Elliot Ness

This week was awesome. I was on school break this week and I was loving some of my ideas I had.

Monday - following yesterday's run of 22 I banged out two solid efforts. I disapperated Magic Mtn for some sold efforts. The snow was packed, the sky was bright blue and the air was cold: conditions were a huge success.
This time around I dropped into the Magic Mtn ski trails and cuss me, they are wildly steep. The morning session was amazing and the climbs were unforgiving, which was awesome.
In the afternoon, Boj and Goupil came out for wings and we ran before hand the usual. I was able to nail down over 3 hours of effort today, after a 22 mile day, cuss yea!

Tuesday - Greg did not have vacation this week so I Voltroned at his place for a run. The conditions were still great where all we needed were our trail shoes. I laced and zipped the La Sportiva GTX which keeps my feet dry as can be. I can't stand having wet feet. We did light work and had an awesome run.

Thursday - today I woke up crazy early (for me) and headed to Camel's Hump Mtn in Huntington VT. I have been yapping with Nick Yardley of JulboUSA and he was telling me the conditions were ideal. Sounded awesome, so I was in.
As I got within 30 miles of the mountain I could see a snowstorm rolling in around the mountain. The roads got very bad on the highway, but once off and only 7 miles away, the weather started to clear up. (once again, so I thought). I got out and right on the trail. I took the Burrows Trail, which is shorter but with the weather, it totally turned out to be the right decision.
Up I climbed and it was amazing. I broke through tree line and instantly the weather changed. The trees gave way more shelter than I could have imagined, so I made my summit trip quick. The wind was wild, the snow was wicked and it was epic.

Friday - shagged out an easy 5 at Ledge Rd in the morning before my afternoon run with Greg and Najem in Pisgah. We discussed outer space on this run and all the coolness that is out there we don't know about. Black holes, once you go black you'll never come back...

Sunday - SMH, I was very content with the way my week was going, but felt some guilt not racing the DHJones 10 miler. My week was epic so any "fast" or "good" times were out the window half way up Camel's Hump, but I said I was going to do, and really, I didn't have anything else to do.
I met Greg and Goupil in Brattleboro just in time to catch the ride down. As soon as I got in the care I regretted the decision, but the closer we got, the less I cared and focused on having a solid day of hard work. Don't get me wrong, I raced as hard as I could.
The course was told to me to be "very hilly" and/or "the hills are wicked tough," this was good to hear, bc it made me really focus on running smart. I'd rather feel coherent at 8 then ruin my race at 3 miles. The good news was I pictured it way harder (it was tough) so picturing the worst made the hills a non-factor mentally. Physically they were challenging, but over quickly (as quick as I could).
Overall I had a good/great day. My place was way back of the leaders, but I was happy with my effort based on my fitness. I statues within myself and had a day that was steps in the right direction.
I then came home and ran 90 minutes. One cuss of a way to end the week!
Tip your waitress...

Owlhoots

It's all the same, only the names will change: and this week of training led to some events that should have humbled yours truly, but did nothing of the sort... I'm an outlaw!

Tuesday - Everyday it seems we're wasting away, so instead of wasting, I gunslinged my norm: White Dot down the switchbacks. The trails were hard packed and it was a great run, especially to finish with blue skies showing

Another place where the faces are so cold, an I'm planning on hitting up the Northern VT Snow Shoe Challenge and I'd drive all night just to get back home from dominating, if I am so fortunate.

Wednesday - But seriously, I'm a cowboy, on my own horsepower I ride, I'm wanted dead or alive... Marcus and I hustled out to Magic Mtn for another night run. The conditions were slick and icy, but I'm a bad ass, so I wasn't too worried about it.
We got to the top with daylight showing and explored a few side trails. I was planning on a long late night and Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days, but we managed to head down just as it was getting black.
Took a gnarly cussing spill on some unseen ice and jacked my elbow badly, Hurt like a cuss (for a second, then I remembered I'm an outlaw).

Thursday - i was thinking about the people I have met, And the people I meet always go their separate ways, the lifers stick around forever. Today was a day that I focused on my lifers and fellow outlaws, and thought it would be bad ass to attack the switchbacks to start the run. Awesome idea and a gnarly fun and fast run... Sometimes you tell the day, what the situation is going to be, today I was an outlaw rolling though the hills of VT...

Friday - Voltroned with Greg in Pisgah, and was fortunate that at times when you're alone all you do is think, I had a bro to discuss it all with. Great run that beat the snowstorm by a few hours, hell yea!!!

