Sierra
Sierra
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, 06/15/10 SuperFlag/Green
Was surprised to see George as I pulled up to park at 5:30am and was stoked to have company for the run up Flagstaff Road. We kept the pace moderate, chatting the whole time enjoying the quiet morning. Made the top of SuperFlag in 45, Green in about an hour, then ~28 back down Ranger/Gregory to the parking lot.
Monday, 06/14/10 Green Mountain
Met up with Tim, chatted the whole time, waited on Sierra a bunch. Easy 45min up Gregory/Ranger. The creeks were flowing like rivers. Down in 30.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, 06/11/10 Green Mountain
Met up with Tony at Chautauqua at 7:30am and headed up Green via Gregory/Greenman. Bumped into GZ and a few of his friends on Greenman and chatted with them for a bit. Made the summit in a moderate ~42 or so minutes (I think, as I was not very accurate with the timer today). Spent a few minutes on top taking in the as always excellent views (though cloudy today). Headed back down Greenman/NE Ridge/1st/2nd Flatiron access trail. 29 minutes back to Chautauqua.
Thursday, 06/10/10 Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
06/10/10
13.1 miles/7,815 vertical
Partners: Tony K, Nate and Dan Bahrenburg
Pikes Peak Summit #18
14er Summit #223
Nate’s brother Dan was visiting from Vermont where they had planned to head down to Pikes, as Nate wanted to check out the Barr Trail since he will be racing his first PPA this summer and invited myself and Tony to join.
We arrived in Manitou a bit before 7am and got started at 7:11am. We all stuck together running through town going a casual pace, chatting all the while. At the Cog Railway, Tony stopped to use the bathroom, while I walked with Nate and Dan, showing them how to get to the Barr Trail via the race day variation. We made it to the actual Barr Trail after 21+ minutes and I then went ahead, jogging at a mellow pace and enjoying the morning. Tony was long gone, as he had passed a while back and I did not expect to see him until he was heading down.
I was taking things fairly conservative after bruising my sternum in a fall the previous day. Generally, it was not a problem, but my ability to take as deep of breaths as I needed was a bit of an issue that only seemed to worsen a bit as I got higher. It did not cause me too much pain aside from a sharp stab every 15-30 minutes when I would shift wrong or flex my muscles in an awkward way.
Though I was timing myself, I knew it was not going to be anything close to a PR run and it was actually very enjoyable and liberating not to be a slave to the watch and splits. I just cruised and drank in the morning and the scenery, as it was very pleasant, calm and summer-like. I jogged all the way to the Bottomless Pit turn and then alternated walking/jogging to the A-Frame. Above that, it was mostly walking with short bits of jogging thrown in. The snow on the trail is mostly melted, aside from a few lingering patches on the final 2 miles. Though not very long, they do require you to slow down a bit and tip toe through the footprints. I bumped into Tony as he was descending not long after I passed the 1 mile to go/Cirque section of trail and he was moving pretty well. We chatted for a short bit and then were each on our way.
Although I was not really tired or worked over, as I was taking it easy, I was relieved to get to the top and breathe easy so to speak. I got some water and sat at a table to relax for a moment, where a couple in their 50’s immediately opened up a conversation asking about my run. One thing led to the next and I soon had a ride back down the mountain. Sweet!
Back at the car, Tony had already been there for a bit, as he did the round trip in 4:16 (2:34 up and then casual down). We hung out chatting for a while until Nate and Dan arrived and headed off to get some lunch.
What an awesome day out despite not feeling so great, as I came very close to bailing the previous day after injuring myself.
A few splits:
Barr Trail: 21
Top of W's: 37:57
No Name: 50
Barr Camp: 1:33
Summit: 3:20
06/10/10
13.1 miles/7,815 vertical
Partners: Tony K, Nate and Dan Bahrenburg
Pikes Peak Summit #18
14er Summit #223
Nate’s brother Dan was visiting from Vermont where they had planned to head down to Pikes, as Nate wanted to check out the Barr Trail since he will be racing his first PPA this summer and invited myself and Tony to join.
