"The point of it all is Out There, a little beyond the last rise you can just barely see, hazy and purple on the sky. These pages are windows. And windows are to see through." ~Terry and Renny Russell
Monday, 8/25--Off Tuesday, 8/26--Intervals w/Run Wild Missoula 2 x 600, 400, 300, 200 with short rests and a 5 min. rest between sets @ mile pace, 50 minutes
The legs still felt kind of heavy from last weekend's outing to Big Sky, but I was able to stay between 4:35 and 5:05 pace, setting some PRs for short distances (69 second lap!). I was surprised to be able to pull off those kind of laps, but there were some fast guys to chase and I feel like I had a better capacity to dig deep than in previous workouts. I'll need to make sure not to get overeager to gauge my fitness throughout this taper, and plan to just have 1-2 quality days per week, even when the legs start feeling pep again.
Wednesday, 8/27--Up South Sentinel, Down Sentinel and Back 4,020', 1:59
A slow hill climbing run in the midday heat. I felt sore from yesterday, so I just took it easy. I'd never run more than maybe half a mile at sub 5 minute pace, and yesterday was nearly two miles total at sub 5 pace. It's a different kind of sore than I've been used to, which is good. I need to keep it hard easy hard easy.
Thursday, 8/28--South Sentinel + North Ridge 3,023', 1:28
Up South Sentinel, down the North Ridge a ways and back. Legs felt okay, but not great, so I just took it easy. My quads have been feeling really heavy when I start climbing immediately after descending, but it goes away after a few hundred feet of up. Friday, 8/29--South Sentinel + a bit of gratuitous vert. 2,011', 1:01
Another easy run, up to the top of South Sentinel + a bit extra up to get over 2,000 vert. This may have been my slowest ascent to the summit (~37 minutes), but I need an easy day. Saturday, 8/30--South Sentinel, North Ridge, Sentinel Gulch + 1,000' on Sentinel 5,096', 2:20
The legs had some pep! I hit the summit in 34 minutes at what felt like an easy pace, went down the North Ridge, up Sentinel Gulch, and descended Sentinel for 1,000' before turning back around. The temps were a little cooler than what I've been running in, but I think taking it easy has finally paid off, and I'm finally showing signs of recovery from two big weeks. Now I just need to make sure not to overdo it (the massive load of schoolwork is helping).
Sunday, 8/31--South Sentinel, North Ridge, Sentinel Gulch, Sentinel 5,968', 2:37
Getting some steep in quick felt pretty good. This was an early afternoon run, so it was a bit of a sweat fest. Everything was a bit faster than yesterday, and I think I set a PR running down Sentinel (not sure of the exact time, 12:something). I could have worked on the uphills more, but overall the run was fast enough to be considered a quality workout. Windy.
20,118', 10:15
A relatively low volume, low time commitment week, with the legs feeling more energetic every day. This was also a week without travel, every run being done from my apartment. Part of this is due to a heavy load of schoolwork, and partly due to some financial constraints after buying several hundred dollars of textbooks. Travel will be pretty restricted for the rest of the year, except for races.
No Pictures (You all know what Sentinel looks like) I've been waiting for this--Strand of Oaks Live on KEXP:
Monday, 8/18--Off Tuesday, 8/19--Up South Sentinel, Down to Evans St. and Back 4,025', 1:58
A morning run just to test the legs after some long days on Lone Mountain. Pengelly used to seem difficult, but after a couple days going up and down piles of loose rock in Big Sky this trail seems almost laughable. It's still decent training for The Rut 50k, though.
Wednesday, 8/20--Pengelly, North Ridge South Sentinel, Sentinel Gulch, Down Sentinel--Reverse 6,046', 2:56
Same route as last Monday, same effort, 4 minutes faster. I still feel like anything two hours or under allows me to keep recovering. I'm still feeling a little lag from last week, but I'm ready to keep pushing a little longer. Cloudy cool weather, running through dew. I was drenched up to my thighs.
Thursday, 8/21--Over Sentinel and Up University, plus some Gratuitous Up 4,270', 2:02
A cloudy but warm run, feeling a little slow. This was right after a roughish day at work--still, my time up University was about average for a below average effort. I followed this immediately after with 35 minutes of strength and conditioning, and was very fatigued at the end. 35 minutes is normal, but usually I give myself a break between workouts.
