I signed up to get the Sunrise Striders bi-weekly emails that prescribe various speed workouts in an effort to a) get faster and b) do something besides running slow miles every time I go out. Since I no longer live in COS, I'll just be an honorary strider and try to go it alone.
Tuesday's run was of the recovery flavor and I had some stuff to do after work so I opted for another day off after the Ascent.
Last night I got the email for Thursday's workout that prescribed yet another easy run in Ute Valley Park but for those who are actually training for something - you get to go run 5 x 1000m cruise intervals. Ok! Sign me up.... but what the hell is a cruise interval? I did a quick Google search and figured that I would aim for a low 9 min pace for a tempo type run in interval form. I poked around on my Garmin and found that I could set it to count off the intervals for me and accommodate warmup/cooldown and rest between intervals. I dialed in the 5 x 0.62 mi intervals with 1 minute RBI and set my alarm for 5am.
Upon waking, I realized that it was not quite as bright at 5am as I was hoping. I dug my headlamp out of a bag and threw it on to illuminate the terrain on the way over to the track. I jogged easily to the track at the middle school near my house, dropped my water bottle, and hit the button to start the workout. I went out at a pace that felt great for about 400 meters and struggled the second lap and a half to finish the first interval. That one minute of rest felt like 15 seconds and I was back at it again. The second set hurt worse than the first, but I still held a low 9 min pace. For the third, I attempted to up the cadence but shorten my stride with little success. The last two kinda clicked off as I zoned out watching the traffic spill out of the nearby neighborhoods.
After the last interval, I jogged the 3/4 of a mile back to my house and walked the dog around the block since he was rather upset that I went without him. Ended up with 5.25 mi in 58 minutes. Looking forward to see what next Tuesday's workout is.
PPA Recap
After taking a year off, I was pretty stoked to be running the PPA again this year. I've focused a lot on trying to lose some weight and also spent much more time at higher altitude this summer than I had in years past. Going into Saturday, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was excited to get back on the mountain.
I rolled out of bed at 3am Saturday morning; a good 90 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but I was already feeling amped so I got out of bed and made some coffee and hung out for a while. I made the drive down to COS to ride over with some friends and we were at the starting line just in time to watch the first wave head out.
I chatted with a few folks and then warmed up and took a spot about middle of the pack on the far left side for the start. Once the gun went off, I cruised down Manitou Ave and up Ruxton at a pretty easy effort. The clogging at the start of the trail and first switchback seemed much worse this year than before. I stopped several times and counted to 5 before I could take a step forward. I continued up the W's at a pretty casual pace and let people by on multiple occasions. I think I hit the top of the W's at around 58 minutes which is a little slower than I wanted. Things started thinning out after the W's and I continued with the casual pace with the aim to really crank it up above No Name where things flatten out. I made it to No Name at around 1:27 and refilled the water bottle quickly before continuing. Once things flattened out, I started running and ran a good portion of the trail all the way over to the foot bridge that starts the final climb to Barr Camp. I felt like I was the only one running but moved by quite a few people in this section and latched on to a group to follow up to Barr Camp.
I pulled into camp at 2:25 a few minutes ahead of 5:00 pace. Nice! I made a quick stop to refill and then headed up towards Bottomless. The stretch between Barr Camp and A-Frame always seems to take longer than it should and this year was no exception. I let a few people go by on the way to Bottomless, but once on the long switchback toward A-Frame, I started reeling some people in and coming across the first few trail casualties on the side. I never pushed the pace, but tried to stay in contact with a small group that was moving well. I pulled into A-Frame at 3:34 (wtf?) and started to get worried about going sub 5 or even beating my time from 2 years ago. Again I quickly refilled the bottle with some watered down Gatorade and headed out. I hopped in behind a chatty dude who was moving at a very comfortable pace, but it wasn't long before I made a move around him. Once above treeline, the terrain seemed to level out a lot. In years past, the death march started here and it was just a slog to put one foot in front of the other. This year, however, I really started moving well and picking people off at a good clip. I think I was putting down 25-26 min miles for the first two and was only passed by two people on the traverse over to the Cirque. I hit the Cirque aid station still feeling great and grabbed a handful of grapes. For some reason, those are the best tasting grapes in the world.
