December F11 Summary

Runs - 24
Workouts - 9
Injured - 0

The Bad:

Mother Nature - December started out with winter in full force and never really let up. While the snow and cold temps never bothered me, the icy road conditions limited my miles on more then one occasion.

The Good:

The Run - While the daily mile average wasn't high, the consistency of getting after it 5 days a week was there. I also got in a few 2 a days due to a rather relaxed work schedule but the mileage was still held in check. Legs and body mentally and physically were great and I was extremely happy with easily averaging over 50 miles a week with never once feeling like I was chasing miles.

The Workout - I couldn't be more happy with my weight lifting sessions. I'm easily the strongest I've been in over a year. The once broken arm still raises a small red flag on certain exercises but overall it's holding up strong. So much so that my mind set during these sessions is to kill it. I'm usually left sore and tight for a few days after each workout. And this applies to upper, core and lower body. I'm still a far distance away from benching 225 like a did a few years back, but the overall balance I'm currently experiencing is so much more beneficial.

The Crazy - On the last day of the year, an invite to run 27 miles was thrown out there from PG. Along with LD and RK, we embarked on a run along the Highline Canal and Platte Trail. Temps were comfortable but huge portions of the trails were a fine mixture of ice, snow, bullet proof ice and heaps of gail force winds. Had I been alone, I would have bagged it after 10. But with the company of some solid folks, we some how persevered through a rather tough day of running. And that 27 miles was more like 30.

Looking Forward:

2012 Baby! A new year with so many new goals on the plate!

Chuncky Cheeks 22 Miler

I have to start out by thanking NClark for opening up his house and hosting such a fun get together.

This past Saturday morning, I got the opportunity to run the Fort Collins FA for the first time. My first ever FA and it was an absolute blast.

Staying at the in-laws the night before up in Loveland saved me an hour on my drive up to Fort Collins for the 7am start. Saturday morning started out brisk, 20 or so degrees, and thankfully calm. At the start, I quickly grouped with PatrickG, RyanK and Jeremiah (whom I hadn't met before) and we all made slow work as we approached the Horsetooth Park some 3/4's of a mile away from Nick's driveway.

The trails quickly revealed what was in store for the day. Lots of snow. So much that when we briefly ran on actual dry single track trail, it felt odd and out of place. There was also nothing flat about the day's journey with heaps of vert to be had regardless of distance being covered. Lastly, sun. A beautiful clear calm blue bird day that so often greets a Colorado winter day. Everything set up perfectly for a day of trail running.

(Approaching Horsetooth during the early miles)

(On top of Horsetooth looking south towards the rising sun)

(Our exit chute off of Horsetooth with Towers, aka climb #3 of the day, in the background)

Overall the running pace was good. Making quick work of the downhills, working the uphills and enjoying downtime at all the major intersections. Thankfully none of us were in a rush to get anywhere and we were all just enjoying the day of trailrunning and the great conversation.

(Our footing for most of the day)

The third and last real climb was the longest, snowiest and possibly the steepest and we all we're moving at a respectful clip. And this is where we got lost.

Apparently near the top of Tower Road, before the real steep section, we were to turn left. We would have known had we read the directions. Instead we muttered a "fucker!" or two at the steeps and proceeded to run it and before long we were at the top of one of the dead end towers. A quick turnaround and up another fork of the road and we were at dead end tower #2. Looking at the map revealed that some bush whacking would get us back on course and before long we were finishing off the last long stretch home.

In hindsight, I should have left my yak traks, extra set of socks & gloves in the car in exchange for an extra 15 ounces of water. I was overdressed for most of the run but still had my Tuesday morning run in -15 degree temps fresh on my mind. So I was fine with being extra warm. Other then that, I felt great the whole time and could have ran more had time allowed.

22 Miles - 5,000 feet of vert - Official Time of 5 hours, 29 minutes, 26 seconds. Somewhere between 45 to 60 minutes of that spent at intersection or at high points doing nothing other then enjoying a Colorado day on the trails.

(Jeremiah and Patrick refueling while Ryan wonders if Western States drew his name - which they did!)

November F12 Summary

Runs - 24
Workouts - 5
Injured - 0

The Bad:

Getting Sick - Whatever I caught I caught good and it did a number on me for a good week. The same week in which I had taken time off to spend with the family over a long Thanksgiving weekend. So while I got to spend a lot of time laying low around the house, I can't say it was the most productive use of my time. Guess I'd rather get sick now then say later this winter...I guess.

The Good:

Consistency - I missed 2 days this past month from some type of activity but overall I was very happy with the day to day runs or workouts I've been getting in. I do find it odd that Monday thru Friday I have no issues being awake at 5am to get in my training. But when it comes to the weekend, I can't for the life of me wake up before 6:30/7:00.

Strength Training - I missed 1 day of lifting weights due to being sick. Missed 2 other sessions on purpose as to give my body a little break from 7 straight weeks of hitting it hard. Now I'm starting a 8 week streak of focused lifting to get me thru some dark days of winter. I can't be happier with my trips to the gym as of late. Most please with how quickly my body responds from pushing weights now. Specifically the legs in which I continue to push hard twice.

Runs - Being sick wrecked my shot at throwing up a good mileage run for the month. In hindsight, a few days off during this span would have been more beneficial then a painful 4 mile run around Wash Park. However I can't be disappointed with my nearly 10 mile per run average. Highlighted by long runs of 20.5 (Woody's awesome Pancake Social), 22 and 25 miles.

Mustache - Mild temps this month allowed for exposed skin during the early morning runs. Which is perfect when sporting the 'stache. I got a late start to a work sponsored and supported Movember as I wanted to be clean cut for my 2 year anniversary with the wife. 25 days was thankfully enough time to create this sexy look!


However the wife hated, I mean really, really HATED the look. Thankfully bringing home a few of her favorite seasonal brew helped smooth things over.



Leadville Lodging - I'm always one to plan way in advance for stuff and I'm thankful to have my lodging booked for race weekend. A house just 2 plus blocks from the start/finish line. Now all I have to worry about is training my ass off.

Looking Forward:

Crazy to think that it's almost the end of the year. With no races in the immediate future, I'm sticking with what's worked great the past few months. Consistency, focusing on building a strong base of running and staying lean with the weight lifting.

I'm also hoping to make it up to Fort Collins for a little chubster action. Wow, that just sounds wrong.

