Training Log Archive: erin tripp

HORRIBLE run! One of the worst ever. More like a slog.

I went to bed at Purchase Knob (after 30 miles/8000 feet) at 11pm. Had to get up at 3am to drive to AVL airport. Landed back at DEN just after 10am. Major UGH.

Had a full afternoon, and somehow had to squeeze in a few miles despite a bit day yesterday and little sleep. I managed it, but I felt horrible....

And that was that.

Long day. Actually felt longer than it was, perhaps because I was supposed to only do 21 today (slowly working my way up to long distances again), but it turned into ~30 miles with 8,000 feet of gain. Oops as they say.

Finished all of our plotwork by 5pm yesterday. I gave myself a day off as a reward, and trail ran the Smokies today.

From Purchase Knob, to summit of Mt. Sterling and back. The route: Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center (aka Purchase Knob), down McKee Branch, up and down Big Fork Ridge Trail to the Cataloochee River, short road run to the next trail, then up Pretty Hollow Gap trail to the Gap, then up to the summit of Mount Sterling via the Sterling Ridge Trail. And back.

Left at 9:30 am
Reached summit at 1:15 pm
Returned to purchase knob at 5:15 pm
Drank 3.5L
Ate approximately 1000 calories (I actually needed more)
Temps were around 55 degrees (aka: PERFECT)
Foot: not healed. Still infected from Manta Ray. Doc visit upcoming
Knees and body: I was tired

Highlights: upper portions of Pretty Hollow Gap Trail. THis is super mature forest, chock full of huge yellow birches and such. The spring beauties and trout lilies were covering the slopes. It was absolutely remarkable. I haven't been up Pretty Hollow in years. Forgot how much I loved it.

Sterling Ridge Trail was also no let down. Huge spruces, and a tall canopy too. Nice to see the fir. I had forgotten that there were very nice stands along that stretch.

I had a BLAST running down Pretty Holly Gap. A solid 5.5 miles from the summit.

I felt very tired and my legs very lethargic after that point (i.e., upon hitting Cataloochee), and I moved very slowly up the final 2.5 mile stretch that we call McKee. I don't think it related as much to me still being 'early season' wrt long distances, but I have been on my feel for a solid 8-10 hrs the last two days, schlepping stuff up and down the steep slopes of the plot, and had that nice run Thursday. The week's gain is already at 16,000 feet, and that doesn't include the plot scrambling. My legs were actually fairly shot from the beginning. Can't believe I pulled it off today.

Saw Andy on the way down, and Andy on the way up. Kyle's PhD student who helped with the plot.... he left this AM from Purchase Knob as well, on a 2-day backpack trip.

Never a dull. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2021600941

8 hrs on the feet today. between yesterday and today... here are the stats. long days, hard work. not a ton of long distance movement, but a ton of short distance movement up steep slopes across rocks.

great great volunteers:
david
becky
andy
andy
josh
ian
collin

wow

very long day in the plot, but very awesome day. SEVEN VOLUNTEERS! that is more than twice as many as we have ever had. we got the full hectare staked out, then collected the majority of tree data, then collected over half of the sapling and herb data. just fantastic....

but.. tired feet after all that scrambling around the rocks...

AMAAAAZING amazing amazing pre-dawn to dawn to sunrise run through great smoky mtns national park. i have a FULL day of fieldwork on my annual plant ecology plot ahead, but... i also needed to get 8 miles of running in today.

so: i clicked my headlamp on at 5:32 and hit the trails. from purchase knob, my favorite loop: across cataloochee divide trail, down double gap, traversed rough fork, and steep running climb up mckee branch back to the station.

i ran for a full 1.5 hrs in complete darkness. tricky with all the terrain, and the windstorm that came through overnight. but it was blissful. haven't ran in the pitch black since the silverton 100k last year.

the light started to creep in as i hit rough fork. clicked the headlamp off before mckee branch.

fast shower, a quick hug to susan, then we left for the plot....

early morning run to work via glendale gulch / sunshine canyon. nice morning. i ran nearly pain free today, for the first time since spring break. i think my foot might finally be starting to heal....

5:15 class at south. it was 102 degrees in there. i nearly died....