Saturday - Holy snow! Awesome for rolling on the snow shoes. I was really loving the trails the way they were but I'll take the snow.
Hauled it down to Pisgah again with Greg to conspire about our upcoming races. The snow was deep and made for tough conditions...

Sunday - I walk these streets, a loaded ego on my back I play for keeps, 'cause I might but I'm always making it back! I headed up to Smugglers Notch for the Northern VT snow shoe challenge. It is a 5 miler on XC trails and with all the fresh droppings, should be eventful. It is also the VT State Championships, and I have to bag the title.
I noticed a dude, David LaPorho, was trotting around and remembered him from VTCity Marathon. He ran well, for a Canadian it was impressive, and beat me by a few. I heard he was a bad ass on the snow shoes and was excited and ready to take a shot and take him down.
Then I hear some important info for my race plan: The dude is a world champion snow show racer, mother cusser won worlds! This made me think a bit about my race plan, but not too much thought... I been everywhere, and I'm standing tall, so I wasn't too worried.
Most of Canada showed up for the race, all 29 or so countrymen, and it was an international. I was banking on the facts of, I've seen a million faces an I've rocked them all, and figured that would do.
Holy cuss, I was epically, surprised. I led the start of the race and at about half a mile, LaPorho took the lead, by 1000m he put a minute on me and kept going. Dude must be on some kinds of jungle juice, bc I'm no bum... He went wild, and ended up beating me by 6 cussing cuss cuss suck my cuss minutes! He was Inspector Gadget and popped the snow shoes into jet powered rocket skis and blasted.
I was asked if it was humbling, cuss no, it was ridiculous. All in all, I was still VT sate Snow Shoe champ as getting beat by a world champ seems about right. I feel that's the only comp I have... Bc, I'm an outlaw, and a cowboy, on a steel Dion's and La Sportiva's I ride and I'm wanted dead or alive. I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side, always I'm wanted dead or alive, And I ride, I still drive and always always wanted dead or alive...

False Idols

Here's the last two (lack luster at times) weeks. Dating from February 11 through the 24th.

The first of the two weeks was a rough one as far as getting out the door, but still managed 50+ mile week (22 came one one day). I had two sore knees (one from a fall and the other from trying to crush the skull of a dog), so I was happy with the days I got in.

Tuesday - Greg came out and we ran the usual. It's always great to run with your bros, and doesn't take motivation. Finishing runs in the daylight is awesome.

Thursday - went out to Ledge Rd and ran a very nice loop. It is just over 5 miles and has a lot of different adaptations to make it longer of need be. After a long day, this 5 felt long enough, but was good to get out there. The weather was awesome.

Friday - hustled down to Greg's to hit Pisgah. We parked at our usual spot and were about to roll out when the funny pair of people at the end of the road dogs starting acting crazy. My lil' girl Lena (who might be the sweetest soul on earth) ran up to greet and play with these two dogs.
Now, I always remarked to Greg how much I liked the looks of the dogs thought them to be cool; but when they raced down the driveway and started an attack on my precise: CUSS GOT REAL! I hate those dogs like Kenny Powers hates birdbaths and I wanted to destroy their souls.
One cuss sucker really looked like it took a bite of Lena and that was when I went out of my mind. I love animals and won't hurt one unless it is a second to last resort, where killing a last resort, but I wanted to kill. So... I liked that cuss bag of cuss as hard as I could with a right (my great kicking leg) then landed a left, the drive my knee through its skull falling on top of it and tried to choke it. Sounds gnarly, but what really probably happened was (all that happened) I hurt my right foot, REALLY hurt my knee on the dogs teeth and the cuss bag was too strong to hold onto to choke. But my intent was there.
Lena seemed fined, couple places looked swollen and a few small punctures, but nothing serious (or so I thought). We ended up running 11 miles in Pisgah and it seemed to end up being a good day.
Once back at Greg's, we found that lens was starting to bleed from a puncture on her shoulder. (a few days later I will have shaved the area and find a huge deep hole: cuss that dog).

Sunday - Greg and George came out to run the full 22 mile version of the station road. The conditions looked awesome from inside. The wind sounded ripe but we would be around high hills.
Some of those high hills turned into wind tunnels, the first ten minutes was brutally windy. In the wind was miserable and out of the wind was beyond enjoyable. Without the wind the day was ideal/perfect. This was George's first time on the marathon road and he loved it. It really is a great run.
If any of you want (that read this smut) want to come for a run on the marathon road or any other run (and can hang!): do it up!!!