Shifting into recovery mode

For the next ten days the focus will be on recovery; then either I will do the Whiteface VK sky race or the Prouty long bike ride.

This past month - leading up to my trip and then the time in the Sierras - was a heavy volume for a septuagenarian. During that month I managed just over 63 hours, while  logging 22,125' vertical. 

Given the massive amount of travel, it makes sense to take the foot of the gas. 

BLAST FROM THE PAST … my first skimo setup

From issue #1 of Alpine/Nordic: The Journal Of Unconventional Skiing. It was published by Alpine Research Inc in 1981, by the folks making Ramer bindings. I am not sure, but this may be the first, and only issue, published.

My first ski mountaineering setup - 1979 to 1981 - working for Colorado Outward Bound was a pair of Rossi Strato alpine skis, mounted with Ramer bindings, used with leather Galibier double boots. (In fact, I still have the skins that I used with this setup, and they do double duty, as backups for my pomoca race skins on my Dynafit PDG race skis.)

A 26 hour travel day

Mark dropped me off at the Reno-Tahoe airport, after a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  Three planes; a dismal presidential debate; the upgrade to first class; a heroic pickup in Albany by Selden who fought a monumental Northway traffic jam, and the arrival at our farm with an excited and bounding Stash.

Bone tired and weary, not yet on east coast time; I woke up to the start of the Western States 100 mile race.  Very weird to watch the athletes heading up the trail that I had been jogging on, just 30 hours ago. 

Jessie Diggins and the Broken Arrow

https://fasterskier.com/2024/06/jessie-diggins-agrees-yes-that-was-stupid/

Reviewing Sierra stats at the airport

In my 14 active days, and two travel/rest days out west I logged: 100k run/hiking, 28 hours of exercise, and a bit over 12,000' vertical.

Now if I can only find a TV with the debate on at the Reno airport!

Day 16: Last run on the old Western States Trail

Heading to the Reno Airport, and presumably, will watch the debate before my flight. A wonderful trip … reconnecting with old buddies, great hikes, decent race, and as always, the Sierras are spectacular.

More VK memories

The race photos have just been posted … In the pain cave 250m from the finish.

Sierras day 15: pole creek canyon

An early morning run, with a cool temperature, a shady dirt road, and a couple of easy recovery days behind me … makes for an excellent outing!

Remembering the technical sections of the Broken Arrow VK

The final section of this VK gut buster, is equipped VIA FERRATA style, as it involves third class scrambling, with substantial exposure, all while my pulse was rocketing at around 160 bpm. I have done a fair number of these type races, but this was the one with the most technical "running."  

Take a look at the short video course preview …. https://www.facebook.com/brokenarrowskyrace/videos/2024-broken-arrow-skyrace-vk-course-previewhere-is-an-insight-into-the-course-co/3645818169000559/

Sierras Day 14: Flat tire followed by an easy hike

Changing the truck tire was a bitch. The hike was nice, and it brought you within a 100 meters of a nice snow patch to practice on. I also found an intrusion of white quartz, much like at crystal crag. I took a sample, but it was diminutive compared to the one I carried out a decade ago for my Fossil Cabin.

Then the rains came, and we retreated to Lee Vining, and a gigantic dinner at Nicely's, which I finished with pecan pie a la mode. NOT AS GOOD AS SELDEN'S but pretty darn good.

SIERRAS DAY 13 … campsite for the next couple of days



SIERRAS DAY 12 … Saddlebag Lake at sundown

Back at Tioga Pass, camping at the lake, and snagging a campsite tomorrow.

Spectating the Broken Arrow 23k

Just after the race started at 8am, I hiked 5k and 2000' vertical, to watch the top men and women come off Squaw Peak, go down to Shirley Canyon, and come back up to the High Camp aid station. After, I took the tram down and managed to get to watch the top women finish. Then, I jogged 3k back to Mark's house and start packing for Tioga Pass.

The picture is of - Joyce - the Kenyan women who was leading at 18k, and was the eventual winner.

