but altitude doesn't care about fitness. I didn't have any problems on Kili until the summit climb once we got over 18,500 so I'm hoping it will be the same here. And then I'll just have to take it easy the last few days to the top (unlike Kili where we were trying to keep up with the cute French dudes who were making a documentary). Hopefully the weather will cooperate. It's 18 days on the mountain which includes a few days at camp for inclement weather. Once I get back I'll have 9 weeks until Chippewa. Thrown in there for my long 'training' run is a trip to Virginia (had to use the Hellgate flights for something...). Still undecided on which marathon I'll do - the timing (and past experience) of Grandma's are compelling but not the cost. Stillwater doesn't look as bad a course as I was expecting. And then there's the Minneapolis one. Madison, Rochester... funny to have so many choices all of a sudden!
So with resolutions of better diet, more focused training and less racing I guess a few goals for the year are a marathon PR (3:12 would be nice!), beat current CR at Voyaguer (and yeah a win would be nice too!), and run AC-100 in under 24 hrs (ambitious but it's January 2nd so I'm allowed to be!).
Hope 2009 is a good one for you all.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A year of racing...
It was quite a year of running for me. I'm not sure I'll ever do as many races in a year again but I definitely want to have as much fun running as I did in '08!
Amazingly just about every race was a good one. I suppose the only exception might be Trail Mix but I had pretty much made up my mind in the first few miles that I wasn't up for running 50K (having run Chippewa the previous week and with Promise Land planned for the following one) - so no real disappointment there.
But of all the races a few stick out in my mind...
Voyaguer - everything about this race was fun. Well, ok not the stomach problems that dogged me pretty much all day. But even that seems to have faded among the good memories. Like Afton it is a race I hope to run for many years.
Chippewa - as much fun as it was I won't be sorry to (hopefully) enjoy better conditions in '09.
Jemez Mountain - there are not many races where you get to alternate running through snow and sand, rain and sunshine, over summits and across valleys. This was one to remember.
Sawtooth - where do I start? It was simply amazing. All of it. Even the rough parts. Especially the rough parts.
Amazingly just about every race was a good one. I suppose the only exception might be Trail Mix but I had pretty much made up my mind in the first few miles that I wasn't up for running 50K (having run Chippewa the previous week and with Promise Land planned for the following one) - so no real disappointment there.
But of all the races a few stick out in my mind...
Voyaguer - everything about this race was fun. Well, ok not the stomach problems that dogged me pretty much all day. But even that seems to have faded among the good memories. Like Afton it is a race I hope to run for many years.
Chippewa - as much fun as it was I won't be sorry to (hopefully) enjoy better conditions in '09.
Jemez Mountain - there are not many races where you get to alternate running through snow and sand, rain and sunshine, over summits and across valleys. This was one to remember.
Sawtooth - where do I start? It was simply amazing. All of it. Even the rough parts. Especially the rough parts.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Happy Holidays!
Wishing everyone a happy, peaceful and relaxing time with family and friends. I am back in Ireland for a week and so far have slept more hours per night than I generally do in several nights, drank more tea than I normally do coffee (i.e. a lot), and cursed the rain about as often as I curse the sub-zero Minnesota winter. Ah yes, it's good to be back...
I think my shin is almost healed. I felt a little pain on Thurs racing around at the airport (me, late?) but nothing since then. So I'm going to walk a few miles with my sis this afternoon and if that feels good I'll run a few miles easy tomorrow night. Fingers crossed!
I think my shin is almost healed. I felt a little pain on Thurs racing around at the airport (me, late?) but nothing since then. So I'm going to walk a few miles with my sis this afternoon and if that feels good I'll run a few miles easy tomorrow night. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Weekend Ramblings
Nothing terribly important to report on the training end... did 3 sessions of weights this week. I am looking forward to keeping this up through the spring and adjusting the program depending on what phase of running training I'm in. I feel like it is keeping my legs in shape and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing some upper body strength improvements in the pool.
