Up Gregory/Ranger, down Greenman/Saddle/Amphi
Another warmer than average day, 91 I think, but I was still eager to get out and cruise up Green as I got out of work a bit early. Today I just ran and did what my legs dictated, never pushing, never holding back and felt like I was just along for the ride, I would call this a moderate run. It felt great to be out enjoying the afternoon despite the record or near record heat for the date and I pretty much had the trails entirely to myself. Made the top in 36:48, not my best, but decent considering the heat, how easy it felt and I fielded a phone call along the way. I spent my customary few minutes on top taking in the views and then headed down the front in a relaxed feeling 22:??.
Cabin: 16:16
Greenman/Ranger: 19:5?
Flat spot on ridge: 24:24
4 Way: 33:20
Summit: 36:48
Sierra
Sierra
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Weekly Summary: 9/20/10-9/26/10
Every day I get up a peak, I am a little bit on edge, waiting for "the call", knowing I could have to set a new descent PR and realize it could be my last summit for a while. This sense of uncertainty and impending changes fatherhood will bring make me appreciate each day out that much more. My only regret this week was not being able to get out with any of my usual running partners, as it is often tough to coordinate under the best of circumstances, but now I can't really plan, I just have to get out when I can, usually decided at the last minute.
Monday, 09/20/10, Bear Peak:
Easy dog jog with Sierra from Cragmoor TH. We had the mountain to ourselves and really enjoyed the peacefulness, solitude and cooling temperatures near the top. The clouds were very interesting to watch as distant storms developed to the South and East. I contemplated heading over to S. Boulder, as we had the time, but I instead used that time to just relax, enjoy my surroundings and time alone with Sierra. It was a special moment with her, as I could tell that she was really enjoying the time with me on the mountain, high above the plains just as much as I was. The eye contact, relaxed posture and ear to ear doggy grin spoke volumes. Though sometimes I get a little selfish and impatient having to wait for her on our runs, it is moments like this, when we really connect that I am especially grateful to have her in my life and be able to share such adventures.
Tuesday, 09/21/10, Green Mountain:
I was feeling kind of tired and sluggish, but after over indulging at a work celebration lunch (had a hamburger, chicken/veggie wrap, schwarma plate, Vietnamese noodle bowl, chocolate frosted/chocolate cupcake, and two single serving helpings of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream), my main motivation was just to burn some calories to help offset my major gluttony. I started up Amphitheater at a reluctant pace, but my legs felt decent and despite my bloated belly, my time split at the top of Amphi was respectable given the lack of effort and motivation (6:46). I upped the intensity just a tiny bit to the Greenman junction (19:59), but still felt as though I was just casually cruising. Again, I slowly and incrementally upped the pace some more, aided by the brief reduction of gradient, looking ahead and trying to guess where I would be in one minute, then another minute, etc…. This little game was helping and before I knew it, I was moving at what felt to be a very solid pace, but without digging very deep, it felt super controlled and sustainable and my feet were effortlessly gliding over the rocks. Had I not ate so much at lunch and put in a bit more effort over the first 20 minutes, I am positive I would have gone 2+ minutes faster and might have PRed. I topped out at 5pm in 34:27, took a moment taking in the views, backtracked in a relaxed 21:30 back to the TH. Though this was not one of my faster runs, but it was surprisingly satisfying and fun.
Thursday, 09/23/10, Bear Peak:
Another very easy dog jog. We started early and it was quite cool, so I was hoping that this would help Sierra go a little quicker, but she ended up being very slow, so this turned into mostly a hike. 55 up, 35 down.
Saturday, 09/24/10, S. Boulder/Bear:
Started from S. Mesa at 3:30pm. Was amped to go fast, mainly because I was in a hurry to get back to the hospital, but also because I was just itching to have some fun pushing myself a bit. Unfortunately, my body was not up to the task of what my mind wanted to do. My legs felt pretty good, but my stomach was a little bloated from having lunch less than 30 minutes prior and I was getting a pretty significant cramp in my left ribs. About halfway up Shadow, my lower back really started to ache as well. It is odd, this only really happens to me in Shadow Canyon for some reason, but rarely on other similarly steep trails. There is something about this section of trail in particular. I topped out on SoBo in a disappointing 51:24, nearly 6 minutes off PR, although I was putting in as much or more effort than when I ran a 45 a few years ago. My feet were not particularly accurate and I seemed to fumble a bit up/down the SoBo summit boulders and even had trouble picking the perfect line, as I normally have each step choreographed. I was able to rally a bit and made it to the summit of Bear in 9:22, but still did not feel particularly snappy. I pushed a little bit on the down at times, making it back in 32:10. 1:32:56 for the RT, not as quick of a run as I had envisioned, but very satisfying regardless.
Sunday, 09/26/10 Green Mountain:
Started from Chautauqua after work, headed up via 1st/2nd Flatiron access trail, up to NE ridge, then Greenman. It was hot and my legs were a little tired, so I just took it fairly easy up and down. 44:43 up, ~30 down.
Monday, 09/20/10, Bear Peak:
Easy dog jog with Sierra from Cragmoor TH. We had the mountain to ourselves and really enjoyed the peacefulness, solitude and cooling temperatures near the top. The clouds were very interesting to watch as distant storms developed to the South and East. I contemplated heading over to S. Boulder, as we had the time, but I instead used that time to just relax, enjoy my surroundings and time alone with Sierra. It was a special moment with her, as I could tell that she was really enjoying the time with me on the mountain, high above the plains just as much as I was. The eye contact, relaxed posture and ear to ear doggy grin spoke volumes. Though sometimes I get a little selfish and impatient having to wait for her on our runs, it is moments like this, when we really connect that I am especially grateful to have her in my life and be able to share such adventures.
Tuesday, 09/21/10, Green Mountain:
I was feeling kind of tired and sluggish, but after over indulging at a work celebration lunch (had a hamburger, chicken/veggie wrap, schwarma plate, Vietnamese noodle bowl, chocolate frosted/chocolate cupcake, and two single serving helpings of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream), my main motivation was just to burn some calories to help offset my major gluttony. I started up Amphitheater at a reluctant pace, but my legs felt decent and despite my bloated belly, my time split at the top of Amphi was respectable given the lack of effort and motivation (6:46). I upped the intensity just a tiny bit to the Greenman junction (19:59), but still felt as though I was just casually cruising. Again, I slowly and incrementally upped the pace some more, aided by the brief reduction of gradient, looking ahead and trying to guess where I would be in one minute, then another minute, etc…. This little game was helping and before I knew it, I was moving at what felt to be a very solid pace, but without digging very deep, it felt super controlled and sustainable and my feet were effortlessly gliding over the rocks. Had I not ate so much at lunch and put in a bit more effort over the first 20 minutes, I am positive I would have gone 2+ minutes faster and might have PRed. I topped out at 5pm in 34:27, took a moment taking in the views, backtracked in a relaxed 21:30 back to the TH. Though this was not one of my faster runs, but it was surprisingly satisfying and fun.
Thursday, 09/23/10, Bear Peak:
Another very easy dog jog. We started early and it was quite cool, so I was hoping that this would help Sierra go a little quicker, but she ended up being very slow, so this turned into mostly a hike. 55 up, 35 down.
