Pikes Pique

There's no denying that I'm now officially nervous.  In three days, I'll be somewhere on Pikes Peak--hopefully at or near the summit.  Otherwise, I will have been right to be nervous.   I can't fathom what possessed me to sign up for a race up a 14,110 ft. mountain.  Trees won't even grow above 12,000 ft.  That might lead one to ask if I'm smarter than a tree.  Actually, I'm asking that right about now.

That said, I've trained hard this summer, and if it weren't for the rarefied air and the 8000+ feet of elevation gain over 13.3 uphill miles, I would be looking forward to this race.  But, I've spent the summer running among the corn fields here in Hog Heaven, not where the trees don't grow.  So, I'm naturally a bit apprehensive.  But, we'll know soon enough.

The Ascent is Saturday, August 18.  I'll be staying in Colorado for a few days of hiking following the race.  So, I won't be home to post my post-mortem until the middle of next week.  Stay tuned.

I'll actually be peaking/tapering for two goal races in the next month (the Ascent  and the North Face Endurance Challenge on September 15), so I'm paying particular attention to tapering strategies.  Here's one that's interesting:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/08/training/the-art-of-peaking-for-a-goal-race_7837/1


In the last major track & field competition at the London Olympics, Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich captured the marathon Gold in 2:08:01.  American Meb Keflezighi finished just off the medal stand in fourth.  The other Americans, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahmen dropped out with injuries.  For an account see here: 
http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/track/story/stephen-kiprotich-uganda-wins-mens-marathon-gold-medal-081212

And, finally, here's one last look back at the 2012 Olympics as Runners World picks its top ten track & field moments: http://www.runnersworld.com/olympics/top10/

Pinball wizard

I ran 7 miles on local trails this morning as I continue to taper for next Saturday's (August 18) Pikes Peak Ascent.  I have three short runs (4, 4, & 3 miles) planned for next week.  We'll drive to Colorado Springs on Friday, and the race is Saturday morning.  I think that I'm ready, but you never know.

It's hard to believe that the Olympics end tomorrow.  It's been an entertaining, and often inspiring, two weeks.  Despite my bias for track & field, my favorite moment of these Olympics was the gold medal match for women's beach volleyball.  Won, of course, by Americans Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh.  It was their third--and final--Olympic Gold.  Misty May retired after the match.  So, I guess that made it a bitter-sweet moment.  

Yesterday's women's 1500 meters was another American middle distance/distance disappointment.  The race was won by Turkey's Asli Cakir Alptekin in 4:10.23.  Shannon Rowbury was the only U.S. qualifier to make it to the finish line.  Well back in 6th place.  Morgan Uceny tripped on the final lap and did not finish.  Jenny Simpson failed to make the final. 

Runners' World columnist Amby Burfoot handicaps Sunday's men's marathon here:  http://olympics.runnersworld.com/2012/mens-marathon-kenyans-ethiopians-super-strong/

Kenya's David Rudisha notched a world record and became the first man to run a sub-1:40 800 meters in the finals of the Olympic 800 on Thursday:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/08/news/david-rudisha-wins-800m-gold-in-world-record-time_56732


One of my favorite bands of all time, the Who, will appear in the closing ceremony Sunday evening.  Maybe the IOC will add pinball for the 2016 Games!

At long last, rain

At long last, rain.  We had our first honest-to-goodness thunderstorm of the summer on Saturday afternoon here in Hog Heaven.  Although amounts varied around the area, we received a welcome 1.90 inches here in northeast Bettendorf.   Along with the rain, a cold front dropped through bringing us a couple of delightful mornings.  It was 55 degrees when I headed out for my hill workout at 5:30 this morning.  Nice.  The forecast is for warmer temps for the remainder of the week but nothing like the unseasonal heat that we've had most of the summer.  Anyway, I'll be tapering (somewhat) this week and next in preparation for the August 18th Pikes Peak Ascent.  That means no long run this week and no more hard workouts after today.  I just hope that I've done enough.

