Good week marred by poor air quality from fires in Canada

 I logged just over 14 hours, on 141.5k (123k bike, and 18.5k run), with 3900’ vertical gain, and two stretching sessions, as well as two strength workouts. (Starting my transition back to trail running and hiking, while cutting back on biking.)

BLAST FROM THE PAST: the great range

Back in the day - mid 1980s - I managed to do it in just under 8 hours, including Hedgehog and Roostercomb, starting (and ending) from The Garden. I believe the current FKT is just under four hours.

Beautiful day and a good hike

Klink and I managed to get to the top of Little Whiteface in 1:46 (4k and 2200’); taking many pictures before we took the gondola down.

Hock with his first ice axe at 5 years old!

For my birthday, Selden totally surprised me, with a photograph my dad took in 1957 which she had restored. She got me a large copy, (beautifully framed), and also a plaque that paired it with a smaller - more recent - climbing picture from the alps!

Alpine World Junior Championships … coming our way

Feeling good post-Prouty

Before the Prouty I was a bit worried I may have been cooked from my previous week’s big volume. However, the Prouty felt good, and I was able to work out on Sunday with no residual soreness or tiredness. Logging a solid 80k ride - just under 21kph - was one of my big goals for year. For the taper week, I logged 11.5 hours, on 162k (154k bike and 8k run), with 4100’ vertical gain. I also logged two stretching sessions and two strength workouts.

A good day at the Prouty

Great to see my college buddies; we had perfect weather; and I managed to average just under 21kph for the 81k ride. It played out more like an interval workout, as I often pedaled slowly hanging with one of my slower buddies and then charging hard on the hills. Great food and drink after the race, and then on the drive home, I stopped at the old fashioned Middlebury A&W Drive-In and had a root-beer float.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: summit of pisco 18,871’

On my second trip to the Cordillera Blanca with Edward Kenney and Matt Hoffman, we climbed this gem. Although, Edward struggled with the altitude, later in the trip we were not able to get up Tocllaraju. After 4-5 trips to Peru, I am still hoping to go once more before I hang up my spikes.

Easing back into strength training

Two very light sessions this week, but maybe I should have waited until after the Prouty. However, I do have another rest day planned for tomorrow, so I should be all right.

Starting to taper for the Prouty

Cutting back on my volume so I can push the uphills on Saturday; since I am such a wimp, I’ll be riding the brakes on the downhills. (A few more pictures from our Trapp Family Lodge visit.)

A beautiful day in the ‘dacks!

Today, I helped out with Treetops Expedition: belaying, sharing stories from my time in the 1980s, and practicing placing and removing protection. A beautiful morning on Owls Head, and then an afternoon warmup with Stash and an exercise bike shakeout.

Great day trip to Trapp Family Lodge

To visit with our grandkids in Vermont. It was my rest day; and looking over my log in the carI had a high volume tuneup week for the Prouty. I logged 16 hours, on 253k (246k bike and 7k run), with 3200’ vertical gain, three stretching sessions, and one strength workout.

A good week and I am ready for the Prouty!

Between my exercise bike and my MTB I logged just under 250k. Going to put in two rest days in the coming week, and cut back on the volume. The hot weather has abated, and tomorrow we are heading off to see our grand kids at Trapp Family Lodge.

A week to go for the 50 mile Prouty charity ride

Despite the extreme heat, I am logging a fair amount of cycling mileage this week. With three days left in the week, I have already hit 132k … hoping to hit 200k.

Yesterday I got my holter heart monitor

I will wear it for two weeks, with the aim of diagnosing arrhythmias and evaluating risks of heart issues in the future. Thankfully, technology has made the data collection easy and unobtrusive, with a stick on patch.

Tour de France starts today

Knee surgery on August 31st, but Tetons beforehand

A good recovery week

Getting over the Broken Arrow Ascent, traveling for 26 hours, adjusting time zones, and putting a persistent cough behind me, were all the key goals for the past week. That said, I logged 11 hours, on 146k (134k bike and 12k run), with 2700’ vertical gain, and three stretching sessions. On a different note, I saw this picture of Jessie Diggins on the Stairway to Heaven at the Broken Arrow … not surprisingly she was a lot faster, and more composed than I was.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: a Sierra snow classic

In 2002, Lewy, Hock, Callie, and Mark climbed the Dana Couloir.

Watching the start of the Western States Endurance Run

The lead pack of men went over the pass just 40+ minutes into the race. With unusually cool weather, no snow on the course, and a deep elite field … breaking the course record seems likely!

Looking forward to Zermatt in August

Planning on ten days of hiking and possibly an alpine snow climb on Pollux. (I will also test my endurance level on the Matterhorn Fitness Trail.)

DAY #14: back home

Well, nobody loves a red-eye, but the older I get, the more brutal it gets. Wonderful to hug Selden, scratch the dogs, sit on the deck, looking out at our pastures, as well as Street and Nye in the distance.

DAY #13: Olympic Valley-Reno-Phoenix-Philadelphia-Albany-Lake Placid

A long travel day! Next up: The Prouty 50 miler, afterwards ten days in Zermatt, followed by knee surgery on August 31st.

DAY #12: heading home tomorrow

Excellent day; stretch, hike with Mark, nice trail run, and a cruise on the bike. GREAT TRIP.

Heading home soon

It will be sad to leave the Sierras, but delightful to be back with Selden, our dogs, and the view from the farm! As per last week, I was tapering/recovering for the Broken Arrow, so totals were modest. However, I did log just a bit over nine hours, on 72k (52k bike and 20k run), with just under 5000’ vertical, as well as five stretching sessions.

DAY #11: rest, recovery, watching 23k, and some light exercise

So, in the recent uphill trail races I have run in the Sierras I am four for four podiums.

BROKEN ARROW

Watching the 23k race and Mabel in the kid’s race. Awesome.

DAY #10: recovery

I am feeling pretty decent after the Broken Arrow Ascent. I spent most of the day watching the 46k - livestream and at the finish - as well as doing some stretching, biking, and an easy jog.

Broken Arrow … the final ridge run is spectacular

With big drops into the void on both sides, scrambling, hauling on fixed lines, trying to get up a bolted ladder - the stairway to heaven - with heart rate at maximum, this race does not disappoint. The Broken Arrow is the epitome of a sky race!

DAY #9: broken arrow ascent

The weather was perfect; it was an incredible international field, and despite being several minutes slower than 2024, I finished on the podium. The Nike livestream coverage - available of YouTube - was phenomenal.

Broken Arrow Ascent is tomorrow

This three day race series, brings in an international field, and hundreds of racers. The uphill race is approximately 5.5k with just over 2800’ vertical gain. A couple of years ago I did it in 1:45. Given the state of my knees, I expect to be slower, but hopefully still under two hours.