Solstice Slog IV

So this idea of a run that hits several of the local establishments that first started in 2013 has continued on for its fourth year.  Each year gets a little bigger in regards to participation.  We had as many as 18 folks in the mix this year.

Thankfully, nobody lost their phone or got stuck in trying to climb a link fence or was hit by a car (it was close) or passed out in a bathroom.  There was a dog found and returned to its an owner, a pull up contest where a Nolans finisher could not do a single pull up, and a showing of donkeys.  The round trip of 20 miles and 7 stops was finished by four.  Along the way there was the usual good dishing of trash talk, laughs, surges, discussion on how I have an old man stride, consideration of next summer race plans and memory of races long ago. 

I feel pretty fortunate to know so many wonderful people that I can share some miles and beverages with.  Chatter is that there could be a summer edition of this event, but it seems the desire there is with less miles but more stops per mile.  Hoo boy.

Burros and #GOMs make for a great Labor Day

The AM we spent over in Louisville at the Labor Day Parade with member of the WPBA.  TZ was a saint and played the poop fairy.  Pix by Jeff Valliere.

Afterwards, we headed out to the Mayerhoff property and checked on the new recruit, Boog.

In the evening there was a chapter gathering of the #GOM club.  Discussions included asterisks to particular performances, and a traditional round of the game of “My problem with that is …”

Somewhere in there I got in an easy four miles.

Sunday 042615

I was out late last night drinking beer, then some wine and eating lobster and conch fritters.  Not exactly the sort of thing I ought to be doing before an early morning long run.  But do the crime, do the time.

Dr. Nick convinced me to meet him at 6:30 over at Chautauqua.  I saw him as I was driving up Baseline and made sure to tell him that the rain we were getting there had not been an issue at my house in Broomfield. 

But we committed.  Up Flag, down Flag on the road both ways and then do it again.  18.9 miles with just over 4k of climbing for me.  I was glad that Nick elected to keep it easy because given my stomach was sloshing around like some beer bisque, a harder effort would have surely left a mark. 

Watch died at 17 miles, but given the out and back nature it was easy to figure out the distance.  It was a bit wet and cold but not bad as long as we were moving.  Sort of one of those running in a cloud days where you are are going to be soaked when you are done even it was never raining.  It was sort of raining so we just got soaked sooner.   It was good we got it done sooner because it really started to come down as we finished. 

Oh yeah, we saw several SAR vehicles on the road – apparently for this.

Great to catch up with Nick on a variety of topics and I am pretty sure I would have bailed after one lap had he not been there.  And I guess I can officially name him as one of my pacers for LT this year.  He reminded me he is a pacer – not a babysitter.  Excellent. 

84.6 on the week, all singles and 13k of vertical.

Kipchoge has the resume wheels of Geb.

Sunday 122114

Apparently this solstice thing of a long run where we visit several establishments of fermented repute is interesting and fun enough that we decided to do it again.

Six souls started the Second Annual (and I still think the last ever) Solstice Grog Slog, celebrating days now get longer, a good solid long run (with ridiculous surges in pace just show we can try to move a little bit), and local microbreweries.  The whole thing is only a thing because of the laughs had along the way and the smack talk delivered throughout.

No need to name the parties here  … if you know em, you know em.

Post – full house a buzzin’ even on a Sunday AM.  They do a brunch that is apparently quite popular.

Liquid Mechanics – they opened a bit early for us.  New place with a great vibe and good brew.

Crystal Springs – they opened for us.  They in fact were going to be closed but when they got word we were coming, they decided to let us have in.  We even picked up a cyclist.
Three of these would probably be a good day in terms of mileage and beverage, but that only is the half way point.  The haul back down to places down south packed up another half dozen miles pretty quick.

Four Noses – someone got their 365th on the year, and more fun support started coming out.

A few shots from the guy who is way better with the camera than me and has a kick ass beard.
Next stop was a short jaunt over the rarely visited Westminster Brewery.  More shots from the good photog.
Had a good crew in tow now

Finished (well sort of, we still ran back to my place afterwards) with the stop over at Big Choice, and just escaped the rain that then came in.


My watch put the day at 30 plus miles.  That might be a bit high.  It was certainly north of 20 though.  A good run, a lot of fun with good guys.  Thanks to all of you that came out and shared a few miles and picked up a round. Thanks to TZ and the crew that swung through with us at several points to make sure we were still breathing.

