I was pretty excited when we originally registered to run the Pawtoberfest 5k to benefit the Pikes Peak Humane Society. When I woke up this morning and saw the weather, that excitement quickly diminished. The wife decided to stay home and keep the kiddo warm but I didn't want to let the rego money go to waste. I threw on some decently warm clothes and grabbed my rain jacket on the way out the door. When I got to the start, it was still snowing pretty good so I tried to find shelter while waiting for the start. We got directed to the check-in tent on the other side of the park and they funneled us right across the grass which was oversaturated so my feet were soaked before the race even started. I briefly th0ught about grabbing my bag and getting in the car and heading home but I decided to stick around.
Once the race got started, I settled into a decent jog and finally started warming up. I didn't have a watch with me and didn't see a clock at the line so I have no clue what my time was. Probably over 30 min if I had to guess, which was fine given the conditions. Ready for the 70 degree weather to come back next week.
incline friday
Rough morning up there and my legs and head never felt into it. I bailed at the cut-off and jogged back down Barr. Had planned to hit Grays and Torreys this weekend but sounds like there is more snow up there than I want to deal with. Backup plan is Mt. Rosa from Gold Camp Rd. Looking forward to a local hike that isn't Barr Trail. Supposedly some good scenery at the St Mary's Falls and nice views from the top.
incline 9/14
After getting up the incline in a relatively quick (for me) 47 minutes and change last Friday, I followed that performance up with a 63 minute effort this morning. I started out pretty quick but I could tell soon that my HR was way high and it wasn't long before my legs felt like weights. Took a break at one point and just sat on a rock trying to fight back a puker. Thought long and hard about heading back down to the bail out point but got off my ass and headed onward and upward.
Didn't feel great on the run down the Barr Trail either. Just glad to get it over with.
Didn't feel great on the run down the Barr Trail either. Just glad to get it over with.
what's been goin on
Since April some pretty cool stuff has been going on....
I was slated to run the Colfax Marathon in May but was tapped for a three week trip to VA for work which started a week before the marathon. The heavy end of the training block wasn't going great so I was prepared to jump into the half but ended up not running it at all, obviously.
When I returned, I took a little break from running to get my house in order. I was still making twice weekly trips to kill myself on the incline and then a nice leisurely jog down Barr, but wasn't doing anything remotely close to real running.
Fast forward to middle of July and my wife and I welcomed our first baby. Being a Dad is the coolest thing in the world and this baby girl teaches me something new every day. Since Jaelyn's birth, I've managed to get a few runs in and feel pretty good. Obviously, this was a big part of the reason I did not sign up for the Ascent this year. My wife has been gracious enough to let me make the trip over to Manitou to spectate. I'm actually kind of excited since I've never seen the start or finish from that perspective. Looking forward to watching that unfold on Saturday.
Nothing real firm planned for running. Just trying to find time to get out and run when I can. My wife has been awesome so far and is always open to letting me get out of the house for a run.
catching up
After my last post, the hip started acting up a little more. With a trip to Puerto Rico for my sister's wedding on the horizon, I took the opportunity to heal a bit and take it easy while on vacation. Several days I toyed with the idea of running but I never got out early enough and didn't want to mess with 85+ degrees and humidity. Once back in CO, for the final weekend of March, I got a short run in on Saturday and managed to hobble 13+ miles on Sunday in the fog and cold. Welcome back, indeed.
Hip was still bothering a bit after that weekend so I made an appt to see the doc. Naturally, he was booked out til mid April so I opted to chat with the PA but that wouldn't go down until the 4th. I took the week off to let the hip rest in hopes that I could salvage a long run on the weekend.
Saturday, April 2nd, I headed out to tackle a long run. Things went fairly well until about 13 miles in when I ran out of water. Been a while since I've run in anything close to 70 degrees and it really got cooking around noon. Felt pretty good about the outing overall. Hip still a little bothersome but no worse than it had been before. By Monday when I was scheduled to see the doctor, naturally, my hip felt great. I had trouble explaining and locating the painful areas to the doc and he basically said it probably was not hip bursitis but just some general overuse of the fascia on the medial and upper iliac crest. So the layer of muscle that attaches to the top of the outer hip bone. Prescribed one PT session where they could show me some stretches/exercises for the affected area and wished me luck at Colfax.
