Monday: day off
Tuesday: Penasquito's canyon run (6.3 miles 0:49) a quick little jaunt to get some trail time on. pretty mellow pace on the way out and a good little press on the way back. legs felt good, and it was a good start to the day
Sunset Cliffs run (6.6 miles 1:05). I joined Victor for a one of our usual runs. started out feeling pretty slow and mellow and loosened up a bit for the 2nd half. The entire run was pretty mellow with several stops to enjoy the views. a fun little run with good company.
Wednesday: Chula Vista to Coronado bike (17 miles 1:04). I joined Mike Kelley for one of his evening commutes. a very windy ride. a good reminder how much the wind can change the effort. a pretty similar effort to last weeks ride and 10 minutes slower. again good company.
Thursday: Liberty station run (8.6 miles 1:14). a fun little jaunt with several of the group going to the grand canyon. a pretty good effort on the way out and some obstacles (climbing fences to work around the construction closures and poor navigation), then a fun little core session. the return trip started out pretty mellow. After a photo stop, the typical outcome of victor and i on the same run started to unfold. we have a tendency of pressing the effort until one of us starts to break and falls off the pace, then we settle down and finish out with a comfortably hard effort.
Friday: day off
Saturday: grand canyon explorations (link to my post on the adventure) (31+ miles 9:32). all in all a spectacular day with good people. the abbreviated journey is every bit as spectacular as the full rim to rim to rim venture, but a bit more forgiving. Some incredible views, and several long pauses to enjoy the views, soak in nature, and discover a little more about what really drives me. these days it's not about being fast (though it hasn't been about being fast for several years), these days it's about the incredible experiences, appreciating nature, and watching other people grow to appreciate some of the same things, in their own way.
Sunday: day off
Retrospective: a very fun week focused on enjoying the outdoors and sharing with good friends. i hope to continue along this track.
Summary:
Total Time: 13:22
Running Time: 12:18
Distance: 68.7
TSS: 1,267
Climbing: ~12,000'
Monday, March 10, 2014
20140308 - Grand Canyon Explorations
I joined a group of some very good friends and some new friends to explore some of the trails around the grand canyon. we met up for pre-run dinner and logistics friday evening in tusayan. After a bit of discussion the details were more or less sorted out. we would meet at kaibab trail head, take the shuttle to bright angel trail head go down to ribbon falls and return up kaibab.
A little after 8, we started the journey. the descent down bright angel was incredibly fun, incredible views and a very runnable grade, nothing technical, all dirt, and temps in the 40s to start. My legs were anxious to let it go a bit on the descent. i rolled with it for a bit before i started to have some stomach discomfort. At which time i dialed things back a bit, and paused periodically to take some photos of the group and views along the way.
between the stops to regroup, take photos and enjoy the views, we were moving along at a leisurely pace, everyone stayed pretty well together down to Indian gardens, at which point some of us opted to stretch our legs and press on to the river crossing before regrouping.
By this point it was starting to heat up a bit and time to shed some clothing and take in some calories. we spent a good bit of time here before moving on to ribbon falls. Mindy, Tyler, and i started the gradual climb to the falls a bit ahead of the rest of the group. after 5 minutes or so, my calves tightened up pretty good, causing some tingling in both feet, and relegating things to a pretty mellow pace for the 6ish miles to the falls.
Victor caught up to us about 2 miles before the falls, and proceeded to pass and cruise ahead to the falls turn off. By now, my pack had rubbed my back pretty good in a few spots, causing a bit of discomfort. i opted to put my shirt back on and try to mitigate the rubbing going forward.
We sat back and relaxed for a bit as the rest of the group trickled in before heading over to the falls. The falls are pretty incredible, some very vivid greens to contrast the browns and reds of the canyon. we spent close to 1 hour down here relaxing in the falls, eating, and just enjoying the warmth and beauty before heading back towards phantom ranch and our last stop before climbing out of the canyon.
