Weekend 15DEC-17DEC

Fri – it was a long day of travel after a morning at the job site:  Cleveland MS to Memphis TN across the cotton fields of northern Mississippi and the upper delta via car.  Then a flight from Memphis to Chicago and then from Chicago to Denver and then the ride home. 

I hit the door at 11PM.  TZ was out at a concert, JZ was out with friends and so I did what was necessary:  laced them up for five miles.

Sat – nice sunrise – good to be home.  The Lac Amora loop in the afternoon (7.7 miles)


Enjoyed a little hometown hoops with the Eagles taking on HF in the evening.  Eagles win!

Sunday was the Slog.  It is the fifth running of this affair.  We did a different route than past years, hitting a bunch of new places in Louisville and Lafayette.  We ended up getting in 23 plus miles.  It was a smaller crew and we limited the time we spent at any stop so the whole affair was done by 7.  It helped that we did not have to jump any fences this year.  Nonetheless, names will be kept confidential and we limit the photo evidence by design so that those with interviews for jobs Monday morning are not incriminated. 
 

The bigger run on Sunday bumped me over 80 miles on the week – the first time I have seen that since June.  My legs were pretty beat most of the day on the Slog, but it is a gift to be able to get around like that in any case and share some laughs, some ridicule and sarcasm with great guys.

Sunday 032512 Waterton Canyon, Week in Review

As planned, I headed down to Waterton Canyon for a meet up run.  Between the Denver and CoS contingents, there were easily 30 folks including some familiar faces with Ryan K, Wes T, Brownie, Sean, Jim P, and Wyatt.

A few pix …

The early going.  Apparently the first 6.5 miles of the Colorado Trail is a road!  I did not know this as I had never been on this section.

A break just below the Waterton Dam where wait for Brownie
 
The trail start, Wyatt in the background.
 
Typical views … single track, sometimes nice and clear, sometimes socked in with snow and predetermined foot placings

Brownie
 

I felt pretty good, even in light of yesterday’s effort.  Once we hit the snow, I could feel the ankle that I rolled yesterday protesting a bit.  I decided I’d make a go for 11.5 miles out or 2 hours, whichever came first.  The miles came and I turned around.  Several folks were doing a the full section – and so measured at 34 miles.

I was not moving fast on the snow or the steeper downs on the trail, but I was fine with that – enjoying the trail.  Once I got back to the dam and hence the road, I was less than stoked to stare at road for six more miles, and I thought I was starting to feel a little less than great.  So I did what you are supposed to do when that happens: I pushed it a bit to keep things interesting and to mix things up a bit.  I was able to progress each of the six miles to be faster than the prior.  A bit of work, but good. 

The 23 miles (+) was my longest run of the year, both in terms of miles, time.  This week ends up the same with 80 on the week, and over 8.4k feet of vertical – largest yet this year – coming from the effort over this week (37 miles with 7.1k of vert).  I can feel it in the legs a bit, but that is good training right now. 

I am pretty happy with how things have been progressing on whole.  I have been doing pretty well this year with getting in 2 long runs a month (I have logged six now, 5 20 milers or longer, 1 18 miler but in the hills).  I am beginning to get a bit more vertical so that is good.  On the downside, the Achilles still is not 100 percent (but obviously not completely debilitating), and I still think I am losing a speed step or two.

Good to see the broader MUT/CRUD croo today and to check out some new places.