It's 14 degrees, snowing, and a strong wind is blowing the dry snow into drifts across the sidewalks; a cold and windy January here in Boulder. Just looking out the window isn't very pleasant, as the frame is rattling with the gusts, and the clear water ice covering the street is glinting under the grey skies.
Anna Pichrtova puts on every item of clothing she has, and steps outside for a run. She is happy and smiling. Two hours later she's back.
"How was it?" I ask.
"Good!" she says with a smile on her face.
"A little windy!"
Everyone remembers the first time they met Anna. Dave Dunham recalls standing in the front row right before the gun at the highly competitive Mount Washington Road Race, when he felt someone pull on his ponytail. He turned around; It was a slight young woman with a big smile and European accent, who won the race that day, and a record 5 times after that (so far).
Chris Lundy remembers something else. They were in Nigeria, November 2006, for a mountain race. While being driven to the venue, the driver lost control, rolled the car three times, crushing Anna's right arm. Others sustained minor injuries, but Anna was taken immediately to the hospital.
"It was unbelievable", Chris reported.
"Her elbow was dislocated, Humorous and Radius in a few pieces, and she had no anesthetic, or even anything to drink. She kept saying, 'I'm OK, don't worry'".
Two days later back home in the Czech Republic, they transferred her immediately to the operating room for a 7 hour surgery. She still is carrying 300 grams of titanium in her arm, most of which hopefully will be removed this spring.
Anna is the current World Mountain Trophy Champion, former European Mountain Running Champion, and is arguably the best female mountain runner in the world the past five years. But returning to the Mt Washington race last June was still an emotional experience. She needed help to put on her jersey because her arm can't bend that much. Then she went out an won for a record 6th time.
Now on this January afternoon, it is time for her second workout. Anna shoulders a backpack, and will run 4 miles to the Rec Center where she will do some strength and stretching, then warm up in the hot tub, swim until she is too cold, warm back up in the sauna before going to the pool again, then a final hot tub session to warm her up for the 4 mile run home, after dark.
She is smiling and happy, ready to go, and puts down the book she was reading: "The Power of Now."
TRAINING PLAN
- Mental, Emotional, Spiritual Health
- The most important is a joy and fun from running
- Good relationships and support with my friends and family
- Straightforward, open relationship with my coach
- I must take care of my body, be thankful to my legs, hearth, and lungs, for all the work they are doing for me!
- Pain, which is experienced in the muscles when working hard, allows us to later enjoy the beauty and joy of our soul once we achieve our goal.
- Running Plan
- Run twice a day, every day: About 1.5 - 2 hours in the morning, then shorter in the afternoon
- Steady State Run: A tempo run of :45 - 1:20, once a week
- Long Run: 2 - 3 hrs, all types of terrain, once a week
- Fartlek and Speed: also once a week, almost never on a track, usually fartlek on a trail
- Core Strength: almost every day after a run, :25 - :30
- Stretching: also after a run, :10 - :20
- Regeneration: swimming, sauna, hot tub, massage
- Racing Plan
- I taper for a week for goal races; taper for a day or so before practice races
- I like to race every 2-3 weeks
- Races are the test of my actual shape - they reveal the weaknesses in my preparation - show what I need to do to improve
- Important Training Things
- Joy, peace, and a good emotional state are the basis for good training
- Motivation comes from inside me, and outside from all my friends … it's a circle … they inspire me and I inspire them
- Hard work is needed to develop strength, endurance, and speed, and recovery is needed too
- It's good to be an "overall" runner - roads, trails, mountains
- Be flexible and open to changes in your plan
- Be rested and eager for your Big Day while remembering it's just a sport … the Journey is most important, not the Result
WHAT'S NEXT
Rome Marathon, March 18 - I'm not sure why. Everyone says, "The Olympics are the most important; the Marathon is so much more competitive than mountain running". That's not your truth, it's someone else's. But I want to do it. It's fun. But if not, I'll get a chance to do more mountain races.
Mount Washington, June 21 - I love seeing all my friends there.
European Championships, July 12 - At the Euro's this year (2007) no one expected I could do anything, so soon after my car accident.
World Trophy Race, September 14 - The US Women have beaten our Czech Team by one point two years in a row!
QUOTES
Injuries - Think about injuries, and they will come to you. Be positive. Think: "I am strong. I can do this."
Training Advice - What good is advice? I should take my own! I should be working on my weakness, which is speed, but I don't; I run long, which is already my strength. I should be doing hill repeats, but I don't; I just like to run in the mountains, and get energy from the sun.
More advice - You have to enjoy the running itself, not the result. Believe in yourself. Everyone is different, have to listen to your body and your heart.
Still More - I don't know how many kms I run a week. No idea. Don't care.
Downhill running - If you think you will crash, you will. I used to ski - I'm a certified downhill ski instructor - so going fast downhill feels natural.
Roads - I make my living on the road, but I love being in nature. I don't run on a track.
Form - Should be balanced, but hard to change that from the outside. Must come from the inside.
Diet - I don't like a lot of that stuff. I like avocados, pretzels, and cheese especially. I eat just a little, just when I'm hungry, and so sometimes get up at night for a snack. The mind is so much connected; if you love walnuts, they will be good for you, but if you hate something …
Why - Love the sport. For me, it's the mountains, having a quiet mind, like meditation. Connect to the nature. And of course, I love winning! But if I couldn't race, it wouldn't be a question, I would keep running.
LOVE
Love has been here throughout time,
Love lives in our hearts, is everywhere,
All the time.
Love plays with us when we smile,
She takes away the tears when we cry;
She's there for us when we die.
Love is a joyful comforting water stream,
Following our steps everyday,
In the future dream.
Great high feelings, never looking for special meanings,
Love is a passion and desire,
A sister of fire.
Just take her for a walk.
You can be quiet or you can talk.
Lay down, or sing and dance,
Be in the peace in her cosmic significance.
Love is a gift for deep meditation,
Love's not suffering,
It is being and creation.
Love is a great resonating strength,
With endless spiritual power,
And endless cosmic length.
Love loves you,
Whoever you are
You are the love,
Like a shiny little star.
