Ending 2010 and entering 2011 saw me fighting some alingment issues with my right knee cap. The resultant pain was throwing off my form and rythm and made every run a bit of an effort. But, things came back together this week; and, on this past Wednesday I had a run that made me forget all about the last couple of weeks.
If you've been a distance runner for any amoutn of time, you know what a great feeling it is to get in the zone during a run. Finding that "groove" can be almost magical. As things begin to flow, all that exists is the sound of your breathing and your foot falls. Time seems to get compressed. The pace seems to be almost effortless. Your legs seem to roll over with almost no effort and your shoes feel like feathers.
This doesnt' happen very often; but, when it does - it's worth remembering.
Rarer still are those occassions when you are out on a group run with 2 or 3 or 4 of your pals. You approach the end of a long run and that's when it happens - the conversation ends, the pace starts to ratchet down a bit and all you hear are the foot plants of the group. And the pace starts to drop a bit more. And pretty soon, you're not really racing; but, it's no longer just a long run. It's morphed into a symbiotic effort of speed and grace - almost like a dance of power and speed. Magical indeed.
We've all had days like this; and, hopefully we all have more in our legs. Just remember, the next time it happens - remember to enjoy and embrace the run.
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Close One Chapter, Open The Next
2010 - in some ways, a year that I would like to just wipe away from the books. And, a lot of that is based on just one factor in my daily life (albeit a big one). Turns out that viral cardiomyopathy tends to put a pretty big damper on your running performances. And, when partaking in the sport is a bit of a passion, that tends to cast a pall on things. And, the cloud continues to hang low while I wait till March to see if the drug therapy is working; or, if my heart weakness/low ejection fraction is going to be a long term and/or permanent issue.
But hey, even with that, the big picture still remains all fine and dandy. When I really kick back and look at things, life is pretty much fantabulishous.
A great wife in Erin - we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary this summer !!!!!!! Two great kids in Nick and Zoe. A great career in a job that is challenging and my employer treats me at a valuable part of the organization. Coaching the Plains High School XC program for the 2nd year was a kick and it was truly enjoyable to get to hang out with this group of kids in the fall. My parents are now 81 and they're still around to enjoy their grand kids. My brother just had his first baby at the age of 46; and, it's fantastic to have a new member in the clan. Thanksgiving with my family in Paradise Valley. Christmas with Erin, Nick, Zoe and Peg (mother in law) at home in the Clark Fork Valley. 4th of July weekend at the Vermilion Bay property. XC camp in August during the Huckleberry Festival. Taking mom and dad to my brother's new house in the Seattle area over Memorial Day. Doing the Dave Matthews Day Concert at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington with Nick over Labor Day weekend. Following Zoe all year to Track, Cross Country and Wrestling events.
When I look back, it was a great year filled with rich and enjoyable memories. But, 2010 is now in the books. Today begins a new future. An empty basket just waiting to be filled. And, looking ahead, it has all the makings of being filled with with amazing life adventures.
Nick getting married in March in Arizona to our soon to be daughter in law Katie.
Nick scheduled to graduate from Arizona State (cum laud no less) in early May.
Zoe scheduled to graduate from Plains High School (possible valedictorian???) in late May.
My first season as the Head Track Coach at Plains High School.
Camp Vigilante in July.
Nick heading off to pursue his PhD in genetics this fall (so far he has interviews schedule at Cornell, Duke and Chicago)
Zoe heading off to college to study material science (so far she has been accepted at Montana State and Illinois); and, she hopes, Navy ROTC.
Tony & Erin becoming empty nesters and having to learn how to live without kids in the house.
And, running - what adventures will happen to this old buzzard during the coming season???????? I suspect that lots of that will ultimately be dictated by what goes on with the old ticker and how successful I am in seeing improvements to my cardiac function. Regardless, I'm looking forward to undertaking a weird personal science experiment and maximizing my potential for the year. We'll just have to take what gets thrown at us with the cardiomyopathy and the age (48) and make the best of it.
