TRR Stage 3: JPs Take

Colossal day.  Name a personal record; I probably broke it.  Longest time spent running (for the 2^nd time in 3 days): check.  Most miles in a week (and I did it in 3 days): check.  Most time spent running unconscious (not really, Mom, I mean I was numb, just running on…I don’t know what): check.

No wonder my left ankle has 3 kinds of tape on it right now and is throbbing like a bastard.  I’ll be sleeping with it elevated tonight, will keep the tape on for tomorrow’s stage, have the medical staff take it off tomorrow, work their magic, and tape me back up.  And the blisters.  Oh, the blisters.

Alas, despite writing the above, I am thrilled.  Trevor came around late in today’s stage and it was awesome.  I woke up (cold and late) relaxed, thinking less of racing and more of just running.  And as Trevor’s chest hurt right off the bat again, I immediately made a mental shift from competing to enjoying the terrain and realizing how good the training is.  But somewhere after check 2 at 14 miles, right after I had a double-caffeine Roctane Gu (too thick, but boy that works) and went to the front to do some quick-feet work on a nice descent, Trevor was right on me.  We transitioned to a flat in a valley just west of Highway 24 and I continued to turn a quick pace, bringing back into view some peeps who passed us earlier.  Trevor was right on me.  Today was a good day.

We descended to check 3, the final of the day at mile 19+, leaving us with 5 to go.  I took some hose water on my hands (which were driving me crazy with stickiness thanks to the 4 gels and 8 bottles of Gatorade I had had to that point) and washed them and my face.  I’m not sure what it is about cold water, but it brings me back to life in a big way.  It wasn’t hot per se, but it felt really really good.  We re-fueled and took off with Trevor leading.  He’s faster in these checkpoints; I guess tri folks know what to do.  I told him quickly that I was running on borrowed time, meaning I was running in uncharted territory with the duration.  And the pain in my feet (blisters galore); ankle (anterior tibialis tendonitis from March flared back up); ankle (same one, effing bee sting was irritating it); and left patella (reasons unknown) were causing me physical and mental duress.  Trevor motioned for me to take the lead so as to not drive the pace too hard and crush me, but when I went to the front, there were no issues.  I was running unconscious. 

We flew threw the last shaded miles and out onto the barren dirt roads of Camp Hale.  This is one of my favorite places in Colorado, and I entertained my mind looking around at the canyons and mountains I’ve ascended and descended with the likes of Joe, Brandon, and Trevor himself.  I had a rough go in the final 2 miles, with all the systems (stomach, bowels, mind, legs, joints) all sending warning signs that time was up.  Luckily Trevor was on his A+ game and got me through to the finish line, despite two brief walking breaks.  It was similar to Stage 1, but not nearly as bad.  We lifted the pace as we entered the barriers; even when so many things hurt, nothing feels as good as smooth quick strides, something I’ve been missing these last 2 days.  We finished in 4:04, right around my goal target of 4 hours. 

I was a pile of crap post-finish.  When the adrenaline and endorphins fade, what you’re left with is not pretty.  I found some shade and lots of drink, and quickly took off my shoes.  I would not move from this spot for quite some time, elevating my throbbing feet and ankles on the back of the Gore-Tex truck.  Despite wanting to get to the medic ASAP, it was almost 2 hours til I was there.  Food, drink, some stretching, and a shower all came first.  PTs and ATs aren’t as nice to when you show up pre-shower.

It was quite evident my tendonitis is back in full force, and Thomas with the Howard Head Treatment Center spent a good 30 minutes on me while 5 other people waited to have their injuries treated.  I’m optimistic about finishing the race, but I am quite sure it’s going to hurt really badly.  I am also concerned about long-term damage and inducing a stress fracture.  We’ll take it one day at a time and hope for the best.

We get to stay in (wi-fi dead) Camp Hale for 2 nights, so no messing with bags and stuff tomorrow morning, which is awesome.  I’m psyched Trevor is back and hope to have good sensations tomorrow and continue to move up.  The team that was 19 minutes in front of us is now just 1 minute 10 seconds ahead.  3 teams are within 4 minutes of each other for 9^th, 10^th and 11^th in the Open Men.  I really don’t want to be the team that finishes 11^th.

With that, good night.

TRR Stage 3: “E.L.F.S.”

I decided to go with the self-titled mantra after a txt from KJC reminded me to breath easy.  Great idea KJC, I would focus on breathing especially since I have been horsing in the salt via tabs and chips and that hasn’t helped my cramp situation. Thus I'm thinking it’s more likely my diaphragm that is the issue. 

