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.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, March 27, 2006
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 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.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, March 24, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
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???).
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???).
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
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.
3 days in a row off from running - I guess I'm being a weather-wimp.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, March 17, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, March 13, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Saturday, March 11, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, March 10, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, March 06, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
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).
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).
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
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