[Note: all the photos in this entry except the first one are
Jim's from forays he's taken around the Leadville area: Clear
Creek Reservoir after it was drained and the mining district above town
where he likes to
acclimate.]
We're still hanging out in Leadville even though the race was over
four days ago. There are several reasons why we just can't seem
to leave:
1. TRUCK REPAIR
As you'll remember, our truck chose the most inopportune time to
become impaired: half an hour before I was to use it to crew Jim
during the hundred-miler on Saturday/Sunday.
Jim's first thought was that he'd gotten some bad fuel on Thursday,
but a local friend who buys diesel fuel for his F-250 at the same
station has never had problems there. While Jim was running the race, he
thought up some other potential reasons but had to wait until he was
done to check them out.
The first chance Jim got to look at the truck was Sunday morning
while the last few runners were going by us on Sixth Street two blocks
from the finish line. He decided that maybe a clogged fuel filter was
perhaps the cause of the sluggishness, shaking, and weird engine noises, although
he'd changed the filter just before we left home at the end of May. He
put in the new one he'd brought on the trip, checked the cam position
sensor, and looked for loose wires, etc. Then he drove the truck to the
parking lot behind the Laundromat on the north end of town so he look some
more while I did a load of laundry.
The truck still sounded like it was going to self-destruct. OK, let's check some more:
![](images/Leadville/aug19_25.jpg)
Isn't this what everyone wants to do after running 50 miles?? Jim
practically has to crawl inside the cavernous engine compartment to see all the
various gizmos and whatchamacallits under the hood. As uncomfortable as this looks, he decided the stretching was
probably better than sitting in a lounge chair all day.
[That's Mt. Massive in the background of the photo above, with some
menacing storm clouds. It's about 11:30 AM on Sunday. Rain struck during the
noon-to-1 PM race awards ceremony but was gone by the time everyone
left. At least none of the final runners got wet at the end of their
trek.]
Another local friend had recommended the mechanic at the Conoco
station nearby. Jim drove the truck there and left it until Dan-the-mechanic could
diagnose the problem the next morning. Meanwhile, Jim spent several
hours on the internet Sunday afternoon investigating various
possibilities and came up with some good information to discuss with the
mechanic.
On Monday Dan, a former Ford-dealer mechanic, hooked up
the truck to a computer. At first it diagnosed four bad injectors, which
would have been VERY expensive to repair. Dan decided that wasn't very
likely and
kept looking manually for problems (bless him!). He discovered a loose
plug under the left valve cover. The plug needed replacing. Jim could repair
the plug, but couldn't have gotten the valve cover off so he left the
job to Dan.
However, Jim DID find an even cheaper "fix" to the
problem, a $17 clip Ford makes for this "known problem." He printed out what he found on the internet and discussed it
with Dan, who agreed to order two of those (one for each side) instead
of a $200 harness.. Although the parts were late coming in the next day, Dan managed to
fix the problem that afternoon (Tuesday) and we got our truck back --
sounding and handling like it's supposed to! The labor cost puts a dent in the
wallet, but not as deeply as we expected. We've been "had" before by
out-of-town mechanics, especially at dealerships, so we're wary and
proactive. This guy was honest and helped us keep the cost reasonable.
We reaped additional benefits in this process, too.
Remember those new overheating problems we had on 11,000-foot passes going to
Silverton and Leadville? Jim has already talked to several mechanics
about it, but Dan had another idea: using a totally different
kind of air filter that keeps the engine cooler. Dan could have ordered
and installed one, but he suggested Jim research THAT on the internet,
too, since it's something Jim can install. Jim found one for a good price,
although much more expensive than your average air filter,
from a manufacturer in North Carolina. Now we're hanging out in
Leadville until it arrives on Friday or Monday.
Beauty found in the drained Clear Creek Reservoir
This morning Jim was getting ready to take Cody for a
run on the trail at Turquoise Lake -- and the truck wouldn't start. It's always something! That
problem was more obvious: one or both batteries were low (he
knows why). It took a while to get the batteries
charged up. Once they were, Jim decided to get two new ones since one is
original equipment (seven years old) and the other isn't heavy duty
enough.
He found a better price on the batteries he wanted here at a parts
dealer in Leadville than on the internet, bought them before they
realized their price was lower than anywhere else, and
installed them himself this afternoon. We gave the newer one to Jack and
disposed of the old one.
After spending several hundred dollars on parts and
labor for these three repairs, at least we'll have some additional peace of mind
before heading out on the next leg of our 2007 Rocky Mountain
Adventures.
2. WE'RE NOT READY YET!
On Monday after the race we were already looking for
reasons to stay in the Rockies and not go home yet. Our business here
was finished after LT100 but we didn't want to leave Colorado.