Dave, Stacia, Deborah, and Tyler started back a little ahead of the rest of us. When Victor, Tom, Mindy, and i started towards phantom ranch, we were moving pretty good. it wasn't long before my stomach was grumbling again, and i had to take a bathroom break. That helped immensely, and i was promptly back on track chasing Victor, Tom, and Mindy. It took a couple miles before i caught any glimpses of them. Once i did, i started to press a little more, and passed, Dave, Mindy, and Tom feeling pretty good. I could see Victor ahead holding steady, and eventually pulling away. about 1 mile out of phantom ranch, as i was getting pretty uncomfortable and starting to slow, i caught sight of Deborah, and that little spark that's been building inside me burned a little brighter. i continued pressing the upper edge of discomfort and closing the gap.
with about 1/4 mile to go, i caught Deborah and cruised into phantom ranch with her. Victor was waiting outside, while Tyler and Stacia were inside. i proceed to take off my pack and lay down to relax for a bit while the rest of the group trickled in. Tom and Mindy came in together, followed closely by Dave, Mario, Alfredo and Steve, Andrew, and Whitney. We hung out at phantom ranch for a bit, again eating, drinking, and being merry in general.
Several of the group were pretty anxious to get after the climb out and headed out early, the rest of us were pretty content to hike out of the canyon and enjoy the views. The climb out took a good bit of time and energy. We stopped periodically to enjoy the views and rest briefly. Near the beginning of the climb, we were greeted by a big horn sheep coming down the trail.
several of us were pretty humbled by the climb out and would have been happy for it to have been over much sooner. As usual, groups formed on the climb and everyone had some support to help them through the difficult spots. And of course Victor perpetually reminding "we don't have race numbers, don't lose sight of the purpose, look at the views".
the abbreviated trek is significantly easier than the full rim to rim to rim, though every bit as spectacular. once again a great day with a great group of people. Lesson learned, shirts are good to avoid chafing from the pack:
Garmin Data
full collection of photos on photo-op.smugmug.com
A little after 8, we started the journey. the descent down bright angel was incredibly fun, incredible views and a very runnable grade, nothing technical, all dirt, and temps in the 40s to start. My legs were anxious to let it go a bit on the descent. i rolled with it for a bit before i started to have some stomach discomfort. At which time i dialed things back a bit, and paused periodically to take some photos of the group and views along the way.
between the stops to regroup, take photos and enjoy the views, we were moving along at a leisurely pace, everyone stayed pretty well together down to Indian gardens, at which point some of us opted to stretch our legs and press on to the river crossing before regrouping.
By this point it was starting to heat up a bit and time to shed some clothing and take in some calories. we spent a good bit of time here before moving on to ribbon falls. Mindy, Tyler, and i started the gradual climb to the falls a bit ahead of the rest of the group. after 5 minutes or so, my calves tightened up pretty good, causing some tingling in both feet, and relegating things to a pretty mellow pace for the 6ish miles to the falls.
Victor caught up to us about 2 miles before the falls, and proceeded to pass and cruise ahead to the falls turn off. By now, my pack had rubbed my back pretty good in a few spots, causing a bit of discomfort. i opted to put my shirt back on and try to mitigate the rubbing going forward.
We sat back and relaxed for a bit as the rest of the group trickled in before heading over to the falls. The falls are pretty incredible, some very vivid greens to contrast the browns and reds of the canyon. we spent close to 1 hour down here relaxing in the falls, eating, and just enjoying the warmth and beauty before heading back towards phantom ranch and our last stop before climbing out of the canyon.