The cackle of the campers was greater than the earplugs last night so I had to resort to the ipod. I guess some peeps just don’t get it that you can hear EVERYTHING they say. I had one bathroom break, which was a drag since the porta-johns were a bit away from the tents. It was pretty cold last night/early this morning so I had to put a jacket on in the sleeping bag. We were a little shuffled this AM as JPs phoned died and we missed the alarm. We got to “sleep in”; up at 5:55.

It was up to HS for breakfast quick before back to camp to pack up and make trail donuts (scones). It was back to the camelbak today since it was a long stage. I put 2 ZYM (electrolyte tabs) in the bladder and took 4 gels, a bar and two waffles. I was also back to the newtons I was going to rock a breath-right strip on the nose for some more nasal O2. Apparently you get more O2 via the nose?

We started out on main street and ran on road for a few downhill miles before hitting the trails. The cramps were business as usual, but I tried to put it out of my mind.  Into the trails we started the first climb. It was a few miles of jeep road. There was very good footing so long as you were keeping focus and where there were steep sections I was walking. I tried a few things with breathing to see if it helped. Surprisingly talking helped. I even tried sorta singing, but that was not good for me or the peeps around me! Again the steep sections, where most peeps were walking, were good for me as I could hike without issues and keep pace.

The climb was over after a few miles and we were into descents. My quads were hurting today which is probably due to the message; hence I think that we were a little slower going down than we were yesterday.  At the bottom of the decent we hit the first CP. I loaded up on water and a salt tab. Between the stinger and the ZYM in the camel, my mouth was feeling very sugary so water was the fluid of choice. After CP1 it was flat paved road for a few ticks before heading back on trail and a 5mile gentle climb. It was jeep road and actually rather rolling. There were some water crossing and one which there was not avoiding getting wet. It felt actually pretty good to cool the feet. On the steep sections it was down to a walk, but I was trying not to walk as much. We were very shaded to this point, so despite the sunshine and blue skies, heat was not a factor.

Btb….On this section we ran into this guy wearing a skinfit jersey. In chatting with him, he knows Trevor whom I was trying to email prior to the TRR. He said that Trevor is usually pretty good at getting back to peeps, so maybe I had the email wrong.

Before I knew it we were on CP2 and 14+ miles in. I filled the camel with water as I still had that sugary taste in my mouth. I threw down a salt tab and a piece of watermelon; in general I wasn’t very hungry.

After a short section of road it was onto the Colorado Trail. It was single/double track and very runnable. The cramps situation was feeling a bit better and we were going at a decent pace, relative to previous, similar sections. At this point I already decided tomorrows mantra and better yet, it would have been a good team name: P.A.C.E. – Positive Attitude Changes Everything. I was going to quite dwelling on the cramps and focus on other things. And not sure if it was this new mental state or my increased consumption of these salt tabs, but the cramps were diminishing and there seemed to be some life in my legs. There were bouts of sweet forefoot running on the rollers in the woods. Ironically, as started to feel better JP was heading to the other direction. He kept stopping ahead of me to stretch his ankle. This ankle injury of old was resurfacing, not to mention the sharpness of his blisters on his toes.

We rolled though the last CP and with 5 or so miles left in day three I was now feeling a bit sharper then JP. Roll reversal. My turn to be supportive. He’s been carrying my ass for two days, so I’ll gladly return the favor. We pounded out the last 5K on exposed dirt road. Thankfully we had a head wind to keep the heat out of play. With two miles left we would see the finish off to the left. It was a mental game cauz it lingered there in the distance while the ticks on the garmin slowly added up. We got across the line in just over 4hrs. This was over what we might have expected before Sunday, but it was good to get the long day done and know that we were half way there.

Having run 24miles and for 4hrs, I felt pretty good. My legs were great coming in and lets hope these cramp issues are behind me.

Hydrate.

Chips.

Lake.

Stretch.

Stick.

Shower.

Chill.

We maintained 10^th, and 11^th was as close to us as 9^th was. We will have to have a good day to stay in the top 10. At this point 9^th is probably the best we can do given the first 7 are sponsored teams and the 8^th place team would have to have a disaster for us to move there.

Enter sandman about 9. 

Sincerely, 

Looking up, TJM

The Short:

Finish Time: 4:04:50

Place: 9 of 23

GC: 10 of 23 (2:57:23)

Garmin: Go Get It

Distance: 24.2 miles

Gain: 2,800 ft

Max Elevation: 10, 918 ft

Terrain: 2 miles road, 5 miles jeep road, 1+mile road, 4 miles jeep rd, <1 mile road, 8 miles mixed single and double track, 3 mile dirt road

Weather:

Sneakers: Newton Ms

Gear: Short sleeve tech, compression shirt, mandatory kit, visor, camel, breath-right strip

Food: 4 gels, salt tabs, watermelon

Fluids: Water (with ZYM), Gu brew, Water

Ahem, TJM.