Okay, so I was wrong.  American Shalane Flanagan didn't medal in Sunday's women's marathon at the Olympics.  But, she didn't do badly either.  Neither did her training partner Kara Goucher.  Running in a downpour, Gelana Tiki of Ethiopia won the marathon in an Olympic record 2:23:07.  In the most competitive women's marathon ever, Shalane finished only a couple of minutes back in tenth place.  Kara was eleventh.  Not a bad performance by the American women.  For a full re-cap, see here:  http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/espnw/story/_/id/8237764/2012-summer-olympics-marathon-misfire-trio-us-women

Britain's Mo Farah won the men's 10,000 meters over the weekend with American Galen Rupp in second.  And, in Sunday's 100 meters final, Jamaican Insane Bolt defended his title from Beijing in an Olympic record 9.63.  Silver went to fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake and American Justin Gatlin took Bronze.  (Okay, so it's Usain.  But, what he does on the track is without question insane!)

This week brings an orgy of track & field competition.  I'm especially looking forward to the men's marathon (Sunday), men's 5000 meters (Saturday), women's 5000 meters and 1500 meters (Friday), and the men's 1500 meters (Tuesday).  My favorite athlete among the remaining competitors is Monument, Colorado's Jenny Simpson.  Jenny will line up in the 1500 meters.

At long last, track

It's been another week of hot, dry weather and decent training here in Hog Heaven.  We finished July with 5 days of 100+ degree heat and less than .50 inches of rain.  Not good.  August has started the same.  My big run this week was a 24 mile effort on Wednesday morning for which I rose at 3:30 a.m. and was out the door and into the darkness by 4:00.  It's the last long run I'll do before the August 18 Pikes Peak Ascent.  With the North Face Endurance Challenge at Madison, Wisc. coming up one month after Pikes Peak, I'll likely do only an abbreviated taper over the next two weeks.   We'll see how that works.

Hooray!  Olympic track & field starts today.  Don't get me wrong.  I've enjoyed the swimming, gymnastics, and assorted other endeavors, but it's time for the meat and potatoes of Olympic competition.  All the way back to ancient Greece, running and jumping and throwing have been the centerpiece of Olympic competition.

Today's premier event on the track is the women's 10,000 meters.  Everyone seems to expect the Ethiopians and Kenyans to dominate the race.  The American trio of Amy Hastings, Lisa Uhl, and Janet Bawcom are given little chance to medal.   On the other hand, nobody was supposed to beat the Soviet ice hockey team in 1980!

The weekend brings lots more including the men's 10,000 meter final on Saturday, and the long-anticipated women's marathon on Sunday.  Stay tuned!

To get everyone in the right mood for Sunday's women's marathon, here's a pre-Olympics interview with U.S. marathoner Shalane Flanagan: http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/shalane-flanagan-interview.html

And another with U.S. marathoner Kara Goucher:  http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/kara-goucher-interview.html

Besides being rivals, Shalane and Kara are friends and training mates.  I'll be rooting for both at London.

Peak & pique

The weather gods blessed us here in Hog Heaven with decent weather for yesterday's Bix 7-Mile road race.  It was sunny and seasonably warm.  In contrast, most of this summer has been unseasonably hot.  I used the Bix as a training run in my preparation for the Pikes Peak Ascent (now only 20 days away!) and the North Face Endurance Challenge (48 days away).  While I didn't race, I did have a time goal, and I fell a scant 10 seconds short of it.   So, I was pleased with my effort and the outcome.

With only three weeks left before Pikes Peak, the coming week will be my last hard week before the race.  My schedule calls for a couple of maintenance runs (60-90 minutes), a hill workout, and a long run (I'm shooting for a minimum of 20 miles depending on the weather). 

I'm doubly excited right now.  I've begun the countdown to my "big" races--Pikes Peak and North Face--and the Olympics are underway in London.  I watched some swimming yesterday and plan to catch more swimming and some women's gymnastics today.  But, the "good" stuff--the running and jumping--doesn't start for several more days.  Stay tuned.