Saturday, 09/24/10, S. Boulder/Bear:
Started from S. Mesa at 3:30pm. Was amped to go fast, mainly because I was in a hurry to get back to the hospital, but also because I was just itching to have some fun pushing myself a bit. Unfortunately, my body was not up to the task of what my mind wanted to do. My legs felt pretty good, but my stomach was a little bloated from having lunch less than 30 minutes prior and I was getting a pretty significant cramp in my left ribs. About halfway up Shadow, my lower back really started to ache as well. It is odd, this only really happens to me in Shadow Canyon for some reason, but rarely on other similarly steep trails. There is something about this section of trail in particular. I topped out on SoBo in a disappointing 51:24, nearly 6 minutes off PR, although I was putting in as much or more effort than when I ran a 45 a few years ago. My feet were not particularly accurate and I seemed to fumble a bit up/down the SoBo summit boulders and even had trouble picking the perfect line, as I normally have each step choreographed. I was able to rally a bit and made it to the summit of Bear in 9:22, but still did not feel particularly snappy. I pushed a little bit on the down at times, making it back in 32:10. 1:32:56 for the RT, not as quick of a run as I had envisioned, but very satisfying regardless.
Sunday, 09/26/10 Green Mountain:
Started from Chautauqua after work, headed up via 1st/2nd Flatiron access trail, up to NE ridge, then Greenman. It was hot and my legs were a little tired, so I just took it fairly easy up and down. 44:43 up, ~30 down.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Weekly Summary: September 13th- September 19th 2010
Overall a decent week considering all that is going on in my life away from running. I am more and more thankful each time I can get up a Boulder Peak and have really enjoyed spending time taking it easy with Sierra, just enjoying being outdoors. Most days I feel as though my fitness is fading, but then have the occasional day like running the 3 peaks on Friday at race effort where I know the fitness is still there waiting on me to call upon it. Either way though, my "fast" days are very numbered at this point and I am OK with that and really look forward to shifting gears and becoming a dad to twin girls. I’ll enjoy what I can to the fullest in the meantime though.
Monday, September 13th:
Off
Tuesday, September 14th:
Bear Peak from Cragmoor with Sierra, easy dog jog/hike in the afternoon/early evening after work. 47 up/40 down.
Wednesday, September 15th:
Off
Thursday, September 16th:
Bear Peak/S. Boulder Peak with Sierra from Cragmoor. We started sometime between 7:30am and 8am (I don’t remember exactly) and it was nice to be out in cooler weather and Sierra appreciated it as well. Bumped into Tony in Fern Canyon and chatted with him for a bit. 46 up Bear, 12 to SoBo, 11 back to Bear and 35 down for a 1:44 RT. Very casual outing at Sierra pace.
Friday, September 17th:
Green/Bear/S. Boulder
Feeling a strong urge to push myself a bit more than I have been lately, I left Sierra behind and started from the TH at Bear Mountain Dr. and headed up Green via Bear Canyon at 7:45am. My legs and lungs were feeling pretty good and I pushed hard the entire way. On the new switchbacks in Bear Canyon, I saw a runner moving pretty fast above/ahead and that ignited a bit of my competitive drive, motivating me to push even harder. It took about 1/3 to ½ of a mile to finally catch him and I just kept on rolling after exchanging hellos.
I made the summit of Green in what I believe to be a PR time of 50:52 for that particular route, took a short breather to drink some water and turned around, eager to rip the downhill. Made the 4-way in 1:52ish, then the Bear W. Ridge jct. in 8:46, feeling pretty precise and accurate on the down. The initial pitch on the W. Ridge trail to Bear Peak was a bit harsh getting into a rhythm as my legs protested at going back uphill, but the eventual rolling nature of the trail helped me to get back into a groove after a few minutes. I am not sure what my PR is to Bear from Green without doing digging through my records, but I normally consider under 40 to be decent. I made the sign below the West side of the summit in 36:15 and figured there was no way I would make the summing in sub 37, but pushed anyways and snuck in at 36:57 by traversing the usual up/right ramp on the West side, then taking the short direct class 3 pitch for the final ~15 feet.
On the trip to SoBo, I was really starting to feel the effort in my legs, but crossed the saddle in a quick 3:41. From the saddle, it is normally ~5 minutes to the summit, but I was starting to fade and then took a phone call over the final section which slowed me even further (I’m only carrying the phone now just in case Allison goes into labor, so this is not normal for me) and hit the summit in 10:15 from Bear.
After a gel and the remainder of my water, I pushed hard back to Bear in 9:15 (100 less vertical feet going this way) and began the steep descent of Fern. I was feeling a bit sloppy and less accurate descending the very steep, loose and technical trail, but passed the saddle in a re-assuring 7:41, then made the Mesa Trail (sticking to Fern and not my normal Shananhan/Slab cutoff) in another 10 minutes. From here, I just cruised out the remainder of the non-technical trail back to the TH for a 27:55 descent off Bear and 2:15:14 total.
Splits:
Bear Mountain Dr.: 0:00
Green: 50:52
Bear: 1:27:49
SoBo: 1:38:04
Bear again: 1:47:19
Mesa Trail: 2:04:51
Finish Bear Mountain Dr. 2:15:14
Saturday, September 18th:
S. Boulder/Bear with Homie and Sierra.
Met Homie at the S. Mesa TH at 3:30pm and headed up Homestead/Towhee/Shadow at an easy pace, stopping at every creek crossing for Sierra to drink and chatting the entire way up. The sun had finally come out and it was quite pleasant and surprisingly cool in the shade, but not cold. A welcome relief from the Indian Summer we have been having. We made the summit of SoBo in 1:11, then headed over to Bear, taking a few minutes on each peak. Not sure how long we were out for, but I think it was a little over 2 hours for the entire trip. My legs felt surprisingly good after my hard effort the previous day and I felt like I could have pushed again, but it was awesome to get Sierra out and enjoy conversation with Homie.
Monday, September 13th:
Off
Tuesday, September 14th:
Bear Peak from Cragmoor with Sierra, easy dog jog/hike in the afternoon/early evening after work. 47 up/40 down.
Wednesday, September 15th:
Off
Thursday, September 16th:
Bear Peak/S. Boulder Peak with Sierra from Cragmoor. We started sometime between 7:30am and 8am (I don’t remember exactly) and it was nice to be out in cooler weather and Sierra appreciated it as well. Bumped into Tony in Fern Canyon and chatted with him for a bit. 46 up Bear, 12 to SoBo, 11 back to Bear and 35 down for a 1:44 RT. Very casual outing at Sierra pace.
Friday, September 17th:
Green/Bear/S. Boulder
Feeling a strong urge to push myself a bit more than I have been lately, I left Sierra behind and started from the TH at Bear Mountain Dr. and headed up Green via Bear Canyon at 7:45am. My legs and lungs were feeling pretty good and I pushed hard the entire way. On the new switchbacks in Bear Canyon, I saw a runner moving pretty fast above/ahead and that ignited a bit of my competitive drive, motivating me to push even harder. It took about 1/3 to ½ of a mile to finally catch him and I just kept on rolling after exchanging hellos.