My man Mark said it best in his comment on Trevors post. It's so easy to be a good teammate, a good person, a great friend, and a solid racing partner when the wind is at your back. But when the chips are down (btw we are eating Tons of chips....mmm, salt), that's when it's not easy to keep pushing, to do your best, to be gracious in defeat and be a gentleman. That's why I have the best teammate here. Because if the roles were reversed, I'd be one crabby bastard, considering bailing. But that's not my teammate. Trevors a stud, and if we get these cramps behind us, woe be unto the teams ahead of us. And if not, we'll probably still finish in the top 10 and will have had one of the best races and times of our lives.
24.3 lies ahead tomorrow, the longest of them all.  5:30 alarm, 6:00 breakfast, 8:00 start.  Hoping to across the line by noon.  Wish us luck.

TRR Stage 2: “Overcome”

As we started today and my cramps remaining constant, I could only think of that game show: Weakest Link. NO DOUBT that’s me. I felt immediately that I needed to pull back.  Sorry to say this, and even more sorry for the best mate/partner one could ask for, I couldn't wait till we hit the climb and I could walk. I'm totally in WTF mode and despite a simple and positive mantra, there was nothing I could do. 

....gotta get to dinner, so more sob stories later, but despite my lack of performance, the organization and staff for TRR are unreal and the tracks the last two day have been fantastic!

Clearly, 

Useless, TJM

Here's the rest....

Today was a short day, 14 miles, so I went with the NU cycling jersey & JP took the camel. I stuffed my mandatory gear (hat, gloves, jacket & emergency blanket) and a waffle in my back pockets. I took a handie for my fluids (with ZYM) and put two gels in the pouch. I definitely preferred drinking from the handie rather than the camel. I switched from the Netwons today and went with the sols, thinking that the support would be better for the lose rocks and the technical decent. Great decision. I pulled them wicked tight and they worked well. 

Mantra de jour

The start was out a dirt road for a few miles before turning off onto a single track and the beginning of the climb. I was stoked for the climb. I can climb, ie, hike, without my cramps showing face. It was two+ miles up and we’d be hitting 12.5Kft. The single track had good footing most of the way, especially when we got above the tree line. I put down a stinger 45-50 min in, despite not really being hungry. We managed to pass a few peeps on the way up, but all the peeps we were in contention with were already ahead of us since I was slow from the gun on the first few miles before the single track.

Note on JP: he is pretty amazing at keeping his cool considering how frustrating it must be since we can’t push. He is constantly encouraging me and lying about me looking good! It’s great to be able to take the whole teammate element out of it; he could easily have lost his poop considering we weren’t 100ft today and I was struggling.

Considering the headaches on Friday and Saturday and this cramping drama, I was apprehensive about how hitting 12K was going to go down. Surprisingly, we were up and over without issue. The decent was fast, footing was key and that’s where the sols were handy. JP got stung by a bee on the way up to the summit and appropriately sung out like Julie Andrews.  Unfortunately that was slowing him a bit, but he powered on. We hit the 2nd and final CP shortly after the summit where JP was scavenging for some sort of NSAIDs with no avail. There was minimum there when we came through and I heard that later then ran out of water. I topped up my handie and took a salt tab. After the CP it was more decent through the woods and through some rocky shoots. The cramps were constant, but I though we making good time.

Once we got down from the decent there was about 5+ miles of rolling, dry terrain along the twin lakes. Otherwise a sweet track for running, I was really struggling on this. Heat magnifies my suffering. I had run out of water so JP had to let me drink from the camelbak. Another aid station would have been key along that stretch.  I was walking any chance there was a slight climb; I was hurting, but JP kept pulling me along. The frustration was weighing on my mind. This was only 14miles. There shouldn’t be issues, but it is amazing how debilitating cramps are.

We finally made the finish in 2hr37, and while I figured we would have lost places, we actually made up one and moved up to 10^th. I didn’t really “overcome” anything, but taking anything positive out of disaster, at least the altitude didn’t cripple me and we did move up a spot. Baby steps, but right now the moral in camp TJM is very low.

A quick dip in the lake, a prescription from the medic to eat chips and then it was off in a shuttle to Leadville.  There are suspicions of either 1) salt deficiency or 2) diaphragm issues considering heavy breathing due to the altitude.

