Gotta say something.

From crappie.com (really)...

Too much.

That's pretty much it.

Once Deneb is in school, I can easily find time here in Bolivia to train for Leadville (and perform the way I'd like), but right now, the pleas of, "Papa, peas don't go run." Are too much.  Can't do it.  Must sneak out during the nap.  And the naps are getting shorter.

There's much more, but I don't think I've got the guts to share "the more" in a public forum.  Suffice it to say, there's some heavy irony in the phrase "I can easily find time here in Bolivia to train for Leadville"...

As of today, I've revised my training goals to something I can get done during naptime and feel good about myself - a 50 miler. In Vermont.  Hopefully with Deneb pacing me for the last 50 meters.  We'll see about that...

Anyway, hopefully over the next year, the irony goes away and I can visit the Steamboat 100 in 2013 and qualify myself for UTMB.

Thanks for reading, and why bite anything if it's not too much?
Jay

When last we spoke...

I'd just returned from a run which culminated in a "sprint" to the head.

That run was hot and difficult, both mentally and physically.  I recovered from the physical difficulties pretty quickly, there were no lingering gastro-intestinal problems, but the mental challenge is being a real bear to get over.  I find myself not wanting to go out and run.

Last week I thought I was back.  I ran Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but for some reason, even though I was in Cuevas, Friday I didn't run.  Nor did I get out Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Friday was supposed to be an easy recovery day.  I worked with Hugo in the river clearing brush, I suppose that counts as strength work.  Much of the "brush" was actually quite large tree remains left from a flood a couple of years back.  One tree trunk was large enough that Hugo hacked it up with a chainsaw and turned the thing into a 6 foot long bench.  The span which made up the seat was too heavy for me to lift on my own (but not Hugo - dude's a beast).

Saturday was cold.  Actually perfect running weather.  I didn't get out.  My time was restricted by being stuck in a long haul cab for the better part of 2 hours.  Sunday was cold too, but I spent that day wallowing in a bit of a fog.  Saturday night the neighbor across the street (who's known Nataly since she lived here 30 years ago), had a birthday party.  We imbibed.

I've got these excuses, but the truth of the matter is that I could have gotten out and run each and every day I've missed.  Perhaps the quality of the effort may not have been where I wanted it, but still.

Consistency.  That's the key to everything for me.  Goeff Roes on Sunday had a good note about consistency for an ultrarunner.  It gave me something to take heart in, but I expect that the type of consistency needed for ultra running is different than the type of consistency needed for shorter distances like the marathon.  The short race consistency is something I have great trouble finding.

I think next week, starting Monday, I'm going to go out and run 2 hours every day.  That's an amount of time I can usually squeeze in without too much trouble no matter where I am.  I should end up somewhere near 90 miles of running, depending on how much running I do in Santa Cruz.

This week is going to be unstructured.  I'm not going to wear the strap.  I'm just going to run how I feel and try to enjoy being out there.  I'm not going to do any intervals, I'm just going to go out and run.  I'll knock out a 3 hour run either Saturday or Sunday, but that's it no other time or target heart rate zones.

Tomorrow I'm going to Cuevas again to plant potatoes.  A crapload of potatoes.  I expect I'll come back to Santa Cruz on Tuesday.  I wonder how hard the work is going to be.  When I get back I'll post some pictures and video of the land and try to give an idea of what the work is like.  I expect it'll be quite the core workout, we're doing it by hand and we may have more than 2 acres to plant, quite possibly more...

Thanks for reading, and I'll try to stop coming up with excuses.
J

Wait! What was that bump?

Saturday was a big day.

I wore a suit.

No really, I did.  Eventually we got home at 3am Sunday and that kind of frakked my running plans for yesterday, but I'll just get out today instead (scheduled rest day).  Bolivians know how to party, Nataly and I were actually home early relative to the others.  Not sure how they do it, and not sure I want to...

