Week ending 17MAR2024

Not the greatest of weeks for training but got something in.  Coming off of Ireland, I was spinning a bit with living with a 6 hour time change for three weeks, catching up with a bunch of work, a big Colorado storm, band practices to catch up for a weekend gig, getting back to altitude ... I had all the excuses.  But managed through the week ...

Monday - of course I was up stupid early because of jet lag.  8.7 miles to start the day.   Slow.  Barely managed sub 9.

Tuesday - 6.1 around practice and it was a complete poop storm of a practice for me.  But a handful of miles with some strides in the middle.

Wednesday - 7 miles on the day, a few with the coaches before having to bail for band.  Easy running but getting back into the swing of the schedule in Mountain Time.

Thursday - a typical spring storm blew in.  March means heavy wet snow and usually a lot of it.  We'd finish Friday at close to 2 feet.  I got in a lot of shoveling and clearing of trees.  The stuff by the street is the best.  Greg and I slogged through the huge street puddles for some.   8 miles.

Friday - the snow stopped and it actually got nice out.  All the roads were still a mess but got out with Shad for a bit.  We did 7.  I did take a step where I slid on the snow for a few feet that sorta jacked my left knee for a bit (still so on Sunday when I write this).

Gig at Mother Tuckers on Friday night.  It went great,

Saturday - AM with GW, RP and RT as a part of team practice.  10 miles total.  Tired from last night's gig.

Sunday - JZ was home so we got out for 8, and then we came across Neeraj, so I tacked on another handful with him (13 on the morning).  All easy.   Inaugural trip in the Speedlands that Shad connected me up with.   

60 miles on the week.  Clicked through 600 on Saturday sometime.  

Thursday 01FEB2024

Finished January with 260 ish miles.  I have had a couple of months in the 240 range in 2023, but this was my biggest month since July of 2021.  I am not professing that this means something huge - like I am suddenly fit again or re-committed to running in a way that is particularly grand, but I do recognize the accomplishment as a stepping stone.

I started the week in SFO (M-W).  I got out Monday night with LF and we ran around the Bay.  I got 7 miles.  I had eaten entirely too much Mexican at lunch and thought that was going to be a problem (yes, that kind of problem) but I managed. LF is simply fitter and faster than me and I was dragged into a 7:30ish paced run.  I realized how I need to simply do more of this stuff and stop making excuses into the 8:30 runs.

I got out Tuesday AM for a gorgeous sunrise run to Coyote Point.  Wow.  5.2.

Tuesday afternoon - joined LF for the afternoon run club at the company I was working with.  5.3 miles.

 

Wednesday AM - got out for an easy 6.3 out to Seal Point on a very windy AM.  Traveled back home in the afternoon.

Thursday AM - back with the Broomstock crew.  8.2.  Syd was in town!

Wednesday 17JAN2024

A dragger of a morning, but I knew I had to get it in because my afternoon would be tied up.  6 miles with GW.  The snow melt, wind and then overnight freeze made the conditions less than ideal.  I was definitely going through the motions this AM.  Grateful I had G-dub to make it easier.  

Week ending 24DEC2023

It was a good week.  60 miles plus of running, with a couple of days over 10 (doubles) and some fartlek stuff.  I almost felt like I was "getting ready to get ready" again.  

Most the runs were AM outings with the kiddos at BHS. 

Highlight run of the week of course was the Solstice Slog.  Has to be at least 10 years since we started this thing.  We kept is shorter and more tame on the miles and the stops this year but it was still an epic great conversation with the boys.

With stupidity following ...

KZ (who adamantly refuses to allow social media pix to be posted) got home on Saturday from Japan.  She will be here (ish) for two weeks before returning.  It is nice to have her home.

Got in a good Sunday AM run with Greg as the snow came in.

Week ending 17DEC2023

A little less than I would have liked to have got this week, but that seems to come a bit with some travel trips.  The long work days, combined with the short light days, being in a tech park with highways around me ... it made for less of a running week.  I even did some stuff this week on the treadmill.  It has been a minute since I have done that.  

