Masters Weekend Races and Runs

I participated in Boulder and enjoyed each moment, although too brief. I say 'participated' as I didn't race hard due to my poor shape, etc. But I committed to run a while ago and my goal of using this to fire me up worked.

The course was great, fan support truly appreciated, especially for us in the way back. It was nice.

After 2 laps I felt the altitude and slowed down for about 100m each of the last two laps to catch my breath and plod on. It worked. Also developed a nasty blister about the size of a 50 cent piece on my heel. Never popped but I sure felt it, didn't hinder me much at all.

The course was in good shape, a few sloshy places but generally very good footing. As a previous poster stated, the PA announcer did a great job of keeping his comments focused on the lead pack. You could hear him all over the course. Pete and company passed me in the third lap and he looked good, not sure how he felt about the altitude as I did not get a chance to chat afterward.

I did not finish DFL in my age group which was my biggest fear.

Picked up Muddy Girl at Denver airport and we managed to get to the course on Friday to do a recon run that afternoon. She correctly pointed out that the ditch was better run on th eleft side or up the middle as th eleft side, although lower profile, had some potentially hazardous rocks.

San Diego next year.

After the race, I went straight to the hotel, showered, packed and left back to Denver Airport so I could get to Sydney, which is where I write this, having arrived about 3 hours ago. It is pouring here and humid.

Would have liked to have watched the open races but thankfully I got ahold of Muddy Girl via cell phone and found out the results.

Cheers to everyone and back to being focused on losing 20 pouunds and getting some strength and speed back. I was a bit embarrassed by my performance, but as mentioned, it served me well to get the motivational juices flowing for the future.

1500Master

Special thanks to MF for some great motivation and kind words. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing that Matt, I can relate.

I wasn't there, but looking at the results from Boulder, a couple of things stand out:

1) "The Couple" of the day wasn't Shayne and Alan, but Dennis and Michelle Simonaitis (1st and 2nd masters)

2) SoCalPete was third master overall to two altitude-trained runners (Draper UT=4500'). Methinks the result would have been different if it was at sea-level, although I know that Pete will humbly dismiss his as being "part of the game". Great job out there SCP.

And last, a question for SCP: did you notice, as I have, that the effects of brewed beverages is accentuated by altitude?

I ain't SCP but I can tell you it costs me a lot more to get a buzz at sea lavel.

I had a blast in Boulder this weekend. Got to hang out with some old military friends who were running the Armed Forces Cross Country Championships.

I had a great time racing, I wore 5/8 spikes and never had a problem with the footing. I tried to go out easy but still was a bit fast at 2k. I never felt like I was in real trouble at all and was pleased with the way I ran, (29:57 I believe).

I managed to get in and out of the ditch without any problems at all.

The highlight of the weekend was sitting at the bar and drinking beer with Craig Virgin as he recalled several stories of battles he waged! Best part was when he approached the group I was standing with, (all 40+ grown men) and watching the jaws drop when he introduced himself to us! We were all teenagers again, meeting our idol for the first time!

Can't wait til next year.

Hey OMBTS ... nice win for the Terps today, eh? I respect Duke ... it's obviously a great program ... but man do I love to see MD take 'em to the mat.

I grew up close to College Park, and got my graduate degree there. Fear the turtle.

Boulder was an experience...some of it good, some otherwise. The race was the low point of the weekend for me. In looking at splits now posted, the first K was too fast so the next 7 just felt really tough. Somebody help me out...was that the altitude talking to me or just stupidity or some of each? Probably the latter. Thought I could run 29 minutes or better...ended up around 31. Anyway...it just wasn't any fun (and I did not do a good job representing TNB, Will).

The rest of the weekend was one of my most memorable running experiences. Not having had the chance to attend too many events like this previously and being a little starry eyed, it was cool to be standing in a room with Shorter, Moller, Virgin, Masback, Vigil, Jones, Salazar and then watching Kastor, Culpepper, Goucher, et.al. run the next day. That was a thrill. Boulder was very cool...can't believe all the outdoors activists. Did an hour run on the South Boulder Creek trail before leaving town this morning and there was a steady stream of runners.

Dan R - I talked to you before the race and after...congrats on your nice run.

