The Inside Scoop

Weather; blizzard, temps in high 20’s, gusts 80mph+, blowing snow.

The last few days have been a blizzard, at least a foot of fresh snow, although it is hard to determine as the 80+ mph winds have deposited it haphazardly.  The horses have hunkered down in the barn, the cats are staying in the greenhouse and the snowmobilers have managed to close the road.

This is the day to reflect on what is happening with Gary’s body, what is the training doing, what is the high elevation’s effect?  That is where we turn to my boss, Hank Harlow.

Hank is a physiologist.  I walk by a number of lectures at the University of Wyoming but always smile at his.  His are distinguished by a number of things; first the riveted faces of the students and second is the multi-presentation of the material. Hank runs a PowerPoint, slides and writes frenzied notes on the board.  The student’s responses to the class are ‘The best and the hardest’.  His passion is contagious.

Asking Hank about the inner workings of a human is a precarious undertaking.  I think he views the human body as something between an aircraft carrier and a Rube Goldberg invention; a bazillion unique parts working in harmony.  We must all look like walking, high dollar watches to him.  I am usually good for a few sentences then he begins to sail right over my head with cycles and compounds and interactions.  But to stop him would be as cruel as to stop a racehorse mid stride.  I just enjoy watching that much enthusiasm manifest itself. 

He is following Gary’s progress with interest so he had ready answers for my question; if Gary can’t exercise regularly, is there any advantage to training at 8,200 feet elevation?  ‘Ah’ he says, chomping at the bit.  Come to find out there are a number of good things; Gary’s lungs and heart work at a greater capacity due to the elevation, and his blood both absorbs and releases oxygen quicker as well which will help keep the body well oxygenated.  Additionally he as more red blood cells than his counterparts training at lower elevations.  ‘But’ Hank warns, ‘the heat will work against him.’  Training here, where we seldom see weather above high 80’s will not prepare him for the dehydration of the heat.  ‘Water, plenty of water’ is Hank’s advice.  I suspect there was far more to that conversation but my brain, like my eyes, probably glossed over and dropped the specifics.  Enough to know Gary does have some perks with training, even if the blizzards are keeping him in a few days.

Neighbors

Sunrise on Sheep Mountain

Miles run 14

Weather; mild to start then snowy and windy on the way back

Today the weather was better and Gary decided to run midday.  He has gone back to running down Fox Creek; while the footing is more snowy, the canyon offers protection from the wind.  Additionally the canyon has a creek so the dog has easy access to water.  It also has less traffic. Highway 11 can be overrun with snowmobilers hell bent for Albany and as I have mentioned before, Kaycee has an obsession with herding vehicles.

Gary's running has become somewhat commonplace on the road and today a few things happened to reinforce that.  First there were the two trucks of neighbors driving home.  Both times the driver slowed down to converse with Gary; commenting on his style and checking his speed against the odometer.  They kibitzed about road gossip and then headed off, giving him the thumbs off before they rolled up their windows and left.   No one even comments on the craziness of the situation.

The other neighbor Gary ran into was the one who has been crossing paths with him for some time, Mr. Cougar, or as we are learning, Mr. Puma in Spanish.  They met up at the ‘Luge run’ the part of the road that is narrow, icy, rocky and steep on both sides –one going up and the other straight down into the creek.  Gary was alerted to the presence of a dead animal by the ravens and magpies flying in and out of the woods by the stream, but was Kaycee who spotted the cougar first.  He leaned over the edge of the road, attentive and with his hair along his back standing up.  He has pretty bad cataracts, I do wonder if he could tell the difference between a cougar and a Volkswagen but I suspect they have a distinct smell. 

Gary called the dog back and went to the edge to see what was there; beneath the underbrush was the cat; crouched over a deer and watching.  The cat didn’t seem terribly interested in either the dog or Gary, just lying beside his meal not unlike the kitties we have in the house.  Everyone left the other in peace.

Neighbors.

Snow Day

Last night we received at least 8” of snow.  The day is  monochromatic, all shades of blue.  It was also much colder- around 10 degrees and as soon as the sun went down it was below zero.  Fox Creek Road is closed due to drifting and snown. The last two runs were sketchy; the wind was cold enough to discourage Gary from running and made him worry about hypothermia.  Today he decided to stay home.