I miss the old days when ABC covered the Olympics.  ABC put the competition first.  NBC can't see beyond entertainment.  I guess that explains the prominent roles of such sports experts as Ryan Seacrest and Meredith Viera on the broadcasts. 

Okay, I get it.  It's not always easy to get outside and moving--especially at the height of summer heat or the depth of winter cold.    But, here's a good reason for any season:  Regular exercise not only adds years to one's life but it also enhances the quality of those years.  See here for inspiration: http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/07/23/exercise-adds-almost-4-years-to-life-span/

Running coach and Competitor magazine contributor Jeff Gaudette questions the efficacy of the 20+ mile long training run here:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/07/training/are-you-overemphasizing-the-marathon-long-run_55719

Jeff (and others) might be right, but I'm not convinced.  So, I'll keep doing what I'm doing.  For the time being anyway.   During most of the year, I do NOT do 20+ mile training runs.  But, during the build-up to a marathon or ultramarathon, I try to do as many as I can.  That's usually 4-6 during the peak weeks of training.   It's nice when toeing the starting line to know that you can run the distance.  The great unknown for me is how quickly I can cover the distance.

Chasing the Moon

Despite another ghastly hot week here in Hog Heaven, I managed to get in a decent week of training.  The best day was Thursday, and I took advantage by rising at 3:45 and getting in a 24-mile long run before the worst of the heat.  On Saturday evening, I toed the line at the Moonlight Chase, a local 4-miler that starts at 9:00 p.m.  The late start didn't protect us from the heat though as it was still 83 degrees at the start with plenty of humidity.  Despite the conditions, a record 2100+ turned out.  I managed a third place finish in my age group and another trophy.  I've raced four times this year and captured age group awards in all four: two firsts, a second, and a third.  I have four more races scheduled this year: Quad-City Times Bix 7 (July 28), Pikes Peak Ascent (August 18), Run with Carl 5K (September 3), and the North Face Endurance Challenge (September 15).  For the Pikes Peak Ascent and the Endurance Challenge, my goal isn't more hardware.  It's simply to finish! 

This week promises to be hot and humid again with daytime highs in the mid- to upper-90s.  My schedule calls for another 40-mile week: a hill workout, a couple of maintenance runs, and an 18-mile long run.  Looks like another week of 0 Dark Thirty wake-ups ahead. 

If you're still looking for a reason to start running, take a look at the findings of Paul Williams, a a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who runs the world's largest study of runners' health, known as the National Runners' Health Study.   For example, after studying over 100,000 runners for over 20 years, Williams reports that "One of the things that pleases me is how broad-spectrum the results are. Nobody in our cohort really gets sick at all until they're about 60."  For more see here:  http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Scientist-has-only-good-things-to-say-about-3700504.php  

I'm not a big fan of the 1500 meters, but I am a fan of Jenny Simpson.  And, Jenny runs the 1500.  So, I was watching the Olympics Trials 1500 at Eugene, Ore. and will be watching at London.  Morgan Uceny won the 1500 at the Trials with Shannon Rowbury and Simpson neck-and-neck in second and third.  If you didn't catch the race at Eugene, here's an account:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/07/news/morgan-uceny-leo-manzano-win-1500m-finals_54917

I'm also not a fan of beer, but I know that lots of runners are.  So, here are the results of a study that shows that moderate--key word here--beer consumption is good for runners:  http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/07/09/benefits-of-moderate-beer-consumption/

A new countdown begins . . .

Okay.  It's approaching mid-July.  It's been eight weeks since the Colorado Marathon--my first target race of 2012.  In the weeks and months prior to Colorado, I blogged 4/5 times a week.  Unfortunately, since then I've been lucky to post twice a week.  No excuse.  But, I can do better.

I have two more target events scheduled this year:  the Pikes Peak Ascent and the Madison, Wisc. North Face Endurance Challenge.  The Ascent is now only 40 days off.  The Madison North Face event is only 68 days away.

