Rail

50 minutes
easy pace
with the middle school running camp - much cooler today (only about 80 degrees), sunny - we took this cool day as a chance to to a run down here in town - set out from the school, ran the Rail Trail to the pond and back - the pond was dry! (never seen it all dried out before) - very mellow pace with the middle schoolers - I should be very well-rested by the end of this week.

(#2) Flagstaff Mountain

46 minutes
moderate up, easy down
with DJ - 101 degrees crazy hot, sunny - 1:30pm - parked at the Gregory Canyon TH, up the Flagstaff Trail (felt very tired and hot going up), meandered around the top on the Ute Trail a bit, then crossed the road and ran down the Gregory Canyon Trail (that was easy and, before we knew it, we were done) - felt great afterward - climbing Flagstaff in 101 degree weather at midday makes you feel like you've really done something.

(#1) Betasso

45 minutes
easy pace
with the middle school running camp - super hot and sunny - just a very mellow tour of Betasso Preserve with the middle schoolers - had to chase down a couple of kids that decided to to exploring off-trail, but we all were back together by the time we needed to leave.

Fowler

45 minutes
easy pace
with the middle school running camp - very hot and sunny - we parked inside Eldorado Springs State Park, ran the Fowler to the ancient sea bed, turned around and came back - had some quality time soaking/playing in the creek afterward - super mellow running with the middle schoolers.

Ceran St. Vrain

45 minutes
easy pace
with the middle school running camp - hot and sunny, 11am - we were looking for some shade, so we headed up to the Ceran St. Vrain trail west of Jamestown - super mellow running with a few novicw middle school runners.

Buffalo Creek

[mountain bike]
13.79 miles
1 hour, 44 minutes
with DJ and a few of the middle school kids - we were here today for the kids, so today's ride was very mellow - we were just trying to give the interested kids an idea of what real mountain biking is all about - parked at the Buffalo TH, rode the Green Mountain loop clockwise, then climbed up Gashouse, down Baldy, then back to the TH on old road 543 - very hot today, it's amazing how much easier the hills are when you go at a mellow pace - I think the kids had a ton of fun, so the day was a big success.

Heil Ranch Ridin'

[mountain bike]
23.88 miles
1 hour, 54 minutes
with DJ - we rode out from his house (SW of Niwot), rode the dirt roads to get to Heil Ranch, climbed up to the loop, rode the loop clockwise, then returned along the same route - DJ was crushing me today - I could only hold his wheel on the climb, and he rolled away from me on the descent - it's been a while since I did a rough, jackhammer type ride, and this one had me hurtin' today - felt great riding back to DJ's house though.

Rest

rest day

An E/F Variation

54 minutes
easy pace
solo - mid afternoon - ran almost the standard E/F loop (ran up Dartmouth to the break in the fence then connected across Skunk Creek, rather than running along the southern edge of the NOAA/NIST property - and ran up and over Yuri Pass on the way down the mountain).

Ran Home the Hilly Way

97 minutes
easy pace
solo - 2:30pm - hot, but cloudy - ran home from the school, but not the direct route down Broadway - I took the least hilly route that is still on trails.....and that's still a very hilly run - from the school, ran the eastern edge of Wonderland Lake, bike path to Linden, little singletrack up to the top of Sanitas Valley, down Dakota Ridge, up and over Red Rocks to Eben G. Fine Park, Up Viewpoint to Panorama Point on Flagstaff Mountain, Flagstaff Trail up a bit, then down Flagstaff Trail to Gregory Canyon, Baseline Trail to Mesa Trail, up the Mesa, Down Skunk Canyon and Vassar to the house - I was runnin' super easy, but I was still very hot and thirsty - I have that good kind of wiped-out feeling - that was the best I've ever felt on that run; it gets easier every time - what used to seem like huge climbs don't seem like such a big deal now - felt great today, but I was dying for some water.

Rest

rest day

Hogback Loop

44 minutes
easy pace
solo - 12:15pm - very sunny and very hot - from the school, I ran the Hogback Loop - super mellow and easy today (I just ran last night, and it's also so damn hot) - I even walked a bunch of the stairsteps - felt fine though, as if I could have turned it on if I had wanted to.

Home from the South Mesa TH

63 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 6:15pm - still hot, still sunny - NeNe did a run from the South Mesa TH, so I used that as a ride to the TH - I ran home from there - up the Mesa Trail, up the upper Big Bluestem, reconnect with the Mesa Trail and continue north, down Skunk Canyon Trail, Vassar, and home - it's nice to get up into the trees on these hot days/evenings, but that requires one to climb a big hill to get up into the trees - but that also means a big downhill to get home - felt good (I like this evening running).

Rattlesnake Gulch

69 minutes
moderate pace
solo - 7:15pm - still pretty hot, but a lot of clouds and shadows at this later hour - I was going to run earlier in the day, but 97 degree sun didn't sound like my favorite thing - from the Eldorado Mountain TH, ran the Fowler Trail into Eldorado Canyon State Park, then up the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail (doing the upper loop clockwise), then back along the same route - I worked pretty hard on the rocky climb (it didn't seem any longer running vs. riding) - this run would have been 5 minutes faster, but I stopped for a sideshow (at the top of the loop I ran the little singletrack up to the railroad tracks - just as I was leaving, a freight train popped out of the tunnel - I watched it, felt the cool wind as it rolled by, and threw a few big, echoing rocks into the empty coal cars) - came back down at a pretty good clip - felt great this evening.

Hidden Valley with DJ

60 minutes
easy pace
with DJ - noon - sunny and very hot - left from the school, ran west to the Foothills trail, down and under US36, then north on the Eagle, then the Mesa Reservoir / Hidden Valley loop (clockwise), then back the same way (Eagle and Foothills) - felt great early, but the last ten minutes the heat accumulated on me and I was feeling prettty ragged coming in - i'm (very slowly) getting used to the heat.

Down Broadway

41 minutes
easy pace
solo - sunny and hot - 3pm - ran home from the school, just straight down Broadway - didn't feel good until the last mile (it's tough starting with a downhill) - the heat is back on and I'm having a little trouble getting used to it - still feel pretty fresh and light - ready to get into the summer running in the hot, hot heat - all pavement today (my legs feel fine, but pavement is brutal - "roads are for cars").

Rail

51 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon - sunny and just warm - Rail Trail from the school and back - jeez, did it feel good to be back out there running - just ran very easy, but it was a snap today - my quads are a little tired from the weekend riding (and not stretching) but I was zipping right along with ease today - a little time away from running always lets me come back fresher and more motivated - feelin' good.

Rest Day

rest day
busy and unmotivated

Buffalo Creek Ride # 5

[mountain bike]
10.85 miles
1 hour
solo - 11am-ish - overcast turned to mostly sunny - set out on this ride after we had packed up camp (Levi is a natural camper; he handled it all like a champ) - the goal of this ride was to hit some new territory and discover the other cool trails in the area - parked at the Miller Gulch TH, ripped down Miller Gulch to the junction with the Sandy Wash Trail, turned left and went back up the Homestead, then rode down and up the Skipper Trail to the Buck Gulch TH, then down FR 553 to the other TH - Miller Gulch is a fun downhill, but it's just a rutted out old jeep road - the big new discovery is the Homestead Trail (very cool winding singletrack - rollie-polie) - and I had forgotten how cool the Skipper Trail is - rode at a decent clip on this short little thing before leaving Buffalo Creek and heading for home - it was a great weekend of camping.

Buffalo Creek Ride # 4

[mountain bike]
12.22 miles
1 hour, 18 minutes
with KJ - hot and sunny - 4pm-ish - from camp, rode down Tramway, east a bit on old 543 road, up Shinglemill to FR 550, back down Shinglemill to the Morrison Creek Trail, down Morrison Creek, west on old 543, back up Tramway, and back up to camp - wow, the upper portion of Shinglemill is very cool (twisty, rocky singletrack, with great views of the burn area) - rode this ride pretty mellow - not as hot out there today, but still pretty hot and windy.

Buffalo Creek Ride # 3

[mountain bike]
19.57 miles
1 hour, 45 minutes
solo - 9:45am - sun and clouds, started out cool but it got hot quickly - rode from camp to Chair Rocks and back - forest road 550 - Colorado Trail, across Highway 126, continue on Colorado Trail, across FR 538, then found the faint singletrack to Chair Rocks, back the same way - this was an awesome ride - rollie-polie singletrack, my first time on the CT east of Hwy 126, not too many yahoos - I did this ride at a decent clip, and felt amazingly good on the ride back to camp.

Buffalo Creek Ride # 2

[mountain bike]
10.95
1 hour, 19 minutes
with KJ - 4pm - sun and clouds, damn hot, windy - set out from camp, down Tramway, 543 road, up Baldy, down Gashouse, back up Tramway to camp - felt a bit tired on this ride (I'm sure the heat had something to do with it).

Buffalo Creek Ride # 1

[mountain bike]
15.93 miles
1 hour, 36 minutes
solo - 10:30am - sunny and hot - left from our campsite (1/2 mile east of the Tramway Trail on forest road 550), down Tramway, NE on old 543 road, up Morrison Creek, down Shinglemill, down 543 road, up Gashouse, down Baldy, and back up Tramway to camp - felt good, especially at the end of the ride - despite tons of campers and cars, the trails were fairly empty - I do not descend these trails as quickly when I am all by myself, but maybe I climb a little bit faster.