So we are sending out his Pinole Bar recipe to you.  It is a combination of a couple on the web, plus a little tinkering on his part.

1.5 cups toasted masa harina

½ c. Amaranth flour

3T. Chia seeds

6T. Brown sugar

3t. Cinnamon powder

1t. salt

1c. chopped raisins

2 eggs

6T. Honey

4T. Almond Butter

1 ½ c water

Mix well.  Put in 9x9 baking sheet (buttered).  Cook at 320 degrees for 40 minutes.

Cut while still warm into bars and enjoy!

Running out of 2013

Miles today 17

Temperature; 25

Wind; 14 mph with gust up to 30 mph

 Conditions; fresh powder and slick beneath

Gary ran today, anxious to get more miles per run.  His desire to increase distances seems to be running parallel to the increased intensity of winter weather.  Not running makes him agitated and he worries that everyone who has offered support will be judging him.  He is making loops on Fox Creek that go past the Volvo as a way station to imitate the way the Ultra Caballo Blanco is laid out; with a check point in the middle where you stash food and drink. 

The weather worries me.  Two nights ago he got home in the dark, the high temperature that day was 10 and drops quickly once the sun goes down.  It is pretty common for the water in his hand held container to freeze while he is running.  He knows a lot about layering for warmth, he has two pairs of socks, two alpaca hats, two fleece pants and numerous sweaters of wool and silk on.  He gives me an estimation of time and I try not to worry until about a half hour of his arrival time. I try not to be that wife.

People on the road are talking about his race now.  They are curious about it, about the Tarahumara, about how he is doing.  They even get defensive about the dog; cursing at people who drive the road fast enough to endanger Kaycee.  Of course Kaycee does himself no favors, being a Border/Aussie cross he always feels the need to herd the vehicles. No one seems worried about the vehicles hitting Gary.  They must think his snazzy style will no doubt catch the oncoming traffic’s eye.  He had a run in with the snowplow the other day on one of the narrower parts of the road.  Gary scrambled up the rocky cliff to get out of the way which probably only served to convice the driver he really is crazy.

We are beginning to pack; the first aid kit, the sewing kit and some of the camp gear.  I can’t seem to find any information about the weather in the canyon to organize our sleeping gear.  We want to pack lite but not freeze our butts off.  Additionally I want to make sure Gary can sleep comfortably.  While he rarely mentions his back I know it can get out of whack and that would seriously impact his race.

Learning to dine and dash

Gary is learning eat and run. That seems to be one thing all of his advisors/coaches agree on, that running for 50 miles requires you to eat during the race while moving.  So far Gary is running 15-minute miles, and the race itself only allows for a 12 hour window.  15  minutes X 50 miles  still puts Gary in the running, and of course he is hoping to get faster.  The eating seems to be an art.  It is amazing to hear everyone’s opinion.  There is Kevin, the Aussie coach, a long-distance coach in a very different definition of the word.  Kevin is a bicycler and very aware of nutrition.  ‘Take bananas” he says, so Gary tries that.  The problem is that while they probably work beautifully in the tropical climate where Kevin lives, they freeze before mile 5 in Wyoming winters.  However Gary is still eating them despite the brown skin and frozen texture.  Then there are the gels, these seem to be a big deal in the running world.  However again he is having into some issues.  The cold turns them into hard candy and squeezing them out of their colorful tubes is a Herculean effort.  So far his mainstays are Cliff Bars and Pinole bars.  The pinole bars are a work in progress; he found recipes online and has been tweaking them for taste.  Both Kaycee, the dog and myself agree that the coffee should be eliminated from the recipe and the almond butter should be increased.  I also vote for dried fruit, cherries in particular.  However Kaycee and I are not in training so Gary is taking our advice with a grain of salt.  