So, Deerfield for a good part of the week with runs of 3-5 in the AM and/or evening. 

Got back Friday and hit Rails to catch some Slyjax.  

Then bolted over to the HS to participate in the basketball game half time recognition of the 2016 XC girl team getting into the Broomfield HS Sports Hall of Fame.  They get inducted on Sunday.

Saturday was more music - Off the Rail at Rails End, the Jons as the opener at the Gothic - and then of course another Roger Clyne show.  

Sunday included a 7 miler, part of Donnie B's 30 over at McKay Lake for his birthday (48k for 48 years).  Great to shoot the shit with the boys and clip off a few laps.  Need to do more of this.  

Sunday evening was the Broomfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame.  Fun to catch up with folks at this event.

Saturday 17JUN2023 Back to Green

I took the dog for a walk up the hill from the house around sunset the other night and looked over the Front Range.  I know the profile pretty well from looking at it for years, and in many cases, having tagged many of the high points (or having JV point out to me the ones I had not done).

I looked at Green and wondered when, if ever, I'd get back to it.  And then I realized I couldn't remember when I last did it.

I texted GW and told him I was going to do it Saturday morning and he immediately responded with agreement that he was also in.  I wasn't expecting much other than to get my ass kicked.  I mean it always kicked my ass but this would be an ass kicking that would just take longer than it used to.  I was curious as to how my ankle would hold up, and recognized I might need to pull the rip cord early if I was jacking it up.  

As a bonus, JZ came home for the weekend last night and so he joined us.  We took the ASG up and Gregory down.  It was mostly a slog hike up, but with some slow running where we could manage.  JZ took off on the down - but I took it careful.  6.1 miles.

It had been 51 weeks since I had last hit this hill.  Definitely kicked my ass, but that is because I have not done this in a long time.  I am happy with how the ankle held up.  It was sore, but no more so than it has been the last week or so.  

Also was good to get this done early - it was turning into a bit of Disney Land as we finished up.  

Week ending 07FEB2021

Friday AM - 8.8 miles, jogging.  Tripped me over 400 miles on the year according to Strava.  

Coyotes were active (if you look closely you will actually see there are two in this shot).

Saturday - back down to Heritage HS for some Eagles doing a track meet.  Went great.  Got in 8.7 with warm ups and a run on the Liberty Bell XC course post.  Felt pretty good but the Achilles was barking pretty hard later in the day.

Started reading Finn's The Way of the Runner:  A Journey Into the Fabled World of Japanese Running.  It is an easy read.  I say this because I found I can read it and was 40 pages in on my first sit with it.    Yeah, I know that is a bit self deprecating but I have truly become a poor reader of books the last score of years.  I am good with technical material and articles, but I am less disciplined with other reading - and like most have come too ready to just read 288 character clips.  The writing in this book is simple, and obviously I am drawn to the content.  I was drawn to it given the recent Lake Biwa results and the ridiculous depth of Japanese outcome there.  

Sunday AM - did some jogging with TZ and then headed over to the track to meet GW and EC.  She had a cutdown/progression run over 3 miles.  I decided I'd hop in for a half, wait a quarter - all while being very careful and evaluating things.  It went well - 3:20 down to 3:10 over the four I did.  I could definitely feel the Achilles being pissed but no more than usual.  Aerobically I felt pretty good (of course, 100 second recoveries help that a lot) and these felt easy in that regard.

Week was 59.8 miles.  That was a little dumb but I can rationalize that most of it is really slow stuff.  That said, I need to not be greedy.

Monday 01MAR2021

Monday - wore shorts but it was probably too chilly for that.  Jogged over to the HS, then a half dozen with GW, and then the jog home.  8.3 miles.  Lac Amora was iced in pretty good so I was surprised at the average pace (8:13).  Helped to get dragged by some of those Eagles I guess.  Or maybe the shorts.  