Monday night I ran the 4 mi golf course loop and things felt pretty good again before and after. Will plan on running a little longer tomorrow and prepare for 17 this weekend.
Hip was still bothering a bit after that weekend so I made an appt to see the doc. Naturally, he was booked out til mid April so I opted to chat with the PA but that wouldn't go down until the 4th. I took the week off to let the hip rest in hopes that I could salvage a long run on the weekend.
Saturday, April 2nd, I headed out to tackle a long run. Things went fairly well until about 13 miles in when I ran out of water. Been a while since I've run in anything close to 70 degrees and it really got cooking around noon. Felt pretty good about the outing overall. Hip still a little bothersome but no worse than it had been before. By Monday when I was scheduled to see the doctor, naturally, my hip felt great. I had trouble explaining and locating the painful areas to the doc and he basically said it probably was not hip bursitis but just some general overuse of the fascia on the medial and upper iliac crest. So the layer of muscle that attaches to the top of the outer hip bone. Prescribed one PT session where they could show me some stretches/exercises for the affected area and wished me luck at Colfax.
Monday night I ran the 4 mi golf course loop and things felt pretty good again before and after. Will plan on running a little longer tomorrow and prepare for 17 this weekend.
sunday 3/14
Got out for a long run Sunday morning. Weather looked great from the bedroom window but the wind was quickly beating me down heading north. Once I reached Dublin, I finally turned and got some relief from the wind. Heading southbound, the wind was a big help in keeping me moving forward.
Ended up running north of 12 minute miles for most of it, but it was all really comfortable. Ended up with 12.1 miles on the day.
Got a couple issues that I'm trying to work through. My left foot, just below the middle toe there is some discomfort there. It's a really dull pain, but it's noticeable. Definitely hurts worse after a run and not much of an issue during. My left hip flared up a couple weeks ago one morning before the PPRR Winter Series 10K. I was able to work it out before the race started and it didn't bother me much after that. It has gotten a bit worse since. It comes and goes and certain movements upset it much more than others. Up high on the outside of the bone, it's a bit tender to the touch. Some web diagnosis leads me to believe it's trochanteric bursitis or greater trochanteric pain syndrome. During runs, I can just feel a little tightness that comes and goes. Even just standing and walking it's not noticeable. However, lateral hip movement or a steep bend at the hip makes it scream a little bit. I'm sure it's due to scoliosis wreaking havoc on my form/mechanics.
Heading to Puerto Rico later in the week. Looking forward to some long runs at sea level.
Ended up running north of 12 minute miles for most of it, but it was all really comfortable. Ended up with 12.1 miles on the day.
Got a couple issues that I'm trying to work through. My left foot, just below the middle toe there is some discomfort there. It's a really dull pain, but it's noticeable. Definitely hurts worse after a run and not much of an issue during. My left hip flared up a couple weeks ago one morning before the PPRR Winter Series 10K. I was able to work it out before the race started and it didn't bother me much after that. It has gotten a bit worse since. It comes and goes and certain movements upset it much more than others. Up high on the outside of the bone, it's a bit tender to the touch. Some web diagnosis leads me to believe it's trochanteric bursitis or greater trochanteric pain syndrome. During runs, I can just feel a little tightness that comes and goes. Even just standing and walking it's not noticeable. However, lateral hip movement or a steep bend at the hip makes it scream a little bit. I'm sure it's due to scoliosis wreaking havoc on my form/mechanics.
Heading to Puerto Rico later in the week. Looking forward to some long runs at sea level.
st pats 5k
Went downtown for the traditional running of the St Pats 5k followed by some car bombs and beers on the patio at Old Cs. After some spirited runs the last couple weeks, I was feeling I could crank out a PR and maybe dip under 27 minutes. I got to the park about 15 minutes before race start and by the time I got to the start area, there wasn't much time for a warm-up so I started the race cold. Nothing new. I spent most of the first mile weaving in and out of traffic and trying to negotiate some course changes that I wasn't expecting. The garmin clicked off the first mile in 8:3x something and I didn't pass the actual marker for a few hundred more yards. That was the last marker I saw so I wasn't terribly concerned about it. Mile 2 is mostly uphill and it proved to be a struggle as it has in years past as that one went by in 9:03. The final mile has two 180 degree turns as the course makes a "T" on Cache La Poudre St before heading back down to Acacia park. That mile went down in 9:11 and I stopped my watch at 27:24. The course finished about 300 yards earlier than previous years because they added a short spur in the first mile to make up the distance. I was surprised when the line snuck up on me but I don't think I had much of kick in me anyway.