Dave, Stacia, Deborah, and Tyler started back a little ahead of the rest of us. When Victor, Tom, Mindy, and i started towards phantom ranch, we were moving pretty good. it wasn't long before my stomach was grumbling again, and i had to take a bathroom break. That helped immensely, and i was promptly back on track chasing Victor, Tom, and Mindy. It took a couple miles before i caught any glimpses of them. Once i did, i started to press a little more, and passed, Dave, Mindy, and Tom feeling pretty good. I could see Victor ahead holding steady, and eventually pulling away. about 1 mile out of phantom ranch, as i was getting pretty uncomfortable and starting to slow, i caught sight of Deborah, and that little spark that's been building inside me burned a little brighter. i continued pressing the upper edge of discomfort and closing the gap.
with about 1/4 mile to go, i caught Deborah and cruised into phantom ranch with her. Victor was waiting outside, while Tyler and Stacia were inside. i proceed to take off my pack and lay down to relax for a bit while the rest of the group trickled in. Tom and Mindy came in together, followed closely by Dave, Mario, Alfredo and Steve, Andrew, and Whitney. We hung out at phantom ranch for a bit, again eating, drinking, and being merry in general.
 |
| someday i may figure out milk doesn't do well on long runs |
Several of the group were pretty anxious to get after the climb out and headed out early, the rest of us were pretty content to hike out of the canyon and enjoy the views. The climb out took a good bit of time and energy. We stopped periodically to enjoy the views and rest briefly. Near the beginning of the climb, we were greeted by a big horn sheep coming down the trail.
several of us were pretty humbled by the climb out and would have been happy for it to have been over much sooner. As usual, groups formed on the climb and everyone had some support to help them through the difficult spots. And of course Victor perpetually reminding "we don't have race numbers, don't lose sight of the purpose, look at the views".
the abbreviated trek is significantly easier than the full rim to rim to rim, though every bit as spectacular. once again a great day with a great group of people. Lesson learned, shirts are good to avoid chafing from the pack:
Garmin Data
full collection of photos on photo-op.smugmug.com
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
20140302 - week in review
Monday: Black mtn camino del sur loop (8 miles 0:57). I intended to do an easy run and enjoy the warm air and quiet. After the first 1/2 mile i accepted that i wanted to push this run. I pressed the effort somewhat conservatively at first, aware of my tendency to fall apart on the backside of such efforts. I felt good climbing. though i feel a little faster on the flat and downhill turnover, i still feel like there is a good bit of room for improvement, and am looking forward to pressing these efforts and realizing some of these gains a the weather back home begins to warm up. Until then, i will continue to savor these efforts and new found energy while visiting warmer areas. this was my best effort measured to date on this loop by right around 2 minutes.
Tuesday: mission trials 5k (3.1 miles 0:27). A relatively easy recovery run with Randy. my legs were slightly heavy and lethargic. I was happy to cruise at a relatively slow easy pace.
Wednesday: black mtn carmel mtn loop (6 miles 0:54). my legs were still slightly lethargic, mainly manifesting as slower turnover instead of fatigue. I felt as though i could run a fair amount, just not very quickly.
mission trails out and back (5.3 miles 1:12). Easy run with Kariem. my legs still have some hints of fatigue, though feel much better than this morning.
Thursday: nothing
Friday: Black mtn starling loop (10.1 miles 1:23). Fun outing with Sarbajeet. There was a steady rain throughout. It was extremely fun running in the rain with shorts and a t-shirt pre-sunrise and not being cold. overall a very consistent and good pace. fast enough to benefit from and slow enough to enjoy.
Saturday: nothing
Sunday: nothing
Retrospective: a pretty flat week with some faster efforts, mostly running on the road, which is good for speed, bad for enjoyment. though all in all i'm enjoying being out running, and particularly fond of the temperatures and lack of snow on the ground. i'm very excited to get back into the high country and enjoy some of the trails, just have to wait for the snow to melt.
Summary
Total Time: 4:50
Running Time: 4:50
Distance: 33
TSS: 398
Climbing: 2,649'
Tuesday: mission trials 5k (3.1 miles 0:27). A relatively easy recovery run with Randy. my legs were slightly heavy and lethargic. I was happy to cruise at a relatively slow easy pace.
Wednesday: black mtn carmel mtn loop (6 miles 0:54). my legs were still slightly lethargic, mainly manifesting as slower turnover instead of fatigue. I felt as though i could run a fair amount, just not very quickly.
mission trails out and back (5.3 miles 1:12). Easy run with Kariem. my legs still have some hints of fatigue, though feel much better than this morning.