46k second place finisher

Jeff Mogavero from Missoula in a time of 4:11. A tough course with 9100' vertical, and two trips up the "stairway to heaven."

The podium was: David Sinclair, Jeff Mogavero, and Adam Peterman.

SIERRAS DAY 11 … feeling good after the race

I slept well, have only a slight soreness in hamstrings, and my energy feels good. So, that is all you can ask for after a race, regardless of your age.

My post-race cool down was a 30 minute trot to the aerial tram for a ride to the valley. It was a beautiful day, and I snapped lots of pictures!

Gut buster!

Well, the VK was definitely TYPE 2 fun (i.e. not fun while you are doing it, but in hindsight it is remembered as fun, and worth doing again).

It was 6k with 3100' vertical, and I did it in 1:45. I finished third in my age group, and beat a dozen guys in the 50-69 group. Tori, in the enclosed picture finished 12th in her age group, more than 20 minutes faster than me.

Broken Arrow VK starts in 2.5 hours

Hoping to keep my energy and pace under control, so I can handle the more technical, last third of the course, with grace, style, and a good margin of safety. The course preview video - posted two days ago - indicates a route in good condition, mostly dry singletrack, and slabby rock on the ridge, with only a few patches of snow.  The picture is a video capture, of the "stairway to heaven" just before the finish. I am excited!

Picking up the bibs and swag

Broken Arrow VK TOMORROW

Running along the Headwall Ridge

DAY 8 … heading back to Lake Tahoe

Sierras Day 7

Yesterday Danny, Mark, and I did an easy recovery hike for two hours on the Barney Lake trail. Met some climbers going in to give a couple of the Incredible Hulk routes a shot.

Great run out and back to saddlebag lake

Another great hike … Sierras Day 5

16k and 2000' in just under five hours horsetail falls trail- cattle creek—twin lakes trail, great loop

Beautiful day trip

Barney Lake with John Deaton … 1275' vertical, 15k, in just over 3:30.

Sierras Day 4

Yesterday was a nice trail run above Twin Lakes.

Driving to the East Side

Sierras Day 3

Feeling like a human being again, and my resting pulse is starting to drop. Not in the low 50s yet, but getting closer.

Early morning sun on Palisades Tahoe, where the Broken Arrow VK will be run next week.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … trail running in Hong Kong

Back in November 2013, I was speaking at a private school admissions fair, and staying at a five star hotel. After all was said and done, I put my shorts and running shoes on, went out the door and did a mostly uphill trail run for over two hours. Pretty amazing to be in a huge city, with instant access to great single track trail running. The higher up you go, the more fantastic are the views!

Heading to the East Side of the Sierras

Packing the Hero Camper, and as Mark says, we are going "to the dark-side." The dirtbag chapter has closed.

Landing in Reno

Two long travel days … glad to be back in the Sierras!

The upcoming climbing competition at the Olympics

On a different note, my plane was grounded for maintenance issues yesterday, and so it never left the tarmac. Slept at a local hotel and am taking the first flight this morning to Dallas, and then after a short layover, on to Reno.

https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/competitions/first-photos-paris-2024-olympic-climbing-walls.html

INTERESTING … The Penalty Loop Podcast

If you have an interest in Olympic winter nordic sports, and biathlon in particular, then this lengthy interview will capture your attention. Tara Geraghty-Moats has competed at the highest levels, at multiple disciplines (ski jumping, nordic combined, cross country, and biathlon), and just finished up a two week biathlon training camp in Lake Placid.  This podcast is available at all the obvious sites.

While you are at it, also take a look at their blog as well as the Biathlon Analytics website … fascinating stuff!

https://penaltylooppod.podbean.com/

BLAST FROM THE PAST … my first and possibly best ever approach shoe

These original five tennies were just awesome. Approach shoes have gotten beefier, and more technical over the years.  I certainly love the various La Sportiva iterations I have owned over the years, and will be packing a pair to bring to the Sierras tomorrow.  But, nothing have climbed as well as that pair of original five teenies. Then again, maybe that was just an illusion, and it was all a function of me being younger, leaner, fitter, and stronger!