Running wise, I decided to take a foray to the West in hopes of finding a road which I thought might have some hills on it.  I was actually looking for one road in specific.  I didn't find it, but had a good time looking for it.  The GPS track in Google Earth helps, and I think the next time I go out I'll get onto the correct track.


This run actually featured the most pavement of any run I've done since moving out of Santa Cruz, but that's mostly because I had to spend so much time on the Highway.  Eventually I wound up on roads like this...

And this sucker (in the distance) was at Mile 6 in my run.  It's short and sweet and slowed me down to little more than a grunt, but it will get visited on a regular basis for the next several months.

Thanks for reading,
Jay

Where did my brain go?

Yesterday I couldn't remember where I parked the car and couldn't tell the Chinese restaurant my phone number.

This morning I get all of my gear into a bag so that I can join the Boulder Trail Runners Friday Lunch Run and somehow neglect to put clothes in with my hat, ipod, shoes, water bottles, 5 hour energy.  I'll run barefoot, but not bare assed...Good grief.  That means today I'll be cutting it short once again.  FRAK!  I guess I'll have fresh legs for the Skyline Traverse on Saturday - maybe I'll have some style to give the effort, but it really leaves me wondering where my brain went...

On another topic, I've been thinking I've got to get some kind of device to record my longer runs that doesn't weigh 12 lbs.  Carrying 100+ ounces of water is enough that my pack (and back) won't miss the Canon.  I've wanted to get a device which would handle all of my portable electronic needs, but I just can't bring myself to spring for the data plan associated with a smartphone.  I'm only someplace where I don't have wifi about 2 hours every day.  Do I need to be more connected than that?

I guess I'm going to pick up a Kodak Playsport.  The Flip is more popular, but I think I like the video quality of the Kodak better. It'll be fun to shoot video while I'm out running and when the Beanery gets back, it'll be fun to point something at him - especially if we move to Bolivia.

Probably head out for 6 or so once I get home and into the clothes I laid out on the bed and then I'll recline on the couch and Netflix a couple episodes of Pillars of the Earth.  I've heard some good things about that show.

Thanks for reading,
J

Weekend Run Plans - Scrapped?

I'd been planning to head out to Aspen this weekend to run the Four Passes Loop with my cousin Dave. Was jazzed, but then the weather forecast started looking crappy in his corner of the world. It's still got a day to turn around, but I'd rather take my chances with a bear than a lightening bolt...

I still have to log some big miles running this weekend though. I've got some options:  One would to head out to Fruita to run the 26.1 mile Fruita 25 course on Saturday and do it again on Sunday.  This has the advantage of getting me into red rock country again which is always good, but it's a damn long drive for a 2 day weekend and Homey would have to stay with a friend.  Earlier today I was pretty pumped about this option, but now I'm not digging it so much.

The other is to stay in Boulder and run some trails around here.  It's not like trails are hard to find in this neck of the woods.  One big loop I've read about, but not done in its entirety is the "Boulder Skyline Traverse."  Depending on where you park it's a 24+ mile loop which bags all 5 summits that make up - surprise - the Boulder skyline.  I suppose I'd do this Saturday early and follow it up Sunday with an out and back which starts at Hall Ranch and heads over to Button Rock Reservoir or down to Heil Ranch.

Possibly the biggest advantage of staying close to home is I know almost to the picosecond where the nearest Chipotle is from the finish line of these efforts.

The weather has one more day to fix itself.  I'd prefer to head out to Aspen.  The Bells are beautiful, but I prefer hot, sweaty and alive to cold, wet and sparkly every day of the week.  If the weather doesn't come around, I expect I'll stay in town for my running this weekend.

Oh right, that yawning sound...  That's me flaking on my run today.  I slept like crap last night.  Nightmares, weird noises outside, the cats freaking out.  Seemed like I looked at the clock every 15 minutes.  Haven't had any energy at all.  Going to knock out 3 with the Holmes and call it good.

Thank for reading.
J