Interviews

Mt. Taylor Profiles: Josiah Middaugh

The first time I saw Josiah Middaugh he was running down a mountain at Mach 3. We were at the 2007 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathalon and were somewhere close to three hours into the epic event where athletes race 42 miles to the top (and back) of the highest peak in northwest New Mexico.

While Middaugh was blistering down the mountain on seventh leg of the race to claim what would be his fourth consecutive overall victory, I was running up on my second leg. Did I mention that hibernating bears move faster than I do? For their inaugural challenge to the Quad, many newbies join up with teams of two-four members to split the workload based on each athlete’s strength. Being rather overconfident, and daft, I opted to go as a soloist to make Mt. Taylor the capstone race for my first year back to the sport of triathlon. Needless to say, my hubris was smacked clean out of me as I recounted here.

All athletes start together in the town of Grants, New Mexico where they begin a climb 1,800 feet over a 13-mile bike course, transition to a five-mile run with another 1,200 feet of climbing, then strap on cross country skis for an elevation gain of 1,200 feet over two miles, trade their skis for snowshoes for the final one mile, 600-foot climb to the 11,301-foot mountain’s summit, with most of the elevation gain coming in the last quarter mile. Once the peak has been captured, athletes reverse the course back down the mountain to the starting line. Overall, it’s a lung-searing, quad-burning, ego-busting journey that leaves an indelible mark on your soul.

When I returned to Las Vegas and at the final results, I had to find out who won this beast of race. I saw Middaugh’s name and a slow glimmer of recognition began to creep into my feeble brain. This guy is no average local mountain huckleberry. Middaugh was the Xterra National Champion in 2004, 2005 and 2007. He was also the USAT Long Course National Champion in 2005, the USAT Winter Triathlon National Champion in 2006 and, get this, Snowshoe Racer’s North American Champion in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

With the 25th Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon only days away, I had the good fortune to chat with this remarkable athlete about his training and plans for this year’s attempt at a fifth consecutive victory.

Question: You’re a successful Xterra athlete and since your season is over, why not kick back and work on building your “base” like so many athletes? Why continue in the winter sports such as snowshoe races and the Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon?

Middaugh: I would say that I have an unconventional base training phase. Select winter races, including Mt. Taylor, fit well into my base training model. I think it is important to stay motivated in the winter months and take advantage of your environment. For me, that means spending time in the elements and Mt. Taylor represents the ultimate test of winter endurance sports.

Question: Let’s stop there for a second. Why do you consider your base training unconventional?

Middaugh: My winter base training is unconventional for several reasons:

1. Most professional triathletes do not race in the winter months while I continue to race in all four seasons.
2. Living in the mountains of Colorado makes bike and run training more challenging. Embracing winter endurance activities has allowed me to build a very strong base.
3. Last year my run training was limited due to surgery from a broken patella in June 2006. In November 2007, I had another surgery to get the screws taken out, so my training has been anything but ordinary. The only running I am doing right now is with crampons or snowshoes heading up ski runs.

Question: Youch. How did you break your patella?

Middaugh: I broke it at an XTERRA race in Alabama in June 2006. I had it screwed back together but I was out for most of the season. I actually came back and placed 4th at the XTERRA world championships that same October with no run training.

Last year I trained a little differently than in the past and I decided to get the screws out two months ago. I am feeling pretty fit right now though and I am looking forward to Mt. Taylor this weekend.

Question: While the overall distance of the Quad does not seem that imposing, it’s the never-ending climbing that has a tendency to knock one’s ego down a few pegs. Compared to the other races you compete in throughout your season, from Xterra to snowshoe races and half Ironmans, where you put Mt. Taylor on a scale of 1-10?

Middaugh: On a scale of 1-10 it is probably 11. It’s my favorite winter race and it is a true epic winter multi-sport event. The fact that you summit the 11,300 ft peak with four events makes it an epic adventure.

Question: What advice would you give to someone who will be attempting Mt. Taylor as a first-time soloist?

Middaugh: Good general aerobic fitness is important. If possible, I would suggest that you take most of your running uphill. Long runs or snowshoes once a week are very important. It is not necessarily important to be fast for Mt. Taylor, but you definitely need to be strong.

Question: What about any ambitious Nebraskans who want to come out and test their fitness against Mt. Taylor? What can they do if all of their training is done on terrain that is as flat as a pancake?

Middaugh:For the people that can’t train the hills I would recommend focusing on their long run once a week. Running will have the most cross-over benefits to the skiing and snowshoeing. A long run should range from 90 minutes to 2-1/2 hours.
Question: With your broad background and winter racing schedule, do you specifically train for the Quad?

Middaugh: My unconventional winter base training is very specific to Mt. Taylor, minus the swimming. A majority of my training hours are spent biking, snowshoeing, running, and cross country skiing. I am fortunate to live and train in the Vail Valley because the conditions are perfect for ” />

Most of my run volume in the winter is replaced with snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Usually twice a week I snowshoe run up Vail Mountain or Beaver Creek, shooting for 3,000-4,000 feet of elevation gain. My training typically breaks down like this:

• Biking: 10-12 hours per week (5 days)
• Swimming: 4-6 hours per week (4 days)
• Running: minimal (this is mostly due to my knee injury; not what I recommend)
• Snowshoeing: 3-4 hours per week (2 days)
• Cross country skiing: 2 hours per week (1 day)
• Weight training: 2-3 hours (2-3 days)

During the winter, 99 percent of my training is aerobic with very little high intensity. I have two or three training sessions per day during the week (6 a.m. and afternoon) which includes a mid-week long workout and a long bike and long swim on the weekend.

Question: What do you do as far as strength training?

Middaugh: In the weight room I focus on functional exercises with reps anywhere from 8-20 depending on the exercise and my progression. I also spend at least 6-8 weeks working on power development with plyometric training. I also include a few plyometric exercises in my maintenance routine year-round.

Question: That’s quite an impressive schedule that obviously keeps you in remarkable shape throughout the year. Do you have time to really build an aerobic base?

Middaugh: Yes. I still have a base training phase in the winter but I like to test myself with a few select winter races. Some people do time trials or field test once a month, but I choose to race. The rest of my training is mostly low to moderate intensities and no structured interval training. I train right through all of the winter races so that I don’t lose any endurance.

Question: What else do you have planned for 2008?

Middaugh: At this point, I have about 20 races on the schedule, give or take. During the winter, I cut back on my racing a little bit and have five races planned: Pedal Power Winter Triathlon, North American Snowshoe Championship, Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, XTERRA Winter World Championship, and the USSSA Snowshoe National Championship.

This spring I will race the Cape-Epic Mountain Bike Race which is a nine-day stage race in South Africa and then come back and compete in the XTERRA Championship Circuit.

Question: Do you offer coaching services?

Middaugh: Yes, I do offer endurance coaching. I have worked as a certified personal trainer for seven years and currently work with clients out of the Dogma Athletica gym in Edwards, Colorado. You can also learn more about me at www.josiahmiddaugh.com

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© 2008 The Outdoor Journey.