Blog vacation: Trails continue...

Darren on Freel.

Week Summary 7/7/2013

Tuesday

Emma Quarry OB: 5.6 mi (+438 ft); 10:43 pace
Wednesday
Carson River Flats (Tempo): 8.2 mi (+37 ft); 9:12 pace
Thursday
Ophir Grade OB (PR): 9.5 mi (+902); 9:44 pace
Friday
North Loop: 3.9 mi (+359 ft); 10:32 pace
Saturday
Freel 3 Peaks: 21.7 mi (+5,245 ft); 15:20 pace
Sunday
Long Valley OB: 9.5 mi (+145 ft); 10:48 pace
 

Weekly Totals: 61.3 mi (+7,125 ft); 11:01:06 on trail

Ok, Trail Option is back after a month-long vacation from blogland. I hope we've all been on the trail in the meantime. I've had some good weeks moving toward Grand Mesa 60K and Leadville 100M. The heat let up a little around here, maybe back to just a little above normal.

This was my first week in a summer-time run pattern. I have shifted all my training runs to the morning. Always consistent in getting to work by 6:30 or so, I have never been a fan of daily morning runs. I like breaking the day with a couple hours out on the trail at lunch, and the out-of-bed and into-a-workout idea has never been appealing. Except on raceday. But the heat is unbearable and probably unhealthy in daily doses. So up and out at dawn is the new routine. And it's been surprisingly nice. Tephra thinks so too, she can come along and harass the squirrels again.



This beast tugged on Darren's shirt for a handout. Where's Tephra?

I'm looking toward Grand Mesa 60K as a prep-race for Leadville. It'll be good to run at altitude in race-like conditions, although the field right now is only about 14 people. Most entrants at Grand Mesa are going after longer distances (50M & 100M), but that small field includes Dad and Mom, and that'll be the highlight of the weekend. They are going for their first ultra, a big step on a challenging course at Crags Crest high on the mesa.

Cool times above Lake Tahoe

My Tempo work felt good this week, running on the flats at the river. One of the benefits of that kind of workout comes when you slow back into your base or cool-down pace and find that this new pace is actually quite a bit faster than your previous base pace. This carried into the next morning when I cruised up and down Ophir Grade on a Base effort and knocked out a PR for that course. Easy enough.

The link from summit of Freel to Jobs Sister and Jobs Peak,
descending single track trough the forest on the right.

The highlight of the week, as is often the case, was Saturday's link up of the three summits of Freel, Jobs Sister, and Jobs Peak, all above 10,300 feet. Darren and I started in Hope Valley and cruised the forest roads to the connector to Armstrong Pass on the TRT. We then followed the standard trail to Freel (10,880) and then dropped over to Jobs Sister, and then really dropped over and back up to Jobs. The descents took their toll, especially coming off Jobs, twisting trail dropping over a 1,000 feet per mile. It took some effort to keep the pace going back to Hope Valley, and that pace wasn't very impressive. But I couldn't ask for a better day on the trail, especially good to be back out with Darren in the high country.


Freel Peak (10,880 ft - highpoint above Lake Tahoe)

After last week's PR from Tahoe Meadows to Spooner (23 miles; 4:09), I may have been getting a little over-confident for Leadville. Putting some steeps in the way (22 miles: 5:31) makes the reality a little clearer. The focus continues.

Des and Strider made some big leaps forward this week. Multiple long rides, visiting Jumbo Grade (the backside of Ophir Grade) and the highlands of Hobart Reservoir near the TRT. Easily a PR totals week for that team.

Vacation Week Summaries---

Week Summary 6/30/2013

Tuesday

Mexican Dam (6x2 Hill Repeats): 6.7 mi (+765 ft); 11:10 pace
Wednesday
North Loop: 4.1 mi (+378 ft); 10:14 pace
Thursday
River Flats (Tempo): 7.0 mi (+31); 8:59 pace
Friday
Emma Quarry: 5.6 mi (+446 ft); 10:22 pace
Saturday
Combination OB: 2.8 mi (+96 ft); 9:57 pace
Sunday
TRT - Tahoe Meadows to Spooner (PR): 22.5 mi (+2,476 ft); 10:55 pace

Weekly Totals: 48.7 mi (+4,193 ft); 8:31:43 on trail

June  Totals: 179.8 mi (+22,343 ft); 34:26:20 on trail

Week Summary 6/23/2013

Tuesday

Goni East OB: 3.1 mi (+481 ft); 10:07 pace
Wednesday
River Flats: 4.8 mi (+15 ft); 9:37 pace
Thursday
Mexican Dam OB: 6.4 mi (+143); 9:48 pace
Saturday
Spooner South OB: 14.0 mi (+2,129 ft); 11:20 pace

 Weekly Totals: 28.3 mi (+2,768 ft); 4:58:29 on trail

Week Summary 6/16/2013

Tuesday

River Flats: 4.8 mi (+15 ft); 10:02 pace
Sunday
Emma Quarry OB: 5.7 mi (+403 ft); 10:01 pace
 

Weekly Totals: 10.5 mi (+418 ft); 1:44:45 on trail