Friday, 8/22--Rut 50k Scouting 7,240, 4:50
Up Bonecrusher, around the base of Deadgoat Ridge, up to the ridge, down by Challenger, then up a bit more and back down. The new climb to Deadgoat Ridge is tough! I ran into Mike Wolfe and crew up there making a bit of trail and putting in bolts for a fixed line, which definitely isn't a bad idea considering the terrain. It was really foggy on parts of this run (visibility 150'), causing me to lose track of the right route coming down from Challenger. A day well spent.
Saturday, 8/23--Andesite Mt. Repeats 5,151', 2:49
Ran up to the summit via ski slopes, then took service roads down to the Moose Tracks trail. From the bottom of Moose Tracks, I ran 4 repeats back up to the summit sticking to the 50k course. It's a tricky transition in this section, going from super steep to totally runnable. On the steepest section, I slid back down the hill a couple times with all the rain and muck, but figured out a good way up past this section--going straight up when it's muddy doesn't work.
Sunday, 8/24--Rut 50k Scouting 8,322', 6:18
I woke up to windows covered with snow, and spent the entire morning running around in snow and mud. From Moonlight Lodge, I went up the very gradual Elkhorn Trail, took service roads over to the moraine, and slowly and carefully climbed the snow covered talus field leading to Deadgoat Ridge. From here, I followed the course all the way to Cowflats (summiting Lone Peak), and ran back to Moonlight with only a slight detour. It took me awhile to find the trail going from the first talus field after the descent off Lone Peak to Dakota Lift, but I managed to find it via following some deer tracks, and finally spotting the trail again. The descent off Lone Peak seemed like it could possibly be faster in snow, but most everything else was a good bit slower. This course is doable (and still within confines of safety) if snow covered, but it changes the mountain section of the course drastically.
35,054', 20:53
The bulk of the time and gain this week was on the Rut 50k course, just getting to know more of the terrain and spend time at altitude. Sunday's run was one of my favorites so far this year, and a real awakener to just how difficult the course could be with unfavorable weather. I feel pretty comfortable on the mountain section of the course, but still need to check out the mellow sections if possible next weekend. Fall semester starts tomorrow, which really should hep with this taper business.
This seemed familiar
The Prow
Wolfepaw working on the trail
Don't look down
The steepest section on the course
Looking back down
The last steep uphill of the course ...
From here on the course is totally runnable
The climb to Deadgoat Ridge
The steep gully runner's will go down (where the fixed rope will be), a little sketchy
On Deadgoat Ridge
Tramdock
The techy section on Bonecrusher
Nearing the summit
A short and choppy video of some snowy trail (descending Lone Peak), just to give an idea of how runnable this section actually is:
Monday, 8/11--Hills around Sentinel 6,043', 3:00
I ran from 9:30 to 12:30, and the heat (mid-80's) was difficult to deal with at the end. This was a bit of a slow pace, but I feel that it's better training than some of the mountain slogging I did last week. The time was about what I expected for 6k, because I'm still a little sore from all the running around on Saturday.
Tuesday, 8/12--Sentinel x 4 + a bit extra 7,638, 3:37
This felt better than yesterday, and my splits were very consistent (34 to the top, 18 down). The times were a little slow, but I'm still a little fatigued and am trying to do more Long Slow Days. The first time I ran Sentinel x 4 I was doing about 44 minute round trips, but that was in cooler weather and in an easier week.
Wednesday, 8/13--Snowbowl North Facing Hills 7,538', 3:35
Almost the same stats as yesterday. Some pleasant early morning repeats up and down the Paradise ski slope, plus a bit of single track on the Centennial Trail and some scrambling up in the cliffs. I didn't get sun until about 9, and was off the hill by 11, plus the higher altitude helped to keep the temps cool. The legs are getting used to 3+ hour runs again (I'm worried those four days of no running threw my body a curveball).
Thursday, 8/14 AM--Mt. Ward 4,606', 2:31
An early run starting before sunrise up one of the Missoula area's biggest climbs. Half an hour in, I was treated to some light showers, lasting maybe 30 minutes, but by the time I hit the summit the rain had passed. I was thinking of running this twice, but thought it might go a little faster and decided to spend the extra time napping instead. That's the best decision I've made this week.