Lastly, growing my beard back. My face is way to handsome to let the cold dry air ruin it's fine texture.

Boom Boom Ain't It Great To Be Crazy

So my wife loves playing music for our daughter. When my wife is in control of iTunes, she's normally cranking out a mixture of country and baby songs. When I'm in control, it's usually Pink Floyd, Wu-Tang Clan, The Cure, Beastie Boys...yup all over the board.

Baby type songs are the ones our little monkey is exposed to the most. Of the hundreds I've listen to over the past 8 plus months, there is only one song that has gotten stuck in my head.

Boom, Boom ain't it great to be Crazy!

It's the "Crazy" part that I'm drawn too. At a few months old, I recall hearing this song for the first time and wonder "how the hell can a 2 month old go crazy?" I've asked myself that same question each month she gets older. It wasn't until recently that my little monkey started throwing her toys and laughing at the harmless act. This is her Crazy and she's loving it.

I've been a runner for almost 10 years now and have since been labeled "Crazy" more times then I can remember. Early on, I remember hating being labeled like this. For doing something that kept me out of trouble, in shape. For doing something I really loved to do.

I think about the connotation of the word crazy. Is being crazy a good thing? A bad thing? To me it's a really good thing.

If my current running state is viewed by others as crazy, then I'm doing something that I really love to do.

Well I better prepare myself for being called even crazier since I've signed up for the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run. Signed up while sitting on the floor with my laptop and daughter next to me screaming at the top of her lungs, throwing shit around and trying to knock the laptop off my lap all while laughing (aka going crazy!).

I guess I could have posted something a bit more straightforward such as "I'm running Leadville!", but it's not about Leadville. Or the 100 miles. It's about showing my daughter that it's alright to put all your heart and soul into something you love doing. Regardless of people viewing what you are doing as crazy.

So to my little one, here's to never forgetting that's it's great to being crazy.

October F12 Summary

Runs - 22
Workouts - 9
Injured - 0

The Bad:

Wash Park - No comment on the redesign and associated safety concerns. My take is on the time it's taken the folks to finally set up the eastern flanks of the path. Tear up the existing route and do nothing for 3 plus weeks other then fill it with 3 foot high mounds of that gravel/path mix. Leaving that gravel/path mix in a pile for 2 plus weeks.

During this time a new path next to the existing path had been created by those not wanting to run on the street and that mound of gravel mix getting beat up by folks messing around on them.

And when they finally got to laying out the path, they did such a half ass job that the path is left looking and feeling like shit.

I've always felt that Cheeseman Park (please disregard shenanigans that occur within the park) as they nicest park in Denver. With their recent renovations completed, the running path within Cheeseman stands as a model to what all other parks should achieve to be. I really hope Wash Park doesn't think they're done with that portion of the trail.

The Good:

Consistency - The routine for the month was pretty simple. Hit the gym hard twice a week. Get a run in 5 times a week. Only missed one day of a scheduled run due to being under the weather and I made up for it with a double run a few days later.

Workouts - It feels great getting back indoors and pushing some weight. Early on, it was tough physically and mentally to get back into it, but after 5 straight weeks I gotta say I'm loving it. All workouts consist of 40+/- minutes of upper body and core and 20+/- minutes of legs. Goal has been to thrash myself and I've been doing a good job so far. So good in fact that my biceps hurt while typing! Alright, that's a bit extreme but you get the point.

Runs - The running early in the month was low key. Averaging around 6 miles per run for the first half of the month with no long runs the first 3 weekends.

I didn't see a need to do more then that. I figured a mental break from the grind was still needed and physically, it gave my body more time to recover from all the aches and pains that have developed over a long summer of running.

The last few weeks saw a nice steady increase in the running highlighted by 17 and then a 20 mile long run during the last few weekends of the month. Finishing with 53 miles over 5 runs in the last 7 days of the month. Never felt that I needed to do these runs, but more wanting to do these runs.

Durango - Spent a nice long weekend with friends back down in Durango. During their peak in town fall colors. 3 days of easy running along the Animas, up and down Smelter and around the Test Tracks and Horse Gulch. Oh and I can't forget the beer. Ska, Steamworks and Carvers.

Family Time - As has always been the case, my family comes first and with the huge cut back in running, I've been spending a lot of time with the family this past month. Perfect fall temps have meant lots of walks around Wash Park, Durango, Loveland or any other spot we might be hanging out.

Looking Forward:

More of the Same: I can't see my routine changing much during the month of November. I'll continue to slowly increase my miles and even tack on a double here or there. I'll also take one scheduled week off from the gym just to let the upper body do a mini recovery before I hammer on it again for another 8 straight weeks.

I'll also start mixing in some plyometrics into the workout. Nothing intense but enough to remind the body and legs that I do have the ability to move left, right and backwards. Not just forward.

2012 Plans: With nothing left on the race schedule for this year, I'll be putting together my race schedule for next year. Pretty much there but just looking at a few out of state family trips in which I can hopefully squeeze in a race.

100 Mile Race - Which One To Do

Without doubt, there is only one 100 mile I really care to do. Hardrock. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way and it goes without saying that I bit of hard work (and even luck) needs to be put in before being considered for this race.

The list below are races that I'm considering doing. I have pros and cons for each race. What I don't get caught up in is the difficulty of a specific race. Bottom line is any 100 mile race I consider will be a total bitch to complete. Regardless of elevation, terrain, location, number of aid stations, etc...

1st Option: Cascade Crest 100
Pros: A gorgeous setting, a loop course, a 10am start time, a very low key event with no Big Buckle Envy. The high point of the course is equivalent to that of my house so training wouldn't require long drives to the high country for acclimation.

Cons: Being no where near home and not knowing anyone in the Seattle area would mean I'd be running this race solo and likely with little assistance from a crew. My wife would only be helping once at mile 23 and this while caring for our daughter. This trip can get costly.

Registration: The race has never exceeded 128 offical starters and in 2011 filled up in 7 minutes. Speaking with the RD, 2012 will have some type of undetermined lottery system in February. No clue what entrant cap will be.

2nd Option: Leadville 100
Pros: The course is only a few hours away. Very familiar with the course. The recruitment of family and friends for pacing and crewing will be (hopefully) extremely easy. The community of those running/supporting the race is awesome!