Back on the Rail

55 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon - sun and clouds, hot (damn hot!) - just an easy trot on the Rail Trail from the school - I'm not used to this heat; just today I felt like I started sweating more (sweat now starting to stream down) - the heat really keeps the yahoo count down; only 2 runners out there today, and they were fast - felt a little tired, but that's normal after some rest days - we're headed up to Buffalo Creek this weekend for some camping, running, and mountain biking; tonight will be Levi's first night in the woods - this weekend's runs and rides will probably not be massive miles, but they will be frequent.

A Bigger E/F

56 minutes
easy to moderate pace (moderate up, easy everywhere else)
solo - 7:30pm - cool and cloudy with T-storms in the distance - from the house, I ran a variation of the regular E/F loop - once at the NOAA/NIST property, instead of running along the southern border of the property, I continued north along the Broadway Bike Path, then ran the northern edge of the property, then King Ave., and the Four Pines Trail from the Four Pines TH, that connected with the Enchanted Mesa Trail, and the rest of the loop was the normal route - I almost didn't run today, but decided to after a bunch of cool air from the T-storms rolled in - I had a great view up on the Mesa Trail; off to the east was a huge thunderstorm, with a thick arc of a rainbow showing through a break in the clouds, and lightning bolts flashing all over the place - a very intense scene to take in - the storms and clouds made it so dark that it felt like twilight out there - the rest days did me good - for some reason, my body was telling me that it did not want to run.....so I didn't - today I felt refreshed and fast and was really enjoying it.

Rest Day III

and still restin'.....but itchin' to get back out there.

Rest Day II

still restin'

Rest Day

rest

Double Walker on the Mountain Bike

[mountain bike]
2 hours, 8 minutes
16.11 miles
easy to moderate pace
with DJ - we parked at the Meyers Gulch TH, rode down to the Walker Ranch TH, rode the Walker Ranch loop twice (once clockwise and once counter-clockwise), then climbed back up to the vehicle - clockwise is much faster, but it means hiking up the hike-a-bike section; it also makes the downhills shorter - never really felt myself start clickin', felt a little bit stuck in low gear - crazy hot out there today.

Easy E/F with KJ

75 minutes
easy pace
with KJ - sun and clouds, hot - midday - a very mellow tromp of the standard E/F loop with KJ - I did some easy jogging, jogging back to KJ, and walking every now and then - lots of yahoos out there - felt pretty tired considering the mellow pace.

Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon - sun & clouds, hot (upper 80's) - Rail Trail from the school, to the terminus and back - I still feel like a 300 pound doughboy out there, but at least I'm getting the miles in - I think I need a brutal mountain bike ride to get things kick-started again - very hot out there today; it sure felt nice when a cloud would come along - grasshoppers galore on that trail, and I saw a big ol' bull snake; he was about a five or six footer, but was as thick as a tennis ball - felt pretty darn good by the end of the run.

Rest Day

rest day
tired and unmotivated
I just wasn't feelin' it today.

E/F

57 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:30am - sunny and already hot - from the house I ran the standard E/F loop - church trail, NOAA/NIST property, dirt service road onto Kohler Mesa, Mesa Trail, down Bear Canyon fire road, through the 'hood to the house - super slow and mellow today - I'm in a rut (I'm getting my miles in and still running almost every day, but I'm feeling slow and unmotivated - I just need to keep at it, just go easy, and I'll eventually come out of this little funk) - the air this morning was so crisp and clear, the hillsides were so green - I just love being on the Mesa Trail in the early morning - I think I need to spend more time on the bike, so I'll value my trail-running time a bit more - like most of my runs the past week, I felt blah to start out, but felt great and zippy by the end of the run.

Hogback Loop

43 minutes
easy pace
solo - 4pm - sunny and warm - ran the Hogback Loop from the school and back - very mellow and easy - I even walked some of the stairsteps - lots of rabbits out there - also saw a little garter snake - felt only ok.

Rail Trail

54 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon - sunny and a bit breezy - Rail Trail from the school - super mellow and easy today - my legs felt heavy today (was it from the last two hilly runs or the 5 cocktails yesterday?) - ended up feeling pretty good by the end of the run - saw DJ coming back from his run as I was heading out - itchin' for a mountain bike ride about now - meadowlarks were singin' up a frenzy out there today.

From the South Mesa TH

71 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - got dropped off at the South Mesa TH, ran up the Homestead, then up Shadow Canyon to the last-chance-back-to-the-Mesa trail, connected back with the Mesa Trail, continued north, just north of the North Shanahan Trail I discovered a faint singletrack trail that went south for a bit along the rock ridge, then it ended up paralleling the N. Shanahan trail, descended the long SW-to-NE singletrack down to the Cragmoor area, ran through the 'hood back to the house - felt good today.

Around Green Mountain

105 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - sunny and warm - I got dropped off at the Bear Canyon TH, ran up Bear Canyon, Green Bear, Green Mountain West Ridge, down Flagstaff Rd. (just down a couple of switchbacks), down Long Canyon, and then down Flagstaff Trail to Gregory Canyon TH - that's a great loop, and I felt great doing it.

Rail with DJ

50 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with DJ - sun and clouds - 11:45am - felt hot when the wind was calm, felt cool otherwise - Rail Trail from the school - today's run was a PR for DJ on that course - he's gettin' in shape - I felt heavy and sluggish at the start, but started to feel zippy on the way back - we pushed it in at a pretty good clip - heard several snakes in the grasses along the trail - feelin' good.

Easy Rail Trail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - 3:40pm - sunny, warm - Rail Trail from the school - very easy and mellow - just spacing out and movin' along - felt heavy and sluggish.

Hogback Loop

45 minutes
easy pace
solo - 12:45pm - sunny and a touch on the chilly side - from Foothills Community Park, Foothills Trail, Hogback Loop, and back - really easy today - I was even able to keep the stairsteps mellow - just goin' easy today - felt good.

Half Rail with Mateo

44 minutes
easy pace
with Mateo (one of the XC boys) - sun and clouds, a bit chilly - Mateo's thinking about gettin' back into it, so he'll be ready to go this fall - so, he wants to go out every Tuesday with me - ok, I'll be there - super mellow, just yuckin' it up with Mateo - from the school, we ran the Rail Trail to the pond and back - feel good.

Rail

51 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon, sun and misting clouds, cool - out and back on the Rail nice and easy - I spooked a couple of mallards at the pond and they went off flapping and squawking, spooking me - some woman warned me about a "snake up there"; I may have heard it, but I didn't see anything - felt just a little tired from yesterday's ride - I really need to start stretching.

Buffalo Creek Mountain Biking

[mountain bike]
2 hours, 21 minutes - 21.85 miles
easy to moderate effort
with DJ - 11am - sun and clouds, temperature right on the edge of chilly - Buffalo Creek - always fun at Buffalo Creek - Up Strawberry Park, Homestead, Gashouse, down Baldy, up Tramway, Colorado Trail, Green Mountain Loop (clockwise), up Gashouse, Homestead, and down Strawberry Park - DJ wasn't feelin' it today, so we rode slower than usual - we were still cookin' along though, as we know the loop so well that we ride it smarter than we used to - felt great.

Mesa Trail

75 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 12:20pm - sunny, warm, and the trail was a bit muddy - NeNe provided transportation to and from the trailheads, so I was able to do a point-to-point run today - set out from the S. Mesa TH (on the road to Eldorado Springs), ran the entire Mesa Trail to Chautauqua Park at easy to moderate pace, then warmed down by going easy and meandering my way to the Gregory Canyon TH - the Mesa Trail took me 56 minutes, the warm-down was 19 more minutes - Oh, how I love to run the whole Mesa Trail; feels like I went somewhere - plenty of climbing on that trail, but that also means plenty of descending - tons of yahoos out there today, including the real trail runners, the Bolder Boulder trainers (half of which will be gone on June 1st), hikers (and their dogs), tourists (speaking an assortment of foreign languages), and plenty of moms and dads in town to pick up their college kids for the summer (a typical spring Saturday on the Mesa) - felt pretty good, but coming off a rest day always feels a little uncomfortable.

Rest Day

rest day
cold and rainy
I planned on going out at 4pm, but that's when the skies opened up and the rain really started coming down - rest is good.

Old Kiln Laps

47 minutes
easy pace
solo - 1:50pm - cloudy, chilly, light rain, and a cold northerly breeze - headed out from the school, ran up to the Foothills Trail, then did five laps of the Old Kiln Loop, and back - nice and easy - the rain was turning to slushy rain, then back to just rain - just runnin' laps and trying to go the same pace every lap (the hill was tougher and tougher each lap, but I was runnin' easy so no big deal) - one more day of nasty weather, then Saturday looks good - I've had a little stomach ache since yesterday afternoon; today's run made me feel much better.

Rest Day

Rainy and cold.....and lazy.

Rail

50 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 3:15pm - warm, sun and clouds, and gusty winds - Rail Trail from the school to the terminus and back - still felt slightly tired, but much better than yesterday - just north of the pond I heard a rattlesnake in the grass below the trail - I walked down the slope just a bit and found it (a little two and a half footer) in the grass - it was rattlin' away - that's the first rattler I've seen this year - those wind gusts were throwing me around a bit - the hill on the Foothills Trail gets easier every time I run it - feelin' great.

Hogback and Rail

71 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - noon - sunny, warm, light breeze - from the school, climbed up and down the Hogback Loop first, then headed out on the Rail Trail (to the terminus and back) - I worked pretty hard on the Hogback climb but kept it between easy and moderate everywhere else - actually the pace was closer to easy, but the effort was closer to moderate - my legs were still tired from all of that climbing on the mountain bike yesterday, so I was not exactly burnin' up the trail today - felt tired, but good - the meadowlarks were singing away out there.