We arrived in Manitou a bit before 7am and got started at 7:11am. We all stuck together running through town going a casual pace, chatting all the while. At the Cog Railway, Tony stopped to use the bathroom, while I walked with Nate and Dan, showing them how to get to the Barr Trail via the race day variation. We made it to the actual Barr Trail after 21+ minutes and I then went ahead, jogging at a mellow pace and enjoying the morning. Tony was long gone, as he had passed a while back and I did not expect to see him until he was heading down.
I was taking things fairly conservative after bruising my sternum in a fall the previous day. Generally, it was not a problem, but my ability to take as deep of breaths as I needed was a bit of an issue that only seemed to worsen a bit as I got higher. It did not cause me too much pain aside from a sharp stab every 15-30 minutes when I would shift wrong or flex my muscles in an awkward way.
Though I was timing myself, I knew it was not going to be anything close to a PR run and it was actually very enjoyable and liberating not to be a slave to the watch and splits. I just cruised and drank in the morning and the scenery, as it was very pleasant, calm and summer-like. I jogged all the way to the Bottomless Pit turn and then alternated walking/jogging to the A-Frame. Above that, it was mostly walking with short bits of jogging thrown in. The snow on the trail is mostly melted, aside from a few lingering patches on the final 2 miles. Though not very long, they do require you to slow down a bit and tip toe through the footprints. I bumped into Tony as he was descending not long after I passed the 1 mile to go/Cirque section of trail and he was moving pretty well. We chatted for a short bit and then were each on our way.
Although I was not really tired or worked over, as I was taking it easy, I was relieved to get to the top and breathe easy so to speak. I got some water and sat at a table to relax for a moment, where a couple in their 50’s immediately opened up a conversation asking about my run. One thing led to the next and I soon had a ride back down the mountain. Sweet!
Back at the car, Tony had already been there for a bit, as he did the round trip in 4:16 (2:34 up and then casual down). We hung out chatting for a while until Nate and Dan arrived and headed off to get some lunch.
What an awesome day out despite not feeling so great, as I came very close to bailing the previous day after injuring myself.
A few splits:
Barr Trail: 21
Top of W's: 37:57
No Name: 50
Barr Camp: 1:33
Summit: 3:20
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, 06/09/10 Green Mountain/Bruised Sternum
Sierra and I met up with Homie for a seemingly routine run up Green at 5:30 this morning. After crossing the bridge to start up the Amphitheater Trail, I tripped and injured myself in such a stupid way that I still can’t entirely figure out exactly what happened as I run it over and over again in my mind.
Somehow, I think my left foot slipped, causing my right foot to almost simultaneously stumble stub into a solid rock, which lurched my torso down and forward into my right knee. It was one of those really hard impacts, akin to crashing over the handlebars of your bike onto the pavement where it knocks the wind out of you and you can feel and taste a surge of pain rush through your head.
I jumped up quickly and in shock trying to catch my breath, embarrassed to take a digger in front of Homie, yet glad he was there at the same time. I knew right away that I had hurt myself, but I was now pumped with adrenaline and still wanted to get up Green. I spent the entire trip up Amphitheater/Saddle/Greenman assessing my condition and reasoned that if I keep my torso still in just the right position, I would be OK. Breathing was a bit labored, especially if I tried to take a deep breath and it hurt whenever I turned or twisted to look behind me.
We made the summit in 38:47 (avg HR 152), shattering Homie’s PR, so I was really stoked for him, but I was a little nervous about the downhill. I was relieved that the impact of the down did not really hurt, but going downhill required more body movement and contorting, so I just took it super cautious.
As I sit here now, I am finding that it hurts to twist, turn, bend, sit, stand, cough, laugh, sneeze, talk, breath etc…… basically it hurts existing. I did a little online research and am convinced that I have a bruised sternum (not broken though, as I think I would experiencing much more significant pain). I am hoping it heals up quick, but have read that it could easily take a month, so I am not quite sure how this will affect my daily mountain runs.
Somehow, I think my left foot slipped, causing my right foot to almost simultaneously stumble stub into a solid rock, which lurched my torso down and forward into my right knee. It was one of those really hard impacts, akin to crashing over the handlebars of your bike onto the pavement where it knocks the wind out of you and you can feel and taste a surge of pain rush through your head.