I made the summit of Green in what I believe to be a PR time of 50:52 for that particular route, took a short breather to drink some water and turned around, eager to rip the downhill. Made the 4-way in 1:52ish, then the Bear W. Ridge jct. in 8:46, feeling pretty precise and accurate on the down. The initial pitch on the W. Ridge trail to Bear Peak was a bit harsh getting into a rhythm as my legs protested at going back uphill, but the eventual rolling nature of the trail helped me to get back into a groove after a few minutes. I am not sure what my PR is to Bear from Green without doing digging through my records, but I normally consider under 40 to be decent. I made the sign below the West side of the summit in 36:15 and figured there was no way I would make the summing in sub 37, but pushed anyways and snuck in at 36:57 by traversing the usual up/right ramp on the West side, then taking the short direct class 3 pitch for the final ~15 feet.
On the trip to SoBo, I was really starting to feel the effort in my legs, but crossed the saddle in a quick 3:41. From the saddle, it is normally ~5 minutes to the summit, but I was starting to fade and then took a phone call over the final section which slowed me even further (I’m only carrying the phone now just in case Allison goes into labor, so this is not normal for me) and hit the summit in 10:15 from Bear.
After a gel and the remainder of my water, I pushed hard back to Bear in 9:15 (100 less vertical feet going this way) and began the steep descent of Fern. I was feeling a bit sloppy and less accurate descending the very steep, loose and technical trail, but passed the saddle in a re-assuring 7:41, then made the Mesa Trail (sticking to Fern and not my normal Shananhan/Slab cutoff) in another 10 minutes. From here, I just cruised out the remainder of the non-technical trail back to the TH for a 27:55 descent off Bear and 2:15:14 total.
Splits:
Bear Mountain Dr.: 0:00
Green: 50:52
Bear: 1:27:49
SoBo: 1:38:04
Bear again: 1:47:19
Mesa Trail: 2:04:51
Finish Bear Mountain Dr. 2:15:14
Saturday, September 18th:
S. Boulder/Bear with Homie and Sierra.
Met Homie at the S. Mesa TH at 3:30pm and headed up Homestead/Towhee/Shadow at an easy pace, stopping at every creek crossing for Sierra to drink and chatting the entire way up. The sun had finally come out and it was quite pleasant and surprisingly cool in the shade, but not cold. A welcome relief from the Indian Summer we have been having. We made the summit of SoBo in 1:11, then headed over to Bear, taking a few minutes on each peak. Not sure how long we were out for, but I think it was a little over 2 hours for the entire trip. My legs felt surprisingly good after my hard effort the previous day and I felt like I could have pushed again, but it was awesome to get Sierra out and enjoy conversation with Homie.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Weekly Summary, September 6-12th, 2010
September 6-12th, 2010
Allison came home from the hospital on Monday, but was still on bed rest which meant no running for me on the days that I had to work. With the Fourmile Fire in Boulder emitting massive amounts of smoke throughout the area Mon-Weds, I would not have run anyways, so it helped ease the temptation quite a bit. Once the smoke cleared and I had a bit more time to play with, I took full advantage (as much as I could squeeze in anyways) and ended up having a great few days of running with great friends and Sierra. Each day, as impending fatherhood and the Fall/Winter season approach, I realize how fortunate I am to be able to get out on such great trails, get in an awesome workout and share it with great friends. I am truly thankful.
Thursday, 09/09/10
Green Mountain: Up Gregory/Ranger, down front/NE ridge with Sierra and my friend Joe who I have known since the 6th grade. Joe played a huge part in my decision to move to Colorado back in 1996 and we have shared quite a few good times and adventures together over the past ~27 years. We both were silently aware that this was probably our last hike for quite some time, as he is moving to Quebec to live with his new wife Heather. I was content taking it super easy, just enjoying the cool morning, fresh air and great conversation. We bumped into Tony near the summit and chatted with him for a bit, then spent a while on the summit checking out what little was left of the fire.
Friday, 09/10/10
2 laps on Green Mountain.
Lap 1: Dave Mackey was visiting town for a bit and we planned to meet up at Chautauqua for a 7am run up Green. Unfortunately, his phone alarm malfunctioned and he overslept and was unable to make it, but fortunately GZ and Tony showed. We headed up Gregory/Long Canyon/W. Ridge at a conversational pace, chatting it up quite a bit, mostly about running of course, but occasionally other topics would come up like the fire and having twins. I think I had 57 minutes for the ascent from Chautauqua. We spent a long time on the summit, just enjoying. Tony decided to head over to Bear, while George and I headed down the front. We bumped into Dave on Amphi, where he joined us back to Chautauqua.
Lap 2: After a gel and some water, Dave and I headed back up via the 1st Flatiron access trail, then up NE ridge to the summit. 48 or 49 minutes I think, but I did not really pay any attention to the watch all day. After another long and enjoyable break on the summit, we headed down Ranger/Gregory. It was great catching up with Dave and I miss having him around to run with.
Saturday, 09/11/10
S. Boulder Peak/Bear Peak
After spending the morning having breakfast with Allison and helping her out some (she is back at the hospital and will be there until the twins arrive), I headed home, rounded up Sierra and headed over to the S. Mesa TH. There was a sign immediately warning of rattlesnakes on the trail, but what trail(s)? There are often times signs posted warning of bears, lions, snakes etc…. but I never see them. Well, almost never. ~1/4 of the way up Shadow Canyon, I heard an odd, but unsettling noise that instantaneously threw up the red flag. At first is sounded like some sort of hiss, but a quick glance down to my left revealed a ~4 foot rattlesnake, 1 foot away on the side of the trail in strike position. My primal instincts kicked in and I jumped back with a massive surge of adrenaline and yelled at Sierra to stop. I was surprised by the sound of my shaky voice. I put her on leash and wrapped it around my hand tightly, only giving her about 1’ of slack. This was my first up close encounter on the trails with a rattlesnake and though I was initially scared shitless, my fear quickly morphed into fascination. The snake took it’s sweet time on the trail and I eventually became impatient and wanted to extract Sierra and I from the situation. From a safe distance, I tossed a few very small pebbles at it, just to get it moving, which worked, but not before some rattling and posturing. We made SoBo in a very pokey 1:12 after lots of water stops, backtracking to wait on Sierra and the rattlesnake delay with subsequent storytelling and warning fellow hikers. It was an amazing day, so we spent ~10 minutes on each summit before heading back. 2:30 for the RT.
Sunday, 09/12/10
Green Mountain with Brandon, up Gregory/Ranger at a mellow pace, then down the front going easy. I paused at the NE ridge cutoff and presented the option of heading down to the 1st Flatiron route, but Brandon let out a big sigh which I took as a no. Halfway down I got a call to fetch a prescription from the soon to close Walgreens and had to pick up the pace a bit. 41:03 up, ??:?? down. It was pretty warm still and I am almost ready for cooler days (slightly cooler).
Unrelated to running, but I got a kick out of the BonerTron EX-100 on the wall in the hospital rooms.
Allison came home from the hospital on Monday, but was still on bed rest which meant no running for me on the days that I had to work. With the Fourmile Fire in Boulder emitting massive amounts of smoke throughout the area Mon-Weds, I would not have run anyways, so it helped ease the temptation quite a bit. Once the smoke cleared and I had a bit more time to play with, I took full advantage (as much as I could squeeze in anyways) and ended up having a great few days of running with great friends and Sierra. Each day, as impending fatherhood and the Fall/Winter season approach, I realize how fortunate I am to be able to get out on such great trails, get in an awesome workout and share it with great friends. I am truly thankful.
