Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
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).
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).
Saturday, June 03, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, June 02, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
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").
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").
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
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).
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.
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.
Friday, May 26, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, May 19, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, May 15, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, May 12, 2006
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 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.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, May 08, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, May 05, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, May 01, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, April 28, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
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'.
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'.
Friday, April 21, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, April 17, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Friday, April 14, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
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).
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).
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
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 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.
Monday, April 10, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
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 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.
Friday, April 07, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
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 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).
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
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).
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).
Monday, April 03, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
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 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.
Friday, March 31, 2006
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.
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.
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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