Mountain Bikin' at Hall Ranch

[mountain bike]
1 hour, 32 minutes
13.93 miles
with DJ - noonish - warm, sun and clouds - Hall Ranch (Lyons, CO) - 100% trail - parked at the north TH, rode up the switchbacks, headed down through the rock garden, then back up through the rock garden (definitely have some room for improvement climbing up through that technical stuff), then continued up to the Nelson Loop, did one lap counter-clockwise, then two more laps clockwise, then barreled down to the car from the top at frightening speed - we started out easy, but really started hammerin' on the way up to the loop - we rode each additional climb of the loop harder than the previous one (my climbing legs are back - I was smokin' it) - the final descent from the top was insanely fast - that's what it took to get my courage back up to last year's level - I was just tryin' to stick on DJ's wheel (he's an amazing descender) - It's funny...descending is just confidence and faith...faith that the bike will stay in one piece, faith that the guy in front of you is picking a good line, faith that, if something goes wrong, you'll be able to (very quickly) figure a way out of it - it's scary as hell, but also crazy fun - then, once you've done it, you know it can be done - I think that's the fastest we've ever come down that mountain - we were laughing so hard as we finished - what a rush - feelin' amazingly good.

Hogback and Half Rail

63 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with DJ - 2pm - sun and clouds, slightly chilly - headed out from the school, climbed up and down the Hogback Loop, then headed out on the Rail Trail, turned around at the pond and headed back in - easy pace most of the way (just talkin' with DJ), but we really worked hard on the Hogback climb - feelin' great.

Up Linden - Down Old Kiln

39 minutes
moderate pace
solo - 3:45pm - chilly and wet - started from the school, ran around the south side of Wonderland Lake, up Linden, then down the Old Kiln Trail, and back to the school - just a short and quick thing today - first it was just a cold wind, then it was light rain, then it was snow...then just the wind for the rest of the run.

Easy E/F

52 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:45am - sunny, calm, and just warm enough to go shirtless - from the house, standard E/F loop - climbed up to the Mesa Trail via Kohler Mesa, came down via Bear Creek fire road - felt awesome - lots of runners (and little else) up there this morning - I love being up on the Mesa Trail in the early AM - my quads were slightly sore for some reason (probably a byproduct of those rest days) - warm weather is back and so am I.

South Mesa TH to Home

61 minutes
easy pace
solo - sunny and warm - 3pm - I got dropped off at the S. Mesa TH (on the road to Eldorado Springs) and ran home from there - Mesa Trail, Upper Big Bluestem Trail, reconnected onto the Mesa Trail, descended Skunk Canyon Trail, down telephone road, down Vassar to the house - felt horrible for the first ten minutes (those rest days are killers), but felt better and better the farther I ran - the trails were less muddy than I expected from the last two days of rain and snow - back into springtime now - I love doing a point-to-point run; feels like I actually "went somewhere" as opposed to running in a circle - I regret being a weather wimp the past two days.

And Another Rest Day

rest day
just lazy today

Rest Day

rest day
running in 35 degree rain just didn't seem like much fun

Hogback

46 minutes
easy pace (moderate on the climb)
with DJ - sunny and warm, Hogback Loop from the school and back - started out feeling a little tired and heavy from the riding, but felt fantastic once on the climb - put in a pretty good effort on the climb, but was able to keep myself from exploding - feeling really good.

Road Bike to Denver

[road bike]
40.82 miles
2 hours, 19 minutes
moderate effort
solo - sunny, warm, with a southeasterly wind (!?of all the days for a SE breeze?!) - late afternoon, rode from our house to Sis' house - Marshall Road, Coalton, Interlocken Loop, CO128, Wadsworth Blvd., 92nd Ave, 91st Ct., Harlan, 88th Ave., Lamar, around Lake Arbor, Little Dry Creek Bike Path, Clear Creek Bike Path, South Platte River Bike Path, Cherry Creek Bike Path, through the 'hood to Sis' house - felt blah for the first 30 minutes (and sore seatbones), then felt great for the remainder of the ride - rode through the armpit of Denver (nasty stuff, but at least it's a bike path - beats fightin' cars) - about halfway there I felt my riding legs coming into form - I know it's summer when I'm runnin' and ridin'.

First Day on the Bike

[mountain bike]
40 miles
3 hours, 15 minutes
moderate effort, with bursts of redlining on the climbs
with DJ - 10am, sunny and warm - our route was about half trail/half pavement - headed out from DJ's house (west of Niwot), south on 63rd, west at Coot Lake, around the north side of "the Res" on the dirt road, Eagle Trail, Sage Trail, back on the Eagle, up the "mesa freeway hill" (that hill shocked my body - not used to the redlining of mountain biking), continue on the Eagle, under US36, up the Foothills hill (felt much better on that one), south on the Foothills Trail, 4th Street, up Boulder Canyon, up the Boulder Canyon link trail (very steep and very loose), did one lap of the Betasso Loop (started bonkin' so I ate a bunch), back down the Link Trail, back down Boulder Canyon, Boulder Creek Path, zipped around the shorttrack course at the CU Research Park, back on the Creek Path, Wonderland Trail, Cottonwood Trail north to Jay Road, across the Diagonal Highway, country roads back up to DJ's house - the longer we rode the better I felt (even though I was more tired) - those first twenty miles or so were rough; just not used to riding - my neck, seatbones, and triceps need a few more rides to get back into the swing of things - DJ's in good shape; I'm in good aerobic shape, but don't have the riding legs yet. As a result I didn't have a hammer to drop. I'll have it in a couple weeks. When the hammer drops, he'll know it. DJ is a much better descender than I am, but I usually get him on the climbs. And the longer the ride the better - felt great to be riding again - all of that winter running really makes a difference on the bike - we've got plans for plenty of epic rides this season - beautiful day.

Rail with DJ

51 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with DJ - sunny, warm, slight breeze - Rail Trail from the school - we ran at easy pace, but with all the chatting we did (and not focusing on breathing) it seemed a little harder than easy pace - felt great.

Big Bluestem

32 minutes
moderate pace
solo - sunny and a bit nippy - 10:10am - standard Big Bluestem loop from the S. Boulder Creek (west) TH - first day of going harder than easy pace in quite a while (and I've felt like I've had half of a cold for a week), so I was hacking up a bunch of phlegm - despite all that, I felt quick and zippy today - if I gave it a real effort I'd break 30 minutes (will probably do that soon - it's "out there" so I'll have to just get it one day) - five mule deer crossed the trail in front of me on the way down the valley.

Reverse Fowler

48 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe and Senior Runner - 12:20pm - sunny and windy - chilly compared to recent days, but still plenty warm enough for shorts - parked in Eldorado Canyon State Park - headed out from the Fowler/Rattlesnake TH, ran the Fowler, connected with and ran the Denver Water Board's dirt service road (past the fossilized ancient sea bed) to the point where it hits the aqueduct, turned around and headed back - very mellow and easy - spectacular views of the canyon walls - saw a freight train up above - saw a ptarmigan at the aqueduct and some mule deer down below the trail - late lunch at the Teahouse afterward - it's great to get some miles in with Senior Runner; I hope I can still be doing this stuff 25 years from now.

Boulder Canyon

63 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - sunny and hot - 10:20am - parked at 8th & University and ran up the Boulder Creek Path up the canyon to the mouth of Fourmile Canyon (where the path ends), turned around and ran back - super mellow and easy - dunked our heads in the creek at the turnaround (very cold water, but it felt great) - felt ok (had a little bit of a headache, but no big deal) - feels like summer the past week.

Wash Park

48 minutes
easy pace
with Senior Runner and KJ - sunny and hot - super easy and mellow at Denver's Washington Park - jeez, what a sea of humanity in that park (people everywhere) - did about one and a half loops on the cinder path, just yappin' it up - felt good.

Rest Day

Rest is good - back at it tomorrow.

Rail Trail with DJ

51 minutes
easy pace
with DJ - 12:15pm - sunny, breezy, and hot (low 80's) - Rail Trail from the school - went all the way to the terminus; walked the last singletrack section as we finished (last quarter mile) - felt good, but I was fatigued from the previous day's run (not just my legs, but my whole body - just general tiredness) - got a pretty good sunburn today.

Green Mountain

130 minutes
easy pace
solo - sunny, windy, and hot (low 80's) - 2:25pm - another great run today - from the Bear Canyon TH, Bear Canyon, Green Bear, Green Mountain West Ridge to the top of Green Mountain (the mountain on which the Flatirons sit), E.M. Greenman, Saddle Rock, Amphitheater to the Gregory Canyon TH, Baird-Bluebell, Bluebell-Mesa, Mesa, Kohler Mesa, NOAA/NIST service road, across Skunk Creek, southern edge of the NOAA/NIST property, through the 'hood, church trail, and home - I had a lot of fun out there today, mostly going nice and easy, just pluggin' along - Green Mountain is a very cool chunk of earth - it's so cool up there lookin' down on the backside of the Flatirons - the E.M. Greenman and Saddle Rock trails are seriously rugged (glad I was descending them) and the Greenman still had a good amount of ice on it (in another week it will be gone) - once I got down to the Gregory Canyon TH I still had a decent amount of climbing to do to get up and over Enchanted/Kohler Mesas - I dunked my head in Skunk Creek (felt awesome) - I am lovin' my Ultimate Direction Strider (hip pack that was a gift from the Stone Klan) - with these temperatures, hydration is a must - plus, an energy gel on top of the mountain fueled me for the descent - I was quite tired by the end of the run, but nowhere close to the "wiped-out" feeling I had after Saturday's Bear Peak run - felt kind of blah on the way up, but got into my element for the second half (gravity will usually do that).

Big Bluestem

52 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 4:50pm - sunny and warm - standard Big Bluestem loop from the S. Boulder Creek (West) TH - super light and super easy - just hangin' with NeNe - the meadowlarks have such a pretty call; there were hundreds of them out there - feelin' good.

Castlewood Canyon

105 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - mostly sunny, warm, breezy - 12:20pm - We visited Castlewood Canyon State Park for the first time, a very cool place (even by Colorado standards) - I'm sure the place is packed with yahoos on the weekend, but on a weekday it was great - The 105 minute time indicated above is total time out on the trail, we were not running the whole time (looking around, shooting video, etc.) - very mellow pace, just enjoying the scenery, takin' it easy - set out from the Homestead TH, Homestead Trail, Rimrock Trail (above the canyon), Dam Trail (back down into the canyon), past the dam ruins, Inner Canyon Trail, Canyon View Nature Trail (paved), to the Visitor's Center (where there was NO WATER, ouch!), back along Lake Gulch Trail, again past the dam ruins, Creek Bottom Trail, back to the Homestead Trail and the TH (trail map) - I always love running someplace where I have never been before - and I love running with my NeNe - a great little run, and afterward we had a nice picnic lunch at the homestead ruins - check out the video of our run over at the toxins.

Easy Fowler

54 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - sunny - so warm that I'll call it hot - breezy - midafternoon - a very mellow trot on the Fowler trail from the Eldorado Mountain TH - went to the Visitor's Center in Eldorado Canyon State Park (and the drinking fountain is now ON for the season) - so hot that we needed to dunk our heads in South Boulder Creek (that water is COLD) - re-rolled my left ankle (that was some seriously intense pain for a couple minutes, but I just kept running and it was fine after a while - arnica will help it out) - felt like summer today.

Super Slow on the Rail

60 minutes
easy pace
solo - 1:30pm - sunny, very warm (upper 70's), and breezy - Rail Trail from the high school - super mellow - recovering from yesterday; my legs were still tired - the grasshoppers were out in force today, sometimes smackin' me in the chest - saw more people on that trail than ever before - once back to the school, I meandered around a bit to make it an hour run - lovin' this warm weather.

Bear Peak

125 minutes
easy to moderate pace (mostly moderate up, easy down)
solo - 2:20pm - sunny turned to cloudy - warm turned slightly chilly - from the Bear Canyon TH, up Bear Canyon Trail, Bear Peak West Ridge Trail, to the top of Bear Peak, retraced the same route back to the TH, then on down to the house - felt great going up - had a couple of nice moments on top (great views of the snow-capped Continental Divide, Longs Peak, Indian Peaks, Eldora Ski Area) - but early in the descent I starting feeling bonked - it was mostly gravity that got me home - I didn't eat enough earlier in the day, plus I did a few hours of yard work in the morning - I was damn tired on the way down that mountain - drank a Coke within two minutes of getting home, and guacamole a few minutes later (that was a magical combination; instantly felt human again) - then an epsom salt soak, dinner, and Haagen Dazs - all back to normal again - I will sleep well tonight, for sure - first bagging of "the bear" this year.

Easy Reverse E/F

56 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:30am - 40 degrees, mist, rain - Did my standard E/F loop from the house, but in reverse (up Table Mesa and Lehigh to Bear Mountain Park, through the 'hood to Bear Canyon Trail, west to the Mesa Trail, Mesa Trail north to Kohler Mesa, down the service road, across Skunk Creek, down the southern border of the NOAA/NIST property, church trail, back home) - just went real easy - it started out as just mist, but as I climbed up to the Mesa Trail (and into the clouds) it quickly changed into cold rain - by the time I was half done I was very wet and very cold, but I was lovin' every second of it - hardly anyone up there - that "smell of spring" in the air - felt like I was floating today - effortless.

Mellow Hogback Loop

44 minutes
easy pace (moderate on the stairsteps)
solo - sunny, a little chilly, and gusty - just did a mellow cruise of the Hogback Loop from the school - went easy, except on the stairsteps, where it's pretty much impossible to go easy unless you walk - felt great - great views up there - and pretty windy up there.

Another Easy Rail

52 minutes
easy pace
solo - sunny, but a little chilly - Rail Trail easy from the school - but with a few moderate surges mixed in - turkey vultures and prairie hawks floating around - felt good by the end - rolled my left ankle (no big deal, but it will be sore for a few days).

Easy from Home

42 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:45am - overcast and chilly - not much time in my schedule today, so I did my typical not-much-time-but-I'm-squeezing-a-run-in-anyway loop from the house - church trail, b-way trail in front of NOAA/NIST, King Ave., Four Pines TH, behind Green Mountain Cemetery, up Skunk Canyon, down telephone road, behind the houses, then through the 'hood and Bear Mountain Park back to the house - nice and easy - Even though I bought new shoes almost two months ago, today was my first day wearing them (a little stiff, but good - same ol' Montrail Hardrock's) - felt just ok (I'm off the coffee crutch, so mornings are a bit groggy this week).

Rail (Slightly) Extended

55 minutes
easy pace
solo - noon - overcast and a bit chilly - Rail Trail from the school, but once at the terminus, I ran down to the highway (US36) - turned around and ran back - felt blah out, but pretty good back - felt a little tired from yesterday's surges - hawks and rabbits showed themselves a bunch.

Aquaduct

58 minutes
moderate pace (with some fartlek surges)
solo - started and finished with NeNe, but we did our own thing - 3:40pm, sunny, warm, and windy - from the Eldorado Mountain TH, ran SE along the Denver Water Board's service road that parallels the aquaduct - went out 25 minutes to the top of the second siphon about a mile west of Highway 93, hung out there for a minute, turned around and came back the same way (but with some harder surges and some mellow recovery mixed in) - once back to the TH, eased up and ran down the hill to the road, back up, and back up the Fowler a bit until I met NeNe coming down, easy back with her - felt awesome - got some good views of the grass fire at Rocky Flats.

Half Rail with DJ

40 minutes
easy pace
with DJ - he's normally my mountain bike partner, but he's getting some running in too this spring - he's already been riding a lot, so I could be in for some trouble - from the school, ran to the "pond" and back - 11:30am, sunny - felt good.

Easy Rail with NeNe

58 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 4:30pm - sunny and very warm - Rail Trail from the Four Mile Creek TH - it was nice to be in the shadow on the way back (not used to warm weather) - super mellow and light, but I threw in a couple fartlek surges - saw a bunch of mountain bikers on the Foothills Trail (I'm starting to get the itch to get back in the saddle) - feelin' fantastic - I had planned on going fast in the morning, but mellow with NeNe in the afternoon was more fun.

Old Kiln Loops

36 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:15am - overcast and a bit on the chilly side - takin' it easy today - from the school, ran 3 loops of the Old Kiln Trail - super mellow - didn't even break a sweat or huff-n-puff - tomorrow I may go fast.

Rail Trail and Hogback Loop

78 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 7:45am - warm and sunny - any day that I can run before 8am, in March, without a shirt, is a good day - headed out from the school - ran the Rail at easy to moderate pace - on the way back I climbed up and down the Hogback Loop (stairsteps for a solid 12-13 minutes) at a moderate pace, then nice and easy back - felt pretty zapped today, so tomorrow I should go easy.

Rail with "The Doaner"

53 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with "The Doaner" (a colleague) and solo - 3:30pm - sunny and very warm (shirtless) - I was only joking when I said, "Hey, you goin' runnin' with me after school?". When he later said, "OK, let's go", I was surprised - So off we went on the Rail Trail from the school - We ran very easy together for the first mile and a half - then he pulled off, slowed down to a jog, and stretched while I kept at it at a moderate pace to the terminus - I came back at a moderate clip until I rejoined him, 2 miles from the school - then we came home easy - (he's a strong rock climber, and has a lot off natural ability as a runner - he's just out of shape because he never runs) - it was nice to get out there with him - shot a few hoops in the gym afterward - felt good out there today.

A Drier Rail is a Faster Rail

49 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 8:25am - sunny, warm, with a chilly breeze - Rail Trail from the school - surprisingly, the Rail was almost completely dry, and that lent itself to a faster pace - I wasn't going much harder than easy pace, but one can really zip over a dry trail - saw the osprey again today, along with some prairie hawks and meadowlark/warbler-type birds (seeing different birds now with the spring season) - felt pretty good.

Easy Viele

34 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 3:15pm - chilly, mostly cloudy, windy - super mellow and short run - from the house, ran roads over to the park, did a couple laps around Viele Lake, and came back - just "getting something in" today (not real motivated to be out in the wind) - feeling good - a faint chalk line is still visible in the grass from February's Best XC Race on the Planet.

Doudy/Siphon/Highway Loop

67 minutes
mostly moderate pace
solo - 1:40pm - sunny and warm - started and finished with NeNe, but we did our own runs - set out from the Doudy Draw TH - up the Doudy Draw Trail to the break in the fence after the first creek crossing, then up and a quick left on the singletrack, continued south past the pond, over to and under the giant siphon (off trail at that point), then followed the siphon and aquaduct along Denver Water Board's dirt service roads to a point where I could see Highway 93 and the gravel quarry, turned around, followed the aquaduct back to the little singletrack that goes down past the old homestead and the big boulders in the prairie, down to the Eldorado Mountain TH, then ran the highway back east to the Doudy Draw TH - I got back there at about 53 minutes - then I eased up and ran nice and slow back up the Doudy, met NeNe coming down, easy back to the TH with her - felt great to turn it on for those first 50 minutes or so - sweaty and hot today (prelude to summer) - a little muddy and a little snowy, but mostly dry - felt pretty fast today.

Easy on South Boulder Creek

56 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 4pm - sunny, warm, and slightly breezy - shorts, no shirt, knit cap - I forgot to take off my beaded necklace and it was bouncin' around and smackin' me in the collarbone - a very mellow trot on the South Boulder Creek Trail from Marshall Road to the "triangle" at the E. Boulder Rec. Center and back - sometimes it's nice to go ultra-slow and just chat and look around - felt great.

Mt. Sanitas Above the Fog

68 minutes
easy to moderate pace (moderate going up, easy otherwise)
solo - 8am - foggy in town, sunny up above - what an awesome run - headed out from the school, went around the east side of Wonderland Lake, bike path to Linden Ave., then took the steep singletrack up and over the Dakota Ridge to the top of the Sanitas Valley, then the East Ridge Trail to the top of Mt. Sanitas - the singletrack and East Ridge were very muddy / snowy / icy / rocky, so a lot of it was more "power hiking" than running - once above the fog there was brilliant sunshine and perfectly blue skies - I hung out on top for a few minutes, then ran down the same way - it was not so bad going up, but going down was rather treacherous - the snow was melting so quickly that it was as if I was getting rained on (snow melting off the tree branches above) - came back the same way, except I went around the west side of the lake - crazy views up there (half of the city shrouded in fog, fog pushed up right against the foothills, different thicknesses and densities of fog) - I had a few minutes of perfect solitude on top - today's run not only fed my fitness, but also my soul.

Snow and Wildlife on the Rail

56 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8am, cold, snow - back at it today - Rail Trail from the school - about an inch of powder covering frozen mud - the snow slowed me down a lot, but I felt light on my feet - feelin' good - saw a couple of mule deer on the bank of Fourmile Creek, and a hawk soaring over me - I also saw lots of tracks in the snow - the best tracks were likely a coyote, and they had drops of blood along side them (maybe a coyote carrying a freshly killed prairie dog???).

Hoops

2 hours of pick-up basketball in the gym with fellow faculty members. It wore me out, and I took a nice shot to the jaw with someone's shoulder - instant headache.
3 days in a row off from running - I guess I'm being a weather-wimp.

Snow and Rest

rest day
My schedule is busy, my world is cold and snowy, and my legs are resting.

Day Off

rest day
Was it the fact that I had tons of work to do today? - Was it the cold mist and rain that kept falling today? - Either way, it's a rest day.

Big Big Bluestem Variation

56 minutes
moderate pace
solo - midday - sunny, warm - started and finished with NeNe, but we did our own runs - she did the Big Bluestem loop, while I did a variation on my standard Big-Big-Bluestem loop - from the S. Boulder Creek (West) TH, South Boulder Creek Trail, Mesa Trail, then, instead of turning to go up the upper Bluestem, I continued climbing up the Mesa Trail, then ran down the Upper Big Bluestem, and back to the TH on the Lower Big Bluestem - still a lot of snow and slop up in the trees, but mostly dry out in the open - I put in a steady effort - felt great.

Up Linden, Down Old Kiln

40 minutes
easy to moderate pace (moderate going up, easy going down)
solo - 8:20am, sunny, calm, barely warm enough for shorts - The Linden to Old Kiln Trail loop - roads going up, trails coming down - felt good - nothing like climbing 800 feet or so to shock you into your groove - I almost always feel good when the course tips upward.

Rail not so Muddy

54 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:50am - sunny - a bit too cold for shorts, but I wore them anyway - Rail Trail from the school - not nearly as muddy as yesterday, but still muddy enough to really slow the running - tailwind out and a chilly headwind back - felt so-so - I am in need of a longer run; this weekend I'll have to get a long one in.

Mud on the Rail

55 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8am - sunny - just warm enough for shorts - Rail Trail from the school - over the first 2 miles the mud was frozen and not a problem - but then the frozen mud thawed and became "just mud" - a very sloppy run - slow goin' tromping through the mud, sliding around, carrying 5 pounds of mud on each shoe - very fun though, and I felt very good.

Home from School

40 minutes
easy to moderate pace (closer to easy)
solo - sunny, warm, snow melting everywhere - 3:40pm - ran home from the school on pavement - all road, sidewalk, or bikepath - straight down Broadway - GoogleMaps says it's 5.63 miles? - didn't feel great until the last mile - it's tough starting out going downhill - I can feel the pavement in my quads (roads are brutal) - running isn't quite so peaceful with traffic, stoplights, peds, etc. - hard to get into any kind of a rhythm on the city grid - back to nature tomorrow.

Snow on the Rail

63 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:20am - clouds and filtered sunshine - cold - 3 inches or so of fresh powder from yesterday's snow - (the past 5 days or so we have been getting a little bit of snow every day) - slow goin' today, tromping through the snow, but very fun and beautiful - Rail Trail from the school - the trail varied from soupy slush and mud (on the south-facing slopes) to 8 inches of fluffy powder (on the north-facing slopes) - mine were the first footprints on the Rail today - I may have seen mountain lion tracks at the pond today, but it was hard to tell - feelin' great.

Rest

rest day
couldn't get motivated

East Boulder Trail

64 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - midday, cloudy, cold, brisk northwesterly breeze - started from the E. Boulder Trail/Teller Farm North TH (on Valmont, east of 95th St.), East Boulder Trail past the South TH, turned around at Arapahoe Rd., retraced our steps to the North TH, then ran the around the north and east side of Teller Lake to the dead end, retraced our steps to the TH - very mellow and slow - low clouds shrouding the mountains - it's nice to get out in the farmland from time to time - cattle, hawks, eagles, turkey vultures - snow flurries - beautiful winter day.

Treadmillin'

45 minutes
moderate pace
solo (on a treadmill) - 10:30am - on Fridays, I bring the freshmen to the N. Boulder Rec. Center for their P.E. classes - once there, I'm left to do whatever, as they are being "supervised" by the rec. center staff - I had a morning meeting, and my afternoon was spoken for, so a little treadmill running at the rec. was all I could do today - 5 minutes of warm-up at 7:00 mile pace, then 35 minutes at 6:20-6:30 mile pace (I ran 5 minutes at 6:00 mile pace, but backed off - just didn't feel like working that hard today), then 5 minutes of warm-down at 7:30 mile pace - I am convinced that treadmill running is a lot easier (physically) than real running, but mentally it's much harder - so boring - I cannot watch the tv's; that makes the time crawl - I found myself staring at a spot on the floor or a tree out the window, then I'd space out and the minutes would seemingly tick off a little more quickly - (then the only distraction was the occasional old lady asking how much longer I would be using the treadmill - or some of the Frosh trying to increase the belt speed) - treadmillin' is better than doing nothing at all, but it is not running - I ended up "running" 6.7 miles.

More Rest

rest day
just laziness

Rest

rest day
snow and laziness

More of the Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:20am - sunny, very warm - the winds arrived just as I finished this run - shorts today, and I peeled off the shirt after the first half mile (oh, do I love being nearly naked in the crisp morning air) - no wildlife to report except a little vole that crossed the trail right in front of me (and the usual prairie dogs, magpies, ravens, rabbits, small birds, pigeons, etc.) - felt tired, stiff, and slow today, but still loved being out there - snow tomorrow.

Back on the Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - 4:30pm - cloudy, but warm - Rail Trail from the high school (about a half mile farther, round-trip than usual) - started out feeling only ok, but finished feeling quite good - I should have taken care of some digestion before hitting the trail, so the run was a little uncomfortable - more fun tomorrow.

Davidson & Marshall Mesas

37 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - midday - sunny, warm (shorts and no shirt - my favorite get-up) - just a little run today - started from the Marshall Mesa TH, ran along Marshall Road, took a right on Cherryvale Road, took the trail that roughly parallels Cherryvale for a while, then took the trail up and over Davidson Mesa, crossed Marshall Road, up Marshall Mesa, then right back down to the TH on the Community Ditch Trail - nice and mellow - beautiful warm and sunny day - lots of people on Marshall Mesa, but not a soul on Davidson Mesa.

Rest Day

Levi's Birthday!

Rail Rail Rail

49 minutes
easy to moderate pace (closer to easy)
solo - 8:20am - sunny, fairly warm - Rail Trail from the school (again) - what a beautiful crisp and clear morning - oh yes, now I'm feeling zippy again - feeling great, in fact - perfect day, perfect easy little run.

More of the Rail

51 minutes
easy pace
solo - 9:30am - filtered sun, warm - a little quicker today, but from the same easy effort - I'm getting my faster gears back (perhaps the "February funk" is over) - it's strange how I never get tired of running the Rail Trail - it's got enough variation in the terrain to keep me from getting bored - feelin' great - this winter has been so nice, warm, and dry (March is the snowiest month here, so we'll see).

Resting

rest day
no other reason other than laziness - oh, the laziness

Another Easy Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:30am - sunny and very warm - another day of runnin' easy on the Rail - nice and easy, just goin' slow, but felt a little more speedy than yesterday - saw more runners on the Rail today than ever before - feeling very good - spring is coming - life is good.

Rail

56 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:15am, sun and clouds, warm - Jeez, do I love the Rail Trail - and, oh, do I love running in the morning - saw the osprey again - nice and easy - kind of stuck in a middle gear lately - not really able to really cook down the trail - a rut in February/March is ok, as long as I work it out by May - mosly dry today (only a little mud) - feeling good.