Thursday, 09/09/10
Green Mountain: Up Gregory/Ranger, down front/NE ridge with Sierra and my friend Joe who I have known since the 6th grade. Joe played a huge part in my decision to move to Colorado back in 1996 and we have shared quite a few good times and adventures together over the past ~27 years. We both were silently aware that this was probably our last hike for quite some time, as he is moving to Quebec to live with his new wife Heather. I was content taking it super easy, just enjoying the cool morning, fresh air and great conversation. We bumped into Tony near the summit and chatted with him for a bit, then spent a while on the summit checking out what little was left of the fire.
Friday, 09/10/10
2 laps on Green Mountain.
Lap 1: Dave Mackey was visiting town for a bit and we planned to meet up at Chautauqua for a 7am run up Green. Unfortunately, his phone alarm malfunctioned and he overslept and was unable to make it, but fortunately GZ and Tony showed. We headed up Gregory/Long Canyon/W. Ridge at a conversational pace, chatting it up quite a bit, mostly about running of course, but occasionally other topics would come up like the fire and having twins. I think I had 57 minutes for the ascent from Chautauqua. We spent a long time on the summit, just enjoying. Tony decided to head over to Bear, while George and I headed down the front. We bumped into Dave on Amphi, where he joined us back to Chautauqua.
Lap 2: After a gel and some water, Dave and I headed back up via the 1st Flatiron access trail, then up NE ridge to the summit. 48 or 49 minutes I think, but I did not really pay any attention to the watch all day. After another long and enjoyable break on the summit, we headed down Ranger/Gregory. It was great catching up with Dave and I miss having him around to run with.
Saturday, 09/11/10
S. Boulder Peak/Bear Peak
After spending the morning having breakfast with Allison and helping her out some (she is back at the hospital and will be there until the twins arrive), I headed home, rounded up Sierra and headed over to the S. Mesa TH. There was a sign immediately warning of rattlesnakes on the trail, but what trail(s)? There are often times signs posted warning of bears, lions, snakes etc…. but I never see them. Well, almost never. ~1/4 of the way up Shadow Canyon, I heard an odd, but unsettling noise that instantaneously threw up the red flag. At first is sounded like some sort of hiss, but a quick glance down to my left revealed a ~4 foot rattlesnake, 1 foot away on the side of the trail in strike position. My primal instincts kicked in and I jumped back with a massive surge of adrenaline and yelled at Sierra to stop. I was surprised by the sound of my shaky voice. I put her on leash and wrapped it around my hand tightly, only giving her about 1’ of slack. This was my first up close encounter on the trails with a rattlesnake and though I was initially scared shitless, my fear quickly morphed into fascination. The snake took it’s sweet time on the trail and I eventually became impatient and wanted to extract Sierra and I from the situation. From a safe distance, I tossed a few very small pebbles at it, just to get it moving, which worked, but not before some rattling and posturing. We made SoBo in a very pokey 1:12 after lots of water stops, backtracking to wait on Sierra and the rattlesnake delay with subsequent storytelling and warning fellow hikers. It was an amazing day, so we spent ~10 minutes on each summit before heading back. 2:30 for the RT.
Sunday, 09/12/10
Green Mountain with Brandon, up Gregory/Ranger at a mellow pace, then down the front going easy. I paused at the NE ridge cutoff and presented the option of heading down to the 1st Flatiron route, but Brandon let out a big sigh which I took as a no. Halfway down I got a call to fetch a prescription from the soon to close Walgreens and had to pick up the pace a bit. 41:03 up, ??:?? down. It was pretty warm still and I am almost ready for cooler days (slightly cooler).
Unrelated to running, but I got a kick out of the BonerTron EX-100 on the wall in the hospital rooms.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Weekly Summary August 30-September 5th
The last week has been a bit of a whirlwind and I have involuntarily missed out on running in the hills on several perfect final days of summer. At 30 weeks gestation, Allison is having an increasingly difficult time carrying twins and we have made several planned and un-planned trips to the hospital over the past few days, where she is now admitted on strict bed rest and being monitored closely. The girls are doing great and Allison is stable, so we'll keep our fingers crossed and take it day to day.
Free time and available time to work on my long and ever increasing list of things to do has been cut significantly short, as I try to balance day to day life duties, taking care of Allison and preparing for the girls arrival. Each day, I naively think that I will be able to carve out a 90 minute slot to go run a peak in Boulder, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit in and justify while there are so many other more important things to do and while Allison needs me the most. High mountain trips are most surely a thing of the past, at least until next year (this is very (EXTREMELY!!!) painful on these perfect bluebird final days of summer).
As outdoor adventures decrease over the coming weeks/months, so will my updates on this blog, but, this past spring I started a new blog about our journey of raising twins, so feel free to follow our progress there:
http://www.twinvalliere.blogspot.com/
I have not updated the new blog very often, but hope to when there is more to post (if I can squeeze it in).
Anyways, a brief weekly summary:
Monday: Off due to social/dinner obligations
Tuesday: Green. Up/down front. 39:58 up (legs felt tired and it was hot, so I walked mostly and jogged a few of the flatter sections, maybe 5-7 minutes of total running). Easy down, 29 minutes.
Wednesday: S. Boulder and Bear in the morning with Sierra. Started around 9am and Sierra was already hot on the approach and was busy sniffing/marking, so the pace was pretty relaxed, mostly a hike for her sake, but it was fun being out. 2.5 hours total.
Thursday: Off (spent an unplanned 9 hours at the hospital)
Friday: Off, a no can do, between errands, assembling a crib, hospital trips and stuff around the house, running was not even an option, but being that busy actually provided more of a workout than had I only run Green, then caught up on blogs all day.
Saturday: Spent the morning at the hospital, then spent the afternoon shopping for/picking up a new dresser (then spent an un-planned 2+ hours assembling said dresser (the only work I was spared was actually cutting the trees and extracting/machining the metals)). In the evening, I ended up forcing myself to get out the door and take Sierra up Bear. It was hot to start, but was nice and cool up high as the sun set. I was itching to get over to SoBo also, but knew that would leave me finishing in the dark and I needed to get back to the hospital. Though my legs felt great and I was raring to just rip it up and down, we took it easy and drank plenty of water. 43 up/38 down. I need to get one of those swell Fenix lights as the days get shorter.
Sunday: Green Mountain from Chautauqua via 1st/2nd Flatiron. Pushed a bit on the up, 39:59, then moderate on the down in 26. It was a bit too hot to be pushing and I was drowning in my pflegm.
Free time and available time to work on my long and ever increasing list of things to do has been cut significantly short, as I try to balance day to day life duties, taking care of Allison and preparing for the girls arrival. Each day, I naively think that I will be able to carve out a 90 minute slot to go run a peak in Boulder, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit in and justify while there are so many other more important things to do and while Allison needs me the most. High mountain trips are most surely a thing of the past, at least until next year (this is very (EXTREMELY!!!) painful on these perfect bluebird final days of summer).
As outdoor adventures decrease over the coming weeks/months, so will my updates on this blog, but, this past spring I started a new blog about our journey of raising twins, so feel free to follow our progress there:
http://www.twinvalliere.blogspot.com/
I have not updated the new blog very often, but hope to when there is more to post (if I can squeeze it in).
Anyways, a brief weekly summary:
Monday: Off due to social/dinner obligations
Tuesday: Green. Up/down front. 39:58 up (legs felt tired and it was hot, so I walked mostly and jogged a few of the flatter sections, maybe 5-7 minutes of total running). Easy down, 29 minutes.
