2017 AON Chicago Stair Climb

2017 AON Chicago (80 Floors)

2nd Place Overall 10:05

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi ! That was the chant to be heard from everybody this weekend at the 2017 AON Chicago Tower Run. This past weekend was full of catching up with old stair climber friends and even meeting some new ones. As usual I took the train up north to Chicago and stayed with the Berg's. Him and his growing family where kind enough to let me crash for the night and provide an amazing pre race dinner the night before. I also got to meet the Wilson family. Darren Wilson and his family, from Australia, were in town for the weekend before his big climb in NYC. I new much of Darren from the interwebs and knew he would be a formidable opponent come race day. Him and his family were kind enough to let me tag along for the weekend. It was a lot of fun meeting them, it made the negatives of the race disappear, making the trip worth it just seeing them.

Come race time I felt alright but that quickly changed just a few floors in. Typical of a stairclimb you can just tell when you're feeling good or not within the first several floors. I ended up going up first with Darren flowing 5 seconds behind. At about floor 35 or so I could hear the ring on his finger clanging. He was approaching, and approaching fast. I let him glide by me and immediately knew I didn't have the legs today to keep up. We went through half way in 4:30-35. Which in this particular tower splits are even keel. After the midway point the clang of his ring disappeared just as fast as it came. I was spent by 60 and really fell off pace. Its really frustrating trying to compete but not being able to due to coming off injury. Patience I tell myself. Yet my inner competitor wants it now. The last 20 were a disaster and a real trudge slowing to a 5:30 ish split for the back half. On the bright side I was able to get in 7 total climbs for the morning. The 7 climbs averaged out to be roughly 13:20. I felt strong on the endurance factor but just not strong on the top end speed for the first climb. Each climb was roughly 1,076 vert. ft. So for a grand total on the morning, I got in 7,532 vertical ft. of gain.

Jesse, myself and Darren

Overall, it was a fun weekend. Disappointing race but with all things considered I can't be mad. At least I have something while my ankle heals. I feel most fit on the stairs when I'm in good running form, which I am not right now. None the less it will get better with time. Also, huge shout out to Darren for setting a course record of 9:01 besting the previous by 14 seconds. Next on the docket is the US Towerrunning Championships in Las Vegas at the Stratosphere on Feb. 26th. Till then

Results: http://results.active.com/event_collections/step-up-for-kids/2016

2017 Bop to the Top

2017 Bop to the Top

Indianapolis, IN

One America Tower 36 Floors

1st Place 3:38 (Single Climb)

1st Place 4:28,4:20,4:10 (Triple Climb)

Part of the crew

Well here I am once again climbing a tall building. Other than the Springfield Hilton race, it feels like I haven't been in a tower race in a long time. That's because I haven't. Besides the Hilton race, which I do every February, it's been roughly 3 years since I've done another tower race. Granted I've been in the Hilton stairwell getting workouts in but it's not the same as a race. "He's back," and "What are you doing here," is what a fellow stair climber said as I got ready.

I have a true love, and that true love is running. As I've gotten older my love for MUT ( mountain, ultra, trail) running has come into full fruition. I love the full grind of the training block leading up to a good 50k or mountain race. My 2017 early season campaign has been slightly sidetracked due to an injury i acquired back in mid December. After a little down time I started biking and climbing stairs to keep somewhat of a form through my healing process. Those two things are about all I can do without further injuring my ankle. Compounding miles right now is not in the cards. Yet my competitive hunger must be fed. Enter in the stair climb. Along with a gravel 100k bike race, stair climbs are about all I can do right now. A handful of stair climb races this winter will help keep me sane and along the way I get to see some old friends in the stair climbing community.

Top 3 in Triple Climb

Cindy Harris and myself

The race went as well as one could expect from dealing with injury. My cardio, that I get from running, I could feel was not quite there, as to be expected. I did throw down a 3:38 for the single climb. A second faster than my first time ever climbing the One America Tower back in 2012. Yet it was 8 seconds slower than my 2013 time of 3:30. In 2013 I was in probably the best stair climbing form of my life as of yet. So I'm not too far off fitness wise. I feel strong but not 100%, just for the sheer fact that I can't run right now. When I'm running, that's when I feel my strongest. The rest of the morning was capped of with a slow triple climb. I'll be honest, I wasn't to thrilled about the triple climb. Also I climbed several more times with Josh Duncan, to get a total of 12 climbs in for a good workout. This event was just as I remembered. I got to see a bunch of familiar faces, which was nice. I got to stay with and catch up with an old college teammate. I also got to meet some new people that may have bright futures in the stair climbing world. Altogether it was a satisfactory weekend. I'll take what I can get right now. One day at a time with fully recovering so I can get back on the trail. I'm really hoping I can be back running by late March. We shall see. Till then.

http://www.tuxbro.com/results.html

Down But Not Out...DNS

Down But Not Out...DNS

In the wake of my ankle injury back on December 10th I am pulling the plug on a couple Ultras in the early winter season. I had lofty goals for the Psycho Wyco 50k in Kansas City on Feb. 25th and the Land Between the Lakes 50 on March 11th. My ankle is healing nicely but still it has put me back a little bit and I just won't be ready and at the level I want to be at to compete. I partially tore 2 ligaments in my upper ankle and I am just now starting to put light miles on it. I have been biking and climbing stairs for supplemental work to stay active without putting pressure on my right ankle. Since climbing the stairs and biking is all I have I have signed up for a handful of tower running races and one gravel bike race. I'll have to play it by ear but I doubt I'll come back until either the Clinton Lake 30 in Clinton, IL or even the Yamacraw 50k in Stream, KY. I have signed up for (Bop to the Top-Indianpolis, IN 36 floors, AON Tower Chicago 80 floors, Scale the Strat 'US Towerrunning Championships' 108 floors, Springfield Stair Climb 32 floors, and the Deep South Roubaix 100k Gravel Bike Race) So I do have a training schedule that will be good supplemental work that I can gain strength from as well as a lineup of races that will keep me hungry and competitive for the time being. My ultimate A goal races are later in the summer and fall so Im not worried. Till then Im just going to keep plugging away. DNS's (Did not Start) are different than DNF. Injuries happen, plans change. You just have to make the best of the situation and keep moving forward.