So far, my training has been adequate.  I hope.  The very hot and humid July weather (lots of mid- to upper 90s and a few days of 100+) has curtailed my longer runs though and slowed my hill workouts.  Still, I've managed to get in three 20+ mile long runs and a hard hill workout every two weeks.

This week, I have a long run (20+ miles) scheduled for Wednesday morning--according to weather forecasts, the coolest morning this week.  On Saturday, I'm running a quaint local race: the Moonlight Chase 4-Mile.  It's an annual event held in a small town on the northern edge of the Quad-Cities.  It starts at 9:00 p.m. and the route is lined with luminaries.  Despite the dark, it's still warm and usually humid.  Last year, it was 80 degrees at the 9:00 p.m. start.  I do it for fun and count it as speed work.  Coming only three days after a 20+ mile effort, I'll need to be careful about pace though.   

This year's Western States 100 is in the books, but for all you masochists out there, there's still Hardrock.  That would be the Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run.  See the website here:   http://hardrock100.com/index.php

Western States is tough.  Hard Rock is tougher.  It's run in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado and there's 67,984 ft. of elevation change along the 100 mile route.  The average elevation is 11,186.  The cutoff for finishers at Western States is 30 hours.  It's 48 hours at Hard Rock.  In 2011, 140 runners started and 80 finished.

To hear what some of them have to say about the experience, see the video here:  http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/the-voices-of-hardrock-part-1-adventure.html

Onward and Upward

Memorial Day has come and gone.  Fortunately, so has the record-breaking heat that accompanied it.  The unseasonal temps hung around all weekend, but Sunday was the worst with an all-time high of 94 degrees.  With the humidity, it felt more like a July 4th holiday than Memorial Day Weekend.  I followed my 18-mile long run on Friday with cross-training on Saturday, a one-hour maintenance run on Sunday, cross training on Memorial Day, and a hill workout today.

With the weather forecast to cool off all week, I've decided to add another long run (18-20 miles) for Friday or Saturday.  Before then, I'll have another maintenance run and some cross training.

It's 12 weeks until the Pikes Peak Ascent and 16 weeks until the North Face Endurance Challenge.  Time to get serious! 

Frequent readers of this blog know that I'm a Shalane Flanagan fan.  Back in early January, I picked her to win the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails.  After the Trials, I picked her to be competitive for a medal in London.  Here's a recent interview that's encouraging and informative:  http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/05/22/brief-chat-shalane-flanagans-june-agenda/

The Western States 100 (coming up in June) is THE iconic trail ultra.  Here's an homage to the race by one of its most successful runners:  http://www.irunfar.com/2012/05/home-on-the-western-states-trail.html

Pete Larson of the popular running-shoe review blog runblogger.com updates his guide to minimalist running shoes here: http://www.runblogger.com/2010/07/runbloggers-guide-to-minimalist-running.html

My 3-week recovery from the Colorado Marathon is over.   This morning I graduated from recovery with an 18-mile run.  Felt good.  No problems.  On Sunday, I begin my train-up for the August 18 Pikes Peak Ascent. 

With the Pikes Peak Ascent coming up, I consulted a trainer about step-up exercises to help me prepare for the final 1-2 miles of the race.  I did several of the exercises this morning following my long run.  The race website encourages that you do step-ups following long runs to prepare for the series of step-ups near the end of the race when you will have tired legs. 

Here's an excellent story about the search for legendary ultra runner Micah True, who disappeared while running  in the rugged Gila Wilderness of New Mexico in late March:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/sports/caballo-blancos-last-run-the-micah-true-story.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

If you're looking for something unique, check this out:  http://thecolorrun.com/ 
It's a 5K race and is being run at sites across the country.  Runners are asked to wear a white shirt.  Along the way, volunteers throw colored dust (red, yellow, pink, and purple) on the passing runners.  The website has a video.  Check it out.  Looks like fun.  Maybe there's one close to you.