Saturday 010513

Was considering not doing Green this AM, but Dr Nick (this is the younger better looking Nick versus the more venerable older Sir Nick from the Fort) asked if I was up for continuing to run my streak.  I got the “green” light and took the bait.  I am not specifically looking to streak, but given with this AM’s run I have matched in 6 days 25% of what I did in 366 days last year, I will admit I see the allure.  My mind does wander to certain goals, like a 100 Greens in a year.  That would be nice, but I am willing to punt on that, because I want to keep focus on certain goals and projects versus just having a bunch of them.  Pikes being my focus, I see not only a small horde of Greens under my belt but also a good number of longer tempo hill runs, some downhill efforts, flat speed work, and time at altitude (which Green is not if you live here but is if you are from Connecticut).

Great to get out with Nick, catch up with him on his ‘13 plans, and have a great morning on the trails.  We went without traction up (Ranger Gregory), but both opted for microspikes on the down via Bear Canyon – until the top of the climb out of the drainage below NCAR.  It has been cold enough that there has not been a lot of thaw freeze, so where there is snow, it is still snow.  There is a Southside FA going down tomorrow and sorather than another slog on Greenie, I will partake in the social event and get some miles in before the sun cracks the horizon.  And then a bit more (but probably not the full loop)

Not going to be around for this but this movie showing looks solid.  Although Boston Billy might be more a crack up in with his “Jedi Master” comments.  Apparently also some stuff on MW.

Interested to see where Sage takes the training talk videos he seems to have started.

XC results over in Europe caught my eye.  I know most runners I know (outside of ultra guys) have these roots in XC and talk about how they love to get back to it.  I like the fun of it, but if I am honest, I never was much of a mudder.  I sort of thrashed up and down in it rather than moving forward much.  Really, I did a lot better on the track at HS … more of a rhythm runner I guess.

mmm … try not to stray into politic topics on this blog, and this reference clearly crosses that line, but probably like a good number of folks, I have been reading a lot stuff regarding violent crime, proposed solutions, constitutional rights, etc on the interwebs.   I certainly don’t profess to have solutions, but I found this video to be one of the more interesting pieces I saw on the topic thus far.

So … what will you be like in 10 or 20 years?  Same person or someone who looks back at these days and thinks what a putz you were?  I might take a bit of issue with the referenced article.   I really hope I have it figured out a helluva lot better in ten years.  But I also hope that is not too late.

Lucho set me up with a B&W from yesterday.  Looks like the Jogdaddy is getting back on the horse.

Sunday 121612

I was almost giddy with the news.

The next trend in minimalism.

10 miles.  A dog jog and a slog.  I felt pretty tapped from the start but got myself out there enough that it became a 10 miler by default.  The series of stomach issues in the midst did not help.  I was just cooked at the end, almost as if I had a hard bonk.  Maybe I did.

44 on the week.  Which was about what I did in pacing Footfeathers at Hardrock.  And of course today was the HR lottery.  Still eyeballing that list to get an idea as to what it means.  I see Homie, Joe Grant, JT in.  Troy Howard is 1 on the wait list in his pool so he ought to get in.

Some history …

This is a great read.

Thursday 102512

Nada.  The week caught up to me a bit and I slept in rather than face the drudgery of another creaky morning in the dark in the industrial technology park of Windward.  Zero. 

These caught my eye … the rarely seen Nick Pedatella.  I might need to create a blog and post as if I were him. 

But I really couldn’t be Nick because he understands these sort of paradoxes and they just kind of make me feel stupid. 

Or he talks about this sort of thing and then I feel small.

But I do understand the soccer offside rule.  Apparently many don’t. 

Wednesday 090512

Some video from a guy who kills HR.

Got over to Green in the evening, starting about just before 8PM.  I put up a last minute Bat signal and I got Dr. NMP to bite.  Pretty mellow all the way up.  Fun to catch up with Nick (our paths have crossed some this summer – HR, and Brandon’s night run, but not a lot), and additional fun to get on Greenie (21st on the year) in the dark (not my forte, but I am not practiced at it).  Beautiful night.

Sunday 070112 Longs Peak.

JV calls me ALL the time.  “Wanna do Green?”  “Wanna come do the Missouri group?”  “Want to do Longs?”  “Hey I am heading to Pikes.  Interested?”  And while I am always interested, I rarely take him up on it.  In fact, this year, I am pretty sure we have only run a handful of times together.  By coincidence, we both called each other on Saturday asking each other, “Wanna do Longs?”  So, this time is was on.

We added Homie and Dr Nick to the mix, and once again, I was slow man on the totem pole.  Nick is prepping for HR, and has a series of stout performances at the 100 mile distance.  John is also a HR finisher, but is one of the most accomplished mountaineer guys I know.  Dude did 10 LAPS on GREEN in one go.  And JV is just a rocket on anything that is steep and gnarly.

Me?  I am a nine toed, slow on the technical, out of shape guy who was trying out poles.

