One Awesome Summer

Internship

This summer I will be living and working in Leadville, CO, which at 10,000ft is the highest city in the nation.  I am interning with the prestigious outdoor education company, Outward Bound.  I will likely spend about 80% of working hours doing logistics and support work and 20% leading and teaching.  I am stoked!  I know this will be such an incredible opportunity to enhance both my technical and leadership skills.  

The Leadville base camp outfits extended trips in Alpine Backpacking, Mountaineering, and Rock Climbing, mostly for teens 14-19.  As an intern, I will have the privilege of coleading a 14day trip in one of those disciplines.  I love leading and teaching and really look forward to the opportunity.

Two weekends ago, I went down to the University of Georgia in Athens to get my Wildness First Aid certification (WFA).  The class was really good.  We were taught skills and are authorized to treat cases of anaphylaxis (allerigic reactions) by inject epenephrine, set and splint broken bones and unstable joints, clean and bandage wounds, and care for potential spinal injuries.  While not really in depth medically, the course did a great job teaching me to assess the situation, interview the patient, and evaluate how serious the injury was.  We did a lot of hands-on mock scenarios including make-up and even got to inject (and be injected) with saline solution by another person.  I'm glad I took it and would like to take a Wilderness First Responder in the future for more information and experience.

Running

As you may know, Leadville is a iconic place for trail running.  The small town of 2,000 hosts a series of annual running and mountain biking races including the Leadville 100 Trail Run and the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race (in which Lance Armstrong placed second in 2008).  

The OB campus is located right near the trail system on which these races are won, so I will have immediate access to some awesome running.  In fact, a trail supposedly leads directly from the OB base to Mount Massive.  One of the aid stations for the 100 miler is even near the base.  How much luckier can I get?!  

I plan on taking full advantage of the altitude and trail running opportunities.  I have some goals/plans for my running this summer: (1) Run the Silver Rush 50miler, which is part of the series in Leadville; (2) Pace the Leadville 100; (3) Return to Nashville a new man - ready to be WIN or atleast be competitive in some fall races, including the Stump Jump 50k and the Flying Monkey Marathon.

I am trying to get a good base of training going into the summer, so that after a quick acclimatization, I can hit it hard.  I would like to get some real solid weekly mileage in, maybe 40-60mi range and get up to 70mi/wk or so before the 50miler.  An inconsistent schedule could make that tough for long runs, but I should definitely be able to get one (or two) runs in per day.  I already have one long run planned from the suggestion of my boss and a backpacker article.  The 28-mile loop in the Maroon Bells Wilderness goes over four passes above 12,000ft and would be an excellent training run for the 50 and 100 runs.  I have already signed up as a potential pacer for the event.  I will hopefully get into contact with someone via internet or in Leadville who I can pace.  That would be an amazing experience, running through the night with a stranger pushing him/herself to the brink of exhaustion in one of the most beautiful and grand settings in the world.  Two people just might bond a little bit after that.  

Climbing

I am really hoping to improve my climbing and leading skills this summer.  I have already looked into locations around Leadville.  I have found several places about 30mins away that look good.  Not having trad gear will limit my exploration potential, but I'm sure some others will have some.  One place I would really like to check out is Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs.  The cool sandstone formations there seem really neat.

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I will certainly update the blog throughout the summer.  I am REALLY excited for the experiences and growth I will have.  The only downside is that the GF will be many miles away in Idaho, so we may not see each other for four months.  I guess I will get good at writing letters and talking on the phone. :)

Country Music Marathon

Today I ran the 10th Annual Country Music Marathon here in Nashville, TN.  It all materialized over the last few weeks.  I had not signed up for the marathon because (1) I was not sure I wanted to push for another marathon and (2) I didn't want to pay the high entree fee.  I was also very skeptical about the whole set up, size, and commercialization of it all.  The CMM is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Flying Monkey, you see.  I was pleasantly surprised though.  The aid stations and the bands were great.  It was nice hearing a variety of music, and the large number of people did keep away the loneliness.  Anyway, a friend of mine had signed up and then decieded she didn't want to do it, so she offered me her registration.  The deal wasn't solidified until Wednesday and I got the number last night.  

My girlfriend and her best friend were running it together, so I made it my purpose to be their cheerleader.  They both ran their first marathon in the fall and wanted to do this one under 4h.  In fact, the goal was to keep a 8:45 pace average.

We started off very well, keeping a solid average despite the overwhelming crowd.  With so many people, a lot of energy is wasted bobbing and weaving through the crowd.  It's just weird having people around at all times.  