Weekend coming into the end of February 2021

Thursday - pretty big snow last night and I had a set of morning calls.  Got out in the slush but nice sunshine of the afternoon.  7.1 miles.  Ankle feels like someone is kicking it with each step but you sort of get used to it.  I felt cruddy most of the run,  but somehow managed to get quicker throughout.  Must be the afternoon magic thing.  

I have not kept a log this year in a Google Sheet like I have .. well, for the last 10 years.  It doesn't seem necessary given I am not specifically training for an event.  But my runs do get uploaded to Strava and it reports I am near about 350 miles on the year.  That seems about right ... a lot less than what I have hit in January and February in past years of course:  these months in past years are often ones of significant miles and motivation.  

Friday AM - 7 miles back and forth on the ditch by the MS while the Eagles did some work.  Teens for temps but a beautiful morning nonetheless.  

"Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors."

Saturday AM - 6.5 with GW.  We were grumpy.  

Got the first of the Pfizer shots

Sunday - a couple of miles with TZ and then connected up with GW for another 8.  So another atypical for these days 10 mile jaunt. 

Ended with 55 miles on the week, which is certainly the most on this year.  I'll look to see if I can get another 50 mile week next week.  I'll also attempt some easy strides but I am clearly playing poker with the Achilles.  I am managing the slow easy miles with it being at a level of discomfort that is bordering on a sustainable pain.  There are days where I can tell I have nudged it a bit much and the walk is a bit more of the gimp.  

In the p-lot at today's run.

Found this in a notebook from about a year ago.

Week ending 20SEP2020

Monday mid day - four on the ditch between calls.

PM - practice, 6 miles with the coaches.

Tuesday AM - 3.7 miles with GW on the Ditch (half hour wake up thing).

PM - 5.2 around practice.  Finished with a couple handfuls of strides.  Not great.

Wednesday - 7 with practice

Thursday - 7 with practice

Friday - see above

Saturday AM - 7.5 with practice.  3.2 in the afternoon.

Really struggling lately.  

Sunday - in the AM, 7.2.  3.6 in the afternoon

Week ending 13SEP2020

Monday late - ran over to the gym, got in a lift with GW - this felt good to get a bit of that work.  Ran for another bit post.  5 miles.  Achilles feels like garbage.  Smokey - but the temps were dropping from the 90s as the weather was blowing in

Tuesday AM - rain/snow mix.  Yes - a mix of that given it was in the 90s yesterday.  Good news is that it knocked the smoke down.  4 miles with GW along the paved sides of the Ditch.  

Tuesday PM - 5.1 miles during practice.  Lots of snow.

Wednesday PM - 5 miles during practice.  I need to get back to some good habits.

Thursday AM - trying to reboot the brain to get past the concern about the Achilles.  5 miles with GW and a few of the athletes.  Felt nice actually.  The Achilles was crap but it felt good to start the day this way.  

Friday - 10 miles around practice.  

Saturday - 10 miles in the afternoon - post meet.

Sunday AM - 10 miles out of Commons, Braun joined for a little over the first half.

Meh.  

Week ending 19JUL2020

Monday AM - tired, definitely feeling yesterday's effort.  Kept it super easy - 6.3 miles with the team.  Achilles was fairly hot last night but none too bad this AM.

Monday ending up being a rather unproductive day.  I mean, I went through the motions, but I was generally not on par for the game.

I also broke my right pinky toe.  I walloped it against the exercise bike accidentally while walking around barefoot.

Tuesday AM - 9.5 miles, strides at the end.  Joined up with SB, GW for some work before practice.  Slipped on the Hokas to get a bit more protection around that broken toe.  Easy and slow.

Wednesday AM - 12.2 miles.  6 x 5' on 2 to 3' active recovery on Ridgeview.  Not bad, not great.  Got work in, just didn't crush it - the hills were a good kick in the mouth.  Jogged over to practice afterwards and did a longish cool down.  Legs were fairly toasted post this.

