Monday is a rest day ...

For nordic ski racers, that is a pretty common tradition. I catch up on chores, maybe stretch, read a bunch, and often take a sauna. It was a chilly morning, feeling more like Fall than Summer, so it was perfect to fire up the wood stove for the sauna. 

CBD for the endurance athlete?

An informative podcast In which Coach Jason Koop speaks with Joanna Zeiger, CEO of Canna Research Group and CTS Coach Corrine Malcolm about all things cannabis for endurance athletes.

https://jasonkoop.com/koopcast

Excellent climbing video ... Free As Can Be

A rope team, that crosses several generations, with up-and-comer young Jordan Cannon, teamed with Mark Hudon, a hot-shot from the 1970s. 

I knew Mark briefly in the mid-1970s, as my parents lived in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Mark was still in high school. I was just back from my first post-college climbing trip, having spent several months in the Canadian Rockies. I spent a winter living with my parents, working at my uncle's store, and cragging at Manchester's scruffy Rock Rimmon. I did some modest routes with him and his pals, all rock climbing well above my grade, however I fared a little better on ice. Mark cruised out to the valley and became the youngest person (16 years old) at the time to climb El Cap.

An excellent video, as this unlikely duo try and free climb El Cap.

https://vimeo.com/449058597 

Super runnable Adirondack peak

https://www.relive.cc/view/veqzGmjYJ7v

Fastest Known Time for the Adirondack 46ers

https://treelinejournal.com/sarah-keyes-and-alyssa-godesky-race-to-the-fkt-on-the-46-adirondack-high-peaks/

Training in the mountains

Another good week in the mountains.

I logged 18+ hours of exercise and almost 6000' of vertical. The details included: a couple of summits, 50k running and 20k mountain biking, as well as three easy strength sessions, and 5x30 minutes on the ergometer.

Nice sunset last evening

Lucy’s biathlon training ...

Is going well. She loves Montana, the mountains, and her teammates. Take a look at her blog for more photos.

https://lucyhoch.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/off-the-beaten-path/

Mount Pisgah and Lake Willoughby

Yesterday was a superb summer day, with a hint of Fall in the air. 

Up early, I took Stash for a 45 minute jog, before I headed out on my 3+ hour drive to Lake Willoughby. A modest but spectacular hike up Mount Pisgah with a former student, was followed by ice cream, and then the long drive home. I broke the ride up with a track workout when I passed a high school near the VT/NY border.



https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOPPY94L2O

Given trail races cancelled by Covid, many turn to Fastest Known Time challenges

Last years UTMB winner, Courtney Dauwalter made a recent attempt on the 500 mile Colorado Trail. Sabrina Stanley just crushed Nolan's 14 FKT for the women's "supported record," in 51 hours and 15 minutes. (The enclosed picture is a screen shot of her gps data.) The video link below is of Joe Grant's "unsupported record" for those same Colorado 14ers.  And at this very moment there are two women trying to break the record for the FKT of the Adirondack 46 peaks.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=39&feature=emb_title&v=ZzghU_wLbQ4

The afternoon thunderstorms are clearing out

Wonderful running on Adirondack dirt roads

Check out my route on Jay Mt Road and the Upland Meadows loop ...

https://www.relive.cc/view/vdORWwNYEr6

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... by Dick Dorworth

"What is it that the long-distant driver and all the other explorers suspect can be found somewhere else but where they are?"

                   Dick Dorworth

As I start thinking seriously about a western road trip this Fall, I decided to re-read this collection of essays, most of which were published in Mountain Gazette between 1965 and 1975. The title of the book comes from an essay that speaks to a subsequent generation as On The Road spoke to Kerouac's generation. As an aside, Mountain Gazette is going to be revived, coming January 2021. 

Dorworth was a noted skier and climber (part of the famous Fun-Hogs Expedition), and as social security eligible member of that era, I can more-or-less relate to his stream of conscious screed. 

Deep water soloing ...

Swimming, and steeply overhanging rock, has certainly never been my forte. At 68 years old, this leopard is not going to change his spots. But, this does look like a superb place for a rock climbing vacation!

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2020/08/deep-water-soloing-the-surreal-limestone-spires-of-vietnam/

Change of pace in Vermont ...

I combined a big Costco grocery shopping trip with a nice hike. Check out the hike with the link below.

https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQnn9o7M6

Honnold and Caldwell ... the Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup

A route in RMNP that included 65 pitches (Up to 5.11), 35 miles, 20,000 vertical feet, in 36.5 hours. I have done 4-5 of those routes, but it in this mind blowing fashion!

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web20c/newswire-honnold-caldwell-rmnp-ultimate-linkup

A wonderful Adirondack morning ...

Jay Mountain

Yesterday morning, I got an early start anticipating a big crowd on a beautiful day. Terrific hike with a 4K cool down jog afterwards.

Thinking about ski season ...

While I am getting ready to do a 22 mile trail race in early September, and then later in the Fall, head out west for a hiking/climbing trip; I do think about the upcoming ski season.

