Last week's training

Monday 6.14 AM 14km row in 59:57 0:40 elliptical PM 1:53 ride 0:10 core
Tuesday 6.15 AM 2:18 ride
Wednesday 6.16 AM 0:10 core 14km row in 59:36 PM 2:58 ride- South River, Vesuvius, Irish Creek
Thursday 6.17 AM 2:11 ride 0:10 core
Friday 6.18 AM 14km row in 59:24 0:30 elliptical PM 2:17 ride- Bratton's Run (out on 60) on new ride 0:10 core
Saturday 6.19 AM 4:15 ride 60 to BRPW, down Vesuvius, meandered back
Sunday 6.20 AM 4:30 ride to Holcomb rock, one hour of coring, back along BRPW

Another pretty good week for training. 20:22 cycling, 3:00 rowing, and 1:40 elliptical with three productive days in the field. On the other hand, I missed my third consecutive Mt. Washington... Below, the Holcomb Rock Dam taken from the field site...

Last week's training

Monday J07: AM 4:10 ride to and from Holcomb Rock PM 0:10 core
Tuesday J08: AM 2:11 ride Big Hill Turkey Hill 0:10 core: All day in the field
Wednesday J09: AM 0:10 core 14km row in 59:55 60 min elliptical: All day in the field
Thursday J10: AM 2:55 ride- South River, Vesuvius, Irish Creek PM 14km row in 59:47
Friday J11: AM: 14km row in 59:39 0:30 elliptical: all day in the field PM: 1:45 ride- first ride on my new ride- felt terrible (little sleep last night)
Saturday J12: PM 3:45 ride Bratton's Run backward with up and over North Mt. 0:15 core
Sunday J13: AM 0:10 core 2:17 ride to Holcomb Rock via the BRPW (all day in the field) PM 2:29 ride back from Holcomb Rock via the BRPW

Comments: A good week with no real monster rides but with some solid work and 19:33 of riding, 3:00 of rowing, and 1:30 elliptical.

I'm out

With The Hill coming up in less than two weeks, I regret to announce that I will not be in attendance this year. This is the third year in a row that I have been on the road to Mt. Washington early on in the year and been sidelined with injuries. In 2008, I had just run a fantastic race at the Pittsfield Snowshoe Marathon when I felt a irritating pain in my left knee. I ran a leg of the Tuckerman's Inferno before switching to an ambitious regimen of x-training. I ended up getting surgery that summer (July) to remove a dislodged piece of cartilage. In 2009, I was running well with quite a bit of supplemental x-training when I started to add uphill treadmill tempo runs to my routine (7.6 miles at 12% 13.1 miles at 15% et cetera) when my knee problem returned (I had just added uphill treadmill work to my routine in 2008 when my initial problems began). When the 2009 race came around, I was coming off of a very bad May and June, I was forced to withdraw again. I ran a few races later in 2009 but with not much success. Late fall of 2009, I had another hiccup- this time with my left (non-surgery) knee but by the beginning of 2010, I was once again on the road to The Hill. I had decided to use a cycling-heavy build up with specific hill-rep preparation for The Hill. I had worked up my long-run to 2:45 and had just started hill reps back in March when I started feeling pain in my right (surgery) knee. This was completely different than previous problems. Before, there was a dull pain right in the middle of the knee joint; this time, there is a sharp pain front and lateral. I took a few weeks of cross-training before trying to run (and then limp around for two weeks). Another few weeks, another run, and another few weeks of limping. I launched into my riding with the idea that with even a month of specific (running) training to supplement my cycling strength and endurance, I could maybe run well enough to make my ninth national mountain running team. Now that it is early June (and my knee is not improving at all), I have come to the realization that I will not be racing at The Hill (or probably anywhere) this year.

After three second-place finishes (and a 3rd and a 4th), and after living in New England for eight years, winning Mount Washington had been the at the top of my list of goals since I first ran in 2002. Granted, there was no chance of that in 2010... ...but it still would have been nice to compete and to see the many, many friends that will be racing. This year, it's going to be great. It is the 50th running, the national championship, and the only national team trial race. It is going to be the mountain race on the US scene for 2010 and might be the most competitive domestic field in the history of US mountain running. Missing it will be very, very difficult for me. I would like to wish all of the racers good luck.

A brief report on racing so far in 2010

Here is what I have been up to on the racing front for the first 1/2 of 2010.

April 10th: Rock Hill Omnium Road Race: I won the Cat 4/5 35+ road race on a solo breakaway from about 20 miles out in my first ever mass-start race... On my Moto... Results

April 11th: Rock Hill Omnium Criterium: On the following day, I lead for five of the last six laps before finishing 16th (again in the cat 3/4 35+) crit. Results

May 1st: Wintergreen Ascent: I finished 4th overall at the VA state hillclimb championship in Wintergreen behind some pretty fast dudes. There was a 6-foot long dead eastern diamond back on the course! Results

May 9th: TomatoHead Omnium Time Trial: I was really pumped for this race since I have wanted to do a time trial for a while; unfortunately, the race was a one-mile time trial with 11 turns- two of which were greater than 90 degrees...