Hurried down to Old C's to stake out a table and enjoyed a few beverage while watching the parade. I checked my official time this morning and I got 5 secs back with the chip timing, finishing in 27:19. Pretty pleased as that represents a 1:50 best over my previous PR.
Hurried down to Old C's to stake out a table and enjoyed a few beverage while watching the parade. I checked my official time this morning and I got 5 secs back with the chip timing, finishing in 27:19. Pretty pleased as that represents a 1:50 best over my previous PR.
week recap 2/21 - 2/27
Solid week with bump in the miles and a PR at the 10K distance.
Monday - broke out the new headlamp for 3.5 around the house.
Wednesday - wore shorts before sun up for 5.2 around the golf course
Knew it was going to be a big mileage weekend so I took off Thursday and Friday
Saturday - 4th installment of the PPRR Winter Series. Temps weren't horrible but the wind was pretty stiff on the exposed portion of the course including the penultimate mile, which split the second fastest of the race. Ended up with a 1:05:43. I think that's a PR by close to 7 minutes.
Sunday - dropped a car off in town and drove up to the Northgate trailhead of the Santa Fe Trail. About a half mile in, Josh realized he left the keys to the car we were running to in my car. He turned back and said he would catch up and I ended up running the first 5 miles solo. Really enjoyed the scenery and trails through the AFA. Once south of Woodmen it becomes less fun, but we made it to Garden of the Gods knocked out 11 mi. Was able to hold a decent pace for most of the run thanks, no doubt, to the 500 ft elevation drop over the entire route.
Woke up with a weird hip issue on Saturday and almost bailed on the Black Forest race. Quads were really sore after Sunday's run. Not sure if it was the lack of compression shorts or the gentle downhill. More fatigue than anything. Things are starting to come together.
Monday - broke out the new headlamp for 3.5 around the house.
Wednesday - wore shorts before sun up for 5.2 around the golf course
Knew it was going to be a big mileage weekend so I took off Thursday and Friday
Saturday - 4th installment of the PPRR Winter Series. Temps weren't horrible but the wind was pretty stiff on the exposed portion of the course including the penultimate mile, which split the second fastest of the race. Ended up with a 1:05:43. I think that's a PR by close to 7 minutes.
Sunday - dropped a car off in town and drove up to the Northgate trailhead of the Santa Fe Trail. About a half mile in, Josh realized he left the keys to the car we were running to in my car. He turned back and said he would catch up and I ended up running the first 5 miles solo. Really enjoyed the scenery and trails through the AFA. Once south of Woodmen it becomes less fun, but we made it to Garden of the Gods knocked out 11 mi. Was able to hold a decent pace for most of the run thanks, no doubt, to the 500 ft elevation drop over the entire route.
Woke up with a weird hip issue on Saturday and almost bailed on the Black Forest race. Quads were really sore after Sunday's run. Not sure if it was the lack of compression shorts or the gentle downhill. More fatigue than anything. Things are starting to come together.
tuesday 2/15
Only managed 2.7 in Palmer Park with the dog. The real fun began when I got back to the parking lot and found my driver's side front window smashed out. Phenomenal! I had left the keys in the cupholder and stashed the keyless entry fob in my shorts and locked the door. The would-be thieves were obviously ruh-tards. After trying to pry at the trim at the back window and destroying it, they just decided to smash the front window. Once inside, they grabbed the car keys ( I assume the alarm was going off at this point and I don't believe the car will start unless the door was unlocked with the key or the keyless entry fob), my headlamp, work badges, and a baseball cap. Thankfully, they didn't bother to open the glove box as my wallet and cell phone were still in there when I got back.
I had to call my wife to bring a spare set of keys so I could drive home. The front door has already been re-keyed since they do have my house key as well. Now just have to get the car vacuumed out and the window and moulding fixed.
This all went down between 6:35 and 7:15 am in Lot 13 in Palmer Park. I'll start parking in one of the larger lots and running to the trail head from there I guess.