If you're a shoe junkie like I am, you'll be interested in this announcement:  http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/05/22/brooks-announces-puredrift-a-new-minimal-shoe/ 
Looks like Brooks is extending the PureProject to include a super-low weight shoe: the 5.6 oz. PureDrift.  It'll be available in January 2013.  Brooks also is updating the entire PureProject line with the PureFlow 2, etc.  

The Heat Is On

It's March again.  Weather-wise anyway.  But not traditional March.  It's the atypical, if not downright aberrant, March 2012.  With little warning, the pleasant spring-like weather that we've been enjoying since April Fool's has morphed into summer-like conditions not seen in Hog Heaven since . . . well, since March!  This is shaping up to be the wackiest weather year in recent memory.  We had June/July in March.  March in April.  And, now, July in May.  I worry what the weather gods have in store for us in July/August.  

After a day of cross training on Friday, I did a six-mile run on Saturday morning.  It was warm (mid- to upper-70s), sunny, and somewhat humid.  Not the best of days for my longest run since May 6's Colorado Marathon.  And, I felt it.  But, I survived intact.  I have one more week of active recovery before a scheduled 18-mile run next weekend.  The long--range forecast calls for low-90s next weekend.  Looks like I'll have to rise early and start before sunup or suffer the consequences. 

In my train-up for the August 18 Pikes Peak Ascent, I have registered for three local races: 1) the most popular Quad-City road race, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 (July 28), 2) the July 14 4-Mile Moonlight Chase run in Eldridge, Iowa, with a 9:00 p.m. start, and 3) the inaugural Run/Walk in the Park, a June 23 5K run on the cross-country trail in Bettendorf, Iowa's Crow Creek Park.  For more info about each, go here, here, & here:
http://www.cornbelt.org/r/rfh12app.pdf

http://www.moonlightchase.com/

http://www.bix7.com/2012/

A new study compares bananas to sports drinks as an energy source for endurance athletes.  See:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037479#s3
And if you're wondering, the humble banana did just fine.

Mothers (and Others) on the Run

Recovery is well underway from last Sunday's Colorado Marathon.  I mostly follow the recovery regimen in Jeff Galloway's Marathon: You Can Do It!   For three weeks following a marathon, Galloway advises alternating days of walking and running with most of the running limited to 45 minutes.  The exceptions are the three Sunday runs.  The first of these is four miles; the second, six miles; and third can be anywhere from 12 to 18 miles.  I ran the first of these--4 miles--this morning.  Slow and easy.  So far, so good. 

By Thursday after the marathon, all of the soreness in my legs from the race had dissipated.  Probably because I ran the marathon at less than predicted race pace.  Of course, the absence of pain doesn't mean the post-marathon threat of increased injury has passed too.  So, the smartest and safest thing is to continue following a recovery regimen until three weeks have passed since the marathon.  Then, and only then, will it be safe to begin training for our next goal race.  For me, that will be August 18's Pikes Peak Ascent.

The Pikes Peak website advises training for the Ascent--which is 13.32 miles up, up, up the iconic mountain--as if training for a hard flatland marathon.  So, I'll do pretty much what I did in the spring for the Colorado Marathon.  The differences are: 1) more hill workouts and 2) lots of step-up workouts.  Apparently, there are a series of difficult step-ups near the summit that have to be done 1) on extremely tired legs and 2) in oxygen-deficient air at 14,110 feet.  WHY AM I DOING THIS? 

Just in time for Mothers Day, Running USA released it latest report of women in running.  Find it here:
http://runningusa.org/node/82755#83211
Among its finding: In 2011, women made up 53% of the fields in road races.  I'm not surprised.  I just finished the 2012 Colorado Marathon, and I was surrounded by women--many of them passing me.  Officially, of the 996 Colorado Marathon finishers, 517 were female.  Only 479 were male.

We now know what killed legendary ultra-runner Micah True, aka Caballo Blanco: heart disease.  See the full story here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-rt-us-usa-marathon-autopsybre8471hr-20120508,0,1799324.story  True's body was found in the New Mexico wilderness on March 21 after he failed to return from a run.  True was featured in the best-selling Born to Run.

Tick, tick, tick . . .

