Blog Post

With three great training days behind me, I was looking forward to today, my Cool Impossible Wednesday.  I like to devote Wednesdays to getting out for a long run and using this as a creative time for myself.  While writing The Cool Impossible, I found that I wrote best by composing my thoughts while running, taking mental notes and riffing on a subject.  

My mind gets very creative while running and today was no different as I ran the trails of Cache Creek.  My mind wandered with thoughts as my legs meandered up, down, and around the very hilly terrain of Cache - a great strength run.  Today, thoughts were just flowing out of me, thoughts of how athletes think to performance well and how I believe there is a "best way" of thinking to perform - just as I believe there is a best way to run and train.

I was running high up on Snow King and past a skier being coached how to make great turns. People never think twice about taking a ski lesson to learn, but runners often do not think running is a skill that can be learned.  Some of the first skis date back to 8000 B.C.  In fact, Chinese skiers in the Northwestern part of China where known to persistent hunt for elk on skis.  Not unlike native peoples who persistent hunt on foot, running them to fatigue after many hours.  

These Chinese skiers and native runners, like the Tarahumara Indians, developed great skill out of lifestyle necessity that is lost on us today.  This is what my Cool Impossible Wednesday is all about.  Devoting a day to truly and authentically living the lifestyle I have chosen and dreamed about for myself.  This is not about mountains or cool wildlife, it is a mindset that can be harnessed anywhere, like in Oxford.  We all have a story and dreams no matter where we live.

I just read a book about the Polish Alpinists of the 1980s and 1990s.  They were distinct in mountaineering because they created their own style, one of 8,000 meter winter ascents by new routes in the Himalaya.  This was never done before.  The Cool Impossible is just this, creating your own dreams and "style".

As I finished my run, I crossed paths with a women from France.  I gave her a smile and said "Hi" and she offered up a bigger smile and said, "hillo, furst timm, so buutiful."  What style!!

Here's to Cool Impossible Wednesday and your own style - and it's gonna be a great year!

Cool Impossible Wednesday Video

Today's Run Time: 90 minutes

AVG HR: 142

Max HR: 170

Ascent: 1600 ft

Mantra: "Trust and Create"

Well, the media is using the phrase, 'polar vortex' to describe the cold front hitting the USA today.  Here in Jackson, this is everyday weather and the best gauge of temps is normally dictated by what the moose are up to.  If it is cold, they tend to relax for breakfast in the backyard.

Momma Moose

So, today was a typical JH polar vortex, with a 1 degree F run start temp.  Today is my strength day, where I hit the neighborhood trails and "track" for a strength interval session, followed with some, in the gym, full body strength work - cool impossible style.

I started with a nice easy easy paced WU.  I ran by speed rather than HR on this.  Since it is a relatively short run, I want to nail my SP1 training zone and see if this puts my in my zone 2 HR - which is did and is a good sign this time of year.

After this WU, I headed to my winter track for 5 strength intervals.  I did one as a WU at a very moderate pace and to measure out 60 seconds.  My goal for the workout was then to make the next 5 efforts faster than this 60 second interval, AND each one had to be faster than the last.

The Track

My first one I hit 56 seconds and feared I made this way too fast and was in for a challenge.  The 2nd one I hit the finish at 54 seconds and the 3rd at 50 seconds - doing well, but the speed was getting challenging on firm snow.  For the next one I had to really focus the entire time.  I nailed it pulling off a 48 second effort.  I felt this was my best effort and my goal for the last was to really try to relax and "just let it happen".  I started out and slipped and stumbled, instead of get frustrated I kept shouting in my head my mantra and stayed relaxed.

44.8 seconds, with speed in the fours - hands on knees.  Funny how the mind works!  

Capped off with a nice recovery run to the road and then performed 7 X 15 second moderate sprints to form, economy and flush the muscles quick recovery for my long mountain run tomorrow - stay tuned.

Total Run Time: 55 min

Average HR: 141

Max HR: 180

Mantra: "I want this"

I am in the second day of my 2014 season of training.  Not because it is the New Year, but this start date sequences right with my Summer and Fall run projects.  During the holidays we had warm temps and some snow (never enough), but today I welcomed back cold, arctic air which brings great snow running conditions and blue skies.

I decided to hit Game Creek trail today, just 3 miles South of home, for a nice 3 mile gradual climb and gives way for some faster running back down.  I was first tracks today with a nice 5 degrees F to keep you awake if the mountain lion warning did not do the trick!