And, no better time to get started on that path than this morning. We spent New Year's Eve at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho. (We being me, Erin, Nick, Katie and Zoe.) The other 4 went out this morning to hit the ski slopes. But, thanks to some nagging knee pain in my patella, I begged out. The vastus medialis (the head of the quadriceps on the inside of the leg and just above the knee) on my "bad" leg (the leg in which I fractured my kneecap in 2008) seems to have gotten pretty weak over the last couple of months. The resulting atrophy has meant that my kneecap isn't tracking properly right now and is causing some pain when running. (But, especially in any activity causing eccentric contraction - i..e skiing, jumping, etc.) Since being told to cut back on my mileage for a while by the cardiologist, I had also backed off the core and strength work. Quad got weak. Knee got sore.
My form and rhythm have been compromised a bit in my running. But, I can get in some miles if I really watch my foot plant and keep my pace in check. But, didn't want to risk really getting it sore by putting on the skis. So, just hung out at the resort all day. Sort of a relaxing day of kicking back, doing a little reading and playing on the computer.
But; first, had to worship the mileage gods on the cold (4 degrees) crisp morning. Mostly on the Cour de Alene Trail (that runs 71 miles from Mullan to the west) that runs right past the resort. With the sun out, it felt warmer than 4; and, I got through 3 very easy miles. My form is pretty ragged; but, when I got down to about 7:30 pace, things smoothed out and the knee felt way better. Got back to the motel and did about 15 minutes of quad work and strenghtening for the quad/knee stability. In just a week of getting back to the strengthening work, I'm already seeing improvements.
It's amazing how much fitness I've lost since I backed off the miles in early November. And, while wallowing in self pity a bit, my diet suffered some as well and I'm about 8 to 10 pounds heavier than I would like. Add a gimpy knee and it's makes for a situation that will take some time to get turned around. But, as I said earlier. I'm actually looking forward to it a bit. A new challenge, some new goals, a new chapter, a new trail. 2011 - here comes the Muddy Buzzard!!!!
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
But hey, even with that, the big picture still remains all fine and dandy. When I really kick back and look at things, life is pretty much fantabulishous.
A great wife in Erin - we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary this summer !!!!!!! Two great kids in Nick and Zoe. A great career in a job that is challenging and my employer treats me at a valuable part of the organization. Coaching the Plains High School XC program for the 2nd year was a kick and it was truly enjoyable to get to hang out with this group of kids in the fall. My parents are now 81 and they're still around to enjoy their grand kids. My brother just had his first baby at the age of 46; and, it's fantastic to have a new member in the clan. Thanksgiving with my family in Paradise Valley. Christmas with Erin, Nick, Zoe and Peg (mother in law) at home in the Clark Fork Valley. 4th of July weekend at the Vermilion Bay property. XC camp in August during the Huckleberry Festival. Taking mom and dad to my brother's new house in the Seattle area over Memorial Day. Doing the Dave Matthews Day Concert at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington with Nick over Labor Day weekend. Following Zoe all year to Track, Cross Country and Wrestling events.
When I look back, it was a great year filled with rich and enjoyable memories. But, 2010 is now in the books. Today begins a new future. An empty basket just waiting to be filled. And, looking ahead, it has all the makings of being filled with with amazing life adventures.
Nick getting married in March in Arizona to our soon to be daughter in law Katie.
Nick scheduled to graduate from Arizona State (cum laud no less) in early May.
Zoe scheduled to graduate from Plains High School (possible valedictorian???) in late May.
My first season as the Head Track Coach at Plains High School.
Camp Vigilante in July.
Nick heading off to pursue his PhD in genetics this fall (so far he has interviews schedule at Cornell, Duke and Chicago)
Zoe heading off to college to study material science (so far she has been accepted at Montana State and Illinois); and, she hopes, Navy ROTC.
