Sunday 020109 11 miles, week in review, other mutterings

• 11 miles, 10000 feet, 96 minutes.  A bit more of than 1300 ft of gain in 5.5 miles out, which translates to a 4-5% average grade.
• 
• I have a run over Boreas Pass on my list.  A few years ago we did a drive over the pass in early October in a full moon.  The pass used to be the old train route that connected Breck back to the east (Denver)  through Como / Jefferson (the old train round house is still in Como ... pretty cool).  The road closes now every year November 1 (I don't know when it re-opens).  The issue with a run is the logistics.  The pass road is a 22 mile run (from what I have heard) end to end, it is probably a 45 minute drive from one side (Breckenridge) to the other (Como).  Having never been on it in day light, I did a bit of recon today, heading up 5.5 before coming back down.  The first mile was navigating out of the town of Breck, then up Broken Lance Road.  There was about a mile of (icy) sidewalk.  The next two and a half miles were navigating typically wide shoulders of a road that is not highly used but ... definitely attention getting when a car went by.  I got to the "gate" at 4.5 miles and plodded on the unplowed, but apparently highly foot trafficked road, for an other mile.
• Run started at 9600 and climbed to 10600.  I ran easy, as I was a.) dealing with the elevation b.) was stiff from the strides yesterday (that is okay).  I thought I'd roll it up okay on the way back but I decided to keep it pretty conservative and left it near 8s.
• Some of the views ... (typical scene on the road past the gate)
• 
• The high peak to the far left is Quandy ... sitting at the edge of Summit County, and at the southern end of the so called Ten Mile Range (before it becomes the Mosquito Range).  It is 142xx feet in elevation at its summit).  TZ birthday is coming up (and it is one of "significance.").  I am think of coordinating a trip up this with her.  She has never climbed a 14er and wants to.  Quandry might be a good one (although I am not sure a spring birthday makes for the best weather for that) ... and I might be able to get some of her friends to come along.  I will look to counsel the 14er deity on this (JV).  I can safely post this here without TZ knowing because she never reads this blog.  Well, she reads it sometimes, but I doubt she will get this far into an entry. 
• 
• Evidence of beetle kill ...
•  
• Looking back to Breck where I started ...
• 
• If I can swing it, I will definitely come back to this spot for a good altitude climb on a steady grade.
• On the way out of Breck, I stopped at the Ice Sculpture Display ... sculptors take blocks of ice like this ...

and turn them into these ...

 

Week in review ...

• M - Treadmill, 10 miles, 7 x 4 min, 7 x 1 min.  65 min
• T - Treadmills with speed play including max mill strides, hill strides (OUCH), 11 miles, 75 minutes
• W - 8 miles, very easy, 64 minutes
• T - 11 miles, 80 minutes, steady first 50 (7), with group last four, very easy.
• F - 10 miles, trails, steady, 71 minutes
• S - 14 miles easy, with strides to sprints on track in middle, 107 minutes
• S - 11 miles, altitude, 96 minutes, easy
• Week was 75 miles, 558 minutes.  New month so Feb has 11 miles and 96 minutes.  This was a good week in that
  • a.) mileage for singles was okay
  • b.) I got in some decent turn over work in a fun sort of way - and something that I could tell gave my legs a bit of a jolt.  The strides on Tuesday and Saturday were a bit of a wake up call
  • c.) got in a nice altitude run (being on the roads there rather than the back woods made it a little more motion versus a thrash fest)
• Poor stuff this week was
  • a.) still need to be a bit more aggressive on the core.  I keep thinking I am going to do this when I get home from work in the evening.  Honestly, that is just not working because I am beat at that time, am doing stuff with the kids and ... am generally lazy and rather have a beer at that time.  I think I will try to open the days with this (AM) stuff.
  • b.) I wouldn't call it a twinge or a concern but the groin definitely let me know of its concerns with the harder stride stuff when mixed in with the core.  It was not an "aw crap" ... more just like a "be careful."
  • c.) I have not been overly concerned about diet. 
• I need a race ...
• ... the list of runs and workouts I want to do came to mind today in the run ...
  • I want to bang up Flagstaff Road under 40.
  • I want to bang up and down Green Mountain under an hour (this will be very hard if I stick the trails)
  • I want to do Lindens averaging under 4
  • I want to do the Elliott Stairs averaging under 3
  • I want to Decalibron under two hours
  • I want to RT Mosquito Pass ... (I need to think about what is the expected time here).
• I have been trying the Skins that someone lent me (and I ought to just buy from them ...). Someone asked me why don't I just try some compression socks from Walgreens.  I think I will do that.  The Skins definitely keep my legs very warm, which I think is probably good on whole for recovery.  But wait, aren't you supposed to ice?  Maybe I will try an ice bath next week.  Or maybe ice in the skins.  That would make me real tough I think.
• JW and Lucho are both speaking of running Pikes (JW - the Ascent, Lucho - the marathon).  I am totally stoked that they are.  Both these guys are well talented hard working athletes, who will bring their A game to the race.  Early rumors of who is in, who is out are starting to crop up ... we are still seven months out but I can smell some good races forming up.
• I don't get a lot of my motivation to compete through other competitors.  Most endurance athletes realize that ultimately they are competing with themselves.  That said, it is competition, and I get some motivation from beating a guy to line and not getting beat - just like anyone.  I want to give these guys, and guys like Justin a good race - excuse free, and if they beat me - I honor that.   In that, we are brothers in battle of sorts ... I want us all to push each other to the line in a way that leaves us heaving, on our knees, pulling off blisters, looking for an IV... and then we all share a beer knowing we brought it.  I don't race solely for competition with others (although I know some who have ... and when they can't do it, sadly they seem to leave the sport and the whole lifestyle) but it is definitely a wonderful spice to it.
  
  
   
   
• Totally separate set of thoughts ... I had a conversation with someone the other day where that person had heard / picked up this idea:  formulate some number of behavioral questions you are to ask yourself everyday.  Turn that list of questions over to some you trust and you will feel some degree of accountability to.  Every day, that person asks you the questions and you review your answers with them.  It dawned on me that this is a.)  really just another neat way to define your goals and objectives and b.) makes the other person your coach (in at least some regard).  It also dawned on me that these questions could be of several categories ... personal (did you spend at least loving quality half an hour with your spouse today?  Did you hug and tell your children you love them today?  Were you compassionate to at least one other person outside your family without desire to gain anything other than seeing them move towards happiness?) financial (did you spend money on unnecessary items like a latte or beer today?  Did you save money for the future today?) athletic (did you run today?  did your run today fit in your overall goals?  Did you preserve the intent of the run (easy OR hard) or did you make it something else), educational (did you read today?  did you read something that made you think?) ... and so on. I am not sure I am ready to turn my list over to anyone to hold me accountable by having them call me everyday ... but it is a neat idea.  Live your life today like no one else so you can live your life tomorrow like no one else.