Training Log Archive: Ari-o

The plan: a "High Peaks Traverse" crossing the Crockers, Sugarloaf and Saddleback. 33 miles (or so), and about 10k feet of climb. I'd hiked this when I hiked the AT, in fog and rain, and wanted to see it in the light of day. I got a ride up with my sister and brother in law, she to run 18 miles on the road, him to drive around, hike the Saddlebacks, and hopefully finish around the same time I did.

I underestimated the hike. It's closer to 11k ft of climb, so well over 3000m. That's more per mile than a Hut Traverse or a Pemi Loop. Which means it's … hard. And it's New England, so the trails are not particularly runnable. There were a few portions, but nothing I could run sustained, whether it was rocks, blowdowns, ladders, etc, and little I could muster better than a 15 minute mile on. 15 minute miles was the plan. It turned out I could only do 20s. Which I should have probably figured out ahead of time.

The Crockers were nice: pretty gradual going up but steep coming off of. Sugarloaf was a steep climb up, and I was well behind schedule by the top, but I had plenty of daylight. I texted Jeremy that I was running behind schedule. The next several miles were mostly easy, but a couple I still couldn't manage better than a 20 minute mile. Blowdowns and rocky sections didn't help. On the descent to Orberton Stream I stopped to treat water and found that half my Aquamira was dry and … you need both halves for it to work. I started coming up with plans. I could bail out, find a road, and hitch back to Jeremy (he'd descended off the mountain and was in cell phone jail). I could appeal to the goodness of thru-hikers for water treatment, or I could drink potentially bad water. I wound up doing the second, and the thru-hikers were happy to oblige (they all have these "Sawyer Squeeze" things now, which apparently are easier than aquamira, if a bit bulkier). So I solved the water issue.

Then I had to make like Oregon Trail and ford a river. That was at 1600 feet, and the next summit lay 2500 feet higher, with several intermediate climbs. My legs felt fine, but it was clear that after 20-some miles they were dogging a bit. I finally gained the summit, which was flat, runnable granite with gorgeous views: worth the trip. Jeremy was still in cell jail but I texted home that we'd be late, and went running down. My fastest miles were the last miles as I ran down the trail, legs feeling surprisingly good for the distance.

I was only a couple of hours late. Next time I should be a bit more realistic about New England trails.

With 3338m of climb, I should be well over 5000 for the week. And yes, my body feels it.

We found a little grocery store where I bought cranberry juice and pickles and ate a lot of them, which tasted great, but wasn't great for my stomach. At least during the run my feeding was on-point. Have to decide about the Voyageur in the next couple of days.

C • Nice run! 1

Garmin lasts 7:30 anymore.

iPhone, with data turned off, lasted the whole almost-11-hours and was still at 50% battery.

So, point iPhone Strava?

Rainy (poury) morning, but the rain broke the heat and the sun came out and dried up all the rain, with plans for tomorrow I wanted no part of a jog but had no issue with a rollerski. Just around the lake, new pavement on the other side is nice.

Up in Maine. 95˚ again today, so running is out, as is doing anything during the heat of the day. Also I forgot bicycle shorts, so long bike rides aren't happening. But my rollerskis made it up, as did my boots (one each from a different pair, whoops, using new boots, but at least not two left boots), so once I'd spent a requisite amount of time in the lake, and sailing (a nice breeze at least) I laced up the boots and went to ski the Mount Vernon Loop, intact again thanks to the State of Maine paving Route 41.

It was actually nice! Down in the mid-80s, which was okay, and on the downhills I felt great. Drank a lot of water, nearly 2L over 2 hrs, but the five miles of brand new pavement which has never seen a plow, stud or salt grain was superb. Harassed by a couple of deer flies on the way back, which sucked on the uphills because it's hard to swat with ski poles, and kind of fell apart up Nickerson Hill, but made it home safe, including the trip down Lane to the 90˚ corner. I should get a broom and sweep the gravel off of it. Or drive to the top of the hill and park there.

I haven't been on skis since late April, and rollerskis since November. It's good to be back, I guess. Felt good. Also for the first time EVER, I put rollerski pole tips on before my first rollerski. I am proud of myself. (Also, my poles had ski-o baskets on which would have been unfun on the road.)

Holy hell hot. 80˚ or so, with a dewpoint of 70˚ or so, meant it was … just hot. No breeze. Goal was 47 sections, because 4/7 euro-style. My legs were a little tired from speed, but mostly it was way too hot to go more than a section a minute. I went straight to the shade; the sun is killer on days like today. I did win the sweat pool contest: wrung out a liter of sweat it seemed from my shirt. Stayed cool by starting with a bottle of ice (that hadn't frozen fully in the 5 hours I slept, alas, so more like a bottle of slush) and getting more ice on the way. Felt several signs of overheat, but kept it in check. Slow, hot. Still fun.

Flew in to BOS on Tuesday evening. Got downgraded from F because of an oversell, which should be a $200 voucher (still got the meal and beer, and sat right behind Mark Jacobson's wife and daughter, of ski track fame). In to BOS, to my parents' house (air conditioning) for 5 hours of sleep.

No Hubway spots near the Stadium, so I had to bike from JP to Harvard. 22 minutes, on empty streets, and going downhill from JP was the fastest I've gone on a bike in a month. Gravity!

Then ran to the stadium. It's effin' hot.

Sprint Tuesdays! Got decent sleep, got there on time, felt pretty good. Warm ups and interstitials.

Sprints! Time workout, 6-5-4-3-2-1 with half the time recovery. Which meant recovery got a bit harder as the morning went on. Humid, and hot in the sun. Clouds would have been nice, but alas. Felt pretty good and kept my heart rate up, even as my pace slackened a bit, so probably heat? We were supposed to be doing a 5k pace and I figure a 70 and sunny and humid 5k pace is 6 minute miles. Pretty toasted by the end for a short run home.

Stair Monday! Lots and lots of little stairs, pattering up and down. 13 trips around (missed a bus, next bus driver was in no hurry, got there a bit late) but felt pretty good. Not too, too hot, either!

Plan for week:

Monday: maybe a second run this evening?
Tuesday: track morning, fly to Boston evening
Wednesday: NOVEMBER PROJECT STADIUM! Then bus to Maine. Then maybe rollerski?
Thursday: Rollerski and/or bike ride (95˚ FTL)
Friday: Roll/bike/run depending on weather
Saturday: Hopefully convince someone to shuttle a car so I can run a High Peaks traverse from Route 27 to Route 4. Crockers, Sugarloaf, Saddleback. 11kft climb, 32 miles.
Sunday: FIIK

Definitely thinking more about Voyageur …

C • Voyageur 2

Countdown. May have done 16 twice.

A shower came through and broke the heat, so I went for a run. Down to Cricket Hill, which is just enough of a hill to get a workout on, and then down to the lake for a dip. The water felt so, so, so good. HR way down after that, but warm by the time I got home.