Another week passes with my focus solely on Hardrock, and my training has allowed me to find just a little more confidence in my chances in July (I'm still very reverent of the idea of actually doing it). No other race has ever dug into my subconscious like Hardrock has. I have yet to experience the race first hand as an entrant, but I've had dreams of being incredibly exhausted and spent on top of Engineer or Handies in the middle of the night. I've seen the look in runners' eyes, 85 miles deep, 35 hours in; it's insane what we choose to do to ourselves. It's a deep personal experience that ignores the traditional comforts of other, more civil mountain rituals. Aid is limited to a minute or so every 1-5 hours. Weather can be unbearably hot and dry or cold and hailing. The views that take your breath away also rob oxygen from your legs and brain. The desire to have special, alone, personal time with the mountains is more than indulged; the excess can be likened to a near drug overdose. My dreams swirl around these concepts, some of the positive aspects of incredible views and adrenaline rushes, and some of the cold, hard, painful, scary aspects of how much the event demands. Onward. "On y va."
Michael at Grant-Swamp last year, mile 85.
Monday 5/14/2012
9mi, 2000ft, Crystal Cove
Tues8mi, 1500ft, Maple Springs singletrack
Wed
9mi, 2000ft, Crystal Cove
Thurs
AM: 5mi, 3000ft, treadmill ( 4mi, 15%, :48 )
AM: 5mi, 3000ft, treadmill ( 4mi, 15%, :48 )
PM: 10mi, 2500ft, Bedford Peak at Silverado
Fri
AM: 3mi, 1000ft, treamill easy
PM: 4mi, 1400ft, Mt. Williamson
Sat
22mi, 7200ft, 5:45 - Inspiration Point to Mt. Baldy and back. First 16 miles went well, expired maltodextrin ingestion causes severe indigestion. Walked a lot of the downhill back to Inspiration Point from Guffy. Pretty awful feeling, I'm swearing off expired food.
Sun
31mi, 6400ft, 5:30 - Wrightwood 50k Course: Big Pines, Blue Ridge CG, just past Guffy CG, back on the PCT, across inspiration point, down to Jackson Lake, a lap around the lake, back up to the PCT, down to Vincent Gap, and back all the way to Blue Ridge on the PCT, a lap up to resovoir and down to Big Pines. Fun course, I'm sure the last climbs will be a big hit :)
31mi, 6400ft, 5:30 - Wrightwood 50k Course: Big Pines, Blue Ridge CG, just past Guffy CG, back on the PCT, across inspiration point, down to Jackson Lake, a lap around the lake, back up to the PCT, down to Vincent Gap, and back all the way to Blue Ridge on the PCT, a lap up to resovoir and down to Big Pines. Fun course, I'm sure the last climbs will be a big hit :)
101 miles, 27,000 feet
Over the Ocean by Here We Go Magic
10 comments:
Nice post. No race will ever seem that interesting to you after finishing hardrock.
I think expired food might be the key to your Hardrock training. Many such kicks in the teeth probably await you in the San Juans.
So stoked to see you at Hardrock this year... If you get any boo boo's or owie's I'll take care of 'em at Pole Creek =)
Let's go camping!
New Balance has a couple new road flats, the 5000 and 1600, due out in June. Have you ran in either of them yet? Both are "less shoe" than the 1400, both in terms of drop and weight, with the 5000 coming in at 3.1 oz, according to Running Warehouse. Not that you're training for a road 5K PR...
Chris, we can camp as long as you don't try to scare me in the middle of the night with your hoka's. That's not funny, man.
Brennen, every bad day I have is a good day for training for late miles at hardrock
Alex, I am very psyched about those new flats, specifically the 1600. I still have a lot of sucess with the 1400, but the 1600 with fit a niche when the 1400 seems like too much and the 110 isn't quite necessary. The fit is pretty dialed in on the 1600, I think you'll see it on some fast runners.
I agree Tim, real mountain running is "ruination".
How does the route go from inspiration point to My baldy? Or is there some kind of map that shows? I live up north in Santa Clarita, but trying to get back into high country more this summer. Keep up the solid work. Hardrock is looking to be amazing this year, make Socal proud!
Kyle, check out REI for Tom Harrison's Angeles Forest High Country Map, and you'll see a trail marked North Backbone. It's wilderness with some briars and the like, but still a super fun run.
Post a Comment