I had to call my wife to bring a spare set of keys so I could drive home. The front door has already been re-keyed since they do have my house key as well. Now just have to get the car vacuumed out and the window and moulding fixed.
This all went down between 6:35 and 7:15 am in Lot 13 in Palmer Park. I'll start parking in one of the larger lots and running to the trail head from there I guess.
week in review 2/7 - 2/13
Took Monday and Tuesday off again due to the weather. It would be nice to have a treadmill on days like those but I can't see spending the kind of money needed to get a decent one.
Wednesday - heavily bundled up once again for 4.2 around the golf course
Friday - Weather was awesome. Met a work bud late in the afternoon and we tooled around Palmer Park for a bit. Glad I brought a head lamp. 2.7 miles.
Saturday - Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series III. While the weather was ok, the course conditions were not. The race goes from Baptist Rd up to Hwy 105 in Monument and back on the Santa Fe trail. The couple days of decent weather before was not enough to put a dent in the snow pack on the trail. By far the worst part was the first half mile where some snow had drifted and then was packed really unevenly making for some real tough footing. Further up the trail there were some spots of bare dirt and most of the snow pack was pretty soft and only about an inch deep. I ended up way too close to the front of the pack at the start because of the logistics of the start area but was quickly put back in my correct place once the gun went off. Felt decent for most of the run and was putting in a good effort. Despite the bad conditions I was able to clock a 50:43. Pretty happy churning out 5 miles in those conditions at that pace. Much better effort than the 4 miler 3 weeks prior.
Sunday - I had planned to get out first thing in the morning for a 10ish mile run, but some folks were coming down from Breck to check out my Jeep. Once they split, we had plans for lunch at Jose Muldoon's so my run got pushed way back into the late afternoon. I destroyed a big burrito at lunch and it proved a bad idea immediately when I started my run. The plan was to run from my house to my parent's house where steak and lobster tails would await my arrival. I ran on a mix of sidewalks, dirt and asphalt (mostly sidewalks) to get there. Once the burrito started settling I found a nice groove and neg split for the last 4.5 miles. The steak and lobster tail was worth it.
Decent week - 21 miles, 4:24 total time.
Wednesday - heavily bundled up once again for 4.2 around the golf course
Friday - Weather was awesome. Met a work bud late in the afternoon and we tooled around Palmer Park for a bit. Glad I brought a head lamp. 2.7 miles.
Saturday - Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series III. While the weather was ok, the course conditions were not. The race goes from Baptist Rd up to Hwy 105 in Monument and back on the Santa Fe trail. The couple days of decent weather before was not enough to put a dent in the snow pack on the trail. By far the worst part was the first half mile where some snow had drifted and then was packed really unevenly making for some real tough footing. Further up the trail there were some spots of bare dirt and most of the snow pack was pretty soft and only about an inch deep. I ended up way too close to the front of the pack at the start because of the logistics of the start area but was quickly put back in my correct place once the gun went off. Felt decent for most of the run and was putting in a good effort. Despite the bad conditions I was able to clock a 50:43. Pretty happy churning out 5 miles in those conditions at that pace. Much better effort than the 4 miler 3 weeks prior.
Sunday - I had planned to get out first thing in the morning for a 10ish mile run, but some folks were coming down from Breck to check out my Jeep. Once they split, we had plans for lunch at Jose Muldoon's so my run got pushed way back into the late afternoon. I destroyed a big burrito at lunch and it proved a bad idea immediately when I started my run. The plan was to run from my house to my parent's house where steak and lobster tails would await my arrival. I ran on a mix of sidewalks, dirt and asphalt (mostly sidewalks) to get there. Once the burrito started settling I found a nice groove and neg split for the last 4.5 miles. The steak and lobster tail was worth it.
Decent week - 21 miles, 4:24 total time.
wednesday 2/2
Still been trucking along. Lined out a structured plan to ramp up for Colfax. Got a run in on Monday before the shit hit the fan and took Tuesday off. After work on Wednesday, I pulled out UA leggings, some crappy wind pants, a long sleeve base layer and a Columbia shell and set out for 4 miles. No idea what the actual temp was but I was able to pull the gaiter down off my face for most of the run and stay comfortable.
jan 24
Headed out after work for a few miles. Nice that I don't need the headlamp until I've made the turn to head back home. REALLY looking forward to longer days. 3.4 mi.
