Schweitzer Mountain Trail Run

My Achilles is feeling stronger and stronger with each run. I'm slowly extending my long runs (14 this week) and weekly mileage (last week was my first week over 40 since March) and I'm getting more quality time on the trails.

Since I can't go long yet, I've been keeping my eyes open for shorter distance trail races in the area. The McCall Trail Running Classic 10-miler a couple weeks ago was a great first race back. And then I stumbled upon the inaugural Inland Northwest Mountain Running Series. It's a three race series on three different mountains with races of 10 miles, 10 miles, and then 25k. Perfect!

Race #1 was the 10-mile Schweitzer Mountain Trail Run last weekend in beautiful Sandpoint, ID. Race #2 is the 10-mile Chewelah Peak Trail Run this weekend in Chewelah, WA. Race #3 is the 25k Wild Moose Chase Trail Run on Mt. Spokane at the end of September.

I had a pretty good day at Schweitzer. It was a very hot day (in the 80's) and a very fast course for a mountain run. The race started with a short, very fast downhill on a service road and I did my best to keep my speed under control. I stayed with lead group of about twelve guys for that half-mile descent. When we shifted gears for the long, gradual, four-mile climb I stayed back and let the fast road guys take off. I settled back into probably eighth or ninth place.

The entire course was an even mix of single-track and service road. We'd get a mile of trail here, then a mile of road there. I knew the climbs weren't real big and that this course would favor the guys with more natural leg speed. I just focused on keeping to my usual mountain-running game plan of taking it easy on the climbs to save energy to really push the descents.

My up legs were feeling much better than they were at McCall the week before, and I was able to slow-by a couple guys before we hit the highpoint of the course. I was in seventh place when we hit the five-mile mark and started looping back toward the finish line.

I felt like the long, gradual descent in the second half of the race was good for me. It required/let me to push my pace more than I have since I've been back on the trail the last month. My leg turnover isn't nearly where it was pre-injury, but I'm happy with where I am right now at this stage in my recovery.

I didn't see anyone for a couple miles between miles five and seven, then between miles seven and 9 I passed three guys to jump up to fourth place. The last mile was a brutal climb back up to the finish line. On the map it doesn't look bad at all, but in a race this short and the paces being pushed as hard as they were it felt like it was straight up the side of a mountain. With about a half-mile left the third place guy came into view, but I had nothing left in my tank for anything that resembled a push. I was looking over my shoulder just to make sure that I wasn't going to be passed. I crossed the finish line in fourth place. (Official results.)

Overall it was a good event. Of course I'd love to see more trail and less road on a trail run. There was a neat little music fest afterward that Annie and I hung out at with some friends for awhile. Then Annie went and broke her ankle walking down some made-for-skiers-and-snow metal stairs. Major, major bummer.

Elevation profile comparison for the series races.

Heading with Sadie to check-in.

Race start. 

View from the starting line.

Coming to the finish chute.

Age group award. Pint glass and
huckleberries (melted from the heat).

Race #2 is this weekend. It should be an interesting one. Hopefully I'll have my down legs to take advantage of the gnarly descents at the end of the race.

Keep running!

McCall Trailrunning Classic 10-mile Race

I'm still not able to put in big weekly miles or long Saturday runs, but I am very happy that I can run at all.  I've slowly built up from 25 miles a week to 35 miles a week with no Achilles pain.  This past week was my first week that I've been allowed a run as long as 10 miles...so of course I found a 10-mile trail race.

The McCall Trailrunning Classic is in its second year.  There are 40, 20, and 10-mile options on the beautiful mountain trails above McCall, ID.  I've been getting up on Moscow Mt more regularly the last couple weeks, so I've been getting my hills legs back slowly but surely.  It was nice to get out on the McCall trails and push my legs a little bit more.

We started off on some sweet single-track and I found myself in 8th or 9th place after about half a mile. I moved up a few more spots about a mile in when there was a chance to pass.  On paper the climbs didn't look too ferocious, but I found myself huffing for air and hiking more than usual even though I was employing my usual 'go slow on the climbs!' strategy to conserve energy. It's gonna take a few more months to get my hill lungs back I guess.  

I passed a couple more before hitting the aid station/highpoint of the course at mile 6. That section is a short out-n-back section, so I could see that I was the fourth person to the top and about four minutes behind the two leaders (one guy and one gal who must have been within 30 or so seconds of each other).  #3 arrived at the aid station just before I did and I passed her there.  

So I left the turnaround in third place and feeling like I could make up some good ground because there was a lot of downhill left, and I felt fresh for some fast downhill (which I think is my strength on the trails).  But when the downhill came my legs weren't there. I could tell I hadn't run this far or this hard since March (it's been that long?!?).  

