Mysterious Bout of Manley Cough

Road Bike 23 miles
Run 7 miles

Pretty mellow day today. Very slow ride and nice evening run checking out a trail that has just become clear of snow in the past couple days. I now have 3 trails I can run on and pretty soon there should be 3 or 4 more that are clear of snow. Can't wait for that.

There was supposed to be a 9 mile race on the Herbert Glacier Trail next Saturday. The trail begins directly behind my bike in this picture:

I found out today that they postponed the race until sometime in August. Bummer. I was looking forward to one last good race in the snow. Problem is that I would have probably been the only one to show up.

I ran on my high school's indoor track team for a couple years way back when. The thing I recall most clearly is how miserable of an ordeal the actual competitions were. There was only one indoor track in the area so that was always where we raced. Because there was only one track there were always about 30 teams at each meet, thus these were ridiculously long nights that usually didn't end until after 10pm. Then we would bus it 30 miles back to my school and my parents would have to pick me up to drive me the 30 minutes from there to home. It was rare to get home before midnight... and for some reason these were always on a Tuesday night. The worst thing though was the cough that you would always have by the next morning from running indoors in such a dry, stuffy environment. This cough commonly became known as "Manley Cough" because the races were held at Manley Fieldhouse in Syracuse, NY. Until last night I had never since experienced this same type of cough. Now though, for some reason I have had a case of "Manley Cough" both last night and tonight. It sure brings back memories. I suppose there are some things I miss from high school, but i can assure you, indoor track races are not one of them.

Totals for the week: run 36 miles and bike 174 miles in 18.5 hours. Only lifted weights once again this week. Want to start lifting twice a week. I guess that can be my goal for this next week.

Party in a Pannier

Road Bike 40 miles
Run 10 miles


Headed out for a ride today planning to meet up with some friends a little later on in the evening for a barbecue on the beach. Loaded panniers onto my bike full of everything needed for a cool evening cookout and a cold ride home: food, warm clothes, sneakers, and a baseball glove. I had about three hours though before the get together so I took advantage of the warm afternoon sun and headed up into the mountains. When I got up to Eaglecrest (local ski hill) I decided to check out the condition of the cross country ski trails in case I wanted to ski once more this season. I was surprised to find the trails very firm and in decent shape still for skiing. And then it hit me: I had sneakers in the panniers, the trails were in perfect shape for running, and since the resort is closed for the season there's really no reason to continue to obey the cross country ski use only rule. It felt so nice to run on hard packed snow again. It was a bit slippery, but very firm and I was able to do 10 miles in just over 90 minutes. Ate some food. hopped on the bike and headed down to the beach. Never did see my friends until I had decided to head for home and they drove by in their car. It had gotten a bit late and I was getting cold so I continued on home, ate a big dinner, watched a movie, and am ready for bed.

Thought a lot today about how I'm going to train for a 24 hour mountain bike race, a 25 mile mountain running race, and a 50 mile trail running race that all occur within 6 weeks of each other. Didn't come up with any real plan so I'll probably just do like usual and train based on what I feel like doing each day. I'd really like to get more scientific in my training and see if it makes me faster, but I might just have to save that for next year.

Return of the Fair Weather Roadies

Road Bike 61 miles

Another sure sign that spring is here in Juneau: All the "hardcore" road bikers in their blindingly bright outfits are finally out and about on their bikes that are worth more than my road, mountain, and touring/commuting bikes all added together. What I don't understand is where do all these people go in the winter? I can't imagine being so into biking as to spend as much as some people do on fancy bikes and fancy clothing, but yet, not into it enough to do it unless the weather is perfect. I guess I must have a higher tolerance for crappy weather than a lot of people.

The weather was great again today and I got out for almost 4 hours. Out to the end of "the road." Here in Juneau there is really only one road that goes more than 10 miles out of town so everyone just refers to it as "the road." It goes nowhere so there is little to no traffic on it so it makes for the best road riding in these parts. The scenery is amazing:

I also took some pictures today while I was riding. Jeff Kerkove has posted some photos like this on his blog. At first I thought they were a bit strange for some reason but then I found myself always looking at them whenever I checked out his website. I wish I could say these were the only pictures I took of me riding, but it actually took about 5 or 6 to get a couple decent ones. It's a little more difficult than you might think.