Today's workout plan was to climb 3 miles at a low heart rate.  The snow got a little soft in the sun, so I just ran nice and comfy in zone 2, allowing me to train my early season aerobic strength and power.  This trail is groomed for nordic skiing which is also a great time for me to use my very minimal shoes, using the B2R Moc prototypes.  These are my favorite winter snow shoe when traction is not needed.  Great for total foot and leg strength building.  Today's conditions were like running on firm sand - almost better than summer trails!

Yesterday I did 8 X 30" hill repeats, so I really felt good and strong today even though it was important to keep the HR low and easy for today's run.  It was just great to get some sunshine on the face and take in some great views.

You think running downhill on trails is fun, well, it doesn't get much more fun than downhill on snow.  Imagine every step a soft pillow, embracing all of your foot and leg muscles with the blue sky so perfect, it is fake.  And then you come around the corner and spot a Spring time climbing project.  Run on, climb on!

I hit the trail head at 6 miles and decided to finish with one hill repeat on the hill just above the parking lot.  A nice 4:45 steep climb to cap off the day.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reported a foot of new snow this morning.  With fresh snow brings warmer temps, humidity…..and wind.  This means its time to get out of town and head North to find colder temps and good snow.  But first, I needed to fire off a few coaching emails, so I drained my double espresso and popped open the laptop.  I typically get a few emails each day from readers of The Cool Impossible and today was no exception.  One I received this morning started out with the usually, "thank you for writing the book, I love it.  I have been doing the strength work and run program and feel great."  But this one then took an unusual turn as he was writing me to ask if he could buy a training program because he just registered for his first 30k trail race in June.  

He went on to say that he was at week 5 of the Cool Impossible foundation program and was 'stuck' because it was too hard for him to get his long runs in during the winter and he was not motivated for the treadmill during the week.  Did he know I lived in Jackson and winter here is fifty nine months long!?

My response to him was that I felt the foundation program was ideal for this 30k race, sequencing perfectly for a June race.  I also mentioned that no coaching program can provide motivation or change the weather for him.  That a "new" or different program was not the solution to the challenges he was perceiving to have in being 'stuck' with the program.

When faced with challenges, we often think if something was only different it would change things:  "If only it wasn't so cold", well, wear something warmer.  Cold air is not harmful, not being prepared can be.  "There is too much snow", well, see it as a time to build more strength, rather than quit or turn around and head back to the usual road course with cars whipping past you.  "It is too icy to run outside", slow down and use it as a time to work on form.

Every challenge offers us an opportunity to improve and get better, but it takes a mind shift sometimes. Things will not always go the way we want them to and the more we resist this, the harder it will get.  Resistance creates stress and a desire to change something external only leads to more stress.  Acceptance of the situation gives way to learning and ultimately leads to great satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.

Practice the mantra: satisfaction over desire.

Running will not always be fun and most times over-coming a challenging workout or 'bad' weather creates an unbelievable feeling of satisfaction.  And, most times, having the need or desire for running to be 'fun' leads to just the opposite outcome.  Just like wanting the 50 mile race to be over with when you are at mile 20.  Satisfaction Over Desire!

Email done, a quick strength warm up on the slant board, and then off to run.  I decided to head North of Jackson past the Town of Kelly and to the Gros Ventre.  The workout plan for the day was to get in 10 miles with some long, sub-threshold climbs.  The Gros Ventre is great for this because I can run on snow covered roads with a variety of climbs.

The Gros Ventre

I chose to wear very minimal shoes to work on micro-strength in feet/calves/glutes and they offer great traction so I could run fast up the climbs on the perfect layer of snow sand.  

Settle in and Climb

The Gros Ventre Corridor is steep in history and is the location of Slide Lake, where a massive landslide occurred back in the 1920's creating the lake. Eventually, the dam broke, desimating the Town of Kelly with a flood.  

Gros Ventre Land Slide

500 Mile Expedition

The First Runners

At the time, Kelly Wyoming was the major town in the valley due to its proximity to the Gros Ventre River, but after this flood, settlers moved to Jackson and Kelly today is only a small, eclectic town of yurts, log cabins, and million dollar ranches tuck into the side of the hills.

Welcome to Kelly

Well, my run did not disappoint, time flew by with my focus on hitting all the climbs in HR Zone 5 to help build my threshold endurance and improve my fat burning efficiency, which is vital for bigger mountains to come in the Summer.  Legs felt very strong, which is my focus right now.  My climbing intervals came out to this:

1st - 6:30 min

2nd - 4:50 min

3rd - 2:40 min

4th - 7:00 min

5th - 6:40 min

Total Miles: 10

Average HR: 143

Max HR: 163

Zone 5 Climbing Time: 27:40