Spent a few hours at Midwest Mountaineering yesterday - what a neat shop. But waay too much stuff I want! I am going to Argentina for 3 weeks in February to climb Aconcagua (I may have to be out of town every February from now on as an excuse never to attempt Arrowhead...). I am really looking forward to the trip. It's been 4 years since Kilimanjaro and in that time I've known my next mountain trip would be to South America but it wasn't until Igor told me during the summer that he was planning a trip that it started to become a reality. I was on the fence for quite a while given the cost/vacation deficit but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. I have a lot of gear already but needed new boots (my feet appear to have grown a half inch in the last 4 years...) and a backpack. So I showed up early at Midwest yesterday. Got the boots sorted pretty quickly and then walked around in them for about 2 hours while I tried a few different backpacks with multiple adjustments to get the right fit. The staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
Enjoyed watching the Hawaii IM coverage on NBC yesterday. Chrissy Wellington is something else. A flat on the bike - including minutes lost waiting for a CO2 cartridge - and she still started the run first. All with a smile!
I was busy baking cookies (hold the laughter) while watching it. Thought I would treat my neighbours. I delivered them this afternoon and haven't heard any emergency vehicles yet so that's a good sign. Needless to say I kept it simple with the recipie but was still not prepared... but a beer bottle makes for a good rolling pin.
What miserable weather today. A day for laying low. Which suited me just fine. After a pool run with Kami this morning I picked up some books in Barnes & Noble and chilled out for the afternoon. And started a new jigsaw. It's been too long!
I am being spoiled this weekend for evenings out. A fun holiday dinner with The Family last night. Good times. Great company and a desert platter straight from heaven. And tonight Mark and Brenda are cooking Shepard's Pie. Yum yum. I guess I should go shovel some snow first to work up an appetite...
Be careful on the roads tomorrow.
Spent a few hours at Midwest Mountaineering yesterday - what a neat shop. But waay too much stuff I want! I am going to Argentina for 3 weeks in February to climb Aconcagua (I may have to be out of town every February from now on as an excuse never to attempt Arrowhead...). I am really looking forward to the trip. It's been 4 years since Kilimanjaro and in that time I've known my next mountain trip would be to South America but it wasn't until Igor told me during the summer that he was planning a trip that it started to become a reality. I was on the fence for quite a while given the cost/vacation deficit but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. I have a lot of gear already but needed new boots (my feet appear to have grown a half inch in the last 4 years...) and a backpack. So I showed up early at Midwest yesterday. Got the boots sorted pretty quickly and then walked around in them for about 2 hours while I tried a few different backpacks with multiple adjustments to get the right fit. The staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
Enjoyed watching the Hawaii IM coverage on NBC yesterday. Chrissy Wellington is something else. A flat on the bike - including minutes lost waiting for a CO2 cartridge - and she still started the run first. All with a smile!
I was busy baking cookies (hold the laughter) while watching it. Thought I would treat my neighbours. I delivered them this afternoon and haven't heard any emergency vehicles yet so that's a good sign. Needless to say I kept it simple with the recipie but was still not prepared... but a beer bottle makes for a good rolling pin.
What miserable weather today. A day for laying low. Which suited me just fine. After a pool run with Kami this morning I picked up some books in Barnes & Noble and chilled out for the afternoon. And started a new jigsaw. It's been too long!
I am being spoiled this weekend for evenings out. A fun holiday dinner with The Family last night. Good times. Great company and a desert platter straight from heaven. And tonight Mark and Brenda are cooking Shepard's Pie. Yum yum. I guess I should go shovel some snow first to work up an appetite...
Be careful on the roads tomorrow.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Over it
Like my temper, my bad moods are generally very short lived. I can't run for a few weeks BUT I can do most everything else. And all of a sudden swimming has actually become fun! How'd that happen? In the lead up to IM I used to dread my visits to the pool. Now I can't get enough of it. One reason for sure is training with Tanya. We trained togther a lot for IM Wisconsin in 2007 but this year with me devoting more time to trail running and Tanya kicking ass on the bike our schedules diverged a lot more. But the past few weeks we've been swimming and pool running a lot. We are about the same pace in the pool and it definitely helps to have someone alongside pushing you through the workout. I know I would not swim nearly as good a pace by myself.
I think the leg is healing slowly. It is difficult to know. Some days it feels better than others. My rule is no running until I cannot feel any pain no matter what way I twist/turn/stand/jump. It might be a week, it might be two. Hopefully no more than 3! But whatever it is I will wait. I want 2009 to be an even better year on the trails so it will be worth it. Meanwhile it will be a mix of rest, kicking back and enjoying the holidays... and trying to stay somewhat in shape by swimming and building strength in the gym. My eating habits are pretty dismal right now but I am not going to fight it until the new year...
I think the leg is healing slowly. It is difficult to know. Some days it feels better than others. My rule is no running until I cannot feel any pain no matter what way I twist/turn/stand/jump. It might be a week, it might be two. Hopefully no more than 3! But whatever it is I will wait. I want 2009 to be an even better year on the trails so it will be worth it. Meanwhile it will be a mix of rest, kicking back and enjoying the holidays... and trying to stay somewhat in shape by swimming and building strength in the gym. My eating habits are pretty dismal right now but I am not going to fight it until the new year...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Reality Bites
No more drama! I sent the email. No Hellgate for me. At least not this year... WTF was I thinking? I feel my shin almost every step I take. Not searing pain. But nagging pain all the same. Yes, my ego was getting in the way! Even after a 5 mile run today during which it never felt good I was still comtemplating it. And then I got a text from my straight talking friend... "Think about Paula Radcliffe. The first 10 hours might feel ok but the wheels are bound to start falling off the wagon during the next 6." And I'm no Paula Radcliffe... Thanks Dee!!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Ooups...
So I guess I forgot to hit the send button. I knew I hadn't sent the 'not doing Hellgate' email to David Horton before I posted last night but I had drafted the email and had every intention of sending it. But then I got busy with something. I woke up this morning and it was literally the first thing I thought of. Well, no it was the second thing. The first thing will be mentioned at a later date. Maybe. But I had to go to PT so I told myself I'd send the email when I got back. I worked from home today as I have a rotten cold. Another good reason not to race next weekend. But then at PT I was very pleased that my shin didn't feel near as bad as last Friday... You know where this is leading...
THEN, I get home and I have an email from Dr. Horton... full of random instructions for the race and the seedings... he always does this - I think just for the fun of it as they often seem very random to me though of course there are a lot of names on there I don't know. For the 3 races in the series that I ran in 2007/2008 I was in the lower third so my goal was always to place higher than my seeding. Which I did by quite a few spots in each race. There are 22 women entered in Hellgate. And I am seeded first. When I look at the other names this does not make sense to me even with the results I had in recent months. If I was healthy my goal was to place in the top 5 and run sub-16hrs. Dream goal was sub-15 but there are a lot of variables in a race like this. Although the weather looks fairly decent for that area next weekend. Temperatures anywhere from 20-40F and not much snow/ice.
So the bottom line here is I am still on the fence. Matt wants me to go to Hell though so I might just have to... I ran an easy few miles on the treadmill this evening and that felt ok. I am going out for a snowy run tomorrow morning to see how the leg feels so perhaps that will make the decision for me. I hate this. I am normally so decisive!
THEN, I get home and I have an email from Dr. Horton... full of random instructions for the race and the seedings... he always does this - I think just for the fun of it as they often seem very random to me though of course there are a lot of names on there I don't know. For the 3 races in the series that I ran in 2007/2008 I was in the lower third so my goal was always to place higher than my seeding. Which I did by quite a few spots in each race. There are 22 women entered in Hellgate. And I am seeded first. When I look at the other names this does not make sense to me even with the results I had in recent months. If I was healthy my goal was to place in the top 5 and run sub-16hrs. Dream goal was sub-15 but there are a lot of variables in a race like this. Although the weather looks fairly decent for that area next weekend. Temperatures anywhere from 20-40F and not much snow/ice.
So the bottom line here is I am still on the fence. Matt wants me to go to Hell though so I might just have to... I ran an easy few miles on the treadmill this evening and that felt ok. I am going out for a snowy run tomorrow morning to see how the leg feels so perhaps that will make the decision for me. I hate this. I am normally so decisive!
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