PM--Pengelly Ridge, North Ridge South Sentinel 3,054', 1:28
A late night run in the dark, giving my headlamp a good test for the first time. I may have run a little slower than during daytime, but not much, and could see well even on the steep descents. Lightning played across the sky to the east, but not much more than a sprinkle and a few murmured thunderclaps came my way.
Friday, 8/15--Sentinel Repeats 5,146', 2:17
For ten minutes of this run, I was being pounded by small hail and heavy winds, but by the end of the run my shirt was dry and all the rocks were no longer slick. This felt pretty good, and my repeat during the storm was about 45 minutes round trip--fairly good for being in an exhausted state. Today felt easy, even though it was still nearly a mile of up.
Saturday, 8/16--Rut 50k Scouting 9,357', 5:57
A big day, just a few minutes shorter than my finishing time from last year. I first headed up to the new ridge section, climbing beneath the Challenger Lift--I couldn't find anything that seemed like a good way down the other side (until I drove over to Moonlight Basin later this day), so went down a chute called "Parachute" to Tram Dock, then up Bonecrusher, down the 50k descent, back up, down and up Bonecrusher one more time, and then down, mostly, with some more up in the middle. I ran this pretty slow, just trying to commit parts of the course to memory, especially the downhill sections. The top of Bonecrusher is challenging to run down, but even that becomes more runnable the more I learn the terrain.
Sunday, 8/17--More Rut 50k Scouting 6,684', 4:06
Up Swiftcurrent and Bonecrusher, down the 50k descent off Lone Peak, back up, and then I repeated the last 1,000' of climbing up Lone Peak and back down to the bottom of Swiftcurrent. On the way down I actually felt decent, and took about 40 minutes from summit back to base, running down faster than the Swiftcurrent Lift. That being said, that's probably about what Kilian's ascent time will be a few weeks from now in the Vertical Kilometer.
50,066', 26:31
That number isn't a coincidence, and was my goal all week. Biggest week of vertical for me, ever. And I don't feel too bad. Midweek I feel like I had a bit of a crash, but then I tried to eat a little more and a little more healthy, and bounced back. I'm hoping to make a couple more outings to Lone Mountain before race day, but feel confident about getting sub-6 even with the limited scouting I did this week (just repeats up and down the mountain, really). The altitude hit me a bit, but not too bad, and I think it was more just being tired from the previous big days this week. I'm feeling good, and now begins the taper.
Ward Mt. Summit
The new ridge section
The "Parachute" gully I came down (not part of the race course)--loose!
I think we join the ridge at the left end of this picture--"Parachute" gully in the middle
Brilliant saxophonist! Reminds me of Phillip Glass:
Monday, 8/4--NE Ridge Gray Wolf Peak 6,724', 6:39
Another day getting lost in the Mission Mountains. I spent a considerable amount of time heading up the wrong ridge line (the south ridge) and getting cliffed out. The route was less bushy and steep, though, than the trail to Lucifer Lake, and it was some really fun scrambling on the final ridge to the summit. I was kind of exhausted, probably due to consecutive big days and not getting much sleep.
Tuesday-Friday (Off) Saturday, 8/9 AM--Getting Lost 3,531', 2:24
I started out doing the Standhope 60+k, but got lost early on, and by the time I was back on the trail there was no one in sight and no flagging left. Unsure of where to go and on my own, I ran back to the start of the race, only to find no one left there either. I started running the roads to Copper Basin, and hitched a couple rides to get to the Fall Creek TH. Kind of a disappointment to go out of contention, but I felt the responsible thing to do was to alert the RD that I'd gotten lost, rather than continue without any indication of where to go. Unfortunately, I also led 4th and 5th place off route as well, though they turned around long before I did, and this led to a much less competitive race for the two guys who went out fast. I should have been more cognizant of the lack of flagging, but I ran for quite a ways until the trail petered out because I'm used to low key mountains races having few flags, and I saw no alternative trail. It seemed like the race had no sweep, because they were surprised to hear I hadn't made the first aid station cutoff when I finally informed them at Fall Creek. Afternoon--Fall Creek TH to Starhope CG (Standhope 25++k) 5,104', 3:23
Back on the course, they let me run the shorter race, which comprises the end of the 60+k. No longer eligible for prize money, I decided to just make this another run in the mountains. I did fairly well on the climb up to Standhope Pass, catching the guy who finished 2nd (and had a 30+ minute lead on me before I left Fall Creek) near the top of the pass, but felt slow on the downhill. I got lost three times on this section of the course, but was fortunate enough to get lost with other people each time. The 25k seemed to have less climbing and a lot more distance (about 4 extra miles) than I was anticipating, as well as more downed trees than I would expect in what is supposed to be a competitive event. It was an interesting run, and the RD allowed my time to count towards the shorter race, but it felt much more like a run in the woods than a race, since I was almost two hours late to the start of the shorter race. The climb up to the pass was beautiful country, and more runnable than I'd thought it would be. I'm glad I at least got to see the "meat" of the course, and glad that at least Kristina Pattison was able to represent Missoula well, winning the long course. This is a fledgling race in need of more support if it's to become a staple in the running scene (more flagging, clearer directions to the campgrounds, more ready aid station volunteers), but the course is definitely deserving of a great race. It's also deserving of beer at the end, of which there was none. All I can say is, Thank God for The Runner's Edge.