I jumped up quickly and in shock trying to catch my breath, embarrassed to take a digger in front of Homie, yet glad he was there at the same time. I knew right away that I had hurt myself, but I was now pumped with adrenaline and still wanted to get up Green. I spent the entire trip up Amphitheater/Saddle/Greenman assessing my condition and reasoned that if I keep my torso still in just the right position, I would be OK. Breathing was a bit labored, especially if I tried to take a deep breath and it hurt whenever I turned or twisted to look behind me.
We made the summit in 38:47 (avg HR 152), shattering Homie’s PR, so I was really stoked for him, but I was a little nervous about the downhill. I was relieved that the impact of the down did not really hurt, but going downhill required more body movement and contorting, so I just took it super cautious.
As I sit here now, I am finding that it hurts to twist, turn, bend, sit, stand, cough, laugh, sneeze, talk, breath etc…… basically it hurts existing. I did a little online research and am convinced that I have a bruised sternum (not broken though, as I think I would experiencing much more significant pain). I am hoping it heals up quick, but have read that it could easily take a month, so I am not quite sure how this will affect my daily mountain runs.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday, 06/08/10 Green Mountain
Started a bit before 5:30am under cloudy skies. For just a few minutes going up Amphitheater, the surrounding trees were bathed in a surreal orange glow as the sun strained to peek through a miraculous sliver of clear sky. I looked East and was wishing that I had my camera and I was on the summit, it was truly magical.
I felt a good bit better today than on Sat/Sun and the percieved effort was MUCH easier than those two days and even yielded a 4+ minute quicker time to the summit. Guess I was more fatigued than I thought and the day off yesterday did me a world of good. Went easy on the down which has been my preference for a while (though hugely fun sometimes, there is no real reason to push the down when I am only training for uphill races).
Back at the Gregory lot, there was a guy who seemed to be getting ready on the other side of his car. He looked familiar, maybe somebody I knew from the Minions? As I passed I noticed he was wearing a long black smock, maybe a priest (I think he had an open bible in hand?). Unusual sighting for sure.
Up Amphi/Saddle/Greenman 35:42 @ 161 avg HR
Down " " 25:08 @ 125 avg HR
I felt a good bit better today than on Sat/Sun and the percieved effort was MUCH easier than those two days and even yielded a 4+ minute quicker time to the summit. Guess I was more fatigued than I thought and the day off yesterday did me a world of good. Went easy on the down which has been my preference for a while (though hugely fun sometimes, there is no real reason to push the down when I am only training for uphill races).
Back at the Gregory lot, there was a guy who seemed to be getting ready on the other side of his car. He looked familiar, maybe somebody I knew from the Minions? As I passed I noticed he was wearing a long black smock, maybe a priest (I think he had an open bible in hand?). Unusual sighting for sure.
Up Amphi/Saddle/Greenman 35:42 @ 161 avg HR
Down " " 25:08 @ 125 avg HR
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, 06/06/10 Green
I was planning to take today off, but tomorrow will be a forced day off anyway, so I figured I would just get out this morning for an easy lap on Green before work. I don't know if I am having trouble making the adjustment to early morning runs, but I again felt lousy this morning. I did not push hard, but my HR always felt as though it were 15-20 bpm higher than what my monitor read, so I just resigned to walking when it was steep and jogging when it was less steep. Foot coordination was a bit lacking as well.
Up Amphi/Saddle/Greenman: 39:59 (avg HR 139)
Down: 26
Up Amphi/Saddle/Greenman: 39:59 (avg HR 139)
Down: 26
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Saturday, 06/05/10 Green Mountain
Started up Gregory feeling great for the first 30 seconds, then realized that my legs were tired and my overall energy was low. I took it as a sign to not try and push and just plugged along enjoying the quiet and solitude. Headed down the front side easy. Did not see another person until I got to the very bottom.
Up: 39:25 (avg HR 153)
Down: 27:06 (avg HR 115)
Up: 39:25 (avg HR 153)
Down: 27:06 (avg HR 115)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, 06/04/10 Grays/Torreys in the AM/Road Ride in the PM
Grays/Torreys
06/04/10
From Stevens Gulch TH
Sierra and I
2:21 RT
(59 to saddle/1:14 to Torreys/1:34 Grays/2:21 Finish)
avg HR 149 (max 173)
Evans plans for today fell through and I was not too excited about running the road by myself, so I went to the ol’ standby, Grays/Torreys. My legs felt good and I ran more than last week, but there is still enough snow to make things pretty slow, especially since what snow is left seems to be a bit softer and more prone to post holing. The wind was of course howling across the saddle and on the upper section of Torreys. It would not have been too bad in a better dressed hiking mode, but was really cold going as a runner (although I still had on a few layers on top, a wool beanie, gloves).