Wednesday: S. Boulder and Bear in the morning with Sierra. Started around 9am and Sierra was already hot on the approach and was busy sniffing/marking, so the pace was pretty relaxed, mostly a hike for her sake, but it was fun being out. 2.5 hours total.
Thursday: Off (spent an unplanned 9 hours at the hospital)
Friday: Off, a no can do, between errands, assembling a crib, hospital trips and stuff around the house, running was not even an option, but being that busy actually provided more of a workout than had I only run Green, then caught up on blogs all day.
Saturday: Spent the morning at the hospital, then spent the afternoon shopping for/picking up a new dresser (then spent an un-planned 2+ hours assembling said dresser (the only work I was spared was actually cutting the trees and extracting/machining the metals)). In the evening, I ended up forcing myself to get out the door and take Sierra up Bear. It was hot to start, but was nice and cool up high as the sun set. I was itching to get over to SoBo also, but knew that would leave me finishing in the dark and I needed to get back to the hospital. Though my legs felt great and I was raring to just rip it up and down, we took it easy and drank plenty of water. 43 up/38 down. I need to get one of those swell Fenix lights as the days get shorter.
Sunday: Green Mountain from Chautauqua via 1st/2nd Flatiron. Pushed a bit on the up, 39:59, then moderate on the down in 26. It was a bit too hot to be pushing and I was drowning in my pflegm.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, 08/28/10 "Lakawanna Peak" (13,823)
“Lackawanna Peak” (13,823)
08/28/10
6.6 miles/3,323 vertical
Partners: Dave and Emily Hale, Sierra, Shep, Kiefer
Ascent: NW Ridge
Descent: Lakawanna Gulch
“Lakawanna”, my last Sawatch Centennial has somewhat eluded me for a while. I have had numerous trips to the vicinity over the past few years, where I had hoped to zip up it and back via the S. Slopes route while passing through and even attempted it back in July, late one afternoon after a run on La Plata (bailed early on because of storms). Fortunately, plans solidified with Dave and Emily late in the week and the stage was set.
Sierra and I left the house at 4:35am and after a 10 minute stop in Twin Lakes, we made it to the TH around 7:15am, made our final preparations and were on the trail by 7:28am. I did a little bit of research on this route which entailed skimming the guidebook and glancing at a map, but it seemed very straight forward and intuitive. We missed the first ‘turn’ after .2 miles and went just a bit further and eventually realized our minor error. The creek crossing was easy here and we soon found what we thought might have been the correct old and faded mining road. We followed it for a few minutes and realized that it was leading us somewhat astray, so we just headed East up Lakawanna Gulch on the N. side of the creek for a short while on a well worn game trail, until it seemed appropriate to cross to the S. side in search of the proper dirt road.
After crossing the creek, we soon came across the proper road, followed it for a few short minutes and after a bit of debating which may be the best way, attacked the fall line through the woods to gain the Northwest Ridge. The bushwhack up the ridge was steep, yet fun and easy at the same time. Treeline appeared before long and the views opened up before us on this perfect morning. We took our time working our way up the ridge, going an easy pace and enjoying ourselves as we caught up on summer trips and happenings.
Before long, the angle of the ridge receded and made for enjoyable tundra walking, with a bit of boulder hopping mixed in along the way. We stopped for a long break on Pt. 13,660, taking in the views and I was surprised at how distant the true summit of Lakawanna appeared, but knew that it would be a quicker and easier trip than it initially appeared.
A few false summits later, we were standing on the true summit at 10:09am. We spent about a half hour on top, enjoying the amazing views, chatting it up, taking pictures and eating. I really missed having Allison along more than any time this summer and this summit seemed bittersweet, as it was so enjoyable, but was a bit incomplete at the same time. The potential for this to be my last, or one of my last high mountain outings before the twins are born also weighed heavily on my conscience, along with the obvious signs of fall made the trip even that much more poignant.
We decided to make a nice loop out of the hike and descend Lakawanna Gulch. Dropping off from the saddle into the gulch was steep and loose, but pretty short and once below the headwall, it was a very scenic and enjoyable stroll. We stopped a few times to let the dogs frolic in the few remaining snow patches and play in the water along the way. The willows in the valley looked daunting, but we stayed somewhat high on the South side of the valley, often just above the willows, following some convenient game trails that always led us in the proper direction.
Once at treeline, we found a very nice path, passed a few cabins and we were soon back on the dirt road, thus closing our loop. We followed the lower section of the road that we had skipped in the morning, came to the creek and were thankful we crossed a short ways above, as it was wider here with very few rocks to cross on. Dave made it across mostly dry, but it being minutes from the car, I just splashed through, not even trying to stay dry. It felt great. Another great day out with Dave, Emily and the dogs.
08/28/10
6.6 miles/3,323 vertical
Partners: Dave and Emily Hale, Sierra, Shep, Kiefer
Ascent: NW Ridge
Descent: Lakawanna Gulch
“Lakawanna”, my last Sawatch Centennial has somewhat eluded me for a while. I have had numerous trips to the vicinity over the past few years, where I had hoped to zip up it and back via the S. Slopes route while passing through and even attempted it back in July, late one afternoon after a run on La Plata (bailed early on because of storms). Fortunately, plans solidified with Dave and Emily late in the week and the stage was set.
Sierra and I left the house at 4:35am and after a 10 minute stop in Twin Lakes, we made it to the TH around 7:15am, made our final preparations and were on the trail by 7:28am. I did a little bit of research on this route which entailed skimming the guidebook and glancing at a map, but it seemed very straight forward and intuitive. We missed the first ‘turn’ after .2 miles and went just a bit further and eventually realized our minor error. The creek crossing was easy here and we soon found what we thought might have been the correct old and faded mining road. We followed it for a few minutes and realized that it was leading us somewhat astray, so we just headed East up Lakawanna Gulch on the N. side of the creek for a short while on a well worn game trail, until it seemed appropriate to cross to the S. side in search of the proper dirt road.
After crossing the creek, we soon came across the proper road, followed it for a few short minutes and after a bit of debating which may be the best way, attacked the fall line through the woods to gain the Northwest Ridge. The bushwhack up the ridge was steep, yet fun and easy at the same time. Treeline appeared before long and the views opened up before us on this perfect morning. We took our time working our way up the ridge, going an easy pace and enjoying ourselves as we caught up on summer trips and happenings.
Before long, the angle of the ridge receded and made for enjoyable tundra walking, with a bit of boulder hopping mixed in along the way. We stopped for a long break on Pt. 13,660, taking in the views and I was surprised at how distant the true summit of Lakawanna appeared, but knew that it would be a quicker and easier trip than it initially appeared.
A few false summits later, we were standing on the true summit at 10:09am. We spent about a half hour on top, enjoying the amazing views, chatting it up, taking pictures and eating. I really missed having Allison along more than any time this summer and this summit seemed bittersweet, as it was so enjoyable, but was a bit incomplete at the same time. The potential for this to be my last, or one of my last high mountain outings before the twins are born also weighed heavily on my conscience, along with the obvious signs of fall made the trip even that much more poignant.
We decided to make a nice loop out of the hike and descend Lakawanna Gulch. Dropping off from the saddle into the gulch was steep and loose, but pretty short and once below the headwall, it was a very scenic and enjoyable stroll. We stopped a few times to let the dogs frolic in the few remaining snow patches and play in the water along the way. The willows in the valley looked daunting, but we stayed somewhat high on the South side of the valley, often just above the willows, following some convenient game trails that always led us in the proper direction.
