Week ending 03NOV2024

Monday - early before off to the airport.  4 miles
Tuesday AM - some with LF along the Bay Trail.  10 miles.  

Wednesday - 5.1 miles.  Oof.  Feelin' the evening before a bit but the run helped.
Thursday - back in CO, later in the afternoon, 6.1 miles on the Lac Amora, Sterns Lake Loop.  Slow.  Last mile with KZ

Friday - 7.1 miles.  Much of it with GW.  

Saturday - 10.1 miles with CB, LF, ED on the Coal Creek Trail, easy.

Sunday - 11.1 miles with GF, her sister TF and GW.  TF was doing some half marathon pace work on miles with 90" recovery, so that was a good bump for me.  

53.4 on the week - not bad for a travel week, with 3 of the runs at 10 or more.  Strava has me at 1993.5 on the year.  

It feels really good to be running a bit more regularly again.  I am not sure if I am just running on borrowed time on a cortisone injected knee but I guess I will go with it for as long as I can.

I didn't go to the State Meet yesterday.  I haven't coached this year due to other commitments.  It has been a fine shift.  I really enjoyed the 8 years that I did it, but also happy to move on.  

Week ending 27OCT2024

Happy with the running week.  First time in a bit where I was well placed in that happy column with running.  That is not saying I didn't take some pleasure in running over the last six months.  The knee "grind" has often been enough of an issue that was frequently less than stellar.

Caught Lukas Nelson on the Last Waltz tour on Thursday night.

Monday - AM, 5.1 miles.  PM - 3miles on the ditch
Tuesday - super early AM, 7.5 miles including 5x4 min on the track where I managed sub 7 pace. 
Wednesday - long day at the Denver office, so this didn't come until late and dark.  5 miles
Thursday - AM 4 miles, PM - 5.1 miles
Friday - 7.1 miles in the later afternoon
Saturday - 15.1 miles with LF as he did 30.  First time doing something that long in ... gosh, this year?  Handled it well.  It was a slow romp.  Didn't bring any water or food so I started to feel that as we wrapped up, but I did fine.  
Sunday - 7.1 miles.  A bit tired from the day before but an enjoyable jog.

Ended up north of 58 miles.  That is the most since April/AZ.  Was pleasantly surprised at how I felt with the 15 (especially since I had singed up for 10).  Happy that I got that, the workout and a solid week of other miles in the week.  

Snap crackle pop but we haven't stopped

I got a steroid shot in the knee on October 8.  Two weeks later and it still feels pretty good.  I am running pretty close to pain free.  It still clicks and pops weird occasionally.  I have been wearing a brace (not while running but generally) and that seems to help, and I am doing some hamstring strengthening.  

My miles were down last week because I traveled.  China.  First time.  That is a series of posts unto itself.  

Rolled through 1900 sometime this week.  On Tuesday I even managed to do 5 x 4 minutes at under seven minute pace.  That is not great but it pretty decent for as horrible as I have been

Okay, let's start some catch up - Xrays from October 8

Running was continuing to be difficult.  The knee hurt.  

I finally got my head out of my tail and decided to take advantage of my health via my health care benefits and go to a doctor.  In this case, I went to the doctor that TZ used for her knee surgery a few years back.  

The right knee (looking up from the bottom) and the one that is acting well.

The right and the one that has been singing.  Also from the bottom.

Doesn't take a med degree to see that is a problem.

Here is the both of them from the front.

And from the side.

I walked out with a steroidal shot for now.  More to come on what this all means in future posts (yeah, I am getting back on the blog wagon I think ... I have a good amount of content worth posting from recent trips, this knee thing, etc).

Pikes can do better

Some music on Thursday night ...

Pikes.  Sigh. Look I get it.  Weather in Colorado is unpredictable, and the mountains don't care.  I understand that managing all the folks and logistics for an event like Pikes is an incredible operation on a good weather day.  Doing it on a day where there is rain, snow, etc magnifies that challenge by an order of magnitude.  It makes sense in some cases to say, "ok folks, we can't run to the summit and back today, because the risks associated with someone dying have increased with these conditions."  

I also think it is natural to be disappointed, even a little pissed, at that as an outcome.  Each of us can deal with how to reconcile that ("it is about the journey, not the destination" or seeing how much your fitness has progressed or maybe going and doing the mountain on your own some other time, etc).  

But I'll put this out there:  I think the race could do better than "just" a run up and down to Barr Camp.  I can't look at the result of the Pikes Peak "Marathon" and say it is "America's Greatest Challenge" when the race time on the Marathon day was over 20 minutes faster than the Ascent time.  

How about the Barr Camp ascent double?  I mean that sounds like an ass kicker to go up to Barr Camp and back TWICE.  But you'd get your marathon, you'd get 7000 feet of gain, and you'd have a story of how effin' damn hard that is (dare I say harder) compared to the "regular" PPM.  Nobody goes above treeline, easier to coordinate?

I know, I know ... it ain't that easy.  But it is better than the exaggerated BTMR that went down yesterday.  I don't expect everyone to agree with me on this and I am sure I am missing some obvious problem with the idea, but what people got dealt yesterday is a definitely a short stick.

52 miles last week.  Got some time up in the hills.

Got to see an old friend at Broomfield Days.

Monday 16SEP2024

AM - 8 miles, some with LF.  Started at 6.  It is never great to get up this early, but it is always excellent to have this as the way to kickoff the day.