I felt great on the descent and was dying to rip it (I did go fast on the dry sections), but the ever softening snow required caution. Once back at the car, I spent a half hour eating and drying clothes, contemplating another lap. I set Sierra up in the shade with the windows open and plenty of water and began my second lap. About 5 minutes up the trail, I started feeling really guilty for leaving her. Though my legs and energy levels were as good or better than lap one, my head was just not in it, as I was not too keen to get back into the soft snow and howling wind, so I just headed back to the car. I let Sierra out (she was very happy that I returned), and we spent an hour walking up valley on the opposite side of the creek from the trail, exploring old mines and finding patches of snow for her play in. No hurry to get back to 90+ degree heat.
Once back at home, I ate a quick lunch and then took off on the road bike. Headed into Boulder, up the creek path, Canyon to 4-Mile and intended to go to Gold Hill. I made it to where the road turns to dirt and continued climbing, but it was super hot and I had had enough. I was also not stoked to negotiate dirt descents on skinny tires today as required to get home from Gold Hill. By the time I got home I was cooked. Once in the neighborhood, I tacked on a lap around the block to make an even 40 miles in 2:15ish hours. I was pretty happy to have gotten out for my first real road ride of the year.
06/04/10
From Stevens Gulch TH
Sierra and I
2:21 RT
(59 to saddle/1:14 to Torreys/1:34 Grays/2:21 Finish)
avg HR 149 (max 173)
Evans plans for today fell through and I was not too excited about running the road by myself, so I went to the ol’ standby, Grays/Torreys. My legs felt good and I ran more than last week, but there is still enough snow to make things pretty slow, especially since what snow is left seems to be a bit softer and more prone to post holing. The wind was of course howling across the saddle and on the upper section of Torreys. It would not have been too bad in a better dressed hiking mode, but was really cold going as a runner (although I still had on a few layers on top, a wool beanie, gloves).
I felt great on the descent and was dying to rip it (I did go fast on the dry sections), but the ever softening snow required caution. Once back at the car, I spent a half hour eating and drying clothes, contemplating another lap. I set Sierra up in the shade with the windows open and plenty of water and began my second lap. About 5 minutes up the trail, I started feeling really guilty for leaving her. Though my legs and energy levels were as good or better than lap one, my head was just not in it, as I was not too keen to get back into the soft snow and howling wind, so I just headed back to the car. I let Sierra out (she was very happy that I returned), and we spent an hour walking up valley on the opposite side of the creek from the trail, exploring old mines and finding patches of snow for her play in. No hurry to get back to 90+ degree heat.
Once back at home, I ate a quick lunch and then took off on the road bike. Headed into Boulder, up the creek path, Canyon to 4-Mile and intended to go to Gold Hill. I made it to where the road turns to dirt and continued climbing, but it was super hot and I had had enough. I was also not stoked to negotiate dirt descents on skinny tires today as required to get home from Gold Hill. By the time I got home I was cooked. Once in the neighborhood, I tacked on a lap around the block to make an even 40 miles in 2:15ish hours. I was pretty happy to have gotten out for my first real road ride of the year.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
06/03/10 Green Mountain
I hit the trail today with 3 gels and a full bottle, ready to just go as far/fast as I felt like. Started up the Amphitheater Trail going a fairly slow pace. Caught up to some college students who for the 3rd time in 3 days (different groups), saw me coming and decided to challenge (all on my easy days). I'll admit that at first, they put in a good effort and I contemplated upping my pace to play their game, but none of the challengers lasted for more than a minute or two so I never had to up my tempo, all followed by them blowing up catostrophically. Funny stuff.
Made the summit of Green in 37:39 with a HR of 159. Although my legs felt much better than in days past and my HR was moderate, the ascent still felt a bit more labored than it should have for some reason. I really wanted to head over to Bear/SoBo, as it was overcast and cool, but opted instead to run W. Ridge to SuperFlag/Long Canyon and back down Gregory. As much as I wanted to run for a few more hours, I figured it was prudent to save up a bit for a higher quality effort tomorrow. Long Canyon was awesome, so lush and green, perfect singletrack and wildflowers galore today, purple, pink, yellow and white. I only run this trail a few times per year, but every time I do, I question why I do not run it much more often. I stopped many times just to drink it all in and enjoyed just cruising along enjoying the day and the scenery.
Made the summit of Green in 37:39 with a HR of 159. Although my legs felt much better than in days past and my HR was moderate, the ascent still felt a bit more labored than it should have for some reason. I really wanted to head over to Bear/SoBo, as it was overcast and cool, but opted instead to run W. Ridge to SuperFlag/Long Canyon and back down Gregory. As much as I wanted to run for a few more hours, I figured it was prudent to save up a bit for a higher quality effort tomorrow. Long Canyon was awesome, so lush and green, perfect singletrack and wildflowers galore today, purple, pink, yellow and white. I only run this trail a few times per year, but every time I do, I question why I do not run it much more often. I stopped many times just to drink it all in and enjoyed just cruising along enjoying the day and the scenery.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, 06/02/10 Green Mountain
Went up/down Amphi/Saddle/Greenman. My legs felt better today, but my hamstrings are still a bit tight, so I resolved to just go easy to maximize recovery. Green is really living up to it's name, everything is so lush and fragrant and the wildflowers have just exploded within the last week or so. It even still seems like a bit of a novelty not having any snow to deal with. It just felt awesome to be out on such a nice summer evening.
Up: 37:38 (avg HR 154)
Down: 26:39 (avg HR 118)
Up: 37:38 (avg HR 154)
Down: 26:39 (avg HR 118)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday, 06/01/10 Green Mountain and May Stats
Ran Gregory/Ranger with Sierra. My hamstrings were killing me on the ascent (felt better though halfway up), so I just jogged easy and hiked much of it. The down full on sucked, hamstrings and quads were like rubber, again I just walked for the most part, jogging on occasion. Hoping to go easy the next few days and rebound for a good dig at Evans on Friday.
Up: 46:50 (avg HR 136)
Down (front): 32:08 (avg HR 98)
May Stats:
OK, my stats pale next to Tony, Brandon and George, but figured I would throw them out there FWIW.
Vertical: 74,500
Miles: 207
Green: 20
Bear: 3
SoBo: 2
Sanitas: 3
14ers: 5
Yearly:
Vertical: 283,970
Miles: 806
Green: 70
Bear: 8
SoBo: 7
Sanitas: 12
14ers: 6
13ers: 1
Sets of twins conceived: 1
Up: 46:50 (avg HR 136)
Down (front): 32:08 (avg HR 98)
May Stats:
OK, my stats pale next to Tony, Brandon and George, but figured I would throw them out there FWIW.
Vertical: 74,500
Miles: 207
Green: 20
Bear: 3
SoBo: 2
Sanitas: 3
14ers: 5
Yearly:
Vertical: 283,970
Miles: 806
Green: 70
Bear: 8
SoBo: 7
Sanitas: 12
14ers: 6
13ers: 1
Sets of twins conceived: 1
Monday, 05/31/10 Bolder Boulder/Green Mountain
Bolder Boulder 10k/Green Mountain
05/31/10
38:59 BB 10k (avg HR 171/max 182)
39:39 Up Green via Amphi/Saddle/Greenman (avg HR 160/max 178)
26:52 down Green (avg HR 137/max 152)
My work put together several corporate teams to compete in the Bolder Boulder as they had in years past and while heating my lunch in the microwave one day, a co-worker who I had never met suggested that I sign up to run. Though running on flat pavement is just not my thing (I generally REALLY hate it), I looked at this as a perfect opportunity for a little speed training, a free race and a to have a fun time.
After a ~1/4 mile warm-up from where I locked up my bike, I arrived at the start line 25 minutes or so before the start and immediately ran into Brandon who was also looking for me. Great timing in a sea of similar looking runners.
We wormed our way up through the waves to the AA sign and chatted while waiting for the gun. Some ESPN dude who I never heard of fired the gun at 7:01 and we were off. It took a minute or two to get into a groove and sort my way through the crowd. The pace seemed quick, but my HR was in the low 160’s and I was feeling pretty comfortable. I hit the first mile in 5:53 which I was happy with and was sure I could stay in that range for 5.2 more miles. The next mile had a small hill, but was barely a blip and I hit mile 2 at 12:10. I still felt good, but was a little concerned that I ran the second mile 17 seconds slower than the last. After that, much of it blends together, but there were a lot of turns in the course and I started to get a bit of a cramp in my abdomen. I soon forgot about that cramp though, as I started to notice my quads getting sore and cramped.
I still felt like I was going a decent pace, but my splits along the way were showing otherwise. My breathing felt controlled and even felt as though I could converse if I wanted to, but my legs were just not able to react as I had hoped. I pushed a bit over the last mile or so, trying to get to the finish with my watch reading 38 something and felt it awkward running on the surface of the stadium. My watch was ticking fast and I sprinted for the line, but was slowed by a runner or two in front of me who stopped on the finish line, forcing me to slow and dance around them. Not sure why anybody would stop ON the finish line, but it seemed to be not entirely uncommon I noticed as I got out of the way and waited for Brandon, who was only seconds’ back. I was sure that I got a bit of a gap on him in the first mile or so, but knew that he would be running smart and consistent splits and just had a feeling that he would be closing in toward the end and I dared not look back. I half expected/wanted him to catch me, so we could run together, but at the same time I wanted to finish ahead of him.
Brandon and I took our time walking out of the stadium, chatting with John T, Ricky G and then bumped into Kerrie and her husband Glenn and chatted with them for a few minutes. I was full of energy and wanted to go run Green, but unfortunately I could not talk Brandon into it (he had a big month). I walked/shuffled back to my car at BHS and then drove up to the Gregory TH. When I stepped out of the car, my legs were now ceasing up a bit, feeling the 1st run of the morning and I questioned whether or not it was the best thing to do, but it was such an AWESOME morning, clear, cool, calm and uncrowded. How could I resist?
Amphitheater trail hurt a bit, but I soon got into a bit of a groove, until I started to bonk a few minutes later. I was thankful I took a gel with me which I took at the Saddle/Greenman junction. I struggled a bit until the gel finally kicked in about five minutes from the top. I spent a few minutes enjoying the morning and could faintly hear/see the Bolder Boulder going on far below. The trip down was slow and messy, as my quads were now completely shot and it is the downhill that hurts the worst.
All in all I am happy with my time all things considered. Although I like to imagine myself going faster, I am not at all surprised, as my specific training for this was limited to 2 miles of quick running (on the treadmill as my qualifier) and never once felt the inclination to train specifically for this type of running.
I also think I was feeling residual pain from running Mt. Evans on Thursday, as that paved downhill beat my quads to the point where I was hobbling all weekend. In a nutshell, I am full of excuses, but ultimately, paved running is just not my thing. I did however have an awesome time, as the Bolder Boulder is such a spectacle and feel that this experience will benefit me in the long run as the summer progresses.
Below are my splits and at first glance, it appears as though I went out too fast (as I have a habit of doing). Oddly though, I still don't feel that is the case. The first mile felt very controlled and I think I probably would have run the same splits in the following miles, even if I had run a more conservative first mile (I say this due to the state of my legs going into this race). Maybe this just reflects my inexperience and naivete in regards to running a road 10k. I'm certainly open to critique though.
Bib Number: AA089
Overall Place: 407/50,421
M38 Division Place:10 out of 447
Gender Place: 386 out of 22554
Mile 1: 0: 05:53.28
Mile 2: 0: 06:17:02
Mile 3:0: 06:27.56
Mile 4:0: 06:19.24
Mile 5:0: 06:16.72
Mile 6:0: 06:25.52
Net Time: 0:38:59.73
Pace: 6:17 (based on net time)
05/31/10
38:59 BB 10k (avg HR 171/max 182)
39:39 Up Green via Amphi/Saddle/Greenman (avg HR 160/max 178)
26:52 down Green (avg HR 137/max 152)
My work put together several corporate teams to compete in the Bolder Boulder as they had in years past and while heating my lunch in the microwave one day, a co-worker who I had never met suggested that I sign up to run. Though running on flat pavement is just not my thing (I generally REALLY hate it), I looked at this as a perfect opportunity for a little speed training, a free race and a to have a fun time.
After a ~1/4 mile warm-up from where I locked up my bike, I arrived at the start line 25 minutes or so before the start and immediately ran into Brandon who was also looking for me. Great timing in a sea of similar looking runners.
We wormed our way up through the waves to the AA sign and chatted while waiting for the gun. Some ESPN dude who I never heard of fired the gun at 7:01 and we were off. It took a minute or two to get into a groove and sort my way through the crowd. The pace seemed quick, but my HR was in the low 160’s and I was feeling pretty comfortable. I hit the first mile in 5:53 which I was happy with and was sure I could stay in that range for 5.2 more miles. The next mile had a small hill, but was barely a blip and I hit mile 2 at 12:10. I still felt good, but was a little concerned that I ran the second mile 17 seconds slower than the last. After that, much of it blends together, but there were a lot of turns in the course and I started to get a bit of a cramp in my abdomen. I soon forgot about that cramp though, as I started to notice my quads getting sore and cramped.
I still felt like I was going a decent pace, but my splits along the way were showing otherwise. My breathing felt controlled and even felt as though I could converse if I wanted to, but my legs were just not able to react as I had hoped. I pushed a bit over the last mile or so, trying to get to the finish with my watch reading 38 something and felt it awkward running on the surface of the stadium. My watch was ticking fast and I sprinted for the line, but was slowed by a runner or two in front of me who stopped on the finish line, forcing me to slow and dance around them. Not sure why anybody would stop ON the finish line, but it seemed to be not entirely uncommon I noticed as I got out of the way and waited for Brandon, who was only seconds’ back. I was sure that I got a bit of a gap on him in the first mile or so, but knew that he would be running smart and consistent splits and just had a feeling that he would be closing in toward the end and I dared not look back. I half expected/wanted him to catch me, so we could run together, but at the same time I wanted to finish ahead of him.
Brandon and I took our time walking out of the stadium, chatting with John T, Ricky G and then bumped into Kerrie and her husband Glenn and chatted with them for a few minutes. I was full of energy and wanted to go run Green, but unfortunately I could not talk Brandon into it (he had a big month). I walked/shuffled back to my car at BHS and then drove up to the Gregory TH. When I stepped out of the car, my legs were now ceasing up a bit, feeling the 1st run of the morning and I questioned whether or not it was the best thing to do, but it was such an AWESOME morning, clear, cool, calm and uncrowded. How could I resist?
Amphitheater trail hurt a bit, but I soon got into a bit of a groove, until I started to bonk a few minutes later. I was thankful I took a gel with me which I took at the Saddle/Greenman junction. I struggled a bit until the gel finally kicked in about five minutes from the top. I spent a few minutes enjoying the morning and could faintly hear/see the Bolder Boulder going on far below. The trip down was slow and messy, as my quads were now completely shot and it is the downhill that hurts the worst.
All in all I am happy with my time all things considered. Although I like to imagine myself going faster, I am not at all surprised, as my specific training for this was limited to 2 miles of quick running (on the treadmill as my qualifier) and never once felt the inclination to train specifically for this type of running.
I also think I was feeling residual pain from running Mt. Evans on Thursday, as that paved downhill beat my quads to the point where I was hobbling all weekend. In a nutshell, I am full of excuses, but ultimately, paved running is just not my thing. I did however have an awesome time, as the Bolder Boulder is such a spectacle and feel that this experience will benefit me in the long run as the summer progresses.
Below are my splits and at first glance, it appears as though I went out too fast (as I have a habit of doing). Oddly though, I still don't feel that is the case. The first mile felt very controlled and I think I probably would have run the same splits in the following miles, even if I had run a more conservative first mile (I say this due to the state of my legs going into this race). Maybe this just reflects my inexperience and naivete in regards to running a road 10k. I'm certainly open to critique though.
Bib Number: AA089
Overall Place: 407/50,421
M38 Division Place:10 out of 447
Gender Place: 386 out of 22554
Mile 1: 0: 05:53.28
Mile 2: 0: 06:17:02
Mile 3:0: 06:27.56
Mile 4:0: 06:19.24
Mile 5:0: 06:16.72
Mile 6:0: 06:25.52
Net Time: 0:38:59.73
Pace: 6:17 (based on net time)
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday, 05/28/10 Grays/Torreys
Grays/Torreys
05/28/10
9 miles/3,600 vertical
Sierra and I
2:34:58 RT
Grays Ascent #20
Torreys Ascent #19
14er Ascent #220
Woke up before my alarm this morning and decided to get going early with the intention of avoiding getting seared by the sun and post-holing. The road to the Stevens Gulch TH is passable and in good condition for just about any car, aside from a few lingering patches within sight of the TH, the road is snow free and smooth (relatively).
We got to the TH a little after 6am and futzed around for a bit, not in too big of a hurry. Started from the bridge at 6:30am and I was amazed at how much snow had melted since last week. The trail was dry for the first few hundred feet, then was mostly snow, but was well frozen and easy to walk on. Last week, I followed the bulk of footprints lower through the valley, as not many, if any had stuck to the actual summer route. Today however, I tried this again and it was a big mistake and gave me a newfound appreciation for “trap door” snow.
After a slow start through the willows, I made it to the well tracked trail just below the sign under Kelso’s slopes. From here, the trail conditions improved dramatically and post-holing would generally not be an issue for the remainder of the day. I jogged a few sections, but mostly hiked, as I was a little sore from running Evans yesterday. I knew this going in and it was my intention to go somewhat casual no matter what and just get in a short altitude workout.
Since the trail to the saddle was well tracked, I decided to go up Torreys first while the snow was still frozen. I was wearing Microspikes which helped quite a bit, as well as the well formed footprints from those who had gone before me. The wind was a bit gusty through here, so I took it slow and careful, as I did not have my axe and a fall could potentially be a bit of a setback.
I plodded on what snow remained on Torreys, mostly staying on top and spent little time there, as the wind was a bit cold. The trip to Grays was a bit easier than last week and the trip back to the TH was a cruise on the still hard snow, finishing a few minutes after 9am.
Splits:
Stevens Gulch TH: 0:00
Saddle: 1:08
Torreys: 1:23
Grays: 1:43
Stevens Gulch TH: 2:34 (avg HR 139/max 161)
05/28/10
9 miles/3,600 vertical
Sierra and I
2:34:58 RT
Grays Ascent #20
Torreys Ascent #19
14er Ascent #220
Woke up before my alarm this morning and decided to get going early with the intention of avoiding getting seared by the sun and post-holing. The road to the Stevens Gulch TH is passable and in good condition for just about any car, aside from a few lingering patches within sight of the TH, the road is snow free and smooth (relatively).
We got to the TH a little after 6am and futzed around for a bit, not in too big of a hurry. Started from the bridge at 6:30am and I was amazed at how much snow had melted since last week. The trail was dry for the first few hundred feet, then was mostly snow, but was well frozen and easy to walk on. Last week, I followed the bulk of footprints lower through the valley, as not many, if any had stuck to the actual summer route. Today however, I tried this again and it was a big mistake and gave me a newfound appreciation for “trap door” snow.
After a slow start through the willows, I made it to the well tracked trail just below the sign under Kelso’s slopes. From here, the trail conditions improved dramatically and post-holing would generally not be an issue for the remainder of the day. I jogged a few sections, but mostly hiked, as I was a little sore from running Evans yesterday. I knew this going in and it was my intention to go somewhat casual no matter what and just get in a short altitude workout.
Since the trail to the saddle was well tracked, I decided to go up Torreys first while the snow was still frozen. I was wearing Microspikes which helped quite a bit, as well as the well formed footprints from those who had gone before me. The wind was a bit gusty through here, so I took it slow and careful, as I did not have my axe and a fall could potentially be a bit of a setback.
I plodded on what snow remained on Torreys, mostly staying on top and spent little time there, as the wind was a bit cold. The trip to Grays was a bit easier than last week and the trip back to the TH was a cruise on the still hard snow, finishing a few minutes after 9am.
Splits:
Stevens Gulch TH: 0:00
Saddle: 1:08
Torreys: 1:23
Grays: 1:43
Stevens Gulch TH: 2:34 (avg HR 139/max 161)
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