Korima

Caballo Blanco, who is the namesake of the race Gary is headed to, talked about Korima a term used by the Tarahumara.  It means roughly translated ‘what I have, you have’.   It is about sharing friendship. Today Gary and I are touched by what our friends and family have given us, in particular to realize this dream of Gary’s.  Encouragement, coaching, kind words and even some financial support.  Last night we ordered some equipment for the race using funds that Gary was given by people who believe in him and support his dream.  It was a humbling feeling, to buy lightweight bags and water bottles without trepidation and worry about where the money would come from.  To know that we have friends and family who are helping to get Gary to the race; no strings, no guilt.  The gifts help him  get to the race and say ‘We believe in you’. 

Today a neighbor kid came down.  He has been given a hard row and now he has gotten himself crossways with the law.  His dad sent to down to see us  in his truck with mismatched doors through a white-out, a snowstorm so intense you lose sense of speed and direction.

‘You’re driveway is getting a little drifted, I broke it out for you.’ He starts the conversation then adds ‘My dad wanted me to talk to you or your son.’

Our son has been crossways with the law too, although now, thank God, he has found strength to move forward.  His new life and our early Christmas dinner with him this year are truly prayers answered.

We talked with the kid, asked his dreams, told him of his strengths.  We talked about choices, about how life isn’t about not making mistakes but rather picking yourself up and learning form them so you don't repeat them.  We offered to come to court with him and gave him a few thoughts on how to prepare to meet with the judge.  We sent him home with encouragement and gingerbread cookies.

So my wish for you today that you have gifts like this, gifts of good friends who believe in you, gifts of family to love and love you back, and gifts of friends and neighbors who can benefit from your experiences and life.

May Korima be alive and well in your life too.

Golden

Last weekend we drove to Golden so Gary could run with Bob, his coach.  We had been scheduled to go there the week before but the temperatures had dropped and ‘struggled’, as the weatherman said, to reach single digits.  The wind-chill drove the temperature to -40^o.  It should be mentioned that Gary contemplated running those days.  He ran before the bottom fell out of the thermometer on a night when water in his bottle turned to slush.  It was Bob who recommended postpone the run for a week.

The drive through Colorado was spectacular.  We drove first to Boulder, then on to Golden and stayed with Mary and Bob’s friend's house with possibly the best overlook of Golden to be had.  Bob and Mary's house full of young musicians.  Their presence made the house feel fresh and young; full of vibrancy, voices and mandolin playing.

Bob is Gary’s coach; he has run since he was in high school.  He is built like an athlete; lean, strong legs and passion.  Bob could vie with silent Bob for the title; he isn’t much for speaking.  Instead he listens and thinks, pondering your ideas like a mathematical problem before he responds.  In his other life he is an engineer and he manifests that in conversation.  Gary is full of questions; ‘How much do I run?  What schedule should I keep?  What should I eat?  When should I eat?  What if I can’t keep up?’  Bob just nods. ‘Let’s go run.’

They head up one of the mesas that flank Golden; the run is 13 miles and 1,000 ft. vertical climb.  Gary does just fine.  And while they run, Bob talks; he answers Gary’s questions, he talks about his dreams and fears, he gives Gary advice about his running.  They are like young boys although I suspect they are some of the older people on the mountain.

Mary and I begin logistics.  Mary is scout mother material.  She is always cheery and encouraging.  And organized. I suspect she knows every Girl Scout song by heart.  It would be hard not to love her. We had hoped to fly to Chihuahua together then take the train to the canyon.  I am worried about Gary’s back; sitting is his enemy.  I want to keep the travel time to a minimum and while the bus to the canyon is much less expensive, the train will allow him to walk.  Mary agrees.  But we run into a snag.

The people at Entres Amigos, where we are staying, told us that there would be at least 200 runners besides the Raramuri.  That means the hotels and camps in the town of 1500 will fill up quickly; by Wednesday they cannot guarantee us space.  The train leaves Monday, Thursday and the weekend so we need to be there on Monday. We will leave the Tuesday after the race to take the train back to Chihuahua and fly home the next day.  They cannot be gone from work that long.  Mary is the only one of us that is truly bilingual.  Gary and I are learning Spanish by watching old Westerns and Disney movies with Spanish subtitles.  All of us are unsure how practical the ‘the witch is dead’, ‘Well, pilgrim’ and ‘I’ve just tarred and feathered my own brother’ will be.  I guess we will find out.