It's been sometime since I put anything up. I've thought about writing on several occasions, unfortunately it just hasn't been a priority. It's been a busy couple months, lots of new things and big changes since Collegiate peaks, though not a lot of running. the good news is I've been turning that around and have spend a good part of the last 2 weeks out in the mountains enjoying fresh air, incredible views, and time with some truly good people.
Since finishing collegiate peaks in early may, it's been a lot of shorter runs and really buckling down and focusing my energies on finishing up the house in Leadville so I can cleanly move onto my next venture: exploring the mountains around Juneau.
Randy came out to Leadville to work on the house for 1 week. we were able to get a huge amount completed in that time: new granite tile counters, touch up paint, replace the front door, and install several new light fixtures. Once Randy left, I took a short break from house work and spent sometime exploring the trails as they were starting to thaw out and the weather was pretty incredible.
I did several runs with Jamie and Mike on some trails i'd never been on before, attended several dinners and bbq's with Mike and Stephanie. The irony doesn't escape me: here I am in the last few weeks of my stay in Leadville, preparing to leave because I wasn't able to get out and be very social, and over my final 3 - 4 weeks in Leadville, I'm spending more time running with others and attending get togethers than I did the during the first year in Leadville.
The good news is I have some good connections, and expect to stay in touch with them for some time.
The most difficult part of this time was watching Sirius' health continue to deteriorate. Over the course of a few weeks we went from walking a couple miles a day to barely walking a couple hundred feet at a time. I've dedicated more to this in a separate post, which you can read through if so desired.
Over the course of 1 week, I was able to finish the mountain room floor, hang the last of the baseboard and door casings, repair the laundry room floor, tile and grout it, tile and grout the sunken living room, and paint the sunken living room.
The last 2 days I had some additional help from a couple of Mike's friends that were in town visiting, and looking for something to pass the time. With their help I finished painting the closets, the laundry room, and caulk the baseboard, door casings, and bathtub, as well as construct a cover for the buried gas canister in the back yard.
With all this wrapped up, I had one final dinner with Stephanie, Mike and his friends. They came by and helped me load up my truck. I spent one final night in the house before heading to san diego.
I spent the next week in san diego, mainly working, and was able to squeeze in some time catching up with family and friends before heading north. I did get in a handful of shorter runs, though nothing to long. Probably a good thing, as my body was a bit tired.
I headed north from san diego, making a couple day stop outside fresno to hang out at spurlarosa ranch and spend some time with more family. after a couple days on the ranch looking for hogs and enjoying a mellow weekend, I proceeded heading towards the Canadian border.
I left sunday evening, and reached the Canadian border around noon on Monday, after a bit of an ordeal getting things sorted out I was able to cross into Canada and begin working my way east so I could finally go west towards Alaska.
I spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday driving across Canada before crossing back into the US and entering Skagway. I spent Tuesday night in Skagway and was on the 3pm ferry to Juneau (a 6 hour trip). I took this opportunity to catch up on some sleep and relax in general.
Upon disembarking from the ferry, it was off to the mendenhall campground to meet up with Geoff and Corle. They had some left over Thai food from dinner which I happily accepted. We chatted for a bit before it was off to bed.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Sirius Dog thank you
It was a long and wonderful journey, i'm incredibly grateful and a better person for the time we shared.
we spent almost 11 years together. Though i'm not ready to say goodbye, I know it's time. I've asked a lot of you, and you've done far more than was reasonable to expect.
I hope I've been able to bring you as much joy as you've brought me. I sometimes worry that I've been too short tempered with you (I know I had several occasions, for which i'm sorry) and thank you for being pure enough at heart to forgive my shortcomings.
I hope you enjoyed our time together and feel you had a good life.
I apologize for the ridiculous temperatures you had to endure while in el cajon.
I often think of our mexico and other desert trips looking back with great happiness remembering you wandering around Bahia los angeles, laguna hanson, ocotillo, and many others.
In hind sight, I don't think you enjoyed much of the driving, for that I am sorry, I was led to believe "dogs love trucks"
I am grateful that you were always eager to get in the truck and embark on our next adventure.
I apologize for not stopping more frequently, I get too caught up in the destination and lose sight of the journey. though it's a bit late to benefit you, it will be a great way for me to remember you and all the love we shared.
it brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes every time i remember your first visit to snow. again, another long road trip, we drove to flagstaff and i actually made time to stop to just enjoy the quiet. i remember you jumping out of the bed of the truck and being super excited to discover this incredible substance which offered welcome relief from the sweltering temps of southerm California
i learned so many things along our journey. some at your expense, again i'm sorry. here are a few of the valuable lessons you taught me:
i hope you enjoyed your time at the kennel as much as they seemed to enjoy having you there. every time i left you there a little piece of me died. every time i picked you up there and you would run in circles like a crazed pup slipping all over the place, that piece of me was resuscitated.
i hope you enjoyed our time in Colorado and the little bit of additional freedom it offers.
i hope you enjoyed our walks as much as i did
i hope to live as you do: embracing the positive
i hope to learn patience as much as you have
"when you are Real you don't mind being hurt"
and a trip through our photographic history:
we spent almost 11 years together. Though i'm not ready to say goodbye, I know it's time. I've asked a lot of you, and you've done far more than was reasonable to expect.
I hope I've been able to bring you as much joy as you've brought me. I sometimes worry that I've been too short tempered with you (I know I had several occasions, for which i'm sorry) and thank you for being pure enough at heart to forgive my shortcomings.
I hope you enjoyed our time together and feel you had a good life.
I apologize for the ridiculous temperatures you had to endure while in el cajon.
I often think of our mexico and other desert trips looking back with great happiness remembering you wandering around Bahia los angeles, laguna hanson, ocotillo, and many others.
In hind sight, I don't think you enjoyed much of the driving, for that I am sorry, I was led to believe "dogs love trucks"
I am grateful that you were always eager to get in the truck and embark on our next adventure.
