High in the Whites

Rock-scape of White Mountain Peak

Week Summary 7/14/2013

Monday

Ophir OB (Walk): 4.0 mi (+399 ft); 15:34 pace
Tuesday
Yellow Jacket (Hills): 5.8 mi (+1,115 ft); 11:03 pace
Wednesday
North Loop: 3.8 mi (+359); 10:21 pace
Thursday
Occidental Hills: 6.2 mi (+798 ft); 10:19 pace
Saturday
Geiger Summit OB: 10.4 mi (+1,381 ft); 10:58 pace
Sunday
White Mtn 14,252: 15.0 mi (+3,365 ft); 13:31 pace

Weekly Totals: 45.2 mi (+7,416 ft); 9:06:02 on trail

I started the week among the echoes of the descent from Freel Peak – my quads reverberating with each step. Here’s to hoping it’s good seasoning for the tasks at hand, Grand Mesa and, of course, Leadville. I tried to break through a bit with an hour of brisk walking on Monday. Efficient walking and the transition from running to power-hiking are critical weaknesses that I’ve simply suffered through in my previous 100s. Still, even in a little Monday walk, I feel clumsy in the transitions, going too fast or too slow and only occasionally hitting a groove. This is something I will focus on over the coming weeks.

On Tuesday I pushed some hill repeats on the switchbacks of the Yellow Jacket Mine at Gold Hill. They actually felt pretty darn fast with the legs responding pretty nicely for early in the week, only a few days after the Freel Peak tour. Tephra hates the up-and-down intervals, probably thinks I’ve gone nuts and wonders why I bark at her for constantly chasing squirrels. Doing 10, one-minute all-out intervals ain’t much different.

Simple morning runs the rest of the week, really getting in the groove of the early mornings. Dad and Mom went for a practice run on the upper loop of Crags Crest at Grand Mesa. They were pretty disappointed with the outcome, mostly due to the technical trail conditions. It is a big step up for them and the rock-strewn, exposed trail must be intimidating. They are concerned about the cut-off times but are determined to push it and do their best to get through. They missed the cut-off during practice by a bit over an hour, but Footfeathers and I are sure if they stay focused, race-day will be very different.

Camp at Grandview

I write this in pinyon-juniper of Grandview Campground at 8,400 feet in the White Mountains. After a morning run at Virginia City, Darren and I hit the road for a go at White Mountain Peak via the dirt road to the research station. It’s a perfect evening in camp and I’m looking forward to getting some time at high elevation as we make for the summit at 14,252 feet...  tomorrow...

What a great morning! Sure, we could have backed off the road a little bit, instead of driving all the way to the gate below Barcroft, but the test was the altitude. We left camp just after dawn and took our time driving to the gate, and it takes some time. The trail isn't really a challenge, you're basically on a two-track road all the way to the summit of White Mountain Peak. Not too surprising to see several cars at the trailhead gate given that is probably the easiest 14er in California -- it's the third highest point in the state. We worked our way to the summit feeling pretty good. I pushed where I could and tried to the keep the hikes steady. I averaged a bit better than 16 min/mile on the climb to the peak. Picked up the pace on the descent, of course.

The Gate

Darren on the way up

We passed several hikers and met couple others on top. No wind, clear skies. Perfect. The descent was easy -- actually took us longer to drive back to the highway below the bristlecones than it did to get back to the truck at the gate. The trip home left us stiff, Highway 395 can hurt worse than any run.

Summit and Beyond

Great to spend a night on the mountain with Darren and happy to be feeling good at altitude. I'm hoping to stay high for the next few weekends.

The register, as always...

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

  

A Strong Week

Utah Valley Marathon: No. 1 (and only 70+)

Week Summary 6/9/2013

Monday
Echo Summit Walk: 3.7 mi (+474 ft); 16:04 pace
Tuesday

Goni Hills (Repeats): 8.2 mi (+1,808 ft); 12:07 pace
Wednesday
Carson River Flats: 6.0 mi (+33 ft); 9:54 pace
Thursday
Ash Tracks: 7.7 mi (+1,063 ft); 10:59 pace
Saturday
VC to Rose Trailhead: 26.1 mi (+5,044 ft); 13:14 pace
Sunday
Cottonwood Loop: 9.5 mi (+527 ft); 11:13 pace

Weekly Totals: 61.3 mi (+8,949 ft); 12:35:42 on trail

With record high temperatures beating the seasonal average by 15 or more degrees each day, motivation was lacking as I laced up for each run. Weren't we freezing only a couple weeks ago?

But I felt really strong this week, although not particularly fast. Stuck to my consistent regime on each weekday. It's a bonus that I mixed in McClellan Peak (Goni Hills) and Ash Canyon, I really enjoy those runs. However, there was some emphatic target shooting timed for my Goni run. This went on with total disregard for my presence on the hillside almost in-line with whatever it was they thought they were aiming at. What a nice way to spend a lunch break. I went cross-country to avoid them.

Saturday was the highlight of the week, of course. Dennis and Mary endured the crowds and pounding roadbed at the Utah Valley Marathon. They stuck to their plan and over the last half, Mom pulled away to chase a Boston Qualifier time. But the marathon had other plans and she finished off the BQ pace but was happy with the 5:08 and 1st Place in her Age Category. Dad finished at 5:18. They a feeling good today and headed for Missoula, Montana, for a break as we all now focus on Grand Mesa in July.

Dropping from Ophir Grade, my goal is beyond Slide Mountain

While they conquered the streets of Provo, I headed out the front door in Virginia City with the goal of reach the Tahoe Rim Trail at Tahoe Meadows. I climbed out of town on the Ophir Grade before heading down the long Ophir Road to the north end of Washoe Valley. That's a great route, but it has a rocky mile that halts all intention of running. Although I despise running on roadbed, old 395 is the only way around the north end of Little Washoe Lake so I took to it while envisioning the road stretch around the Fish Hatchery at Leadville.

Dez met me at Ophir Creek to refill the water and get me another shirt. It was 10 AM and already easily in the 90s. From the Ophir Creek Trailhead I followed the trail up toward Price Lake. Matching my time on the same section last week, this week I continued up toward the meadows where a few patches of snow remained. Dez had run from the parking area into the Ophir/TRT intersection so we ran out together. She moved the car up to the Mt. Rose Trailhead area and I finished with 26 miles, knowing that the other two had just finished the same distance in Utah.

Dez in Tahoe Meadows

The Carson Area Runners have taken to the TRT and started at the Mt. Rose Trailhead for the section to Brockway. I'd hoped to possibly meet up with the crew coming out, but I think my arrival was well-past their expected finish time. Anyway, the TRT is opening up nicely, get out there.

Heating Up -- Back on the TRT

Week Summary 6/2/2013

The Best Option

Tuesday

Centennial - Mound House Loop: 5.6 mi (+534 ft); 10:23 pace
Wednesday
Emma Quarry OB: 6.1 mi (+441 ft); 9:50 pace
Thursday
River Flats (Tempo): 8.2 mi (+44 ft); 9:27 pace
Friday
VC Shakeout: 4.4 mi (+361 ft); 9:55 pace
Saturday
Ophir to Spooner: 23.1 mi (+5,116 ft); 13:25 pace
Sunday
Ophir Grade OB: 7.9 mi (+899 ft); 10:45 pace

Weekly Totals: 55.4 mi (+7,395 ft); 10:34:41 on trail
May Totals: 167.9 mi (+16,357 ft); 34:21:13 on trail

Summer-like temperatures have arrived on the Comstock, so I've happily added the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) back into the routine for the Long run.

This was a pretty basic and nicely consistent week. I felt good on the Tempo day when I maintained an 8:30 pace for 45 minutes, averaging 170 bpm for the interval. Other than that it was a steady series of base runs leading to Saturday's superb trail-run from Ophir Creek Trailhead to Spooner Lake.

Little Valley

I've long wanted to get into Little Valley, above and west of Washoe Lake. It is a hidden gem between Washoe Valley and Lake Tahoe. I bet it is even unknown to most people driving 395 (now it's called 580) between Carson City and Reno each and every day. I climbed the rocky chutes out of the Ophir Trailhead gaining the Price Lakes trail in about an hour. Then it was a great, rolling trail (two-track dirt road) to the south through Little Valley. I wasn't quite sure of which way to go, simply knowing I was headed for the Red House area below Marlette Peak.

South end of Little Vally, looking toward Sun Mountain above Virginia City

I took one dead-end route, where I think the mapped road is washed out or otherwise non-existent for whatever reason. However, the valley is so amazing that a little out-and-back dead-end is simply a bonus. The roads are generally easy to follow and in a short time the climb to Red House begins. My pace slowed and as the day warmed I kept the effort at a level that I thought would get me over Snow Valley Peak without having to worry too much about water. I could have checked the pump at the Marlette Peak campground, but I thought I would be fine, and I was.

Slide Mountain in the middle background, my start point.

The Snow Valley Peak section of the TRT is one of my favorite pieces of that fabulous trail. Snow drifts are still intact but easily managed. While on top I diverted to the east side of the slightly lower sub-peak north of the main summit -- this is the summit I see from my office window in Carson City, and I just wanted a little verification.  I've monitored the snow-level from that window, but I wasn't quite sure which peak I was actually observing.

Oh joy, I can see my office.

Coming down from Snow Valley Peak I finally ran into a group of people heading up from the Spooner side.  And, of all things, there was Melissa, a colleague at Far Western, lugging a huge backpack along the trail. She's prepping for a month or two on the Pacific Crest Trail, and I can't think of a better place to do so.

Marlette Creek above Lake Tahoe

I settled back into the descent, dropping onto the switchbacks to Marlette Creek and then hit a comfortable job dodging walkers and mountain-bikers on the popular Marlette Trail. My good friend Larry had been one of the walkers, and thankfully, he'd called me that morning to see if I wanted to hike into Marlette Lake with him. I had a better idea (for me at least). I'd meet him at Spooner for a beer and a ride home! It worked out perfectly. Thanks Larry.

Sunday morning cruise up Ophir Grade started stiffly as Tephra and I tried to beat the head in the early morning. But we were soon back in the groove as I climbed at an 11-minute pace and she harrassed every lizard and squirrel that dared to cross our path. Our outing closed a second 50+ week in a row, probably a good standard working toward Leadville. The past two weeks are in the top-three, non-race weekly distances I've done in the past year. Nice.

Darren and Carrie's area of Washoe Lake from the Ophir Trail

Darren and Carrie have finished up their real estate shuffle and can settle into the crazy routine of moving toward Washoe Lake. The "unknowns" are settled, but there's the hard work of shifting home remaining. Although Darren has maintained some speedy workouts, his calendar leaves little room for a Leadville go this year. We'll miss him, but I'll use the things I've learned from him to break the LVT100 curse.

Dennis and Mary are sticking to the routine in preparation for the Utah Valley Marathon in Provo. They are beating the rising temperatures by starting each day in the pre-dawn and working through a routine that actually leaves them better recovered and rested after each long effort. The 70/50-year strides on!  






  

All in, and all good...

Week Summary 5/26/2013

Tuesday

Goni Hill Repeats: 8.1 mi (+1,812 ft); 11:10 pace
Thursday
Carson River Flats: 9.6 mi (+52 ft); 9:14 pace
Friday
Carson River Flats: 6.0 mi (+39 ft); 9:48 pace
Saturday
Grosh Loop: 11.9 mi (+1,803 ft); 11:05 pace
Sunday
Longview - Kings Canyon OB: 21.6 mi (+3,058 ft); 11:15 pace

Weekly Totals: 57.4 mi (+6,764 ft); 10:13:08 on trail

The routine got back in the groove this week, and I have to say the joy of long-distance running wrapped itself around me. I'd been a little worried, but this week brought it all back into focus. It's about time.

The week included some strong hill repeats on the dirt road (Goni) on the south side of McClellan Peak. I didn't mess around with turning back downhill after each five-minute interval, but focused on good walks for the brief recovery period. Then cruised the descent on some of my favorite downhills -- the tracks behind the cinder mines. It was the first time since Buffalo that my ankle didn't bark at me at any time during the run, up or down.

I missed my run on Wednesday but did some good walking out on a project near the Humboldt River. Dune hikes have to do some good. Tried to do some easy base runs along the river, but I probably ended up going a little fast. It was simply the joy of having a break in the day to get out, and that was motivation enough.

Footfeathers had mixed things up a bit, shifting the long run to Sunday and calling for a bit of hills on Saturday. I like how the "hilly" days (Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday) this week all have about the same pace, regardless of the mileage. Nice and steady.

Lower Kings Canyon, toward Carson City

Sunday's cruise up and down Kings Canyon was fantastic, such a nice way to end a great week. I'd never been up that road, but I'm sure I'll now be hitting it pretty often. I tried to get to the Spooner Trail-head on the TRT, but didn't quite make it. My target was a 2:15 climb and that got me to 11 miles, but it seems I was about a mile short of Spooner. I starated at the Longview trail. So I knowingly added mileage that I would not have covered if I had started at the Kings Canyon "Trail-head" (end of the pavement). I would have made Spooner handily if I had started there. But worth every step.

The "halfway" valley

Climbing the eastern front; upper Kings Canyon

I got signed up for the Grand Mesa 60K outside of Grand Junction, Colorado, where I'll join Dennis and Mary for their first ultra. Made some travel arrangements for that weekend in July. I'll be using it as a high-altitude long run; all trails lead to Leadville 100, starting now. 

Darren got his house sold, and the transition continues. Ophir Trail to Mt. Rose will be at his doorstep soon. 

Keep going...

Getting it back...

Dennis and Mary finished their first marathon of the 70/50 year at the Huff2Bluff Marathon in southern Utah. They got a little surprised that the "downhill" marathon had so much uphill! But they kept to their plan and scored a nice 5:28, finishing together as is their long-distance tradition. Ryan Heck (Race Director) presented them a 50th anniversary plaque in honor of their 70/50 year. They enjoyed the event so much they were basically the last to leave the venue on Saturday afternoon.

I'm feeling good by getting back into the regime. It wasn't perfect or as planned, but it sets the stage for what's to come. The highlight was a comfortable Tempo run on Thursday, keeping at 170 bpm for 45 minutes and covering about 5.5 miles. That's a nice 8-minute pace.

My weekend planned run was pre-empted as I helped Darren with course marking for the Silver State 50/50. We covered some trail, but the logistics of trail marking don't really create any training conditions, though Darren did get about 60 miles in four days. We marked until dark on Friday night and then cruised Evans Canyon at 4:30 AM, in the pre-dawn, setting and checking markers. Lon Monroe, Darren, and a few volunteers spent several weeks getting the course ready, and John Trent and many others handled the start/finish area at San Rafeal Park. There were also some great crews out at aid-stations all along the course. Unfortunately Darren and I were rather haggard after only a couple hours sleep on Friday night
, so I didn't get to get out on the course above the Ridgeview aid station.

Congrats to Sarah Rice of Far Western for completing her first ultra at Silver State. Her hard work paid off with a 7:31:07 finish in the 50K. Nice.

Des and I wrapped up the weekend with me running from VC to Washoe Lake State Park. She and Strider met up with Tephra and I on the Scripps Switchback. We then dropped into the park for a lap. I did the 3-hour run over the mountain in a fasted state, no fuel for 18 hours, so it was great to hit the Postal Cafe at the end of the run.


Week Summary 5/18/2013

Monday

Nimbus Walk: 3.2 mi (+39 ft); 14:16 pace

Tuesday
Ash Tracks: 4.5 mi (+646 ft); 10:39 pace
Thursday
Carson River Flats: 6.9 mi (+40 ft); 8:33 pace
Friday
SS 50 Marking: 6.0 mi (+500 ft); 25:00 pace
Saturday
SS 50 Marking: 12.0 mi (+1,000 ft); 22:13 pace
Sunday
VC to Washoe SP: 14.3 mi (+1,442 ft); 11:49 pace

Weekly Totals: 46.9 mi (+3,668 ft); 12:21:27 on trail

Fits and (re-) Starts...

I've been fortunate over the duration of my relatively short running career and I've rarely had to give it up for anything more than a day or two here or there, plus a few limited injury rests and some planned post-race recovery. After posting last time about the enjoyment I get out of keeping a routine and following my well-coached regime, I basically set the shoes aside for about 10 days. My workload, yes, at work, got the best of me and it required focus. The daily running regime usually helps keep the work-a-day focus, but this went beyond the normal and I had to hunker down.

I was only a couple weeks into the first cycle of the Leadville training schedule, so I simply did a hard re-boot and started over.  Felt pretty good too! It was a great relief to get the miles going again.

Down Emma Canyon

Took it easy for the most part, sticking to my standard trails until I went on a local exploration for the Long Saturday. It didn't turn out to be very long, but I did find some steep. An old trail on the back of Flowery Peak, behind the Sugarloaf just east of town, climbs 1,200 feet in a little over a mile. A bit hardier than I'd planned for in the "restart," but I liked the look of it on the map. And everyone loves power-hiking at a 26-minute pace up gravelly bedrock. I eventually strolled through Cougar Flat, keeping the pace low, before climbing to Larry's place for an afternoon on his deck far above Redneck Disneyland (chili cook-off weekend, yahoo). We avoided all that as Larry grilled up some tri-tip and Des joined us in the quiet of his little mountain top.

Up from the bottom - On south side of Flowery Peak

Warming up nicely. Tephra staying at home some days as the water sources dry up and the rattlers come out. May think about some early mornings until more of the TRT and above opens up.

Week Summary 5/11/2013

Tuesday

Carson River Flats: 4.8 mi (+9 ft); 9:40 pace

Wednesday
Centennial West Ridge: 5.4 mi (+879 ft); 11:30 pace
Thursday 
V&T Grade OB: 3.9 mi (+180 ft); 10:26 pace
Saturday
Emma Canyon - Flower Peak: 11.9 mi (+2,618 ft); 14:18 pace
Sunday
Ophir Grade OB: 9.2 mi (+840 ft); 11:04 pace

Weekly Totals: 35.2 mi (+4,525 ft); 7:00:38 on trail