Once at treeline, we found a very nice path, passed a few cabins and we were soon back on the dirt road, thus closing our loop. We followed the lower section of the road that we had skipped in the morning, came to the creek and were thankful we crossed a short ways above, as it was wider here with very few rocks to cross on. Dave made it across mostly dry, but it being minutes from the car, I just splashed through, not even trying to stay dry. It felt great. Another great day out with Dave, Emily and the dogs.
Steep, my favorite.
Sierra was the climbing champ this day, there was no way to match her pace.
Sierra leading to a false summit.
Another false summit. Fall is apparent.
Some of the best summit views around.
Queen of the mountains.
My best Halladay impression.
Heading down.
SNOW!!!!!
ZOOOOOOOM!!!!
Scrubble gulley.
Unusual area of sand at 13,000 feet.
Marooned.
Cooling off.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, 08/27/10 Longs Peak
Longs Peak
08/27/10
Jeff Valliere and Dan Mottinger
On a whim yesterday, I decided to plan a run up Longs Peak. I sent out a few e-mails to a few potential, but unlikely candidates and coincidentally, I got an e-mail from Dan inviting me on a run next week, so I threw out the invite to him and he was game.
After a bathroom stop at the TH, Dan got a bit of a head start while I drove down the road to park the car and finish getting ready. I got on the trail a bit after 7am and was feeling a bit sluggish from a poor night sleep and my legs were not at all zippy.
I plugged along, having doubts about even getting to the summit, as I was feeling a little less than optimum and the tree tops were rustling in the wind. Though it was warm, the breezy and clear conditions seemed to me to be a harbinger of the quickly approaching Fall season.
My plan was to surpass my 1:52 ascent PR from 2005, then push hard on the descent and take some time off of our previous 1:26 descent (Homie and I) which was quick, but somewhat casual as we had chatted the whole way down. I was very doubtful on the ascent portion, but was confident that I could rally and make up a bunch of minutes on that descent time.
Above treeline and approaching Granite Pass, the headwind was picking up to an annoying level, adding a bit to the physical/mental effort, so I soon stopped to add my windbreaker, gloves and get my hat handy.
The “trail” through the Boulder Field was a little tedious and not conducive to fast running, but I was moving pretty well and made quick work to the Keyhole. At the Keyhole, I was surprised to see that I was a minute or so ahead of PR pace, but was discouraged to see how many people there were picking their way along the route (vs. just a few people in 2005). I politely picked my way past nervous newbies, clinging to the rock and made descent time, but at a few choke points, there was no good way around and I was forced to wait. Also, in the trough, I made OK time, but I was constantly on alert for falling rocks, as there were so many people slipping/sliding their way up down, but fortunately, not a one was dislodged. I pushed hard along the Narrows and then wormed my way through the queues of people on the Homestretch and topped out in 1:51:59, about even with my previous PR. I think I would have taken a little more off without the crowds, but considering I did not feel very strong on the ascent, I took it as a positive.
On the summit, somebody relayed a message to me that Dan (who had ascended the N. Face route/Old Cables route) had topped out and already started down. I was confused, as I had not seen him on the Keyhole route and figured he must have changed his mind and descended the way he came. It was sunny, calm and not yet crowded on top, so I took the time to explore around the summit a bit and relaxed for while enjoying the views and the company of a few fellow hikers. It was such a nice day, I was in no hurry to run down.
The Homestretch is easy on the ascent, but I only fully trust about half of my foot placements coming down, as the rocks have been mostly worn smooth. Even though the rock was perfectly dry, I was very careful and deliberate through here and took my time all the way back to the Keyhole, going quick when I could, but cautious when I had to. Negotiating the rocks through the Boulderfield, I never really got into a good rhythm, but still did OK with it, no accidents or mishaps at least. Once on the trail, I picked up the pace a little, but often times caught myself being overly cautious due to the technical nature of the trail and my ankles were a little sore for some reason. For the majority of the descent, I was just cruising along, never really pushing, just enjoying the run really.
I made it back to the TH, to find Dan who was already finished and learned that we had unwittingly passed each other on the Keyhole route, probably on the Homestretch where it was particularly crowded and we were focused on the rock. Funny.
So, I managed to scrape a few seconds off of my PR from 2005, but it was essentially and identical run, which I was quite happy with considering the crowds and my lack of commitment once I started and felt myself struggling a bit. My thoughts of getting this run closer to 3 hours I realize might be a real pipe dream, unless I experiment with the old Cables route, which I can’t ever see myself doing. So, for now, 3:18 on two occasions is about all I can muster up.
Ascent Splits:
Start: 0:00
Goblin CG: 13:38
BoulderField: 1:08?
Keyhole: 1:20
Trough: 1:30
Narrows: 1:42?
Summit: 1:51:59
Descent Splits:
Summit: 0:00
Keyhole: 31:??
BoulderField: 41ish
Finish: 1:26:28
RT: 3:18:27
08/27/10
Jeff Valliere and Dan Mottinger
On a whim yesterday, I decided to plan a run up Longs Peak. I sent out a few e-mails to a few potential, but unlikely candidates and coincidentally, I got an e-mail from Dan inviting me on a run next week, so I threw out the invite to him and he was game.
After a bathroom stop at the TH, Dan got a bit of a head start while I drove down the road to park the car and finish getting ready. I got on the trail a bit after 7am and was feeling a bit sluggish from a poor night sleep and my legs were not at all zippy.
I plugged along, having doubts about even getting to the summit, as I was feeling a little less than optimum and the tree tops were rustling in the wind. Though it was warm, the breezy and clear conditions seemed to me to be a harbinger of the quickly approaching Fall season.
My plan was to surpass my 1:52 ascent PR from 2005, then push hard on the descent and take some time off of our previous 1:26 descent (Homie and I) which was quick, but somewhat casual as we had chatted the whole way down. I was very doubtful on the ascent portion, but was confident that I could rally and make up a bunch of minutes on that descent time.
Above treeline and approaching Granite Pass, the headwind was picking up to an annoying level, adding a bit to the physical/mental effort, so I soon stopped to add my windbreaker, gloves and get my hat handy.
The “trail” through the Boulder Field was a little tedious and not conducive to fast running, but I was moving pretty well and made quick work to the Keyhole. At the Keyhole, I was surprised to see that I was a minute or so ahead of PR pace, but was discouraged to see how many people there were picking their way along the route (vs. just a few people in 2005). I politely picked my way past nervous newbies, clinging to the rock and made descent time, but at a few choke points, there was no good way around and I was forced to wait. Also, in the trough, I made OK time, but I was constantly on alert for falling rocks, as there were so many people slipping/sliding their way up down, but fortunately, not a one was dislodged. I pushed hard along the Narrows and then wormed my way through the queues of people on the Homestretch and topped out in 1:51:59, about even with my previous PR. I think I would have taken a little more off without the crowds, but considering I did not feel very strong on the ascent, I took it as a positive.
On the summit, somebody relayed a message to me that Dan (who had ascended the N. Face route/Old Cables route) had topped out and already started down. I was confused, as I had not seen him on the Keyhole route and figured he must have changed his mind and descended the way he came. It was sunny, calm and not yet crowded on top, so I took the time to explore around the summit a bit and relaxed for while enjoying the views and the company of a few fellow hikers. It was such a nice day, I was in no hurry to run down.