I moved past a few more people between the Cirque and the 16 Golden Stairs. Once on the stairs, things started moving a little slower. Those first few switchbacks are pretty brutal and once past those, I decided it was time to make a run for it to finish sub 5. I hit the slight downhill and ran a few more switchbacks before coming around the corner and realizing that I wasn't quite as close to the finish as I thought. I dialed it back and felt like I couldn't move. I recovered for a couple of switchbacks and finally found another running gear to power up the last few switchbacks and stop the clock at 4:58:06.
Immediately, I was relieved to get the 5 hour monkey off my back but after things started soaking in, I really felt like I left a lot on the bottom 3/4 of the course. I checked my A-Frame to Summit split (1:24) and had to go all the way up to the 4:15 - 4:30 finishers to find a large sample of finishers that also ran that split. I have never moved that well above treeline and was a little disappointed that I didn't move as well lower on the course. I guess, there's always next year. Hopefully, I'll be a few more pounds lighter and will be afforded the opportunity to spend as much, if not more, time above treeline in the weeks leading up to the race.
I rolled out of bed at 3am Saturday morning; a good 90 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but I was already feeling amped so I got out of bed and made some coffee and hung out for a while. I made the drive down to COS to ride over with some friends and we were at the starting line just in time to watch the first wave head out.
I chatted with a few folks and then warmed up and took a spot about middle of the pack on the far left side for the start. Once the gun went off, I cruised down Manitou Ave and up Ruxton at a pretty easy effort. The clogging at the start of the trail and first switchback seemed much worse this year than before. I stopped several times and counted to 5 before I could take a step forward. I continued up the W's at a pretty casual pace and let people by on multiple occasions. I think I hit the top of the W's at around 58 minutes which is a little slower than I wanted. Things started thinning out after the W's and I continued with the casual pace with the aim to really crank it up above No Name where things flatten out. I made it to No Name at around 1:27 and refilled the water bottle quickly before continuing. Once things flattened out, I started running and ran a good portion of the trail all the way over to the foot bridge that starts the final climb to Barr Camp. I felt like I was the only one running but moved by quite a few people in this section and latched on to a group to follow up to Barr Camp.
I pulled into camp at 2:25 a few minutes ahead of 5:00 pace. Nice! I made a quick stop to refill and then headed up towards Bottomless. The stretch between Barr Camp and A-Frame always seems to take longer than it should and this year was no exception. I let a few people go by on the way to Bottomless, but once on the long switchback toward A-Frame, I started reeling some people in and coming across the first few trail casualties on the side. I never pushed the pace, but tried to stay in contact with a small group that was moving well. I pulled into A-Frame at 3:34 (wtf?) and started to get worried about going sub 5 or even beating my time from 2 years ago. Again I quickly refilled the bottle with some watered down Gatorade and headed out. I hopped in behind a chatty dude who was moving at a very comfortable pace, but it wasn't long before I made a move around him. Once above treeline, the terrain seemed to level out a lot. In years past, the death march started here and it was just a slog to put one foot in front of the other. This year, however, I really started moving well and picking people off at a good clip. I think I was putting down 25-26 min miles for the first two and was only passed by two people on the traverse over to the Cirque. I hit the Cirque aid station still feeling great and grabbed a handful of grapes. For some reason, those are the best tasting grapes in the world.
I moved past a few more people between the Cirque and the 16 Golden Stairs. Once on the stairs, things started moving a little slower. Those first few switchbacks are pretty brutal and once past those, I decided it was time to make a run for it to finish sub 5. I hit the slight downhill and ran a few more switchbacks before coming around the corner and realizing that I wasn't quite as close to the finish as I thought. I dialed it back and felt like I couldn't move. I recovered for a couple of switchbacks and finally found another running gear to power up the last few switchbacks and stop the clock at 4:58:06.