Rego'd for Colfax last night since it was still cheap until today. Time to get serious.
Rego'd for Colfax last night since it was still cheap until today. Time to get serious.
jan 23
Confirmed that my watch is indeed still fully functional. I could have taken it back to Costco but I would have had to pay at least $50 more to upgrade to a 405 since they don't sell the 305 anymore. Glad I'm out nothing now.
Got out around 11:30 this morning. Weather was pretty nice. Shorts and a long sleeve T were enough. Head started getting a little chilled around 4 miles. Ended up with 6.6 on the run. Really slow but it's miles. Another pretty solid week. Weather for the upcoming week looks nice. Cool.
Got out around 11:30 this morning. Weather was pretty nice. Shorts and a long sleeve T were enough. Head started getting a little chilled around 4 miles. Ended up with 6.6 on the run. Really slow but it's miles. Another pretty solid week. Weather for the upcoming week looks nice. Cool.
jan 22
Rolled out of bed around 8 and headed down to El Pomar Park for the second installment of the PPRR Winter Series. Ended up getting there about 50 minutes before start. After rego'ing and getting a number I sat back in the car for a few minutes. I went to fire up my watch only to find it wouldn't power up. I remembered seeing the display indicating that it was fully charged before I had left the house. Damn... guess I'll have to take it back to Costco. I tinkered with the idea of carrying my phone but the GPS numbers are way unreliable on known courses around here that I figured I'd be fine without.
Ate a gel a few minutes before start. Felt good heading out for the first mile, but the second going north really left us hanging in the wind. Once I made the turn, I felt pretty good with the aid of the wind at my back. I didn't have much left in the tank during the final mile and coasted home. Apparently shortly before I finished, the clock had been blown off it's stand so I had no clue what my time was. The website was updated later to show 40:22 for the 4 mile race. Decent considering I've only been putting in miles for a couple weeks.
When I came back home I futzed around with my Garmin 305 for a few minutes and found the reset process on the Garmin FAQ page. Holding mode + reset for 10 seconds and then powering the unit on worked like a charm and all is well with my watch again.
Link to Garmin support: https://buy.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={c61aad70-03c5-11dc-786a-000000000000}
Ate a gel a few minutes before start. Felt good heading out for the first mile, but the second going north really left us hanging in the wind. Once I made the turn, I felt pretty good with the aid of the wind at my back. I didn't have much left in the tank during the final mile and coasted home. Apparently shortly before I finished, the clock had been blown off it's stand so I had no clue what my time was. The website was updated later to show 40:22 for the 4 mile race. Decent considering I've only been putting in miles for a couple weeks.
When I came back home I futzed around with my Garmin 305 for a few minutes and found the reset process on the Garmin FAQ page. Holding mode + reset for 10 seconds and then powering the unit on worked like a charm and all is well with my watch again.
Link to Garmin support: https://buy.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={c61aad70-03c5-11dc-786a-000000000000}
jan 21
The streak is over. Took yesterday off after failing to get out of bed early enough and then met up with some buds after work for a couple of O'Dell's finest IPAs.
Got up early this morning and headed out. Cold temps are bearable and almost comfortable so long as the wind isn't blowing like it was on Wednesday night. I jogged 3ish miles. Watch battery was dead which pissed me off considering it had been plugged in for two days but I suspect my laptop was asleep during that time and was not charging via USB. I took my phone and launched the HandyRunner app and let it track time and miles. The GPS accuracy is pretty sketch on the phone as this route is usually 3.1 on my Garmin, but measured 3.76 on my phone. The coolest part about the app is that is automatically uploads the run to my log on RunningAhead as soon as I hit stop. I went back in to the website and modified the distance however.
Pretty solid week despite missing a day. Racing the Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series #2 4 miler tomorrow.
Got up early this morning and headed out. Cold temps are bearable and almost comfortable so long as the wind isn't blowing like it was on Wednesday night. I jogged 3ish miles. Watch battery was dead which pissed me off considering it had been plugged in for two days but I suspect my laptop was asleep during that time and was not charging via USB. I took my phone and launched the HandyRunner app and let it track time and miles. The GPS accuracy is pretty sketch on the phone as this route is usually 3.1 on my Garmin, but measured 3.76 on my phone. The coolest part about the app is that is automatically uploads the run to my log on RunningAhead as soon as I hit stop. I went back in to the website and modified the distance however.
