I think I may have met Yo...

Keep your god damned hands off my wife. ~ H.I. McDunnough

Recently, I started visiting a running coach, Janet Runyan, in an effort to see if changing my form could help with my abdominal problems and make me a more efficient (and subsequently less injured) runner. I found out about Janet several weeks ago when she hosted a seminar about "running with injuries". I liked what I heard and signed up to have her take a stab at improving my steeze.

Janet won a bunch of prestigious ultradistance races including Leadville in 2001, and is the current record-holder for Masters Women in that event with a finishing time of 21:47:44. Pretty amazing. So far, she is really helping me a lot and today's short run was a huge improvement in the pain department over anything I have experienced since some time in early October. Not pain-free by any means but a marked improvement over the past week's runs for sure.

She has also helped me run "lighter" and so it feels at least like I am able to go the same speed at a decreased effort. That isn't to say I am looking like a gazelle out there but I am starting to feel a lot more efficient. Good times.

Today, I took a little time to goof around on the 'net and looked up Janet's bio just to see what she had accomplished. Along with her race prowess, she is a music teacher with a performance degree in piano. She also was (or still is) a member of Divine Madness.

For those of you unfamiliar with Boulder running, there is a group of distance runners here called "Divine Madness" that has made quite an impression on the Ultradistance community. Their influence has dimmed a bit of late but in their heyday they were frequent podium finishers in many of the sport's toughest races. Five-time Leadville champ Steve Peterson comes from the DM camp. They have been likened to a cult by some circles and if one believes the stories, practiced some definitely untraditional methods to achieve their running successes.

Their leader, Marc "Yo" Tizer, is an interesting character (or worse) and has been accused of some pretty heinous behavior. There is quite a bit of information out there that details the DM lifestyle and allegations but this article by Michael Finkel is probably the most thorough. I actually read this several years ago when researching ultradistance running and wondering about Divine Madness and their influence on the sport. Funny how things come full circle.

So anyway, I was meeting with Janet last night and her housemates were cooking dinner. One of them looked suspiciously like Yo. He was wearing a towel. Given what I have read, that sounds just about right.

~stubert.

Consistency is key...

To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all. ~ Peter McWilliams

I have been running fairly consistently of late with days off Wednesday and Sunday. Mixed it up a lot in between. Last Thursday, I ran down our road and back (about 8 miles in 1:10) then did a loop in the neighborhood on Friday. That was supposed to be "easy" and I suppose it was in a mountainous sort of way.

Saturday, Bob and I headed out with Lindsay and their new pup, Leah then carried on to the BoboLink trail and back over to South Boulder Creek and around to their place. Ended up being 12.5 or so and we did it very slowly. Just soaking in the cool, Spring conditions and enjoying the run. I hit the gym today and logged 4+ on the track.

Overall, I am feeling like I am getting there but my abs are still a problem. Hoping that with consistent training, a lot of stretching and some gait guidance, I can get it cleared up in time to feel more confident about tackling Leadville again this year. Right now I am vacillating but am actually really fired up to do it. Giving until the end of May to make my final decision.

Tomorrow I'll be down in Boulder for an 8-miler if anyone wants to go for a fun run in the early afternoon.

~stubert.

Here's the skinny...

I have misplaced my pants. ~ Homer Simpson

Two VASTLY different approaches to minimization:


How Barefoot Runners Are Shaping the Shoe Industry



Enjoy.

~stubert.

Lil Grandad...

That's what she said. ~ Michael Scott

Here's some video Pete shot of me in the Grandads at A-Basin. This looked a lot bigger from above.



~stubert.

Humor is funny...

Why "Pinto"? ~ Larry 'Pinto' Kroger

I posted a clip from this series the other day. There are others that are equally amusing. Check them all out. Also, if you didn't see women's Boston Marathon finish, you really should give it a look.



Amazing.

~stubert

Three feet high and rising...

That pile is Rach's car.

I didn't even have to use my AK. ~ Ice Cube

Yesterday was pretty sweet. Pete and I met fairly early at Kermit's to get in some pow turns at A-Basin. Turns out we were ahead of the major cluster that eventually closed I-70 but a little behind on the first chair action. That was okay, however as we still got in many hours of great skiing. AND managed to make it home without getting stranded (though it did take Pete 6 hours or so).

So the conditions were prime after 16 inches of snow overnight and more consistently throughout the day. It was seriously puking snow up at the Basin and the locals were out in force. Even Gary made the scene after suffering some sort of back injury that kept him out most of the year. Pete and I rallied on Pali all day in search of the goods and fun stuff to drop. The wind was doing its weird wind thing (out of the Northeast again for some reason) which made seeking the best snow a little more of a challenge (it usually loads up with winds out of the West) but we managed just fine. Pete worked on sticking the drop off Mini Kong and I finally stomped Little Grandad. Sweet!

The drive home was slow going and Pete's car was seriously buried by the time we got back to Kermit's. Once I got home, I was greeted with a couple feet of snow in the driveway (and a rather large pile of munge from the plows). I had mowed the driveway prior to heading up in the morning so this was all accumulation during the day. I mowed again (while it dropped at least 4 inches an hour) then once more before bed. We also lost power, which was pretty awesome but the best was the jackassery that went down during the course of the evening.

