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Monday, January 2, 2012

Saturday, 12/31/11 Year in Review

OK, I don't have the time or desire to go too deep, but figured I would post a few highlights, thoughts, numbers, etc....

Numbers:

Miles: 1,325 (running and hiking, I don't really track them individually)
Vertical:  402,915
Total Summits:  178
Green Summits:  109
Bear:  22
S. Boulder:  18
Sanitas:  9
14ers:  9
13ers:  7
12ers:  2

For the sake of comparison since I started keeping track of full years in 2005

2005      1,381/539,067 (miles/vert.)
2006      1,592/602,087
2007      1,141/440,975
2008      1,936/716,446
2009      1,501/525,314
2010      1,818/702,377

Highlights, well, running related, this year was pretty minimal.  I only raced twice (I think?), the Bolder Boulder and had a not so great run, mainly due to a lingering achilles injury at the time (and the requisite lack of fitness because of it), but running the Bolder Boulder is just a lark for me, as work has paid my entry the past 2 years.  The highlight of the day though was re-running the race with Allison and "pacing" her to beat her goal time.  This to me was more satisfying than if I had exceeded some random and arbitrary goal time I had set for myself.

Then of course my first marathon in August, Pikes Peak.  I fell a bit short of my goals, but was reasonably satisfied with the outcome and results none the less, especially considering how little focus I really put into it.  I guess I can't realistically expect much more without truly putting in the work (training structure, diet, etc...), but for me, I have to keep it fun and on my own terms and just let the chips fall where they may.  Not to mention, Pikes Peak never fails to deliver an ass kicking no matter how well prepared I am.

Aside from that, 2011 was the year of the baby jogger.  Having the Chariot has enabled me to stay sane as I typically care for the girls on my own 2-3 of my 3 days off each week and has helped us to explore Louisville, Boulder and Vail Pass.  Unless we get a snowstorm, there is never really an excuse not to get outside for some exercise in some form or another.

Mountain climbing was also comparatively slim this year, yet simultaneously very satisfying as I was able to share these increasingly limited moments with great friends and family.  My only new 13er summit was North Star back in July.  I managed to get in 9 14ers (down from the normal ~30 per year), Decalibron, Princeton, Pikes, Grays, Torreys and a recent Winter ascent of Belford.

The bulk of my mountain adventures this year were on the peaks in Boulder, usually squeezed in after work, or occasionally a hurried trip if I had a spare 2 hours here and there.  Exploring some new routes on Green have been a blast, as have night runs, snowy runs/hikes and carrying babies, either with Allison, or carrying both of them on my own all the way up Green Mountain.

I also got in a good bit of riding in the Spring, as I gave my achey Achilles a bit of a break.  In March and April, I got in some amazing rides on the mountain bike, riding from my house, out to the Marshall/Eldo trails, sticking entirely to paths and singletrack.  Much of it was fast and smooth cruising with some occasional technical sections, but that is what I really prefer anyways.  Kind of like a road ride without the road and cars.

What will 2012 bring?  I am not sure, but I will certainly take advantage of my free entry to the Pikes Peak Marathon in August and look to improve there.  I would also love to run RRR again at some point, but that is a long shot because of the time to train/execute.  I'll just be happy to enjoy all the time I possibly can in the mountains and avoid injury if at all possible.

Many more miles pushing the baby jogger are also a certainty.  As the girls are getting bigger and more resiliant, I intend to get them out for longer and more interesting runs in the mountains further from home.  We also plan to take the girls up some of the easier 14ers next summer as well in the baby backpacks which I am really looking forward to.  They genuinely seem to enjoy the time we spend outdoors and I really look forward to developing this more and sharing our passion for the mountains.

A "few" highlights from the year.  Life is pretty good.





























































































6 comments:

  1. The magnitude of what you experienced really sinks in when you put all the photos together, doesn't it? Great pictures.

    And great finish at Pikes. You have a pretty good race-performance-to-mileage-ratio!

    And good to finally meet you instead of walking by blindly again :)

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  2. Thanks, it was great to meet you as well.

    Yeah, just looking at the numbers, I started off with a "it's been an 'OK' year" tone, but after thinking about it a bit more and taking a trip down photo memory lane picking out some highlights, it really has been a GREAT year. 2011 was perhaps the best year when I factor in the quality time I spent with the important people in my life, time with my daughters, making new friends....

    A good lesson indeed to not get too caught up in the numbers. In the end, they really don't mean much.

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  3. Looking forward to sharing more with you this coming year. Especially the track workouts we will do.

    My daughter wanted to know who the guy was with his hand stuck down his pants. I had to explain to her his hand was not down his pants ... but that was all the arm he had.

    Hey - ever notice the dude in your header photo in the background?

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  4. Ha, funny. The person in the background of the header photo is a very bored, sick of sitting there all day 10 year old girl. She did however help keep the girls occupied while I watched the race which was a huge help.

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  5. Excited to have made the highlight reel multiple times! Thanks for another year of pestering me to get out and go up instead of just doing boring miles around Longmont. Definitely a transition year for you with the kids.

    Hopefully, we can get a few more peaks done next summer. Just didn't find the time this year.

    See you at BB10K showdown this May!

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  6. Looks like you had a great year. Love the photos. I hope to join you on the trails throughout the year. Hope 2012 is another great year for you!

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