The Last Recon Run

A few people have contacted me to tell me how miserable the weather is in Indiana.  That muggy death weather has returned in full force.  Hmmmm.  My skin is quite dry like the mountain air.  The sun is bright and warm on this cool, breezy, and cloudless day in the high country.  Yeah, the weather here is most desirable!  And it has been that way all week.  Now, just why is it that I should return?  Oh, yeah.  The job. . .  Maybe I can convince the family to stay and find work.  A boy can dream can't he?

I slept at the RAV high in Iowa Gulch last night after I returned from the Dillon Dam Brewery where I enjoyed a couple of fine brews and three hours of good music.  It was a Denver band called Ground Up.   The mix of guitar jazz and reggae beats was fun to listen to.  Funny, they covered Marley a few times and his music is currently playing in this cafe.

The run was measurably easier than yesterday's.  Starting just outside the hotel, I ran another 20 minutes at about 11,000 ft, but I ran on a section of the course that follows a gravel road.  That roadway was still littered with relatively large rocks and a some areas of embedded rocks, but it was much more runnable than all of the other sections of the course I've been on this week.  I ran up 1.25 miles, hitting the mile in 9:05 while climbing 300 ft.  The return mile was a casual 6:13.  Roadway was much easier to navigate than the section of trail I ran on yesterday. The outbound course goes down this section of road just before going down the steeper hill I ran yesterday. I can only hope that there will be enough left in my legs after the steep climb I completed yesterday to run smoothly over the uphill mile I ran today. 

Leadville's population has grown a lot in the last few days as hundreds of mountain bikers and runners, along with families and friends, have "ascended" upon the town.  Lots of crazy fit people who are about to tear their bodies apart.  I'm excited to be part of it.  Honestly, though, I really want to get on with it.  Idle time does not sit well with me.

Well, I'm off to the Breckenridge Brewery for a super burrito lunch.  The next post will be the race report.

Here's to keeping the blood inside the body!

Short and Easy

Just a quick story to better familiarize my fellow flatlanders with the concept of high altitude mountain running.  This morning I drove almost to the Printer Boy aid station again.  This time I stopped at the bottom of the knob where Printer Boy is located.  Why?  Well, because that is where the SR 50 course crosses the road after it leaves the aid station.  This is one of the steeper climbs on the course, so I decided to take an easy stroll up it.  And that is what I did - kind of.

I strapped on a couple of 10 oz handhelds and proceded up the trail.  This section of the trail has now been marked with streamers.  I followed those streamers to the top of the knob where I popped back out on the road at Printer Boy.  The GPS read 1.00 mile just before I hit the road.  Interesting.  More interesting was the fact that the trail had ascended 340 ft.  Put another way, that means this climb was like 4 1/3 Stru hills strung together.  The similar grade was all these two hills had in common.

First of all, the SR trail has much more challenging footing.  It is a myriad of loose rocks, embedded boulders, and winding deep erosion ditches. 

Secondly, the SR climb (mile 37) is at almost 11,000 ft.  That means there is less than two-thirds the oxygen available there for fueling the muscles.  That also means that I did not and could not run the SR hill at anywhere near the pace I run Stru.  I ran Stru at or under 7 minute pace 229 times leading up to this trip.  I crested the SR knob in 10:28.  Oh, I was "taking it easy" and felt in control, but my HR went from 65% in the opening minutes to 84% in the final three minutes.  Eighty-four percent is a 5:40 pace in Evansville!  I cannot wait to see how that mile turns out during the race.

The descent wasn't much better.  The challenges of choosing a path and staying on my feet were significant enough to slow this descent to 7:18.  Oh, I could have gone faster and probably will go a little faster in the race, but today I was conserving the quads.  Still, a 7:18 downhill mile!  The blur of decision making made it seem a lot faster.

I am certain that the top mountain runners will destroy me on this section.  My only wishes are to stay upright on the outbound descent and to have enough strength to actually run back up it after several hours of running. 

By the way, at the bottom of the hill the SR 50 course crosses the road and makes an even greater ascent while climbing to the upper flanks of Ball Mountain.  This should be a Hurt Fest.  Can't wait to take it on.

More SR 50 Recon

Using blurred maps provided by the race directors, I set out to do more recon on the Silver Rush 50 course on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Luckily, the knowledge of the the mining district that I obtained and retained from completing the Leadville helped me make up for the deficiencies of those terrible maps. I honestly feel that I have a good feel for the course now.

