Did my what is now becoming a standard Monday evening run with the Slattery's pub group. I begin with a nice easy jog over to Scott Kukel's place of business (1.5 miles?) from where I work, and from there we jog the 2+ miles to the pub. Follow that with the main workout of a 5K, topped off with the jog back to my place of business which is at least 1.5 miles again for about 7.5 mile, if not more for Mondays. Works out great with the free food after the run and ample amounts of social time to boot.
With the Evergreen Town Race coming up this Sunday I wanted to run the Lookout Mountain road at least once more but decided to run earlier in the week. It can be a fairly tough workout on the ankles with the fast downhill running I do. Today was no exception. Fortunately, Scott agreed to meet me for the run since he'd never visited that area before. We kept the pace more or less conservative on the way up, stopped at the 3 mile area, gave me a break for the call of nature, and back down the mountain we came. Only this time would be different.
Normally, I can run fairly quickly (in today's standards) down Lookout. Often times I will hit roughly 4:50-4:55 mile times in some of the steeper sections and anywhere from 5:00-5:30 for the heavily switch backed mile stretches. The final mile down I usually do about 5:10 if I'm pushing at all with about a 4:58 being the fastest since I'm usually running alone when I do it. With Scott running along side me, I went harder than I normally would go, simply because he has greater natural speed than I do these days. From mile 3 to mile 2 we blazed a path like nothing I'd ever done before. Although I missed actually seeing the 2 mile marker, I know roughly where it is, give or take a meter but when I looked down at my watch I saw 4:22! Since I'd never run it so hard prior to this run with Scott I immediately thought that this could never be so I kept going, pushing more and more, looking with great interest for the 2 mile marker since I was growing more and more tired. Finally I saw that we were a long way past the marker so I slowed down and checked my watch. Even then it read 5:08. Shazaam, Sgt Carter!
Running with Scott was definitely a boost. The following mile from 2 to 1, we jogged easily, checking out some of the eye candy riding up the hill, making us comment several times that maybe we were running in the wrong direction. Since this was going to be a short mileage day, I told Scott that I was going to push it during the final mile back to the parking lot. He said he'd be up for that, so we took off again. This stretch has a few tighter turns than the first mile we'd done but was also a little steeper in the first half so it somewhat made up for it. I simply leaned forward and put most of what I still had into the run for the car. A group of cyclist were standing at the junction of trail section that eventually leads up to Windy Saddle and when we passed I heard them comment they'd never seen two guys run so fast. But after that first mile, my legs were certainly feeling the brunt of our climb and subsequent descent and so I know I'd slowed a little, but not by much. That section that I had only previously run 4:58 in, was run by 4:31 by me, and 4:38 by Scott. This was a great feeling since on the way up, Scott mentioned to me that the first mile marker was dead on with his Garmin's reading. Great run tonight but will the track workout punish us tomorrow?
Post run, grub at Fuddruckers... hehe, funny name. Don't switch any letters! :)
Oh, also, major congrats to Bruce T. who just accepted a nice job out in California. We saw him as we started our climb. Too bad he'll only be around for another 2+ weeks but sounds like a great opportunity.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Weekend wrap up
This week seemed to go by fairly quickly - albeit probably more due to old age creeping in and stealing those seconds away without being decent enough to notify me. Fortunately, all in all it was a good week. Started out good, transitioned into not so good, followed by it getting better by the end of the week.
Last Sunday I went to Indian Peaks with Justin Mock and David (TDK) to run the sweet, sweet trails to get in a longer run at altitude. Felt pretty good the entire time, other than two rolled ankles that forced me to take it easy on the downs. Other than that it was surprisingly good running at higher elevation even though Justin really opened it up on me and got away during the flats of Lonesome Trail on the Continental Divide. Never was shortness of breath an issue, regardless of a total lack of running at anything above 10,000' since May. Only took one spill going around a quick switchback that forced me to curse the trail and adamently inform it "Is that all you've got? You can't stop me!", followed by me chuckling as I turned the next switchback to see Justin waiting for me.
Monday found my legs lacking any real energy which forced me to easily run the 7 or so miles with Scott Kukel and Chuck (?) during the Slattery Pub run that are held every Monday evening at 7:15 P.M. Excellent, low keyed running group that starts and ends at the pub followed by a grub feast of pasta, salad, and bread, along with copious amounts of water and $3 drafts for those wishing to partake in something containing alcohol. This is the sister group of the Irish Snug Runners, who run on Thursday evenings. Same owners. Same generosity. The only difference is the amounts of people showing up for the runs. Irish Snug on a good day: 100+. Slattery's on a good day: maybe 30. I would expect this to grow considerably considering they are much newer. Another difference is the course. An easy to follow out-and-back course but with some nice rolling hills that will force you to pay attention to pace.
