Michael: The Challenger

Cold fingers of mist

Reach into the canyon floors

Before the silence.

 Wednesday, October 9, 2019



There’s an old expression that goes; “Go with what brought ya.” What brought me were the Inov8s Terraultra 260s. But I’m not going with them at next Saturday’s Rocky Peak 30k.



Why?



Not because they’re in any way deficient. In fact they’re my favorite trail shoe I’ve ever had and I plan on buying at least one more pair before the year’s out. So why change? Because, at this stage of the game I don’t feel comfortable trying to do anything longer than a 50k in one shoe and I need to find a second shoe for the Sycamore 100k in February. At that race I’ll use the 260s for the first 50k.



But what about the second half of that race? Initially I was going to use the Hoka Torrents, which are also a great shoe that I have worn and had a lot of success with this year. But at the Bull Dog 50k I was wearing those when I DNFed. And although I don’t blame the shoe as my heels were already injured. It’s hard for me now to disassociate those shoes from the pain in my heels that day and the stress of not finishing.



It also give me a decent rational for buying more shoes. So now I’m going to try out the Hoka Challenger ATR 5 wide version. In the store they felt good and after an initial 13 mile training run I was very pleased. They’re more cushioned than the Torrents and just about as light.



They’re not as snug or as lithe as the Inov8s, and they also fee a bit more sloppy than the both the Inov8s and the Torrents, but I’m counting on the extra cushioning and the profile of the course to offset those deficiencies.



They do offer quite a contrast in profile relative to the Inov8s and that’s a big plus. After 50k I think it’ll be wise to go from a zero drop to a 5 mil with a bit of a rocker profile to change the stresses on my body. I’ve done it in past races with success, so I’m going to keep on doing that. Guess, in some way, I am still going with what brought me. 

Michael: Lightning Stirkes Twice

 Almost everyday

I’ve been lucky enough to see

The deer in the fields.

 Sunday, October 6, 2019



Coming off my first DNF in over 5 years, I was hoping for a good, pain free performance, getting my second overall win of the year while I’m 61 feels pretty damned special.



I will say that there’s always more than my fair share of luck that goes into a win. I’m not strong enough to compete with the elites. But the circumstances were right yesterday, and thankfully none of those people were running in my race.



And that’s also one of the keys for an older trail runner to do well; run in the shorter of multiple races if that’s happening. Yesterday I ran in the Monrovia half marathon while there was also a 30k event. At least 5 of those runners were ahead of me when I hit the half marathon turn around.



For me, for some body changing reasons, I’ve also found it to be extremely helpful to arrive as early as possible. It used to be that I would go to the bathroom once at home then once upon first arriving at the event. But now my body has decided it wants two visits to the porta-pottie before race start. To allow time to avoid that last minute long line and give myself time to warm up, I’ve got to be one of the early birds. Kind of a pain, but essential to compete comfortably.



That’s also where being an old man comes in handy. I go to bed early and wake up early every day. Race day changes are pretty minor and really just amount to different clothes and my usual application of race elixers. Otherwise I’m not up that much earlier and I eat the same breakfast as I always do.



Experience also helps. I do a much better job now of staying within myself as opposed to getting caught up with all the rabbits in their nervous sprinter like starts. Experience also helps me get through what aid stations I’ve decided to stop at in a relatively calm and efficient manner.



The win yesterday was fortunate. Honestly, I thought I would have a better chance of winning the 30k event at the Rocky Peak races in a couple of weeks. That’s also the shorter of two races. The winner of the 30k hasn’t broken 3 hours and that seems doable to me. But again, it’ll all depend on who shows up, feeling great on race morning and being one of the early birds when the gates open.

Michael: On the Horizon

 A light drizzle falls

Dampening the skies and my

Spirit to travel.

 Saturday, September 28, 2019



I haven’t raced in over a month and my last race was a DNF which always makes the next race a bit edgier. That race will also be a new one for me in an area I’ve never run in before, Monrovia, which should also slightly ratchet up the nerves. Still believe it should be a good time and I’m going to shoot for under 2 hours which should also place decently high up on the leaderboard.



Given that my training has mostly consisted of hiking at work with just a few run and ride outings, I should probably tamper down on my expectations, but I’m feeling very good and enthusiastic after having such a good experience hiking part of the Colorado Trail.



A bit of a downer is that the day after the race I wanted to run a track mile in spikes and shoot for close to 5:30. But I’m going to back out do to lack of specific training this last month and a half. That more than likely means putting off a track race until next year. A bit bummed about that but I don’t want to get out there and just go through the motions.



Fortunately, I’ll be returning to my primary work location at the Four Seasons which has a very good gym and I can start working on the treadmill and using weights again. Strength and speed go so quickly, particularly at my age.



I also feel that working on the treadmill, or doing sprints outside, which I should’ve been doing while I didn’t have access to the gym, becomes more important as we age. Speed leaves our muscles so quickly and takes so long to work back. The form improvements have carried over for me and allowed me to be a better trail runner.

But that time off is history I can’t do anything with now. I’ll just have to fight to get back what I can one speed workout per week at a time.

Michael: The Trail Runway

Her muzzle was white

Though her eyes and teeth remain

Bright, strong and fearless.

 Friday, September 20, 2019



At my work we’re suppose to stick to the basics; black, grey and white. And for years now it seems that running apparel was following suite going with just a few more basic solid color offerings.



But finally a few companies are trying to brighten things up out there, which is like a breath of fresh air (pun intended) out on the trails.