Our original plan was to either go home soon after the race
or stay a few more days so I could run parts of the Continental Divide
Trail. But I've given up on the CDT this year for various reasons and
I'm unable to do any more 14ers right now (more about that in #3 below). We've
been gone since the end of May and it's
time we "should" go home. Right?
Wrong. It's too hot there. The eastern U.S. has been
broiling with 100-degree temps recently. Even though it's "down" to the
90s now in Roanoke, we have no desire to head back until it's cooled
off a bit more than that. We've been living with low humidity and temps
in the 40s to 60s and the
occasional 70 degrees Fahrenheit for three months. We remember what it
was like as soon as we hit Denver after leaving Leadville last year, and
it only got worse as we entered the humid zone east of the Mississippi.
It took weeks to acclimate to the heat and humidity. So we're
exhibiting some avoidance behavior.
Close-up of birds in Clear Creek where reservoir has
been drained
We probably shoulda stayed in Montana instead of moving
to Virginia three years ago! But there's that s-n-o-w thing, a
four-letter word to us. We love our home in Virginia. We're just happier
there when it's cooler from September to April or May. The Rockies suit
us just fine in the summer. We consider them our "second home."
And like last year, we've had such a wonderful time out
here in the mountains that it's hard to go back to "real life." I think
I could live in this camper year round, even though there are definite
advantages to having a home base. So we're prolonging the fun a couple
more weeks.
3. MY GRANNY KNEE
I wish I could be running more of the CDT or climbing
14ers now, but I can't. Hopefully this isn't a permanent run-ender.
I apparently over-did it ten days ago when I had that
terrific Mt. Oxford-Mt. Belford climb (see August 13 entry). Although my
knees
didn't bother me any more than usual during the climbs and descents that
day,
it's obvious that 12,000 feet of elevation gain and loss in eleven miles was
the "straw that broke the camel's back."
I've had increasing pain and lack of flexibility in both
knees since I put more strain on them than an arthritic 56-year-old
woman should have two years ago on the Appalachian Trail (2,200 miles in 4+
months and about a million feet of elevation gain and loss). But I've
been able to continue running and hiking since then, including another
500 miles on the Colorado Trail, some 50K races, and several 14ers. No
matter what the consequences are, I'm grateful to have had the
opportunity to do the AT and I don't regret doing it for one minute.
It
may have been my last ultra hurrah, though.
A few weeks before we left home in May my left knee
began feeing unstable periodically and unexpectedly. I sometimes feel like I
am
going to fall, but I never have. It also occasionally locks up and
I have to massage and stretch the outer quad to get the knee to straighten out.
Strangely, this has never occurred when I'm running or hiking,
only when I'm walking around the house, camper, or another building and
most often when I'm making a right turn. Weird.
View of Leadville and Turquoise Lake from the mining
district east of town
I probably should have tried seeing my orthopedist
before leaving home, but the sensation happened so infrequently that I
blew it off. And I got away with it until Belford-Oxford Day.
The next day (August 14) I couldn't put my full weight on the
knee and could
barely move around the camper or take care of the dogs outside. My knee
was swollen, sore, and wouldn't bend even to a right angle. I figured
it'd get back to "normal" soon with rest, elevation, and ice, but it took
several days for it to gradually improve. I was afraid I couldn't crew
effectively for Jim four days later. I managed to get around OK on Saturday. However,
walking three or four miles that day made it worse on Sunday.
Since we've decided to stay here a bit longer, I made an appointment
Wednesday with a local doctor, a general practitioner, to get his
opinion. Jim saw Dr. Callen a couple weeks ago about a worrisome spot on
his forehead (a non-cancerous AK, it turned out). Jim liked him.
I've already made an appointment in mid-September at my orthopedic
practice at home and assume I'll need an MRI then, but I mainly wanted
to see what Dr. Callen suspects and get advice on what to do -- and not
do --in the meantime.
Dr. Callen listened to my symptoms and ordered X-rays at
the adjacent hospital. The X-rays, the first I've had in about fifteen
years for either knee, indicate there is very little cartilage remaining
in my left knee. No surprise there, considering my age (58), family
history of arthritis, and 28 years of distance running!
It's still not something any runner wants to
hear, however, especially an ultra runner.
Dr. Callen also warned me that I could have some loose
and/or torn cartilage and/or a ligament problem that's causing the
instability and locking up. I'll have to wait for an MRI for a
definitive diagnosis. I'm trying to be optimistic, hoping surgery won't
be necessary. I've heard too many horror stories regarding knee surgery
over the years to want to experience that.