Since we had no power, entertainment became watching people try to deal with the heavy snowfall. First, some guy drove down the road, backed up WAY back up the road, then came back down and for some inexplicable reason tried to do a 30 point turn-around in front of our house only to get stuck in our driveway as his truck died. Apparently there was some marital tension going on as well and I think that at one point keys were tossed into the snow bank but I am not certain. In any event, they finally got the truck rolling again only to reappear two hours later in a different car, which they stuffed into the snowbank at the edge of our driveway, did another 13-point turn around and went on their merry way. There were also many snowmobilers racing up and down our road which always is good for a laugh.

So our power came back on about 10:45 then we went to bed. When I got up, the road crew had deposited a pile of snow and road munge 4 feet tall at the end of our driveway. Disappointed. I spent much of the morning getting that moved out of the way then the rest of the day getting the truck out and able to roll. All in all, we got over 3 feet in about 36 hours and it is still snowing lightly as I write this. Springtime in the Rockies... gotta love it.

~stubert.

Slog...

When in kitty country, you don't have to be the fastest, just not the slowest. ~ stubert.

Sometimes one has to just get out there and churn. That is pretty much what I did yesterday with a VERY slow run from my house, up through GGCSP and back. Ended up being just over 9 miles in a couple of hours. Lots of stops to readjust, take in the scenery and enjoy the run.

I kept a fairly steady pace and was definitely slowed by snowpacked and icy trails. Lots of slick mud in spots too but all in all, it was a blast. I kept the heartrate down WAY low and just tried to implement all the goodies that I picked up during Tuesday's session. The abs still hurt but there were periods where I was able to run absolutely pain-free, so that is encouraging. A lot to think about and adjust... reminds me of when I was first starting to tele ski and every time I play golf. I think I will need to pick one item on which to focus at a time then add as I get individual things dialed in. We'll see how that goes. Right now I am thinking of: hips forward, loose lower legs, roll off the feet, flat back, lean forward, everything behind the vertical line, and long through the core. Yeah. And I thought chewing gum was tough.

I'll leave you with an amusing clip:



~stubert.

And you think I'm nuts...

Sliiiiiiiide. ~ Marla Singer

The Marathon of the Sands is a 6-day race across the Sahara where competitors must carry all their gear and the only real support is rations of water and tents in which to sleep at night. Amazing.

Speaking of racing, I met with Janet Runyan yesterday for the first of several sessions scheduled to help with my running form and to get some training and racing advice. She is a past winner at Leadville and National Ultradistance Champion so I am very excited to see how she can help my performance and help me get and stay injury-free. She recommended some posture adjustments yesterday that really seemed to help and I am planning to go out today to see how much "sticks". It is fairly warm up here today so as long as it doesn't rain, I should be okay. She did think that the first 50K I have scheduled was a bit aggressive so I will probably scale that back to the 25K event.

I did get out for some turns at the Basin on Sunday. Luke and I pretty much tore it up and Pete and Edy were up as well. Pete joined us for a couple of fun runs. The conditions were a bit funky but REALLY good turns were to be had if you explored a little. We got into some really good stuff up on East Wall and did a run out the Steep Gullies which was pretty great.

I ran Betasso on Monday evening and it was more of a slog than anything to write home about. Felt pretty poorly throughout but did manage 3 laps before calling it a night. Hoping I can get my psoas issues resolved very soon.

~stubert.

Now I've done it...

Gentlemen, start your engines. ~ That guy who starts car races

Just signed up for two races: The Sage Burner in Gunnison on May 23rd and the Dirty Thirty in Golden Gate Canyon State Park on June 6th. Both are 50K events that I'll be treating as training races for the potential big event, Leadville. Still haven't pulled the trigger on that but am feeling more and more confident that I'll be able to commit to it soon.

This past week saw several more ski days (up to day 52 now) and some great runs. Still haven't eclipsed the 2 hour mark but am guessing that will come very soon. I did three runs this week: Sanitas on Tuesday, Crazy Snow Woods Run on Thursday and Green Mountain on Friday. I am not feeling super strong but my knee isn't bugging me at all, which is a plus. Now I can just focus on resolving the psoas thing and be back on track.

I bailed on skiing today, just wasn't in the mood, really and stayed home with Rach to hang out and watch movies. Just what the doctor ordered. I may head up tomorrow to either catch Eldora's final hoorah for the year or see what other plans can be hashed out for Sunday shenanigans.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

~stubert.

Take Grandpa skiing...

Keep your ugly fuckin' goldbrickin' ass out of my beach community. ~ Malibu Cop

Day 49 featured a late start, great snow and lots of obnoxious, drunken college kids at the Basin. Luke, Nichole and I headed up late (post conference call with Renewable Choice Energy, one of our clients) and immediately started spinning laps on Pali in search of our favorite spots and good snow. Both were in large supply with forays into the Black Widow, Mini Kong, Waterfall, West Turbo and more. Deep and fluffy at the bottom of 2nd too... just thinking about it makes me inclined to get back up there ASAP.

Anyway, the mountain was virtually empty save for a rather large pack of heavily inebriated co-eds and hangers on. I guess April Fool's Day brought out the riff raff but seriously, if you can't stand up in the lift line, you really shouldn't be on the hill. Fortunately, they were pretty easy to dodge but I felt bad for the lift ops who were being berated left and right. Anyway, I suspect more of the same will be in order this weekend with the beach being in full effect.

I didn't ski particularly well but had a great time. My knee was giving me grief for whatever reason and my abs are still a mess. Seeing yet another doctor about that next week. I have to get that resolved else my racing plans for this year are going to be in jeopardy. Hopefully this guy can help out.

Other than that, we've just been jamming on work stuff and staying busy with the critters. I am planning to attend a running injuries seminar tomorrow night so maybe that will provide more insight into how to prevent and treat.

~stubert.