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Running the Chi

After my failed attempt to complete the Leadville Trail 100, I've gone back at the drawing board. I had an amazing time at the race and I learned a lot. Primarily I learned that besides the ass-kicking difficulty of breathing at +10,000 feet I was just too slow to complete a 100 miler. Contrary to what you may be thinking I'm not just talking about my splits. In the months following Leadville I've determined that my splits weren't my primary problem. My primary problem was efficiency. It's not just that I need to run faster, I need to run faster while also learning to run with less effort. I need to learn how to run further and faster all the while using less and less oxygen. I need to get my average heart rate down. I need to learn how to make running fast easy. To this point my running training programs have largely consisted of...well I hate running programs so I haven't actually done one. I tend to dislike structure in general and all the more so

The White River 50

Just ran the White River 50 . I love this race. It's my second time doing it. The White River 50 is in my opinion best started at 5.3o in the Am. In this case I am starting it with the predawn cover of West Coast stratus/fog/goop...part of the annual Summer tradition in these parts. I wait to start the run with my new friend Jess of the Mas Loco Tribe. We are both stoked to try out our new Luna Sandals . Barefoot Ted has given them new names but I can't remember what they are... Wierdly it's as if Ted is with us, his Monkey Spirit Alter whispers in our ears... Chill man... Take it easy.... Run like a human... Try out these sweet all natural coco nibs... we deem your new sandals the El Chupacabra...it means the soul sucking goat ... I snap back to reality and Scott our race organizer and everyone's friend starts us off. My fiance standing on the side of the runway waves at me and wishes me good luck. I wave goodbye. She crashes back into our tent and sle

Leadville Trail 100

Update: Oct 23rd 2012- Race Review In the end I ran 43 miles of the course and 46 miles total. Race organizers told me on the way up to Hope Pass that I had no chance of making the next cutoff. That and I was dead tired, a thunderstorm was moving in, I had no appropriate clothing for such an eventuality, and I hadn't eaten sufficiently or filled up my water pack. With injured runners needing help getting back to twin lakes I elected to not try for Hope Pass. It had been an amazing experience and I now had the knowledge that much more training would be needed for a Leadville finish; I saw no point in risking life or injury just to find out what I was made of when there was no chance of finishing. In reviewing my experience of Leadville the first thing I'd say is that I can't wait to go back. I'm currently re-tooling and working on my 'chi-running' to get faster and far more efficient. What did me in at Leadville was the elevation. The course itself I f

Bowl and Pitcher State Park: Spokane WA

I spent the weekend in Spokane, WA and took the time to explore 21 miles of waterfalls, riverfront trails, and hot desert sun. Whatever else Spokane doesn't have going for it, it DOES have ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Additionally for tourists it has many beautiful places to hangout at, sight see, and picknick. Having formerly lived there I can also vouch for its abundant back-country and in-resort skiing opportunities as well as several in-city rock-climbing routs. I heard the figure thrown out that Spokane boasts some 500+ established and documented climbing problems on its abundant basalt and granite formations that rim the city. Spokane even has, as I discovered on my run, a nice well-established hippy/hipster enclave in it's Peaceful Valley district. Now, back in my days when I was a self described evangelical going to Whitworth University I had only heard of Peaceful Valley as the 'ghetto' and a place you would 'avoid at all costs after da

Forest Park

15 Miles of Pure Bliss. My soul was at such peace on this run that the thought of leaving the busyness and noise of Seattle for the quiet more contemplative Portland environs has grown to a distinct possibility. For a map, check check out Green Trails at your local REI or try to download something at Portland Parks and Rec.

HEEEEEEL STRIKa!

Open and shut: Running 'barefoot style' where the foot strikes more toward the front than the back is generally safer and better for your health. The New York times featured yet another study out of Harvard http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/why-runners-get-injured/ that says among other things: "Of the 52 runners studied, 36 (59%) primarily used a rearfoot strike and 16 (31%) primarily used a forefoot strike. Approximately 74% of runners experienced a moderate or severe injury each year, but those who habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike. Traumatic injury rates were not significantly different between the two groups. A generalized linear model showed that strike type, sex, race distance, and average miles per week each correlate significantly (p<0.01) with repetitive injury rates." I'm looking forward to more studies showing that a forefoot strike

I'm Such a Rebel (or) The Failure or NIMBYism.

...what with all the trespassing I did I'm surprised I didn't get a ticket. King County had all sorts of signs expressing dire warnings about what could happen to a runner such as myself deciding to run on a 'closed' trail. Still many of the signs had conflicting information so I suppose I pull those into court if need be to advocate for my obvious innocence. I mean...it's not like there were several GIANT barriers impeding my progress through Lake Forest Park. I have to say the new Burke Gilman will be a pleasure to bike and run when it does open. As a nice wide and level thoroughfare it corrects a problem that once included a dozen or so residences that were infringing upon the old railroad right-of-way that goes through that part of King County. With the new trail I'm satisfied to say that several structures and encroachments were wiped right off the map. Apparently home owners in Lake Forest Park and Lake City did not get their way and I deem this a

Spokane, Christmas Eve, Heavy Snowfall, and Bloody Footprints

10.7 Miles. It was a beautiful run with heavy big snow flakes coming down making for a soft trail. At 23 degrees it took a mile or two for my toes to warm up. It also took frequent stops to warm them with my hands. The Luna ATS's did good in the snow and tracked well up a 500 foot hill. About two miles into the run I had the odd chance to once again evangelize about the benefits of barefoot running to another runner who intersected my path for a couple miles. He was on a goal to do 50 marathons in 50 States. I told him of my goal to do the Leadville 100 next Summer in these very sandals. I told him I'd never run so far or without so much joy as I have since changing my running style. Unlike my friends at Super Jock and Jill, I suspect this guy might give barefoot running a try at some point. Toward the end of my run I must admit that an old blister decided to push up and out from under a thick callus and burst itself upon the webbing between my big and second toes.