Thursday: nothing
Friday: Black mtn starling loop (10.1 miles 1:23). Fun outing with Sarbajeet. There was a steady rain throughout. It was extremely fun running in the rain with shorts and a t-shirt pre-sunrise and not being cold. overall a very consistent and good pace. fast enough to benefit from and slow enough to enjoy.
Saturday: nothing
Sunday: nothing
Retrospective: a pretty flat week with some faster efforts, mostly running on the road, which is good for speed, bad for enjoyment. though all in all i'm enjoying being out running, and particularly fond of the temperatures and lack of snow on the ground. i'm very excited to get back into the high country and enjoy some of the trails, just have to wait for the snow to melt.
Summary
Total Time: 4:50
Running Time: 4:50
Distance: 33
TSS: 398
Climbing: 2,649'
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
20140223 - week in review
Monday: clement park test (2.16 miles 0:19). started out just wanting to get out and stretch my legs after yesterdays blow up. since i was feeling pretty good after about a mile, i wanted to try running hard for a bit. I ended up throwing a good effort towards the end. the run was more of an exploration of some paths and memorials with speed work thrown in to get from one to the next. a fun day.
Tuesday: mountain view 4 loop (7 miles 0:55). relaxed run. i intended to do a shorter run, but was feeling good, and the weather was nice, so i stretched it out a bit. the roads were pretty icy in some sections. I felt pretty good coming up mountain view (500' over 3 miles, a very runnable grade) and was able to keep things moving pretty well.
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: quick loop (3.1 miles 0:24). it's a bit chilly and tough to get out, so i opted for a quick run, which proved a bit tougher than i expected. i think it's a combination of cold and altitude, but i had some trouble getting my breathing under control. my legs felt pretty good, i just never felt like i was able to breath comfortably.
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Retrospective: a combination of a busy and cold week proved to be a very slow one in the world of running. no retrospective except to re-evaluate my priorities.
Summary:
Total Time: 1:39
Running Time: 1:39
Distance: 12.4
TSS: 159
Climbing: 212'
Tuesday: mountain view 4 loop (7 miles 0:55). relaxed run. i intended to do a shorter run, but was feeling good, and the weather was nice, so i stretched it out a bit. the roads were pretty icy in some sections. I felt pretty good coming up mountain view (500' over 3 miles, a very runnable grade) and was able to keep things moving pretty well.
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: quick loop (3.1 miles 0:24). it's a bit chilly and tough to get out, so i opted for a quick run, which proved a bit tougher than i expected. i think it's a combination of cold and altitude, but i had some trouble getting my breathing under control. my legs felt pretty good, i just never felt like i was able to breath comfortably.
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Retrospective: a combination of a busy and cold week proved to be a very slow one in the world of running. no retrospective except to re-evaluate my priorities.
Summary:
Total Time: 1:39
Running Time: 1:39
Distance: 12.4
TSS: 159
Climbing: 212'
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
20140216 - week in review
Mon - rio grande gorge rim tempo (4 miles 0:28). another quick turnover day just felt good to get out and run a harder effort, though my stamina is a bit off, so it was a short one with good turnover.
Tues - mineral belt trail loop (11.9 miles 2:01). nice comfortable run, started out feeling pretty blah an considered turning back after the 1st quarter mile, then opted to continue on and just see what happened. turned out to be a good day in decent conditions. legs felt good, overall very relaxed and just enjoying being outside.
Wed - westpark (3.3 miles 0:29). just a quick jaunt around the neighborhood, happy to be outside
Thurs - westpark (2.5 miles 0:23). took a bit of effort to get outside, and never really felt good, so i cut it short and called it a day.
Fri - 7th st out and back (6.2 miles 0:54). legs felt pretty good going up, and very relaxed coming back down.