BOulderite, Great win for the Terps. They frustrate me to no end. The Terps can beat any team in the nation and they can lose to any team in the country.

How did you end up in Boulder ? Your a long way from Rt One. I spent some of my long haired days on the Yampa River in Steamboat...from what I remember

ooooh, I am so dehydrated!!! And I didn't drink any beer! ;-)

Yes, I decided to go, even though I started to get a nasty cold on Wednesday. An woman I'd met a few times offered to host me and I figured that as long as I had a free place to stay, I'd go.

1500 Master picked me up at the airport and we had a nice chat on the way to the course. It was very nice, although a bit icy still, and pretty flat (although I could tell where the slight downhill and uphill were -- even if they were not visible!) I liked the ditch, actually, and had not trouble with it. I did run through it four times on Friday, though.

Matt & I had dinner with my hostess on Friday night, which was fun as well.

Race morning was frosty and there was some new snow on the ground. The mud was still mostly frozen for the entirety of my race (we couldn't warm up on the course, so we didn't know), so mud wasn't a problem at all. I'd like to think, however, that I would have done fine in the mud that developed later in the race as I train in it all the time.

The race was disappointing. There was a cute moment at the start. We were all standing there at the line while they gave us final instructions. We were nervous. A dog whined and I murmurred "I can relate," to my box mates. And then they played a dramatic chord from some movie (Chariots of Fire, maybe) and the whole field LAUGHED. It was a bit too much drama for all of us, I think. The laughter did release a little tension.

I went out slow, as advised, and felt I was last in my AG. I did have a brief moment of excitement when I passed several women, including a friend in the second loop and was gearing up for passing a few more on the slight downhilll. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that I could not do it and it got much harder. The rest of the race, I had a couple women past me (and I was way back) and caught a few, but it was really hard. My legs and heart felt fine -- it was my lungs that threatened to explode! Very, very weird feeling. I almost dropped out after two laps (seriously).

I plodded on, though, and did finish, nearly catching a MN friend who went out way too fast (in 10th at the mile and then dying) and getting caught and passed by the friend whom I'd passed at about 3k! ;-( There was no way I was sprinting and she's very quick in her kick (I'm not match anyway). I razzed her as she went passed.

I spent a couple of minutes heaving and trying to get my breathing to slow afterwards. I was told to drink lots and lots of water and even got some oxygen, which helped.

The masters men's race had more sea level participants than the nearly exclusively CO women's race. Pete took it out pretty hard, pressing Dennis from when I saw them (at almost 2k) for most of the race. But in the end (last 1k), Dennis's altitude training kicked in and he surged away from Pete and Andy Ames (from CO) went by as well. I watched in astonishment as Pete, less than 1/4 mile from the finish (maybe 300m), *stopped*, took a couple breaths, and then ran it in, looking over his shoulder two or three times to make sure 4th wasn't going to catch him. As he headed to the finish, I felt that he could easily have outkicked Ames -- at sea level -- but he just ran it in, finishing a couple seconds back. That little stop, however, cost him in the age-graded prize money. It was very close for the top 5 places ($500-100) and he narrowly missed the top spots, taking 4th.

He graciously asked how I did afterwards and gave me a hug -- but jumped about 20 feet away from me when I said I was sick. ;-) He promised to be at the party, but alas, did not show. I did run into Gary B and it only took a little while to figure out that we'd indeed met before, so that was fun.

The open races were great. Deanna looked like a machine, she was going to hard and fast from the start. Shalane's a beautiful runner and fast, but she was no match for Deanna-on-a-mission. The men's race was exciting as for most of the race it was Dathan-Adam-Alan, fairly well spaced apart. At around 4 laps, we spectators noticed that Alan Culpepper still looked really strong, even stronger than the other two, thought they looked good, too. They came around at the end of 5 laps and although the uniforms made it look like things were the same, it was Culpepper with the lead, followed by Goucher and then Ritzenheim. I have no idea what happened around 9k, but it must have been a major move! Jorge Torres was a solid 4th the whole time and ran pretty much alone. There was a group of guys contenting for the final spots, though.

