Returned from the Boroughs

Spending last Friday thru Tuesday w/Jen in Manhattan was Awesome!!! Her place is in Midtown right near Columbus Circle just a couple blocks & avenues from the SW corner of Central Park. Compared to a lot of units in NYC, the building she is in feels like a luxury high rise. I got in a couple runs w/my first along the Hudson on the Greenway and Riverside State Park which is also very close in proximity. The other was a lap around Central Park. Otherwise, I wasn't out there for that crap.....one can't beat the entertainment of New York, NY!! We would see GHOST the musical on Broadway, sightseeing of Brooklyn aboard a double-decker bus tour, strolled the plaza of Rockefeller Center before going up "Top of the Rock" to get a Panoramic view from the observation deck on the 70th floor, scored front row tickets to see David Letterman, and ate & drank many local establishments in between amongst the insanity of Times Square.

simulation

I didn't know it at the time but last Saturday couldn't have turned out much better. Having success at this event a couple years ago left me w/nothing to prove which made it an ideal place to experiment, in hopes, of learning some new things about myself and reaffirming the old. This would be my first ultra in which I intentionally carried out an overload week(21 hours of training) right up to the date. Normally, there'd be a recognizable taper previously due to my inexperience and/or lack of confidence. My only regret of the weekend was that I made a rendezvous w/a DNF! Knowing my pal, Rhubarb, would be volunteering @ the Oberg Aid Station gave me the plan to hitch a lift after tagging Carlton Peak on the return. Wrecked from soreness and deep fatigue at the moment we left Caribou Highlands, I made the accurate decision, especially, when 80F makes the stomach reject just about everything. Regardless, it is always hard to walk away knowing I could have just taken an extended break to recuperate. Factoring in the weather and new energy products humbled me quickly in thinking I could hang w/usual company during circumstances in which I set up a meltdown. Sawtooth isn't going to be easy and I gave myself a glimpse, hopefully. I will be taking this same approach down in Wausau later this summer too. Otherwise, going back up in a month looking for a result on the MTB!!

50K to 100M

Word of my commitment to do battle w/Sawtooth has been leaking out. Early on, debate over whether it is possible for an individual to conceptualize what all may be asked of oneself was treated as a hot topic by me. Let's face it, everyone is going to have plenty of time to reason on that long trail which will certainly void us victim to what I like to call, paralysis by analysis. However, all the instantaneous moments that'll occur out there w/o even catching my perception and should come natural either way, are not what I'm concerned about. There has always been an allure to the unknown for me when discussing accomplishments that relate to pure human grit. Exploring the limits of stamina has found me going thru the phase of using devices(watches, HR monitors, GPS, computers, power meters, etc.) and returning to bare essentials for the purpose of joy! Undermining those whom use said equipment is not my point as there is valuable data and experience to be gained from them. Sitting here today, knowing that the majority of my life has involved this passion, correlations have been made and I can draw them instinctually. No more training blocks incorporating periodization followed right out of a textbook. I've been down that road and it served me well as I learned a lot but my observations have allowed much tweaking in order to better custom fit a system. Turning 35 years old or young the day before the race has urged me to approach things even more unorthodox than usual to spice up the monotony of the conditioning process. Drawing inspiration from the course itself is not hard and will serve as the backbone of my motivation. Reconnaissance of every inch travelled during that SHT route will be gone over w/a fine-tooth comb prior to the event. While out each day, I plan do be very receptive to how the section treated me and take notes.

IN

That had to be one of the more physically and emotionally depleting stretches of time in my life!! Moving the both of us alone is something I will never do again. Especially, since 3/4 of the stuff belongs to her in our case. Oh well, I survived and will accept living out of boxes for at least a couple weeks as settling in quickly is of no interest to me. Glad to have my life back and to see our cats get along w/Chris' dog, Sundari. I've got a bad metatarsal in my right foot from going up & down stairs during countless trips in sandals but it doesn't concern me much for the long-term. Getting in bike shoes w/stiff soles might be therapy.?! Otherwise, thanks for all the help...you know who you are!

Winter Week

Nobody in Duluth can say we had it rough this supposed snowy season. Otherwise, you're a pansy and it's your own fuckin' fault for living here! Skiing or snowshoeing has been my choice of exercise since a couple handsome dowses of white flakes hit the Twin Ports. Posting athletic-related content has been deemed pointless by me lately as my training is unstructured more now than usual as preparing to move belongings across town takes precedence. However, my weight remains stable and tolerance of fatigue is very positive as witnessed in recent efforts. Bike components are showing up at my door everyday to remind me that I crave a strong return to the mountain scene. Lets roll 'em out!!

miss her already

Yep, @ 6AM this morning in the MSP airport we had to look like that sad cliche act where one half of the couple departs from the terminal gate to live a dream, even though, it's a hard decision to make. I'm sure Jen has probably auditioned or role-played this character before, although, there was no mistaking how real this felt. Songs on the radio driving home, only my shoes on the stoop, the cats behavior wondering where ma is(yes, we refer to them as the kids), and many more reminders to follow as I pack up our things to be moved from our place. "The Big Apple" has never seen anything quite like she has to offer BROADWAY! Break a leg.....I love you babe!!

the wait intensifies

Well, if you wanted a shot at being on the roster for the Leadville 100 MTB Race then you had better gotten your shit in to registration yesterday! Been chatting w/former Peace Coffee teammates whom I keep in touch over how many of them have tried twice and never successfully made the cut. So, as the saying goes, "only time will tell."