Probably around mile 10, the friend started having some trouble.  She was feeling very warm and being very quiet, so I thought something was not right.  It was at that point where we started taking walk breaks.  The pace stayed about the same, but she designated when we breaked.  Fortunately, I got her to start drinking a lot of water, pouring some on her head, and she continued taking some gels in addition to Cytomax.  The remaining fifteen miles contained much of the same, a cycle of her running and walking with me and my girlfriend encouraging.  

While I would have loved to have seen the girls go under four hours, I was very proud of their race.  We finished around 4h19min.  My girlfriend ran a strong race and felt great.  And her friend showed a lot of determination and mental strength.  They did a great job!  

As for me, I was very happy with the run.  While I have continued running consistently since Mountain Mist in January, my longest run was twelve miles, I think, and my weekly mileage barely topped 30miles/wk.  I knew I could run 26.2 - I've done it twice already.  However, I wasn't sure how painful it would be.  I hoped to have enough energy to help the girls out and not suffer completely.  Throughout the race and afterwards, I felt very good.  I was surprised.  I had some soreness in my quads, feet, and IT band, but I felt much much better than I did after the Monkey.  Of course, the Monkey was MUCH hillier and I ran 55mins faster.

I managed fuel very well.  I carried a bottle of Gatorade, and refilled it with water several times.  In addition, I drank water and Cytomax at almost every aid station and dumped water on my head.  I also ate 4 gels (1 GU Roctane, 1 Hammer, and 2 Carb-boom), two orange slices, a couple handfuls of Raisinets, and some banana.  I did not experience any spikes in energy.  After the race, I dranka bottle of Cytomax and bottle of water.  

The experience I gained supporting other runners today will hopefully help me if I pace Leadville in August.

Congrats to all my friends who ran and completed the half and full marathons today.  Also, a HUGE thanks to my buddy who gave me her registration!

 

Maybe I Should Slow Down

Climbing

It was a big weekend, or Saturday at least.  I got out to King's Bluff with a buddy to get some good leading in.  We met at 8am and drove the 1hr out to Clarksville.  I brought my Petzl rope, Spirit draws, and a small trad rack (borrowed).  It was recommended to me that I not try trad at the Bluff due to its lower rock quality and nature of the limestone, so I thought I would just practice playing some pro - I didn't.

Anyway, my friend and I quickly hopped on a 5.7 called "New Purchase."  We both led it without a problem.  We then headed to "The Dogon Meets a Dancer," which was listed as a 5.8+.  My hardest lead to date was a 5.8, also at the Bluff, so this lead was a step up.  It was great!  There were some more powerful sections and a good sustained crux.  In the toughest section, I set my mind to it and quickly powered through.  If it had been a 5.9 or 5.10 on toprope, I probably would have gone slow and stopped and worn myself out, but I knew I have to go right through tough sections if I want to lead and climb harder stuff.  It was fulfilling to lead that.

Next we walked farther down the cliff towards the beach to get to a row of 5.7s.  There, we led two of them - "Pop Off" and another.  We decided we would closeout the day by trying a 5.9 for the first time.  The climb was "L.A.G.," given three stars by the Dixie Cragger's Atlas.  It was not meant to be.  My friend had a rough time from the beginning and couldn't make it past the first bolt.  He took a couple falls in those first few feet.  My attempt was a little better.  I got to the second bolt but could not figure out what to do from there.  This was not a problem with hesitancy either.  I just didn't know where to go.  I tried a couple times, up different paths, without success.  Defeated, I was not going to leave gear, so I got in a position to unclip the second draw and then downclimbed down an easier route before retrieving the first draw.  I was glad that I pushed myself and tried a 5.9.  One day....

The mud at the Bluff was atrocious.  Excited, I wore my brand new La Sportiva Wildcat trail runners.  They accumulated a solid inch of thick, twig carrying mud/clay, much to my dismay.

Run

To continue the break in of the Wildcats, I went on a run with my girlfriend when I got back from climbing.  She is prepping for the Country Music Marathon 4/25 and was planning a 15miler Saturday.  It didn't take me long to realize it was going to be a hard run for me.  I hadn't eaten much and had climbed all morning.  We were both feeling not-so-great after about seven miles.  We stopped at the Harris Teeter to use the restrooms, refill water, and to grab some free samples (me).  We then cut the run short to about ten miles.  Regardless, it was a solid run.

The day culminated with a wonderful picnic in Centennial Park and a jazz concert at Blair (Vandy's music school).

Worn Out

Now I feel sick.  My throat is sore, I'm tired, and sore all over.  Some of it can, no doubt, be attributed to a tough day and an inadequate sleep schedule.  I hope I feel better real soon.

The OBED

I finally made it out to the famous Obed climbing area on Saturday.  It is very well known around TN for it's tough array of sport climbing, giant roofs, and solid trad.  Plus, it's located next to beautiful Clear Creek.  It reminds me of a mix of Foster Falls climbing with Linville Gorge-esque landscape.  It's nice for sure.