Thursday AM - 9 miles easy.

Friday AM - out of Founders Park in Superior.  Met the team over there for a trail run.  Headed up over the mesa towards Coalton and back.  8 miles with strides.

Saturday AM - 20 minute warm up over to practice, got the kids going then the preliminary strides.  10 x 150m on 250m rest.  28 low to start and then most 27 low, a few 26s and finished with a 25.  Jogged around a bit while JZ finished a workout.  8.3 miles.

Sunday afternoon - paddled at Dillon in the AM, then back down to the Front Range.  Headed out of the lot on 93 up into Springbrook, etc.  Achilles was lousy and I was worked.  12.5 miles.  Some vertical but not as much as I liked or as long as I hoped for. 

Fair week.  Felt more under the training this week versus on top of it.  1900 miles on the year as of this week over 230 runs (and just through 200th day of the year). 

Week ending 05JUL2020

Monday AM - some jogging with GW before practice and then practice.  8 miles easy total.

Tuesday AM - 9 miles, with strides and a bit of a pick up at the end.  Joined SB and GW for the second half.

June ends with 267.3 miles, 37.55 hours, 18,500 feet.  On the year sitting at 1,722.7 miles, 233.87 hours and 78,800 feet.  221 runs on the year (so an average run is about 7.8 miles), averaging 66+ miles / 9 hours a week.  2 days off on the year.  Still no change on travel since March of course.

Wednesday AM - short hills on Eagle Hill W-20:00 warm-up, 4x100 strides and then 2 sets of 6x:45 up-and-overs.  Up for 30, down for 15. Jog back recovery, and 2:30 between sets  Float up and run down hard.  It was good.  I managed the float about right and then punched the gas over the top.  Did practice post and ended up with 10.7 on the day.

Thursday AM - easy seven miles, some with the team.  Achilles is still pissed on the lawn mower foot but it has been that way for about six months now.

Friday AM - on short sleep (band work last night) got out for "cruise intervals" on the track before practice.  8 x kilo on 200m rest, starting at 3:53 for the first couple and then ~3:51 for the next three, 3:49, 3:47, 3:43.  Good workout with effort slowly building over it.  Ended up with about 12.5 miles all told.

Saturday AM - a couple of hours in the hills and a couple thousand ish of vertical.

Sunday AM - 90 minutes in the hills.

Good week - 60 plus miles, 6k plus vertical feet, and 2 solid workouts.  Achilles may be a bit of an issue but tending to it as necessary. 

Week ending 28JUN2020

Monday AM - week 2 of practice has started ... I did 30 minutes with GW prior and then another 30 as the kids rolled out.  Easy easy.  Felt pretty good though.  Achilles is a bit of a whiner but I get over it.

Tuesday AM - 1/2 an hour with GW and SB.  She had some fartlek in there but I floated back on the ups.  Easy day for me.  Another half an hour with the team as they started and then some strides.  8 miles.

Wednesday AM - 10 by 1 minute on Eagle Hill.  Was certainly in the box for the last 3.  Ran over to the school afterwards to get practice rolling.  10.3 miles.

Thursday AM - easy 8 with SB, GW.

Friday AM - easy 5 with SB, GW for part of it.  Strides.

Saturday AM - warm up then four miles at 6:30, 6:27, 6:26, 6:27.  Never felt great - sort of one of those runs that felt like 15-20 seconds faster than it actually was.  But got it done.  Finished with four 200s, 38-40.  Longish warm down as a part of practice.  11.6 miles.

Sunday afternoon - paddled up at Horsetooth with TZ in the AM.  Late in the afternoon I made it over to Green and went up the front.  Most of it was a hike.  Came back down via Greenman, cut over to Flagstaff and then came back via Crown Rock.  7.3 miles.  Saw a flock of wild turkeys.  So wonderfully quiet up in the OSMP when you go at the right time. 