Tony & Erin becoming empty nesters and having to learn how to live without kids in the house.
And, running - what adventures will happen to this old buzzard during the coming season???????? I suspect that lots of that will ultimately be dictated by what goes on with the old ticker and how successful I am in seeing improvements to my cardiac function. Regardless, I'm looking forward to undertaking a weird personal science experiment and maximizing my potential for the year. We'll just have to take what gets thrown at us with the cardiomyopathy and the age (48) and make the best of it.
And, no better time to get started on that path than this morning. We spent New Year's Eve at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho. (We being me, Erin, Nick, Katie and Zoe.) The other 4 went out this morning to hit the ski slopes. But, thanks to some nagging knee pain in my patella, I begged out. The vastus medialis (the head of the quadriceps on the inside of the leg and just above the knee) on my "bad" leg (the leg in which I fractured my kneecap in 2008) seems to have gotten pretty weak over the last couple of months. The resulting atrophy has meant that my kneecap isn't tracking properly right now and is causing some pain when running. (But, especially in any activity causing eccentric contraction - i..e skiing, jumping, etc.) Since being told to cut back on my mileage for a while by the cardiologist, I had also backed off the core and strength work. Quad got weak. Knee got sore.
My form and rhythm have been compromised a bit in my running. But, I can get in some miles if I really watch my foot plant and keep my pace in check. But, didn't want to risk really getting it sore by putting on the skis. So, just hung out at the resort all day. Sort of a relaxing day of kicking back, doing a little reading and playing on the computer.
But; first, had to worship the mileage gods on the cold (4 degrees) crisp morning. Mostly on the Cour de Alene Trail (that runs 71 miles from Mullan to the west) that runs right past the resort. With the sun out, it felt warmer than 4; and, I got through 3 very easy miles. My form is pretty ragged; but, when I got down to about 7:30 pace, things smoothed out and the knee felt way better. Got back to the motel and did about 15 minutes of quad work and strenghtening for the quad/knee stability. In just a week of getting back to the strengthening work, I'm already seeing improvements.
It's amazing how much fitness I've lost since I backed off the miles in early November. And, while wallowing in self pity a bit, my diet suffered some as well and I'm about 8 to 10 pounds heavier than I would like. Add a gimpy knee and it's makes for a situation that will take some time to get turned around. But, as I said earlier. I'm actually looking forward to it a bit. A new challenge, some new goals, a new chapter, a new trail. 2011 - here comes the Muddy Buzzard!!!!
See you on the roads, tracks and trails.
Friday, December 03, 2010
The King Visits Sacramento
Alan King will be taking a big shot at dream this weekend. He left today for Sacramento, CA in preparation for the 2010 California International Marathon (CIM) on Sunday.
It was at this same race in 2007 where Alan finished in the top 10 (9th overall) and set his PR of 2:29:25 (2:29:21 chip time). But, this time around, he's looking to take a "run" at the next level.
It was at this same race in 2007 where Alan finished in the top 10 (9th overall) and set his PR of 2:29:25 (2:29:21 chip time). But, this time around, he's looking to take a "run" at the next level.
Alan Running With The Big Boys @ USATF XC Nationals - 2010
His goal - 2:19:00 or faster and make the qualifying time for the 2012 USATF Men's Marathon Olympic Trials. It's a big jump from his current PR ----- but, over the last 3 years, Alan has become a truly different runner. And, in 2010 he's become a dominant runner on the Montana scene.
With the exception of the Bozeman Classic race in early August (where he still got 3rd place in a time in the mid-33's), he's competed at an extremely high level all year.
Alan @ Ice Breaker
Here's to Alan in his quest for stringing together the set of 5:18's that he'll need in order to make a trip to Houston in January 2012. Hopefully he has some company out along the course. CIM has offered some cash incentives to those making the qualifying time; and, CIM is known as a good, fast course. So, the expectation is that there should be a train of guys in that 2:17 to 2:22 range that he should be able to latch onto.
