Week ending 31MAY2020

Monday AM - easy 6.8 with strides around Broomstock with GW.
PM - with KZ, chatting on her training, goals, etc. Very nice. 4.6 miles.  Will pretty much always say yes to these mi

Pics of recent bee swarm in back yard.



Tuesday PM - warm - in the 80s.  8 x on Eagle Hill from the trash can to the top (so a bit longer than the last couple of weeks).  69 to start and down to 67 at the end.  Probably an 8 effort, but one of those ones where I went steady on number one knowing that by number 4 it would be work.   7.7 miles.


Wednesday AM - an easy 8.1 that was surprisingly at 7:30 pace even though my legs felt a bit heavy from yesterday.  Middle part was with GW and EC as they warmed up for their workout.


Thursday - well, the PPA cancelled.  There is still a chance that PPM will happen but it seems pretty unlikely in my opinion.  Could be a summer of trying to get 5k fit.

Vid from this week's virtual open mic night

Still working on the sound.  It is rough.  I'm gonna see if I can punch it right into the computer the next go around.

PM - 8.5 miles - strides at the end.  Oh yeah it is snake season.

Friday PM - a bit rough.  Wanted to progress over 30 minutes from 6:30 to 6:10 pace but sort of got stuck at 6:20 pace in the second half.   Still better than 2 months ago though.  Hot, I'm probably gonna need to shift to mornings soon.  10.1 miles.

New addition to the fam.  Meet Sage.

Saturday AM - 8.2 with GW round Lac Amora through the hospital.  Pretty tired. 

Sunday - contemplated the hills but the legs were pretty beat so I did 13.2 from the house.  Got moving pretty well once I woke up a bit.  Glad to get it done before 10:30 as the heat was starting to crank up.

Good week on whole.  Month ends with 290.7 miles, almost 40 hours, and almost 19k feet.  On the year I sit at 1455 miles, 60k feet and 196 plus hours.  187 runs on the year, 2 off days.  Still on 28 travel nights because of the shut down, but I am clearly enjoying some benefits from that in terms of fitness. 

Week ending 24MAY2020

Monday - long work day, as long as if I was actually on site.  7.2 miles after I pushed back from the desk.  Easy.  Ran into NE out there and we jogged most of the La Amora loop together.  Good to catch up.  Good dude.

Tuesday AM - early, again almost as if I were on a road trip.  6.2 miles with 8 x 50' on Eagle Hill.  I stopped looking at the watch after number two, and just ran from the trash can on the bottom to the line I drew about four telephone poles up.  Solid.
Tuesday PM - an easy 30 minutes with GW.  3.8 miles.  Tired.

Wednesday AM - pretty tired in the legs so just an easy hour early.  It is good that I have full days this week as it forces the run/motivation to be performed early.  I sort of like that.  7.6 miles.

Thursday PM - feeling pretty good and might have rolled a bit quick for an easy day.  7 miles, with last 2 minutes a bit uptempo and 4 strides.

Friday PM - ugh.  A workout that sort of came unraveled and in retrospect, I should have punted a day out.  Wanted to do three miles in 19, take rest and then do a mile in 6.  I came through the first mile in 6:15 (after starting at 3:05), and was a bit of a mess.  It was hot (80, which ain't really hot but I also ain't summer acclimated yet) and windy and I was feeling it.  I peeled off for 15 seconds, and considered bagging it.  I got my crap together and got back on it but I was already in the hole.  6:23, 6:22 for the next two.  I guess I could rationalize it with the wind and heat but whatever.  Walked a lap and then did the mile in 6:01 (also started dumb, 87) but I looked like I was running with a fridge on my back.  8.9 miles.

Saturday AM - pretty worked.  6.3 on the Lac Amora loop with GW.

Sunday - up the Mosquito Pass road to the split and back. 13 miles. Hoo boy, long time since I have been to runs at high altitude.  And it was snowing too.  No - it really was - but that is what things do in the Rockies in May at 11000 feet.  Fun though.



Just over 60 miles - so the lowest I have had in a while but that goes with the work schedule this week.  Glad I got in three key efforts (the altitude longish run and the two workouts0>

Week ending 18MAY2020

Monday afternoon  - cooler day, but a bit tired today.  An hour and some strides.  7.7 miles.