Cons: 700 plus folks lining up at the start. Not a fan of the out and back design of the course. Damn early start time. Getting up to elevation for training on a frequent basis (which means more time away from the family). Big Buckle Envy. Reality is everyone is fixated with this. Regardless of their ability to achieve the 25 hour mark. Do I really need to add this possible stress to an already demanding event?

Registration: From my understanding, registration opens up November 1st. Will it sell out in 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, next January? No clue but guessing from the popularity of the race and possible release of a movie on some book, I can only imagine this race, regardless of number of entrants, will sell out fast.

Distant 3rd Option: Bear 100
Pros: A point to point course along a beautiful stretch of backcountry between North East Utah and South East Idaho. Extremely low key event with no Big Buckle Envy (though there is animal buckle envy but not nearly as stressful).

Cons: Logistics made even more difficult being in a remote part of the state. Very likely no crew or pacer. Might not be possible due to work constraints this time of year.

Registration: I actually have no clue when registration opens up but guessing some time in Feb. Last years race wasn't full when I last checked which was just weeks leading into the race.

Choosing which 100 miler to sign up for is easy. It's the registration process and their respective dates that makes picking a race so damn difficult. My negative mindset with all this falls along the lines of - "If I wait for the Cascade Crest lottery to open, I won't get picked. Which means I already missed my opportunity to get into Leadville since that race will fill up before Thanksgiving. Leaving Bear as my only option which might not be doable anyway."

So do I pull the trigger and sign up for Leadville? Do I take my chances and wait for Cascade? Do I consider other races like Angeles Crest, Big Horn or Wasatch and complicate this whole process even more?

And for the record, my wife is pushing for Leadville as she's completely opposed to me running this distance alone. Even though she'd rather wait for me in the heart of the Cascades versus Leadville during the long weekend.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

September 2011 Summary

Runs - 19
Workouts - 2
Injured - 0

The Bad:

Outside of being damn near frozen solid on the 17th, I can't complain about one thing over the past month.

The Good:

Recovery - I am so pleased with how well I've recovered from Steamboat. I took 3 days off after the race and went for an easy 5 mile run with nearly no issues. So happy about that. And with that, I did almost no running over the last 2 weeks of the month. Just didn't see the point. Mentally refreshing to escape the daily grind of training every day.

Family Time! - No long runs on the weekend has allowed for much time with the wife and daughter. Strolls thru Wash Park, the Farmers Market, trips to the high country. Highlighted by some amazing time spent in Grand Lake when the weather was warm, colors stunning and beer tasty.


Mustache - I some how pulled off sporting a mustache the last 2 weeks of the month. It was awesome and made me feel like a real man!!! For some reason though, my wife hated it. Not sure why.

Fall - I love all four seasons here in Colorado. However winter and summer can get a bit old as the extreme temps can linger on a bit to long. With spring and fall, temps always seem to be perfect.

Looking Forward:

More Family Time - Enjoying the weather over the next month plus with the family will be my main immediate focus. Lots more long walks around the park and a few more trips up to the mountains.

Embracing the dark and cold of winter - I'll slowly start to increase my miles over the next few weeks. This increase will occur during the dark and slowly getting colder mornings. I love training in this type of environment because it helps me stay mentally strong and appreciate the upcoming spring that much more.

2012 - I've looked at the dates for a few races next year and I'm slowly putting it all together. Gotta admit, it's not if I'll sign up for a 100 mile race, but which 100 mile race I'll sign up for. More to come on this topic in a future post.

Run Rabbit Run - Mother Nature Not Playing Nice

Last year I approached Base Camp (Mile 32) completely out of gas due to an overheating body and on the verge of severe dehydration. This year I approached Base Camp shaking uncontrollably and hands so swollen I felt like each of my hands had 5 thumbs that couldn't bend.

Before I start, I gotta say a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped make this race happen. Folks were dropping left and right and it could have gotten really ugly had it not been for all these fine people.

Race morning had some surprisingly comfortable temps. My long sleeve almost seemed like too much and I questioned if my jacket tied to my Nathan was even necessary. My drop bag had a short sleeved shirt which I wish was on me instead.

The start is in the dark and was hiding the dark luminous clouds that were lingering some 2,000 feet above us. This year was a complete contrast to last year. No sun. No fall colors (yet). And worse, no warmth for those ready to run 50 miles.

(The Start from our condo...the day after the storm)

The first 23 miles were at a conservative pace with a focus on hydration and fuel. No gps today and only an old school Timex who's time is set to another hemispheres time zone which beeped every 15 minutes. All felt easy to this point with my only bumps in the road being 3 bio breaks in the woods.

Since about mile 5, heaps of fog, cold light winds and a steady mist kept us company. At first, it wasn't a big deal. Over a couple of hours though, this mist was more then enough to soak us. Refuge among the trees was bliss compared to the exposed open meadows where the weather was miserable at times. It was the climb up Rabbit Ears when the weather got nasty. The rain was now a down pour. The wind howling.

The turnaround came in at just under 5 hours flat. Pretty much spot on to last year. The big difference was I felt awesome. Well hydrated, well fueled. Ready to hammer it back home. Oh and it was snowing.

Bio break number 4 at Dumont (Mile 28 and my first on an actual toilet), reloading on gels and chews and being extremely thankful that I had my somewhat damp jacket with me but wishing I had gloves and a beanie.

The next 4 miles went by quick but are the most exposed. Again, I was feeling great but the mixture of upper 30's temps, wind and rain got to me. I ran the last mile into Base Camp pretty hard. Well as hard as one can run on a sloppy mess of a forest road.

Even after that effort, I got to Base Camp frozen. Next thing I know I'm getting put into a warm SUV and peeling off my jacket and long sleeve and wrapped in blankets. Sitting next to a gal who up to this point was leading the women's race. I spent the next 30 plus minutes shaking uncontrollably. The next 30 plus minutes after that pondering how to avoid another DNF as my shaking continued. Watching person after person approach Base Camp getting put into the one of the 10 cars with the hope of warming up.

After an hour and 15 minutes-ish, I put on my long sleeve which was now dry. My dry jacket and dry hat. Threw down 2 big cups of noodles and broth, a few sodas and stepped outside. It was raining worse, mixed with hail and felt 20 below. Running in this for even a few minutes would put be back in a state of hypothermia. Then possibly my saving grace, a garbage bag.