I apologize for not stopping more frequently, I get too caught up in the destination and lose sight of the journey. though it's a bit late to benefit you, it will be a great way for me to remember you and all the love we shared.
it brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes every time i remember your first visit to snow. again, another long road trip, we drove to flagstaff and i actually made time to stop to just enjoy the quiet. i remember you jumping out of the bed of the truck and being super excited to discover this incredible substance which offered welcome relief from the sweltering temps of southerm California
i learned so many things along our journey. some at your expense, again i'm sorry. here are a few of the valuable lessons you taught me:
- be always grateful
- touch is an incredible healer
- be tenacious
- be honest
- be open
- be slow to anger
- be quick to forgive
- treat each adventure as your last
- save the good times
- learn from the bad and let them go
- attitude is everything: have a positive one
i hope you enjoyed your time at the kennel as much as they seemed to enjoy having you there. every time i left you there a little piece of me died. every time i picked you up there and you would run in circles like a crazed pup slipping all over the place, that piece of me was resuscitated.
i hope you enjoyed our time in Colorado and the little bit of additional freedom it offers.
i hope you enjoyed our walks as much as i did
i hope to live as you do: embracing the positive
i hope to learn patience as much as you have
"when you are Real you don't mind being hurt"
and a trip through our photographic history:
Sunday, May 4, 2014
20140503 - Collegiate Peaks 50
The day started out very well. I was up early, had a light breakfast (2 eggs, guacamole and cheese burrito), picked up Mike and we were off to buena vista. The temperature was pleasant. We picked up our race packets and sat inside the community center to wait for the start. Jamie and Lacy showed up and chatted briefly before we headed to the start line.
Victor came over to me at the start line and we chatted a bit before the start, he was doing the 25, and hoping to finish around 4 hours, so we ran together for a bit early on and chatted about days past. Lacy joined us for a bit before settling into a slightly easier pace. Jamie was about 100 yards or so up, and i presume Mike was up towards the front pack.
A little past 3 miles Victor and i caught Jamie, and we all plodded along together for a bit. Jamie was doing the 25 (she signed up for the 50, however, has been having some off and on it band issues for the past 5ish weeks). I decided to hang with her for a bit and enjoy some good company, and hopefully a comfortable first half. I would pull away on the descents and she'd catch up on the climbs, we ran a good bit of the rest together. Victor was pushing the pace going for his 4 hours, so i let him go.
Somewhere between the 1st aid station (mile 5ish) and the 2nd aid station (mile 11.5ish) Jamie and i went our separate paces. i was feeling pretty good, legs were working well, and breathing was pretty relaxed, there were some incredible views. i had a 6oz flask of honey molasses concoction i was using for nutrition, and 4 gels (not nearly enough for the entire day, but i planned on supplementing with the aid stations supplies). Unfortunately they didn't have much that was working for me. I ate about 1/2 a banana at each aid station, a chocolate cookie at the second aid station, and some pretzels and chips at the third.
about 1 mile past the third aid station i caught up with Jamie again and we stayed together through her finish at mile 25. It was far more entertaining with her jokes and general conversation. plus she was jogging several sections that i would have opted to walk. She asked if i knew when this climb would end, that she'd heard it went to mile 19 instead of 18. I shrugged my shoulders, and told her i was pretty sure it would end at the top. we carried on, grabbing some water and bananas at the 4th aid station (which was about 1/4 mile from the end of the climb).
We proceeded to descend, the early stages of which were a bit steep, and in hopes of saving some of my legs, i held back a bit instead of my usual reckless abandonment. after 1.5 miles the descent eased a bit, and we turned onto some single (ish) track and proceeded to click off the miles.
There were a couple times i am pretty sure Jamie was trying to drop me, she would drop back and then catch up, and continue to pass, thankfully none of these lasted too long. about 1/2 mile from the final aid station, we were greeted by Lacy's boyfriend, Scott, and Jamie's friend (his name slips my mind at present). they were riding along the course cheering on the runners
about 4 miles from the finish/turn around we were at the final aid station. We still hadn't seen Mike on the way back out. Hopefully he was running conservatively and hadn't had any issues. He's been dealing with a bit of on and off fatigue, and some hip issues for a bit.
With about 2 miles left Scott and Jamie's friend passed by us again and slowed to chat for a bit before continuing on to the point we would exit the road and drop onto some fun single track (about 1 mile from the finish). as we approached the finish, Jamie wished me well on the return trip and darted down the finishers chute. 4:27 at the turn around. of course my brain starts working, i may just be able to go a little over 9 hours, surely i can get back by 9.5 hours.
i refilled my water bottle, added 2 hammer gels to it, ate 1 hammer gel, some pretzels and chips, and was off on the return trip. I was still feeling pretty good, and resumed jogging once i was back on the road. I alternated jogging and walking for much of the 5 miles preceding the steeper section of the climb.
About 20 minutes out of the turn around i realized i would have been wise to restock my nutrition, as i had only consumed about 1000 calories over the 1st 25 miles (a bit shy of the 1400 i should have consumed) and all i had for the return trip was 3 roctane gels and the chips and bananas at the aid stations. the next 20 miles would prove to be very interesting.
About 1/2 mile from the top of the climb out, i was reminded that hammer gels don't sit too well with me, and started having some stomach discomfort. I chuckled to myself and thought at least i wouldn't have to worry about the nutrition, even if they had what i needed at the aid stations, it would be difficult to tolerate.
at the top of the climb, i was able to get some alca seltzer which helped settle my stomach for a bit, and i was able to make decent time to the next aid station (mile 35 ish). no chocolate cookies this time through, though they did look tempting, at least in my head, my stomach turned as i looked at them (and such is the internal struggles i endure about food during long events).