Weather forecasts looks mostly good - low 40's at start to maybe low 50's at finish. A light tailwind to quatering wind possible. The only hiccup could be rain. There is a 50% chance of rain, with some heavy rain forecast for Sunday night. Let's hope it holds off until sometime after noon on Sunday (with race start at 7:00 a.m., Al should be done by 9:19 :D ).
I believe that he is number 124; and, CIM indicates that they will have race day athlete tracking ( see website at http://www.runcim.org/ ); so, get online and check out Alan's progress.
Good luck Al - Run Hard. Run Fast.
Do The Big Sky Proud.
The Muddy Buzzard
Thursday, December 02, 2010
The Streak Ends
Now - I'm not a true honest to goodnedss streaker. Yeah, I would rather run every day then not. But, missing a day or two here and there thru the year generally isn't the end of the world. But, early this summer it dawned on me that it seemed like I hadn't missed a day in a while. And, it turns out that I was right.
As of Tuesday, I was at 705 consecutive days. And.......................that's where it ends. 705 days and some 4,500 to 4,700 miles later.
So,, what was it thta end the streak - Well, I got to spend an exciting day yesterday at the Montana Heart Institute undergoing a heart angiogram.
Good news was that the pipes look clear.
"Bad" news, angio did confirm an ejection fraction of only 30% to 35%.
So, they'll keep me on a medical regimen for now. In 3 months we'll do a new echo cardiogram and see if the meds have helped to improve heart function.
If so, we'll keep at it. If not, we'll figure out the next step then.
Will be able to keep running (as soon as I fully recover from the angio procedure - which should be maybe by the end of the weekend); but, do need to keep the quality and quantity in check.
At any rate - in spite of it all - life is good. Day to day lifestyle hasn't changed and I don't have any limits there. If I have to back off running a bit for my long term health - that's not the end of the world.
Enjoy the upcoming holiday season everyone; and,
I'll see you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
As of Tuesday, I was at 705 consecutive days. And.......................that's where it ends. 705 days and some 4,500 to 4,700 miles later.
So,, what was it thta end the streak - Well, I got to spend an exciting day yesterday at the Montana Heart Institute undergoing a heart angiogram.
Good news was that the pipes look clear.
"Bad" news, angio did confirm an ejection fraction of only 30% to 35%.
So, they'll keep me on a medical regimen for now. In 3 months we'll do a new echo cardiogram and see if the meds have helped to improve heart function.
If so, we'll keep at it. If not, we'll figure out the next step then.
Will be able to keep running (as soon as I fully recover from the angio procedure - which should be maybe by the end of the weekend); but, do need to keep the quality and quantity in check.
At any rate - in spite of it all - life is good. Day to day lifestyle hasn't changed and I don't have any limits there. If I have to back off running a bit for my long term health - that's not the end of the world.
Enjoy the upcoming holiday season everyone; and,
I'll see you on the roads, tracks and trails.
The Muddy Buzzard
Monday, November 22, 2010
Already Tired of Winter
Okay, so here it is ---- only the 2nd day of real snow for the year and it's 19 degrees out (balmy compared to the Billings and Great Falls areas) ----- and, I'm already feeling that this is going to be a long winter at The Lodge @ Bad Rock.
Funny how shoveling your loooooong, steeeeeeeep driveway for 3 hours does that to you. But then, it couldn't be at all due to the fact that I only got 2/3 rds of the driveway done in that time. Or the fact that by the time I got back to the house and the top of the driveway, the area I had originally shoveled already had 2 new inches on it. Or the fact that the area I didn't get to has about 8 - 9 inches that I have to fight through.
Good thing I'm mostly in running on the treadmill or I'd be really pissy about this whole thing.