I didn't have much in the tank with a couple miles to go and I found myself peeking back to see if someone was coming up on me.  But I was alone and holding on to third place. With about half a mile to go I came up on the guy who was leading at the turnaround. He looked like he was struggling a lot and I slowed to ask him if he needed water or anything. He said he was fine, but that he had missed a turn about a mile before and ran the wrong way for a bit before he recognized he wasn't on the course. He looked like his racing was over and that he was just cruising in to the finish line. I ran ahead and with a pleasantly surprising second place overall finish (first place male). The female (who was the wife of the guy who I had just passed) finished a couple minutes before me.  My final time was 1:35:57. (full results)

McCall Trailrunning Classic '10-mile' Course

Happy to be running again.
Mostly happy to have a pair of plaid shorts.

Early part of the course that I walked
with Annie and Sadie the day before the race.

After-race refreshments at McCall Brewery.

It certainly feels good to be running on the trails again.  I know my ultra-level fitness will be slow to come back to me since I'm so limited right now on my weekly mileage, but I can tell even after four weeks of running low mileage that I'm definitely getting my running legs back.

My 'fingers crossed' goal is to extend my long runs enough over the next couple months to be ready for a fall 50k.  The Moscow Mt. Madness 50k in September would be awesome, but that might be too soon.

In the meantime -- keep running!

-Scott

Running/Achilles Update

The two-week trip to Germany was fantastic. No running, but all the beer, sausage, and pretzels made up for it (almost).

Since June 1 I've been cleared to run, and I'm running pain free. The Achilles seems to be getting stronger each day and week.  The key to my recovery plan is low miles.  Right now I'm limited to less than 30 per week, with no run longer than 8 miles.  Starting this week I can bump that up a little (10% rule).

So no marathons or ultras in the near future. I'm okay with that as long as I eventually find my way back to 100% recovered. I have a great physical therapist who understands my needs as an endurance runner.  We're treating this recovery like an ultra: slow and steady with a lot of stomach aches along the way.

One thing worth noting is that although I'm on a mile-per-week limit, I'm not on a reduced-pace limit. So I'm not just out there slogging slowly for a few miles a week.

I have been cleared to bike my heart out.  I took advantage of that last weekend by dusting off my mountain bike for a 35-mile ride to scout the 50k course for the Moscow Mountain Madness 50k in September (which I may/may not be ready to run).  My legs certainly weren't ready for that, but it was great - mentally - to have an ultra-like outing.  In the coming months I'll throw in some bike rides here and there to complement my running. But I also want to take advantage of my low mileage weeks to rest my legs as much as possible. I want to come back fresh and strong.

With Annie on Zugspitze in the German Alps
(highest point in Germany)

From the East Peak Lookout on Moscow Mt.
(rare photo of me with a bike helmet on)

Keep running!

Scott

Off the Trail Again

After a couple weeks running again, my Achilles was feeling better...but not great. I'd say it was about 75-80%; easy runs were fine, even on trails, but I could tell it wasn't ready to be pushed.

I planned on running Bloomsday last weekend, but the day before the race I felt some unusual bumps (very small) on the inside of my Achilles right where I was having all the pain in March. Just to be safe I popped in to see a doctor to make sure it wasn't a small tear or anything that would keep me from running Bloomsday.  The doctor (a sports medicine guy who does work with the WSU student-athletes) diagnosed it as tendinosis.  Basically, he said, it's worse than tendinitis - my tendon has degenerated - and I'm at an increased risk for a rupture.  Not good. He set me up with a new physical therapist that specializes in foot and ankle stuff for athletes.

So I skipped Bloomsday and stopped running again for a week. My appointment with the PT was yesterday, and the news was optimistic.  He said that I have a mild case of tendinosis, and that he expects that I'll likely make a full recovery. He also said that the injured area is higher than the usual risk area for rupture, so I'm not in the high risk category. 

The plan:

I'm leaving for Germany this week for a two week trip.  I won't be running the GutsMuths Rennsteiglaug ultramarathon. That's a bummer -- I've been having some sour luck with my international races the last couple years. Even if I was cleared to give it a shot, my training the last two months has been so low that it's not even worth calling it training, so I'm not in any shape to race a 45-mile trail course anyway.

I am allowed to run, but only on very flat surfaces, and - for now - no more than five miles every other day.  When we get back from Germany, I'll get an updated game-plan from my PT.  Man, it would be great to get some good news then.

Mentally, I'm preparing myself for a several month recovery.  Sounds like this Achilles - even if I get back to full speed - will be something I have to deal with the rest of my running career.  

With Sadie on Moscow Mt. a couple weeks ago

-Scott

On the Trail Again

I've been given the go-ahead by my physical therapist to start some light running again.  Finally. Four weeks off because of some annoying Achilles tendinitis had me a little stir crazy.  

In the last week, I've been on five easy runs ranging from two miles to ten miles.  The painful burning (tendinitis) is gone, but there is still some lingering tightness. 

I'm told that more massage and more light running with help loosen up the tightness.  So my fingers are crossed that I'll be up to full speed before I head off to Germany in a month. My catchphrase over the past week has been "cautiously optimistic." 

Here are a few photos from my Sunday run with Buzz and Sadie.

Keep running!

-Scott