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title: JK Early Spring Projects Retro

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# JK Early Spring Projects Retro

This is a recap of observations across the two primary recent objectives: the Mono Lake Loop (42mi) and the High Sierra Ultra 53k (34mi), along with an overview of possible future projects.

## Preperation

- Had been pretty regularly doing the Uphill Chamonix Level 1 short session almost daily, and the long session one or two times per week.
- Running more or less daily ~3–6mi with no real structure.
- Ski touring about once a week, typically something in the ~3k/~6mi zone.
- Began introducing Jack’s programming a month ago.
- The Bishop race was on the horizon when the Mono Lake project popped up. Knew that it’d effect the time of the Ultra, and was of a split mind about it. Punted the decision to when doing the Mono Loop at mile 20.

## Mono Lake Loop

[Training Peaks](https://app.trainingpeaks.com)


tldr; went very well, decided to push past 20mi for the full 42mi despite the impacts on the High Sierra Ultra.

- Went into this feeling strong.
- Mostly off trail. A lot of sand. Felt fine through it, didn’t feel difficult. Attribute this to running ~3-6mi/day during winter on ice.
- Supported break at 20mi. Light snacking and water refill.
- Was feeling great and locked in the zone at this point, and decided to continue on despite the effects on time for the High Sierra Ultra.
- Became somewhat fatigued due to heat after this. Dip in a creek solved it.
- Supported break at 30mi. Had a grilled cheese. Felt like absolute trash when beginning to move after this. Cleared up after about ~30 minutes and monument of a dump.
- Heat began to become problematic again.
- Around mile 36 became my best guess is I dehydrated while simultaneously feeling somewhat bloated. This corresponded with the next ~5mi being mostly under 8" of water and sinking knee deep in mud.
- Reached a road for the last 1.5mi and the sense of dehydration preventated from running. Walked about a mile of this. Did not feel fatigued otherwise.
- Later in the day did not feel particurally worked, which was kind of surprising. No real fatigue or soreness the next morning, etc…

## High Sierra Ultra

[Training Peaks](https://app.trainingpeaks.com) — note that I couldn’t locate the HR monitor so this is wrist data unfortunately, however I’d say it generally reflects the effort.

In the week leading up to this, in addition to the Mono Loop, I did two substantial ski tours.

1. [Mt Gould](https://www.strava.com/activities/9073377727) via Kearsarge at 6.7k gain over 18.5mi.
2. [Mt Lewis](https://www.strava.com/activities/9091031573) at 6k gain over 15.3mi.

Totals 12.7k gain over 33.8mi in two days spaced over four days leading up to the race. I knew going into the race that this was a pretty substantial amount of effort, and was going to compound with the Mono Loop. :shrug:

With this in mind my primary goals for the race were to:

1. Not injure myself
2. Have fun since it was my first running race; just experience the format

In a sense, I wasn’t racing, just an active spectator to the race.

- Started with some fatigue. In the two days after Lewis leading up to the race I noticed a general soreness I hadn’t yet experienced this season.
- Factored that in and intent was to keep the entire race zone 2 / light 3. Mostly stuck to that.
- Felt very consistent with cadence and pace during the first ~12mi of the climb. My goal was to settle into something sustainable and not be alternating between running and walking. Just a solid cadence.
- Around 12mi turned very sandy and climbing while running became tedious. Was more effecient to simply walk at a brisk pace, which was proven by me passing several people who were continuing to run during this section. I felt a little obnoxious doing this.
- Fatigue began to set in around ~14mi. Walking wasn’t required but my legs were feeling somewhat spent from the elevation gain. **Specifically the hamstrings**.
- Over ate at the turnaround point aid station (lol) and felt like shit the next ~20min
- Ran consistently the next several miles.
- Some of the trail was extremely washed out and rocky. During these sections I walked, as I knew I was fatigued and did not want to get sloppy and injure myself.
- Beginning at ~26mi I began to feel greatly more fatigued, and switched to walking several times despite generally agreeable terrain.
- Was approaching 90°F at this point. Got chatty w/ people at the aid stations, sat down for a few mins at each, and generally wasn’t concerned about anything other than keeping it mellow.
- Ran the last ~2mi and felt relatively strong all things considered.
- As of this evening after certainly am feeling worked. Sore and fatigued in a way I didn’t after mono.

## General Observations

**Primary Motivation**

After these projects, can confidently say I’m not interested in doing big one off events but having a very strong base to continually make efforts.

**Consistency and Travel**

Was somewhat difficult to stay consistent with improvised travel last month. I’ve entered all planned travel in Training Peaks and plan to do that going forward.

**Weighted Workouts**

Didn’t do any of the weighted workouts due to access and travel. Also somewhat hesitant to fuck myself up in the gym not knowing proper form. Going to resolve that by having my friend Chris who ran professionally for a while show me the ropes on the equipment relevant to the programming.

**PCT**

On the PCT I was frequenting 30-40mi days for multiple days on end. Kind of funny thinking about things like the Ultra, and the amount of effort going into it, vs just banging out ultra after ultra for a couple months. Those days were typically ~10-12hrs and almost entirely walking, except for real cruisy downhill bits (most often near a town with pizza.) I was also fucking wrecked by the end of it (major daily caloric deficit) and it was not a sustainable thing to do lol.

## Future Projects

I believe I’m honing in on a format I want to focus on for the upcoming season. These are laying first times on new and novel routes, most completed in long days with the exception being overnight efforts with a few hour sleep. These are somewhat more accessible routes riffing on more ambitious eastside lines like Norman’s 13 and Convoluted Bliss. Similar to the Rae Lakes Loop, but established from day one with the intent to be completed in a single continious push.

[**Caldera Loop**](https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=9.0/-119.1593/37.6719&pubLink=yVvmHYMQV12eIbdZJXCq6EIl&trackId=abfed1ff-fce4-48f3-98de-f2bbcc1245be) gains 11k over 65mi tracing the ridge of the Glass Mountains, then looping back up the star point on dirt roads parelelling the 395.

[**Crater Traverse**](https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=9.0/-119.1593/37.6719&pubLink=HShEm3g1PMri3CeYXhMBsiQs&trackId=27faa943-3144-484f-95c2-930462bc793b) gains 11k over 29 miles beginning at Panum Crater adjacent Mono Lake, tagging prominent cinder cones along the Mono and Inyo craters, and terminating on the summit of Mammoth Mountain.

[**Parker Loop**](https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=10.1/-119.3540/37.8215&pubLink=dd4I22JoHbP4cxsOGbNeriRu&trackId=992722db-48bd-4b98-b72d-5c63b0fb137b) gains 11k over 40mi in a lollypop loop beginning at Mono Pass. Goes over Parker Pass down to Rush Creek, up Parker Bench, and Bloody Canyon.

**Japan Ridgelines**

The Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) is composed of a few key ridgelines connected by annoying road travel. I’m unable to locate FKTs for these ridgelines, and would like to establish base times for them. These look similar to that of the projects above. Travel is booked for this in September of this year.

## Open Questions

- How can the programming accomidate these objectives?
- What should recovery look like after projects?
- I really enjoy the Uphill Chamonix program as part of my morning routine after fitting a run in. Should factor a short ~20min Uphill session in to the programming. Also fuck Uphill I’m down to try the equivilant Evoke program.