A slightly shorter week on whole but fair quality.

Week ending 21JUN2020

Monday AM - first day of practice.  Limited size groups, face masks, screening questions and temperature taking.  Fun stuff.  Easy easy ... 6.1 miles.

Tuesday AM - jogged over to high school and ran with Braun on her warm up.  Continued jog with Greg and AG as the kids headed out.  Strides at the end.  9.1 miles.

Wednesday AM - 50 second repeats on Eagle Hill.  Maybe a C+ or a B-.  Meh.  Got it done but never felt on it.  Jogged over to HS after to run with the team.  11.4 miles.

Thursday AM - 8.2 miles, made up of jogging over to the school, getting in some with Braun, Parker and Greg before practice, some with the squad, and then a jog home.  Easy.

Friday AM - cooler morning with some raining spitting at the start.  Met up with Greg and Syd and agreed to run with Braun on her tempo for 15 minutes.  Then jumped into practice.  8.5 miles.

Got word Friday morning that the Pikes Peak Marathon was gonna happen with some modifications (wave starts, no awards assembly post, etc).  Time to get a bit more aggressive with the hills and the altitude.

Saturday AM - JZ and I took a jaunt up to Mosquito Pass and then pushed on to Kuss Peak.  7.3 miles with over 2k of climbing - just some exposure to 11.5 to 13.5k of altitude.





Sunday - another run up at altitude (10.2-10.5k).  10.5 miles, with about 1100 feet - so a bit more of proper running (v. the slog/hike yesterday).  First four with JZ.

Good week on whole - 60 plus miles, 6k feet of climbing, with most of it coming on the weekend.  Gonna need to shift a bit more to hills and altitude while also trying to keep in touch with the basics now that Pikes Marathon is a go (until it is not a go, right?).

Week ending 14JUN2020

Monday AM - tired.  With GW.  7.5 over an hour easy.
Afternoon ditchin ... 3 miles super easy.

Tuesday AM - 6 miles with strides, easy with GW.  Raining which was nice.

Wednesday AM - Eagle Hill.   This time 35" up at a 7 effort (mark the spot on rep 1 to have a reference), jog down, turn around 20" up at a 8-9 effort, jog down, take 30" and repeat.  Six reps.  Started at the trash can.  Was moving up pretty well on these - doing the 35"s at 5:40 to start and carving those down to near 5' flat pace.   The 20"s were probably a bit rich but I was having fun.  Those started at 5' pace and got down to 4:40.   6.5 miles all told.  GW in it the whole time.
Afternoon ditchin ... 3.9 miles.

Thursday AM - Ridgeview LaAmora loop with GW and SB.  Added on a bit afterwards.  7.7 miles easy.

Friday PM - nicely warm (upper 80s).  8.2 miles.  Strides at the end.

Saturday AM - 8 x 1/2 mile (or whatever Stonehenge loop is).  2:55. 2:51, 2:53, 2:53, 2:53, 2:54, 2:55, 2:53.  Definitely was working that up hill half on the last couple.  Rest was 2:30 to 3.  10 miles.  Glad to get it done early before the heat cranked up.  Braun was out there doing a different workout and having the company helped.  Coyotes all around on this one.



Sunday afternoon - 13 miles in Dillon and Frisco along the bike path.  Went up there to get in some kayaking in.  I was a bit tired but I was moving well for 9k feet (averaging sub 7:50s).




Fun week.  Still trying to play the basic fitness cards across the board thinking PPM could happen.

This week's Friday night live stream.  Work to do.