We were staying in a baseball field (right field line) in Leadville. I booked a message once I got back. It was 30min for $40 and the girl wasn’t too forceful, but it felt good. After the message and a shower it was up to town to  attempt WIFI.  

Camp - Night 2

Dinner was at the local high school gym. Again great food, craic and the pics/video were fantastic. I wish they would show it in the morning’s cauz I get so stoked watching it.  Enter sandman about 10 and hoping that tomorrow will be a different. It’s the longest day so there is potential for a lot of pain if the cramps persist. 

Swag: Gloves given night 1, buffs and Scarf given night 2

Note: order was resorted in the “bedroom”; I’m back on the right side.

Sincerely,

Hoping for better tomorrows, TJM

The Short:

Finish: 2:37:07
Place: 10th of 24
GC: 10 of 25 (1:42:10)

Garmin: Go Get It

Distance: 13.3 miles

Gain: 3,250 ft

Max Elevation: 12,536 ft

Terrain: 2 miles dirt road, 11 miles single track

Weather:

Sneakers: Sols

Gear: Cycling Jersey, Mandatory (Hat, Gloves, Jacket, Blanket), Visor, Handie

Food: 2 Stingers

Fluids: Water (with ZYM), Gu-brew

Better...

A better day for sure, but still nothing to write home about.  But a blog is ok.

Not sure of the whole stats as my Garmin is charging after completely dying 2 minutes after we finished.  Something like 13+ miles in 2:36:xx.  We finished 10th, one better than yesterday and moved up to 10th overall.  Still, not our goal. 

We staged way at the back of the pack to start and immediately set about passing half the field.  Too bad we started ~10,000' above sea level, and then ran uphill from there.  So the consequence of hustling out of the box was Trevor getting a cramp almost immediately, with it only abating a bit as we hiked / jogged up Hope Pass, summit: 12,500'.  Gah.  For the 2nd time in 2 days, Trevor had to cover a half-marathon with a side stitch.  This time weather (lots of shade, way cooler temps) and terrain (post-Hope Pass, lots of downhill) were on our side and we were able to finish much stronger.

We soaked our legs at Twin Lakes, hit some food and drink at the line and hopped in the first van to tonight's sleeping location: a baseball field in Leadville. 

Tomorrow brings another opportunity to make up some ground, but I'm worried about my performance in Stage 3.  I already set a record for longest run of my life on Monday, and  I'm sure to break it again tomorrow.  I'm not known for my endurance and my toes are misbehaving, so I'm extra-focused on doing what I need to today to be my best on the ~23+ mile stage.

The good news is as follows.
1. They are really good at treating blisters here.
2. My legs still feel pretty good.  We'll see after tomorrow when I will have run 58 miles in 3 days. For those keeping score at home, yes, that's the most I've ever run in a week.
3. My stomach is clear.  Not sure who is or isn't reading this, but a few of my old teammates are nodding their heads saying, "Oh, that's really important."
4. I'm having fun!  It's great to clown around with Trevor. We're pretty good at making people around us laugh.

With that, I'm off to eat and drink some more and maybe some shut-eye before supper at 5:00.  Thanks for reading and wish us luck!

TRR Stage 1: “Learn on the Fly”

“Learn on the Fly” was my mantra de jour. I decided that I would put a different, hopefully relevant, mantra on my hand every day. Today since there were a lot of things new to JP and I, there would be a bit of trial, error and learning hopefully.

It was an early start; up at 5:30 so that we could be AIS at 6:15. We had a 1hr30 drive to the race start. I packed all my gear last night so the agenda was easy; dressing and eating. I loaded up with some oatmeal (porridge), which was standard race fair for me.

Brando braved the early raise to give us a spin to Buena Vista so that we didn’t have to abandon a car in BV only to have to pick it up at the end. THANKS Brando. 

In joking spirits pre-race

We had to hand in our duffels, so it was hanging in our race gear until the start. Today I went with the camelbak (JPs Lobo) as I wanted to make sure that I had enough water since it was a exposed track route. The headaches that I had since Friday were gone, so that was good.  I went with my Newton Ms, compression socks, singlet, visor and sunglasses.

We were starting on Main St of BV. I thought that the start was a little anti-climatic.  I wasn’t too amped, maybe it was nerves. There was a neutral start for ½ mile or so. That was kind of weird. We set out at reasonable pace and once we crossed the bridge it was into some single track and climbing.  My HR jumped into the 170s so I cut back a bit to bring it down. I felt like I was breathing very hard. Not too long after we dumped out onto a nice, rolling dirt road and we where able to pick up the pace without my HR flying up.