The day started much too early, 6:15am wake up, which was amplified by a much too late bed time. :(  I got some much needed rest on the drive though.  Once there, two others and I quickly broke off to explore some trad.  We first hit up a short 5.7/5.8 crack.  However, either the leader climbed too high or the anchor was elusive.  He improvised with a some gear placements and a bolt, and we all got to climb it.  It was ok - maybe not worth the long hike and time though.  

I then joined the rest of the group at Image Wall while the two other guys jumped on a 5.10c.  Over there, I climbed a steep 10 after much hang-doggin.  Then, I led a stiff 5.7 sport.  The group then migrated over to the balcony area.  Along the way we saw some sick roofs. 

I spotted a 5.6 trad climb in the guidebook that I wanted to lead, so I went over there with another guy.  After about 20ft and two nuts, I came to a little roof and hand traverse which seemed pretty tough.  I was doubting my ability and my gear selection, so I down-climbed and cleaned the two stoppers.  I got an experienced friend to come over with hopes of giving it another go.  He went ahead to lead it first.  He said it was definitely not a 5.6, and after further research, we discovered it was actually a 5.9 - good thing I had come down.  I went ahead and climbed it and enjoyed it.

Finally, I headed over to the balcony where the group had some 10s set up.  I decided to do a 5.8 crack variation.  It was a blast.  Most of the crack was about fist-jam/foot jam size with some stemming/dihedral action as well.  It was fairly tall and great practice.  That is my niche.  I may not be great at it, but I would prefer a crack over a face anyday.

We finally got outta there after sunset.  All in all, it was a 16hr trip but a lot of fun!  I'm sure I'll check out more of the Obed within the next year.  

Rock Creek River Gorge 10.2mi Trail Race

The River Gorge trail run was held March 28th by RockCreek in Chattanooga.  It was my second R/C race, and I was not disappointed.  

I went out Friday night with a friend down to Chattanooga from Nashville.  We arrived at Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management about 8:30pm or so where we were going to camp before the race in the morning.  After driving up the mountain, we entered the pitch black area on a gravel road and were greeted by the thickest fog I've ever driven in.  I could barely see ahead of the vehicle.  After going way down the road to the race start area, we turned around and came back to the interest where we found our elusive campsite.  There, we set up the tent - a Kelty Gunnison 2.1 which I really liked - and fixed some pita pizza for dinner.  We each devoured a couple pitas before preparing for bed.  

Around 4am, the fog and mist turned to a heavy downpour which lasted until about 6:30am or so.  We awoke to very wet conditions.  We gathered our things and headed down to the start to checkin.  There we picked up our notoriously good R/C swag - Marmot wicking T, SmartWool socks, Hammer gel, etc. - along with race numbers.  I ate some oatmeal (too close to start time) and we got situated.  A couple friends from Nashville were also running, so we said hey.  

The race started at 8am.  I wanted to go hard and thought I could go under 1:30 for sure and possibly 1:20, so I positioned myself close to the front for the gun.  The lead pack went out hard, led by my friend.  I knew right away I wasn't going to hang with them, so I settled into a hard and steady rhythm in the middle area between the studs and the main pack.  That is where I stayed the entire race.  I don't remember getting passed and passed several runners throughout the race.

The trail was great.  The entire race was single track except for one short jeep road climb.  There were also many creek crossings, ranging from shoe deep which you could jump over to knee deep and strong current.  Those were invigorating for the lower legs.  The race is also very rolling.  The climbs aren't brutal but they were plenty difficult at a hard pace.  

Never during my marathon or 50k have I wanted to drop out or quit.  My primary goals were to finish and I never doubted that.  This shorter, faster race made me hurt though.  I got abdomen cramps, I was breathing hard, my quads hurt.  It took everything I had mentally to push hard throughout the race.

The last third of the race is tough.  At mile 7 there is a big climb and then you run over fairly easy terrain for a couple miles.  Then you descend into the rock garden which is simply a trail through a rocky drainage area.  You have no choice but to leap rock to rock, risking a sprained ankle.  I tried to go as fast as possible, jumping and running and walking when needed.  That short section then leads into a few rolling miles into the finish which seems to spring out of nowhere.  I finished in 1:25:32, worn out.

I was very happy with that.  I felt like I had run hard and really pushed myself, which is exactly what I wanted.  The time got me 8th place, which made me very happy.  I top it all off, I won a jug of raspberry HammerGel.

After the race, I enjoyed some great BBQ with two friends.  Then it was back to Nashville.

My friend did very well also.  I'm proud of her.  It was a great trip.