I didn't feel as strong riding today as I had expected. I wanted to try to average 17 mph for the ride but ended up struggling to reach 16. I was pleased that I rode the second half quite a bit faster than the first half, but overall my pace was noticeably slower than I had hoped for. There was a little breeze and it was a fairly hilly ride, but I know I should be able to do this ride at 17 mph without too much effort. Being that I am a naturally gifted runner I feel like I should be able to simply get in shape on the bike and be a strong biker as well, but I'm slowly realizing since taking up biking 5 years ago that it's going to take more than that, that my natural gifts as a runner do not carry over into biking. The 24 Hours of Kincaid will be the first time I have ever tested my ability as a biker against a clock or against other riders. I'm not expecting much, but hopefully if I get a lot of riding in over the next 6 weeks I can at least enjoy the ride.

Back at it

Mt. Bike 3 miles
Road Bike 32 miles


I still wasn't feeling 100% healthy today but I felt well enough to ride to work and then get out for a ride after work. I was planning on only being out for an hour but then the weather was so nice (over 50 and no wind!) I couldn't resist a longer ride. My throat is still quite sore but I'm hoping to feel fully healthy for a long day in the sun tomorrow. I've got tomorrow off from work and I'm pretty much going to go out running and/or biking no matter how I feel so hopefully I just feel better so I don't get myself more sick.

The snow's melting fast. I'm itching for the trails to become clear of snow. I'm pretty sick of doing all of my biking on roads, and even more sick of doing all my running on roads.

Sick Day

I don't know what it is about getting sick that is so frustrating. Sure there is the obvious pain and fatigue, but if I had the same pain and fatigue from a hard run or bike ride I would not be so frustrated (and whiny) about it. I have come down with a basic sinus infection. It's really not that bad, but I feel really annoyed by it. I sucked it up and went to work today but since getting home from work all I have done is lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself. After the Susitna 100 in February I felt worse than I do today for at least 2 or 3 days, but since that was the result of running 100 miles I just didn't feel all that bothered by it. I guess the satisfaction of a good workout or race outweighs the pain of overworking the body. When I get sick though there's nothing to feel satisfied about. just annoyance that my immune system let me down.

The good news is that I have a girlfriend who took part of her dinner break from work to fetch me some nyquil so I'm going to be passed out in bed in about 15 minutes.

Independence Day

Run 5 miles
Lift Upper and Lower Body
-12 lifts, 3 sets of 12 reps.

Each year on the 4th of July thousands of runners and tens of thousands of spectators gather in Seward, Alaska for the running of the Mt. Marathon race. This year's race will be the 80th running and I was hoping to be one of the runners competing. The only problem is that you need to get drawn in a lottery to get into the race and I found out today that for the second year in a row I did not get in. I was pretty bummed when I looked at the list of lottery winners and did not see my name on it, but now several hours later I feel relieved that this is over with and I have a better idea of what races I will actually be competing in this summer.

Runners competing in the Mt. Marathon race. Route climbs about 3,000 ft. in 1.5 miles and then returns to town where 20,000 spectators await the racers!

If I can afford the travel/entry fee expenses my plan will be to ride in the 24 Hours of Kincaid on June 23-24; Run the Crow Pass Crossing on July 21st; Run the Resurrection Pass 50 miler on August 4th, and possibly run the Equinox Marathon on September 15th. I'll also plan to run competitively in a couple local mountain/trail races and non-competitively (as tempo training runs) in some local road races. This will make for a nice year of racing (especially figuring in the Susitna 100 that I ran in February), but I can't help but think about how limited my options are since I live in Alaska. I read about other bikers and runners who have twice as many races lined up for this year and they will be able to drive less than 8 hours to get to most of them. I will need to fly at a cost of $350+ to each of the 5 races listed above (plus an extra $100 to get my bike to Kincaid). Add in the cost of race entry fees and I'll be spending over $2,500 this year to compete in 5 races!

There are a lot of things that I like about living in Alaska, but the one thing that will most likely tempt me back to the lower 48 will be if my interest in endurance racing continues to grow as I'm hoping it will.