Sunday, 8/10--North Ridge of South Sentinel Repeats 3,889', 1:48
I started this run in the heat of the day, at 5 o'clock, feeling exhausted, but I was able to meet my goal--start out moderate and run each repeat a little faster. After running up from Evans St., I started at the gate, ran up to the Pengelly Rock and back, with the first round trip being about 29:50, and the second and third being 28:40 and 28:15, respectively. Each uphill was a little bit slower, but I kept feeling better on the downhill, and ran the last descent in about 7 minutes, which is good for me since it's just over 1,000'. I pulled the plug on this after 3 repeats because I was feeling really hungry, and felt that I couldn't run a fourth repeat in under 28:15.
19,248', 14:14
This was a shorter week than expected, but I may have needed the break anyway. I had a very strange sort of a win and sort of a loss at the Standhope 25++k, clocking the fastest split on the second half of the course in time trial fashion by a good 13 minutes, even with getting lost. This week was useful, however, in that I learned a couple things--race vests are too heavy for races under 8 hours, and I need to run at least 15 minutes a day early in the week of a race otherwise I go kind of crazy.
Monday, 7/28--Snowbowl Exploring 3,393', 2:00
A 90 degree run without much shade. I stuck mostly to the slopes, starting in Sunrise Bowl and ending on Lower Paradise, with a few detours in between. I tried to make it down to an unnamed lake in Grant Creek Basin, but turned back just because it was more bushy and steep than expected. The legs felt okay, but it was mostly my mind that was tired. Recovering from a 15 hour stint in the woods will take a little while.
Tuesday, 7/29--Trapper Peak via Trail 133 3,591', 1:58
A pleasant evening run up to high point of the Bitterroot Mountains, at 10,157'. With the legs still a little leaden, I took it easy up, reaching the summit in 1:10, and hanging out for a couple minutes to snap pictures. I didn't notice the altitude, but I also wasn't pushing it. Once I hit treeline again, at 9,000' I started pushing a bit just to get in under 2 hours. Wednesday, 7/30--North Trapper Peak via Olbu SE Face (Baker Lake TH) 7,444', 4:40
This run didn't start off too well. I originally planned to make it back to Missoula in time for class at 11, but my watch switched to a different setting and my alarm didn't go off, putting me over two hours behind when I woke up! I skipped breakfast, put on my running shoes and started hightailing it up the trail. When I started repeatedly getting off route in the cross country section, I gave up hope of making it to class, and just tried to enjoy the scenery and be safe. On the face, I kept getting cliffed out and having to turn around. A lot. If my watch is correct, then I added about 3,000' vertical of getting lost throughout this route, which doesn't surprise me. The route is really simple, but I kept looking for a prominent black dike that's supposed to be traversed. In the end, I just scampered up the slabs, not worrying about the black dike. I also did some extra up and down in the couloir, mostly being indecisive if I should cross snow or find a route on the rock. A good day in the mountains, though! This route could go under 3 if a good runner stuck to the route. A nice linkup might be doing Trapper and North Trapper both from Baker Lake, for an extra dose of ridgeline.
