Several teachers have been tag teaming the lessons. I can only assume that they find watching their pupil entertaining in some way, as these teachers are way overqualified.
So far, I have had several tough lessons. I shall enumerate:
1.) Getting up early to run (all the teachers do this): It’s hot here. See #2. Best to run as early as possible. Weekends are no longer for sleeping in. No more Saturday mornings staying in bed until 7. I may have pouted a bit about this, but I’m not telling.
2.) Running in the heat (Barry, Jim, Mike, Cedric, Tim, Matt): See #1. But, when the run is going to last 6 hours or more, the heat of the day will be a part of the run no matter what direction you take. Better to get used to running in the heat for shorter periods in the middle of the day. I may have dozed off in this lesson – it was warm and I was tired. But I heard something about blood plasma volume. And saunas? Or was that sofas, as in, you should stay seated on yours for the duration of the summer? Doubtful. Anyway, I think water is important.
3.) Running and hiking up hills (Jean, Ken, Kurt, Kelly): Kelly’s favorite trail is short, and one of the steepest I’d been on until Jean showed me one of her favorites that required scrambling on all fours. The point here seems to be to go until you get to the top, but not necessarily by the most direct route. Ken instructed me to get some trekking poles, which seem useful on the way up. On the way down however, well… that’s another lesson (I hope). Kurt’s method of uphill training involves the ski hill. Repeating the hill over and over is encouraged. Or sometimes a stair climber. I don’t get this one yet. Maybe I should try it more than once?
4.) Running downhills (Kurt, Jean, Brian): Once I manage to keep up with the instructors, I may learn something. Kurt got stuck behind me at the Jemez Mountain Trail Run, and he couldn’t stop moaning and groaning about my *ahem* downhill technique. I told you this was remedial summer school. Kurt did point out that the shoes I had been wearing were not up to the job.
5.) Running at altitude (Jean): Mostly a demonstration lesson, as in, “This trail is at 10,000 ft. Now let’s run.”
6.) Tripping (Brian): I couldn’t hear most of this lesson – Brian was running in front of me down the trail (he also conducted a downhill lesson). But the demonstrations were instructive. I managed a good fall with minimal damage that LOOKED bad. Which I guess is the point, to make others think you are tough? Like I said, I didn’t hear the finer points of this lesson. Brian seemed disappointed that there wasn’t more blood though. I’m not sure if he was serious. The next day, Ken seemed satisfied that I was making progress in this area, at least.
7.) Nutrition and Weight loss (Nutritionist Kaylie): I thought I needed help with this one. I’d like to be about 120 at Leadville, and after Jemez I was 129, a few pounds over my typical weight. After two weeks of running 60 miles per week, uh, I’m down to 123. Ok then. Kaylie said that I can drink 2 cokes a day. Her only comments were that maybe I could eat more fruit, and take a multivitamin for crying out loud. The real challenge has been to finish running early enough in the evening so that I can eat something before I go to bed.
In the following weeks, we are going to cover:
8.) Eating while running
9.) Drinking while running
10.) Running while tired - I think I'm getting the hang of this one on my own...
11.) Running in the dark
12.) Refueling post run
13.) Aid station blitzes
I’ve heard the end of summer exam is a b!tch. :)
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