A bag that would keep me dry and even possibly keep me warm due to its lack of breathing material. One hole for my head to poke thru, the rest of the bag tucked into my shorts. So I was off to finish this race. My goal of sub 10 was gone but still had a small shot at sub 11. The first few minutes out of the aid station led to some serious second guessing of my decision to leave. I started to get the chattering jaw again, still fat fingered and the sitting in the back seat of the SUV left my legs tight. Each step felt like I was driving my heel into the ground with no ability to bend my knees.

With a group of four other runners I made an unexplained move to pass down a sloppy slope. Bang! It all felt right. I ran damn near every step over the next 6 miles. Please keep in mind the running was ugly due to the horrible HORRIBLE trail conditions that now greeted me with every step.

Long Lake Aid Station was another refuge for those seeking warmth. Thankfully I wasn't one of them and didn't bother breaking stride. I continued on and made quick work over the next 5 miles running big chunks of it. The last time I ate anything was back at Base Camp. I tried since but I couldn't for the life of me open a gel. Open a pack of chews. (Cue in Benny Hill Theme Song - Yakety Sax) Fingers were beyond useless.

(Thankfully the rest of me was only frozen cold)

The last 2 miles to Mt. Werner (Mile 44) were much slower now but still felt good. Actually well hydrated and just unfortunately low on fuel. It was my now frozen hat causing issues and over these miles the cold winds at 10,000 feet caught up to me and I got into the aid station freezing agin.

I tried warming up for 10 minutes while covered in blankets and space blankets. Not working. Actually getting worse. Then I just said screw it and hoped the 6 miles of downhill would warm me up. It didn't. But I was moving along at a steady clip without any issues. With 2 miles left I wanted to ditch the garbage bag that saved my race. Second I peeled it off I started to freeze so I slipped it back on.

11 Hours 28 mintues, 51st place and the last 18 or so miles drapped in a garbage bag and I was now crossing the finish line.

Unofficial Results. Gloss in the local fish wrap.

So easy for me to be disappointed about this race. Over an hour an half spent on my ass trying to warm up. 4 stops wondering what was going on with my ass.

Honestly though, none of that mattered. Physically, from a pure running perspective, I got stronger as the day went on. My stomach never once even thought about going south on me. Hydration and fuel were spot on considering the circumstances. Menatally, I felt about as strong as I've ever felt during a race. No bonk, no quit in me. Only a desire to continue hammering.

Highlight of the race was seeing my family at the end. Being greeted by my overly supportive wife who for some unknown reason allows me to beat myself up in these races. And my daughter who's smile when seeing me at the finish made this race that much more memoriable.

(The family hanging out with a hobo in a garbage bag)

August 2011 Summary

Runs - 21
Workouts - 0
Injured - 0

The Bad:

A left ankle that can't catch a break. I can't remember the last time I woke up when my left ankle wasn't sore or stiff. I've rolled the ankle every possible way and it's been bruised up or inflamed for the better part of the past 2 months. What I am now left with is an inflamed bursa sack right where the Achilles tendon connects to the heel. Most days it takes a good mile plus to work thru the pain before it warms up. Some days the pain just doesn't go away. Now that I'm in taper mode, aspirin, ice and staying away from technical trails is about all my left ankle can ask for.

Recovery. In hindsight, not sure how smart it was to run the SF Marathon. Maybe it wasn't smart to run 22 miles at night in Leadville 6 days later. Either way, the first half of the month was spent trying to recover as quick as possible. Lots of days off (21 runs in the month was the least amount of running I've gotten in this year).

The Gym. My days off were complete days off were I didn't do shit. No gym, no running. Just relaxing and spending time with the family (a great thing) or working way to much (a crappy thing).

The Good:

Even with a slight cutback on the running, the month of August was a blast with the follow:

1st Weekend - Annual LT100 Night Run
2nd Weekend - Bergen Peak
3rd Weekend - Crewing and Pacing PG during his kick ass performance at LT100
4th Weekend - North Loop Indian Peaks Wilderness

With all the time off, I got in a healthy amount of stretching, foam roller and icing time in for the body. By the third weekend of the month, my body was starting to feel really good.

Looking Forward:

Not looking at 2012 all that closely but was curious to see when Jemez was being ran. Was really sad to see the Las Conchas Fires impact on the area and the race itself. Home page unfortunately says it all. If permits allow for a race next year, I'll make every effort to get down there and support the race and community.

Oh and some little race I've been eyeing now for some time is only weeks away!

Parting shot of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area -

North Loop - Indian Peaks Wilderness Area - Back Again

Not sure what more I can say about this loop that hasn't already been said. Well other then get out there and run it you haven't done so already.

Last year I ran this loop counter-clockwise alone. This year I ran it clockwise along with some fantastic company. I was some how able to talk both a run-in with the law and KM to wake up damn early, stomach a long drive up to the Long Lake trail head and hit the trails by 6:30am.

Temps at 10,500 feet couldn't have been any nicer at the start. Comfortable cool breeze's greeted us at both Pawnee and Buchanan. Typical of Indian Peaks, a bit of rain and thunder, lots of sun, water crossings and heaps amount of wildflowers helped paint a picture perfect day in the mountains high above the Front Range.

(Heading up towards Lake Isabelle and Pawnee Pass)

(Near the top of Pawnee Pass looking west)

(Run-In making quick work down towards Pawnee Lake)

(KM a few switch backs below Pawnee Pass itself)

I've been to the top of Pawnee Pass 6 times now in my life and the views and surrounding area have left me speechless each damn time. Run-In (who is running the Wasatch 100 and gunning for a Velvet Cougar aka Crimson Cheetah) set the pace most of the day but was kind enough to hold back from time to time. I personally felt great most of the run staying well ahead on both fluids and fuel. Also helps that the views and conversation offered up a great distraction to the running itself.

(Run-In leading the way down Cascade and up Buchanan. KM not far behind)

My only bottom happened shortly after leading us down a wrong trail about a mile before Coney Flats. What resulted was an additional 1 mile and damn near 30 minutes of bushwhacking and creek crossings to get back on the Beaver Creek Trail.