Big Blue

49 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 2pm, filtered sun, warm - warmest day in a while (60 degrees) - from the S. Boulder Creek (West) TH - standard Big Bluestem loop - easy and mellow - quads not so sore today - felt great - some dog tried to jump on me, but I didn't let it get to me - tons of peeps out on the trail today - had to park on the street - beautiful day.

Cowdrey Trail

52 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 1:30ish - sunny, chilly, steady northerly breeze - parked at the new TH off 66th St., took the Cowdrey Trail west, Community Ditch west to CO93 (including the little ditch loop), and back - easy and mellow - muddy in spots - quads still sore, but better - felt good - lots of people out there today.

The Tank

72 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with NeNe - midday, sunny, warm, windy - started from the TH on Valmont - NeNe ran to the tank, I ran to the TH just beyond the tank - I went at a moderate pace until I caught up to her just east of the tank on the way back, then I went easy with her - felt good to work harder, but I only felt so-so - quads are sore - very windy going west.

Fowler Big Loop

86 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - started and finished with NeNe at the Eldorado Mountain TH, but we did our own runs - I headed up the dirt road then took the singletrack to the left of the first right-hand switchback - continued up the trail to the canal road, headed back north to conect with the Fowler Trail, into Eldorado Canyon State Park, then climbed up the Eldorado Canyon Trail for 12 minutes or so (didn't quite reach the highpoint of the trail), turned around, headed down, then ran the road through the park and town and back up the county road hill to the TH, meandered around the TH until NeNe arrived - muddy and slushy and fun - my quads are tired and sore (not use to running) - tricky footing in the sloppy conditions.

Around the Res

54 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 12:30pm - sunny, chilly, and windy - Boulder Reservoir - started from entry gate off 55th St., headed north, did clockwise loop of the Res - super mellow - wore shorts, but should have worn tights - the NW wind was biting - felt great - effortless flying going east with the tailwind - saw a hawk, only 30 feet off the road, on the ground, with bloody guts all around him - we interrupted her meal - we've been getting an up close view of nature's violent side lately - also watched an ice sailing craft zip across the Res at a serious clip - a little snowy, a little muddy.

Another Eagle at BVR

56 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 3:30pm - sunny and chilly - westerly breeze - nice and mellow - wow, it feels great to run - the snow is melting (today the trail was only about 60% snowpacked) - muddy days ahead - from the Boulder Valley Ranch TH, Sage, Eagle, Mesa Reservoir, Hidden Valley, Cobalt - saw a bald eagle dining in the middle of a lake - he had caught something and brought it out to the middle of the ice - when we passed by, he was busy ripping the flesh from the bones - it was probably a prairie dog - feeling very fresh and well-rested - one more slowish day, then I'll ramp up the speed and mileage.

Easy at Boulder Valley Ranch

37 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - Boulder Valley Ranch - first day back - just short and super easy - sunny and chilly with a snowpacked trail - felt great to be running again - hackin' up a lot of snot from the rest days - Degge Trail, Hidden Valley Trail, Mesa Reservoir Trail, Eagle Trail - saw a bald eagle perched in a tree near Mesa Reservoir - feels good to be healthy again.

Last Rest Day

rest day
my body wanted a rest, so it got a nice, long one
I'll be back at it tomorrow

Yet Another Rest Day

rest day
feeling much better - one or two more rest days will leave me hungry to get back out there

Still Restin'

rest day
bitter cold and the tail end of a flu combine to keep me inside

Still Illin', Still Chillin'

rest day
I am having so much fun with the stomach flu - going for a run seems like such a bummer.

Illin' and Chillin'

rest day
flu-like symptoms - nothing too terrible, but I certainly do not feel like running.

Back on the Rail

54 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:30am - sunny, breezy - probably the last day in shorts for a while - Rail Trail from the school - slight headwind out, decent tailwind back - I'm glad the do-something-aerobic-every-day-of-2006 streak is over - I am good about getting out there and running almost every day - I don't need some dumb streak to keep me motivated - it was becoming this weight on my shoulders - now I can still get out there almost every day, but I'll go because I want to go, not because of some silly streak - felt good, but slow - spacin' out today, just zipping along thinking about everything and nothing - cold runs the rest of the week.

Rest Day

The 2006 streak is over - lazy, lazy.

Easy Neighborhood Trot

46 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - from the house - 10:15am - Church Trail, NIST/NOAA property, King, Four Pines TH, behind Green Mountain Cemetery, up Skunk to the top of telephone road., east on telephone toad, Vassar, home - mellow - should have worn shorts.

Fartlek on the Doudy Loop

94 minutes
easy pace, with fartlek surges
with NeNe - 1:40pm - sunny, chilly, breezy, snow on the trail - started from the Doudy Draw TH, south and east on the Doudy Draw, across CO93, north on Greenbelt Plateau, west along Community Ditch - NeNe ran easy, and I mixed it up (sometimes running easy alongside her, sometimes surging ahead for 1-3 minutes, then either walking and waiting for or jogging back to her) - our new version of this loop includes what we call "extended Doudy", a singletrack south and east of the official Doudy Draw trail - along that section especially, but really everywhere, the footing was tough, as the fresh powder was cut up, soft, and unpacked - the fartlek surges were slip-slidey - seemed like a headwind no matter where we were - beautiful sunny day.

Snowy Half-Rail with Blaine

51 minutes
easy pace
with Blaine - 3:30pm - sun and clouds, 3-4 inches of fresh powder on the trail - Blaine (a junior xc runner) is preparing to climb Mount Shasta in April - very mellow tromp through the snow (his first run ever in snow) - ran the Rail Trail to the pond and back - tricky footing - in the shadow most of the way back - felt only so-so.

And Another Easy Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:30am - cloudy, windy, and warm (shorts!) - Rail Trail - felt very good today - I think most of the cob webs are shaken off now - last day of warm and dry (snow coming) - love this trail in the morning.

Another Easy Rail

55 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8am - filtered sunshine - 50 degrees - Rail Trail from the school - I think I am finally shaking off those doldrums that have hung around the past few days - I was actually excited to be out there and did not feel nearly as slow and heavy - after the normal first 15 uncomfortable minutes I was feeling great - I am still moving slowly (a few weeks ago I ran this trail in 45 minutes), but feeling good - rolled the left ankle again-this time not too badly, but I've got to stop doing it or it will be jelly by summer - peeled the long sleeved top off after the first mile - nothing like the crisp morning air on my bare chest to make me feel awake and alive - The last two days of running felt like work, but today the joy was back.

Workin' the Kinks Out on the Rail

56 minutes
easy pace
solo - 3:30pm - sunny and calm, warm enough for shorts - in and out of the shadow on the way back - flet very sluggish and heavy at the beginning, but felt quick and mean by the end - the ankle held up just fine in the more technical sections - I think I need Spring Break to get me onto some new trails - I'm in a bit of a rut - feeling a little uninspired and unmotivated lately - but, at least I'm getting the runs in - just wait until I'm feeling it again - then I'll really be upping the mileage - (thinking about doing the Pikes Peak Ascent in August, among other things) - winter is all about just getting in easy mileage, so I'm not concerned if I feel slow or uninspired every now and then - I'll be ready when April and May arrive, you betcha.

Easy at Boulder Valley Ranch

52 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - sunny, chilly, and windy - 3:30pm - from the BVR TH off Longhorn Rd., Sage Trail, Eagle Trail, Mesa Reservoir Trail, Hidden Valley Trail, Cobalt Trail - felt unmotivated and sluggish today, but I'm glad I did something - kept it on smooth, flat trails to give the ankle some rest - ankle felt ok, just a little stiff - saw a bald eagle in flight - very mellow pace.

Near Plainview Quarry

66 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe, (but broke off solo in the middle for a little exploring) - from the Eldorado Mountain TH - 12:30pm - sunny and chilly - ran up to the "private property" gate (SW of the siphon), then continued south and east along open space boundary fence, cross-country across the prairie grass, then rejoining Siphon Road, and retrace route down singletrack - re-rolled my left ankle (it hurt this time as it was already sore from last week's roll), it is now very sore - awkward today (rolled ankle and twice fell down) - not quite as at peace with the world today, I guess.

Big Big Blue - North Shanahan

87 minutes
easy pace (with a few short downhill surges at moderate pace)
with NeNe - 1pm- filtered sunshine - from the S. Boulder Creek (west) TH - South Boulder Creek, Mesa, Upper Big Bluestem, Mesa, North Shanahan (singletrack lower section), Shan/Blue, Lower Big Bluestem - felt great - the forest was so still and quiet today - I felt very relaxed and at peace with the world - zen.

High School Ski Trip

Friday
Classic cross-country skiing from the Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center with some of the HS girls - an hour and a half at a painfully slow pace - then I shot off for a half hour at a moderate clip.

Thursday
an hour and a half of Capture the Flag in waist-deep snow - hard work - of course, no team won - it was fun just breaking trail/making trenches in the deep stuff - then an hour of tubing at the Fraser Tubing Hill - very windy, so, to keep warm, me and a couple of the XC runners would run all out to the tow rope every time - way fun tubing with kids - then swimming and sauna for an hour followed by an hour of pick-up basketball at Snow Mountain Ranch (where we all stayed).

Boulder Valley Ranch

59 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 3:30pm - sunny and breezy - warm, over 50 degrees (shorts again!) - super mellow cruise starting from the Foothills (east) TH - Eagle, Cobalt, Sage, Eagle, Mesa Reservoir, Hidden Valley, Eagle back to the TH - just chattin' it up - I cannot get over the winter we've been having here - I've worn shorts about 75% of my runs - I know it won't last - homemade saag for dinner - life is good.