Tick, tick, tick . . . The countdown has begun.  This time next week, the 2012 Colorado Marathon will be history.  I'll be indulging in my favorite guilty pleasures:  pizza and ice cream.   And, contemplating my next challenge: the Pikes Peak Ascent on Aug. 18. 

I did my final serious run this morning: 7.2 miles.  And, close to race pace.  The downside is that I felt a slight tweak again in my right calf.  It started at about mile 2 and went away shortly thereafter.  It was sobering, and I came home and submerged my lower legs in a cold bath for 20 minutes.  We'll see.  I'm going to line up at the starting line next Sunday morning and run as long as I can.  With luck, that'll be 26.2 miles!

This will be my easiest week (if you don't count Sunday's marathon) this year.  I'll cross train on Monday and Wednesday and run 4 miles on Tuesday and 3 miles on Thursday.  Friday will be spent driving from Hog Heaven (Iowa) to Ft. Collins.  Saturday in Ft. Collins will feature the Expo, a little sightseeing, and lots of rest. 

Looks like the weather forecast for the marathon has improved.  It now calls for a high temp of 68 (as opposed to 81 a few days ago) and only a 20% chance of showers.  The only fly in the ointment is the 11 mph wind from the Northeast.  If we can only get those turned around from the Northwest, we'll be in business!

It's hard enough finishing a marathon in a decent time without sabotaging yourself.  Here are some avoidable mistakes that could hold you back:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/04/training/the-5-biggest-marathoning-mistakes_40523

More evidence that a short stride is best: http://www.runblogger.com/

Are you a runner, a jogger, or something else?  Here's a nice affirmation:  http://running.competitor.com/2012/04/out-there/out-there-running-is-running_51457

Run a Mile Days

The late spring weather we've been enjoying for the past few days will morph into mid-spring weather tomorrow.   That's okay since mid-spring is a great time to run in Hog Heaven.  Mid-spring is in the forecast for the next 10 days.  Rejoice.

I ran one-hour maintenance runs both yesterday and today.  Took it slow and easy since I've noticed a bit of a tweak in my right groin area.  I don't think it's serious, but I'm going to take it easy anyway.  It's too close to race day--May 6 for the Colorado Marathon--to take a chance.  There's too much training in the book--over 3 months worth--to get sidelined now.  Tomorrow is cross training.  I'll see how I feel on Thursday morning before deciding what to run.  Or not.  Stay tuned.

An organization called the American Running Association (ARA) is sponsoring a Run a Mile Days event from May 6-12 in honor of the May 6 anniversary of the first sub-4:00 mile run by England's Roger Bannister back in 1954.  The ARA's short-term goal is to get schools and clubs across the country to sponsor mile runs during the week of May 6-12.   Their long-term goal is keep kids running and exercising year-round.  For the full story, see here: http://running.competitor.com/2012/04/news/national-run-a-mile-days-set-for-may_50181

Runners' World magazine posted this eloquent tribute to ultra running legend Micah True, aka Caballo Blanco, on its website:  http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/04/02/rip-micah-true-run-free-man/ 

Countdown Calendar:  Colorado Marathon--34 days
                                   Pikes Peak Ascent---138 days
                                   Madison North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile--166 days

Decisions, decisions

Today was another reminder that winter isn't over here in Hog Heaven.  It is cold and brisk, if sunny.  At least it was still sunny early in the day when I went out for a 7-mile maintenance run.  Again, since I'm coming off a 24-mile LSD on Thursday, I took this one slow and easy.  The good news is that I seem to be completely recovered from my effort on Thursday.  Tomorrow is cross training.  

Time's a wastin'.  I still haven't decided which (long) races to schedule for later this year.  I'm registered (and training) for the May 6 Colorado Marathon.  After that, who knows?  The problem is that several popular races that I've been considering begin (and end) registration this month.  (The Colorado Marathon is capped and usually closes early too, but I knew last fall that I wanted to run it.  Good thing since it closed before Dec. 31.)