The Homestretch is easy on the ascent, but I only fully trust about half of my foot placements coming down, as the rocks have been mostly worn smooth. Even though the rock was perfectly dry, I was very careful and deliberate through here and took my time all the way back to the Keyhole, going quick when I could, but cautious when I had to. Negotiating the rocks through the Boulderfield, I never really got into a good rhythm, but still did OK with it, no accidents or mishaps at least. Once on the trail, I picked up the pace a little, but often times caught myself being overly cautious due to the technical nature of the trail and my ankles were a little sore for some reason. For the majority of the descent, I was just cruising along, never really pushing, just enjoying the run really.
I made it back to the TH, to find Dan who was already finished and learned that we had unwittingly passed each other on the Keyhole route, probably on the Homestretch where it was particularly crowded and we were focused on the rock. Funny.
So, I managed to scrape a few seconds off of my PR from 2005, but it was essentially and identical run, which I was quite happy with considering the crowds and my lack of commitment once I started and felt myself struggling a bit. My thoughts of getting this run closer to 3 hours I realize might be a real pipe dream, unless I experiment with the old Cables route, which I can’t ever see myself doing. So, for now, 3:18 on two occasions is about all I can muster up.
Ascent Splits:
Start: 0:00
Goblin CG: 13:38
BoulderField: 1:08?
Keyhole: 1:20
Trough: 1:30
Narrows: 1:42?
Summit: 1:51:59
Descent Splits:
Summit: 0:00
Keyhole: 31:??
BoulderField: 41ish
Finish: 1:26:28
RT: 3:18:27
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, 08/26/10 Bear Peak, S. Boulder Peak
Took Sierra out for some exercise, went super easy, hiking mostly, up Fern from Cragmoor (Sierra was dogging it and I was happy to do the same). The raspberries are ripe for the picking on SoBo, so I spent a good amount of time getting my fill. Nice morning, felt good to just hike with the dog.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, 08/24/10 Bear Peak
After an involved trip to the dentist to have two fillings replaced and a crown put on, I was close to home and it was still somewhat early. With the cooler weather today, I decided to include Sierra, as she has been cooped up lately and called Tim at the last minute.
We met at the Cragmoor TH at 4:30pm and started off at a casual, but somewhat labored pace as I was still tight from my previous nights grudge run up/down Green Mountain and was preoccupied with my still novacained mouth and tongue.
A short ways up the Fern Canyon trail, we jumped off (left) onto the Slab access trail and took that to the upper/back side of the Slab. From there, we scampered up a steep spine of broken rock ledge and talus on the East face, nearly to the summit, where we found a lightly used access trail to the main trail just ~200 feet from the top. I have done this "route" a handful of times, but it was new for Tim. I could tell he was wondering where the heck I was leading him and was thinking we might spend the night out, kind of like our Winter Longs Peak trip last year.
1:06 up
???? down
We met at the Cragmoor TH at 4:30pm and started off at a casual, but somewhat labored pace as I was still tight from my previous nights grudge run up/down Green Mountain and was preoccupied with my still novacained mouth and tongue.
A short ways up the Fern Canyon trail, we jumped off (left) onto the Slab access trail and took that to the upper/back side of the Slab. From there, we scampered up a steep spine of broken rock ledge and talus on the East face, nearly to the summit, where we found a lightly used access trail to the main trail just ~200 feet from the top. I have done this "route" a handful of times, but it was new for Tim. I could tell he was wondering where the heck I was leading him and was thinking we might spend the night out, kind of like our Winter Longs Peak trip last year.
1:06 up
???? down
Tuesday, 08/23/10 Green Mountain, 3 new PRs
All day at work, I was itching to get outside for a run and blow off some steam, more mental than physical, but I could tell that my body was revved up too.
I decided to run the front side of Green, the standard Amphi/Saddle/Greenman route and I was thankful that it was reasonably cool from the afternoon clouds/rain. I put on my headphones and cranked up the music (something I never do) and I was off. Though a little heavy and tired, my legs were reluctantly doing what I asked of them and I was surprised to be flowing up the hill in a state determination unlike anything I have felt in a long time. A few minutes in, I knew it could be a good run and I was now committed to a hard effort. My time splits were decent, but I knew I would have to keep the effort very high to compensate for the increasingly fading legs and it became a war between my brain and my body. I was spitting, snotting and making all kinds of noises, not caring at all since I was the only one out there and I was in my own cocoon of loud music and suffering. I had nothing to lose. On and on I went, knowing that any minute I could blow, just one ill-timed breath or foot placement might have done me in.
Finally, I tagged the summit and collapsed in a heap, a new PR by 11 seconds. It is not much, but it meant a lot to me and the sheer physical effort, coupled with the PR boosted my spirits immensely. Still jacked up from the high, I turned around and headed back the way I came, putting similar effort into the descent as the ascent. Despite wearing treadless road shoes, I was so dialed and on it, I found that I was minutes ahead of normal pace at my usual checks. I was going for broke down the hill pouring everything I had into it, hitting every step, every turn, leaping off every rock with once in a blue moon precision and accuracy. About 2/3’s of the way down, it began to rain, which felt great, but slowed me considerably on the now slippery trail, compounded by the slick shoes. I still pushed though and made it back to the TH in what I suspect to be a new PR for me as well. A PR on the RT too on that route.
Splits:
Gregory TH: 0:00
Top of Amphi: 6:10
Overlook: 14:03
Greenman: 18:19
Summit: 32:24
Descent: 19:26
RT: 51:50
I decided to run the front side of Green, the standard Amphi/Saddle/Greenman route and I was thankful that it was reasonably cool from the afternoon clouds/rain. I put on my headphones and cranked up the music (something I never do) and I was off. Though a little heavy and tired, my legs were reluctantly doing what I asked of them and I was surprised to be flowing up the hill in a state determination unlike anything I have felt in a long time. A few minutes in, I knew it could be a good run and I was now committed to a hard effort. My time splits were decent, but I knew I would have to keep the effort very high to compensate for the increasingly fading legs and it became a war between my brain and my body. I was spitting, snotting and making all kinds of noises, not caring at all since I was the only one out there and I was in my own cocoon of loud music and suffering. I had nothing to lose. On and on I went, knowing that any minute I could blow, just one ill-timed breath or foot placement might have done me in.
Finally, I tagged the summit and collapsed in a heap, a new PR by 11 seconds. It is not much, but it meant a lot to me and the sheer physical effort, coupled with the PR boosted my spirits immensely. Still jacked up from the high, I turned around and headed back the way I came, putting similar effort into the descent as the ascent. Despite wearing treadless road shoes, I was so dialed and on it, I found that I was minutes ahead of normal pace at my usual checks. I was going for broke down the hill pouring everything I had into it, hitting every step, every turn, leaping off every rock with once in a blue moon precision and accuracy. About 2/3’s of the way down, it began to rain, which felt great, but slowed me considerably on the now slippery trail, compounded by the slick shoes. I still pushed though and made it back to the TH in what I suspect to be a new PR for me as well. A PR on the RT too on that route.