Tuesday AM - misty chilly ... 6.1 miles with 10 x 40' hills (Eagle Hill).
Tuesday PM - easy four along the ditch.

Wednesday mid morning.  8.5 miles easy.  Felt better as the run went on.

Thursday afternoon - 8.2 miles.  Tired.  Easy and it felt like a slog but it was actually marginally quicker than yesterday.  A few strides at the end.

Friday PM - longer work today.  4 x a mile on the track on a lap rest.  Goal was 6:10-15.  Actual was 6:05, 6:05, 6:03, 5:55 with most that 55 coming on the last lap (and sort of looking silly, breaking down doing it).  Good workout.  10.2 miles on the day.

Saturday - easy miles.  5 with JZ in the old neighborhood as we waited on an tire repair.  I got a few more post.

Sunday - 3 peaks - Bear via Fern out of Cragmoor, then over to SoBo, then over to Green and then back down Bear Canyon back to Cragmoor.  13.6 miles with about 4500 feet of gain.  So a long run and finally some mountain vert.  I had JV and Homie for escorts this AM.   The run was a bit more than I was planning but it was a beautiful enough morning and the effort was in check enough that it was manageable (although I had to slurp some water at Bear Creek).  I am certainly not in "mountain" shape but I managed ok given the length of this effort.

Showing how little I get to the big hills anymore - it is the first time I had been to Green since going there with GW and Gabby last July.  Bear?  Got to go back to 2018 for that. SoBo?  Yeah - 2015.  For me it is mostly the "time tax" that I have been less than willing to pay over the last few years.  I might need to be more willing to eat that if I want success in a hill race.

Solid week - 2 quality workouts, a climb/long run and overall good miles (67.3) and the biggest vertical run on the year yet (although it is hardly enough). Actually on a gig remotely on a different time zone next week so it might be a bit more challenged that has been the last couple of months.

Apparently the rumor is that Pikes will make a call as to what they are doing June 1.  I'm fine with whatever that call is.  I sort of feel I can take a crack at some so-called 50yo PRs (as I am still pretty freshly minted in that decade) for the mile and 5k if Pikes pulls the plug, and I sort of think I could possibly take a long shot crack at a sub 5 effort at Pikes if that plays out.  It is all good either way.  I am thinking with Leadville canceled for that same weekend, Pikes will likely do the same but that is just a guess

Week ending 10MAY2020

Monday AM - gorgeous morning.  Rained on the overnight and it is that time of the year where everything is greening up nicely.  Cool and beautiful sunrise along the Bobolink trail.  8.3 miles with strides.

Tuesday afternoon - one of those days best not to compare myself to my past self.  12 x a quarter.  The track was pretty well buttoned up so I did these on the quarter mile stretch of Main in front of the high school.  The southbound ones were a bit quicker as it might be slightly downhill that way (and slight uphill northbound).  I figured mile pace so these went (starting southbound) 84, 83, 81, 84, 81, 82, 81, 84, 79, 81, 80, 81.   Rest was equal, mostly inactive around the corner.  This one felt a bit more on the edge than other recent workouts - which means it was good in that it tagged me a bit.  I was definitely flayling a bit on the last couple.  10.2 miles total.

Got to be honest ... upper end of speed these days is just under five pace.  I might be able to nudge that a bit but it ain't like the sub 30 200s are around the corner.

Wednesday AM - legs pretty spent, expectedly so.  8.3 miles easy.
Wednesday PM - sat in the office way too much this today.  Got out at the tail of the day just to shake it off a bit.  3.2 miles along the ditch.

Thursday - afternoon, just as the winds wound up.  8.3 miles with some strides at the end.

Friday PM - 10.1 miles.  Tempo work - 4 miles averaging 6:33 on the roads.  I have run the tempos a bit quicker on the track as of late of course, but this fair for me.  Legs still felt a bit heavy but once ya get rolling, you go with it.

Saturday AM - 7.3 miles.  That does not include the two miles I went around and around trying to get Cheeto.  It was a pretty tame run but we did do the last click under six pace.

Sunday - didn't get out until the afternoon.  I didn't feel up for paying the "go-to-Boulder" time tax and I figured I could get some hills out in the 'stock without having to deal with crowds and hence the mask issues (they are now required on Boulder OSMP).  11.6 miles, with about 900 feet.  Not quite a Flagstaff but the pace made up for it anyway.

