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.  

Sunday 21JAN2024

Sunday - met Don and Shad over at the Costco and we ran the Marshall Road segment.  They continued up to NCAR, and I flipped at the underpass on Broadway.  10.1 miles and I averaged sub 8s for the run, but it was a bit of work.

Earlier in the AM I got an easy 1.9 with TZ.  Ended up with 56 plus on the week, with two workouts in there (hills on Main and 8 x 90' earlier in the week).

Started the writing project for the Big Book of Broomfield Running.  I will let you read about that there if you are interested versus replicating it all here.  

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.

Couple of weeks ending 19NOV2023

Got down to AZ a couple of weeks ago.  Not much to report on the running front.  50 mile weeks, typically with a couple of days off in each.  

Spent some time watching sunsets.

Some time hiking.

Got a hair cut

Went to NXR to watch the boys run in the mud.

Went and hung with Shad as he won a 100 miler.  

Did a run on a part of the Maricopa Trail.  The whole trail is 315 miles ... it is fairly remote out there.

Week ending 09FEB2020

Yeah ... I made the blog private last week.  There are a handful of reasons for that, probably best described as just trying to reestablish some focus on certain things.


Monday - nice 50 plus degree drop in temps and snow blew in.  7 miles in the afternoon.
Tuesday AM - got GW out for 4.3 before having to get to work.

Tuesday PM - 5.8 miles as a part of practice.  Weight room afterwards.
Wednesday AM - a beautiful 3 degrees to start.  5.1 miles easy.

Wednesday PM - 6.8 with the Eagles.
Thursday afternoon - 10 solo.  Actually rolled fairly well once I got warmed up.
Did the Eagle weight room afterwards - such a privilege to get access to that.  After a workout in there of 25 minutes I am to a point where I am not sure I will even be able to lift a pen or a fork.


FridayAM- walloped with more snow.  I had agreed to meet MJK over at Teller.  I probably had not seen him in years so we were not about to just mail it in.  Wonderful to connect again.  5.4 in the white stuff.
Friday PM - sloshing around in the snow.  4.8 miles.  Practice cancelled.
Saturday AM - 16 miles with Shad and Eric L (Eric did the Nolans 14 a handful of years back).  Started carefully (8:20 pace) but then got in a good groove just under 8s as we got up to Boulder (started at Costco, headed out on Marshall).  I had only intended for 2 hours and when we got to 1:45 I wanted to be sure we'd hit sub 8 average so pushed a bit.  Last mile was 6:36 (coming back down into Louisville).  Good run for me these days (ave. 7:50).



Sunday - hit the airport to head to Dallas.  Was scheduled to get an early flight but got to the airport to hear of a 7 hour delay.  Not much love for such luck.  Got to Dallas and it was misty raining but got out for 10.  I figured I had to get something in before a possible forced off day got dealt to me later in the week.  Felt pretty good at the half and decided to fartlek on 3 minutes on, 2 off at a threshold pace for the return but then it started to really rain so it just turned into a mid range tempo.  Good work though and nice training weekend.

Ended up with 75 plus on the week and a pretty training week given the snow and Sunday travel.  10 runs this week.  I seem to be averaging about an hour a day, with 7.3 change miles.

Wednesday night I played a new mic over at the Glenn in Northglenn.  I headed over with Aaron and Sean (who have been incredible ambassadors for bringing me into this game) and checked it out.  I got in four tunes over 15 minutes, made the typical mistakes but had a blast taking in the vibe, the local musicians and just enjoying the community.  I'll head back.

I actually played a song as a part of another unexpected thing at a piano bar on Saturday night.  Video forthcoming. 

Starting the New Year right

Got out for 10k wiith Shad, Bob, Don and Neeraj.  Special guest was JZ – which was a nice addition.  Guess which one he is in this shot?

Spotted an eagle down on the bend on past the lake on the Lac Amora loop.

It was chilly enough to flush out some ice beards too. 

Great way to start the New Year – good jog,with great guys.

Weekend 13,14JAN2018

Friday – very easy 3.1 with TZ in the AM.
Saturday – 19.6 with Shad and Bob out of Costco and over into Boulder, heading towards NCAR (and back).  Managed to keep the overall pace under 8 for the run, even with a slow start and few slogging miles on a few of the climbs.

I managed a few things this week that I think were a step away from so called “exercise” and a towards “training.”  Today’s long run was one of them.  Bob put up the call for the run yesterday and I had some hesitation in committing to it at first, but then realized that if I wanted to at all have a shot at anything with Pikes this summer, I have to get on runs like this … like now.  And so I knew I had to get it.  I manage it well today too.  I did start to feel that build of a bit of fatigue from 15-16 on, but that is not surprising given the nature of my running lately.

Perhaps as positive as having a run like this was also not submarine-ing it yesterday.  I got an easy 3 with TZ in the AM, and was super tempted to get in another effort … simply because that is what I do.  Once I made the commitment to Bob, I figured it was better for me to assure I was ready for the Sunday run versus chasing more miles on Saturday.  I know that sounds like a “eh, so what?” but it is a bit of a shift for me that I need to embrace a bit more.