Week ending 07JUN2020

Monday - already could feel the heat starting to build a bit at 7:30.  5.7 very easy with G and IW.  Strides



Tuesday AM - with GW and SB (she had her own workout).  I did Eagle Hill again, same as last week but this time on the stretch from the bottom pipe to the top.  Coincidentally, this is almost a quarter mile exactly, and about a 100 meters longer than from the trash can to the top.  The additional section actually adds on a little downhill at the start to roll it, and then some additional uphill,  Seven reps, hitting 86.x to 90.x - which is about the same pace as last week, and I guess around six minute pace going up hill.  It was typical - a bit of work for the last 15 seconds on the first and more like the last minute towards the end.  7.5 miles.  Glad to beat the heat again.



Wednesday AM - 8.5 miles easy.  Ran into NE and jogged with him a bit.
PM - ditchin', 3.7 miles.  Warm but sort of like saying cold in January.



Thursday mid day - legs felt horrible.  Started run as a front blew in and so I was fighting the wind for a bit.  Never felt great but managed 7.5 with strides.

Friday - had intentions of doing 5 x mile at Stonehenge (so two laps on that is a mile) but knew I had enough after 4 today.  I was working even after the first.  Really - just no legs today.  6:07, 6:14 (starting at the bottom) , 6:12, 6:08.  GW popped in with me for a few sections. Obviously a bit tougher than the track.  Was glad to get it done in the AM, and to beat the heat.  10 miles.  Tough one today.

Saturday - not too bad for wear.  EZ 7.3 on the Ridgeview Commons loop.


Sunday AM - 12.3 over at the Rocky Flats NWR with GW and SB.  Started super slow (near nine minute pace) but eventually warmed up and ended up averaging about 8:06 pace for the run.


Another week in the books.  Not a great week - sort of felt a bit tired all week, so it might be time to shift some things up.  Life is gonna do that anyway as we are kicking around traveling to work again and opening things up for XC coaching.

Still no word on PPM, but I am wondering what the heck it would be anyway if they had it.

Music has been a bit on a back burner.  I forced myself into doing a stream on Friday night.  Need to get back on the horse a bit as the lack of regular practice is showing.

Week ending 24MAY2020

Monday - long work day, as long as if I was actually on site.  7.2 miles after I pushed back from the desk.  Easy.  Ran into NE out there and we jogged most of the La Amora loop together.  Good to catch up.  Good dude.

Tuesday AM - early, again almost as if I were on a road trip.  6.2 miles with 8 x 50' on Eagle Hill.  I stopped looking at the watch after number two, and just ran from the trash can on the bottom to the line I drew about four telephone poles up.  Solid.
Tuesday PM - an easy 30 minutes with GW.  3.8 miles.  Tired.

Wednesday AM - pretty tired in the legs so just an easy hour early.  It is good that I have full days this week as it forces the run/motivation to be performed early.  I sort of like that.  7.6 miles.

Thursday PM - feeling pretty good and might have rolled a bit quick for an easy day.  7 miles, with last 2 minutes a bit uptempo and 4 strides.

Friday PM - ugh.  A workout that sort of came unraveled and in retrospect, I should have punted a day out.  Wanted to do three miles in 19, take rest and then do a mile in 6.  I came through the first mile in 6:15 (after starting at 3:05), and was a bit of a mess.  It was hot (80, which ain't really hot but I also ain't summer acclimated yet) and windy and I was feeling it.  I peeled off for 15 seconds, and considered bagging it.  I got my crap together and got back on it but I was already in the hole.  6:23, 6:22 for the next two.  I guess I could rationalize it with the wind and heat but whatever.  Walked a lap and then did the mile in 6:01 (also started dumb, 87) but I looked like I was running with a fridge on my back.  8.9 miles.

Saturday AM - pretty worked.  6.3 on the Lac Amora loop with GW.

Sunday - up the Mosquito Pass road to the split and back. 13 miles. Hoo boy, long time since I have been to runs at high altitude.  And it was snowing too.  No - it really was - but that is what things do in the Rockies in May at 11000 feet.  Fun though.



Just over 60 miles - so the lowest I have had in a while but that goes with the work schedule this week.  Glad I got in three key efforts (the altitude longish run and the two workouts0>