Sat - garden of the gods explorations (6.2 miles 1:15). lots of climbing, though my legs doth protest. the descents and flats felt pretty good, nothing was fast by any means, but a nice day outside, especially once i was able to get away from the crowds.
Sun - red rock openspace explorations (16.5 miles 3:15). felt pretty good on much of the climbing (even negotiating the mud and ice), had a fun time on the wiggly descents. wound up turned around and doing the last 5 miles or so on roads (no fun, then again neither is wandering around trying ot find your way back to the car:) i really struggled with the final 2 or 3 miles of this one. guess i should pay more attention to my eating habits.
Retrospective - still not able to put in consistent long days (not even medium days). my legs were pretty beat throughout the weekend, had a decent week of mileage and perhaps time, it's becoming a bit of a struggle to get out in the cold and snowy conditions.
Summary:
Total Time: 9:17
Run Time: 9:17
Distance: 50.7 miles
TSS: 541
Climbing: 6,091'
Tues - mineral belt trail loop (11.9 miles 2:01). nice comfortable run, started out feeling pretty blah an considered turning back after the 1st quarter mile, then opted to continue on and just see what happened. turned out to be a good day in decent conditions. legs felt good, overall very relaxed and just enjoying being outside.
Wed - westpark (3.3 miles 0:29). just a quick jaunt around the neighborhood, happy to be outside
Thurs - westpark (2.5 miles 0:23). took a bit of effort to get outside, and never really felt good, so i cut it short and called it a day.
Fri - 7th st out and back (6.2 miles 0:54). legs felt pretty good going up, and very relaxed coming back down.
Sat - garden of the gods explorations (6.2 miles 1:15). lots of climbing, though my legs doth protest. the descents and flats felt pretty good, nothing was fast by any means, but a nice day outside, especially once i was able to get away from the crowds.
Sun - red rock openspace explorations (16.5 miles 3:15). felt pretty good on much of the climbing (even negotiating the mud and ice), had a fun time on the wiggly descents. wound up turned around and doing the last 5 miles or so on roads (no fun, then again neither is wandering around trying ot find your way back to the car:) i really struggled with the final 2 or 3 miles of this one. guess i should pay more attention to my eating habits.
Retrospective - still not able to put in consistent long days (not even medium days). my legs were pretty beat throughout the weekend, had a decent week of mileage and perhaps time, it's becoming a bit of a struggle to get out in the cold and snowy conditions.
Summary:
Total Time: 9:17
Run Time: 9:17
Distance: 50.7 miles
TSS: 541
Climbing: 6,091'
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
20140209 - week in review
Monday - 7th st lollipop (8 miles 1:15). i took some time during the middle of the day, as it would be warmer. the first 4 miles are a pretty steady and very runnable climb. everything felt pretty solid (though slow) on the climb. around mile 4 i stepped off the plowed roads and into the groomed trail, which was fairly well packed and somewhat runnable. i proceeded to gingerly work my way down the groomed trail, enjoying the warmth of the sun to just past mile 5, when i found myself back on the plowed road and descending into town. I took this opportunity to embrace the leg turnover and try to maintain a good pace for the final 3 miles. I did not press too hard, as i wanted it to be a good effort, but not to bury myself. I was able to hold a pretty solid pace (downhill of course) on the upper edge of comfort for the final 3 miles. a fun day out enjoying the sun. Now it's time to prepare for several days of snow.
Tuesday - day off
Wednesday - tempo run (3.3 miles 0:24). a good opportunity to get out and stretch my legs and play with some better turnover. it started out pretty mellow, and since i was feeling good, i opted to press the climbs a little (not a lot of climbing, but a little which i decided to press).
Thursday - college trails (2 miles 0:27). the trails behind the college are not packed in very well, so i spent a bit of time trying to run in some punchy conditions. not my idea of fun, so i turned around early than i was expecting to.
Friday - breckenridge ski slope + american loop (8 miles 1:10). nice little run, felt good on the climbs, and strong all the way through.
