Upcoming Race: Driveway Butte Hill Climb! New Category!

Mark your calendars on November 2nd for the 3rd Annual Methow Endurance Driveway Butte Hill Climb! Long regarded as a training standard for local and regional endurance athletes, Driveway Butte is a great way to test your summer fitness and see how you stack up against your friends and neighbors.

Starting at Klipchuck Campground, a mere ten minute drive from Mazama, the Hill Climb ascends over 1500ft in 2.5 miles to a beautiful notch in the ridge, offering spectacular views of the Washington Pass area and Silver Star peak. Not that you'll be looking...the climb is relentless, with nary a flat stretch from beginning to end. Given its late fall placement, the trail often has a thin layer of snow covering it, adding an element of challenge to the already lung-burning adventure...

The 2011 racer field at the finish

Get your legs ready for breaking trail in January!

This year we're excited to offer an additional category: Backcountry Skier! Wintertime in the Methow Valley is a magical time for vertical junkies, who earn their turns skinning up into the highest reaches of the North Cascades. To honor (and challenge) them, we're opening a "Backcountry Skier" category of the race, where racers must heft a standard load of backcountry ski (or snowboard) equipment up to the finish. Specifically, their gear must include the following:

- Metal-edged backcountry skis or snowboard (skis must utliize Randonee or Telemark cable bindings)
- Backcountry-specific boots (no Nordic racing/touring boots)
- Rescue gear: Shovel and probe
- 1 liter of water
- Poles

The equipment can be carried in any fashion you wish, either on a pack or in hand, but it all must arrive at the finish with you. A one-minute penalty will be added for any missing piece!

This year's running should be the biggest yet, with anticipated athletes arriving from Seattle, Leavenworth, and British Columbia to join our local competitors. Registration is $15 for racers over 18 years of age, and $10 for under-18 year olds. There will be a $5 additional fee for day-of-race registration, which will be open from 7:30 to 8:15am.

Like all Methow Endurance events, a portion of the proceeds for the race will go to a local charity. For this year, we will be donating to Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a local non-profit dedicated to helping provide Christmas food baskets and much-needed resources to local families in need during the holiday season.

To register for the race, please use our Webscorer registration page:





Webscorer - 

We hope to see you there! 

The "Methow" Experience

Everyone who has visited or lived in the Methow knows of its beauty and the hold it takes on you, compelling you to hike, bike, run, ski and bask your way through day after day of incredible sunshine and scenery. The Valley doesn't have any one "clique" of athletes/adventurers; everyone dips their feet into each pool. The bikers get invited to climb the Beckey Route with the alpinists; the skiers get convinced to go for a run with the runners; the hikers are persuaded to try and see if riding their mountain bike up and down Cutthroat may in fact be more fun than hiking it. We all have a great and humbling time while trying the new activities, and are rarely content to stick within one mold.

The Methow Valley Sports Trails Association (MVSTA) has been perhaps the most influential in creating the above scenario. For several decades now MVSTA has hosted and managed amazing events and festivals dedicated to celebrating the splendor of this place and to encourage people young and old to try their hand at an outdoor activity. With Methow Endurance, we humbly aspire to continue carrying that flag with our own events, bringing newcomers and veterans together in a shared enjoyment of the outdoors and personal improvement.

A group of up-and-comers raring to go at this year's Methow Endurance 5/10km, an event made famous for many years by MVSTA

Yesterday, Alison and I embarked on a run which ended up being a bit longer than expected. We made the mistake of using a Washington Gazetteer for mileage estimates, and assumed the route chosen would be about 25 miles and take somewhere in the neighborhood of six hours. Instead, it was more like 35 miles and took about eight and a half hours. But it was spectacular, and took us over several mountain passes, including Slate Pass and Grasshopper Pass on the PCT. While we were on the run we encountered numerous groups and couples partaking in their own forms of mountain enjoyment. One local couple was excited to be venturing onto a new part of the PCT on a day hike; they've explored all over the Valley but never gone south from Hart's Pass. Another young woman was encouraging her new husband to make the moderate trek to Tatie Peak to see the vista; he was meanwhile wishing he'd done a few more hikes beforehand...

Running along the PCT, south from Hart's Pass

A misconception which Alison and I, through Methow Endurance, are trying to dispel is that "training" is only for athletes. In our minds, you "train" to get better at something, anything. The burgeoning cook "trains" their hands to chop onions faster and cleaner so they don't sob their way through a French Onion soup preparation. The 65-year old recovering from a knee replacement "trains" himself to lift a weight in a certain way which will help strengthen his leg again. And yes, the runner makes two-hour efforts faster as a way to "train" toward a better marathon finish.

The "Methow" Experience is about adventure, exploration, and challenge. It's about "training" yourself to adapt to a new effort, whether that effort is hiking Maple Pass AND Cutthroat in one day, or to prepare for your first American Birkebeiner 50km ski race. We see those goals, all of them, and we are as inspired by the novice hiker as we are the veteran skier.

