US Skyrunning 2017 Schedule

The schedule for US Skyrunning has been announced. Here are the VK races coming up. These are my primary interest. I'll share them with you here.

VERTICAL K:

1. CALIFORNIA: Tahoe VK – Lake Tahoe – June 16

2. NEW YORK: Whiteface VK – Wilmington – July 8

3. COLORADO: Audi Power of 4 VK – Aspen Snowmass – August 5

4. MONTANA: Lone Peak VK – Big Sky – September 1 (SWS)

5. ARIZONA: Flagstaff Sky Race VK – Flagstaff – October 7

[LINK] to more info

Training:

So what am I recommending for training?

Right now I'm doing decline treadmill 5K's with a target less than 30:00. Over the next few weeks I'll be evolving into alternating with 25% treadmill 5K's with a target of less than 72:00. That will be tough, I'm sure.

Additionally I'm cross-training with Cycle Commuting, with a general target of about 80 miles per week, with the occasional off-road MTB ride, maybe 15-30 miles total. If the weather isn't cooperating, or just for some power endurance, I'm doing trainer work, trying to get in at least 16 miles in 60:00. That's tough because we have a Kinetic Trainer, so there isn't an "easy" setting.

What's just around the bend? Hang on, come back soon, and I'll share how I'm going to mix this into sport specific training for a VK.

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Gore-Tex Kahtoola Uphill at Arizona Snowbowl - Updates from the day before

I just got an email from the race organizers and I'll share some of the most pertinent information with you here:

o   CARPOOL and arrive no earlier than 4:30pm to allow the parking lot to clear out from guests skiing during the day. If you arrive early it is possible you will be held at bottom of mountain.

o   Pre-Race meeting takes place at 5pm in Hart Prairie Lodge.  

o   Race starts at 5:15pm from the KU arch at the base of the Sunset Lift.

o   Headlamps and water bottles are highly recommended.

o   No pets or alcohol on the race course.

o   Racers will be chipped for timing purposes. YOU MUST go through the FINISH ARCH to have your time recorded. 

o   Agassiz Course. AZSB reports that the upper mountain terrain is open with natural un-groomed snow.  The route is technical and hazards do exist for skiers. Skin and ski with caution and know your limits. AZSB reserves the right to make the Agassiz Course “traction only” based on changing conditions.

Additionally, in a few more risky sections they've set up gates with skiers to the left and foot traffic to the right.

I'm packing my gear this morning. Here are some weather screenshots:

Thank you Weather.com. The snow report from Arizona Snow Bowl HERE says that it's spring conditions, which is usually a euphemism for rough and variable, with slush during warm hours and chopped frozen slush in the cold hours. That ties in with the report from Kahtoola.

Note: I tagged this with vertical k, even though it's not, because it has some of the same characteristics and I've done a VK there in the past on the same course, and will do one again this fall.

Gore-Tex Kahtoola Uphill to benefit Friends of Camp Colton

Race Website HERE

That's actually an incomplete description. The text on the web site, as well as the email I received from my Kahtoola Rep was just a bit vague about it. It's actually round-trip. I emailed and asked about it.

Race Time is Round Trip Time

As you can see, there are three different courses. What you can't see, is there are open and masters categories, as well as team and individual. I registered as a Masters Individual. You're allowed to use a slew of uphill traction devices, and must take your uphill motivators downhill. Um, if you want to ride a snowboard down, it has to be the split-board you shuffled up on.

Uphill Travel is allowed at Brighton Ski Resort

Since I'm training for Elbrus as my long-term goal, I'll be ascending in spikes, and I guess descending in spikes. Unless I don't make the cutoff and have to ride the chairs down. That would be sad. So I'm training outside a bit, within the range of recovery I know I can handle right now. I'm also on the treadmill and stairmaster quite a bit since it's easier to manage recovery.

Uphill Travel Restrictions at Brighton Ski Resort in Utah: CLICK HERE

There are cutoffs for the Agassiz Climb

• Please note to ensure racer safety, the Agassiz Climb has two cut off times enforced by Arizona Snowbowl staff. You will be disqualified if cut off times are not met.
• 1st Cut off Agassiz Climb 50 Minute cut off – Ridgeway and Upper Ridge split – If you are not to this point in the course 50 minutes after race starts you will be disqualified and will be required to follow the Midway Course back down to the lodge.
• 2nd Cut off Agassiz Climb 1 hour 15 minutes cut off- Top of Agassiz Chair Lift – If you are not to this point by 1 hour 15 minutes after race start you will be disqualified and berequired to download on chair lift.