Saturday - south boundary trail (6 miles 1:13). a good bit of climbing, some snow towards the top of the climb, it was fun to be out in some warmer weather and explore new trails. i'm sure there are lots of fun trails in the area, and look forward to exploring them in the future.
Sunday - north boundary trail (5.8 miles 1:10). a fun little loop with some good climbing early. i feel pretty good on the climbs considering
Retrospective: a fun week, though a little shorter on distance than i was hoping for, the weather was a bit of a bear, and since i'm feeling pretty soft these days, i opted to escape the winter weekend and head south. i really enjoyed exploring the few trails i found around Taos, and particularly enjoyed the warmer weather (highs in the 40s and 50s). it's the first time i remember sweating on a run in a long time. i feel a bit of the competitive spark glimmering every once in a while, and found myself pressing several of the climbs and smiling like a little kid on the wiggly technical descents. perhaps a little bit of winter is what i needed to reset things. time will show, for now, i'm continuing the playground approach.
Summary:
Total Time: 5:39
Run Time: 5:39
Distance: 33.5 miles
TSS: 359
Climbing: 5,145'
Tuesday - day off
Wednesday - tempo run (3.3 miles 0:24). a good opportunity to get out and stretch my legs and play with some better turnover. it started out pretty mellow, and since i was feeling good, i opted to press the climbs a little (not a lot of climbing, but a little which i decided to press).
Thursday - college trails (2 miles 0:27). the trails behind the college are not packed in very well, so i spent a bit of time trying to run in some punchy conditions. not my idea of fun, so i turned around early than i was expecting to.
Friday - breckenridge ski slope + american loop (8 miles 1:10). nice little run, felt good on the climbs, and strong all the way through.
Saturday - south boundary trail (6 miles 1:13). a good bit of climbing, some snow towards the top of the climb, it was fun to be out in some warmer weather and explore new trails. i'm sure there are lots of fun trails in the area, and look forward to exploring them in the future.
Sunday - north boundary trail (5.8 miles 1:10). a fun little loop with some good climbing early. i feel pretty good on the climbs considering
Retrospective: a fun week, though a little shorter on distance than i was hoping for, the weather was a bit of a bear, and since i'm feeling pretty soft these days, i opted to escape the winter weekend and head south. i really enjoyed exploring the few trails i found around Taos, and particularly enjoyed the warmer weather (highs in the 40s and 50s). it's the first time i remember sweating on a run in a long time. i feel a bit of the competitive spark glimmering every once in a while, and found myself pressing several of the climbs and smiling like a little kid on the wiggly technical descents. perhaps a little bit of winter is what i needed to reset things. time will show, for now, i'm continuing the playground approach.
Summary:
Total Time: 5:39
Run Time: 5:39
Distance: 33.5 miles
TSS: 359
Climbing: 5,145'
Sunday, February 2, 2014
20140202 - week in review
monday - nothing
tuesday - htfu run (6 miles 0:48) with a couple siu pills to help along the way. this was supposed to be a quick jaunt around the roads of leadville to make sure i got outside today. when i did finally open the door (for my run, sirius and i took a walk earlier, but apparently i forgot how cold it was- the thermometer read -8 and there was some wind. the good news is i remembered gloves and a jacket. shorts are not the best choice for cooler temperatures (read below 0). It was supposed to be a quick jaunt, but as my legs were feeling good (thanks to lacy putting the hurt to me on friday and saturday:) i opted to stretch out a bit, and make it a tempo effort. about 20 minutes into it (at the low point of the run, literally and figuratively), my hands were cold, my feet hurt, even my head was tingly. the good news, i had roughly 2.5 miles with 400' of climbing, not steep, but enough to slow me down. i put my head down and tried to hold a steady effort. the wind subsided, as did the cold, though my head would continue to tingle even after i was back inside, and it took a bit for my hands and feet to thaw.
wednesday - leadville explorations (5.8 miles 0:56). a balmy 14 degrees and i found myself wandering along some plowed and packed dirt roads on the eastside of town, no ambition just wandering. i threw in some drills as a first attempt at finding some leg speed. i stumbled on a fun little loop, just need to find a better way of linking it back into town (other than running up 91 - the highway).