**Summer Training Special** A One-Month Training Plan for $75!!

For the month of August we're offering a slamming deal for folks interested in injecting a bit of organization, structure and help into their fitness efforts. For first-time Methow Endurance coaching clients, if you sign up before August 15th you'll qualify for a special of $75 for the first month of training. No strings attached, no long-term commitments. We're confident that once you recognize the benefits a coach brings, you'll want more!

Our goal is to spread the message that intelligent coaching and fitness support doesn't need to be expensive; our base "Mt Gardner" coaching plan is only $100/month. For that price, you get individualized training plans and workout descriptions, and weekly check-ins with your coach to monitor your progress and adjust as needed. If you sign up now, that first month is only $75!

Not sure if you need a coach? Don't think you deserve one? Here's a short list of those who can benefit significantly from Methow Endurance coaching

- People working full time who want to stay active, but can't commit more than 30min-1hour per day

- Young athletes trying to prepare for high school competition seasons

- Lifelong athletes looking to attain the next level of fitness after years of plateauing

- And many more!!

Call or email us today with questions or to sign up!

Colorado, California and Utah, Oh My!

Trying out my new La Sportiva duds. They make great clothing, too!

This spring I was super excited to be named to the La Sportiva Mountain Running team. I've always loved their trail shoes, and couldn't help feeling proud to be recognized worthy of a sponsorship. Sportiva now sponsors our events and has given me the fabulous opportunity to participate in three of their Mountain Cup races this summer. The fun begins next weekend, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the Barr Trail Mountain Race. The 14ish mile run climbs up to (gasp-literally!) 10,000ft, then turns around and goes back to the start. This will be my first race at altitude, which is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Next up will be Table Rock 27k, in the Marin Headlands, outside of San Francisco. Aside from the race, I'm psyched to get to check out my friends Devon and Nathan's new bakery and cafe, MH Bread and Butter.

I'll take a break from the Mountain Cup for a weekend to do the Speedgoat 50k, in Utah, the last weekend of the month, where I'll get a chance to run at altitude again, for more than twice the distance. Matt Hart took this awesome video if you're interested in seeing the glorious course: my goal is not to die during the 11,000 feet of climbing. One of my best friends is getting married that day, so while I'm suffering up one of the many climbs, I can transport myself to a beautiful wedding in Maine. 

Then I'll come home and try to work as little as possible and eat. A lot.  I figure that's also a perfect time to process a bunch of fruit, and rest up for the next race on the Mountain Cup, the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase, back in Utah the following weekend. Of course the next weekend is Rainshadow Running's Angel Staircase race, which is my favorite James puts on. If I am still standing, I may not be able to resist doing the 60k, but we'll have to see. I may spend the next week or seven sprawled on a rock beside the river.

Joking aside, this whole race calendar is yet another reminder of how lucky I am. If someone would have told me ten years ago that I'd be running on the La Sportiva team; traveling around the west to race; have a successful massage business in the mountains; and have an awesome dog and husband, I definitely would not believe it. Well, I might believe the awesome dog part.  The founder of the massage school I went to cautioned us as we wrote our business plans: "be careful what your write, as it's likely to happen." I looked over said business plan a couple weeks ago and sure enough, nearly everything I listed for my five year goals is now my reality. I'm not sure how much I believe in the idea of the universe conspiring to make things happen, but it does seem quite amazing what can happen if you keep certain goals in mind and remain open to both letting and making things happen. I'm getting a little woo-woo now, so I best get to making food for tomorrow's run that is my most current and short-term goal. Fueling for all this is a whole other post.

If anyone has any favorite coffee shops, jewelry or (other cool stuff) shops in San Francisco, Manitou Springs (or Colorado Springs), or Park City that should not be missed, please let me know! Finally, if you're interested in following the scoring of the Mountain cup, the results are posted here after each race.

Fall Getaway

Some of the pristine singletrack Sun Mountain has to offer. Photo courtesy of Sun Mountain Lodge.

We're excited to announce that our brand-new Methow Endurance Fall Endurance Getaway is officially scheduled! Whether you're a cyclist or prefer feeling the ground under your feet, this weekend gives you the chance to play in the mountains, eat good food, and learn a thing or two about biking or running. Join us October 18-20 for a fun weekend exploring Sun Mountain while taking in the stunning fall colors. Browse around the event site for more information, but feel free to email us if you have questions.

More singletrack! Photo courtesy of Methow Valley Photography.

High Country, Part One

Summer is by far my favorite season. It's a little hard to pick, as they all have their own charm: winter really is a white wonderland-a quiet beauty that just doesn't exist the other months; spring brings new life and oh so much green; fall has a wonderful crispness to the air, lovely colors and sounds of rustling tree leaves before they shed themselves; but summer! Summer brings the big mountains. While it can become quite hot, making training a bit more of a timing game, being able to get into the high mountains makes up for it. We are still enjoying pleasant temperatures in the valley, but the higher trails are melting out early this year, creating a little sweet spot in the calendar where you can frolick up high and enjoy the myriad of trails out the door down low.