Tuesday was about the same with me taking it easy at Wash Park. After the run however, the group decided to eat at Rubio's - a fish taco joint that easily rivals Wahoos but with better food I'd say. The bad thing was I left (or threw away) my wallet and in it my ATM cards, drivers license and a host of other cards. Luckily no credit cards. Wednesday still found my legs a little flat but surprised myself be being able to run strongly despite my leg fatigue. Wondering what I would have been able to muster had I felt fresh. Thursday I decided to skip the Denver Trail Runners group run to run alone up and down Lookout Mountain Road. Felt very strong all the way up despite a stiff wind in sections going up, then even better coming down. Turned around at about the 5 mile mark up near the roads leading to Boettcher mansion and Buffalo Bill's grave. First 2 mile decent were run in a blazing (for me these days) 9:53, and the overall final 4 miles in 20:38. Total 10 mile time - 62:28. Trying to use it for some training for the Evergreen Town and Georgetown half races. Friday found me very busy after work renewing my D/L and running errands before the business day was out. Tired enough to hit the bed by 9:00 P.M. Saturday's run can be chronicled below, and today (Sunday) was a pretty good day running wise. I decided to run in the heat again for my 7.5 mile out-and back run in the neighborhood. I knew it was hot but didn't realize how hot it was until I got home. Let's try something in the range 0f 96 degrees or so at 3:00 P.M. today. I kept a conservative pace on the way out, talking to myself, explaining how it really wasn't that hot and that the breeze I felt was nice and cool and how it would just make me a stronger runner having endured the higher temps during training. And so it went until the turn-around. From that point on I felt as though I had a second wind. I found myself running harder and harder until I figured I was down near 6:15 pace for the final mile and half to finish strong, and without having any trouble with the heat. Did a little cool down, and went inside to stretch and then showered. Total mileage this week ~ 57 miles.
After reading the blogs of some of my friends, it made me stop to think for a while. Remembering some of what Justin had written I drifted off in a tangent thinking of what I might do for 2009. Having a training plan is always important, written or up in the head. Regardless, they're important. The year so far has been a mixed bag of good and bad when it comes to racing. Started out tough in the winter since I had pretty much done no running, and it reflected itself in the races I attempted. After I started training in earnest I found my fitness rebound nicely and saw some PBs in races I'd done in previous years. Then a breathing issue caused me to do poorly in both the Bolder Boulder and the Garden of the Gods 10 mile races. Once that was resolved, I trained hard to the point that I once again rebounded quickly to see some good PBs in races I'd done in previous years. In my next post I will talk about some ideas for the coming year. Not that I'll necessarily stick with those ideas, but things I've been thinking of.
For those silly enough to have read this far, you'll find I will be using this blog more of personal reflection than something of a report to others. I'll try to be consolidate better for the most part, but there will be times where it will seem to go on forever. If somehow it's at all interesting, thanks but hold on for some inevitable bumpy rides.
Last Sunday I went to Indian Peaks with Justin Mock and David (TDK) to run the sweet, sweet trails to get in a longer run at altitude. Felt pretty good the entire time, other than two rolled ankles that forced me to take it easy on the downs. Other than that it was surprisingly good running at higher elevation even though Justin really opened it up on me and got away during the flats of Lonesome Trail on the Continental Divide. Never was shortness of breath an issue, regardless of a total lack of running at anything above 10,000' since May. Only took one spill going around a quick switchback that forced me to curse the trail and adamently inform it "Is that all you've got? You can't stop me!", followed by me chuckling as I turned the next switchback to see Justin waiting for me.
Monday found my legs lacking any real energy which forced me to easily run the 7 or so miles with Scott Kukel and Chuck (?) during the Slattery Pub run that are held every Monday evening at 7:15 P.M. Excellent, low keyed running group that starts and ends at the pub followed by a grub feast of pasta, salad, and bread, along with copious amounts of water and $3 drafts for those wishing to partake in something containing alcohol. This is the sister group of the Irish Snug Runners, who run on Thursday evenings. Same owners. Same generosity. The only difference is the amounts of people showing up for the runs. Irish Snug on a good day: 100+. Slattery's on a good day: maybe 30. I would expect this to grow considerably considering they are much newer. Another difference is the course. An easy to follow out-and-back course but with some nice rolling hills that will force you to pay attention to pace.