Immediately, I was relieved to get the 5 hour monkey off my back but after things started soaking in, I really felt like I left a lot on the bottom 3/4 of the course. I checked my A-Frame to Summit split (1:24) and had to go all the way up to the 4:15 - 4:30 finishers to find a large sample of finishers that also ran that split. I have never moved that well above treeline and was a little disappointed that I didn't move as well lower on the course. I guess, there's always next year. Hopefully, I'll be a few more pounds lighter and will be afforded the opportunity to spend as much, if not more, time above treeline in the weeks leading up to the race.
Last run before Pikes
Got up early and headed down to Manitou again on Saturday. Left the parking lot at Memorial at about 6:20. After last week I really wanted to focus on dialing it back a little bit in the W's so that I could run more above No Name Creek. I'd hoped to get to Barr Camp feeling fresher than I had last week and maybe even a little quicker. Mission accomplished. I ran into Barr right at 2:25 after going up the W's about 3 minutes slower than last week and I felt better too.
Jogged down and soaked in the creek for a few minutes at the park. I think all the work is done and now I just need to get through the short work week and get to Manitou feeling rested on Saturday. Can't wait!
Jogged down and soaked in the creek for a few minutes at the park. I think all the work is done and now I just need to get through the short work week and get to Manitou feeling rested on Saturday. Can't wait!
whole 30 wrap-up
I made it 29 and a half days. I drank two beers last night with my steak and asparagus as we had some friends from out of town over for dinner.
Overall it was a pretty big success as my weight went from 197 to 184 in the 30 days. Since I had been eating mostly primal leading up to the Whole 30, I didn't have a ton of cravings to get over for crappy food. Eating out on Whole 30 is a big pain the ass, but I managed a few times at Ted's Montana Grill and Chipotle/Qdoba, but even then I was constantly worried about getting some type of veggie or soybean oil somewhere on my plate.
I probably flirted with "sex with your pants on" which is how Whole 30 refers to adapting junk foods to fit within the guidelines. I fueled a few 14er hikes with "Lara Balls" which are just dates, nuts, and coconut shredded in the food processor and formed into balls. Addictive little nuggets for sure.
I don't really miss dairy save for some heavy cream in my coffee but even that seemed to taint the cup of black java that I have grown accustomed to over the past month. The only thing I really missed was beer and I would ideally like to keep that to a minimum for the next 10 days. I may be able to crack into the 170s before Pikes but if it doesn't happen before then, it will after.
Overall it was a pretty big success as my weight went from 197 to 184 in the 30 days. Since I had been eating mostly primal leading up to the Whole 30, I didn't have a ton of cravings to get over for crappy food. Eating out on Whole 30 is a big pain the ass, but I managed a few times at Ted's Montana Grill and Chipotle/Qdoba, but even then I was constantly worried about getting some type of veggie or soybean oil somewhere on my plate.
I probably flirted with "sex with your pants on" which is how Whole 30 refers to adapting junk foods to fit within the guidelines. I fueled a few 14er hikes with "Lara Balls" which are just dates, nuts, and coconut shredded in the food processor and formed into balls. Addictive little nuggets for sure.
I don't really miss dairy save for some heavy cream in my coffee but even that seemed to taint the cup of black java that I have grown accustomed to over the past month. The only thing I really missed was beer and I would ideally like to keep that to a minimum for the next 10 days. I may be able to crack into the 170s before Pikes but if it doesn't happen before then, it will after.
putting hay in the barn... or something
Got out last Tuesday before work and had one of those rare days where you can just keep running well beyond your normal quitting time. I hopped onto some new trails in Deer Creek Canyon Park and ended up going over 8 miles on the day and almost 1800 ft of climbing.
Ventured back out on Deer Creek trails on Friday for a quick trip to the top of Plymouth Mountain. I wanted to see how long it took purely hiking to the top versus the run/hike mix I usually do. Turns out power hiking got me up there slightly quicker which I guess is a good thing since that's what I'll be doing more of on race day. 36 minutes to the top and 1:05 total with 1680 ft climbing.