66 something miles on the week, a couple of quality workouts, etc, etc.  Solid week of running for me these days.

Official word that Burro Days is cancelled this summer.  This comes a few weeks after the announcement that Leadville also cancelled Boom Days.



There is some scuttlebutt that there will be some other race of course.  I am not sure how that will play out at this point.

Last two Rails Open Mics.

Everytime I do one of these mics, I feel a bit of mixed feelings -  a bit disappointed with my level of performance, a bit satisfied with the fact that I did it, a bit overwhelmed by the quality of the other musicians that participate, a bit motivated to dial up my game and my equipment mix more effectively, a bit thinking I'll never do it again, and a bit recommitted to get better. 

I did my first open mic just over a year ago when Charles took me to a bar in Centennial.  Shortly after that I did what I think was my first real one - a post wedding party at Rails.  I call it the first real one because the one in Centennial was like five other musicians.  I didn't know the open mic at Rails was going to be a post wedding party affair, and there were something like a 100 people.  Since then I think I have done four or five live ones there and then four of these "virtual" ones.  It has clearly been a significant factor in my music education  - a lot has changed over that year (a couple of new guitars, the number of songs I can go to, the wiring in my head on what I hear, and even a tune or two of my own) but I have a lot more to learn and do.   

Week ending 03MAY2020

Monday AM - 7.5 with strides out at Bobolink.  Started at near 9 minute pace and finished feeling "opened up" at near seven minute pace.  Beautiful morning.

Tuesday PM - 8 x "broken quarters" or 250 on/150 off/150 on 300 off.  The 250 on was supposed to be at 5:20 pace and the 150s on were supposed to be at 5:10 pace but I ended up getting ahead of that.  250s started 49 high but cut down to 46 and the 150s were at 28 and moved down to 26.  10.5 miles total.

Wednesday AM - 10 miles super easy.

Thursday AM - 5.6 with Cheeto.  Took about 40 minutes to cover that with the last mile and a half at 6:40 or better.  He hit sub 4:50 for a bit in the middle of it which was a bit of a wake up at 7:30 in the morning.

It only took 45 minutes to actually get him out though - the early morning back and forth creek crossings were perhaps as much of a wake up as the rich pace a little later.

Thursday PM - easy 3.7 miles.  A bit sore actually.

April wraps up with a hair under 280 miles, 37 and a half hours, and 12k of climbing (which about a fifth of that came in one run).  No days off.  It was a good month in terms of getting after some quality (8 sessions), but other things lapsed (long runs, vertical).  I just am not sure I can juggle all of those in there at this point.  On the year 1164.x miles, 156 and 2/3rds hours, and 41k+ of vert.  2 days off.  No travel in April for obvious reasons, but 28 travel nights on the year.

Friday - PM.  Warm (80).  5 x 800 on 400 jog.  Been a long time since I did these and was a bit concerned my mind was in the wrong place (thinking about how my legs felt like crap) coming into them but was fine once I got going.  Goal was to be right at six minute pace for these and that worked out:  2:59, 2:58, 2:59, 2:56, 2:53.  In the game of woulda coulda shoulda I almost sort of feel that had I had to do 10 of these at 2:59 at equal rest I woulda been able to manage that.  10.2 miles.

Saturday PM - cloudy, humid but a bit cooler.  8.1 miles easy.   A bit fatigued in the legs but not bad.

Sunday AM - Flagstaff.  I'll flip these over to actual trail runs soon, but I do enjoy the grind of Flagstaff at this point.  10.5 miles, 90 minutes.  Overall I climbed it a bit better than a couple weeks ago, with what felt to be about the same effort (just a consistent run, not hard to start but it then feels pretty effin' hard in that last mile up).  I really struggled with "the wall of pain" segment this go though - that 16% average grade seemed to kick me a bit harder than typical.  Even with that, I got up about 40 seconds quicker than a couple weeks ago - and my best climb on it in 5 years (where I was about a minute faster than today).  Not great, but given the

66.2 miles on the week over 8 runs (155 runs on the year now), in just under 9 hours, and 3600 vertical feet.  Happy with the two quality sessions this week as well.  And a hill.  And a donkey run. 

Week ending 26APR2020

Monday AM - 8 miles with strides.

Tuesday afternoon - perfect day and was feeling good about getting after it a bit on the track.  20+ minute warm up easy, 4 strides.  12 x 300 on 200 jog.  Goal was 63s, and was sitting around 60-63, most being 61.  Got the itch a bit on the last few  - 60, 59, 56.  Nothing crazy just was having some fun with the buzz.  10.1 miles.

Wednesday afternoon - 10 miles, easy ... sort of rolling at the end.

Thursday mid day - 8.5 miles, last two minutes a bit up tempo and then 4 strides.

Friday - 8.2 miles, with 3.5 at tempo effort (that section covered in 22:16).  Wasn't feeling so hot and considered shifting this until Saturday ... for about a quarter second.  I was fine once I was going, but I could tell it was not an A game day.  It was fine though.

Saturday - 7.2 miles total, including 5 with Cheeto all over the place pace-wise.  Yes - that means some sub 4:45 stuff and some 9:30 stuff.  We finished just the five just under 36.

Sunday - 11.6 miles.  Had to pause to get this bull off the trail.  He was right in the middle of it and was setting up to get whacked by a biker.



Good week.  Just over 63.  I had contemplated waking up early on Sunday and heading to Flag but I slept in (7:30) and felt a bit tired still.  So I stay out in the eastern flats.  Keeping things to seven runs, and a little less overall volume with the 60s but feeling good about getting two quality efforts a week right now.

Week ending 19APR2020

Monday - still snowing, but a nice light fluffy snow.  8.3 miles when done including the strides.  Chilly - humid.



And like that most of the snow was gone on the open stretches on Tuesday.  Afternoon - 20 minute plus easy jog warm up, 4 strides and then 2 x 8 x 200 on 200 rest with 400 rest between the sets.  Hit 39 high/40 low on the first few and then they were all 39, cutting down to 38 on the last couple.  Felt good, and tried to be tall and work on basic form mechanics.  On the last handful I could feel the last 40-60 yards the effort.  10 minute or so cool down - 8.7 miles.  I contemplated how I used to do 50 x 200 at that pace with no rest.

Wednesday afternoon - it seemed to be getting nice but then there was a bite to the air.  10 miles, easy out to Mayhoffer and back.


Thursday - really really snowing again.  Like the heavy spring stuff.  Not sure that shoveling for 2 hours goes into the log but it counts for something.  At least for catching up on some podcasts.  Got out in the afternoon for may or may not be one of the last winter slogs of 8.4 miles with some strides at the end.  Heavy legged.

Friday afternoon - tracks were socked in snow so this was on the roads.  But it was nicely sunny.   As it is a perfect mile around the high school, with it being a quarter on each side, I went there for 2 x 2 miles with a half mile jog in between.  Goal was 6:30's for the first, and 6:25 for the second - so more threshold sort of work.  Of course I jacked it by going 6:21 and then 6:25 for the first set.  Second set was 6:09 and 6:11.  I was definitely not threshold for the last half mile - but I was having fun as I was wanting to hurt a bit.    10 miles all told with the warm up, cool down, strides.

Saturday - recovery day.  6.4 miles - super easy.   Checked in on the donks.  Cheeto pretty much still wants nothing to do with me.  I have some work to do there.

Sunday - best I can tell, I have not been up and down Flagstaff Road in almost FIVE years.  Itching for some vertical, or maybe itching to not post yet again that I need it ... I decided I'd go and hit the road this AM.  I was not gonna fight the trails up Green with the ice, or the entire current circumstances there with current events.  I might have bumped into the Mayor out there, and if we did I can confirm we stayed on opposite sides of the road.  I am definitely a bit off my climbing game - and most certainly felt it in that wall you hit just past the mile 4 marker - but I held up okay for an "easy" run.  10 miles all told.  It was good to feel that burn in the quads when running 13 minute pace again.



A "neat" week for me.  61 miles, a climb, 2 quality workouts and a balance of rest and harder days.  I'd like a long run too but I can only get in so many legit efforts in 7 days.

No live or recorded videos of music this week, but have been "wood shedding" nicely.  The live streams definitely served a purpose in learning for me and nudging me but it feels like it is time to do something different for a bit.  I'll get back to that.  Been plucking at some new tunes, and working on a couple of my own.

Week ending 12APR2020

Monday - headed over to Mayhoffer to check on the situation there and then got Cheeto out for about an hour.  Coal Creek is crowded!