See you (with a grouchy look on my face) on the roads, tracks, trails and treadmills
The Muddy Buzzard
Funny how shoveling your loooooong, steeeeeeeep driveway for 3 hours does that to you. But then, it couldn't be at all due to the fact that I only got 2/3 rds of the driveway done in that time. Or the fact that by the time I got back to the house and the top of the driveway, the area I had originally shoveled already had 2 new inches on it. Or the fact that the area I didn't get to has about 8 - 9 inches that I have to fight through.
Good thing I'm mostly in running on the treadmill or I'd be really pissy about this whole thing.
See you (with a grouchy look on my face) on the roads, tracks, trails and treadmills
The Muddy Buzzard
Friday, November 05, 2010
The Buzzard Flies Low For Awhile
Well, for about the last 18 months, performance levels have been less than what I would have liked. Yeah, I've had a couple of decent runs. 2009 and 2010 Bloomsday's were okay. As was the 2010 USATF XC Championships. And, the 2010 MT Marathon 1/2 Marathon wasn't the worst day ever.
But, more often than not, my races were train wrecks. Things typically were starting off bad and then went "downhill" from there. The last couple of Montana Cups were prime examples. No matter how comfortably I went out, I just fell apart within the first mile and fought like hell just to keep things moving forward. 73rd overall and 18th masters is just not the expectation that I have for myself.
For awhile, I thought it was a matter of getting back my fitness after being off due to my patellar fracture. Then, there came a point where the fracture was fully healed and mileage was, more or less, at normal levels of 50 - 55 per week. At that point, I thought that maybe I needed some tweaks to my training - maybe different mixes of VO2 Max versus Threshold versus Speed versus Endurance. Then, I thought maybe it was more a matter of being a bit older and needing to cut back on quantity. Finally, I got to the point of having tried a bit of everything; but, to no avail. So finally, I bit the bullet and decided to go see my physician and see if there was something more going on.
Went to the doc, and got some blood work and a chest x-ray. Blood work showed normal iron levels (so no anemia); but, did show a very low free T4. What does that mean - hypothyroid. So, he wanted me to get started on some synthetic thyroid to try to get that balance out.
The radiologist saw an enlarged heart (which didn't completely suprise me - I had seen that in some past tests and none of my prior physicians had suggested that this was a problem) and recommnended a stress echocardiogram. And, that's where things got a bit interesting.
Most everything looked okay; but, it did point out a low Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction. The EF is a measure of how much blood is pumped out of the left ventricle and into the body by way of the arterial network. Typically 55% to 65% of the blood coming into the ventricle is ejected/pumpe out. For me, the testing was suggesting somewhere between 35% and 50%. So - that means that I was only pumping out about 60% to 80% of the normal range.
Turns out that not pumping out as much oxygenated blood as normal is not a good thing for high performance running.
So, what does this mean. Well it's certainly not a good thing. But, doesn't appear to be anything that's going to make me keel over tomorrow. Looks like it's probably related to one of two things. And, the other silver lining - at least it answers the question of why I've been running like a pile of dog poo over the last 18 months.
First, it could be a result of some arterial disease issues (i.e. plaque clogged arteries). Not likely. But, they have scheduled an angiogram to rule this out (or in).
Second, it is more likely what is called a viral cardio myopathy. Basically, some reduced function of the heart muscle as a result of a virus. To treat this - they have put me on some heart meds. One a beta blocker, the other an ACE Inhibitor. Both serve to make it easier for the heart to pump blood. The theory is that it will allow the heart to get stronger.
My cardiologist suggests that the vast majority of patients see improvement with the drug therapy. Some have even returned to near nornal. He does suggest that it's going to be a bit of a challenge to dial in my drug therapy due to the fact that my heart rate is already quite low and I have low blood pressure. And, my existing level of fitness means that I'm not there normal patient type.
But, there is some hope. Hope that I can get back to approaching my prior levels of performance. Hope that this doesn't have a long term affect on my day to day life (it hasn't yet to this point).