Dr. Callen clearly has no sympathy for silly ultra runners,
especially aging ones, but I'm glad I went to see him. I got a copy of
the X-rays and the radiologist's and doctor's reports will be faxed to
my orthopedist's office in Roanoke. I'll be that much ahead when I get
home. Meanwhile, he offered pain meds (I refused because generic
acetaminophen is adequate) and said to continue wearing the stretchy knee
support I'm using because it stabilizes the joint pretty well and
doesn't restrict movement, ice the knee
when needed (no swelling now), and walk for exercise if it feels OK. No running, of course.
Today I went out for my first sustained walk since the
ones on Saturday while I was crewing and my knee felt fine the whole 35
minutes on a flat dirt road. Since I've had of never
being able to run or hike again, it felt great to get out and walk!!
Tater enjoyed it, too. Neither dog has been out running much with us
the last ten days and they're getting pretty wild. I know the feeling.
Low morning clouds hang over the Arkansas Valley, as
seen from the mining district above Leadville
Cody and Jim had a pleasant six-mile hike and run around
the lake, Jim's first run since Saturday. His
legs felt pretty good but he doesn't want to overdo it before his
next race. And that would be the Hinson Lake 24-Hour Run in North
Carolina at the end of
September, right?
Nope. Mr. "I'm not doing another one of these"
has signed up for another one of these on Labor Day weekend!
4. NEXT HUNDRED
I've learned in recent years that when Jim DNFs a
100-mile race he's eager to find another one soon to take advantage of
the training he has. I've done it, too. It's that "all dressed up and
nowhere to go" feeling. You usually know what you did wrong to cause a DNF and you're certain you can do it
right the next time. And you just
had a great 50-mile or 66-mile training run, right? So let's find
another 100-miler that's convenient!!
It didn't take long to find one, either -- just a bit of
internet research on Monday. Since Jim's still toying with the idea of
entering Hardrock in January, he needs to finish one of its qualifiers.
There are about ten races that can be used to qualify for Hardrock, all
but one a mountainous western race (the only one in the East is Massanutten).
We're already out West. That's convenient. We'll
just stay a little longer . . .
About half of these qualifiers have already occurred this year:
Massanutten,
Bighorn, Western States, Tahoe Rim Trail, Leadville. The choices
remaining are Wasatch (great race, great timing, and Jim loves it -- but it's full), Angeles Crest (too far away), Cascade Crest (too soon -- this weekend -- and too far away), Plain (no way!
dismal finish rate),
The Bear (one of Jim's favorite races, but not until the end of
September -- that's pushing it too much re: time away from home),
and Grand Teton -- ah, perfect! It's in two weeks, not too far away, not
full, and it has a 36-hour time limit.
But our knowledge of the race was slim. All I could
remember is that it's a multiple-loop course and the weather was
terrible the first year. It's been run
only twice and it's still a small race. We had to do some homework,
quickly.
Jim went to the college library (he's been there a lot
this month) to read every page of the web site, print out all the
information he could, and search the ultra list for previous reports. We don't have access to
reports in our old Ultra Running magazines and there was only one
report in the ultra archives. But the one that's there is very complete,
written by Rick Sandison after last year's race. It has valuable
information we can both use. Thanks, Rick!
Jim also talked to one of the race directors on the
phone, is corresponding with Rick, and has investigated camping options in
the nearby national forest and at the resort where the race HQ and
start/finish area are located. We should be able to camp free or
inexpensively when we get up there.
Abandoned mine building in the hills above Leadville;
Sawatch Range in the distance
Jim's psyched that he has another chance to redeem
himself and qualify for Hardrock. I'm psyched because I love going
somewhere new (although we've both been to the Tetons) and this gives us
another two weeks in the Rocky Mountains.
We'll stay at Jack's until the air filter is delivered.
That's good because Jim can maintain his altitude acclimatization
better here at 10,200 feet the next few days than near the race start. The Teton race ranges from 6,730 to 9,840
feet. Jim will be in excellent shape for the altitude there. Can you be
over-acclimated? He'll probably feel like he's flying at 7,000 or
8,000 feet!
I think he's gonna do great as long as the weather is
decent. He's trained, hungry for a finish, and does well on mountain
courses with more generous time limits, like The Bear and
Wasatch.
Stay tuned for photos and stories from the Teton area
next week. We know several of the people in the 50- and 100-mile races (Hans-Dieter
Weisshaar, Monica Schultz, Olga Varlamova, Milada Copeland, Kevin O'Neall,
and Eric and Elizabeth Hodges) and we'll make some new
friends. I won't be able to get out much on trails to take photos but
I'll get what I can from roads and encourage Jim to take the camera with
him if he does any training runs on the course.
This is gonna be fun! Wish I could do the concurrent
marathon or 50-miler, but I'll be happy playing the role of Crew Babe
again.
Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, Cody, and
Tater
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© 2007 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil