Treadmill

2 miles
21:20
11%
1,161.6 virtual vertical

Not much today, hardly worth mentioning, but that was all I could really squeeze in. Goofed around with different cadence and how it affects HR. 156 bpm average overall. Felt a little sluggish, maybe I just never got warmed up.

Flagstaff

3 miles
1,200 vertical
24:44up/18down

Ran some errands in Boulder. I was all dressed and ready to run, but the sun had set behind and ominous cloud, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped dramatically. Screw it, i'll just head home and call it a day. At the last minute I took a right on Baseline, and before I had time to talk myself out of it, I was running up Flagstaff. Snow, ice and mud all the way, but it was a great time. No wind, and not very cold once I got going. Glad I didn't bail.

Treadmill

2/05/08
3 miles
29:30
11% Gradient
1,742.4 effective vertical feet

While munching on Skittles and Reeses after lunch, George reminded me that it is only 190 (now 189) days till Pikes Peak. I was debating going to Boulder, running the mill at work, or just bagging it all and going home to prepare for Caucussing.

Well, the weather was not particularly warm, and my knee is acting up, so I figured I would be best off to do some uphill on the treadmill and avoid any down.

The first 7 or 8 minutes were sheer torture and my HR was only 148ish. I just wanted to jump off and quit. Not that it was that hard, just boring. I started to get into a groove and bumped up the speed to 6, then 6.5, then gradually up to 7mph at 11%. This was a great workout and I was comfortably turning it over at an 86 cadence at 178bpm. I did this for around 8 minutes, then dropped it down to 6, then bounced all over the place between 6 and 7.

My knee was hurting a bit running on the treadmill the entire time, but did not hurt much afterwards. On the trails, I don't feel it at all while running, but then it hurts afterwards. What's up with that? I think when I am outside, I am more focused on better things and it is more dynamic running on the trails. Boring as it may be, I just need to do this any day that I am not inclined to go to Boulder and get outside.

Green Mountain

2/2/08
7 miles, 2,500 vertical
47:55 up/30 down

Took Sierra for a nice jaunt up Green today. Lots of ice on the trails, drifted powdery snow on the upper ridge along Ranger Trail, so conditions are pretty messy right now and the going was slow. Went very easy, trying to not aggrevate the knee. Bumped into Paul and Kate near the summit of Green and chit chatted for 10-15 minutes, nice to see them. No wind today, but it never really warmed at all, the snow and ice added to the ice box effect.

Sanitas

1/31/08
24:54 up (via Dakota Ridge, then East Side)
14 down S. Ridge

Again meant to go moderate today, and I mostly did, but living in Boulder, that can be hard to do, unless you completely put your ego aside, which I find difficult sometimes. I ducked off the trail for a quick pee. I hear a group of runners making a bunch of noise crossing Sunshine and glance back. Uh oh, this is a big group, not sure who they are. I finish my business and get on the trail maybe 10 or 15 seconds ahead of them, I can hear that they are young, high school? College? I can't tell anymore, man am I getting old. I keep ahead, but when I get off the valley trail and head up to Dakota Ridge, I fall behind. My trail is technical and steeper in sections and I try to not loose too much ground. Once the trails merge, a bit of a surge of speed ensures that I make the middle of the group and I gain a bit. Fortunately they stop here and I don't have to play this game all the way to the top. The East side is icey and snowy, but I am wearing studded shoes, so it is no worry. The trip down the S. side is snowy in spots, but one could probably get by without traction.

Sanitas

1/29/08
5 miles/1,740 vertical

Started off up the S. Ridge at a moderate pace, focusing on short steps and no long extensions. About 1/3 of the way up I spot a runner. He looks to be going pretty quick, but I'm not going to duke it out, so I maintain a steady pace. I slowly creep up on him without really trying, could it be Paul again? Nope, it is somebody I don't recognize. I pass on a flat section and keep the turnover high. Only about 3 minutes of running to the summit and I catch myself gunning it a bit. I steal a quick glance (eyes only) on one of the turns and he is nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, I had an OK time of 18:43 and felt great doing it, only really digging a bit for the final few minutes. I went down at a casual 15 minute pace and decided to get in a little extra run up the valley. I still felt pretty fresh and pulled off an uphill mile in 9 minutes. I focused on form and counting my cadence. I came up with mids 80's on the up, and high 80's on the down. Not sure where I should be, but it seemed to be better turnover than I have done in the past. I am sure there is room for improvement though. Maybe I will start training soon, I have lots of pent up energy to expend.

Meyers Ranch

1/27/08
5miles/~1,000 vertical

After regretfully declining to join Dave for a trip up Bear Peak, Allison, Sierra and I headed to Boulder later in the day to explore one of the few trails around Boulder that I have never been on before, the Meyers Ranch Trail. This is a great rolling wide smooth trail that trends upward on the way out, gaining roughly 750 vertical feet. It was sunny and in the low 60's, a perfect day just to get out and enjoy the warm sun on your face. The trail was packed slushy snow and we ran at a moderate pace out and back. I practiced some of the new modifications to my form as suggested to me by my doctor. It seems a little awkward, but I can see how it will all help in the long run to make me a more efficient runner and be less prone to injury. On the way back, we found a nice sunny meadow to work on some of my rehab exercises while Allison did some yoga and Sierra munched on a large deer antler. One could be fooled into thinking spring is around the corner, but it will for sure snow tomorrow, as I just washed my car after weeks and weeks of procrastination......

Meadow Mountain

Meadow Mountain 11,632
1/26/08
7.7 miles/2,832 vertical
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Steve Hoffmeyer, Terri Horvath, Jennifer Roach, Jean Aschenbrenner, Scooby, Shep and Sierra

Not wanting to commit to too much this weekend due to other obligations and shaky weather reports, we quickly accepted Stevo’s invitation to join him for Meadow Mountain and St. Vrain.It was a bit windy and snowing when we all met ½ mile from the summer Mount St. Vrain TH, and we were wondering what we were doing there. Once we got going, conditions were not too bad, but I was surprised to find so much snow and such minimal (none) evidence of human traffic.Even though most of us had been up there a few times, we immediately lost the trail after passing the summer trailhead. I wallowed my way in the general direction of where I vaguely remembered the trail to be and we soon found it.Following the trail with the new snow was easier than wandering in the woods, but was still a good workout with all the fresh powder. Once the valley steepened, the real work began and we all took our turns breaking trail in the ever deepening fluff.Just below treeline we fully bundled up for the battle we knew was soon to follow. We gradually emerged from the trees into a full on 60-70 mph headwind/ground blizzard. See videos: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Meadow%20Mountain/?action=view&current=MVI_4969.flvhttp://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Meadow%20Mountain/?action=view&current=MVI_4967.flvNear the saddle at the far reaches of the Krumholtz, we removed our snowshoes and lashed them to the branches so they would not end up in Longmont.From here, although the summit looked so close, it would take a surprisingly long time in the ever increasing wind (video of upper slopes http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Meadow%20Mountain/?action=view&current=MVI_4978.flv)It took all of my might to place and secure each foot and pole. One moment of inattention or being off balance would send you tumbling across the talus.A few choice words were uttered along the way, but were quickly absorbed in the fury of the wind. Once on the flat summit plateau, I ran and took a few leaps toward the true summit. Once I jumped up, the wind would literally extend my leap by several feet. I also tried leaning into the wind several times and could easily maintain a 45 degree angle. I had to be careful to not face directly into the wind, as this would catch my hood (secured by goggles) and throw me severely off balance and threaten to rip off my goggles. (Summit video: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Meadow%20Mountain/?action=view&current=MVI_4982.flv)Allison, Steve and Terri all arrived soon after (Dave, Jennifer and Jean were much smarter than us and turned around) and we spent no time lingering. Going back to treeline was a struggle not to get thrown to the rocks and it was a no brainer that St. Vrain was not in the cards. Allison got thrown to the ground at least once, but bounced out of it quickly. Once in the trees, we re-joined the remainder of the group and it was a total cruise back out in our now well worn path.This was one of the most hard earned small “easy” peaks I can remember due to the trail breaking and especially the wind. I had been up there a few times before and it was such an easy cruise, but this trip felt like somewhat of an accomplishment. All in all an amazing day with a great group of people. We were all quite compatible and had much to talk about, which really added greatly to the enjoyment of an otherwise less than ideal weather day.Pictures:http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Meadow%20Mountain/

Sanitas

1/25/08
3 miles/1,300 vertical
19:05up
15ish down

Had a nice run on Sanitas this evening. Now that the days are getting a bit longer, I can sneak in a quick run after work which I am really happy about. I arrive at the TH just as the sun hides behind the ridge. I get out of the car and the wind is howling and it seems as though I have missed the boat. Oh well, it sure beats a dark start and 30 or 40 degree colder temps. I start off at a casually quick pace, trying to work on form and practice what my knee doctor has been preaching. Seems fine, but still too early to tell. I think it will be a while until I get it all dialed, but I feel as though I am on track. About half way up, I close in on somebody running ahead of me. He looks like he knows how to run, and as I pass, I recognize him as none other than Paul Pomeroy of 24hrs Sanitas fame, something like 40 laps or something crazy like that. I nod a hi as I pass and wonder if I will regret it, as I am not at all desiring to do battle. I keep up my tempo, and fortunately he opts to not play games. Knowing myself well, I would play the game too and I have no business doing that right now. I was somewhat pleased to see 19:05 considering the lack of committment and major winds. On the way down, I stop and talk to Paul (still on his way up) and I have to remind him that we have met a few times, but I know how it goes when you have only briefly met someone way in the past. After a pleasant several minute exchange, we continue now on our opposite ways. He passes me on the descent about where I passed him on the ascent (I stopped to pee and was taking it easy). He was cruising and I jumped on briefly, then decided it would be best to back off. I kept him in sight most of the remainder of the descent. It is nice to get out again, training has been very sporadic, really only 2 or 3 hikes per week.