Trail Running Winter Training at Silver Lake, up American Fork Canyon

Here is the list of Suggested Items, Rules and Gear 2016

Suggested Items

• Helmets for Skinning & Splitboard strongly suggested.
• Water
• Headlamp
• Hiking Poles
• Appropriate Clothing for conditions

Traction Options

• MICROspikes® footwear traction
• Snowshoes
• Crampons
• Skis with Skins (skins can come off at top of mountain to ski down)
• Splitboard

Rules

• What you use to go up the mountain, you must use to come down.
• No sledding down the mountain
• No alcohol on the mountain
• No bringing in personal alcohol
• No drinking in parking lot
• No Snowboarding down unless you use a splitboard

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Saint George City Half Marathon Qualifier - Month Prior

The last few weeks before the race on January 16, 2016 were pretty rough. Obligations for work, hold-overs from family Christmas and New Years, a part-time job gone awry and rain/snow/sleet every other day got in the way of my last few weeks of training.

Running the Murdock Canal Rec Path, from a park near the Cedar Hills Community Center and UTA Commuter Parking

I ran a miserable half at an 11:32 pace with really sore feet four weeks prior, see Strava capture above. I needed to hit 11:00 in order to qualify for the Pikes Ascent. I learned a few things about myself, but was nervous about implementing them in the next month and still having time to taper near the end.

Weekly outdoor running mileage, 6 weeks to St. George Half Marathon

Then the snot hit the fan, so to speak.

The last few weeks saw my decreasing daily mileage from 6+ down to 2+. Even at that though I was trying really hard to make them quality miles and try to overcome the hills. On the rec path I followed for my most recent long runs there were a few hundred feet of rolling gain and those uphills really demoralized me at that speed.

In trail running, without an exact number for a pace goal, the uphills kind of worked themselves out in the big scheme of things. I discovered that on the road, shooting for that 11:00 pace, there wasn't enough time to catch up on the way down. If my pace uphill fell to 12:00 for three minutes, I'd have to run at 10:00 for six minutes to catch up. It spooked me a bit.

Quite a bit of elevation change at the St. George City Half Marathon

Course map from the St. George City Half Marathon Website.

Watching the weather for St. George, I was also a bit spooked. Here, at 5,000' above sea level, at 35F I was wearing a base layer, a thin jacket, and Wind Stopper tights. What would it be like at 2,500'? 

The course map showed no aid stations, and I had been training for food and water about every half hour. Would I have to take my own wearing my Ultimate Directions Scott Jurek pack?

The last week before the race

I finally got a map with the aid stations from the organizers in the Whova App they were using. I took the photos and map points and converted them to a Google Earth POI map for my wife to meet me at the aid stations with a drop bag filled with emergency items, food, drink, shoe changes, and clothing changes.

With that in mind I decided to go light, without the pack I usually wear in training. I was nervous about my shoes. My fastest 10 miles were in a pair of Altra Repetition. Most of my treadmill training lately has been in Altra Instinct 3.0. My good friend, ultra runner Jarom Thurston recommended the Altra Paradigm highly. Unfortunately, with all the mess going on in my non-running life right now I wouldn't be able to get a pair in time to break in and verify they would work.

My Brooks tights had two very well placed, properly sized side pockets that I could use to carry my phone, a jell, and a bag of Jelly Belly Energy Beans. I would pick up jells to replace the ones I consumed either at the aid stations or when I hooked up with my family.

FFKR Road Bike Training Camp in Saint George UT

My 15 year old son would be attending a road bike training camp with his FFKR racing team that same weekend, and on Thursday they announced the daily hours. He'd have to be at the meeting point at 1:00 PM, and since I had to finish prior to 11:25 AM to qualify, he would be able to go along to help at the aid stations if I needed him.

I packed up my bags on Thursday, since we were leaving right after work on Friday. I was really nervous about my lack of training the last two weeks.