weekend update

Once Katie and I finally arrived in Grand Junction (I've done the drive in under five hours before; on Friday it took over eight) the weekend was a blast.

We stayed at the Hotel Melrose in GJ, a hostel located in downtown less than a block away from the Rockslide brewpub. Most people would consider it sketchy (the first thing the lady at the front desk told us as we were checking in was "no drug use in the hostel") but I didn't mind the place. Especially since it was only 55 bones a night, compared to the "runner's special" rate of $179 (PER NIGHT!!!) at the La Quinta in Fruita. The Melrose was only about a 15 minute drive to Fruita.

We hit the three breweries (Kannah Creek, Breck Ale House, and Rockslide) in Grand Junction on Friday night, then called it quits. Saturday morning we were on the road at 5:15AM to head out to the Mack trailhead just on the west side of Fruita.

Race started at 6:30AM. I had known all week not to expect much, as I was nowhere near being recovered from my Grand Canyon run a week prior. I just figured I'd plug along and get in some great training for Hardrock, as well as discover some sweet new trails.

Those being my only two goals, the weekend was a huge success. Within the first few miles of the race, my legs were already heavy. The course was awesome, and a lot harder than I expected. I can see why Fruita is such a mecca for mountain bikers, that technical singletrack out there is awesome! I ran along at a decent pace, catching up with some of my ultra friends, enjoying the scenery.

My first lap was decent, finishing just under 4:40. Saw the Colorado river for the second weekend in a row. Saw tons of lizards. Also saw something I've never seen before - Tony not winning. He ended up dropping out around 30 miles, though I talked to him later and it doesn't look like anything serious.

Second lap was more of the same. My legs were dead but without the pressure of trying to run a certain time I was still enjoying myself. Saw Katie on the way in to a 25 mile finish, she had a softball sized lump and tons of bloody scrapes on her leg. She took a bad fall before the first aid station (at five miles) but had continued on and finished right around six hours. I had a real low stretch from 30 miles through 37 miles. That's the longest stretch between aid stations, and I ran out of water about halfway through. That's also the time the sun decided to come out and bake the course. Ouch. But it wasn't too bad, I've certainly suffered a lot more in races. Hiked a lot of that section, then managed to do the airborne shuffle for most of the final half marathon. I was happy to be able to run, though I wasn't moving very fast with each step I told myself "this will pay off in Silverton...." And by "pay off," I mean with a decent Hardrock time as well as a keg of beer from SJ.

Ended up finishing in 10:33. Not too shabby for what was essentially a well supported training run. A 12+ and a 10+ hour training run within the span of a week, good stuff!

Shortly after finishing Katie and I were off to the Hot Tomato for some beers and pizza. Eat hot pie! Lots of Fat Tire and almost an entire Meaty Boy by myself. Mmmm...

After a shower and a few more beers, we dropped by Jackalope liquors for a bottle of sweet tea vodka and some lemonade before heading over to the awards ceremony at La Quinta. We got to hear a short presentation by Andy Skurka, who has hiked so many trails it's almost unbelievable. He doesn't consider himself a runner but won the 50 miler in a course record 7:30-something.

After that we went back to the hostel and walked down to the block to the Snowflake. Pretty rough local pub, but nobody bothered Katie and I as we sat at the bar and pounded our PBR.

Sunday morning was not pretty. I had entered the 10 miler but decided early on to stick with the five. My legs were hurtin'! The Fruita course was a lot easier than the GC, but all that pounding on the rocks had definitely taken it's toll. I knew that any running on Sunday was not going to be good for my body, but I had already paid so I walked/jogged the fun run. Think I finished in 1:14, barely beating the top guy in the ten mile race. In my defense, there weren't too many 50 mile finishers out there on Sunday.

The drive home was much more uneventful. Up and over Hoosier pass with no problems at all. Did end up stopping in Frisco at the Backcountry Brewery, another one to cross off my list.

All in all another terriffic weekend. My Hardrock training had been going very well, and this was a huge boost to my confidence. Decided that I'm gonna use my Nathan Elite 2V for Hardrock. The weight savings over my trusty camelbak should make a significant difference. It doesn't carry enough water for the amount of time I'll be in between aid stations, but I can just fill up in the several million stream crossings out there. Giardia won't set in until after the race, and I should be able to get rid of it before Leadville.

This ends three solid weeks of training for me. 80, 80, and 70 miles, with two runs of 42+ miles. I'm going to cut back significantly this week, forcing myself to only run 90 miles between now and the end of the month (so I can reach 300 for April). There's a fine line between running strong and being injured, and I want to make sure I don't cross it.