So, for now - we'll just follow doctor's orders and see what comes next. For now, he's told me to limit my miles and level of intensity.............code words for slow, short, easy jogging :-( I'll start the drug therapy and get an angiogram on December 1st. After that, we'll see what the next steps are.
But, rest assured, I continue to plan to.................
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
The Muddy Buzzard
But, more often than not, my races were train wrecks. Things typically were starting off bad and then went "downhill" from there. The last couple of Montana Cups were prime examples. No matter how comfortably I went out, I just fell apart within the first mile and fought like hell just to keep things moving forward. 73rd overall and 18th masters is just not the expectation that I have for myself.
For awhile, I thought it was a matter of getting back my fitness after being off due to my patellar fracture. Then, there came a point where the fracture was fully healed and mileage was, more or less, at normal levels of 50 - 55 per week. At that point, I thought that maybe I needed some tweaks to my training - maybe different mixes of VO2 Max versus Threshold versus Speed versus Endurance. Then, I thought maybe it was more a matter of being a bit older and needing to cut back on quantity. Finally, I got to the point of having tried a bit of everything; but, to no avail. So finally, I bit the bullet and decided to go see my physician and see if there was something more going on.
Went to the doc, and got some blood work and a chest x-ray. Blood work showed normal iron levels (so no anemia); but, did show a very low free T4. What does that mean - hypothyroid. So, he wanted me to get started on some synthetic thyroid to try to get that balance out.
The radiologist saw an enlarged heart (which didn't completely suprise me - I had seen that in some past tests and none of my prior physicians had suggested that this was a problem) and recommnended a stress echocardiogram. And, that's where things got a bit interesting.
Most everything looked okay; but, it did point out a low Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction. The EF is a measure of how much blood is pumped out of the left ventricle and into the body by way of the arterial network. Typically 55% to 65% of the blood coming into the ventricle is ejected/pumpe out. For me, the testing was suggesting somewhere between 35% and 50%. So - that means that I was only pumping out about 60% to 80% of the normal range.
Turns out that not pumping out as much oxygenated blood as normal is not a good thing for high performance running.
So, what does this mean. Well it's certainly not a good thing. But, doesn't appear to be anything that's going to make me keel over tomorrow. Looks like it's probably related to one of two things. And, the other silver lining - at least it answers the question of why I've been running like a pile of dog poo over the last 18 months.
First, it could be a result of some arterial disease issues (i.e. plaque clogged arteries). Not likely. But, they have scheduled an angiogram to rule this out (or in).
Second, it is more likely what is called a viral cardio myopathy. Basically, some reduced function of the heart muscle as a result of a virus. To treat this - they have put me on some heart meds. One a beta blocker, the other an ACE Inhibitor. Both serve to make it easier for the heart to pump blood. The theory is that it will allow the heart to get stronger.
My cardiologist suggests that the vast majority of patients see improvement with the drug therapy. Some have even returned to near nornal. He does suggest that it's going to be a bit of a challenge to dial in my drug therapy due to the fact that my heart rate is already quite low and I have low blood pressure. And, my existing level of fitness means that I'm not there normal patient type.
But, there is some hope. Hope that I can get back to approaching my prior levels of performance. Hope that this doesn't have a long term affect on my day to day life (it hasn't yet to this point).
So, for now - we'll just follow doctor's orders and see what comes next. For now, he's told me to limit my miles and level of intensity.............code words for slow, short, easy jogging :-( I'll start the drug therapy and get an angiogram on December 1st. After that, we'll see what the next steps are.
But, rest assured, I continue to plan to.................
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
The Muddy Buzzard
MT Cup Weekend 2010
Had a great time last weekend sandwiched around the Montana Cup.