dillon trials (8 miles 1:30). a pleasant surprise, 2 on the day, and a run with 2 of my favorite running buddies (lacy and joula). lacy always seems to find a way to put it to me, and today wasn't any different. she is an incredible little ball of non stop energy. the more time i spend with her, the more i grow as a person and stretch in new ways (i like to believe it's like looking in a mirror, but in reality she is probably a far better person than i am. i hope to glean some of the simpleness and goodness with which she approaches life). in addition to having an interminable amount of energy, she has a very simple and interesting outlook on life. today she introduced me to some fun trails just outside of dillon. the trials were a mix of ice, snow, and even some dirt. in my infinite ignorance, i opted to run downhill through the center of an ice sheet (the best way to get me to do something is to prohibit it). not 3 steps onto the ice, me feet out accelerated the rest of me, i went horizontal, landed flat on my back and proceeded to slide down the patch of ice. add it to the list of the days lumps and move on. i got back up, dusted myself off and we carried on with our run and conversations. as we were finishing up, the beginnings of our winter storm began rolling in.
thursday - warm weather reprieve (4 miles 0:34). sirius and i had an appointment in denver today, so i figured why not enjoy warmer weather (temps in the 30's at 6am when i started), i wandered around some paved pedestrian ways, and threw in a 1/4 mile effort between 1 mile and 5k race pace (it felt close to 1 mile race pace, but in the past i am pretty sure i've held close to that for 5k, i'm embracing living in the past:) just to try and breath some turnover back into my legs.
friday - snowboarding, lots of fresh powder and a bit of re-learning how to ride in the soft stuff, and some tree runs. i've got a long way to go to be back where i remember being years ago.
saturday - boulder run (15.8 miles 4:11). what was supposed to be a nice long day on dirt turned into a really long day, Lacy, Jamie, and i set out early morning heading for boulder. unfortunately Jamie wasn't feeling well and opted out of the run. Lacy and I met up with Geoff and his buddy Phil and were joining Human Potential Running. Lacy and i would start with the group while Geoff and Phil went to drop a car so they could bail earlier due to prior engagements. Due to the previous days storms, this turned into a run much like we would have done by home, lots of trudging through snow with sections of runnable packed trail, and a bit of road just because. nothing terribly exciting to report on the run, a nice easy effort (more walking than running, though the snow forced new muscle recruitment and soreness). all in all a good day with good people topped of with dinner at Geoff's place.
sunday - turquoise lake groomer (3.1 miles 0:43). after a very late night and early morning, i woke late to blue skies and the warmth of the sun, a great day for a run. i headed over to check out the supposed groomed trails around turquoise lake. They were in fact groomed, though not packed down so well, after about 20 minutes of breaking through the semi packed trail, i opted to turn around and try to defrost my hands and feet. it felt great soaking up the sun, and likely would have been a great day for the run down in boulder, perhaps next week.
retrospective: i was hoping to keep the build of the last few weeks, based on numbers, it didn't happen, based on soreness, there was a good bit of reaching going on this week. it's been a little while since i have been sore, and i'm enjoying it. took the day easy, and look forward to a good week coming.
summary:
total time: 8:43
run time: 8:43
distance: 42.8 mile
TSS: 390
climbing: 3,684'
tuesday - htfu run (6 miles 0:48) with a couple siu pills to help along the way. this was supposed to be a quick jaunt around the roads of leadville to make sure i got outside today. when i did finally open the door (for my run, sirius and i took a walk earlier, but apparently i forgot how cold it was- the thermometer read -8 and there was some wind. the good news is i remembered gloves and a jacket. shorts are not the best choice for cooler temperatures (read below 0). It was supposed to be a quick jaunt, but as my legs were feeling good (thanks to lacy putting the hurt to me on friday and saturday:) i opted to stretch out a bit, and make it a tempo effort. about 20 minutes into it (at the low point of the run, literally and figuratively), my hands were cold, my feet hurt, even my head was tingly. the good news, i had roughly 2.5 miles with 400' of climbing, not steep, but enough to slow me down. i put my head down and tried to hold a steady effort. the wind subsided, as did the cold, though my head would continue to tingle even after i was back inside, and it took a bit for my hands and feet to thaw.