Hogback Shadow

46 minutes
easy pace (moderate climbing the steps)
solo - 3:20pm - felt a little sluggish, so I decided that, if I was going to go slow, I'd head up and do some climbing - nothing like a bunch of stairsteps to work the kinks out - headed out from the school and did the Hogback Loop - those steps get easier every time (it used to seem like such a task to get up there, but now it's over before I start suffering much) - felt great on the way back - sunny, but I was in the shadow for most of the run - warm enough for shorts - lovely day - saw no one on the Hogback Loop trail.

Easy Rail

42 minutes
easy pace
solo - 3:30pm - sunny, but ended in the shadow - just warm enough for shorts (50 degrees) - from the Fourmile Creek TH, to the Rail Trail terminus and back - just goin' mellow - tail/crosswind out, head/crosswind back - I was not motivated to get out there today, but, once I was five minutes into it, I was glad to be doing it - a quarter mile from the end, I passed Frank Shorter - he was just trottin' slowly (probably out on a twenty miler or something) - wow, was it really 36 years ago that he won the gold? - he's still gettin' out there and runnin' - I hope I can keep it up that long - felt good today - I spent a lot of today's run daydreaming about mountain biking - I saw my riding partner today, and he assures me that he will be in shape come spring - I know I will be - well, even if I'm in good running shape, it will take me a couple weeks to get my riding legs back - the heart and lungs will be there though (never left).

Into Shadow Canyon

77 minutes
easy to moderate pace (moderate climbing, easy descending)
solo - 2pm - sunny, but chilly and windy - (ended up not skiing today) - started from the S. Boulder Creek (West) TH, west on South Boulder Creek Trail, south down the Mesa Trail, westward up the Homestead Trail, continued west on the Towhee Trail, Shadow Canyon Trail to the abandoned cabin (where Shadow Canyon "proper" begins), northeast on the westernmost "last chance" connector back to the Mesa Trail, north on the Mesa, and eastward down the Upper and Lower Big Bluestem to the TH - felt very good - I am becoming quite the mountian goat - the climbing just gets easier every month - rolled my left ankle on the descent (nothing serious, just enough so it will be a little sore for a few days).

Big Big Blue

59 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 1:45pm - sunny with intermittent cloud shadows, chilly, light breeze - Big Big Bluestem loop - from the S. Boulder Creek (West) TH, South Boulder Creek trail, north on the Mesa, west on Upper Big Bluestem, reconnect and continue north on the Mesa trail, South Shanahan trail, Shan/Blue connector, lower Big Bluestem to the TH - saw a fox at the Mesa / S. Shan junction (I don't know if it was directed at me or some hikers' dogs nearby, but the fox barked - I had never heard that before) - I had planned on going farther today, but my legs were tight and a little tired. Going on a long ski tomorrow and I want to be fresh for that.

Osprey on the Rail

52 minutes
easy pace
solo - 8:30am - filtered sunshine, just warm enough for shorts - Rail Trail from the school - mellow pace - felt good - saw that bird again, and I am certain it was an osprey - it soared right over me - if it looks like an osprey, and it flies like an osprey...it's probably an osprey - NeNe ran the same trail at noon and saw it (another?) and she is also sure it was an osprey - just because guidebooks and birders say that they do not winter here does not mean that there are not exceptions - individual birds can break the rules, species have variations (even mutations), and there is plenty of documentation of wildlife behaving strangely in the past decade or so - so I say osprey - I'll betcha a sushi dinner on it.

E/F Loop with the Waning Crescent

58 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7am - chilly, but not as cold as I had anticipated (overdressed) - clear skies - crescent moon hanging out above the southern horizon - sun rose as I traversed the Mesa Trail - I don't know what it is about being on the Mesa Trail at sunrise, but it's special watching the sunlight creep down the flatirons until finally it's on me - mellow tromp - spacin' out - just "being" - felt only so-so (wasn't really awake yet).

Glove Retrieval at Boulder Valley Ranch

60 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 4pm-ish - fifty degrees, filtered sunshine - yet another day in shorts - sun setting as we finished - started at the Foothills / Eagle junction off US 36 just north of town - Eagle trail, down the Cobalt trail, Sage trail, southwest on the Eagle trail, Mesa Reservoir trail, Hidden Valley trail, and the Degge trail back to the TH - nice and easy, but I did one little surge after NeNe realized that she dropped a glove "somewhere back there" - it was only about 300 meters "back there", but by the time I got it, turned around, and caught back up to her, it was about a 3/4 mile surge that I had done - legs were a little tired from yesterday's effort, but felt pretty good overall - I know there will be plenty of nasty weather to endure in the next few months, but next week February comes - spring and summer is right around the corner - if I can just keep up the motivation and keep getting out there almost every day, I will be in pretty good shape to start jammin' again when the weather is nice - What's on the agenda? Lots of mountain biking, tons of trail running, maybe a little trail racing, and a trail marathon.

Rail Trail at a Decent Clip

45 minutes
moderate to hard pace (closer to moderate)
solo - 8am - from the school to the Rail Trail terminus and back - chilly, but wore shorts, sunny, light crosswind - I felt like going hard so that's what I did - came back two minutes faster than I went out - It felt great to turn it on a bit today; I had not run quickly in quite a while - felt great - I had some zip in my legs, but, when Spring comes, I'll have to start doing it more often (then it won't feel so foreign). Today, it was a bit of a shock-to-the-system, but a good kind of shock - running is a wonderful thing - I am lucky to be able to do it - I love it.

Boulder Valley Ranch

51 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 3:30pm, warm enough for shorts, sunny, calm - very mellow clockwise loop from the Longhorn TH - Sage trail, Eagle trail, Mesa Reservoir trail, Hidden Valley trail, Cobalt trail back down to the car - lots of flying v's of geese out there - felt great - maybe I will go fast tomorrow?

Backcountry Skiing at Brainard

[backcountry skiing]
2 hours 20 minutes
mellow tour
with NeNe - late morning - cold and windy, but sunny with blue skies - went west on the Waldrop trail to Brainard Lake, around the lake along the road (very exposed and windy), back east on the CMC trail - the CMC is a ski-only trail (no pesky snowshoe people cutting up the ski tracks), a very neat "corridor" through the forest - nice wide-open downhill to finish - beautiful up there - lots of snow along the CMC.

[The running-every-day-of-2006 streak has ended, but the do-something-aerobic-everyday-of-2006 streak lives on.]

Sunrise E/F in the Snow

61 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7am - 10-15 degrees, clear skies - standard E/F loop - I love to get up on the Mesa Trail early in the morning - crisp, clean air - the Earth spun around to show the sunrise just as I got up onto Kohler mesa - stunningly beautiful - mountains rising up to meet the waning moon - only saw one other person up on the Mesa - trail surface was snowpacked and icy with chunky footprints frozen in yesterday's slush - I had a few cocktails last night so I was not feeling particularly super or swift - very mellow pace - just going slow and enjoying the scenery.

SoBo with NeNe

54 minutes
easy to moderate pace
with NeNe - 4pm - sunset shortly after starting - from the S. Boulder Creek East TH - ran easy with NeNe to the E. Boulder Rec Center where she turned around - I continued to the Bobolink TH at Baseline Rd. at moderate pace, turned around and chased NeNe at moderate pace and finally caught her 5 minutes from the car - ran easy with her to finish - cold - trial surface was a mix of dirt, mud, puddles, packed snow, and powder - felt good to go a little faster today - last day in my old (grey) Montrail Hardrocks - they are officially retired as new red ones have been acquired.

Snow on the Rail

50 minutes
easy pace (with moderate surges mixed in)
solo - 9am - cold, light snow falling, low clouds, fog - felt great to get away this morning - about an inch of snow on the trail - mine were the first footprints on the Rail Trail today, except for the prairie dogs (they have interesting tracks - all four feet hit the ground, then about a foot and a half of getting airborne before all four feet hit the ground again within a foot of each other - that must be a prairie dog who's haulin' ass, in full flight) - Rail Trail from the school - felt pretty good - I love running on days like this because (almost) no one else is out there.

Easy Rail

52 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 3:30pm - windy, sun & shadow, warm enough for shorts - Rail Trail from the Fourmile Creek TH - a very mellow tromp, chattin' (bitchin' and moanin' about students / colleagues / parents) with NeNe - I was glad to get out there to blow off some steam (I'll be glad when this week is over - feeling kind of stressed).

Up Linden Again

42 minutes
easy pace
solo - cold, windy, in the shadow (4:15pm) - same loop as last Thursday, but without the wrong turns - very unmotivated and a little tired before going out, but ten seconds out I was glad I was doing it - saw a woman and her dog twice who were doing the same loop in the other direction - plenty of climbing on this loop, but this second time was so much easier than last Thursday.

A Cold Big Blue with NeNe

44 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 11am - cold, overcast - standard Big Bluestem loop (same loop as yesterday with sr/og) - very mellow - reality returned today along with winter - woke up to a half inch of snow in Boulder, just enough to make the trail slightly muddy - I noticed in Cosmo Doogood's Urban Almanac that today is "Ditch Your New Year's Resolution Day" - the weather certainly had something to do with it, but the New Year's Resolutioners were absent from the trail - too bad for them, but good for the rest of us - with the exception of some occasional nice days, the trails are all ours until early April (when those people creep back out of the woodwork for their Bolder Boulder preparation).

Big Blue with SR/OG

50 minutes
easy pace
with sr/og - 8:00am, sunny, chilly but warmed up quickly - nice and easy tromp of the standard small Big Bluestem loop - saw a coyote truckin' across the prairie and across the Mesa trail - very mellow - visited the FHS track on the way home.

