Neglected Items, Cross Training

Odds and Ends

I've neglected a few things in this blog over the last week or two. So Let me get a few things out of the way.

1. My friend Will Tarantino ran a 2:30 and finished 57th in the London Marathon. The time and place was a bit of a disappointment, as a lot of energy was lost weaving through slower runners (charity runners have to start at the back). But, when 2:30 is disappointing that's a good thing in itself. Be sure to read Will's story at this website. We ran together (on his easier runs) in Mammoth when he was working for the ski patrol at MMSA and I'm looking forward to his return this winter.

2. I was given notice that I would be laid off at work a week from tomorrow. So, if you know of any jobs I can do long distance, let me know. I need work!

3. Mammoth Track Club unveiled a new website. It's pretty nice and has a nice video of my coach winning a fun race.

4. Coach and I are also now featured on the Sage to Summit "Eastern Athletes" website.

5. I got a mountain bike! I bartered for a used Cannondale Jekyll 2000. While I'm still in the midst of speed training I've been able to put it to good use.

Back in the Saddle Again

When I moved from Chicago I had to say goodbye to my bicycle. It was a Trek road bike that was almost exactly my age given to me by my father. I also had my Trek 5200 stolen while in Chicago (also a gift from parents). While I never excelled on the bike, I've never stopped loving to ride. Even, if by the time I left Chicago I only used the bike to get to and from work. The thrill of negotiating rush hour traffic pumped me up quite a bit.

I never had an interest in mountain biking until recently. But, I suppose that was mainly due to the fact that the only mountain bikers I knew were 13 year old kids who used their bikes on flat sub-divisions in Indiana. Mammoth Lakes is a mountain biker's heaven.

I went on a 33 mile ride today that took 4 hours (because I'm slow, the ground is soft, I took a lot of pictures, and I did a lot of difficult climbs). It was absolutely spectacular. I rode from my house to the top of Lookout Mountain. Along the way I saw a lot of neat animals, trees, etc which you see in the pictures accompanying the post.

Bring on summer!

Week in Training - Anna Willard - MTC

The Boston Marathon is 26 days away and the bib numbers were released today. Chris, Verdo, Robert and I are all in the very first corral meaning we'll line up immediately behind the elites.

It's crunch time in terms of my training. I finally had a decent week. I think my body is finally near full strength. I did just over 80 miles, managing a 20+ long run at 4,500 ft and 2-mile/800m repeats at over 7,000 ft. The week also included two 90-120 minute hill runs that included uphill and downhills that changed over 1300 ft in 5 miles.

This week is off to a good start, so I hope to have a good update next week as well.
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Here's a nice interview with Anna Willard (pictured at right with bib ending in 55) that was done at the gym where I do core workouts. She's training with the Mammoth Training Club (Team Running USA changed their name, read why here, great quotes from my coach) after her olympic experience in '08. Anna and her fiance Jon, have been really supportive to my training. Mammoth Lakes is a small town and I seem to see them everywhere. It's nice to be part of a sport with athletes that are so down to earth.