Bad Weather, Even for Juneau

Mt. Bike 15 miles
Run 14 miles

It's well known that the weather is not that great in Juneau, but most of the time it's really not that bad. Today though, it really was that bad. 37 degrees, heavy rain, and 20-30 mph wind. I was planning to head out for a mid morning bike/run but with the weather I couldn't get myself out the door until 2:00pm. It's tough to motivate to get out the door when you know that you're going to be soaked and cold for a few hours. After 5 minutes in this weather you just kind of accept it for what is and begin to forget about it. Or at least that's how it went today. I rode my bike to the Dupont-Pt. Bishop trail head and was pleasantly surprised to see the trail almost completely clear of snow and ice! This is one of the most technical trails I have EVER run on so I kept my pace very slow to avoid injury but I was able to make it about 7 miles out along the shore of Gastineau Channel that this trail parallels. Just as I was looking to turn around I made my way down to the beach where I found an old cabin, outhouse, and several tombstones dated between 1896-1926. This made for some nice photos and a nice turnaround point. Al Sharpton is a jackass

I wore my Montrail Vitesse today. I've had these shoes for over a year but have only put about 150 miles on them because every time I do a run over 1 hour in them they hurt the balls of my feet. I don't know why I continue to try shoes that always hurt my feet. I guess I feel like they will get broken in eventually and not hurt, but obviously they don't fit my feet properly. I was just reading last night about how much Karl Meltzer likes running in Vitesse so I was reminded of mine sitting in my closet and decided to give them a go today. Well, my feet are sore now and I need to just get rid of these shoes so I don't make the mistake of wearing them again.

Too Much Optimism

Road Bike 26 miles

I went out on my road bike today thinking I could get away with the least amount of clothing yet this spring. It was almost 50 degrees and it had been dry all morning. I opted to leave the booties, insulated gloves, rain pants, and neoprene socks at home (all of which I have been wearing on my rides for the past couple weeks). For the first half of the ride I was comfortable, or at least only a little bit cold. And then the rain came. And the temperature dropped. By the time I got home I was wet to the bone and the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees. My hands and feet were in serious pain and my core temperature had certainly dropped as I was shivering uncontrollably. I was planning to go out for a run after biking but once I warmed up a bit I was exhausted and only wanted to take a hot shower and lay down. I've done the hot shower, and had some dinner, and now it's time to lay down. I'll hope to make up for my short day with a good long workout tomorrow.

fuck blogger

Weekly totals: Ski 8 miles; run 31 miles; bike 120 miles; 13.5 hours. Again very similar to last week with the decrease in skiing picked up by an increase in biking. Will hope to ride closer to 150 miles this next week while keeping the running around 30. Also, need to get more consistent with my weight training. Haven't been to the gym in over a week: It's just so damn boring sometimes... but so beneficial.

Rolling Along

Road Bike 51 miles


Got out on the road bike today after work for a nice 3 hour ride. It feels so good to be back into biking enough to get out for 50 miles and not have it wear me out too much. I'm thinking more and more that I'd like to ride the 24 hours of Kincaid in June so I'm really just getting started but right now I've gotten myself into better biking shape than I've been in since last fall.

Happy 90th

Run 10 miles

Today would have been my Grandma's 90th birthday had she not passed away a few weeks ago. I always spoke with her on her birthday and it would have been nice to be able to do so today. I guess it's hard to avoid that helpless feeling when you lose someone close to you. That feeling of regret that you didn't get to speak with them one last time - to be sure they know just how much they have meant to you and how much you have learned from them. My Grandmother was an amazing women and I sure did miss not speaking with her today.

Mini Triathlon

Classic Ski 8 miles
Mt. Bike 15 miles
Run 8 miles

What a difference a day can make. After feeling very weak through 7 miles in 56 minutes yesterday morning I took yesterday afternoon off and also took this morning off. Tonight I ran 8 miles in 51 minutes and felt great... and this was after skiing for an hour and biking for an hour.

It was such a beautiful evening in Juneau. I need to start taking my camera out with me more often. I have many mixed feelings about how much I like living in Juneau, but on a nice calm, partially sunny day like today it's pretty near the most magnificent beauty you could ever find yourself surrounded by.

Time For a Nap

Run 7 miles

Took the afternoon off after a 7 mile run before work. Not sure why but I feel more like I ran 27 miles than 7. I felt this way last night too. Maybe I'm not getting enough sleep. Hoping to have more energy again tomorrow.