I did pretty well for another couple miles, and then the wheels came completely off. always entertaining, especially in hind sight:) i came up to a turn in the course, which was clearly marked to continue to the right. Since the chalk line wasn't completely across the straight ahead option, i was confused. my logic, or lack there off went a bit as follows:
there are a bunch of flags and ribbons to the right, and the chalk line obstructs 90% of the straight ahead option, but i didn't have to step over any chalk (thanks to the 10% without a chalk line) to go straight, so i think the course goes straight. I literally stood there thinking this, and countering it with but all the flagging indicates i should go right for 1 - 2 minutes and would have gone straight even though i kept thinking it wasn't right, until another runner came up and commented that we go right. and i was saved from who knows how much wandering around aimlessly.
at this point i was primarily walking, with some shorter attempts at jogging on the flats and descents. trying to figure out how far to the next aid, about 2 miles, and that's about 11.5 from the finish. 1/2 marathon, i should be able to do that in 2.5 - 3 hours, i hope. i kept plugging away doing my best to enjoy the views.
at this point my stomach was way off again, and i was drinking coke to try and settle it, which didn't seem to be working. it's also the only way i was able to get in any calories. through the 2nd aid station, and i'm hoping to be able to be around 2 hours for the final 11ish miles, and i'm just under 8 hours at this point.
since i wasn't able to eat much of anything, i grabbed my requisite 1/2 a banana, and 2 cups of coke and was on my way. i had some sections i was able to jog and many sections i was walking to the final aid station.
by the time i got there (5 miles from the finish), my stomach was a wreck, i laid down ate some tums, had some ginger chews, drank a couple cups of coke, and watched 4 - 5 runners come in and head out before i was at a point which i figured i needed to move on. i spend 20 minutes at the final aid station trying to settle my stomach enough for the final slog. i grabbed 6oz of coke, filled my water bottle, and was off for the last bit of the day.
i did what i could to jog the flats and downhills, hoping to end the misery as quickly as possible: 2.5 miles of rolling dirt paths later i was looking down to the final 3 mile stretch of road. i was determined to jog every last step of the way back. for the most part i managed to jog it (at between 12 and 13 minutes per mile), i walked a couple short ascents.
as i turned into the parking area for the final 100m, i heard my name and shouts of encouragement, i smiled waved, and continued to slog as best i could across the finish line, and end the day. 10:20 (4:27 for the first 25 miles, and just shy of 5:50 for the final 25 miles, the wheels certainly came off).
all in all it was a good day, i spent several hours with Jamie, 3 - 4 miles chatting with Victor, and got to run with Lacy briefly on several occasions. It turns out Mike was having a bad day, he did what he could to run an easy 25 in hopes of running strong on the back 1/2, but he never really felt like he had anything on the day, so bagged it at 25.
Victor finished just under 4:30, Jamie said she enjoyed the day, and last we talked, hadn't had any issues with her it band.
Victor came over to me at the start line and we chatted a bit before the start, he was doing the 25, and hoping to finish around 4 hours, so we ran together for a bit early on and chatted about days past. Lacy joined us for a bit before settling into a slightly easier pace. Jamie was about 100 yards or so up, and i presume Mike was up towards the front pack.
A little past 3 miles Victor and i caught Jamie, and we all plodded along together for a bit. Jamie was doing the 25 (she signed up for the 50, however, has been having some off and on it band issues for the past 5ish weeks). I decided to hang with her for a bit and enjoy some good company, and hopefully a comfortable first half. I would pull away on the descents and she'd catch up on the climbs, we ran a good bit of the rest together. Victor was pushing the pace going for his 4 hours, so i let him go.
Somewhere between the 1st aid station (mile 5ish) and the 2nd aid station (mile 11.5ish) Jamie and i went our separate paces. i was feeling pretty good, legs were working well, and breathing was pretty relaxed, there were some incredible views. i had a 6oz flask of honey molasses concoction i was using for nutrition, and 4 gels (not nearly enough for the entire day, but i planned on supplementing with the aid stations supplies). Unfortunately they didn't have much that was working for me. I ate about 1/2 a banana at each aid station, a chocolate cookie at the second aid station, and some pretzels and chips at the third.
about 1 mile past the third aid station i caught up with Jamie again and we stayed together through her finish at mile 25. It was far more entertaining with her jokes and general conversation. plus she was jogging several sections that i would have opted to walk. She asked if i knew when this climb would end, that she'd heard it went to mile 19 instead of 18. I shrugged my shoulders, and told her i was pretty sure it would end at the top. we carried on, grabbing some water and bananas at the 4th aid station (which was about 1/4 mile from the end of the climb).
We proceeded to descend, the early stages of which were a bit steep, and in hopes of saving some of my legs, i held back a bit instead of my usual reckless abandonment. after 1.5 miles the descent eased a bit, and we turned onto some single (ish) track and proceeded to click off the miles.
There were a couple times i am pretty sure Jamie was trying to drop me, she would drop back and then catch up, and continue to pass, thankfully none of these lasted too long. about 1/2 mile from the final aid station, we were greeted by Lacy's boyfriend, Scott, and Jamie's friend (his name slips my mind at present). they were riding along the course cheering on the runners
about 4 miles from the finish/turn around we were at the final aid station. We still hadn't seen Mike on the way back out. Hopefully he was running conservatively and hadn't had any issues. He's been dealing with a bit of on and off fatigue, and some hip issues for a bit.
With about 2 miles left Scott and Jamie's friend passed by us again and slowed to chat for a bit before continuing on to the point we would exit the road and drop onto some fun single track (about 1 mile from the finish). as we approached the finish, Jamie wished me well on the return trip and darted down the finishers chute. 4:27 at the turn around. of course my brain starts working, i may just be able to go a little over 9 hours, surely i can get back by 9.5 hours.
i refilled my water bottle, added 2 hammer gels to it, ate 1 hammer gel, some pretzels and chips, and was off on the return trip. I was still feeling pretty good, and resumed jogging once i was back on the road. I alternated jogging and walking for much of the 5 miles preceding the steeper section of the climb.