Pretty solid week despite missing a day. Racing the Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series #2 4 miler tomorrow.
jan 19
Nevermind about looking forward to tonight's run. What a miserable slog that was. No real snow to speak of and it was absolutely brutal running into the wind. I immediately realized I was under-dressed for the conditions when I hit the main thoroughfare between neighborhoods but pushed on through. Made for a really pleasant return trip. 3 mi on the day. Pretty much ignored HR and just wanted the run to end.
jan 18
Got out after work. Wore the HR strap again. Definitely was moving too fast last week and I've slowed to a crawl this week. 4.1 miles but kept the HR in check by walking a couple of the climbs when I bounced off the rev limiter and then picked up a jog again when things mellowed out.
Looking forward to a run in the snowflakes Wednesday night.
Looking forward to a run in the snowflakes Wednesday night.
jan 17
Caught a quick nap when I came home from work hoping the wind would die down a bit. It was fully dark by the time I got out the door but mostly comfortable with pants and an REI Chilly Trail half zip. Wore the HR monitor and walked a few hills where it started yelling at me. Kept it under 149. A little slower going than I had been running thus far this month, but probably better to reel things in now with the increased volume. The run tonight definitely felt much easier than anything over the weekend.
Officially ssssstreaking, I guess, with 10 straight days. Cool. 3 miles tonight.
Officially ssssstreaking, I guess, with 10 straight days. Cool. 3 miles tonight.
weekend recap
Got out Friday afternoon for a few miles in the nice weather. Again on Saturday, I ran 5 miles in Palmer Park with the dog. Ended up changing into the screw shoes when I got there as there was quite a bit of snow in the shade and was glad I had them. Sunday was 3 miles around the neighborhood.
Really starting to feel some fatigue setting in but I think most of that is due to running too fast. I'll break out the HR strap tonight and make sure I dial things back including walking if necessary.
Really starting to feel some fatigue setting in but I think most of that is due to running too fast. I'll break out the HR strap tonight and make sure I dial things back including walking if necessary.
and so it goes...
After racking up ungodly amounts of miles from Oct - Dec (9.6 mi in total), I've found a little motivation to fix that. I don't really have any firm plans for anything but the lack of movement got old. There comes a time when the excuses just really have to stop and foot has to meet pavement. I'm REAL good at excuses. In this week where we've probably had the coldest temps of the winter, I got REAL good at not making them.
I ran with the IC for the second time this season on the day after New Years. It was cold, but I was there. Last Saturday was the kickoff of the PPRR Winter Series. My fitness, or lack thereof, kicked me in the junk. So after attending a christening and grabbing some breakfast on Sunday morning, I headed out into the first flurries for a 4 miler. Monday brought cold temps and more snow, so I worked at home. Around 11am, I cobbled together enough warm clothes and set out for 3+ miles. Tuesday, I was back at the office and then had another meeting after work. As soon as I got home, I threw on layers and headed out into the darkness. Three more miles. Rinse and repeat the scenario for Wednesday night. This morning I was up and out the door before sunrise.
I can feel that I've run for six days straight but it's not that bad. All the miles have been super slow due to conditions and that's just fine at this point. Looking forward to some warmer miles over the weekend.
I ran with the IC for the second time this season on the day after New Years. It was cold, but I was there. Last Saturday was the kickoff of the PPRR Winter Series. My fitness, or lack thereof, kicked me in the junk. So after attending a christening and grabbing some breakfast on Sunday morning, I headed out into the first flurries for a 4 miler. Monday brought cold temps and more snow, so I worked at home. Around 11am, I cobbled together enough warm clothes and set out for 3+ miles. Tuesday, I was back at the office and then had another meeting after work. As soon as I got home, I threw on layers and headed out into the darkness. Three more miles. Rinse and repeat the scenario for Wednesday night. This morning I was up and out the door before sunrise.
I can feel that I've run for six days straight but it's not that bad. All the miles have been super slow due to conditions and that's just fine at this point. Looking forward to some warmer miles over the weekend.