He is a good donk.  Definitely easy going, and there are a few new things we are working through ... bridges, turns, etc.  8.3 miles with a few strides at the end.

Tuesday AM - 20 minute warm up, four opening strides, then 2 sets of 5 x 1 minute, with the first set at a 7 PE on 60 seconds rest and the second set at an 8 PE with the rest at 90 seconds.  About a 15 minute warm down.  7.4 miles.  Good workout.

Decided if Pikes cancels, I'll just focus on a mile - see if I can get under 5:20 again.

Afternoon - 3 easy miles with KZ.

Wednesday - 10 miles, out and back to Mayhoffer to check on the donks.  JZ joined me.  Easy day.


Thursday- 8.1 miles along Coal Creek with strides post.


Thursday night did the Rails End Virtual Open Mic again.

In case I needed a reminder of how amateur I am at this ... check this out.  

I have been shifting a tiny bit on my music - and will likely take a break from regularly posting on-line "shows" (it sounds a bit weird to call them that), and focus a bit on some tunes I am writing, and  building out some other tunes I have been working on.

Friday - 3 mile warm up with strides, then 20 minute tempo on the track.  Covered 5100 meters on the nose.  10 minute cool down.  Was a bit apprehensive coming into this but figured I'd just try to start at 6:40 pace and carve down from there.  First mile was probably just under 6:30, and I slowly picked it up.  Felt really controlled and on top of it and only had to "think" about it a bit at maybe 3 minutes to go.

Saturday - 10 miles with Cheeto, getting this in on Saturday before the snow blows in on Sunday.  Took almost 90 minutes to warm Cheeto up to the halter ... a complete shift from where he was earlier in the week.  JZ finally sweet talked him into it.  Once we got going it was a fine run, but I did start to feel a bit of the work from yesterday in the last couple of miles.



Sunday  - 10 miles - super easy in the snow.  Tired.  Yeah, it was one of those typical Colorado spring things - a 55 degree swing in a day.



64 miles on the week, but two good workouts on Tuesday and Friday.  Also got in two burro runs, which usually means a little less mileage for the per minute buck, but a different workout in its own way.   The Friday workout was probably one of my better ones in the last year or so.  Normally I'd say that a 6:20 mile is no biggie but I have not really run that fast for three in a long time. Rolled through a 1000 miles on the year this week too.

This next week should be more of the same - a little less quantity and bit more focus on the quality of specific efforts.  Third winter is here so it will be a bit of more of a challenge then the perfect stuff we got dealt last week.

Clearly some of the turn in my fitness as of late is because of some more time.  This is not directly because of the current pandemic events, but indirectly - I am not focused on coaching the HS kids and so I get to focus more on my training.  An interesting ripple.

I have totally done crap for any sort of upper body work since the start of March because of this turn of events, so I need to get to doing something on that.  I was giving thought to heading to Boulder next week for some Green Mountain, but apparently the scene out of Chautauqa is rather nuts - so I may avoid it for a bit and if I hit any hills, they will be elsewhere.

Been doing some work related podcasting too.

Week ending 05APR2020

Monday - 10 miles, playing on a few of the hills in the area.


Tuesday afternoon - windy out of the west and so I did 10 x 300s on 200 rest at the MS track leveraging the wind as much as I could.  Slowest was 62 (5), and fastest was 57 (last), with nearly all the rest coming right in at 60.  Fun workout and a bit better than I expect.  I was sort of thinking I'd be around 65-67 for these.  8.8 miles when all done.  JZ was out there doing quarters and so he did part of his work to coincide with mine.  More fun.



That finishes March - with 311.4 miles, 41 and a quarter hours, and just about 10k of vert.  All the weeks were pretty solid.  The travel to California week was a bit of down week on whole.  I had 2 decent long runs in the month, and managed to start to get in some quality (3 in the last two weeks and 4 on the month.  In some regards, current events have helped training.

I hope to start to shift some of the training up in April - a few more trails, some more vertical, a bit less focus on miles as the measure and a bit more on minutes and vert.  Other stats so far on the year:  885 miles, 119 and a quarter hours, 29k of vertical, 2 days off, 28 travel nights, 2 camping nights, and an average velocity of 7.4mph.  I have gone running 119 times so far this year.