It was already pretty hot at this point so I was trying to take water every 10-15 min. Problem is with the camel, my HR goes up when I drink, as it seems to be an effort to get the fluid out. We were climbing for about 7 miles before checkpoint (CP) 1. It was really nice track, but very hot and sandy in some spots.  We ran the majority, but walked on a few steep sections.

After the first CP (there was plenty of goods at the CPs and the staff was brilliant!) it was all down hill, both topologically and physically for me. Right after we passed the CP and after a drain, cramps in my upper abdomen kicked in. Cramps I’m not really familiar with; they were up high right under my ribs.  From that point on I couldn’t shake the cramps. I tried drinking more, getting Gu brew and salt tabs in. Nothing would make it go away. I carried it all the way to the end. It was debilitating.  I had to walk a lot more then I wanted too and when I could run, it was definitely jogging. I feel for JP cause I was a lame duck the min the cramps hit. All the mantras in the world couldn't get me going. I was pretty bummed.

The last 5K was a relatively flat dirt road, fully exposed to the heat except for a few tunnels at the beginning. It was a place I have never been before while racing.  A Hurt Locker wouldn't be big enough for the anguish I was in. I wish I could have Rule 5-ed it but there was nothing I could do.

We came across the line in 3:17 and took 11^th place. WAY behind expectations. So on top of being steam rolled,  we were pretty disappointed. Post race it was a dip in the river near the finish line, trying to drowned sorrows and stretching before we got a van to camp.

Our camp was at a campground a few min from the finish line. Tents were all set up when we arrived, but they were up a decent hill. The crew was there to shuttle our bags and us up to the campground, which was key considering we were spent from the days stage. 

Camp - Night 1

Tents were good but we had to keep out bag out in the vestibules on each end as they were so big. Also note that it would be worth being real minimalist with packing as it was difficult to keep you stuff organized in the bags. The smaller shoes bags were essential for organizing stuff.

The craic was mighty around camp. Everyone was supah cool. It was nice to lounge with peeps and tell (war) stories of the day or of other experiences. Amy and Greg, whom we gave a lift to on Sat, were brilliant, as well as fast, peeps. They took third in the open-mixed. 

Gore Relaxation Station w/plenty of grub

Gore 'Juice Bar'

Dinner was more than sufficient and fantastic tasting. Prize ceremony and pics/videos of the day were also very cool. I def. need to get a DVD if its avail at the end of this.  Finally they give a brief of the next day’s stage.  JP and I trekked back to camp after so that we could put this day behind us and get some good z’s for tomorrow. (ear plugs and eye thing were key for good sleep).  I think that I did learn today albeit on the slow and I’m not stoked about the learning process. 

Before 3 fajita dinner

Apres 3 fajita dinner

Sincerely

Frustrated, TJM

The Short:

Finish: 3:17:33
Place: 11th of 25
GC: 11th (59:50)
Garmin: Go Get It

Distance: 20.9 miles

Gain: 2,550 ft

Max Elevation: 9,339 ft

Terrain: 1/2 mile road, 1 mile single track, 15 miles mix of double & single track sandy, 3 miles dirt road

Weather:

Sneakers: Newton Ms

Gear: Sleeveless Compression, Singlet, Camel, 2XU Compression Socks

Food: 2 Stingers, 1 waffle, orange slice. salt tab

Fluids: Water 1.5 40oz bladder,  Gu-brew

Rough Start...

...but a long way to go.

It's late, so this will be brief. Trevors stomach turned on him at mile 8, mine followed suit about 7 miles later. Just way.too.hot. The race started at 9:00 but our day started with 5:30am alarms. A solid breakfast and a ride from Uncle Roman to Buena Vista started the day.

We ran well early on, not among the leaders of our field, but doing 8:3xs up the initial 7+ mile climb had us feeling good. We hit the first aid station, sweat dripping from our visors, and both the terrain and our performance went downhill from there.

We got passed by many while Trevor battled serious stomach cramps. The heat, the exposure (NO shade to be had) and the altitude, not to mention a previous nights sleep disrupted by a smoke detector beeping every 30s, all conspired to fall my partner.

But man, what a tough guy. We are in the tent as I write, and I just told Trevor that had what happened to him been me instead, well, I don't want to think about it. (He in turn told me I was in fact on his side of the bed.) He really did a great job covering ground at a solid pace while dealing with enormous discomfort.

We finished the 20.7 mile course in 3:17:xx, making it the longest duration race of my life. It was good enough for 11/25 in our group, far off our goal. But, the good news is, when the stomach goes south, the legs don't get the fuel they need. When they aren't fueled, they can't hammer away. So we are left with lots of ground to make up, but also 4 relatively fresh go-sticks on which to make up that ground. So we're cautiously optimistic.