The ever-popular Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. opens registration this week: March 7.   The Marathon takes place on October 28 meaning that decisions have to be made almost eight months in advance.  Even though it's the fourth largest U.S. marathon and the 9th largest in the world, last year's marathon sold out in just 28 hours.  So, you can see the dilemma for runners: either decide within a couple of days or miss out.   Since I don't see myself deciding by Wednesday, I'll likely be left out.  For those who are interested, here's the site: http://www.marinemarathon.com/

One week later, the equally popular Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon opens registration: March 15.  The Pikes Peak races are on August 18 (Ascent) and 19 (Marathon).  Registration is capped at 1800 for the Ascent and 800 for the Marathon and usually closes within days.  I'll probably miss that deadline too.  But, for those who are interested and more decisive, here's the link:  http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/entry.htm

Fortunately, my other alternatives--North Face Endurance Challenge in Madison, Wisc.; the Quad-Cities Marathon in my backyard; and the Amica Seattle Marathon in my son's backyard--remain options.  The North Face events are capped, but registration for the Madison venue did not close last year.  The other two are not capped.  The North Face Endurance Challenge events can be found here: http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/  The Quad-Cities event here: http://qcmarathon.org/

I'm also waiting to see what happens with my son.  Right now, he doesn't know where he'll be and what he'll be doing this fall so he can't make plans.  If he's going to be out of the country over Christmas, we'll visit him for Thanksgiving.  If we're going to be out in the Seattle area over Thanksgiving, we might as well run the marathon.  The link for it is here:  http://www.seattlemarathon.org/  I ran this race last fall and swore that I'd never run it again.  But marathons are a bit like child birth.  Or, so I hear.  It doesn't take long to forget the bad parts and savor the good parts.  The race itself is well-organized and run.  The weather on race day last year was nasty: cool, rainy, and windy.  (But, it was fall in Seattle.)  And, there are a couple of wake-up hills in the second half.

Destinations

The calendar says January, albeit the last day, but the weather outside is shouting early spring.  It was in the 50s here yesterday and should reach the 50s again today.  The early warmth seems to have put a spring in my step.  I ran today's 6-mile maintenance run at a quicker pace than I intended, or is probably wise.  But, it felt good at the time.  When I can shed some layers and don't have to worry about icy spots, my body just wants to go faster.  Go figure. 

The nice weather also has me looking forward to lining up and racing!  That plus the fact that I got an email this morning announcing that today is the first day to sign up for this year's North Face Endurance Challenge events.  More later.

Of course, older runners--like moi!--must think long and hard about the length of their racing season and the number of their races.  In both instances, too much can lead to injury and/or ennui.  This is another case where each individual runner has to figure work what works for him/her.

While some experts recommend limiting marathons to two per year, others are more liberal.  Jeff Galloway (Marathon: You Can Do It!), while not endorsing the practice, notes that it's possible to run another marathon as soon as a month later.  While I know people who race (5K, 10K, 5-Miles) almost weekly in the summer months with no apparent ill effects, the experts that I heed recommend limiting such races to no more than twice a month.  Again, one has to find what works for him/her.

I live to run, not to race, and I use races to measure how I'm doing.  As a result, I choose my races carefully.  I usually use December as a recovery month and do only light running.  Then, in January, I ramp up my training.  At that time, I check my notes and select the races that I'd like to do over the coming months.

I like to begin with a spring marathon.  Last year, I ran the Capitol City Marathon in Olympia, Washington.  (My son lives in the Seattle area and ran the marathon with me.)  This year, I've chosen the May 6 Colorado Marathon in Ft. Collins, Colo.  I try to do a second marathon in the fall.  Last year, I ran the Amica Seattle Marathon in November.  As things turned out, it was a race too far for me.  I had already done the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K at Madison, Wisc., in September.  Eight miles into the Seattle Marathon, I injured my right calf, and while I hobbled the rest of the way, it was slow and painful.  I don't won't to do that again.

This year, I'm going to limit myself to a single marathon or longer event in the fall.  Among the races I'm considering are the Madison North Face Endurance Challenge and the local Quad-City Marathon.