Some of my goals have been carried over from this past year, when the pandemic made them impossible. So, I am looking forward to the following during the 2020-21 ski season:

- the 160k Canadian Ski Marathon,
- the Grand Traverse from Crested Butte to Aspen,
- more days riding lifts,
- a multi-day trip to Tuckermans Ravine,
- a multi- day trip to the Chic-Chocs.

An excellent week of training in the Adirondacks ...

A big volume week, with over 16 hours of exercise. In addition to the nice run to the summit of MVH from our farm (pictures below), I managed to log the following:

- 55k of running
- 10k mountain biking
- 6000' of elevation gain
- 4 x 30 minutes on the ergometer
- 2 strength sessions
- 2 x 30 minutes of yoga

A good mountain bike workout

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDoprcdJcGL/

Joss Naylor ... Britain’s amazing fell runner

At 85, his mythic runs are a thing of the past. However, at the age of 70 years old, he ran 70 Lakeland fell tops, covering more than 50 miles and ascending more than 25,000 feet, in under 21 hours.

The link below is for a fascinating article about his recorded breaking - three day - run of the 270 mile Pennine way. A record that was it broken for 15 years. He was not a sponsored, well paid runner, but a farmer who did a lot of his training chasing his sheep all over the Lake District fells.

http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2015/08/joss-naylor-way-of-warrior.html

The future of snow in America

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=15ZRnc87ibE

North face of Gothics

I snapped the picture this morning on the summit of MVH. Thinking about scrambling up the route on the right hand edge of the face in the next couple of weeks.

A great day in the Adirondack Mountains

Given our northern, and inland, location we were not impacted by the hurricane/tropical storm. We got much needed rain, but no flooding or power outages. 

So, Stash an I enjoyed a morning hiking and a trail run in the afternoon. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... from The Dirtbag’s Guide To Life

"If you live in your van, that's because there are no apartments to rent at the base of the Dawn Wall."

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... dracula

Yesterday was a rainy morning, so I tested the new, free streaming service - Peacock - and watched the 1931 movie of Dracula. Many wonderful lines of dialogue from Bram Stroker, such as Bela Lugosi's quip on heating the wolves howling:

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make."

My 20k run/hike just had to wait until the afternoon!

Amazing high line on the Aiguille du Diable



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xiYlbcLLCFY

A beautiful recovery day ...

It started with an easy trip up MVH; then on to breakfast, some reading and yoga; lunch, an afternoon nap, 50 minutes of biking on the biathlon trails, a bit of red wine, and another good book before dinner.

Tim Burke Uphill Run ... a new PR for me

The best guy's time for US Biathlon team is 13+ minutes, and for the gals 15 minutes and change. My 26:09 was about 90 seconds better than my previous PR.

Heading out for a long run ... and going to listen to the aging athlete podcast

https://www.uphillathlete.com/podcast-aging-athlete/

Garmin is coming back online

It's not fully up to speed, but some of my Garmin workouts from the last four days have been uploaded to Strava. Rumor is that they were a victim of a ransomware attack, and were asked for $10 million ... yikes.

Diving into running novels ...

For my recent 68th birthday, I got a copy of Running To The Edge: a band of misfits, and the guru who unlocked the secrets of speed.  A terrific non-fiction book by Matthew Futterman! 

I was not interested in binging on a re-reading of all the books I devoured this fall while training for an ultra-marathon.  So, I am going to re-read a bunch of novels about running. Thus far I have feasted on Following The Flame, Parker's trilogy (Raining The Rain, Once A Runner, and Once Again To Carthage), Race Across The Sky, and The Purple Runner. 

Next up will be Finishing Kick, The Longest Fall, The Olympian, 100 Miles To Destiny, and The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner (which I have never read). 

Garmin withdrawal ...

Their server may have been hacked, and it's been 24 hours without my data display. Not that I am in danger of losing "local legend" status, but I do sense a growing addiction to this training data.

Waiting for an oil change ...

The first time on the track in several years. A 6k workout with 2 X 1000 meters. A rude awakening but a nice change of pace getting the heart rate in the 130-150+ bpm zone.

A one week UTMB virtual challenge

Obviously this is very much a long shot; but in the next seven days I will upload 40k of trail running for the UTMB virtual challenge. This means that maybe I can win the lottery for a free entry into the 2021 MCC race, as well as room and board in Chamonix.

Yesterday, with that in mind, I did a 19k hike/jog with well over 600m vertical gain.

Biathlon training is going well

Lucy, also had a strong effort in a recent 10k time trial at Crosscut Mountain. I am hoping the US Team selection races in October will not be cancelled.

Spectacular picture of Whiteface and Comet NEOWISE



Longest contested battleground in the world ...

Since the first military conflict in 1965, the 2100 mile contested Himalayan border between India and China, has been a tension filled hotspot.  A military conflict broke out again in 1975, and the tensions have periodically erupted, as they did in the early 1980s when my climbing permit was cancelled by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, just a month before my flight.

Last week there was another flair up in this region. Obviously, when two nuclear powers go head-to-head for half a century, there is cause for concern!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/18/world/asia/china-india-border-conflict.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=World%20News