In any case, I was very stoked to get out with some great guys on my initial trip up this Front Range classic.

What I learned today: 

1.)  I am not using poles.  I see the advantage to them on the climbs in SOME cases.  But for as many times as I got some advantage, I was cursing them 2x that for getting caught between rocks, snagged on a tree, etc.  I am sure if I practiced with them a bunch more, I’d get it, but I am not gonna use them in a couple of weeks.

2.)  I am going to pace HR in Hokas.  JV recommended that I run with my Cascadias, and so I did.  I paid for this on the rocky slopes of Longs.  My scar tissue on my left foot was lit up like a Christmas tree by the end of the run because of the abuse it took.  The Hokas will protect that a bit more.  I know some folks think they suck when they get wet, but I can manage that (and apparently it is pretty dry down there this year anyway).

In any case, my legs were fine on the ups and downs, but my feet were not happy in the Cascadias from very early on – and it was slowing me.  A LOT.  REAL SLOW.  EMBARASSING SLOW as the croo had to wait on me several times as we came down.  Hardly a fair comparison to the way  I buzzed down Quandary a few weeks ago in the Hokas .  I was hobbling down the lower stretches today of Long’s like I was in a pair of house slippers.

It might also be a good idea for me to avoid any workouts in spikes until at least after this little event.

3.)  It drives JV (and frankly me) a bit nuts that he has to wait for me on nearly every training run we do in the mountains.  Well, maybe that does not drive him nuts but neither of us can figure out why that is the case and he has yet to nip me at Pikes.  If we do Pikes, I am fairly confident that this year however is his year.  (he is sure to comment and say something that is self effacing and how I say this every year, so just ignore when he does that)

4.)  Longs is not a running peak.  At least not for me.  I know there are some guys doing crazy ass two and a half hour stuff on the Keiners route (you have no idea how sick this is until you see it)  – but for me, this is probably the most challenging peak I have tackled in CO. It is not that it is all that technical.  It is just not runable like say Sherman or Quandary.   Maybe someday it could be a running peak for me, but I am pretty sure that my long history of poor coordination would prevail.

5.)  I will probably just carry a 70 oz hydration pack at HR.  That ought to be plenty and give me room to carry other gear as well.

6.)  My legs are in fair shape.  4000 feet of climbing today and I don’t feel wrecked at all.  From the ankles up that is.

7.)  Longs is just like they say it is:  a very crowded peak on weekends in the summer.  However, travel with the boys in the pix below, and you are guaranteed to take routes that are a bit “less travelled.”  And hence a bit less crowded enroute.

8.)  I am fairly certain this would NOT be the first 14er I’d bring someone up.  It is a pretty stout one when compared to things like Grays and Torreys, the Decalibron, or even Pikes (the only issue with Pikes is how damn long it is to get up the Barr trail)

9.)  Not too bad for me at altitude today, but I probably could benefit to get a few more days of sleep up in Fairplay.

10.)  We had ridiculously beautiful weather today:  No windbreakers needed all day.  This hardly the norm on the ledges on the NW side of the peak.

At the lot around 6:30. 
 
Up we go.  Heading into the Boulder Field and to the Keyhole.
After the Keyhole.
 
On the summit.  Mountain endurance legend Peter B popped up. 

JV pointing out the nuttiness of some routes.

 

I am sure more shots will get added as I get some from the guys.
 
Coming up, there is a downhill mile in Superior on the 4th.  I am not sure if I will do that – as if the family is up, we may opt for an AM hike instead (and there may not be race day reg).  So, Thursday night there is the BRR track meet …

Week was 72 miles, 7540 feet of climbing (bulk of that coming today), over about 13.5 hours (again, most of that coming today). 

Huge thanks to Jeff, John and Nick for a great day today.

Monday 032612 Flagstaff, Green and a brew started.

Good thing I got the run in down south yesterday.  Not good down there today.

Met up with Dr. NMP for some easy running.  Well sort of easy running.  Easy in that we would keep the effort easy.  Not so easy as it had a good amount of vert (for me).  I was lucky to catch Nick after a weekend where he did like 50 miles with over 10k.   Legs were a bit tired, but the biggest issue is that my feet are a tired, and my ankles are irked some.  But all good. 

Saw Homie on the Ranger trail and chatted with him some.

Chautuaqua, Flagstaff, Rangeview, Ranger, Green, Bear Canyon (ish), Mesa.  11 miles

Great to catch up with Nick.  No one should be surprised at anything this guy accomplishes in the MUT space.

Got a batch of brew cooked up last night.  Fermentation started this AM.

Evening, dog jog. 4 miles.