Leading the group the wrong way mentally drained me. Just felt bad for doing that even though no one cared. Having zero water on the last big climb of the day didn't help matters either. Most of the trail up to the Mt. Audubon intersection is runnable but not on this day for me. It was a slow slog up. Thankfully things came back together for me and we all made quick work of the last few technical miles back to the car.

Stats for the day were roughly:
27 3/4 Miles
7,100 Feet of Vert
7 Hours 20 Minutes (of that 30 mins spent lost, 30 mins spent just kicking it and enjoying the views)

(Indian Peaks Wilderness Area Single Track. Doesn't get much better then this)

July 2011 Summary

Runs - 25
Workouts - 5
Injured - 0

The Bad: Lots of travel days limited my running.

Is it possible for my left ankle to get even more thrashed? Yes when I seem to roll it every week.

The Good: Were to begin?

1st Weekend of July - Running Mt. Princeton.
2nd Weekend of July - Pacing/Crewing my friend at HR100.
3rd Weekend of July - Family vacation to Durango.
4th Weekend of July - Running the South Loop of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
5th Weekend of July - Running the San Francisco Marathon while on vacation.

The month of July saw me spend the most hours on my feet, the most vertical feet climbed and almost the most monthly miles so far this year. Even more important, a lot of time spent with the family! Damn how I love summer time in Colorado.

Looking forward: There is still plenty of time to be spending in the high country so I'm banking on a few more running trips up high. I also have 6 weeks till Steamboat so I have another month of focused training ahead of me that I'm looking forward to.

Most excited that in a few weeks, along with a few of his buddies, we'll be crewing and pacing PG at Leadville. The tasks of getting PG thru the race is something I'll be taking extremely serious. There might not be one right way to train for a 100 mile race, but the time he's put in over the past 6 months is extremely impressive and one I'm sure will pay off nicely. It's going to be a great weekend for so many folks up in Leadville! Can't wait.

And lastly, a trail running trip report (and pics) I never got around to posting. Columbine Lake attempted 1 day before my duties began at Hardrock. A comfortable 5 1/2 mile round trip route with 2,500 feet of up peaking at like 12,700 feet. A lake I've always wanted to visit. A lake that I got denied visiting due to waist deep snow. And I was only a few hundred yards away.

(Alpine Chicken!)

(Columbine Basin filled with snow)

(Looking towards the area between Ouray and Lake City)

(Looking towards Silverton)

2011 San Francisco Marathon

Heading back home now a days is all about spending time with family and extremely close friends. Nothing else matters. Not even my running. And this "doesn't matter" approach was exactly how I treated the San Francisco Marathon that was held a few days ago on the last day of July.

This year's trip back home was made even more special as my beautiful baby daughter got to meet so many new face. She also had some trouble getting adjusted to her new sleeping arraignment which meant sleepless nights for the wife and I for the duration of the trip.

Mix in a very short 3 day taper (Thur off due to travels, Fri & Sat combined 7 miles, 40 mile week and 21 miles just 8 days earlier) and I wasn't expecting much come race day. For no specific reason a slow 3:40 sounded right.

Sunday race day starts out stupid early. 5:32am to be specific. I won't break down my race but rather share random things that went on during my 26.2 mile training run in San Francisco (aka The City by the Bay, aka The Sucka Free City, aka The 415).


Overheard: "We are 20 seconds behind our goal pace and I already feel like I'm pushing hard." This was at the 1 mile marker

Pace Group Encounter #1: Shortly after watering the plants at mile 4, I saw the 3:40 pace group about 20 yards or so behind and thinking it would be tough to keep up with them.

Golden Gate Bride Crossing: Way to crowded to have it be enjoyable (to me) but still pretty freaking cool to be offered the opportunity to do so. Yup, that's a girl in a tu-tu smoking me early on.


Presidio: Hitting a high point of the course 10+ miles in and realizing I had another 3 or 4 gears in me. This is where the fun began.

Mile 15: Free Beer! Need I say more. And yes I will have another.

Pace Group Encounter #2: Creeping up and passing the 3:20 pace group around mile 18 and thinking their pace was way to slow.

Haight St: Awesome that the course ran down the heart of such an amazing place.


Hills: I love hills and I love watching people suffer up them.

Cell Phones: I called my wife at mile 21 to let her know where I was. The look from other runners was priceless.

Downhill finish: All that downhill over the last 6 miles came within what felt like 10 quad mashing blocks.

Passing Fools: I was maybe a foot or so away before noticing that I was passing up JT. I've only met JT a few times (read his blog all the time) and he seems like a solid guy but reality is I don't know him. So a smack on the ass as a motivation tool to the Sub Elite would have been weird. Now if you're reading PG, I will use this tactic if I see you slacking anywhere between Twin and Fish. You've been warned.

Toughest moment: Doing a healthy size whiskey shot at mile 25. I almost barfed on the party of crazies providing the free booze. Took me a 1/4 mile to be sure my stomach wouldn't come up.

3 Hours, 15 Minutes, 27 Seconds. 7:28Pace. 195th out of 5920 runners (finishers?).

I started out the race extremely slow and ate and drank a bunch early on. Once the legs warmed up I just sped up the pace every few miles till the race was done. 8 miles in I had a 7:54Pace going on. So yeah, I picked it up a bit there after even though I was easily goofing around much more during the second half of the race.

I was actually disappointed that the race was done and I could have easily headed out for lap 2 of the course. And this is what I was most proud of. So much left in the tank to take on more. Mentally wanting more. Yeah a marathon won't prep me for Steamboat but it's these little things that help ensure my current training plan is working.

As for the course layout, for the out of towner, it was great. You do get a great tour of the city. For me though, and as a native, I would have loved seeing the route go thru more of the cities neighborhoods and tackle a few more steeps. I believe that it's these two things that make the city what it is (you can have Pier 39 and the Wharf and I'll take North Beach or the Inner Sunset any day of the week).

I'm not one for finisher medals but the one below is pretty bad ass. Now to plan next weekends adventure in the high country.

South Loop - Indian Peaks Wilderness Area

Every trip I've ever made to the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area has treated me with lots of snow, even more water, plenty of color up high and down low and signature technical single track. Mix in some light breeze's and blue bird skies and Saturday's run around the South Loop did not disappoint.