I don’t understand why it’s taken so long given that in the road bike community men have been flaming lycra fashionistas for years now. It’s just strange to me how some people will not make the cross cultural dress change over even though they engage in both activities. It’s like why dress sassy on a bike but not on the trails?



Well finally Nike is throwing caution to the wind and really daring us to get our snap together out on the trail runways. Other companies have long had shoes that were pretty bold, including Nike’s own Easter egg colored Kigers, and a few companies like BOA, La Sportiva and Janji have offered some pretty fun offerings, but Nike is really stepping it up with almost complete head to toe trail pimp wear.



I like it. I’m not always going to want to strut like a peacock out there. But every now and then it’s kind of fun to be another animal out there strutting our stuff and demanding a little attention.



If I had a decent roar or even an amusing squawk I’d toss that in every once in a while as well.

Michael: Seemingly Perfect

The hunters were there

With their high powered crossbows

Walking on the trails. 

 Tuesday, September 17, 2019



I was a bit jittery about doing the Silverton to Durango section of the Colorado Trail since I hadn’t done a solo hike in over 5 years, but the trip was a real confidence builder and went off almost without a hitch…almost.



Fortunately, the glitches were slight, manageable and even mildly comedic.



The smallest of glitches had to do with not packing something I hadn’t seen come up in any of the youtube hiking videos. That was a decent size nail file. By my third day out I had some pretty good size calluses on both heels that were causing some discomfort. This wasn’t surprising given that I generally file my calluses down every couple of days. So put another small item on the gear checklist because I overlooked it this time round.



And although I thought I had prepared decently for the cold nights at over 10k feet by buying a new inflatable mattress and pillow, I was slightly off. Although they worked great and I’ll use them again, my old sleeping bag was just slightly under filled. It was originally rated for 30 but given that’s about what the temps on a few of the nights were, I’m presuming that rating was either originally a bit optimistic or after hanging in there for over 15 years, it’s lost a bit of it’s loft.  I’ll definitely look into replacing it if I’m up that high again or in that kind of cold.



I was also thinking of ditching the idea of using a bivy again as it’s pretty damned cramped, and some of the single ultra-light tents are pretty damned light now a days. But There were a few nights where it was pretty windy and I could see the advantages of having such a low profile and small footprint. Again, I will probably replace what I have with a slightly sturdier and heavier version if I’m going to be that high up or in that cold of weather.



My pack was also at it’s limits. And therefore, if I’m going to make a few tweaks in equipment going to slightly larger gear, I’m also going to have to get a slightly bigger pack.



One advantage and offset of getting a more durable bivy will be that I can ditch the light but bulky foam pad I used to protect the delicate bivy I used on this trip.



So there’s the domino theory in action; although the trip seemed to have gone exactly as planned logistically, I’ll be making what could be considered major overhauls in equipment next time I get out there under similar conditions. I don’t see it that way. These are just minor (but costly) tweaks that come with getting out there and learning what my equipment and I are capable of. We worked well together this time out. And it makes me anxious to get back out there and see what I’ll learn and how whatever new equipment I get will perform together.

Michael: Nothing But Blue skies

 Sparkles of berries

Enliven our summer walks

Through our own backyard.

 Monday, September 2, 2019

As a professional hiking guide (my main qualifications for that is I’m getting paid.), almost every week I give our guests the rundown on our hiking protocol. Occasionally, I’m also asked to give the “lions, tigers and bears; Oh My!” speech, where we talk about how really safe they are out there and there’s just not that much to be afraid on the trail, particularly when you compare it to the hazards of the city.



But now, as I approach my first solo hike in over 5 years, I’m getting a bit of the eebie-jeebies myself. But it’s got nothing to do with animal attacks. No, as this will be my first foray at sustained high altitude, much of it above tree line, I’m a bit concerned about afternoon thunder showers and the lightening that goes along with them.



In Panama, I got use to big lightening strikes, but we lived down at 5,000 ft. and were surrounded by much higher peaks and plenty of other buildings and trees taller than us, so I never worried about being the shortest distance between the sky and the ground. But out on the Colorado trail things could be much different.



I’m sure just as with the lions, tigers and bears, my fears are greatly exaggerated, but this is giving me a very good lesson in empathy for those who come to us and worry about rattlesnakes. 

Michael: The Jaws of Bees

The Jaws of Bees: Saturday, August 31, 2019



Our prayers were heard.

God is looking out for us;

Giving us cover.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

 

While not quite a Jainist (is that right?), I have been a vegetarian now for just about 40 years originally starting from the moral premise; the least you should try to do ethically is to do no harm.



Yet I found myself once again amused by the growing casualty rate of bees my dog chomps on while we walk. On rare occasions she has killed much larger prey; a squirrel and a rabbit, and although I didn’t chastise her for those, I also didn’t find them amusing. In fact they were sad not only for the loss of life, but for the suffering the animals endured as she kill them, for their deaths were not instantaneous.



I suppose since I myself will occasionally knock off an insect, particularly if it’s in the process of trying to do me harm, I don’t empathize with the bees as much as I do my fellow mammals. Yet the bees are just minding their own business when our dog will, seemingly at random, choose to hunt one down. And, I confusedly confess, it’s this random leap of attack that triggers my amusement.



To see our 60 lb. lab/pit bull mix lunge at such a small creature as if it were a mortal enemy makes me chuckle. And that should probably make me wonder about my own state of mind. And it does… a little.