Yeah it is probably a bad coin flip to consider that even August races like Pikes are gonna happen but I'll train anyway.  It just feels good.  Oh, there may be some more donkey running soon.

Wednesday - 10 miles.  Got out mid day on a shirtless sort of day.  Wonderful.  Legs were tired but I was just moving well.  So good for the head.  I had a biker flip me off though.  I think it is because I passed him and he got pissed off.


Thursday AM - 5.2 slow miles in a freezing mist before heading to Edwards for a post op review with TZ.  Her review went well - and the doc is happy with her progress (although it has only been a week).  PM - 4.3 miles in the snow, back in Broomstock.  Easy easy.

Friday afternoon - sort of tired but rolling pretty good once I committed to it.  11.3 miles, with a 25 minute progressive sort of tempo, 6:45 down to 6:20 pace.  Felt solid.



Saturday AM - 10 miles.  Tired and slow.


Sunday - 12 miles at RFNWR.  First time there and it is pretty nice.  And I went on a first date with Cheeto.  He can move.




A run with a donkey like this might be the purest form of fartlek ... you go slow, you go fast, except you have very little control over it - the donkey decides.   I was nicely worked at the end of our first outing.  There will be others.

Good week.  70 plus miles, 2 workouts and a run with a donkey that sort of was near a long effort in terms of time.  Need to get to the hills soon.

Week ending 29MAR2020

Monday – 10.3 miles.  Started easy but got a nice roll going later in the run.

Still trying to get on a steady habit of meditation.  I have been using the Headspace app.  Frankly I suck at it.  I know, I know, you are not supposed to judge and just “be” but frankly my ability to focus just on the breath and seeing the mind wander … not great.  This buzz box on the top of my neck is a freaking rabid squirrel that has dropped acid.   I’ll keep trying though. 

 
Captured some of the stuff I have been doing on FB Live over on Youtube. 

It is a bit weird for me to be open on posting all that stuff.  I know that sounds a bit contradictory for a guy who has posted here for close to a decade and has always seemed to be quick to run to the microphone.  It is a bit different with the music.  I recognize what a hack I am there, and there is a level of permanence that comes with posting that sort of stuff. 

But it is a challenge for me.  It is challenging me musically, to be better at singing, tighter on song execution, stage presence, etc.  So it is a tool for me.  I have no designs on being a paid performer, but I enjoy performing and hopefully giving people's feed a little something different than the recent current event news. 

I had changed the permissions on this blog for a bit for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I suddenly didn't feel comfortable with the exposure of this content.  The music, the running, the family, the on-going self reflection that seems to occur without real growth or learning ... all of it.  It feels a bit narcissistic.  And honestly, it is at some point.  My larger intention may be to something else, but there is a portion of all this that is a bit of that.  I dunno.  I might change it back but for the moment, I am okay with sharing here, in the hope that folks can see something different, maybe take something that lets them know that there is extraordinary in the ordinary.

Tuesday afternoon - 10 miles with GW and SB that included 7 x 2 minutes on at 5k pace and 90 seconds off.  Of course Greg and I got a bit aggro with each other and he lit me up on number 3.  And the last couple were above 5k, but it was good.  I really did want to hit the hurt.  It felt good to feel that.  It has been a while since I have had that appetite. Strava says we hit some low five paces, and maybe even some sub 5s on occasion.  Not sure if that is right, but it was good to breathe hard.

Neighbors dropped this off.  There are good people out there.


Wednesday - long day up in Edwards, CO as TZ had ACL and meniscus repair surgery.  I got out in the AM for a run along the trails up there.  11 miles super easy.


Thursday afternoon -10.2 miles.  Tired but the legs got moving okay after a bit.

Thursday night was an online open mic night with Rails End.  That was fun.  A nice three hours of music and I contributed about 15 minutes. 

Friday - dead legged.  10 miles.  Slow.  Tired.


Saturday - felt the need to do a workout.  Initially I really didn't want to because my legs didn't feel so hot but I just went with it.  20 minutes warming up, then 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minutes at a tempo/fartlek pace on 2 minutes jog in between.  Finished it out with 5 minute jog, then 5 by 30 seconds strides on 90 seconds jog.

TZ’s first couple days back on recovery have been tough on her. I’ll spare her and the interweb the fun pics of the knee post op.  It ain’t pretty. 

Sunday – 10.4 miles, easy.  Coincidentally I ran into JZ about a mile into my run and two into his.  Yeah.  We did a handful together and then he peeled off. 

Not a bad week.  70 plus miles and two efforts a bit harder.  No long run, no real vertical, and the quality efforts were not “OMG hold the fence and vom” outings but there is time for that.  Good news was it was just all singles this week, and the average was better than 8s on the week.  It is the first time in a while that has happened.

I am sort of guessing Pikes is 50-50 to be cancelled at this point but I’ll go forth and train as if it is going to happen anyway.  And I think even if it is cancelled, I’ll train as much as I am able. 

Week ending 22MAR2020

Spring is coming.  Not yet but not far from now.

Monday mid day.  12.5.  Timed JZ at the end as he did some stuff on the track.

Tuesday AM - 6.6, most of it with Greg.  Slow to start in the morning mist but we eventually got awake enough to get moving some.


Afternoon - with JZ 4.6 miles on the Ridgeview Ditch loop.

We got KZ back from Germany.  She is a bit heartbroke but putting on a good face.

Wednesday - 10 at Teller with Braun and GW.  I needed it.

On Monday I started doing Facebook Live sessions with me playing some tunes.  It was mostly just to break it up the noise of everything else.  Whole new layer of fun and anxiety.  It was something I was thinking about and of course Sean P beat me to it.  And so I just jumped on it.  I screwed up a lot of tunes.  But it was fun.

Kids are beginning to lose it.  Or have been losing more than usual. 


Thursday - absolutely walloped with a big wet March snowstorm.  I was soaking from the knees down in the first 10 strides.  3.5 slow miles in the slush and snow.  Took a couple of diggers that got me nicely soaked.  Klutz.

Friday - 11.1 miles.  Snowing lightly.



Friday night I did a FB Live.  It ended up being 17 songs.


Saturday - 10.2 miles.  Tired but seemed to roll pretty good.


Sunday - 13 with more than 11 of it with GW.  Felt pretty good after about a 45 minute wake up.


71 plus on the week. A weird week ... no quality, and not a real long run, and sort of messed up with a 3.5 mile run in the middle of the week because of the spring snow.  More than that, I had a messed up head - probably like most who breathe - for a good portion of the week.  I was happy to have a solid volume week.  I fell back into some less than stellar habits (a bit too much brew), but am circling the wagons on that too.

Week ending 15MAR2020

Monday AM - in the dark in Santa Ana (or Orange County if you prefer) ... 5 miles, slow, shaking off yesterday's long run.  Long day at the plant followed by the corporate weenie dinner so no evening run.  Dinner was ridiculous - probably top 3 ever.

Tuesday AM - slight rain, in the dark.  Found a legit bike path.  Easy 7.3 miles.
Tuesday PM - 4 miles, got rolling a little towards the end.    Legs were sort of sore and tight to start.



AM - 6 miles.  A bit rough.  Super tired and slow to rise.  And it started raining.  Not bad but ya' know.  Headed down towards the San Diego Creek.


Didn't run Wednesday night.  Headed to see some of TZ's cousins who moved out here from the midwest.  Fun to hang with their kiddos for a bit.


Thursday AM - I slept poorly.  Up and then back down, and then fretting about various things (a daughter in Germany with the virus and then this travel ban back thing).   I decided not to do the early up and get some miles in but to try to capitalize on a bit of sleep in hopes for a better evening showing.

Thursday PM - 11 miles.


City 18 in Santa Ana.

Friday AM - 3 miles on the mill.  Slow.  Tired.  Pouring out and had to then travel back home.  Airports were a bit weird of course.

Saturday AM - 15 miles.  First 9 and change were with JZ and we ran in to some burros.

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Ended up averaging 7:40 pace for this.  Not bad.  Not great but not bad.

Sunday AM - tired legs.  Got together with GW for a handful.  Totaled out at 10.

Not a great week.   Long work days, and the odd stress of the entire globe coming to a halt.  No harder running but my legs felt beat most the week.  Ended up with 60 plus on the week, and was happy to get a pseudo-long run in on Saturday.

Like nearly everything, HS track is on hold.  A lot of my work engagements have also been postponed.  Looks like I should still be able to get out a bit and get some miles at home for a bit now.  I wouldn't be surprised if that gets challenged too though.