WA and I met up for a great jaunt around one of the nicest trails the eastern side of the divide has to offer. The route was pretty simple:

Start at the Forth of July Road & The Hessie Trailhead intersection.
Up to Kings Lake with side trips to Lost Lake and Betty Lake (Screw Bob and his lake).
Two miles along the Continental Divide to Devils Thumb Pass.
Down the Jesper drainage with a side trip to an aerial view of Diamond Lake(got misrouted due to huge snow fields and lack of trail).

Roughly 21 miles, 5 1/2 hours and over 5,000 feet of up and down. Pace was conservative, energy strong and the company/conversation fantastic. Woody was looking great coming off a nice showing at the Silver Rush just a week ago.

Instead of boring you with details of the run, I'll let the following pics show off what true Colorado summer running is all about (pic of delicious and cold filtered stream water from 11,500 feet not included).

(Temps down low - Upper 90's. Temps at Betty Lake - Mid 60's. Suck it Front Range)

(Woody working the CDT with way to many peaks in the background to name)

(From Devils Thumb Pass looking down on Devils Thumb Lake (L) and Jesper Lake (R))

(Below Devils Thumb Pass and before some guy telling us it was 75 miles round trip from Hessie to Winter Park. Calling BS on that one.)

(The Smooth take off...)

(and the even Smoother landing. HA!)

(A wrong turn led us to this point. Not bad views of Diamond Lake and Arapaho Pass)

(Opening it up along a rare spot of smooth single track)

(It's views like this as to why I love to trail run in Colorado)

Scared Shitless at HR100 (Pacing)

Congratulations to Scott for finishing Hardrock 2011 during his first attempt. 38 hours 22 minutes. 32nd overall. His conservative game plan early on paid off. He was something like 80th coming into Grouse (Mile 41.5) and slowly picked off the competition and looked stronger as the miles went by.

I had the pleasure of crewing and pacing Scott this past weekend down in the heart of the San Juans. Along with his friend Pat and wife Sharron, our team spent the day and a half driving around from town to town, aid station to aid station to ensure that Scott got what he needed.

(Scott and Pat about to leave Grouse)

My pacing started at Chapman Gulch(Mile 81.4) roughly around noon Saturday. By this time, his ambitious goal was to finish before it got dark. Up to this point, Scott's only rough patch was heading up Handies and being annoyed with having to venture all the way down to the Hot Springs of Ouray for check in.

Upon leaving Chapman, I spent the next 15 minutes trying to assess Scott's mental and physical state. He was tired, he was excited to have me march him into Silverton and that son of a bitch was looking strong (though he didn't want to admit that). I set the pace the whole way up Swamp Canyon. Passing folks who own double digit Hardrock finishes scared Scott but he kept on motoring along.

Finally got our first real view of Grant-Swamp pass from a few pitches below. Based on earlier landmarks, I was guesstimating that the group of 4 ahead of us had a 20 plus minute lead. They were also displaying a nice zig zagging route to scramble up during the last 1/4 mile steep pitch. About 100+ yards from where the pitch starts it happened.

Literally minutes ago the sun was shining. It got dark. The sky lit up with a flash and at the same exact time an explosion of thunder erupted. Easily the loudest boom I have ever heard and one of those bolts that start out with a long cracking sound followed by an explosion left with the echos ringing off the peaks. Scared the shit out of me so bad that I dropped to the ground. Scott, just feet away from me looked just as scared. We looked at each for an answer to the question neither of us asked. What now? Another loud boom just to remind us that we were in the heart of a storm.

Funny how the first thing I thought about upon hearing the lightening was whether or not I'd ever see my wife or daughter again. How pissed my wife would be once I told her of this occurrence. How if I did die by lightening that I hope it goes quick cause dying a slow death and getting thumped by that hail would really suck balls.

We quickly decided that heading up and over was our best bet. Going backwards to treeline simply wasn't an option. 1) It was to far and 2) You don't go backwards in a race. Rain, then painful hail mixed in with numerous flashes and booms. Scott and I bee-lined up Swamps face. Sprinted the short ridge line (yes we paid our respects to Joel Zucker by tossing a rock near his plaque) and literally ran fell and tumbled our way onto the switchback heading down Ice Lakes Basin. One more accidental tumble and we would have both been swimming in Island Lake.

That group 20 minutes ahead of us were just feet below the pass and we were on their ass. Didn't think much of it till all a few basically said "I think you just set a speed record heading up Swamps". The rain was still a downpour and every step was either in a muddy bog or in a cold puddle. All Scott or I cared about was treeline and we pushed it during the drop.

Once there the rain stopped. The sun came out. My shivering body warmed up. Cloths (which wasn't much) began to dry. The muddy & slippery drop down the Ice Lakes drainage didn't bother either Scott or I. The Kamm Traverse offered up the best sun rays and we took our sweet time cutting across the mountain face. Arrival into KT (miles 88.4) was awesome as it was being ran by lots of fine Durango folks who know Scott well and a few who remembered me from my days down there. Our split was under 3 hours. All those at the aid station were keeping tabs on Scott and were impressed by the time considering the terrain and conditions we were dealing with.

(Kamm Traverse heading to KT)

As crazy as the last 3 hours were, we still had 13+ miles left. In short, the remaining miles were like this:

South Mineral almost took Scott for a wild ride. How I was able to pull him in is beyond me. We had warm sun and a muddy climb up to the Porcupine-Cataract saddle. We got nailed badly with the most painful hail as we traversed the Putnam ridge. Arm warmers also make good neck gaiters. Once the hail stopped the rain just dropped at an insane rate. Lots of thunder and lightening and each one of them freaked the shit out of me. Dying once again entered my mind. Mineral Creek itself almost swept Scott clear to Durango. Going back out a few steps into the rapids to grab him completely exhausted me. Scott crossed the finish line before sunset!

(U.S. Grant with Grant-Swamp Pass too the left)

(Near the top of Putnam Basin - Enlarge to see hail & Scott minimizing the pounding)

(Scott not excited about crossing the gnarly Mineral Creek)

We crossed Greene St (Silverton's only paved street) completely soaked and freezing to death. We honestly thought we were dead at Swamps, dead above Putnam and for Scott, dead at Mineral Creek. Yet we were laughing our asses off at all the shit we had just went thru over the past 8 hours. Right then a car stopped along side Scott and yelled out something like "Hell Yeah! You rock!" The car drove off honking and thumbs up sticking out the window. Scott asks me "who in the hell was that magician driving around in a clown car?" I replied back laughing, "That was Ricky Gates complementing your soon to be kissing of the Hardrock."