About 20 minutes out of the turn around i realized i would have been wise to restock my nutrition, as i had only consumed about 1000 calories over the 1st 25 miles (a bit shy of the 1400 i should have consumed) and all i had for the return trip was 3 roctane gels and the chips and bananas at the aid stations. the next 20 miles would prove to be very interesting.
About 1/2 mile from the top of the climb out, i was reminded that hammer gels don't sit too well with me, and started having some stomach discomfort. I chuckled to myself and thought at least i wouldn't have to worry about the nutrition, even if they had what i needed at the aid stations, it would be difficult to tolerate.
at the top of the climb, i was able to get some alca seltzer which helped settle my stomach for a bit, and i was able to make decent time to the next aid station (mile 35 ish). no chocolate cookies this time through, though they did look tempting, at least in my head, my stomach turned as i looked at them (and such is the internal struggles i endure about food during long events).
I did pretty well for another couple miles, and then the wheels came completely off. always entertaining, especially in hind sight:) i came up to a turn in the course, which was clearly marked to continue to the right. Since the chalk line wasn't completely across the straight ahead option, i was confused. my logic, or lack there off went a bit as follows:
there are a bunch of flags and ribbons to the right, and the chalk line obstructs 90% of the straight ahead option, but i didn't have to step over any chalk (thanks to the 10% without a chalk line) to go straight, so i think the course goes straight. I literally stood there thinking this, and countering it with but all the flagging indicates i should go right for 1 - 2 minutes and would have gone straight even though i kept thinking it wasn't right, until another runner came up and commented that we go right. and i was saved from who knows how much wandering around aimlessly.
at this point i was primarily walking, with some shorter attempts at jogging on the flats and descents. trying to figure out how far to the next aid, about 2 miles, and that's about 11.5 from the finish. 1/2 marathon, i should be able to do that in 2.5 - 3 hours, i hope. i kept plugging away doing my best to enjoy the views.
at this point my stomach was way off again, and i was drinking coke to try and settle it, which didn't seem to be working. it's also the only way i was able to get in any calories. through the 2nd aid station, and i'm hoping to be able to be around 2 hours for the final 11ish miles, and i'm just under 8 hours at this point.
since i wasn't able to eat much of anything, i grabbed my requisite 1/2 a banana, and 2 cups of coke and was on my way. i had some sections i was able to jog and many sections i was walking to the final aid station.
by the time i got there (5 miles from the finish), my stomach was a wreck, i laid down ate some tums, had some ginger chews, drank a couple cups of coke, and watched 4 - 5 runners come in and head out before i was at a point which i figured i needed to move on. i spend 20 minutes at the final aid station trying to settle my stomach enough for the final slog. i grabbed 6oz of coke, filled my water bottle, and was off for the last bit of the day.
i did what i could to jog the flats and downhills, hoping to end the misery as quickly as possible: 2.5 miles of rolling dirt paths later i was looking down to the final 3 mile stretch of road. i was determined to jog every last step of the way back. for the most part i managed to jog it (at between 12 and 13 minutes per mile), i walked a couple short ascents.
as i turned into the parking area for the final 100m, i heard my name and shouts of encouragement, i smiled waved, and continued to slog as best i could across the finish line, and end the day. 10:20 (4:27 for the first 25 miles, and just shy of 5:50 for the final 25 miles, the wheels certainly came off).
all in all it was a good day, i spent several hours with Jamie, 3 - 4 miles chatting with Victor, and got to run with Lacy briefly on several occasions. It turns out Mike was having a bad day, he did what he could to run an easy 25 in hopes of running strong on the back 1/2, but he never really felt like he had anything on the day, so bagged it at 25.
Victor finished just under 4:30, Jamie said she enjoyed the day, and last we talked, hadn't had any issues with her it band.
Monday, April 28, 2014
20140427 - week in review
Monday - coronado shake out run (2.4 miles 0:21). legs feel very heavy today, and calves are really tight. cut the run short, as it's no fun to run like this.
Tuesday - PQ trail wanderings (4.2 miles 1:01). again, legs incredibly heavy, calves super tight, and general lethargy abound. all in all an incredible day out appreciating the trails. the run was a bit frustrating, but i have been pressing pretty hard the previous 3 weeks, and new i was flirting with this. keeping my head up and we'll see how tomorrow goes
Wednesday - PQ explorations (2.6 miles 0:36). another incredible day of enjoying the views on the trails. legs even worse than yesterday, calves super tight, and still experiencing general lethargy. i guess the hole has successfully been dug. now to keep the runs easy until i am out of the hole.
Thursday - backside of cowles abbreviated (2.5 miles 0:30). slightly better than yesterday, a bit faster overall with some climbing. legs feeling better, but calves are still really tight. general lethargy is fading. looks like things are moving in the right direction.
Friday - squaw pass wanderings (1.3 miles 0:14). welcome back to elevation. legs very lethargic, trails muddy and breathing a bit labored, so it's a short one. just enough to get out and get the blood flowing. i'll save the efforts for when there is quality in my legs.
Saturday - french gulch out and back (6 miles 0:52). everything feels much better today, the legs are still a little heavy, but far better than any of the weeks previous outings.
french gulch, prospector way and sideroad (6 miles 1:15). VRB group run and la sportiva demo day. a fun little outing. with all the snow that has melted, it was impossible to avoid, so we tried to get on some trails, which are a bit punchy in most spots, looks like they will need to go back in the oven for another 2 - 3 weeks and cook a bit more. felt good climbing and took the descent easy.
mineral belt trail to 7th (3.8 miles 0:35). another outing to embrace the melting snow and more options to run on solid surface. Mike and i followed the mineral belt up to 7th street (there was about 1/2 mile of snow covering). a little sluggish on the 3rd run of the day, so i'm off to get some food and lots of sleep. looking forward to more trails tomorrow.
