2013 in Review / 2014 Schedule and Thoughts

Another year in the books! 2013 looked different than most as I was in TX four months completing Firefighter Academy with the Guard. Here's the numerical visual:

Jan- 368.7 miles, 0 days off, 11.9 daily avg
Feb- 277.5 miles, 3 days off, 9.9 daily avg
Mar- 371.9 miles, 1 day off, 12.0 daily avg
1st Q- 1018.1 miles, 4 days off, 11.3 daily avg
Notes: The year started off great with a PR at Moab (5th time at race) and a solid race at Salida.

Apr- 253.4 miles, 10 days off, 8.4 daily avg
May- 96.7 miles, 24 days off, 3.1 daily avg
Jun- 78.3 miles, 13 days off, 2.6 daily avg
2nd Q- 428.4 miles, 47 days off, 4.7 daily avg
Notes: Experienced some fatigue and sickness at Lake Sonoma resulting in a sub par performance. Rebounded at Quad Rock despite lingering fatigue. Left for TX on May 22 which kicked off my inspirational running options of the: track, treadmill, or flat pavement on Goodfellow AFB. The miles = my motivation during this time.

Jul- 90.8 miles, 14 days off, 2.9 daily avg
Aug- 70.1 miles, 17 days off, 2.2 daily avg
Sep- 108.3 miles, 16 days off, 3.6 daily avg
3rd Q- 269.2 miles, 47 days off, 2.9 daily avg
Notes: Returned to CO and civilian life on Sep 18. Ran Towers Sep 19. In one 3.4 mile, 1700 ft.ascent I gained more vert in :36 min than I did during 4 months in TX. The body rebelled returning to regular running. Super tight calves, twingey hamstrings, and other hitches in the giddy up started the comeback on a slower than anticipated return.

Oct- 234.8 miles, 7 days off, 7.5 daily avg
Nov- 202.2 miles, 11 days off, 6.7 daily avg
Dec- 225.9 miles, 6 days off, 7.3 daily avg
4th Q- 662.9 miles, 24 days off, 7.2 daily avg
Notes: With 2 weeks of running under my belt I ran a decent race at Bluesky given the circumstances. Decided to race my way into shape having a blast in the snow at Silent Trails the weekend after. Enjoyed getting back on the horse at Lory and Horsetooth. Capped off the year running under some cloudless NV skies and enjoying some logging trails next to Lake Tahoe.

Totals: 2378.6 miles, 369:53 run time, 122 days off, 6.5 daily avg, 46ish miles/wk avg.

Summits: Horsetooth- 37, Arthur's- 24, Aggie- 21, Towers- 6, Round- 1, Bobcat- 1, Greyrock- 1, Lone Tree- 1, Middle Bald Mtn- 1

Memorable Moments: Watching the Ultra Community come together and fund a trip for Bill Dooper to spectate at the 2014 Western States 100. This was the first thing that came to mind and I'll leave it at that.

2014 Schedule

Feb- Orcas Island 50K
Mar- Salida Marathon
May- Quad Rock 50M
Jun/Jul- TBD- Black Hills 100? Speedgoat?
Aug- Telluride Mtn Run or Pikes Peak Marathon
Sep- Run Rabbit Run 100M

Thoughts: I'm looking forward to getting in consistent training this year and improving my 100 mile game. A few notable changes for the year: I've been doing two-a-days every day. This surprised Clarkie's ears when I made my intentions known. In the past I have not been a big fan. Life is all about perspective. So here's the goal- Run at least 3000 miles for the year and walk the dog at least 500. Run and walk each day. Yup, walking the dog is now part of my official training plan. My mornings start with a 2 mile tempo at 3 MPH, it's epic! The mitochondrial proliferation during this time is through the roof. During an average week I'll put in 14-15. During high volume I hope to hit 18-20. Bailey Monster is stretching his paws in anticipation as I write this. Game. On. GRRR.

Diet: Over the past few months I've been transitioning to a high fat, lower carb eating plan and have gone 98% gluten free. After learning more and picking up tips from OOJ, FastEd, and K-Rob it has been a quality process of deconstructing a lot of the food beliefs I had built up in my life. I like the idea of a consistent fuel burn vs. the ups and downs of insulin response with carbs. I like the idea of eating nutrient dense food vs less useful calories that are more abundant in grains. I like the idea of less inflammation in my body. I've noticed more satiation eating a high fat/smaller portion meal vs. eating a low fat/larger portion meal. I've noticed improved joint health which I think is simply having more healthy oils in my diet and a decreased inflammatory response from a number of foods. These are a few of the insights/experiences I had while experimenting with this method. I'm also intrigued to see how it affects my overall racing and training throughout the year especially at the 100 mile distance.

Breakfast then: A huge bowl of my oatmeal blend. Breakfast now: 4 eggs fried in coconut oil, topped with half an avocado and salsa. Lunch then: A huge PBJ, banana, granola bar, and other fruit. Lunch now: A huge hearty salad with tons of colorful veggies, avo, nuts, and seeds. Apple slices dunked in almond butter. That's the gist. I'll spare the details. Here's to a happy and healthy 2014 with positive change.

BTW...Look out for J-Rob coming out from under the radar. The Seven Hills Silent Assassin is on the Warpath...