Thursday night thru Sunday noon spent in the San Juan's. God's country. A place I would love to one day call home again. A place that some how gets more beautiful with each and every visit. I can't thank Scott enough for letting me help him out on his amazing accomplishment. Funny how a down right scary 8 hours and 20 miles are easily the most enjoyment I've ever had of running in my life. Hoping he gets in again next year so we can do it all over again!

Mt. Princeton & Tigger Peak

Sunday morning had me up at 3am and at the Mt. Princeton Trailhead in time to see this.

As I was snapping this picture, I could hear El Mexicano Elite and his good buddy John calling out my name as they were running down Mt. Princeton road. PG and his buddies (keep in mind they all had just ran the Pikes course 24 hours earlier) had arrived the night before and set up camp along the road at around 11,000 feet. The both of them were kind enough to run on down and keep me company as we started out the climb to the top.

The trail to the top doesn't waste it's time with any flat sections. From the get go, the trail heads up and up and up and.....The road itself is extremely runnable the whole way till you hit the singletrack at treeline. Mind you the road is steep, dusty and relentless. A brief stop at the above mentioned camp site and PG and I were off to the summit.

(PG approaching his Base Camp)

Pace along the road was relaxed for me. I was working but never was I pushing hard. Upon leaving the camp site, I had every intent of sticking with PG to the top.

However something just took over me as we finally got off the road. In my mind, one of the sweetest combinations out there is single track above treeline. Second I stepped foot on this terrain I was off.

While the running was limited, my effort wasn't, as the trail gets pretty rocky and technical as it cuts along the north east side of Tigger Peak. Then one's left to a crawl as they navigate half a dozen switchbacks to the ridge that connect Tigger and Princeton. Once on the ridge, it's a straight shot up to Princeton. At times a trail was visible but for the most part we were navigating Class 2 terrain. Footing at times was sketchy at best and the grade was sick. I was able to touch the ground in front of me without having to bend over.

2 hours and 4 minutes is what it took me to climb over 5,400 feet in 6.7 miles. Shortly after PG came climbing up. Weather was perfect at top. 60's sunny and little to no wind. Views just amazing (outside of the fire smoke impacting the Arkansas Valley). After 20 minutes of soaking in the views, we began our journey over to Tigger.

(Mt. Antero to the South)

(Tigger Peak and my car way the hell down there. Note the trail we just came up.)

(PG approaching 14er #2 of his huge weekend)

Down the face of Princeton, along and up the ridge and before long we were relaxing on Tigger Peak. Trail was nonexistant and required lots of rock hopping and path finding but well worth the excursion as it added a bit more vert, distance and time to our outing. We continued on down the south ridge of Tigger Peak which offered up amazing views down towards Chalk Creek. Before long we were finally on Mt. Princeton road and heading down to the camp site.

A quick refill of water, some chips and I headed back down to the car alone. Made quick work of the remaining 3 plus miles to the car. Don't know the specific stats of the day as I fumbled around with my start/stop button numerous times. However I'm guessing around 14.5 miles and 5,700 feet of vert in like 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Outside of a nice gash and huge bruise on my right palm, I was feeling pretty good afterwards. Who needs a recovery drink when a cold Hazed and Infused beer is waiting in the cooler.

(Tigger Peak with Princeton barely visible to it's right)

June / 1st Half Year 2011 Summary

Runs - 26
Workouts - 6
Injured - 0

The Bad:

Trade-Offs (Running versus Lifting Weights) - What available time I have dedicated to training is limited so I have to make them count. During my single days, that was never an issue. Now with a family, demanding job and an emphasis on running ultras, sacrificing one for the other has become a choice I've had to make. Tough choice as I'm a firm believer that a mixture of both benefit me tremendously when it comes to running. I guesstimate that for every workout, I miss out on roughly 6 to 7 miles. Enough miles to having me thinking which would be the best balance for me.

Left Ankle - Since I've started trail running, I've rolled my left ankle too many times to count. Pain comes and goes with that ankle. However, over the past month, the left ankle has been consistently cranky. Specifically in the morning but feeling fine once warmed up. Not sure if this something to be concerned about but I need to watch it.

Yard Work - Yeah, I suck at this and my back yard is a perfect example of it.

The Good:

Running - The last 20 days of the month have been way strong and very consistent. I've been very happy with how quickly my body recovered from the Dirty Thirty. Even more happy that I've been able to increase my weekly miles and the body respond nicely.

Gym - So I didn't sacrifice my weight lifting this month but was tempted to numerous times. Main reason I stuck with it is due to the once broken left arm. I've been rehabbing the crap out of it and it's been responding nicely. The muscles surrounding the elbow are still week but I notice a huge improvement every time. This alone is enough reason to sacrifice miles. Wonder if I'll feel the same way in July.

Baby Girl - My little one is simply amazing and must know how important it is for me to get back to my morning runs and workouts. At just over 3 months old, our little monkey has decided that sleeping thru the night is a good thing. And that means I get to sleep thru the night. That I get to wake up at 4:30/5:00 am every morning to get my training in. That I don't have to run after work. That I get to spend more time with her. My daughter rocks!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/2 Year Summary
Runs - 150
Workouts - 21 (Damn Broken Arm)
Injured (Running Specific) - 0 (Thankfully the Broken Arm didn't impact my running)

Somewhere between 1150 to 1200 miles on the year. 90K of up and down. Initially I was embarrassed to post these figures. Then I looked back at what has transpired over the past 6 months. I've broken my left arm. I've been given a lot more responsibility at work. My wife and I had our first child! I mean seriously, a lot of shit has gone on so far this year. So now, I'm not so embarrassed. Actually I'm damn proud of being able to balance a rather hectic life while keeping my priorities in check.

Looking Forward:

Running time in the high country might have been delayed and will likely be shorter compared to prior years with all the snow, but I'm still taking advantage of it. With trips planned every weekend during the month of July, the number of blogs I post will increase nicely.

San Francisco Marathon

Signed up for my forth race of the year. The 2011 San Francisco Marathon on July 31, 2011. Actually signed up for the race a month ago but finally got around to firming up travel plans now that we have a much better feel for the little ones awake/sleeping/feeding schedule.

