10...9...8...

Leadville is just 10 weeks away and I did my first real hill run this past Monday. It's not like I've been running nothing but flat trail this year. In fact I'm hard pressed to find a flat trail without driving to Iowa. I guess that's part of the beauty of trail running...there really isn't flat single track. So, Joel and I went to Afton State Park to work on some longer hills. During the drive to the park I realized how much I was dreading being there again. Last year we did all of our training at that park, running the same 25k loop over and over. But with only 8 training weeks to LT100 we have no choice but to begin to get our downhill legs in shape. I know that the altitude at Leadville will require me to walk the significant uphill sections so I have to make time on the few long downhills. I need to have the legs to cruise down both Sugarloaf and Hope Pass each time I encounter them. That means four long downhills with the final one being the long winding gravel road of Sugarloaf around mile 80. Last year I felt really strong going into the race but I didn't taper nearly enough in the final two weeks and I paid for it when my right hip flexor locked up after leaving Twin Lakes II. In hindsight I realized I had over-trained for the downhills. Two weeks before the race I was in Leadville training on the course and began to feel a twinge of pain and tightness in the hip flexor while running downhill. After my runs I would soak in the river for a few minutes and all would feel fine so I didn't think much of it. During the race my pacer Nate and I were doing the river crossing near Twin Lakes and I was having a difficult time pushing my right leg through the water. It concerned me but once again, a few minutes later it seemed fine. We left Twin Lakes with a long grinding uphill for what felt like an eternity. Within about 5 miles the hip flexor had locked up and I was slowed to a crawl. In 5 miles I went from feeling good to dry-heaving on the side of the trail from the pain in my hip. By the time I arrived at Half Moon I had lost nearly two hours and missed the time cut-off so I became one of the majority and DNF'd my first LT100.
This year I've felt pretty good about my leg strength on the ups but have been concerned with the long downhills. I've had a few runs with some longer hills but my legs felt weak while pounding the down side. The hip flexors have felt good but, like my quads, they need some time running downhill. If the weekly long runs and at least one 50 miler are run at Afton I should be in good shape to begin two weeks of rest (fly fishing near Leadville) by August 1.