Thursday, 7/31--Off Friday, 8/1--"Skyline Experience", GNP 7,745', 6:59
What a route! It's about twenty miles, but almost all the climbing is in the middle ten. The descent off Siyeh covered 3,000' of vert. in what looks like barely over a mile on the map! I was lured into this route by the long ridgeline traverse, ending atop Mt. Siyeh, which had been emblazoned in my mind long ago by Kelly Cordes' Dirtbag Diaries podcast, and his one day ascent of Siyeh's 3,500'(!) north face. The run went well, pretty simple routefinding, but the descent down the west couloir took longer than anticipated (almost two hours from summit back to trail). 3,000' of steep scree with broken cliffs makes for a rough time. I spotted a griz near the summit, foraging through the rocks for moths or little critters to eat. At the end, I popped out on a dirt road, and it took me awhile to get my bearings since I'd left in the dark. After asking three different parties where I was, I finally found the trailhead again, barely getting in under seven hours. A long, perfect, halcyon day!
Splits--
Left trail, 37 minutes
Wynn Mt., 1:54
Point 9,190, 2:50
Siyeh Summit, 4:01
Piegan Pass Trail, 5:55
TH, 6:59 (phew!)
Saturday, 8/2--Marshall Mt. 10k Trail Run, 3rd 1,481', 46:44
This was an interesting experiment. My legs held up better than I thought they would, but not well enough to stay ahead of Hoka Athlete Jeremy Wolf. It was hot enough, at 6 PM, that I felt parched the whole run, and having coffee before a race, I learned, might not suit me. I felt like I was breathing in coffee flavored air throughout the run, which is fine except when it's in the high 80s out. The course was really fun, with few flattish sections and some short and steep climbing. I could have been a little more patient the first lap (second lap was about 90 seconds slower), but I was surprised to do as well as I did on sore legs. This is a great confidence builder for Standhope 60k next weekend, which I'm hoping to race patiently with a fast latter half.
Sunday, 8/3--Mission Mountains bushwacking/night walking 4,180', 4:57
A total shit show. I left after work to go for a summit attempt on the West Face of Mountaineer Peak, and didn't start running until 6. The trail heading past Mission Falls is pretty steep, bushy, scrambly and hard to follow at times, so that slowed me down quite a bit. After skirting the shore of Lucifer Lake, I entered what I knew would be a bushwacking section, but I was wholly unprepared for the hour + of wandering through tall and thick bushes. At one point, I was boulder hopping and bushwacking at the same time! I turned back once I hit the second lake (which may have been the wrong lake), and tried to get back, at least to the official trail, before dark. This didn't happen. Also, I realized the headlamp I grabbed had no batteries in it (they'd been switched to my other headlamp, the one I should have grabbed). Improvising, I used the screen on my camera as a low power flashlight to see the few feet in front of me, and had to walk the last hour back to the car. The Mission Mountains kicked my butt.
27,834', 21:21
My first week of real mountain running this year, and I've a lot to work on if I want to hit some of the more difficult summits around here. This might not be the best training, but it's pretty damn fun. Glacier was a highlight, and I may try to take another trip up there, but only if I find another high quality route without crowds. The Mission Mountains seem like a good playing ground, mostly because they're undeveloped enough and unmaintained enough that it's a real challenge. I was psyched to podium in the middle of this week, after a 7 hour day, so hopefully that's a sign that I'll do well at the 60k next weekend, especially with a good bout of rest.
Cairns by Point Six
North Trapper Peak
On the SE Face
Huge hunks of granite north of North Trapper
This is the best way down, squeezing between the snowfield and the wall
Craggy North Trapper
Swiftcurrent Lake
The Siyeh cirque catching the first rays of sun
Follow this ridge line for a good day
I saw more mountain goats than people on this route
Approaching Point 9,190
Clouds flowing over Cracker Peak
4,200' of vertical between summit and lake
The long descent
The route went down this slope, left of the snow couloir in this picture
Another shot. The descent was steep, and it took a long time.
An image pulled from the web of the descent route--steep, loose and sustained!
Hidden Falls
The griz
Mission Falls
Unnamed peaks in the Mission Mountains, Lucifer Lake
A video a couple guys made of the "Skyline Experience," which helped lure me into choosing that route--it seems like they got seriously off route going up Wynn Mt., and didn't always take the least technical line along the ridge, or the most solid talus on the descent (it doesn't have to be as difficult as these guys made it appear). Still, it's good beta if interested.
