Weekend Workouts

This weekend I had some really great workouts on and off the snow. On Saturday Sundari and I went over the Hartley and meet up with Gregg, Tony, and Erik Nordgren. I know I am spoiled when I head out the door and am dissappointed that it is ONLY 25 degrees. What great weather for a JANUARY long run. We headed out for a long run - I was going for a bit more than 3:00. We did a loop in Hartley before swinging back to the parking lot to refuel and then continue on to Hawk's Ridge and the Lester snowmobile trails.

Sundari and I going to Hartley for a long run

When we got to Hawk's Ridge we met up with Dave S. and did a nice loop in Lester. The trails were great for running, but I think skiing or snowshoeing would be a bad idea. There was a a little coating of ice in some places, and all of us took some awkward dives at some point, but we all came out unharmed!

We then headed back up the Lester Amity trails to Hartley and Erik and I finished up at 3:15, with Tony going on for a bit more. He is doing the Cold Water 50K in Arizona in a few weeks so he is getting ready for that. Good luck Tony! It was a great run!

The trail head at Hartley. This is the most snow we ran on all day

Then on Sunday I went down to the North End trail head in Cable WI for a snowshoe workout...on real snow! What a concept! I did a workout with 10 minute ANT reps and a long warm up and cool down. I started the workout on the dedicated snowshoe trails, but most of them are more tree covered and so the snow is a bit thin. I headed onto the Birkie trail and the snow was perfect. I had a great workout and was again the beneficary of great weather in the low 30's! I just hope this snow sticks around for the Boulder ski and snowshoe race this weekend.

This week I will have one mid-long run and two speed workouts, one mid week and one at the Boulder Snowshoe race and USSSA qualifer. My only real goal for the race is to qualify for the USSSA National Championships and get a good ANT workout. All the best to the other racers and anyone racing someone else this coming weekend.

Keep exploring the limits!

2012 Race Calendar

A New Year means new traing and racing goals. I have been looking at what races to do in the coming year, and it was a challenge to pick what to put on the race calendar. There are so many great ultras in the midwest now! I wanted to race a few new ones, as well as some of the most competitive races in the region to challenge myself. I also wanted to pick a few courses that would be ideal for a PR. In the end, here is the schedule I am looking at from snowshoe season through ultra racing (subject to change if there are others traveling to a great race of course):

Jan 5 - Boulder USSSA Nationals Qualifier - Duluth
Feb 4 - Twin Cities Snowshoe Shuffle - Duluth
Feb 18 - Book Across the Bay - Ashland
Feb 25 - USSSA Nationals - Frisco CO
April 21 - Fitgers 5K - Duluth
April 28 - Chippewa Moraine 50K - New Aburn WI
May 12 - Ice Age 50M - La Grange WI
June 2 - FANS 12 Hour - Minneapolis
June 23 - Black Hills 50M - Stergius SD
July 28 - Voyaguer 50M - Carlton/Duluth
Oct 20 - Fall 50M - Door County WI
Nov 22 - Gobble Gallop 5K - Duluth

This past season was a good one for me, with highlights including winning the FANS 12 Hour, winning and setting a course record on the two year old course at the Wild Duluth 100k, and setting both 50M trail and road PR's. I had some big challenges thrown at me in my personal life this fall. They really shook up my life and made me re-evaluate things. But with the help my friends and family, training partners, and members of my Quaker meeting, I was able to get a new perspective and come up with a new plan. I am looking forward to enjoying every moment of training and racing in 2012.

Best of luck to all of you on picking some races and setting some goals for your own 2012 season, it will be here before you know it. Adios to 2011, and bring it on 2012!

Great Video of North Face Endurance Challenge 2011

I came across this great video from the North Face Endurance Challenge in San Fransisco on Scott Dunlap's blog, and I thought I would continue to spread it around. The course look great, and I hope to join the field sometime in the next few years to test my self against some of the best in our sport. Congrats to this year's champion Mike Wolfe who was racing runner up Dakota Jones until the final miles. It is so exciting to see more and more ultras coming down to close finishes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3jIeqfKlRKs#!

In other news, Great Britain announced the first members of their Track and Field Olympic team when they names marathoners Paula Radcliffe, Mara Yamauchi, and Scott Overall to the team. The Olympic season is coming and I can't wait to see who else from around the world will be on the starting line in the 5,000, 10,000, and marathon. Best of luck to the runners from the northland who will be at the US Olympic marathon trials including my friends Jen Houck and Katie Koski.

I have started to bring my training volume and intensity back up in preparation for the snowshoe season and am excited for the snowshoe season. It is a nice break from the focus I have on ultras the rest of the year. I will be posting my 2012 racing calendar soon, so stay tuned for that. Until then - keep warm, and keep running (or skiing and snowshoeing)!