Last weekend was a perfect combination and example of why I love living here so much. Saturday I met a friend early and we went up Robinson Creek, at the end of Lost River Road. I wasn't sure how far we would be able to go, given snow levels, but it turned out perfectly and we were able to go all the way to Robinson pass, at the Pacific Crest Trail. The aptly-named Robinson Creek trail follows the creek up ten miles to the pass. Given the season, we had several cold creek crossings to boost our circulation, and Nikki traipsed all around, loving the cool temperatures and snow as we ascended.

 

at the top!

Looking down the drainage. All downhill from here!

Sunday Sam and I went to his parents' house early for breakfast, so I decided to run home, over the rendezvous. I love the varied landscape of the Methow, and running to Mazama would give me a range of that landscape. Plus, it's always fun to run home.

starting through the Gunn Ranch saddle.

Gunn Ranch. Time to start climbing...

Looking across to Lucky Jim.

Off the singletrack and almost to Edelweiss.

Heading down to the 10k course.

Nikki becomes a water dog if it's hot enough.

The final stretch. We are a couple of tired beings. Hence the disproportionate amount of pictures in the last 3k.

Looking up to Goat Peak.

A great weekend of training! Doing a second long run was great practice for running on tired legs. Mission accomplished, as I spent a good portion of the afternoon in a horizontal state.

The Nose Don't Lie

Over the last few years, Alison and I have become enamored with our noses. As it turns out, oxygen moves in through your nose, which is quite a handy feature for us endurance folk. Certainly everyone who has ever run, biked, skied, or swam with a head cold knows the perils of shutting your nose out of the process of aerobic respiration: you get fatigued quicker and your pulse rate increases.

But until recently, I never imagined my nose would guide me in a methodical way with my endurance training. It all started two winters ago; while traveling on racing trips I would usually get out the door in the evenings for a 30 minute light jog. I've found a nice run in the evening really loosens me up and flushes out whatever junk I acquired over the course of the day, whether from traveling, racing, or sitting around in a hotel room watching America's Next Top Mode...err, American Choppers. Anyway, a few seasons back I started doing these runs with my mouth closed. Initially it was because I was in central Maine or Northern Wisconsin in early January and the thermometer had a hard time cracking double digits, and I wanted to preserve my lungs somewhat. Breathing through my nose warmed the air more before it got into my lungs, saving me from hacking myself to sleep later that night. I found through this method that I could still run pretty darn quickly; I figured I could run as fast as I wanted with my mouth closed, because I would be inherently limited in that I could only bring in a certain amount of oxygen when only my nose was the conduit. This led to these evening runs being pretty quick.

I kept this up through the end of the season, and when I started my spring training that next May, I found my running pace during longer runs was indeed quite a bit faster. I did some research and talked with my coach about my findings. Turns out, what I had stumbled onto in a rather bumbling manner (isn't that how most training methods are discovered?) is what physiologists call your Aerobic Threshold (AeT). Essentially, this is the point below which you are in a fully aerobic state of metabolism: lots of oxygen coursing through your system, and your respiratory rate can handle the offloading of the CO2 which is produced through your body's metabolic processes, without trouble. Above this AeT however, you slowly begin accumulating lactate in your bloodstream as your respiration can no longer effectively expire the CO2 being produced and a higher degree of glycolysis (carbohydrate metabolism) must ensue to meet the workload. Don't sweat the science too much.

My mistake in these early explorations was believing that the limiting factor in nose-breathing was my nose's ability to INSPIRE fresh oxygen, when in fact the real limiter was its ability to EXPIRE the CO2 from my body. What this nosebreathing "threshold" (i.e., the upper-most intensity you can train while only breathing through your nose) then represents, is your Aerobic Threshold: the point at which your body can no longer maintain a fully-aerobic state of metabolism, and it must shift to a higher degree of glycogen metabolism. Pretty groovy, huh? You can use your nose in place of a $400 lactate meter, or a $20,000 ventilation analyzer, and it's damn near as accurate. Point in fact: when I got my testing done at Seattle Performance Medicine this spring, they marked my AeT (by ventilatory data) at 162bpm; I had been operating on the premise (based on field data by nosebreathing) that it was 165bpm - quite close!

So why is all this useful for the endurance athlete? Spending a significant amount of time at or near your aerobic threshold will allow you to train faster and harder while still maintaining very low amounts of lactate in your blood. And it improves with time and efficiency! Imagine this: today you can run a 9:30min/mile for an 8-mile run; in other words, that's your sustainable "aerobic" pace. But what if you could run that same eight miles at an 8:30min/mile pace, or faster, for the same effort? Interval and high intensity training have one major flaw: you can only do small portions of them, on the scale of 10-15% of your total training volume. But AeT training can occupy a much larger portion, and the returns are probably much greater for the average endurance enthusiast.

How do I gets myself a piece of this magic formula, you ask? First, go out for a run/bike/ski, and close your mouth. Now find the pace you can sustain while only breathing through your nose. Don't fudge it; you shouldn't be breathing overly-rapid or in a ragged way during this - it should be even, sustainable breaths. Chances are this pace will be slower than you're hoping for, but have faith. If you do some nosebreathing training every week (start with 30-40% of your total volume, and increase it with time and comfort), you'll see rapid improvements. Soon, for the same amount of aerobic energy you'll be going farther and faster!