May 9th: TomatoHead Omnium Criterium: I rode the masters (30+) crit and got my butt kicked! I think that I not very good at crits...

May 29th: Tour of Tucker County: Fitness/performance-wise I had a great day. 0:26 in, I was in the back of the lead pack and the climbs were feeling really easy when I flatted (front) and had to work really hard to catch up. I caught up on the top of the loop and had a few minutes to rest when I managed to drop my chain (random bump) at the bottom of a short hill. I lost some more time on the big downhill and then dropped my chain again (WTF?). I was far enough behind the lead pack that I blew a turn (the marshals must have assumed that I was in the pro/1/2/3 race and let me start a second lap). I probably went a mile out my way before catching up to some cat 3 riders and figuring out my mistake. I turned around and hit the last climb (7 miles long) hard and it took forever for me to pass anyone. I managed to pass all but the top two riders who were 30 seconds in front of me at the finish line. We were all under the old CR by quite a bit. I am looking forward to two laps at next year's race. Results

Last couple of week's training

Monday, May 3rd: PM 1:50 ride with Elliot
Tuesday, May 4th: PM 2:13 ride- North Mountain from the Side
Wednesday, May 5th AM 1:30 cycling- easy, spent all day in the river with EFM class with lots of swimming and wetsuit work PM 1:00 cycling- easy (tired)
Thursday, May 6th AM 1:00 elliptical, 5km rowing- wanted to do more but my arms were wrecked from swimming all day on Wednesday PM 2:10 cycling- up and down North Mountain
Friday, May 7th AM 0:10 core, 10km rowing erg in 43:XX, 0:20 elliptical PM 0:15 cycling
Saturday, May 8th AM 1:05 cycling- easy PM 0:32 cycling- easy, 0:10 core
Sunday, May 9th AM Tomatohead Omnium... 1:30 wu/1 mile TT/20 min cd/0:50 wu/0:40 crit/0:49 cd = 3:20 cycling

Monday, May 10th PM 2:00 easy ride
Tuesday, May 11th AM 2:11 ride cold and raining PM 10km row in 40:34 (fastest time in a while)
Wednesday, May 12th AM 1:55 ride PM 1:23 ride
Thursday, May 13th AM 1:15 elliptical & 0:45 row PM 2:12 ride
Friday, May 14th AM 0:45 row (10km in 42:49) 0:30 elliptical PM 1:50 0:10 core
Saturday, May 15th 6:50 ride- South River to Vesuvius north on BRPW to Shenandoah National Park back on Irish Creek
Sunday May 16th AM 4:04 South River to Vesuvius to Robinson Gap

Monday, May 17th AM 0:45 elliptical & 0:45 row (10km in 42:46) PM 1:00 indoor cycling 0:10 core
Tuesday, May 18th 2:36 North Mountain- muddy and soft PM 0:45 row (10km in 41:24)
Wednesday, May 19th AM 1:26 ride with Elliot 0:15 core PM 1:00 elliptical (8.7 miles) & 0:30 row
Thursday, May 20th 1:47- 1 hour on own, 0:47 with Elliot - high rpm drills PM 0:45 row (10km in 39:49)
Friday, May 21st AM 0:21 ride back from dropping off the van PM 3:30 ride on North Mountain (I was really tired and slow)
Saturday, May 22nd: 3:34 ride somewhere...
Sunday, May 23rd: 4:46 ride out to Devils Marble Yard and back on the BRPW & Robinson Gap

Monday, May 24th: 0:10 core 3:11 out South River, up Vesuvius, back Irish Creek PM 0:60 rowing
Tuesday, May 25th: 3:12 out South River, up Vesuvius, back Irish Creek PM 0:30 row
Wednesday, May 26th: AM 0:60 row & 0:45 elliptical PM 1:00 ride
Thursday, May 27th: AM 0:45 row & 0:40 elliptical PM 2:04 with Elliot
Friday, May 28th: AM 0:35 cycling easy 0:10 core PM 0:30 cycling easy
Saturday, May 29th: AM 0:30/1:51 Tour of Tucker County/0:35 cd PM 0:15 core
Sunday, May 30th: AM 2:35 easy ride 0:15 core

Monday, May 31st: AM 2:18 ride out Forge back on Plank with add on (briefly lost) 0:10 core (field work all day)
Tuesday, June 1st: AM 2:09 Big Hill Turkey Hill 0:10 core (field work all day) PM 0:49 ride out 60 back on Furrs Mill
Wednesday, June 2nd: AM 2:10 Big Hill Turkey Hill 0:10 core (field work all day)
Thursday, June 3rd: AM 2:04 ride out Forge back on Plank with add on 0:10 core PM: 14km row in 1:00:39 (field work all day)
Friday, June 4th: 4:11 ride to Holcomb Rock and back 10 min core
Saturday, June 5th: AM 4:16 ride to Holcomb Rock and back 0:10 core PM 0:35 ride- Turkey Hill PM 0:30 ride- back
Sunday, June 6th: AM 4:00 ride to Holcomb Rock and back