Went over to Billings on Wednesday evening for some business at the home office of Sanderson Stewart on Thursday and Friday. Friday night headed over to Kelly & Liz Fulton's to spend a couple of nights. We started off the weekend with a couple of hearty brews at Carter's Brew Pub on Montana Ave. That was the first time that I had been to Carter's; and, I'm hear to tell you - it's some of the finest brew that I've had...........................ever. We finished off the night with a nice pasta topped with a pheasant burger meat sauce. Liz rocks the kitchen!!!!!!
Up early the next morning and headed out to the Rocky Mountain College Equestrian Center NW of Billings on Highway 3. It was a lot of un helping Alan King, Brad Coutant and the rest of the Rim Runners finish setting up the course and getting ready for the onslaught of runners. And, did the runners ever come. Some 214 men and women, boys and girls toed the starting lines.
First up were the women. Using a strong push over the last half of the race, Sarah Graves of Billings took home the win over high schooler Dani Aragon (Billings) and master's stud Nicole Hunt (Butte/Deer Lodge). Sarah's win came just a couple of weeks after a 2:55 marathon performance in Chicago. Sarah continues to amaze me with her ability to run races at any time at any distance and always turn in top level performances.
The men's race was settled pretty early. At the top of a climb right after 2K, Alan King put in a hard surge, opened some daylight and put the win to bed. In the end, he had a 20 second win over Mike Wolfe and Dominic Smargiassi, both of Helena.
It was a perfect day for cross country running. Maybe in the '50's, some light clouds, little to no breeze, and dry. The course was fantastic. A few hills to make it a challenge, some footing that was sketchy and vistas that were limitless. Alan King did a great job of setting out the course, making it so that no one was going to get lost and having accurate mile and kilometer marks.
The Yellowstone Rim Runners did a great job of hosting the event. Packet pick up was seamless. Results (courtesy of Becca King) were quick and accurate. The awards were unique. And, the amount of post race food was enough to leave everyone with a full belly.
For more on the results and a great race write up - check out http://www.montanacup.com/. Ray Hunt did his usual great job of capturing the essence of the day's events.
As for me - the results were dismal. But, see other posts for some reasons behind that whole train wreck. But, I had a great time out on the ranch. How could you not - watching the Helena bus pulling up and spitting out what seemed to be 1,000 folks in Blue. Pat Judge and Ann Seifert do such an amazing job in getting the Helena running community behind the Cup. Pretty easy decision to make Pat and Ann members of the Montana Cup Hall of Fame.
Getting to see old friends is so great - folks like Dave Coppock, Jeff Thomas, Bob Boland, Jaque Maillet, Anders Brooker, Ray and Nicole Hunt, Big Bird Joidin, Eddie Walker, Brad Coutant, Brian Wieck, Dewey Peacock, Alan King, Kelly Fulton, Zach Hunter, etc., etc, etc.
Watching some of the hottest competition of the year is great. Coming one week after the State H.S. XC Championships - its a back to back smorgasbord of running over hill and dale. Good times indeed.
After helping with some clean-up and a quck shower, it was off to the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company's garage for some post event refreshements. While there, some of the old Sunday Morning Run Club members had a couple of cold ones for old times sake.
A couple of more brews at Carter's (man, they were as good on Satuday as they were on Friday night). Then finished it off with some Mexi Food at Don Louis'. Neeless to say - it was a loud and smelly night at the Fulton house.
Sunday morning, we hit the trails from Zimmerman Park and beyond Indian Cliffs. It was great to be out with Kelly, Alan and Zach - it had been a long time since we had convened a service of the Church Of The Blue Dome. It was a glorious day - calm and crisp. Just right for an hour run with your pals.
Went over to Billings on Wednesday evening for some business at the home office of Sanderson Stewart on Thursday and Friday. Friday night headed over to Kelly & Liz Fulton's to spend a couple of nights. We started off the weekend with a couple of hearty brews at Carter's Brew Pub on Montana Ave. That was the first time that I had been to Carter's; and, I'm hear to tell you - it's some of the finest brew that I've had...........................ever. We finished off the night with a nice pasta topped with a pheasant burger meat sauce. Liz rocks the kitchen!!!!!!