There was a large and enthusiastic crowd, which grew as the day went on and it wasn't just active runners, either. Very impressive amount of support by the fans. I was disappointed by the relative lack of non-altitude people who raced in the masters races, especially in mine, but I've got to say, "boy, that *hurt*" -- way more than my pedestrian pace would indicate.

Now it's time to get my butt in shape. I've got to figure out how to get my mile back up to much higher levels while working at this new job. I've got a long way to go and this was definitely proof.

Today, I ran 1:45 with my friend who lives in Colorado Springs. She's always run ahead of me on training runs, but this time, it was worse. On the way back from the "Res" (but not the Boulder Res), I let her go, figuring I could find my way back eventually. Very pretty and some trails, but again, I was so thirsty (stopped and used a business's hose!), it was distracting.

That's all from me. I'm stuck in Boise right now (and delayed), so I think I'll get some work done.

Thanks, Matt and Gary B., for the rides and the company. I really appreciated it!

MG

Good job to those who ran XC Nats this weekend, especially those not used to the altitude.

Worked a local 5k-10k race today. It was cool and windy on this course at 5000'. I was glad to be inside entering results rather than outside on the course.

A tough week for me. After last weekend's half, I was on the track on Tuesday and did 8x 200M hills on Thursday; finished the week yesterday with a 16 miler - the last three were pure pain. I wanted to stop and walk, but didn't want to take another 30 minutes to get home.

JM

Do you ever read Trail Runner magazine? The current issue has a story I wrote about running in the Flat Tops Wilderness, near Yampa.

I usually read TR, I will make sure I pick a copy up this month. Way back when I ran the Pueblo River Trail marathon with a few locals from Steamboat. Good times.

Just got in after a delayed flight home from Denver.

So this will be brief. A very odd race experience. I led the race from about 1K through almost 6K, and I can honestly say that the first 5K was the easiest 5K of cross-country running I've ever experienced. I was barely breathing and my legs felt fresh as could be. Dennis seemed to be struggling a little behind me, and I honestly thought I was going to run away with the race by 20 or 30 seconds over the last 3K ... And then the altitude hit me. And it was like some giant had grabbed me in his fist and squeezed. My legs still felt fine, but I couldn't breathe. Muddy Girl is right. Unbelievably, with 200 meters to go, I had to stop to catch my breath. I would have passed out if I'd tried to keep running! I actually intended to drop out right then and there, because I seriously couldn't breathe. But then I gave it one last effort, running the final 200 and then collapsing in the chute. I definitely learned that I am NOT an altitude runner (at least, that my body can't handle it unprepared).

That said, alititude was part of this year's race. And many runners seemed to handle it in stride. I didn't, so I got beat. Them's the breaks!

Anyway, congrats to all who competed - and especially to Dennis and Andy, who clobbered me over that final 2K!

And here's to hoping we all have great weeks!

I can't even imagine what it is like to race at altitude and feel the things you all describe. I don't think I have ever run at altitude, so for sure, I would not have been able to make adjustments- combined with my less than stellar cross country skills.

But congrats to all who made the trip and ran your hearts out.

Spent the weekend on the indoor track and treadmill. Saturday ran 7 x 300, at :74 quarter pace, builds and leg drills for a good while.

Sunday, ran 10 miles on the treadmill with the middle 5 miles at 6:45 pace. Was pleased with that at this point.

We are for 6-10 more inches of snow and ice by mid-week. I haven't seen a trail in weeks. I hate the roads. Have a good week everyone.

Haven't seen the new Trailrunner yet. But I hear my wife is quoted in an article. Gotta pick it up. I was telling someone at XCs that when you slow down enough you just live off your wife's coat tails. She gets invited to some cool trail races and I get to tag along. The only invites I get are to go away.

Muddy Girl - FYI, I did drop by the party a little after 8:30. But I didn't see anyone there I knew, so had my friends (from Denver, who'd come down to have dinner with me) drive me back to the hotel.

Is the Garden of the Gods covered with snow today ?

Great Race Reports...not as good as being there but "almost".

Saw a little bit of it on TV too. Not a good running week for me. Got a bad cold that is going around but feeling much better today. Barely got in 40 miles w/ 2 days off.. Any running last week was very slow. Hope to get back on it this week.