Sunday - LT100 halfpipe wanderings (3.6 miles 0:35). easy jog on some of the dirt roads off of halpipe. legs are coming back around. had some decent sections on the day. perhaps some harder efforts tomorrow or tuesday to spur some race readiness.
Retrospective: entirely too much food throughout the week (i gained 10 lbs in 4 days), that combined with 3 big weeks = a really good week to enjoy views and short slow days on the trails. i'm pleased to have things turning around the last few days of the week, and am looking to continue that trend the coming week in preparation for collegiate peaks 50.
Summary:
Total Time: 6:01
Running Time: 6:01
Distance: 32.5 miles
TSS: 334
Climbing: 3,142'
Tuesday - PQ trail wanderings (4.2 miles 1:01). again, legs incredibly heavy, calves super tight, and general lethargy abound. all in all an incredible day out appreciating the trails. the run was a bit frustrating, but i have been pressing pretty hard the previous 3 weeks, and new i was flirting with this. keeping my head up and we'll see how tomorrow goes
Wednesday - PQ explorations (2.6 miles 0:36). another incredible day of enjoying the views on the trails. legs even worse than yesterday, calves super tight, and still experiencing general lethargy. i guess the hole has successfully been dug. now to keep the runs easy until i am out of the hole.
Thursday - backside of cowles abbreviated (2.5 miles 0:30). slightly better than yesterday, a bit faster overall with some climbing. legs feeling better, but calves are still really tight. general lethargy is fading. looks like things are moving in the right direction.
Friday - squaw pass wanderings (1.3 miles 0:14). welcome back to elevation. legs very lethargic, trails muddy and breathing a bit labored, so it's a short one. just enough to get out and get the blood flowing. i'll save the efforts for when there is quality in my legs.
Saturday - french gulch out and back (6 miles 0:52). everything feels much better today, the legs are still a little heavy, but far better than any of the weeks previous outings.
french gulch, prospector way and sideroad (6 miles 1:15). VRB group run and la sportiva demo day. a fun little outing. with all the snow that has melted, it was impossible to avoid, so we tried to get on some trails, which are a bit punchy in most spots, looks like they will need to go back in the oven for another 2 - 3 weeks and cook a bit more. felt good climbing and took the descent easy.
mineral belt trail to 7th (3.8 miles 0:35). another outing to embrace the melting snow and more options to run on solid surface. Mike and i followed the mineral belt up to 7th street (there was about 1/2 mile of snow covering). a little sluggish on the 3rd run of the day, so i'm off to get some food and lots of sleep. looking forward to more trails tomorrow.
Sunday - LT100 halfpipe wanderings (3.6 miles 0:35). easy jog on some of the dirt roads off of halpipe. legs are coming back around. had some decent sections on the day. perhaps some harder efforts tomorrow or tuesday to spur some race readiness.
Retrospective: entirely too much food throughout the week (i gained 10 lbs in 4 days), that combined with 3 big weeks = a really good week to enjoy views and short slow days on the trails. i'm pleased to have things turning around the last few days of the week, and am looking to continue that trend the coming week in preparation for collegiate peaks 50.
Summary:
Total Time: 6:01
Running Time: 6:01
Distance: 32.5 miles
TSS: 334
Climbing: 3,142'
Saturday, April 26, 2014
20140420 - week in review
Monday - evergreen + harrison loop (3.2 miles 0:27). a very easy jaunt to shake out my legs. I was pleasantly suprised with how good my legs felt, and considered stretching things out a bit more, but opted to keep it short and true to it's intent of getting blood flowing and being outside each day.
Tuesday - 5th st out and back (6.7 miles 1:00). steady slog on the climb up (~ 900' over 3 miles) all runnable, though at times very slowly. then a tempo effort on the return trip. definitely pushing my lungs a bit on the return. legs felt pretty good on the return. a little chilly at some points, but glad to be out.
Wednesday - 390 towards winfield (9 miles 1:20). good mellow run out with Mike over a slow steady incline with a short diversion onto the colorado trail. legs are feeling a bit heavy, though on the return the slight grade down allowed for a bit faster pace. pressed the pace a little bit on the return, except on the climbs, my legs are feeling a bit worn on climbing.
Thursday - BV explorations (7.95 miles 1:20). fun little trail outing with Jamie, some of the collegiate peaks course, some general wandering, great weather and a very enjoyable run. legs are feeling good.
French Gulch out and back (8 miles 1:07). VRB thursday fun run with Ryan, Sam, and Molly. Fun little climb up to Sallie Barber trail head (north - as there is also a south trailhead). Legs definitely feeling a bit of this mornings run. A very fun descent back to VRB. solid run with good people.
Friday - Golden explorations (6.2 miles 1:01). a nice little shake out run, my legs are definitely feeling a bit of this weeks efforts, and will likely be ready for the pending decrease in mileage. it's just a matter of how long i can push this back.
Saturday - Coronado tempo(ish) (13.2 miles 1:38). started out very comfortable and just held steady on the effort, a very flat and solid day. my legs were starting to tire a little the last 1 - 2 miles, and i had to maintain a little focus to keep the pace. a great start to the coming week.
Sunday - Mission trails - climbing (11.4 miles 2:18). fun little jaunt with Victor and Mindy. it took about 4 miles, and close to 1000' of climbing for my calves to finally release. very tight and slow for the first 4 miles with a good bit of walking. the last 7ish miles were good, with some solid, though slow climbs and a bit warm, good company, good trails, and good times.
Retrospective: another solid week, slightly less mileage than i was hoping for; it's more important to listen to my legs and body than to rack up miles. i'm aiming for quality, and enjoyment more than numbers, so i'll take the weeks numbers. I know there is a slowing coming (I'm working to bury myself pretty good), i'm just trying to balance the efforts to push it back as much as i can.