Training is tough right now in Juneau. The snow on the trails is too soft for running. Yesterday morning I must have fallen 20 times while I was running on the Dan Moeller trail. Most strides I would only sink 4 or 5 inches but every once in awhile I would break through up to mid thigh and down I would go. There is still enough snow for skiing but now that it's above 40 degrees most everyday I'm finding my interest in skiing becoming less and less. I'd like to ski at least once more this season but I'll be surprised if I actually do. There aren't any trails clear enough yet for mountain biking and they are all too soft for snow biking. Road biking is OK right now, but there is so much sand and gravel on the sides of the road that it's really more like riding on gravel than pavement. And then there's the rain. It's been pretty much raining for 6 days straight and I'm running out of shoes and clothes that are dry. I guess it's pointless to complain about the rain in Juneau... kind of like complaining about the heat in Death Valley.

Free Shoes

Run 6 miles
Mt. Bike 23 miles


I've got this random pair of Asics trail running shoes that I've had for about 2 years. In that time I've worn them about 4 times because every time I wear them I decide that they are too small for me and I put them back in the bottom of my closet until months later I decide to give them a try again, hoping that somehow they have grown larger or my foot has grown smaller. I ran in them this morning for the first time in about 8 months and I don't ever want to run in them again. I would love it if someone who might fit in them would take them off my hands. They're a size 10.5 but they fit like a small 10. If you wear 10.5 they will be too small for you.... trust me. but if you wear a 9.5 or 10 they should be perfect. They are Asics Gel-Eagle Trail. Let me know if you want them and they are yours for the cost of shipping. I would guess that they have less than 30 miles of running on them and I've never once worn them for anything else.

Unplanned Recovery Day

Road Bike 5 miles

Went to bed last night planning to get up and ride about 40 miles this morning before work. I woke up though and had no energy. Eventually I made it out the door into the steady rain. After 2.5 miles I realized that I had left my seat post bag with bike tool, spare tube, patch kit, and tire levers at home. Just after turning around to head back for this I noticed that my rear wheel was very untrue and made a mental note to check it when I was back at home. Riding over the bridge to get back on Douglas Island I suddenly heard a clanking noise and looked down and saw my frame pump bouncing on the road. The bracket that holds it to the frame had suddenly snapped in half. When I got home I had ridden 5 miles and was already soaking wet. At this point I checked out my rear wheel and discovered that I had a broken spoke. I thought about still heading back out on my mountain bike or heading out for a run, but decided it just made more sense to take a day off. After all, I had no idea what the heck was going to happen to me if I headed back out there.

Some Slow Speed

Run 8 miles

Ran a local 10k road race this morning. Kind of forgot how much I hate running hard on the road, especially if it's flat. I didn't race 100% but I did run pretty hard (about 85% effort). I was hoping to get in a good tempo workout and was expecting to feel a lot stronger than I did. Afterwords I thought about the fact that I hadn't really run fast in over 8 weeks so it began to make a little more sense to me that I just don't feel like I have any speed right now. The best thing though was that I was able to run a decent pace for 10k and did not experience any knee, ankle, arch, or ball of foot pain (all of which have bothered me on and off for the past 2 months). The other good thing was that this race had a much larger turnout than the other 2 local races that I've run. I think I finished 2nd, or maybe 3rd today. It was nice not to win another race simply because there were so few runners. Don't get me wrong, I love to win, but not when I'm running an event as a training run and as a way to support the local running club. When I win a race that I've put 100% focus into (like this year's Susitna 100) it's one of the most satisfying feelings, but winning a race that I've put no focus into whatsoever (like the other 2 Juneau races I've run before today) is for some reason very uncomfortable and embarrassing to me. I do not care much for the attention that comes with winning any race, but for some reason it is especially unsettling when I win a race that I do not put 100% effort into. Today was great though. By finishing 2nd or 3rd I was able run a bit of a cool down, sip some watered down urine flavored sports drink, and head for home without ever more than a one sentence conversation with anyone. Not that I don't like talking to people (OK, often I don't, but not all the time), but I don't like talking to people after a race when the conversation is focused primarily on me. I find that when I win a race this type of conversation is very hard to avoid. I can more or less deal with this if it's a race that I've put weeks of serious effort into, but for whatever reason I just can't be comfortable in these situations when I have not put in the effort. Anyone else ever feel this way? Or am I just more antisocial than I'm willing to admit?

Another solid week of cross training. 30 miles running, 39 miles skiing, 75 miles biking, in about 16 hours of time. Very similar to last week's totals.