It helped that I spent a good part of Saturday afternoon tied up watching the CU Indoor Meet at their Indoor Practice Facility.  It was great to watch kids buzz around the track. 

Plus, two sessions this week where I was getting a bit uncomfortable.  That was good.

I am decidedly not posting mileage for the week.  I am not really sure it makes a difference or not as I still track it, along with minutes and feet, etc … but I am trying to be a bit less focused, concerned, whatever on that number and a bit more focused on what happens in those numbers.  The miles will happen so to speak … it is what I do with them.  That could change of course, particularly if I try to bounce those miles up in number. 

Weekend 01-02APR2017

I woke up on Saturday and was unable to deny that I was sick.  I blew a nice sized block out of my head that confirmed it.  I chalked it up to the business travel, lack of sleep and then spending most of Friday in a chilled state as we dealt with less than great weather at the local track meet.

Mid morning I got out for an easy run – 7.6 miles in an hour and it honestly had me feeling a bit better than I had when I started.  But apparently I was still beat because when I told TZ I was going to take a 20 minute nap, I zonked for a good 90 minutes instead.  That felt really good.  I got in another 45 minutes for another 5.6 miles before dinner.

The boys started to put up the smoke signals for a Sunday run on Saturday night.  We got out for a nice mid day jaunt.  As usual, a bit quicker than if I were doing this on my own.

16.4 for me (longer for Bob and Shad who started earlier).  I have run longer this year, but I have not done it at 730 pace (or in other words I have gone longer but not have kept it as honest).

Not a well structured training week for me, partly because of travel, partly because of the sickness and weather, and partly because of a lack of good ole discipline but I managed to eek out another 70 plus mile week (72 over 9.3 hours, with 2715 feet) -- which given Friday was a 1 mile day, I’m happy I was able to rally to it..  There was a good tempo in DC on Thursday night but none of the quicker efforts this week. 

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.

Tuesday 08MAR2016

Lip service is plentiful. Folks always claim they are all in. They talk and dream about being at the top, yet few study those at the top and note what it truly takes to be there. Elite performance involves deep study, endless efforts, honesty on all fronts and accountability beyond the norm.

Mid day – got together with Shad, Kendrick and Bob and did some work over on the Sweeney Mesa.  I had contemplated bagging the whole workout because I felt just generally banged up – a bit sore, a bit tired and the Achilles was grumbling.  But when the watch started, I rolled with it anyway.  And was glad I did. 

We did 3 miles on the outer loop and then came back for another couple after that.  I did these at about the pace I was doing the outright Harper Lake laps a few weeks ago, so that sort of bodes well, but still it was only 6:30 pace for the 3.   The lungs were fine for the first two miles but then I was starting to feel how I was working a touch (even though this was race pace for a half just in January).  I cheated the follow up two mile a bit – in that I did the first in 6:30 and then took a break for a couple (I was soft) and then did the second in 6:15.  All in all, nothing special but I was glad I did something rather than bag and do nothing as I had been considering.

As always, running with a group is beneficial in many ways:  the banter and fun of it, the running a little more quickly than you would if you were on your own, and how the time slips away quickly when in the group. 

Shad is rounding into shape nicely.  It is cool to see a guy rising through his fitness week over week.

Sort of geeked out on this fan movie.

Okay, so I will venture into the political.  Thanks to Shad for this one

And from Kieran:
None of this is to say that one political philosophy is right or wrong. That we should choose to ally with those who would wish to promote our interests is perfectly natural. But if it seems like the rest of the world is gunning for our jobs and for our quality of life, it’s because they are. The fact that you have had success for a period of time just means that everyone else is going to come even harder for your share of the pie in the next iteration of the game. And regardless of what any politician promises you, that’s not going to change.

I have been having some entertaining conversations with my kids regarding politics, elections, etc.  KZ will vote in this election and a lot of our conversation comes down to the root question:  how much should government be involved?  Consider any particular issue and that is a question.  Gun control, abortion, gay marriage, health care, national parks, public education including college, physician assisted suicide, marijuana and the war on drugs, the 1%, corporate off shoring, bank regulation, food and medical device management, environmental protections like fracking and climate change, and of course, taxes baby.  And that is just a handful I thought of in 10 seconds.

It is a fun conversation because in some cases KZ think there ought to be government involvement, and then in others, not so much.  That is probably the case for all of us, with a bit of a difference in alignment on the issues.

Later in the afternoon – 5 miles with Greg super easy (8:30s) and then 4 100 meter strides.  I timed the last two to get an eyeball on that and it was 17 and 16 mid.  Sigh.  Rolled through 600 miles on the year today.

It is really fun to yap with the kids at the HS.  They have dreams of PRing or earning a letter or making state.  It is just very inspiring to see that culture of “hey I want to improve” regardless of what that goal is. 

Evening