For those that care: I drank 64oz. of Gatorade and or GU Brew, had caffeinated Honey Stinger gels at miles 4,12&16, with a non-caffeinated gel at mile 8. And a few salt tablets at the aid stations. I also peed at 10:15am, and not again until 6:30pm. Did I mention it was hot?

So that's it. We are up at 5:30 tomorrow for another shopper of a stage, but hopefully one in which we finish higher.

-JP, Team E.L.F.S.

TRR Stage 0: Registration and Packing

I arrived last night at 10PM into Denvah from Dublin with a layover in Chicago.  Only mode of transport that I didn't take was boat and camel. Car to train station, train Cork to Dublin, bus from train station to airport and two flights. Door to door it was about 26hrs. JP collected me at the Denvah airport and then we had a few hrs to his friends "ski lodge" (read: several times larger then the house I grew up in) in Silverthorn, CO. It was fantastic to find head to pillow. 

My pre-race suite!

Mind you, I probably would have found a couch luxury after the long trek here, but I had a big, plush bed. Normally there would be no problem sleeping, but considering we were at 8800ft, I definitely found myself gasping for breath even sleeping; brushing my dents required significant effort! I also fit in 4-5 bathroom breaks in the span of 7hrs. I was horsing in the water since getting landing. Starve a cold, feed a fever, drown altitude!  

There was a whole crew of peeps staying here this weekend. Everyone else was doing the Warrior ash Sat and Sun. We were up relatively early today, about 8. Breakfast, chit-chat with the others then as they went off to find some mud, JP and I did our first run together in about 7 months. No problemo. We were matching stride for stride! We did about 4 miles and mixed in a few strides. I was certainly breathing heavily considering the ave pace.

View from the back deck - wish I brought my clubs

After cleaning up we were off to the grocery store for some grub and toiletries for the race. Back to the house to unload and then it was off to Breckenridge to pick up Greg and Amy, RedFern. Previously Greg had posted in the TRR forum that he and his wife Amy needed a spin to Buena Vista on Sat. As JP knew that we were headed by Breck on the way to reg he said we pick them up. Good choice. JP and I would soon become RedFern groupies.

It was an hour and a half or so to Buena Vista (BV) through some fantastical scenery, which was probably pretty run-of-the-mill to the locals. I have always loved Colorado. Something about the shear mass and raw beauty of the mountain backdrop that routinely amazes me.

As we got into BV there was definitely a buzz around. We queued up for registration, signed our waivers, got our race chips and numbers and of course our swag. Yikes, you could carry bodies in these duffel bags. Number 19; Team E.L.F.S.

Next up was dinner in the local elementary school followed by over all race brief and a brief for Stage 1. There was a little mixing and mingling and naively I was looking around sizing up our competition. A lot of these suspected open mens teams look lean and fast, but I was confident. The quantity and quality of training in last 16 weeks didn't matter in Stage 0; I was ready to race.

After dinner and the race briefing we headed back to Silverthorn to pack and get some Z's before driving back in the morning to BV. But not before a stop at the drive through liquor store!

Gotta Love America

Below is the swag that we got at reg. Short sleeve tech shirt, duffel, towel, Nathan handie, tech hat, shoe dryers, gu, sports wash, salt tabs, drink. Very cool swag

Registration Swag

Before Enter Sandman, I packed my duffel for the AM, including all my nutrition for the race and post race. THANKS Honey Stinger for sponsoring us. They gave JP and I a $150 each of product for the race so I stocked up on my regular favorites: gels, energy bars and waffles. I also grabbed some protein bars for post race.

Honey Stinger Nutrition

Ready to Load the Duffel

Enter Sandman about 10. Up at 5:30. Brushing dents was slightly less effort tonight, therefore I've clearly acclimated....

Sincerly, 

Fired-up, TJM

TRR Training

This is a little longer then I originally planned, but you need to go back to 2010 to understand my full grasp my training this season and leading up to TRR. If you want to skip the verbal diarrhea punch down to the bottoms to the “By the numbahs”.

After completing my first year of triathlon in 2010, I was set to target National Series races in 2011. I wanted to have a solid year racing while working towards the goal of NS points. I intended to pick my races and not just race any chance I had. Doing the TRR was not definite until late May/early June, so I maintained from the get go that I would train for tri and pick up the running in July/Aug for TRR if we did it.

