Thursday 25JUL2019

AM - seven miles with the team.  The kids were doing a light fartlek workout and jumped in with one of the groups that kept it as light strides for me.

PM -  JZ and I got out for 4 miles (well, he continued on).  Time to cut back for a couple of days for the run on Sunday. 

In other "health" news I did a check of BP this AM and it was 101/64.  All good there.  Did 15 pullups yesterday as well.

Wednesday 24JUL2019 Burro Days Course Change Announced.

AM - 6.1 miles with Greg and Gabby during practice.  Legs felt tired but we were moving well enough. 

Thought about getting another in the afternoon, but the thunderstorms gave me pause and I passed, rationalizing I probably needed the rest because of the longer burro race effort this weekend, and the two harder efforts yesterday.

It is pretty much easy to rationalize whatever you want for training almost anytime.  I have wondered in this case if my eschewing a run like this is me being smart now that I am coming up on 50, or if it is me being soft because I am now coming up on 50. 

In evening Fairplay Burro Days officially announced some changes to this year's race.  First, because of the snow leading up to Mosquito Pass, the course won't go there, or even over American Flats.  Instead, it will be an out and back, rather than the lollipop it typically is.  This looks to be around 25 miles versus the regular 29.  Also based on the map, it looks like it will make the turn around near the base of the London Mine.

Second, the start will be split.  Fairplay has been contemplating this for a few years with the growth of the race and the number of teams at the start.  Long course runners will start about 10 minutes before short course runners (I say about because I can't recall any burro race that has gone off to schedule exactly).  This should put those 15 or so teams (that is about the typical number of the long course entries) out there and then the remaining 65 or so (again based on last year) in the short course start. 

Supposedly this makes for a more safe start overall with less racers (I have questioned if safety is really the priority in a race where people run with a donkey in a mountain setting to the top of a mountain pass at oh-lightning 30 but that is a different rant).

Tuesday 23JUL2019

AM - some track work to help Syd out a bit.  Four sets of 3-2-1. All at some where between mile and 800 pace.  Ran with Syd to help her a bit for most of it but then pushed on a few to get a bit of work in.  7 miles.



Morning harvest ...


Afternoon - ditch, one of my better tempos on it as of late.  3.6 miles.

Monday 22JUL2019

AM - 5.3 miles with the team.

PM - 5 miles with the kid.

Pikes - is this the most deep year?

Corey and Don clued me in that if you look at the bib numbers on the Pikes page (all the way at the bottom) you can get an idea as to who has a competitive entry, who has an entry from last year's race or as a prior winner. 

I don't even know how to start to unpack that at this point.  There are close to 50 entries listed as competitive, and then at least another 20 race entries from prior winners, age groupers, top ten folks.  At least initially on paper it would seem it is stacking up to be one of the most ridiculous fields assembled for Pikes ... ever.  Or at least the most global when you consider all the different entrants from all over the planet. 

Sunday 21JUL2019

Did a little round on Green with Greg and Gabby.





Saw this weirdness in the port-a-potty at Gregory Lot.


Local honey is back.



Made a mistake and walked the dogs on the Valmont side of Teller.  Got a ticket for it.  Ugh.




Short week on whole but got some stuff in.

Most of the week ... Pitt

Crazy week in Pitt with long days.  On top of the days, it was stupid hot and humid.  Most the time I ran it looked like I had gone for a swim.








From a training perspective the week was a sad bust really.  Trying to get back into routine this weekend.

Rest of the week ... ending 14JUL2019

Thursday - just 3 miles first thing in the morning.  It was hot.  Escaped out of PHX in the evening but didn't get back home to CO until 1:30 Friday AM.

Friday - back in CO.  Jumped into practice but had a conference call so it was a bit of a mess of a run.  5 miles.  Back at it in the afternoon and did the Lac Amora loop - 6.2, and felt pretty good.  But it was hot.  Not PHX hot, but hot.  Good to be home.



Saturday - ran down to the farm to run AJ to give JZ some reps with him.  92 and I was pretty cooked by the time I got down there.  Ran with JZ and AJ for a few more miles but gladly took the ride home with JZ.  7.7 miles.



Later in the afternoon, another 3.7 on the ditch, easy.

Sunday - up early as I am back on the road again.  9 miles.  I ran pretty well but the legs definitely were zapped from yesterday's hot outing.



Finished the week just over 60.  Not a great week as the travel and the heat threw me but there was at least some consistency.

Pittsburgh this week.



… did some picking at the park as par t of the 20 city project. 

Wednesday 10JUL2019

PHX.  I got in late, was tired, had a 6AM call with the east coast and an early start at the site that blew my AM shot at a jog.  Got out in the afternoon.  It was a bit toasty but I still find it way more acceptable than the midwest swampfest.  5 miles. 

Tuesday 09JUL2019

AM - 5.3 miles.  A couple miles warm up with Greg and Syd and then we did some 30-60 second pickups at 5k pace to mix it up a bit.  About a mile warm down.

Afternoon - fairly warm but not much in comparison to what I will face over the next couple of days (heading back down to PHX).  5.4 miles.  Caught up with Greg about mid run.  Saw some ducks.

Monday 07JUL2019

AM - 10 miles.  Met up with Greg before practice to get in a half dozen and then added in another 4 to round it out with the kids at practice.

Raspberries are starting to come in.


There were no lack of guitars Sunday night.

Sunday 07JUL2019

9.5 on Green.  Headed up the middle route and then came back down via the Long Canyon route.  Pretty morning ... eyeballed some wild turkeys in the stretch between West Green (recently rerouted too) and Long Canyon.



Ran into Nick P on the trail just below the Ranger cottage.  I don't think I have seen that guy in like 2 years.

Felt like a proper week of training - for the first time in a bit:  a round on Green, a few quality sessions spread over the week and just over 70 miles.  My legs felt tired pretty consistently throughout the week, but I think it is the investment I need to make for some later summer racing. 

Saturday 06JUL2019

AM - 10.3 miles.  Easy.  Tired.

Friday 05JUL2019

Mountain run with the XC kids, up out of NCAR today.  I tacked on at the end to get in a total of 8.

Thursday 04JUL2019

AM - a few with TZ and then 7.7 solo around the Lac Amora loop.  I'm not sure what it was really.  It was sort of a progression, then sort of a fartlek and then sort of a minute on, minute off, and then sort of a tempo.  It was just unstructured work I guess.

I recall recent 4th of July's occurring without fireworks because the dry spring and summer creating a significant fire danger.  This year, thankfully, is almost the opposite.  It has been pleasantly wet, which has kept thing greener into the summer than typical (versus the brown season).  And the gardens are doing well too.








The Fourth was fun:  TZ and I helped Bill Lee give donkey rides to kids over at the Commons.  We got held up for a bit though when the hail rolled through.

Wednesday 03JUL2019

Dead legs.  But eeked out 9.4, jogging over to practice, warming up with the kids and then rolling on a couple of sets as they did a nomination fartlek.  Dang kids. 

Tuesday 02JUL2019

10.4 miles.  Ran a bit, then caught up to the Scouts who were biking to DQ.  Ran with them and then back.

Monday 01JUL2019

AM - 8.4 miles with Greg and Braun as a part of practice.  Did strides at the end. 
Blasted myself with pull ups, bench press, dumbbell curls as much as I could in 20 minutes.  Fried myself pretty good. 
PM - 3.6 miles along the ditch.  Hot. 
It was a good first day for July.