Up early the next morning and headed out to the Rocky Mountain College Equestrian Center NW of Billings on Highway 3. It was a lot of un helping Alan King, Brad Coutant and the rest of the Rim Runners finish setting up the course and getting ready for the onslaught of runners. And, did the runners ever come. Some 214 men and women, boys and girls toed the starting lines.
First up were the women. Using a strong push over the last half of the race, Sarah Graves of Billings took home the win over high schooler Dani Aragon (Billings) and master's stud Nicole Hunt (Butte/Deer Lodge). Sarah's win came just a couple of weeks after a 2:55 marathon performance in Chicago. Sarah continues to amaze me with her ability to run races at any time at any distance and always turn in top level performances.
The men's race was settled pretty early. At the top of a climb right after 2K, Alan King put in a hard surge, opened some daylight and put the win to bed. In the end, he had a 20 second win over Mike Wolfe and Dominic Smargiassi, both of Helena.
It was a perfect day for cross country running. Maybe in the '50's, some light clouds, little to no breeze, and dry. The course was fantastic. A few hills to make it a challenge, some footing that was sketchy and vistas that were limitless. Alan King did a great job of setting out the course, making it so that no one was going to get lost and having accurate mile and kilometer marks.
The Yellowstone Rim Runners did a great job of hosting the event. Packet pick up was seamless. Results (courtesy of Becca King) were quick and accurate. The awards were unique. And, the amount of post race food was enough to leave everyone with a full belly.
For more on the results and a great race write up - check out http://www.montanacup.com/. Ray Hunt did his usual great job of capturing the essence of the day's events.
As for me - the results were dismal. But, see other posts for some reasons behind that whole train wreck. But, I had a great time out on the ranch. How could you not - watching the Helena bus pulling up and spitting out what seemed to be 1,000 folks in Blue. Pat Judge and Ann Seifert do such an amazing job in getting the Helena running community behind the Cup. Pretty easy decision to make Pat and Ann members of the Montana Cup Hall of Fame.
Getting to see old friends is so great - folks like Dave Coppock, Jeff Thomas, Bob Boland, Jaque Maillet, Anders Brooker, Ray and Nicole Hunt, Big Bird Joidin, Eddie Walker, Brad Coutant, Brian Wieck, Dewey Peacock, Alan King, Kelly Fulton, Zach Hunter, etc., etc, etc.
Watching some of the hottest competition of the year is great. Coming one week after the State H.S. XC Championships - its a back to back smorgasbord of running over hill and dale. Good times indeed.
After helping with some clean-up and a quck shower, it was off to the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company's garage for some post event refreshements. While there, some of the old Sunday Morning Run Club members had a couple of cold ones for old times sake.
Left to Right - The Muddy Buzzard, Dave Coppock, Alan King (aka The Champ) (wearing Gerry), Kelly Fulton, Zach Hunter
Sunday morning, we hit the trails from Zimmerman Park and beyond Indian Cliffs. It was great to be out with Kelly, Alan and Zach - it had been a long time since we had convened a service of the Church Of The Blue Dome. It was a glorious day - calm and crisp. Just right for an hour run with your pals.
Church members right after confession to Gerry
Monday found me back at work (and still in Billings). But had a nice run with Michael Sanderson (who happens to be my boss) out at Riverfront Park. Hadn't been out there in a couple of years. We did the back loops on the east side of the park (they've made a bunch of improvements back in this section), then did a loop around Norm's Island. We got out a bit late; but, the upside was that we were able to see a magnificant sunset and finished just as dusk was settling in. It was cool and calm - the sun just setting ----- another great run. It was amazing to be in Billings at the end of October and have so many days of warm weather with little to no wind. Pretty spectacular conditions.
All in all, it was just a great weekend of malts and miles (beer and running :-) )
See you on the roads, tracks and trails
The Muddy Buzzard
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)