Summary:
Total Time: 10:14
Running Time: 10:14
Distance: 65.75
TSS: 747
Climbing: 8,855'
Tuesday - 5th st out and back (6.7 miles 1:00). steady slog on the climb up (~ 900' over 3 miles) all runnable, though at times very slowly. then a tempo effort on the return trip. definitely pushing my lungs a bit on the return. legs felt pretty good on the return. a little chilly at some points, but glad to be out.
Wednesday - 390 towards winfield (9 miles 1:20). good mellow run out with Mike over a slow steady incline with a short diversion onto the colorado trail. legs are feeling a bit heavy, though on the return the slight grade down allowed for a bit faster pace. pressed the pace a little bit on the return, except on the climbs, my legs are feeling a bit worn on climbing.
Thursday - BV explorations (7.95 miles 1:20). fun little trail outing with Jamie, some of the collegiate peaks course, some general wandering, great weather and a very enjoyable run. legs are feeling good.
French Gulch out and back (8 miles 1:07). VRB thursday fun run with Ryan, Sam, and Molly. Fun little climb up to Sallie Barber trail head (north - as there is also a south trailhead). Legs definitely feeling a bit of this mornings run. A very fun descent back to VRB. solid run with good people.
Friday - Golden explorations (6.2 miles 1:01). a nice little shake out run, my legs are definitely feeling a bit of this weeks efforts, and will likely be ready for the pending decrease in mileage. it's just a matter of how long i can push this back.
Saturday - Coronado tempo(ish) (13.2 miles 1:38). started out very comfortable and just held steady on the effort, a very flat and solid day. my legs were starting to tire a little the last 1 - 2 miles, and i had to maintain a little focus to keep the pace. a great start to the coming week.
Sunday - Mission trails - climbing (11.4 miles 2:18). fun little jaunt with Victor and Mindy. it took about 4 miles, and close to 1000' of climbing for my calves to finally release. very tight and slow for the first 4 miles with a good bit of walking. the last 7ish miles were good, with some solid, though slow climbs and a bit warm, good company, good trails, and good times.
Retrospective: another solid week, slightly less mileage than i was hoping for; it's more important to listen to my legs and body than to rack up miles. i'm aiming for quality, and enjoyment more than numbers, so i'll take the weeks numbers. I know there is a slowing coming (I'm working to bury myself pretty good), i'm just trying to balance the efforts to push it back as much as i can.
Summary:
Total Time: 10:14
Running Time: 10:14
Distance: 65.75
TSS: 747
Climbing: 8,855'
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
20140413 - week in review
Monday - MTV 6 (6.2 miles 0:53) - an easy jaunt to stretch the legs and loosen things up after yesterdays outing. nothing spectacular. running on the roads is beginning to feel like work.
Tuesday - bv excursion (5.3 miles 0:52) - some fun little tracks out in bv with Mike. A beautiful day, sunny and 50s. legs a little sluggish on the climbs, but that may just be the company i am keeping. it seems most runs with Mike make me feel a bit slow and lethargic. i'm not sure if it's in my head, or i just happen to have off days. either way, it's always fun to run in the dirt with great weather.
Wednesday - weston pass off shoot (1.74 0:37). a short jaunt turned into a hike through knee deep snow up and around back to the cars.
Thursday - MTV 5.3 (5.3 miles 0:45) - quick outing on the roads, trying to keep things local and pretty mellow to let my legs come around for a good traverse.
Friday - Sandy hollow wanderings (2.27 miles 0:21). a quick little shakeout after the drive.
Saturday - abbreviated zion traverse (35.8 miles 12:28). incredible weather, sunny and 60s - 70s all day. started out feeling pretty good, then around 15 miles it turned into a hike with occasional spurts of slow jogging. spent a lot of time enjoying the incredible scenery, good company, and just being outside in warm weather. photos: http://photo-op.smugmug.com/Nature/20140412-zion-traverse-ish/38516527_Q9s2Vw
Sunday - Colorado National Monument liberty cap trail (4.0 miles 0:36). or at least part of the trail. things were a bit muddy, and the last 1.5 - 2 miles were in a snow thunderstorm. all these years i've spent wondering if they exist, and i finally got to experience one. very worth while, though a little more clothing would have made it more enjoyable. well worth the stop and shake out run.
Retrospective: another good week, though not as big as i was hoping for. saturday turned out a bit differently than expected, but such is life. the only thing i can do is put myself out there adjust to the circumstances, and let the cards fall where they may. a good week with a fun little excursion in zion with Victor, and my first ever snow thunderstorm. i've been searching for that for some time. perhaps i'll start finding other things i've been searching for now:)
Summary:
Total Time: 20:33
Running Time: 20:33
Distance: 60.72 miles
TSS: 528
Climbing: 7,486'
Tuesday - bv excursion (5.3 miles 0:52) - some fun little tracks out in bv with Mike. A beautiful day, sunny and 50s. legs a little sluggish on the climbs, but that may just be the company i am keeping. it seems most runs with Mike make me feel a bit slow and lethargic. i'm not sure if it's in my head, or i just happen to have off days. either way, it's always fun to run in the dirt with great weather.
Wednesday - weston pass off shoot (1.74 0:37). a short jaunt turned into a hike through knee deep snow up and around back to the cars.
Thursday - MTV 5.3 (5.3 miles 0:45) - quick outing on the roads, trying to keep things local and pretty mellow to let my legs come around for a good traverse.
Friday - Sandy hollow wanderings (2.27 miles 0:21). a quick little shakeout after the drive.