2010/2011 has been the essence of inconsistent WRT training.  I spent the majority of 6 months (November to May) in France for work so squeezing 5K in at 6AM before a 10-12 day onsite was what I was living on.  For the first few months I started doing 30-40min of strength training or core work in my flat after the runs. I was struggling to find quality in these runs 5 min out of bed. I decided sometime in the New Year to do the strength and core work before my runs, hoping that this would get the blood flowing in my legs before heading out. It helped a bit, but the long workdays on my feet meant quality was hard to come by full stop. The only break in my sleepy 5Ks was Saturdays where I solely ran before work so I’d get 5 miles in and Sundays, which we had off, so I would do 8-10 miles.  Clearly my triathlon training was taking a hit. I got 3 swims in before January and only 3 bike sessions, two of which were rollers!!

In Jan/Feb I started to get a swim or two in during the week. Most consistently were Friday nights and Sundays before my “long” run. Again, even though I got to the pool consistently on Fridays and Sundays, to say the pool was a sh*t show is an understatement. The lanes were packed and there was no pool educate, i.e., no slow or fast lanes. No matter which lane you chose, there was surely always someone just floating in the lane. This meant you need to pull up or speed past, trying to move past without swimming into someone coming the other way. Anyway it was what it was, so I just basically just tried to cover a distant each session, with no particular set workout.

From January to February I was topping out at 20 miles or less of non-quality runs made up of 5Ks and one “long” run a week. I did start to integrate some strides as the end of the 5K, but I wasn’t doing any specific speed work. Again I only got a handful of swims in and less bike sessions. At the end of March/beginning of April I went to Aguilas, Spain with KJC, Joyce, Sean and Mark for a week. I finally got some real training in, i.e., daily structured workouts with speed work; in 6 days I got 4 swims, 6 bikes and 4 runs. For the week I was following along with the crews IM plans. KJC, Joyce and Sean had IM Austria in the sights later in July. Mark was on a just as intense plan for his race season. It was from that point that I started changing my workouts. It was a whole different type of training for me. My swims were structured based on Katie’s IM plan, but catered a bit for my ability with a little less distance and slower times, but swim structure was new to me. My bike sessions consisted of various efforts compared to just going at the same level every time. And the same goes for my runs. I also started using time more then distance when setting goals for each bike or run session.

This was all good for my week in Aguilas and then the two week stretch around Easter, but then it was back to France and the dreaded early AM 5Ks. There were also two trips to the states in May, one for PJs wedding and one for work. By the end of May I was in Cork regularly so this is probably where any consistent training for the 2011 season actually began and at this point the tri season had already started. I did two Olympic and one sprint in May with mixed results.

I did two sprints and an Olympic the first three weeks of June but also was back to France during the 2nd week. At the end of the month I heading off to Austria for KJCs IM. By June my mileage had hit a few 20+ weeks but I also had sub-20 weeks. In Austria is where I started doing my longest runs of the year. I was able to put in a 1, 1hr30 and 2hr trail run with a few 30min road runs mixed. My mileage was creeping up to 30.

In July I was reserved to the fact that I would maintain my tri training, i.e., Katie’s plan, but adding in some long runs on weekends were her plan was calling for bike sessions.  JP had also been reading that in TRR, speed work is key since it is only when you have the opportunity to open up the legs, you can put time into other teams. It makes sense that at say 15+% grades, it probably neutralize everyone and when you get to the flats you need the speed. That being said I was happy to keep up the swimming and cycling to compliment the running. I was going to keep healthy by not dramatically increasing my mileage and keep speed with at least one speed session a week.

Some trolling the blogs also revealed that strictly speaking trail runners did not have an advantage. Therefore I limited my trail runs to once or twice a week and mostly combined those with my long runs.  I did a few trail runs in the Midleton Estuary and the Rineens Woods, and one trip each to the Galtees, Knockmealdowns, and the Old Kenmare Rd. There was no way to simulate the altitude of CO here in IRL, but I was surprised that I was able to get 2K+ft of gain when doing the Galtees, Knockmealdowns, and the Old Kenmare Rd. I kept up the speed sessions up till the week of the race. I didn’t really taper.

For recovery, I got a few messages and tried to use my foam roller, stick and message ball regularly. There were a few weeks in the last two months that I was very sore, most probably the result of the downhill during my trail runs. I was not as good about this as I would have liked, but this last week up to the start my legs feel pretty good.

With my very erratic training, I’m not really sure where I stand when tomorrow comes but I feel fit and healthy so here’s hoping that gets me from line to line for 6 days.