Tuesday was about the same with me taking it easy at Wash Park. After the run however, the group decided to eat at Rubio's - a fish taco joint that easily rivals Wahoos but with better food I'd say. The bad thing was I left (or threw away) my wallet and in it my ATM cards, drivers license and a host of other cards. Luckily no credit cards. Wednesday still found my legs a little flat but surprised myself be being able to run strongly despite my leg fatigue. Wondering what I would have been able to muster had I felt fresh. Thursday I decided to skip the Denver Trail Runners group run to run alone up and down Lookout Mountain Road. Felt very strong all the way up despite a stiff wind in sections going up, then even better coming down. Turned around at about the 5 mile mark up near the roads leading to Boettcher mansion and Buffalo Bill's grave. First 2 mile decent were run in a blazing (for me these days) 9:53, and the overall final 4 miles in 20:38. Total 10 mile time - 62:28. Trying to use it for some training for the Evergreen Town and Georgetown half races. Friday found me very busy after work renewing my D/L and running errands before the business day was out. Tired enough to hit the bed by 9:00 P.M. Saturday's run can be chronicled below, and today (Sunday) was a pretty good day running wise. I decided to run in the heat again for my 7.5 mile out-and back run in the neighborhood. I knew it was hot but didn't realize how hot it was until I got home. Let's try something in the range 0f 96 degrees or so at 3:00 P.M. today. I kept a conservative pace on the way out, talking to myself, explaining how it really wasn't that hot and that the breeze I felt was nice and cool and how it would just make me a stronger runner having endured the higher temps during training. And so it went until the turn-around. From that point on I felt as though I had a second wind. I found myself running harder and harder until I figured I was down near 6:15 pace for the final mile and half to finish strong, and without having any trouble with the heat. Did a little cool down, and went inside to stretch and then showered. Total mileage this week ~ 57 miles.
After reading the blogs of some of my friends, it made me stop to think for a while. Remembering some of what Justin had written I drifted off in a tangent thinking of what I might do for 2009. Having a training plan is always important, written or up in the head. Regardless, they're important. The year so far has been a mixed bag of good and bad when it comes to racing. Started out tough in the winter since I had pretty much done no running, and it reflected itself in the races I attempted. After I started training in earnest I found my fitness rebound nicely and saw some PBs in races I'd done in previous years. Then a breathing issue caused me to do poorly in both the Bolder Boulder and the Garden of the Gods 10 mile races. Once that was resolved, I trained hard to the point that I once again rebounded quickly to see some good PBs in races I'd done in previous years. In my next post I will talk about some ideas for the coming year. Not that I'll necessarily stick with those ideas, but things I've been thinking of.
For those silly enough to have read this far, you'll find I will be using this blog more of personal reflection than something of a report to others. I'll try to be consolidate better for the most part, but there will be times where it will seem to go on forever. If somehow it's at all interesting, thanks but hold on for some inevitable bumpy rides.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday's run
7/26/08
Ran my semi-long run today at Waterton Canyon. Decided to run during the hottest point during the day since it wasn't suppose to get much above 85 degrees. Of course one has to take into account the canyon has a way of retaining heat, and without ample wind it can get down right toasty. Fortunately it didn't get unbearable but having not run any of my longer run in the heat, I was forced to take things easy. Very easy actually.
Took an entire bottle filled with water, which is something I normally do not do. Usually I can manage to do most of my runs with about half a bottle without too much issue but since the temperatures here in Colorado can change hour-to-hour I thought it prudent to fill'r up. Good thing because I was taking a swig at least every 5-7 minutes. As I was coming up along side the dam, I was amazed at how much cooler it felt. I'd only climbed about 300 feet and yet it was at least 10-15 degrees cooler here. How could that be? Not being an expert on dams I can't exactly explain what they were doing but as I looked to my right at the dam, I could see a section of it opened up to allow a large amount water flow out towards the river running through the canyon. It was the mist I felt, but how glorious it felt.
Coming back down I continued to take it easy. It was my intention to open it up and push it hard back to the car but with the heat, and my lack of training in the heat this year (I know, sad...) I kept my same pace back down. The water lasted far enough for me to finish and that was that. Before I left, I went back to the river and soaked my legs in it, allowing pretty much my entire legs to be emerged which felt great after my feet got used to the initial shock of cold water. Afterwards, I felt great. Returned home where I ate vigorously and washed it all down wish some nice cold ice water.
Ran my semi-long run today at Waterton Canyon. Decided to run during the hottest point during the day since it wasn't suppose to get much above 85 degrees. Of course one has to take into account the canyon has a way of retaining heat, and without ample wind it can get down right toasty. Fortunately it didn't get unbearable but having not run any of my longer run in the heat, I was forced to take things easy. Very easy actually.
Took an entire bottle filled with water, which is something I normally do not do. Usually I can manage to do most of my runs with about half a bottle without too much issue but since the temperatures here in Colorado can change hour-to-hour I thought it prudent to fill'r up. Good thing because I was taking a swig at least every 5-7 minutes. As I was coming up along side the dam, I was amazed at how much cooler it felt. I'd only climbed about 300 feet and yet it was at least 10-15 degrees cooler here. How could that be? Not being an expert on dams I can't exactly explain what they were doing but as I looked to my right at the dam, I could see a section of it opened up to allow a large amount water flow out towards the river running through the canyon. It was the mist I felt, but how glorious it felt.
Coming back down I continued to take it easy. It was my intention to open it up and push it hard back to the car but with the heat, and my lack of training in the heat this year (I know, sad...) I kept my same pace back down. The water lasted far enough for me to finish and that was that. Before I left, I went back to the river and soaked my legs in it, allowing pretty much my entire legs to be emerged which felt great after my feet got used to the initial shock of cold water. Afterwards, I felt great. Returned home where I ate vigorously and washed it all down wish some nice cold ice water.
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