Friday 040811

PM – Afternoon opened up and so I took advantage of the calendar and headed to Chautauqua.  I had already planned a run with Footfeathers, but it seemed like I’d be able to get a lap on Green in before hooking up with him.  I could tell almost in the first few steps – no, scratch that, I could tell when I woke up this AM – that I did not feel the best.  But, eh – whatever – I had the time, so I was going to make what I could of it. 

After the short warm up over to Gregory Canyon, I landed on the Front Route (Amp, Saddle, Greenman) – it is the shortest and quickest, but apparently for me, not by much.  I hit the summit in 38 flat, after feeling flat and perhaps a bit heavy for the run up.  Even though the vertical is the same as the middle route (which might actually have a tad more because of the drop in the trail on the lower section of Greenman), it is over a mile shorter. Being only five minutes faster (today) on this route than what I was last week … well, it shows the work I need to do on the steeper stuff.  Sure, today was not a stellar performance day anyway (compare 38 to 34 last summer) but I can feel how less effective I am on this sort of stuff.  I intend to hit all the routes regularly, but this one is probably one of the more challenging ones for me.  I debate if it gives a different stimulus that is worth the effort, or if I’d be better served using that training budget on a route like middle Green or the Gregory Ranger route.

Any case, met Footfeathers after this and frankly I was put a fork in me done.  I elected initially to not tell him of my first lap effort, and just apologized that I was not feeling great.  He was fine with it, but given I was moving at glacier speeds on the Elliot Stairs (we took Gregory Ranger up), I ‘fessed up at the summit.  I contemplated for a moment bailing on the longer Bear Canyon return, but zipped up the get it done suit and figured I count this effort as the week’s long run.  I was fine on the down, but as soon as we hit any of the bumps on the Mesa heading north, even easy efforts sent me over the line.  Whew … better to get this work in now I guess versus the next “A” month.

Tim – sorry man.  That was crappy of me to subvert our run that way.  I thought it would not be as such, but I ain’t quite there yet.

15 miles. 5180 vertical.  2 Green summits, bringing my year total to 7 (not counting the Scout hike).  About 3 hours.  I will use the KML data to augment the Front Route FKT links.