Saturday - abbreviated zion traverse (35.8 miles 12:28). incredible weather, sunny and 60s - 70s all day. started out feeling pretty good, then around 15 miles it turned into a hike with occasional spurts of slow jogging. spent a lot of time enjoying the incredible scenery, good company, and just being outside in warm weather. photos: http://photo-op.smugmug.com/Nature/20140412-zion-traverse-ish/38516527_Q9s2Vw
Sunday - Colorado National Monument liberty cap trail (4.0 miles 0:36). or at least part of the trail. things were a bit muddy, and the last 1.5 - 2 miles were in a snow thunderstorm. all these years i've spent wondering if they exist, and i finally got to experience one. very worth while, though a little more clothing would have made it more enjoyable. well worth the stop and shake out run.
Retrospective: another good week, though not as big as i was hoping for. saturday turned out a bit differently than expected, but such is life. the only thing i can do is put myself out there adjust to the circumstances, and let the cards fall where they may. a good week with a fun little excursion in zion with Victor, and my first ever snow thunderstorm. i've been searching for that for some time. perhaps i'll start finding other things i've been searching for now:)
Summary:
Total Time: 20:33
Running Time: 20:33
Distance: 60.72 miles
TSS: 528
Climbing: 7,486'
Sunday, April 6, 2014
20140405 - week in review
Monday - 5th street mineral belt improv (10 miles 1:37). fun little welcome back run after saturday's debacle and sunday spent licking my wounds:) i met up with mike and we opted to climb up 5th st and follow that out for a bit, hopping on the mineral belt trail and following it for a bit. i felt a little sluggish on the climb, but far better than on saturday. once we got on the mineral belt, things were feeling better, and i was moving all right. somewhere around cmc we lost track of the mineral belt and wound up passing through the college then heading down mcwethy and onto the finish for the 100. felt pretty good all in all. another good day enjoying a brief window of sunshine and blue skies.
Tuesday - 5.4 mile loop (5.4 miles 0:48). another solid run, the weather was a bit chilly, so it took a little motivation to get out the door. once i was out, it wasn't too bad, and i pieced together another solid run. i started out just cruising comfortably. when i started up the 2.5ish mile climb up mountain view i was feeling pretty good. I made a conscious decision to just stay comfortable and not push the climb. i felt good the entire climb making for a good finish and another positive day.
Wednesday - county road wanderings (9 miles 1:20). after a little hemming and hawing i was able to drag myself out the door and did a bit of wandering in search of some dirt, or packed snow to avoid the pavement. i was able to find a good little stretch of both dirt and snow, and wound up with a decent day of steady effort and a decent pace. most importantly i was enjoying being out and exploring some areas i haven't been in a while. 3 good runs in 3 days, let the ride continue.
Thursday - base work (7 miles 1:00). another chilly day with cloud cover and another good day of running. another day of a solid pace. 4 days, no hard pressing, and all of them with a good pace, and my legs are feeling good. perhaps this consistency thing is the way to go? i started a little begrudgingly due to the chill in the air, and my general lethargy, once out the door, i was feeling pretty good, and opted to stretch my usual 5.5 mile loop out a bit. i'm glad i did, and though i was not looking forward to the 2.5ish (actually closer to 3.5 with the extended loop) mile climb up towards the end, i felt good the entire time, and managed another great day out wandering around the streets.
Friday - 7th st out and back (6.2 miles 0:52). after a several days of feeling pretty good on the runs (though the mornings have been tough to get going), the scale seems to be tipping slightly. today's route is a climb until i opt out of the climb and turn around to enjoy the descent. today the climbing was all right for the first 1 - 2 miles, then it started to become incredibly laborious and slow. i continued to climb to see if things would turn around. the didn't, it just kept getting slower, so i turned, and opted to press the descent enjoying the work i put in and smiling lungs burning and legs doing all they could to keep pressing. no blistering times even on the descent, but a good little effort that should help improve turnover and remind me it's ok, and can be fun, to push the effort.
Saturday - vrb group run (11 miles 2:16). after a bit of a reprieve from consistently joining the VRB saturday runs, i dragged myself out of bed this morning, and made my way to breckenridge for some good company and fun miles. it was a bit of a slog up to sallie barber mine, everybody seemed to have a bit of a niggle, or something that was a bit off, i attribute this to a much too long winter and absence from the trails:) once at the mine, it's a fun descent back down into town, i enjoyed a good little push for a mile and a half on the descent down to the south parking lot. we regrouped and pretty much cruised the final 4 miles back into town together. a good day, great people, and a huge reminder that it doesn't have to be fast or hurt to be fun. it's all about perspective
tempo jaunt (2.6 miles 0:20). my legs were a bit antsy after todays outing, so i opted to get in a quick little loop from my house at a bit of an effort to shake out my legs and enjoy the sunset.
Sunday - sage cafe out and back (20.2 miles 3:18). went out conservatively, enjoying the trails and picking my way through several short snowy sections. after about 3 miles the fun single dropped onto dirt roads, still good, but not as much fun as the wiggly single track. I turned around at 1:34, hoping to stay within 1 minute per mile of my pace for the return trip (it's trending uphill on the way back). I was still feeling pretty good, and continued to feel good through 17 miles. i am sure i was a bit light on nutrition, as through 17 miles i only had 4 - 5 small nips (about 1oz and 90 calories) from the honey molasses concoction i am trying for nutrition. at 17 miles, i took about 1oz as i felt things slowing significantly. shortly after this, my foot punched through a snowy section and sent me sailing headlong into the snow. i laid there for a brief moment and laughed, just over 2 miles left and i'm laying here happy to be off me feet. in another entertaining twist, the sky decided to open up at this point as well, fortunately(?) it was cold enough that it was snow, and a strong head wind, as well as the brunt of the climbing to be had on the run. i hiked a bit of the longest climb, took another 1oz of my nutrition and decided to try and press the final 2 miles. it sort of worked, though i felt like i was running hard, the pace wasn't too impressive, but with the snow falling and wind blowing, i was more than ready to be back at the truck. as the terrain turned to rollers instead of steady climbing, i was able to move pretty well, and was enjoying the wiggling single track. nutrition: ~200 calories and 20oz of water
Retrospective: all in all a great week, some good mileage and my average pace is picking up, though i've been dragging a little from day to day, and slow to get out of bed, once i get out and am running, these things are falling away. i find myself consumed in the moment, looking neither forward nor backward, but being fully present in now. a welcome centering and balancing, as the week started off pretty rough and i have been struggling a little bit finding the positives. sunday's run was the icing on the cake, i was just out enjoying myself taking in the nature experience, despite the clumps of snow and significant fatigue i experienced in the final 3 - 4 miles, i enjoyed being out there and being in the present.