By the numbahs for the last 16 weeks:

Run (Ave - 23.68 miles/week)

• Road - No. 42, 233.23 miles
• Trail - No. 15, 145.76 miles

Bike (Ave - 78.39 miles/week)

• Road - No. 57, 1254.16 miles

Swim (Ave 5.3K/week)

• Pool - No. 39, 84.1K 

Races

• 3 Sprint Tri
• 5 Olympic Tri

Sports Message

• 4

Travel

• 2 trips to the US
• 2 trips to France
• 1 trip to Austria

Sincerely, 

Unsure but Healthy, TJM

Bags are packed.

Legs are light and springy.  Liver and muscles are full of glycogen.  Mind is clear and heart is light.  Eyes.  Well, they are heavy and beg for rest. Tonight is night 1 of listening very closely to the needs of my body.  Good night.

7 Months, 27 days......

Since I last ran with JP. I think were good to go! We got out for a 4+ mile run this AM with 4x15sec strides mixed in. The HR was creeping into the 170s which is high considering the pace was only just under 8s, ave HR was 159 up 10 points for the pace. Between brushing my dents and the run, I'm beat! I think I need a nap! But nap time is later. First it's clean up and grocery shop. Good to be back running with JP, and good to get the first run at altitude in the books.

Out of breath, but Amped

TJM

Grateful

I commend my best man, my sounding board, and my 4,000 mile away training partner for beginning this. I am over the moon happy to see my friend I see so sparingly. He and I have experienced craziness in college, and some would say equal craziness now, but of a completely different sort. Trevor is a man I can rely on 100% and have nothing but respect for. I tell people he's the only person I know impervious to the effects of altitude. I simply could not have a better partner. I am fortunate. But, today, the day before our big race and adventure, the hardest of my life (to this point), is not about him.

Today, I dedicate to my wife, of six years to the day. It seems odd that she is off at the Warrior Dash, and I am preparing to leave for a week of fun without her. Normally we'd be cuddled up in a bed and breakfast, wondering why they stop serving breakfast so early. Or we'd be tourists in our own area, enjoying novelties and seeing things that people come from far and wide to see. Today though, we are apart, but only physically.

This year has been tumultuous, but as has happened with so many other relationships, it has only made us stronger. TransRockies Run is not cheap, and Dana has recognized the hard work I've put in in the office and on the roads and trails, and has given me full support to succeed in this endeavor. And for that, I am eternally grateful. When I run with a content mind and a free heart, I run, quite frankly, like the wind. When I run with guilt or anger or in a hurried manner, the result is not there. The effort is stifled, compounded by debilitating emotions and thoughts. These times are rare, thankfully. But this week, with what lies ahead of me, there is no room for extra pain and anguish. I will need every bit of my legs, my mind, and my heart. Knowing that Dana is rooting for me, and will come to visit me at the finish on Thursday and Friday, my goals become achievable.

So to my wife, thank you for supporting me over the past several months as I've trained and prepared for this. Particular is the athlete at times; other people use different adjectives I'm sure. But Dana does more than tolerate and permit, she understands, and supports. Thanks, babe. I promise to give it one hell of a run this week. You deserve nothing less.

Número Uno

Well.......this is long overdue seeing as there have been several feats of JPR-TJM-wickidness to-date. And until now, stories of which were only whispered in far away lands by old men in dimly lit venues. Now available straight from the horses mouth, this is one of many transmissions to come, including some attempts to recount feats of past and bring fact to fiction.

Ok, dramatic intro, check.

The latest wickidness is the TRR - Trans Rockies Run; 6 days of running, covering 120 miles in the Colorado Rockies, 25,000 ft of gain and hitting 12,500 ft of thin air (if you can call it air). There's more to come on the build up, but for me today might be the toughest!!

Up at 6am GMT Friday 19Aug11(11pm MST Thursday 18Aug11) 15 min before my alarm. Breakfast and 20 min spin into the 7:30 train to Dublin. Had to reluctantly part ways with KJC at the train station. My motivation will be missed! As this goes to press I'm on the 7:30 train arriving into Heuston Station at 10:05. Here's how the rest of the day will hopefully play out:

•10:15 bus (747 - how clever) to the airport. Getting in at 11.
•12:50 plane to Chicago - touching down at 3:15 CST
•8:30pm plane to Denver - touching down at 9:55pm MST
•3hr spin to a buddy of JPs near to the race start in Buena Vista.

By the numbers (all going well):
•4 time zones
•18hr20 travel time
•?? Cups of black stuff
•0 plane food
•26hr30 door to door

Clearly, 6 days of running sweet trails, with fantastical views, and unbeatable company is easier. So if I make it through today, it's a straight run to the finish!

Sincerely,

Stoked, Anxious, Nervous, TJM