Mt. Elbert, 14,433 Feet

Mt. Elbert (14,433)

01/20/08

East Ridge from the South Mt. Elbert TH

11.2 Miles/4,850 vertical

Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Dave “Hoot” Gibson, Steve Hoffmeyer, Kevin Lund, Mike “Eagle Eye” Via, Ricky Carr

As if there are not enough Mt. Elbert TRs, I’ll add yet another to the pot. This is mainly to give a quick summary of the day and link to pictures.Dave and Hoot have been making a winter trip up Elbert an annual tradition for the past few years. We have been discussing the possibility of this trip for a while and we just “happened” to schedule our trip immediately after several large groups have packed a nice trail . Steve and Kevin were immediately interested as well and Mike and Ricky totally surprised us. We got on the trail at 7:20am under clear, calm and cold conditions. We were soon quite warmed up once we got the blood flowing and enjoyed a bit of sun hit, but we could see snow devils blowing up high and we knew the pleasant conditions would be short lived.The trail was amazingly packed, and I was secretly wishing that I had my Kahtoola running crampons and a lighter setup, as Elbert would be an awesome snow run right now on the packed trail. We all settled into our own paces as the hill got steeper and we all stopped every 20 minutes or so to regroup, have a snack or adjust layers as necessary.Above tree line, the wind really started to pick up, but fortunately, the temperature was in the high teens or low 20’s, so it did not feel too bad with the proper gear. We stashed our snowshoes a bit below 13,000 feet and continued our progress up the wind scoured East Ridge. The last 1,000+ feet we were got a bit spread out, all of us in our own survival modes, battling a fierce headwind.Even though I have hiked this route in the summer 10+ years ago, I was still a bit deceived by the seemingly endless stretch to the summit. The final slopes to the summit were a test in mental and physical fortitude for me and I just put my head down and kept grinding it out. I bonked pretty hard about 30 minutes from the top, but did not feel like stopping to pull out food in the bitter wind. Despite the bonk, I felt surprisingly good in regards to the altitude, as I have not been above 14,000 feet since last August.I was quite pleased to gain the ridge, but the fury of the wind increased a bit, spinning me around in the direction I had just come several times, as if the winds were trying to deny my access to the true summit. I kept having flashbacks to my run up Mt. Elbert last summer and how comparatively effortless it was on a warm, calm summer morning.I dug my poles in to maintain forward momentum and finally gained the summit at 12:13pm. Hoot and Dave rolled in minutes later, followed by Steve, Allison, Kevin and Mike. Unfortunately Ricky decided it was in his best interest to turn back a bit below the summit, but either way he put in a great effort. We spent nearly 50 minutes on the summit as the group coalesced, ate, took pictures etc. We had great views all around, but we could not find much relief from the wind, so we beat a hasty retreat.The trip down was great, as we had a bit of a tailwind and a nice packed trail. Hoot managed to complete the round trip without snowshoes, and several other descended without, as the trail was amazingly packed most of the way.We all had a great time together on this trip. It was awesome to get out again with my usual and occasional hiking partners, great to meet Mike and see Ricky again. The day before and the day after this trip, the weather was lousy up high, so we really could not have timed it better. I was so pleased to get a new winter 14er and really just happy to get up high again after a long dry spell of high peaks.Those who were on the trip, please feel free to add any comments or pictures, and thanks again for a great time!Photos:http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Elbert/?start=all

Pt. 12,601 Attempt

Saturday 1/19/08

This was a loose attempt at 12,601 from the La Plata TH. It really just turned out to be 4 hours of fun snowshoeing in the trees, as the winds up high were brutal and the temps were in single digits. We had a great time and got a little exercise breaking trail up steep North facing slopes in waist deep powder.

Snowshoeing at Independence Pass

1/18/08

After driving up to Twin Lakes and checking in at the Mt. Elbert Lodge, Allison, Sierra and I drove West on 82 to the road closure and started snowshoeing along the road. After about 1/4 mile, we followed some snowmobile tracks SW across the meadow, and up a nice gradually ascending trail. We had very limited daylight and it was snowing, so we kept the outing short, maybe 1:30 total. It was very tranquil, as we were the only ones within miles.

Mallory Cave

1/17/08
~3miles/~1,000 vertical

Had high hopes for a trip up Green today, but with the bitter cold and wind, coupled with all the things we need to get done to prepare for our trip, Mallory was all we could muster. There was quite a bit of ice on the trail. I was well equipped with freshly studded shoes, but Allison's shoes are getting pretty dull and was forced to go off trail as much as she could. It was bitter today, and the entire time, all we could think about was getting back for a warm lunch.

Sanitas

1/16/08
3 miles/1,300vert.

Had a great time on Sanitas today. Took it pretty conservative due to the ice, cold, knee etc..., but went up in 20:12 despite the easy pace. Felt buoyed by the fact that my treatment for patellar tendonitis is starting show results in that my knee felt the strongest it has in a year. I plan on taking it quite easy for a while yet until I am confident I am on the right track once and for all. No need to be cranking yet, just need to maintain some base fitness at this point.