Trail Running Reports
Friday, February 27, 2004
Brook Loop: Striving for consistency
I ran the Brook Loop again this morning. I run this loop so much it is
sick. I should have more variety, but the trailhead is so convenient, the
loop (5 miles, 1100 vertical feet) so perfect, the trails so fun, that I
can't resist.
On Wednesday conditions were pretty good and I went hard. I made
the Shadow Canyon service road in 14:10 and knew I had a shot at
the coveted sub-40. I crossed the creek at 22:08 and pushed hard
on the descent to nab a 39:39.
Yesterday, I did about 35 miles on the bike with Jeb, most of it at a
comfortable pace, but we got in at least 15 minutes of pretty hard work
on the ride up to Jamestown and then the backside of Lee Hill Road (I
recorded my time there as the FKT since we didn't have a time as of yet).
Today, I went back to the Brook Loop. I wore my cross-country racers
and was gunning for sub-40 from the get go. I went pretty hard from
the start and was dismayed that I hit the Service Road in 14:27 this
time. I only had 21 seconds to spare last time and now I'm already
behind by 17 seconds. I thought about giving up. Did I want to hurt that
bad and run 40:15? I decided to keep up the intensity until it was
out of reach.
I crossed the creek at 22:17. I had made up a few seconds and was
now only 9 seconds behind Wednesday's time.
I made it over to the Mesa Trail in 5:33, then down to the Big Bluestem
in 1:17, reaching this at 29:08, leaving me 10:52 to get back to the
trailhead. I usually think 12 minutes from here is smoking, but you
need to push considerably harder than "smoking" to break 40.
I pushed, but I had lapses when it hurt too much. I hit the Mesa
Trail at 35:28. Normally it is a hard, hard 5 minutes from here to
the finish, though I have done it in 4:30 on PR pace. I wanted to
give in yet again, but it wasn't impossible yet.
I emerged from the single-track cut-off, where it is two minutes to
the finish, going hard. I had only 1:51 in which to cover it. I hit
the wood bridge and sprinted for the finish, crossing at 39:59! This is
probably only the 6th or 7th time I've ever broken 40 and certainly
the first time I've ever done it consecutively. This stuff, for an
admitted numbers-nut, can be addictive. Now I want to see how
long of a streak I can get of sub-40 times. I've always had a long-term
goal of getting this loop where I can go sub-40 on just a "tempo"
effort. Today was more like a PR-effort, but well off my best of
37:30. Conditions were a bit icy in spots, but generally pretty
good.
Heart rate info (getting really nerdy here). It took 2m15s for my
heart to rise to 150bpm. I started with a heart rate of 93. I didn't
hit 160 until 7m15s, but I dipped immediately back into the 150's
and didn't hit 160 again until 10m15s. I won't dip below 160 again.
I didn't hit 170 until 23m30s. I guess I was dogging it. I should
have been above 170 from 10 minutes on. I dipped below a
minute later and didn't get solidly above it until 35m15s - entering
the final push. I maxed out at a paltry 176 on the final sprint.
Kreighton hits this rate taking a dump! :-) But Koski can't even
hit this number. Yet both are far fitter than me. Curious stuff.
I hear Kreighton is recovering nicely from ankle surgery and is
out running the trails. His wife says he's working out in seclusion
so that when he returns, it won't be at the tail end of any group,
but out in front. Koski, get your butt down here and run your
wife's namesake trail run. We need a new record on this course!
Or maybe Brian "Hollywood" Hunter will come take the title...
What a lot of drivel over an obscure training run...