I do two local races in the summer: the Moon Light Chase in July and the Run With Carl on Labor Day.  This year, I'm considering the Pikes Peak Ascent in Colorado Springs, Colo.  We visit Colorado Springs every year, and there's no reason we couldn't time our visit to correspond with the Pikes Peak Ascent in mid-August.  Neither my son, who lived in Colorado Springs for several years and ran in the mountains, nor my wife is very supportive of my interest in running the Ascent. We'll see. 

If you're looking for races, you can find lists in lots of places including http://www.runnersworld.com/,  http://www.ultrarunning.com/,  http://running.competitor.com/, and http://www.trailrunnermag.com/index.php

Check out the Colorado Marathon here:  http://www.thecoloradomarathon.com/  Unfortunately this year's marathon is full, but there's always next year. 

Check out the 2012 North Face Endurance Challenge events here: http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/index.html

One year soon, I'd like to do the Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain, NY, but not this year.  It's the same weekend as the Colorado Marathon and they already have my money.  The Kansas City event is being moved from August to November.  Wise decision.  August in KC is too hot/humid for a marathon, much less a 50K.  There is no 50-Mile race in KC.  The KC event also is unique in that it's run on roads, not trails.  Right now, I'm considering running in Madison, Wisc. in September or KC in November.  I'm still debating distances.  I hope to try 50 miles one day, but don't know if I'm ready.  Anyway, my experience in Madison last year (50K) was very positive and I'm eager to return.  At some distance.  Registration for all North Face Endurance Challenge events opens today (January 31). 

The Pikes Peak Ascent/Pikes Peak Marathon has just posted entry information for the 2012 races.  You can find it here:  http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/entry.htm

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR to anyone who happens to find this blog. I'm calling it "RunningThru: Twenty 12" because: 1) I considered and rejected such clever titles as "OntheRun," "TakingFlight," "RunningAround," and many more and 2) the blog will cover my running adventures (and misadventures) throughout (hopefully) the coming year. I'm not sure if/why anyone else will/should be interested, but we'll see.

Last year was a decent running year for me. I completed two marathons and one ultra (the Madison, WI North Face Endurance Challenge 50K). I ran three other road races: 1) the Army 10-Miler, 2) Moonlight Chase 4-Mile (third in age group), and 3) Run With Carl 5K (third in age group).

I have an ambitious schedule for this year. I'm registered for the May 6 Colorado Marathon (http://www.thecoloradomarathon.com/) and plan to run the North Face Endurance Challenge in September. I haven't yet decided what distance: 50-Miler, 50K, or marathon, but I'm leaning toward 50 miles. The 50K (31 miles) is the farthest I've run. (My wife--also a runner but not as intense says that I'm crazy.) I'm also considering the Pikes Peak Ascent in August although my wife (again!) and son are trying to discourage me. She insists I'm crazy. He's more diplomatic and suggests that I might want to wait until I'm living and training in Colorado before trying to run up 8000 feet in elevation over 13 miles. Something about the air. We'll see.

So, I'm beginning the eighth week of a 26-week train-up for the Colorado Marathon. Today I ran 5 miles at race pace. Nothing exciting. I'm old. Race pace is slow--marathon race pace is 10:30; 5k race pace is 8:00. Actually, I ran about 15 seconds faster than race pace today. Despite using my Christmas gift from my son (Garmin Forerunner 405CX) for the first time, I still ran a bit too fast. This is Iowa--a.k.a. Hog Heaven--and today's weather was less than ideal: partly cloudy and 33 degrees with winds gusting up to 40 mph. The winds made it hard--actually impossible--to run a consistent pace! I'll be running 30 miles this week with a long run of 15 this coming weekend.

My New Year's running goals (not resolutions) are 1) a sub-4:20 marathon, 2) complete a 50-Miler within the allotted time, and 3) a 5k at 7:45 pace. What would life be without goals?

So, join me online and on the road . . . and trails this year.