The Hockmobile

Five years ago, Selden set up our Toyota Siena for adventures in retirement. I have put over 115,000 miles on it; slept countless nights in the bed; moreover when the bed gets converted back into a couch, I just wheel my mountain bike in.

A good week of training - given a Monday hike with college buddies - there was no rest day this week. However, the average minutes per day went down, to let the body accept the extra workload. I managed 17.5 hours, on 172k (133k bike, 37k run, and 2k ergometer), with 4850' vertical. I also did a nice interval session, a single PT stretch session, and two strength workouts.

Never imagined this brand to advertise through the outdoors

Sure Patagonia, North Face, Mammut, Dynafit, and Rab, as well as countless others are sell luxury products, wrapped in rugged wilderness or alpine settings. But, this New York Times ad, set in the Dolomites for Louis Vuitton, caught my attention … are they selling the rope, the pack, or the T-shirt? 

Or, are they selling the accessories you will need, after you've free climbed the Comici route, showered, and are living it up in Cortina?  But, I guess the reality is that most climbers today - myself included - are not dirtbags, if they ever were. After all, those original alpinists of the mid-1800s were all, well heeled English gentlemen. 

Interesting and important new study on persistence hunting

The study indicates that this form of hunting was much more prevalent, and much more effective than previously believed, giving much more credence to the theory of its impact on human evolution.  Well worth reading.

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/persistence-hunting-and-evolution/

Back at the Hockmobile after intervals

Despite a dismal weather forecast, yesterday turned out to be pretty darned decent. In the morning I managed a 70 minute hilly run, with Level 4-5 intervals, bracketed by 60 minutes of exercise bike warmup and cooldown.

In the afternoon, we took our dogs for their annual physicals and vaccinations. Afterwards I went to the Sports Medicine gym for a strength workout.

The Last Of Selden’s Birthday Presents Has Arrived

Well in many ways her 65th birthday was like many others … books and more books.

This book however, was not one she requested. I gave it to her for some background on Chamonix where we are going in October for our 40th anniversary. I also thought it might give us both some thoughts for future anniversaries.

With just the two of us here, the birthday cake was just two pieces of carrot cake with candles. Moreover, for the first time ever, a few of her books were for her kindle!

Clouds rolling in and rain will begin

 Heading out to the back pasture, before the good weather breaks, and several rainy days follow.


Another Gem From Hock’s Alpine Library

The 50th anniversary issue of Rock and Ice, has some of the most compelling and classic climbing literature of the last half-century.

Mount Moosalamoo

An easy 10k, out and back, with a modest summit vista and just under 1400' vertical. I drove 2 hours just past Middlebury and Ripton, to meet my college buddies - Dick and Ted - at the trailhead. The good weather continues.

Sentinel Range from Whiteface

Yesterday, Stash and I hiked up the Tim Burke 2.5k uphill run course. In the afternoon I went for a nice run. A great day, and a good week.

Great run of good weather this week in the Adirondacks

Enjoying some nice deck time, with cool mornings/evenings, and stiff breezes keeping the bugs at bay. 

It was a good training week as I logged just under 16 hours, on 127k (84k bike, 41k run, 2k skierg), with 5000' vertical. I also managed two strength workouts, and two PT stretching sessions. NINE DAYS UNTIL I FLY TO THE SIERRAS.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … first big western adventure

In 1971, I spent almost a month before my return to Union College, hiking and climbing some of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks. I hitched to Rocky Mountain Park, and among numerous other mountains, managed an ascent of Longs Peak. Then, I hitched southwest to the San Juan mountain range (pictured below), and hiked with a college buddy. A notable climb here was of Mount Sneffels.

2026 Nordic World Cup finale in Lake Placid

https://fasterskier.com/2024/05/no-miracles-lots-of-hard-work-lake-placids-world-cup-bid-part-i/