IM-Coeur d’Alene – Week 1

This is officially week one for me. Key workout this week, 10 mile run tomorrow. Easy pace, moderately hilly. As a rule, for my long runs, Saturdays, Carnation, Snoqualmie Valley Trail, 10+ miles. Sunday are long ride days. Next week will be an exception as my dear wife and I are going road tripping for a week. 20 years of wedded bliss.

Race Schedule:
January – Nookachamps ½ Marathon
February – Birch Bay Marathon
March – Mercer Island ½
April – ½ IM somewhere. I kinda leaning toward the Rage ½ in Las Vegas
April – Hawaii Lotto pics come out
May – Olympic Distance somewhere
June – Coeur d’Alene.

ROS – depending on the Hawaii Lotto thing, Train, or Goof Off

I took this summer off to goof off. I’m 15lbs over weight and chopping at the bit to get back in the swing and get fit again.

Somewhere I have read something about stating goals publicly so here goes. My IM PR is 12:04 at Florida arguably the fastest course in the circuit. For CDA:
Swim 1:10
T1 0:05
Bike 5:45
T2 0:05
Run 4:30
Total 11:35

Ok I said it. It’s still not Kona Qual time but will rock for me. Time to stop just working out and start training.

Be Prepared to get out this winter.
OGSTEL!

Little time back in the Wilderness this summer

Really my background from Boy Scouts on up has been in wilderness hiking and climbing. That is until about seven years ago when I got hook on this Triathlon thing. Especially Ironman. Did one and then I did more. My goal became to do all six of the IM North America races + Hawaii. Six down Hawaii to go. My last IM was Florida last November. The slowest Hawaii qual time in my age was 10:22. My time 12:04. Thinking I’m not going to be finding 1:42 any time soon my hope lie with the Lotto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hib-VKuX8Y

Last April came around and my name was not on the lotto list (so what if Missy LaStrange was. “Thanks to the vision of Ironman founder who insisted that a system be maintained to allow the "common man" a chance to compete in this great race, 200 far-from-common age-groupers will join the rest of the 1,800 strong in Kailua Bay on October 13, 2007 for the Ford Ironman World Championship.” So when a 14 time Age Group winner gets a spot… just doesn’t feel right.). On the other hand I now had time to not train and do what ever the heck I wanted.

A little wildness travel came right to the top of the list:

June - Colchuck Pk. One day, 11 miles round trip, 5,500’ elev gain

July - Mt Rainier via Fuhrer Finger and Kautz ice finger decent. Two days, 12 miles round trip, 9,300’ elev gain. Interesting how the end of the ice finger waited for a couple weeks after our trip to collapse across the route. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGd6wcOtgWM

July – Chair Pk Loop. Out of Alpental, around Chair Pk via Melakawa Lks and Snow Lk and bk to Alpental. One day, 10 miles, 4,100' elev gain.

August - Necklace Valley, Tank Lks, Big Hart Lk loop. Two days, 20 miles round trip, 7,300’ elev gain. I’m giving this one a 10. For me, it’s the kind of trip I live for. The remoteness and wildness of the Alpine Lk Wilderness area north of the Middle fork is really something to be experienced. The trail to the necklace valley is in great shape following the east fork of the Foss river valley for about 5 miles. The trail then ascends rapidly for the next 3 into the hanging necklace valley above the river. The trail end and we headed west up the old glacier moraines to the saddle and the tank lakes. The saddle area is a vast scape of weather cracked granite with a mass number of pools. The two biggest are the Tank lakes. Huge views of Chimney Rock and Overcoat Pk. Wild lightning that night and us high and out on rocks. Yikes. The next morning we descended down toward Otter Lk made a hard left and up to Azure lk and over the hump to Azurite lake descending to Chetoot lake. The route from Chetwoot to Big Hart follows the narrow ridge between Big Hart and Angeline. Steep and rocky but well marked with carns. Seems most of the lakes are surrounded by cliffs. The views of Big Hart and Angeline were sometimes nearly vertical, as much as 700’ down. The established trail pick up again at the north end of Big Hart and descends back down to the west fork of the Foss. Back to the cars after dark.

September - Goldmeyer via Red Pass and the abandon 35 years ago PCT. One day, 9 miles round trip, 6,000’ elev gain. Amazing how great a shape the trail is in for being abandon. I tried this 10 years or so ago and found it so overgrown that it was impossible to follow. Someone is taking care of this trail. The trail between Red Pass and Goldmeyer is only about 2 ½ miles long but has a 3,600’ elev difference.