Took some pix with the Starseer last night.  

I am not a Ingebrigtsen fan, but frankly, it is easy to be critical of him.  He talks a big game and thenfails to execute in the races that are perceived to count the most.  But I'll give him props for jumping in a half marathon 36 hours post a 3:30 1500.  He came through 10k in 27 and change before going to a walk.  He apparently walked several times and he still posted a 63.  Dayum.

Week ending 15SEP2024

1 week from Pikes.  Bummed I won't toe the line this year.  But I know I can't do it this year with my current physical condition.  

43 plus miles this week.  All sixes and a seven and change with GW on Sunday.  Some of the runs were stupid hot.  I didn't set myself up well on those.  I should have got out early in the cool of the day, but I enjoyed sleeping.  So, I paid the PM heat tax.

The week included a trip for work to Seattle.  I wandered around a bit downtown, and found the gum wall.  It is exactly what you think.

1668 on the year.  

Week ending 08SEP2024

First time I had a week over 50 since mid April, back when I was in AZ.  The week lined up for it with some nice jogging in Seattle for a couple days.

Knee is still yelling some of course.  I need to get around to seeing that seen too.  

1625 on the year.   

Double nickels

Turned 55 this week.  

Not a big deal for me really, but when I look at that number it grabs the attention some.  I feel it is one of those ages where if I were to suddenly drop dead for natural causes, people wouldn't be surprised - myself included.  But when you look at yourself in the mirror you don't think that could be you.  It's always someone else, until it ain't.  

I do think a consideration of your own mortality, at least a little bit, with some degree of frequency, is a good thing.  I think, when that thinking is managed in a healthy way, can get you to be a bit more focused on this moment.  And hopefully with that seeing you can realize what is important.  

Been running some.  Knee is still a POS, but manageable.  Runs are still 8 to 10 minute pace, but last week I did do some stuff on the local track for 200-400 meter repeats that were around six minute pace.  It didn't aggravate the knee anymore but lack of work at that pace was quickly realized.   Miles have been adding up to about 40 miles a week, even with a little bit of business travel in there.

No race aspirations.  I did 10 on Saturday and it was fine, but I knew that I wasn't ready to roll or to do a mountain marathon.  I do think I can get back to that though.  I am not sure if that is naive thinking or just habit (which might be the same).  

Looks like, since I am at nearly 1600 miles on the year currently, I should hit 2k this year.  I guess that is a goal of sorts now.  

New music crew is The Pinebox Sleepers.  And despite the name, we are not a bluegrass band.  We have played a few "on the short" gigs, and there is a bunch of possibility there.  I fell into a gig with a handful of musicians who are super talented and I am just trying to keep up.  

The running scene has been ridiculous, right?  I mean, a US guy runs 1:41 for the 800 and doesn't get a medal and it's considered a bit of a bummer by some because of the fact that men medaled in all the other track distance events?  You could pretty much take the last handful Olympic highlights for the US and put them into one rollup film in Paris.  And then, Matt Carpenter's record at Leadville falls to David Roache (I am impressed but not surprised at the respect that David pays to Matt in episode 220 fwiw).  Now "old schooler" Anton kills another FKT.  

Breathin'

Buzzin' along at 40 miles a week, 8-10 minute pace, maybe an occasional dip below 8, but nothing fast.  No speed work to speak of.   No race expectations, just runnin' for some basic fitness and mental release.  Knee is still a POS but it has some bad days and some more bad days.  I enjoy getting out because I tend to see interesting things when I do.  

I have noticed that I sweat a lot on runs these days.  Maybe I see it more because I wear a shirt more now than I did in the past.  You can't hide a completely sweat soaked shirt, but I guess it was easier to ignore that when I went suns out / guns out.  

So sun spots appear to move.

Nothing really new to report other than ... well, it is interesting to notice how unimportant things are when you choose not to focus on them.  The easiest example I can think of this is when you go on a camping trip where you are really disconnected.  Suddenly all the noise of life changes and you don't care ... I mean, you don't give a rip ... about the topics that are thrust into your face and that you then fret about.  You tend to notice then when you come back.  "huh, it has been 2 weeks since I thought about that ... " 

I have made some shifts on the items that I focus on, and it is interesting to see how the "old" items are not items all.  Not epiphany there in as much a Re-realization.  Again.

Played the 8th Birthday show at Rails End with the Pinebox Sleepers.

Anyway ... enjoy what you see around you.  

Pluggin

Nothing really on the running front to report.  I am bumbling along at 8-10 minute paces, knee is still jacked, but getting around 40 a week.  I probably ought to just not run on it for six months, but I can't get my head there.  

I saw Mark P for some PT.  The needles honestly are the easy part.  His manual work on you is straight up hell.  

It seemed like it helped for a little while.  Or maybe it moved the hurt to something else.  Anyway, he thinks it is tendon versus something like bone.  Maybe.  

Been enjoying lots of live music, including ...

... RCPM at Union Station ...

... Jason Mraz at Dillon ... 

Been traveling a bit too.  Mostly to SFO ...

Been doing some "new" work ...

Got out on some water.

Started playing with a telescope again.

And even thought I left SC earlier this summer because of work / life commitments, fell into a lower commitment band and doing some gigs with them.

So, just plugging along in another wonderful CO summer ...