wednesday - leadville explorations (5.8 miles 0:56). a balmy 14 degrees and i found myself wandering along some plowed and packed dirt roads on the eastside of town, no ambition just wandering. i threw in some drills as a first attempt at finding some leg speed. i stumbled on a fun little loop, just need to find a better way of linking it back into town (other than running up 91 - the highway).
dillon trials (8 miles 1:30). a pleasant surprise, 2 on the day, and a run with 2 of my favorite running buddies (lacy and joula). lacy always seems to find a way to put it to me, and today wasn't any different. she is an incredible little ball of non stop energy. the more time i spend with her, the more i grow as a person and stretch in new ways (i like to believe it's like looking in a mirror, but in reality she is probably a far better person than i am. i hope to glean some of the simpleness and goodness with which she approaches life). in addition to having an interminable amount of energy, she has a very simple and interesting outlook on life. today she introduced me to some fun trails just outside of dillon. the trials were a mix of ice, snow, and even some dirt. in my infinite ignorance, i opted to run downhill through the center of an ice sheet (the best way to get me to do something is to prohibit it). not 3 steps onto the ice, me feet out accelerated the rest of me, i went horizontal, landed flat on my back and proceeded to slide down the patch of ice. add it to the list of the days lumps and move on. i got back up, dusted myself off and we carried on with our run and conversations. as we were finishing up, the beginnings of our winter storm began rolling in.
thursday - warm weather reprieve (4 miles 0:34). sirius and i had an appointment in denver today, so i figured why not enjoy warmer weather (temps in the 30's at 6am when i started), i wandered around some paved pedestrian ways, and threw in a 1/4 mile effort between 1 mile and 5k race pace (it felt close to 1 mile race pace, but in the past i am pretty sure i've held close to that for 5k, i'm embracing living in the past:) just to try and breath some turnover back into my legs.
friday - snowboarding, lots of fresh powder and a bit of re-learning how to ride in the soft stuff, and some tree runs. i've got a long way to go to be back where i remember being years ago.
saturday - boulder run (15.8 miles 4:11). what was supposed to be a nice long day on dirt turned into a really long day, Lacy, Jamie, and i set out early morning heading for boulder. unfortunately Jamie wasn't feeling well and opted out of the run. Lacy and I met up with Geoff and his buddy Phil and were joining Human Potential Running. Lacy and i would start with the group while Geoff and Phil went to drop a car so they could bail earlier due to prior engagements. Due to the previous days storms, this turned into a run much like we would have done by home, lots of trudging through snow with sections of runnable packed trail, and a bit of road just because. nothing terribly exciting to report on the run, a nice easy effort (more walking than running, though the snow forced new muscle recruitment and soreness). all in all a good day with good people topped of with dinner at Geoff's place.
sunday - turquoise lake groomer (3.1 miles 0:43). after a very late night and early morning, i woke late to blue skies and the warmth of the sun, a great day for a run. i headed over to check out the supposed groomed trails around turquoise lake. They were in fact groomed, though not packed down so well, after about 20 minutes of breaking through the semi packed trail, i opted to turn around and try to defrost my hands and feet. it felt great soaking up the sun, and likely would have been a great day for the run down in boulder, perhaps next week.
retrospective: i was hoping to keep the build of the last few weeks, based on numbers, it didn't happen, based on soreness, there was a good bit of reaching going on this week. it's been a little while since i have been sore, and i'm enjoying it. took the day easy, and look forward to a good week coming.
summary:
total time: 8:43
run time: 8:43
distance: 42.8 mile
TSS: 390
climbing: 3,684'
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