As for why I signed up for this race specifically, I knew I was heading back home to visit family and friends at some point this summer. Figured planning travel around some type of race would be fun. At the end of the day, I thought it would be cool to run a marathon in a city I've called home for such a long time.

It's funny looking at the race course map. I can pretty much visualize every step of the course even though I've never run the race. Tell you what, this race course would be a tough one to PR. Miles 5 thru 19 will offer some healthy climbs. The plus side is the sea level elevation and easy ride in after mile 19 (assuming hobos don't attack you along The Haight and in The Mission).

As for personal goals, I'm going into this race without tapering and hoping not much time is needed to recover. My July and August is quickly filling up with lots of fun times being spent in the high country and I have no intent of this little race impacting those plans. So the camera will be in tote and eyes open for a bar willing to aid a thirsty runner.

It's an early start (5am) on a day I'm pretty sure will be socked in with heaps of fog (a summer time norm in The City). Now I can only hope my daughter forgoes her nap so she can see daddy cross the finish line.

2011 Golden Gate Dirty Thirty

After four attempts at an ultra distance, I finally put together a race I can say I'm extremely happy with. By no means the fastest time out there, but I couldn't be more excited about the way the race unfolded for me.

Simply put the Dirty Thirty is a must do. Awesome course, great volunteers and just a well put together trail race.

Going into the race I had no idea what to expect. Would a goal of averaging 5 miles an hour for the duration be possible? Probably not with just under 8'000 feet of up and down. How about running steady for 4 hours and hanging on for dear life over the next 3 hours with the hope of finishing under 7 hours? Yeah, that sounded much more reasonable.

Aid Station #1 - 5.4 Miles, 54 minutes 48 seconds:
I started out slow and just stuck with the surrounding group. There were chunks of walking on the runnable hills and I was fine with that. Beautiful sunrise on some great single track. More importantly, not much effort made to get to Aid #1.

Aid Station #2 - 6.8 Miles, 1 Hour 25 minutes 25 seconds:
A mile out of Aid #1, all I could think about was taking a dump. Do I go in the woods? Do I hope to cross a camp site with some facilities? Luckily I came across a camp site. Unlikely there was a line. A line of 6 cub scout aged Korean kids. And no, I didn't feel bad for cutting them to get in the can. About a mile later I ran off course following someone. Lost time between the two events was easily 8 to 10 minutes. Oh well.

A bigger deal to me was how bad I felt. The flats and downhill just felt laboured and slow and I was getting smoked by others. Oddly though the uphill grind was something that didn't bother me one bit and allowed me to keep those cruising by me close. Mentally I was great but the thought of struggling thru another race started creeping into my head. Getting into Aid #2 felt like it took forever and for a moment wondered if breaking 7 hours would even be possible.

(Probably feeling my worst of the day heading to Aid #2. Thanks to MR2 for the pic)

Aid Station #3 - 16.9 Miles In, 1 Hour 9 minutes 33 seconds:
A steep climb greets you as you leave Aid #2. Then some downhill, rollers and another technical climb. It was during this second climb that things just felt different.

Nothing hurt, nothing felt laboured. 15 or so miles in and I was feeling great for the first time. Couldn't be possible. Was staying on top of fuel and hydration paying off? Or was it all the training I've put in year to date?

(Approaching Aid #3 excited about more miles in front of me. Great Pics by WA)

Aid Station #4 - 23.3 Miles In, 1 Hour 20 Minutes 32 Seconds:
Leaving Aid #3 starts out with a hot climb for a few miles and I was extremely pumped about this. There were easily a dozen plus folks who I had been running off and on with for the past 10 miles and I wanted to drop each one of them. I ran pretty much all the climb and pushing the pace even harder as I passed someone. I wouldn't see anyone one of those folks again.

I was feeling great and wondering if I could push it more, or should I just keep the new found stronger pace and not risk blowing up. About mile 20 I caught up to some gal who's conversation and positive energy I was really enjoying (gal in the red shorts who appears in Woody's pic portfolio). So without thinking about it, I stuck with her and had an extremely pleasant running partner for 3 to 4 miles as we passed another half a dozen folks.

Aid Station #5 - 28.5 Miles In, No split but I had a cum time of 5 Hours 58 Minutes at mile 29.9:
As I approached Aid #4, one guy I had literally just passed blew straight thru the aid station. I spent a few minutes loading up/chatting and once I started running again I noticed the guy had built an easy quarter mile lead on me. Not sure why but stepping up the pace even more felt like the right thing to do. Within a minute of the uphill I was caught up to him and at that point I pressed hard uphill for the next 5 minutes. Didn't see him again till the descent off Windy Peak and by then I had a mile plus lead on him. Now that felt satisfying.

The climb up to Windy was long and steep at times. I mixed in a good amount of running and powering hiking up to the high point. During the out and back section, I counted how many folks were heading down. Counted 7 and had that number as the amount of folks I wanted to pass till the finish. Once on the downhill and all the way to the finish, I easily ran my fastest and hardest of the day. Just cruising like I was on some type of tempo run. Passing 5 of the 7 folks just mentioned. I felt great here running everything hard except that last steep bitch leading to mile 29.9.

34th Place with a time of 6 Hours 10 Minutes and 9 Seconds:
Don't know my splits but pretty sure I ran a much faster second half of the race by a good 40 minutes or so. Threw down like 10 gels, 3 salt caps, a good 20 to 30 ounces of water between aid stations and a cup of soda at each of the last 3 aid stations. Never once did I feel a bonk or have a low point during the race.

Outside of the lethargic type of running early on, the only real issues I dealt with most of the race was whether I could have pushed it harder once I started feeling good. Good issues to have.

(Approaching the finish. Note the ladies on the right loving my style. Pic from WA.)

Afterwards:
I felt great upon finishing. Felt like I could have ran for a lot longer. Grabbed some food and enjoyed meeting/hanging out with of so many fine folks. Kieran and Brandon whom I rode up with. BFish, GZ, JT (thanks for the beer, for farting in my face and lying to me about breaking 6 hours), WA, MR2, NPedatella, NClark and like always, so many others whos name I didn't catch.

Sunday woke up a bit fatigued but no signs of muscle tightness or soreness. I went out for an easy 7 mile run around the hood and felt great. Pleasently shocked in all honesty. Really excited about summer time and using this postive race experience as a building block as Steamboat approaches.