Summary:
Total Time: 11:32
Running Time: 11:32
Distance: 71.7
TSS: 786
Climbing: 6,330'
Tuesday - 5.4 mile loop (5.4 miles 0:48). another solid run, the weather was a bit chilly, so it took a little motivation to get out the door. once i was out, it wasn't too bad, and i pieced together another solid run. i started out just cruising comfortably. when i started up the 2.5ish mile climb up mountain view i was feeling pretty good. I made a conscious decision to just stay comfortable and not push the climb. i felt good the entire climb making for a good finish and another positive day.
Wednesday - county road wanderings (9 miles 1:20). after a little hemming and hawing i was able to drag myself out the door and did a bit of wandering in search of some dirt, or packed snow to avoid the pavement. i was able to find a good little stretch of both dirt and snow, and wound up with a decent day of steady effort and a decent pace. most importantly i was enjoying being out and exploring some areas i haven't been in a while. 3 good runs in 3 days, let the ride continue.
Thursday - base work (7 miles 1:00). another chilly day with cloud cover and another good day of running. another day of a solid pace. 4 days, no hard pressing, and all of them with a good pace, and my legs are feeling good. perhaps this consistency thing is the way to go? i started a little begrudgingly due to the chill in the air, and my general lethargy, once out the door, i was feeling pretty good, and opted to stretch my usual 5.5 mile loop out a bit. i'm glad i did, and though i was not looking forward to the 2.5ish (actually closer to 3.5 with the extended loop) mile climb up towards the end, i felt good the entire time, and managed another great day out wandering around the streets.
Friday - 7th st out and back (6.2 miles 0:52). after a several days of feeling pretty good on the runs (though the mornings have been tough to get going), the scale seems to be tipping slightly. today's route is a climb until i opt out of the climb and turn around to enjoy the descent. today the climbing was all right for the first 1 - 2 miles, then it started to become incredibly laborious and slow. i continued to climb to see if things would turn around. the didn't, it just kept getting slower, so i turned, and opted to press the descent enjoying the work i put in and smiling lungs burning and legs doing all they could to keep pressing. no blistering times even on the descent, but a good little effort that should help improve turnover and remind me it's ok, and can be fun, to push the effort.
Saturday - vrb group run (11 miles 2:16). after a bit of a reprieve from consistently joining the VRB saturday runs, i dragged myself out of bed this morning, and made my way to breckenridge for some good company and fun miles. it was a bit of a slog up to sallie barber mine, everybody seemed to have a bit of a niggle, or something that was a bit off, i attribute this to a much too long winter and absence from the trails:) once at the mine, it's a fun descent back down into town, i enjoyed a good little push for a mile and a half on the descent down to the south parking lot. we regrouped and pretty much cruised the final 4 miles back into town together. a good day, great people, and a huge reminder that it doesn't have to be fast or hurt to be fun. it's all about perspective
tempo jaunt (2.6 miles 0:20). my legs were a bit antsy after todays outing, so i opted to get in a quick little loop from my house at a bit of an effort to shake out my legs and enjoy the sunset.
Sunday - sage cafe out and back (20.2 miles 3:18). went out conservatively, enjoying the trails and picking my way through several short snowy sections. after about 3 miles the fun single dropped onto dirt roads, still good, but not as much fun as the wiggly single track. I turned around at 1:34, hoping to stay within 1 minute per mile of my pace for the return trip (it's trending uphill on the way back). I was still feeling pretty good, and continued to feel good through 17 miles. i am sure i was a bit light on nutrition, as through 17 miles i only had 4 - 5 small nips (about 1oz and 90 calories) from the honey molasses concoction i am trying for nutrition. at 17 miles, i took about 1oz as i felt things slowing significantly. shortly after this, my foot punched through a snowy section and sent me sailing headlong into the snow. i laid there for a brief moment and laughed, just over 2 miles left and i'm laying here happy to be off me feet. in another entertaining twist, the sky decided to open up at this point as well, fortunately(?) it was cold enough that it was snow, and a strong head wind, as well as the brunt of the climbing to be had on the run. i hiked a bit of the longest climb, took another 1oz of my nutrition and decided to try and press the final 2 miles. it sort of worked, though i felt like i was running hard, the pace wasn't too impressive, but with the snow falling and wind blowing, i was more than ready to be back at the truck. as the terrain turned to rollers instead of steady climbing, i was able to move pretty well, and was enjoying the wiggling single track. nutrition: ~200 calories and 20oz of water
Retrospective: all in all a great week, some good mileage and my average pace is picking up, though i've been dragging a little from day to day, and slow to get out of bed, once i get out and am running, these things are falling away. i find myself consumed in the moment, looking neither forward nor backward, but being fully present in now. a welcome centering and balancing, as the week started off pretty rough and i have been struggling a little bit finding the positives. sunday's run was the icing on the cake, i was just out enjoying myself taking in the nature experience, despite the clumps of snow and significant fatigue i experienced in the final 3 - 4 miles, i enjoyed being out there and being in the present.
Summary:
Total Time: 11:32
Running Time: 11:32
Distance: 71.7
TSS: 786
Climbing: 6,330'
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