Sunday I was up at 4am and in the parking lot at Memorial Park a few minutes after 5 to head up to Barr Camp. I took my time to let the sun come up a little more so I could see since I didn't bring a light. I jogged away from the parking lot at 5:20. I took it nice and easy up the road to Hydro and settled into a hike up the first steep climb. Felt decent when that was over and kept a good pace going to the top of the W's. I slowed down a little bit going over to No Name and hit a bad patch above No Name and wasn't able to really push it going across the faster and flatter section of the course. Definitely ran a little hot through the W's and paid the price higher up. A lesson better learned in training than on race day. Made it to Barr Camp in 2:27, emptied a bottle of water into my pack, stretched, and headed back down. I hiked a lot of the first couple miles down and was then able to resume running all the way back down to the park. Finished in 4:10.
Plan for the upcoming week is at least one trip up Plymouth and then head back down to Manitou on Saturday morning. Debating whether or not I should go up to the summit and run around above tree line or make another trip to Barr Camp.
Ventured back out on Deer Creek trails on Friday for a quick trip to the top of Plymouth Mountain. I wanted to see how long it took purely hiking to the top versus the run/hike mix I usually do. Turns out power hiking got me up there slightly quicker which I guess is a good thing since that's what I'll be doing more of on race day. 36 minutes to the top and 1:05 total with 1680 ft climbing.
Sunday I was up at 4am and in the parking lot at Memorial Park a few minutes after 5 to head up to Barr Camp. I took my time to let the sun come up a little more so I could see since I didn't bring a light. I jogged away from the parking lot at 5:20. I took it nice and easy up the road to Hydro and settled into a hike up the first steep climb. Felt decent when that was over and kept a good pace going to the top of the W's. I slowed down a little bit going over to No Name and hit a bad patch above No Name and wasn't able to really push it going across the faster and flatter section of the course. Definitely ran a little hot through the W's and paid the price higher up. A lesson better learned in training than on race day. Made it to Barr Camp in 2:27, emptied a bottle of water into my pack, stretched, and headed back down. I hiked a lot of the first couple miles down and was then able to resume running all the way back down to the park. Finished in 4:10.
Plan for the upcoming week is at least one trip up Plymouth and then head back down to Manitou on Saturday morning. Debating whether or not I should go up to the summit and run around above tree line or make another trip to Barr Camp.
i suck at blogging
I keep meaning to post something here and there but never get around to it. A lot has changed since I last posted here. We are now residents of Castle Rock, which is awesome. I work in the Littleton area, which affords me a nice view and occasional trips to run around on the foothills in Deer Creek Canyon Park before work. My wife and I are expecting another kid in October and I'm feeling decent about Pikes in a few weeks.
I've hiked/jogged on far more 14ers this summer than I have in summers past. I've knocked out 3/4 of the Decalibron on an outing in late June. Followed that up with a run up to Barr Camp and back. Two weeks ago, I tagged the summit of Grays, but skipped Torreys due to lack of time. Yesterday, I went up Bierstadt at a fairly encouraging pace. I'll probably focus the next couple of weekends down on the Peak.
In other news, I'm going into the race the lightest I've ever been going into Pikes. Thanks in part to a Whole 30 which I'm on day 22 of today. I was eating mostly Paleo leading up to starting the Whole 30 so I'm sure cutting out beer and cleaning things up is helping. I have a bunch of leftover quality CO micros from my daughter's first birthday party, but they will have to wait for another couple weeks.
I've hiked/jogged on far more 14ers this summer than I have in summers past. I've knocked out 3/4 of the Decalibron on an outing in late June. Followed that up with a run up to Barr Camp and back. Two weeks ago, I tagged the summit of Grays, but skipped Torreys due to lack of time. Yesterday, I went up Bierstadt at a fairly encouraging pace. I'll probably focus the next couple of weekends down on the Peak.
In other news, I'm going into the race the lightest I've ever been going into Pikes. Thanks in part to a Whole 30 which I'm on day 22 of today. I was eating mostly Paleo leading up to starting the Whole 30 so I'm sure cutting out beer and cleaning things up is helping. I have a bunch of leftover quality CO micros from my daughter's first birthday party, but they will have to wait for another couple weeks.
pawtoberfest 5k
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.
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}