Fowler with the Family

49 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe, KJ, and senior runner/oldguy - from the Eldorado Mountain TH, Fowler trail to the Visitor's Center in Eldorado Canyon State Park - sunny and very warm (shorts, no shirt, knit cap) - I think sr/og liked the views in the canyon - super mellow - fun - beautiful day.

Easy E/F

54 minutes
easy pace
solo - 7:30am, sunrise - cold - left the house just as the sun crept over the horizon - standard E/F loop - through the hood, church trail, NOAA/NIST property, service road up onto Enchanted / Kohler Mesa, Mesa trail to Bear Creek fire road, Bear Mountain Park, through the hood back to the house - passed a small group of mule deer on the Mesa trail (they stood motionless and just watched me run by) - cold, but the sun warmed things up pretty quickly - only saw two people up on the Mesa - nice and easy -felt great.

Up Linden

44 minutes
easy to moderate pace (closer to easy)
solo - 8am - clouds and sun - chilly (dressed for winter) - windy (first half) - from the school, across Wonderland Lake dam, south to Linden, west on Linden Dr., climbed up the road and continued climbing on N. Cederbrook Dr., Ridge Rd., "wraparound" trail above Lee Hill Dr., Old Kiln Trail, Foothills Trail, Foothills Community Park, back to the school - I was thinking that this run would be much more difficult - maybe that's why it seemed so easy (prepared for worse) - only 5 to 5.5 miles, but a good hill in there - really only 15 minutes of climbing (800 feet or so) - about half roads, half trail - as I descended the "wraparound", I saw, on the slope on the other side of Lee Hill Dr., a fox darting through a small herd of mule deer as a hiker was spooking all of them - that little fox was movin' - always wanted to do that loop and now it's done - felt great again.

More of the Rail

51 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - 9:30am - Rail Trail (I do love that trail) - filtered sunshine, warmish (shorts) - windy (head/crosswind out, tail/crosswind back) - nothing special to note today except that I felt better than I have in two weeks, felt great - tomorrow they are calling for colder temperatures, but just for a day - I might actually have to wear tights for the first time in the '06 (I hope not) - getting spoiled with these warm temps - I am feeling the slightest bit of tightness / soreness along my left shin - got to do my stretches (something I've been neglecting to do) - don't want to get a shin splint.

2nd Run Today - Half Rail with Blaine

52 minutes
easy pace
with Blaine (one of the runners on the cross country team) - Blaine needs to be ready for some mountaineering outings that he will be doing as part of his Senior Project, so he wants to run with me sometimes. So, we did a run together at dusk. - We left the school at 4:45pm, headed out on the Rail Trail, got to "the pond" (or "bog", or "oasis", whatever you want to call it) and it was getting awfully dark, turned around and stumbled back. We were watching our moon shadows on the way back, looking at the city lights, and the big herds of mule deer. It really was a cool experience. Plus, he's a very neat kid - I love talking with him - still warm enough for shorts - nice and easy - looking forward to more runs with him - I wanted more mileage, and today I got some more mileage.

Rail and Hogback

71 minutes
moderate pace
solo - 9:00am - filtered sunshine, a little chilly, slightly windy, got to wear shorts again - from the school, ran the Rail Trail, on the way back I did the Hogback Loop (clock-wise like usual) - first time I actually ran all the stairsteps on the Hogback - those steps get easier every time - great views from up on the ol' Hogback - saw a couple mule deer and several hawks - I spooked one hawk as I rounded a corner and he took off only 20 meters or so in front of me - it was nice to go faster and a little farther - felt good

Rail Trail from the Trailhead

53 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - 1:30pm - sunny and a little chilly (shorts, but hat & gloves) - did the Rail Trail from the Fourmile Creek TH instead of from the school - super mellow pace - just chattin' with NeNe - slight tailwind out (hardly noticed it), slight headwind back (noticed it) - pretty nice day for what is forecasted as the coldest day of the week - calm winds for a change - warmer temps later in the week, so that probably means more wind (great - my favorite) - Third Quarter (my busiest quarter) starts next week, so no more sneakin' away in the early afternoons - it'll be all mornings or late afternoons then - but we're getting more daylight every day now, so all will be AOK - I've been doing far too many easy short runs lately - I really need to go faster or farther, or both.

Gregory Canyon to the House

56 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - sunny, windy, and a bit chilly - 10:30am - parked a vehicle at Gregory Canyon TH, Blue-Baird trail & eventually connected to the Mesa trail near the Bluebell / Mesa junction (there are so many trails around there that I cannot keep them straight), Mesa to the mouth of Bear Canyon, east on fire road, Yuri Pass, through the hood to the house. - it's fun doing a point to point run, rather than a loop or an out and back - retrieved the vehicle after a late lunch at the Tea House - lots of people out there on the trails - all of those New Year's resolutioners are still at it (Will they still be out there when the weather turns nasty? I hope not for my own trail experiences and enjoyment, but I hope so for our society in general.) - I think there was a little section of the Blue-Baird that I had never been on before - always good to see new territory - staying in the trees and being close to the hills shielded us from some of the wind - very fun - felt great.

Up to the Mesa

56 minutes
easy to moderate pace (moderate on uphills and flats, easy on downhills)
solo - 2:15pm - sunny and 65 degrees, light winds - summer garb (shoes, socks, shorts, skin) - from the house, west through the hood, up and over Yuri Pass, Bear Creek fire road, north on the Mesa, down McClintock and Enchanted Mesa trails, past Chautauqua Auditorium, zig zag through the hood to the Four Pines TH, little trail behind Green Mountain Cemetery, across Skunk Creek, NOAA/NIST property to Broadway and Dartmouth, through the hood to the "church trail", back to the house - felt pretty good, not super - the trails were full of people - as I descended the McClintock I passed some fifty-something woman hiking and she said, "God, you are an inspiration. Wow". I just smiled and laughed, but I thought, "Geez, you're easily inspired". What's so inspirational about a guy letting gravity yank him down a trail? Besides, there are easily 500 faster and fitter runners in this town. It was a little weird, but, of course, the compliment made me feel good. - Unbelievably nice day.

Easy Rail

53 minutes
easy pace
solo - Rail Trail - 1:45pm - sunny and fairly windy ("the rail" is usually a better choice of trail on windy days, as it is right along the foothills - gives a little blocking protection) - I had planned on going farther and faster, but once I got out there I just wasn't feelin' it - nice and mellow - one of those days when I space out and all of a sudden I'm done - that's fun - effortless.

Easy Meander with Dan-o

35 minutes
easy pace
with Dan-o - 9:30am - easy meander around Foothills Community Park and Wonderland Lake - sunny and chilly, light breeze - wore shorts - shot some hoops in the gym as a little warm up - feelin' good - it's hard for Dan-o and I to go slow, but we forced ourselves to do so.

Back to Work - Rail Trail

51 minutes
easy to moderate pace
solo - Winter Break has ended - back to work today - so, ran the Rail Trail from the school - 9:30am - mostly sunny - probably a little too chilly for shorts, but I did it anyway - also wore winter cap and thin gloves (and a long shirt) - only a gentle breeze, which was very nice indeed - my cold is almost gone - feeling pretty strong, almost all the way back - I love this trail; if the city ever turns it into an "officially designated" city trial, they will ruin it by turning the perfect singletrack into a freeway - I'm glad I can enjoy it while it is still sweet.

Fowler - More Wind

47 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - Fowler trail - 10:30am - sunny, but windy (I am getting very tired of this wind business - I'll welcome the return of cold temperatures if it means some relief from the wind - it's difficult to relax, even indoors, when the wind is howlin') - start and finish at the Eldorado Mountain TH - up the Fowler to the visitor's center in Eldorado Canyon State Park, and back - it's good we ran when we did, as the wind got much worse later in the day (did I mention how much I dislike the wind? - if I ever commit some awful crime, it will happen on a windy day - makes me crazy) - I was pretty wiped out after my run with Dan-o yesterday, so today it was nice to just go mellow - shorts, winter cap, thin gloves

When Seniorrunner/Oldguy comes to town, I think this is the trail I'd like him to see - (spectacular views of the canyon) - after the initial climb (5-10 min.) it's pretty flat and the views are awesome - he has some "clock cleaning" on his agenda - the clock to which he refers must be his own - ha! - but, we'll do something else if it's icy - as of now, it's dry.

Left Hand/Rail - With Dan-o

56 minutes
moderate pace
with Dan-o - Left Hand/Rail loop - 3pm - Eagle, down Cobalt, north on Left Hand, west on Beech, cross US36, Rail trail, Foothills trail, tunnel back under US36 - moderate pace but very windy, so effort was more than moderate - felt good to work hard - it really is fun running kind of fast with Dan-o - warm enough to wear shorts, but had on my winter cap to keep the wind out of my ears - sunset as we finished - feeling better (my cold) every day, but still hackin' up some pretty stuff

Buffalo Ranch

46 minutes
easy pace
with NeNe - Buffalo Ranch - 3:30pm, start and finish at S. Boulder Creek East TH - Buffalo Ranch (CU cross country course - Jawbone Hill gets easier every time I run it), berm trail, Tantra Park - sunny, sunset as we finished - not as warm as past few days, but not as windy - not as congested today, but hacking cough - feeling a lot better today - felt blah at the start, great afterward - running was the best thing I could have done - a boxer/pitbull dog ran along with us for a while - well, not really - he would run past us , then stop and sniff some stuff, then pass us again, and on and on - cute dog, ran sort of sideways - saw several "New Year's resolutioners" out there.