Boulder Training Camp Reflections
I spent the last couple weeks in Boulder prepping for my outdoor track season. This was sort of billed as a ‘training camp,’ crossed with ‘work week,’ crossed with ‘hanging out with friends’ crossed with ‘get out of the depressing Minnesota winter.’ My great friends Joe Klecker and Sage Hurta were kind enough to provide housing, entertainment, and dogs for me, my girlfriend, and our puppy.
I spent the week getting in some pretty big volume and returning to “base” training after my indoor season, to hopefully lay the groundwork for a long and successful outdoor season. While two weeks at altitude, and only 5,000ft may not provide the biggest boost in red blood cell count or hemoglobin mass, the added altitude taxes the aerobic system a little bit more every day, and serves to challenge me psychologically. Add in a sauna every day to help increase testosterone, natural (!) EPO, and blood volume, and we were approaching an official ‘altitude camp.’ While all of these physiological benefits are great, the reason I love going to Boulder is for the psychology.
Colorado, known as the sunniest state, is a stark contrast to Minnesota where we may or may not have seen the sun for the previous 2 weeks to me leaving. Clear roads, and soft surfaces were a much needed relief from the slippery winter roads in MSP. The sun, and no sign of snow just makes me want to smile (until I check the forecast back in MN). I went up into the mountains a couple times for some runs and hikes which were stunning and peaceful. I ran the famed Magnolia Road for a medium long run one day, and enjoyed suffering on the hills more than I ever have. The hills on ‘Mags’ are just long enough and often enough to create a real challenge regardless of pace, but the respite in between gives you enough time to recover and to look forward to the next (oddly). Practicing operating within an ever growing sense of discomfort is a skill, and is crucial for racing. Whether you’re running intervals on the track, or a fartlek on the roads, or running on a hilly road, these situations where you can have a short recovery period to refocus can really help practicing concentrating and executing under the chaos of fatigue.
A few threshold sessions and progression runs rounded out a few great weeks of training for me. But more importantly, Boulder gave me a reminder of the joys of running. Chasing high goals in running is a legendary pursuit, and in a way, is the reward itself. The emotions that come with training at a high level day in and day out are something very unique, and make me feel alive. My aforementioned friend Joe and Sage are both ranked in the top 10 in the world in their respective events, 10,000m and 800m. Watching them, and their equally as impressive teammates, dedicate themselves to their craft is inspiring. It reminds me of things I can do better, and illustrates the standard so many people in this sport hold themselves to. This fires me up to be better and do better. The running community in Boulder is a special place, which is no secret anymore. The belief that all my fast running friends from Boulder have in themselves, and their peers is unmatched. And it’s this belief that drives everything. Belief in themselves, in their process, and in their peers creates the mystique around settings like Boulder. When you find yourself in the depths of a session, or a race, you can’t lie to yourself. If you have belief in your abilities, you’ll be able to access the extra bit that’s required to take the next step. So find ways to cultivate it! I encourage everyone to find a place like this, where you can feel inspired, and leave with a new sense of direction, and belief.
Thanks for reading!