My Tuesday morning started in Gunnison where I had found a room at the RAV. I welcomed both the 44 degree sunrise temperature and cool breeze that woke me and invigorated me. A quick breakfast led to a lovely morning drive back over Monarch Pass to Highway 24. Once on Hwy 24 I repeatedly stopped to take pictures of the 14ers I intend to climb on this trip and to read the historical signs at the pullouts. I learned a lot about the European maneuvers that eventually led to the U.S. taking "ownership" of most of our current western lower 48.

Shavano

History!

Yes, you sense a bit of an attitude in that voice. If you do not know why then you should make time study how the U.S. bought land from nations that never really had ownership or even squatting rights that land. Start with Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Then make certain that you complete your study with visits to reservations. Enough lecturing.

Because I started at sunrise, I made it to Pbville at an early hour. I visited the Provin' Grounds Cafe to download pictures and write. Two hours later I walked up and down the main drag - Hwy 24 or Harrison Avenue. I was amazed at the businesses that have taken place. Some shops moved while others, including Bill's Sport Shop and Rosie's Brewery, closed up all together. It is tough running a business that depends on tourists when those tourists only visit in appreciable numbers during four months of the year. Luckily, PG was still in business. A Mate Latte and a blueberry/chocolate chip scone hit the spot. And, again lucky for me, the Cycle of Life bike shop was well-stocked in bottles of Hammer Gel. Those thousands of vanilla flavored carbo calories will serve me well on Sunday.

Tuesday's course recon took me to a familiar place - Iowa Gulch. Not only had I run into the mouth of the gulch on Monday, I had also hiked there on a couple of occasions. In 2007 I tested my acclimatization by running high in Iowa Gulch at about 11K feet. Then, in 2008, I once again drove high into the gulch to climb the 14er Mt. Sherman. Tuesday's run had me start at what will be aid station number two; Printer Boy. I ran in the direction I will run on the return trip on Sunday. I ran two miles UP Iowa Gulch to near its eastern terminus at the foot of Mt. Sherman. The course only follows pavement for 0.75 miles in each direction and that stretch of road is where I started. From there I ran on the rough mining/jeep road up the gulch. It was an absolute blast to be chugging up that rocky road at 11K feet at 7.5-9 miles per hour. I know I cannot run that fast in the SR 50, but the pulse and perceived effort told me that I was well within my limit for the taper. Running back down was even more exciting.

Along SR 50 route

Looking down over Iowa Gulch and its mining past.  We will run up far side first.

Sherman (center) marks the end of the Iowa Gulch.

Duh!! (see next picture and note same sign)

Roadside slag heap held back by rotting timbers.

What views! The mountains and the mining remnants boast of the wildness, the industrious activities, the hopes, and the hardships experienced high in the Arkansas Valley. Gold, silver, lead, and molybdenum left this valley along with the lives and blood of many generations of natives and treasure-seekers. The reactivation of the Climax Moly Mine will breath fresh life back into this tired and economically starved community. In the mean time, all of these mining ruins reveal a lot about man's past efforts to gain economic superiority from this land. Too bad those men did not have the sense to realize how much they were hurting future generations.

Last night I slept at Stumptown. This decaying mine site sits at 11K feet and it serves as the turn around point for the SR 50. I ran another 4 miles averaging almost 8 min per mile. The sun was low on the eastern mountains. The dry air was a cool 47 degrees and it moved steadily from the north. Above me was Ball Mountain, which must be tamed twice on Sunday. Below sat Pbville and the Arkansas Valley. Beyond that, to the west, sat the monoliths known as Elbert and Massive. What an awe inspiring run. Again, the legs felt great and the lungs seemed to tolerate the air that was missing 32% of the oxygen supplied at home. I enjoyed a nice picture tour and a fully organic cold cereal and fruit breakfast before I drove down to town.

Stumptown breakfast companion - he was eating grass.

Stumptown

This happens a lot.

See what I mean?!

Morning crowd at Provin' Grounds

Provin' Grounds proved to be once again worthy of a pit stop. Today I sipped a mighty fine coffee and an even better scone. Unfortunately, the wi-fi was down all over Pbville today. That is why I am writing this at a cafe in Dillon (9187 ft). Earlier, I took in a tasty buffalo burger and a wheat beer at the Dillon Dam Brewery. I highly recommend the Dam Brewery for both food and spirits. Every trip I make to CO includes a stop there.

Mt. Massive on the horizon.

Well, back to the high country of Lake County. Enjoy the pics.  Hopefully, all of it is there.  I have lost connection and have pasted from clipboard!