Splits:
Gregory TH: 0:00
Top of Amphi: 6:10
Overlook: 14:03
Greenman: 18:19
Summit: 32:24
Descent: 19:26
RT: 51:50
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, 08/21/10 Pikes Peak Ascent
13.32 miles
7,815 vertical
Well, what can I say, another Pikes Peak Ascent has come and gone and yet again I failed to meet, what I felt to be, my realistic and attainable goals. I did not necessarily have a bad day, nor did I have a very good day. Everything indicated to me that I was ready to match or beat my PR of 2:46:10 from 2006, as my fitness was as good or better overall this year as it has ever been, I had no injuries and I deliberately avoided the majority of the pre-race hype as to not get too psyched up mentally and went into the race with a relatively laid back attitude. I ran 25 14ers in the preceding months, 106 trips up Green Mountain in Boulder, a handful of 13ers, 175 peaks in all with a total of 465,000 vertical feet, tapered well, slept well prior to the race, ate well etc….
One moment I am accepting of this, the next moment it stings a little bit, as I have developed a true love/hate relationship with the race. I often times question what it is I love so much about Pikes Peak and why I keep coming back despite the radically mixed emotions I feel. Maybe the camaraderie? The training and anticipation? Having a goal for the year? The excitement of the race itself? All of the above?
Though I know better, I have trouble avoiding the pitfalls of judging my entire year on one morning in August and associate a disproportionate amount of athletic self worth on this one race. I know there is much more to it than that. I run mountains almost every day simply because that is what I love to do most and I never run a step because I feel I have to, it is always because I love to. Pikes or no Pikes, I would be out doing the exact same things year round. I do truly consider myself to be fortunate to be able to run up and enjoy high peaks. In the overall big picture of my life, it is a minor irritant, but since these outdoor pursuits are such a major part of my life, I can’t help but to let it affect me, good or bad.
Despite not living up to my race day expectations, I did have a great time. The weather was perfect and I got to enjoy the company of many good friends and even make some new friends. I could try to dissect the race more, my training leading up the race, my motivation, expectations and perceptions vs. reality, but I have done that enough times. It is what it is.
It might sound like a cop out, but increasingly, I feel that Pikes just might not be the ideal race course for me or suit my strengths (whatever they are?). I also only race a few times per year and though I often times fancy myself racing more often and getting better at it, the truth of the matter is that I really don’t race more because I am just not that into racing. There I said it. The days I spend running in the mountains by myself or with a few friends leading up to a race or any other time of the year are FAR more enjoyable to me than the race itself.
I am not sure if I will be back for the Pikes Peak Ascent next year, as Allison and I are expecting twins this fall. I am very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life and don’t yet know how much that will impact my running, but I expect that it will a lot!
A brief overview of the race:
After a great Spaghetti dinner and a good night’s sleep (dinner and accommodations provided by Hoot and his wife Cindy, thanks Hoot!), Nate and I arrived at Memorial Park before 5:30am and scored an excellent parking spot with a view of the park, which made for convenient trips to the bathroom and a good feeling of not missing out on anything.
I took several productive trips to the porta johns and took my time eating and getting ready. I was antsy and a little nervous, but felt as though I had a good mindset and perspective and had a strong sense of confidence that I was as ready as ever for this day. We finally left the car a bit after 6:30am to head over to the start line, where we bumped into many good friends and acquaintances. I milled about for a bit, having brief exchanges, but my mind was elsewhere. I feigned a warm up, running back and forth up and down the road with the other runners, but it was really just some jogging around, debating one last pee.
My plan was to not go out too hard, so I placed myself accordingly, two or three rows back, but in the last minutes, it got really crowded up front and I found myself virtually in the 7th or 8th row, feeling a bit swamped. As the race started, the front runners took it out very hard, but I just did my best to stay upright in the crowd and work my way through those who had placed themselves incorrectly at the start line and held what I felt to be a good pace. As we turned onto Ruxton Ave. and the road tilted up, it was tempting to up the tempo and pick people off, but I knew that would of course be a bad move, expending so much energy so early in the race, so I just kept my HR and breathing under control, took short steps on the steeper stuff and slowly and non-deliberately began to pick my way past people along the way through the W’s.
I was working hard, but I felt good and the pace at no point felt un-sustainable and was confident that I could maintain that or more all the way to the top. On the “flattish” rolling section to Barr Camp, I passed a few people and a few people passed me, but I felt as though I were holding my own pretty well. Though I always want to do more passing than I want to get passed, I was not overly concerned specifically about placement, as there were so many fast people ahead. I knew if I stuck to what felt to be the right pace for me at the time, I would be better off in the long run, vs. trying to directly compete with whomever I was running near at the time. This worked great, until Barr Camp.
Beyond Barr Camp, there was no one point where I felt like the wheels came off and had I been alone, I might have felt better about how I was running, but I soon began to notice people creeping up on me. One here, two there, another one, then three. I lost count. Each time I thought to myself ‘this is it, this one can go by, but no more, that is all’, but of course I had no choice. No matter how I sliced it, it was taking a bit of mental toll. I walked some of the steeper steps on the switchbacks before the A-Frame and spent a bit of time sucking down my now 3rd gel, kidding myself that I was only walking to eat and drink, but deep down, I knew I was in a bit of trouble.
My time split at the A-Frame indicated that I was still on track to come close to PR if I could really pull it together and I actually felt a little better above tree line, mentally and for a short while, physically. I had been playing a bit of leap frog with a racer from Slovenia since before the rock arch early in the race and he was slowly creeping up on me again. I did not really care all that much, until he cut a switchback, and in an instant closed in significantly. I pointed out his mistake to him, but my comments went seemingly un-noticed. Soon after, he did it again, and I made mention that this was not an open course. No response. Before I knew it, he had done it 2 more times and was now moving ahead and I was a bit pissed at the nerve of this guy. Whenever we were moving along equal ground, I would gain on him and even passed him back at one point, but sticking to the trail proved to be no match for cutting switchbacks, as he continued to do all the way to the summit.
Over the final mile or so, my determination was fading and was really just ready to be done with it, as I knew that I was falling far short of my goal and what little fight I had left was fading quickly. Though I did not feel terrible, I was just not producing the power I knew that I should be and was walking more than I care to admit. I forced myself to run as much as I could, as I knew I was going to get some much welcomed flack from George, Homie, Justin and Scott (an 8 time winner no less). Their cheers boosted me a bit over the final section and I just squeaked in before 2 guys who were charging hard up the final section (one who I later found out was Jim P setting a 10 minute PR for himself, congrats Jim!!, well done!). Had the race continued on another few hundred yards, they would have passed me for sure.
I spent about 40 minutes on the summit, reporting the wayward Slovenian to the race timing crew (not sure if it did any good though, as I still see his name in the standings), chatting with friends and fellow competitors and just enjoying the nice day and the fact that I was finished, regardless of the outcome. The shuttle down the mountain was efficient and I was pleased to ride on the bus with Jim Mallory, whose conversation made the always long trip down go by much quicker.
As always, the race was run extremely well and I want to express my gratitude to all of the volunteers, SAR and the race organization. This race is a model in which all other races should follow. I also appreciate the timely and almost live results, awesome!
Oh, of course, can’t forget my splits/results:
Results:
8/154 in the 35-39 age group
53/1166 out of all males
65/1716 total participants
Splits:
Ruxton: 3:00
Hydro: 9:07
Top of Ws: 30:28
No Name: 45:08
Barr Camp: 1:20
BP turn: 1:34
A Frame Aid: 1:58 (2:01 at the sign?)
Summit: 2:56:11
7,815 vertical
Well, what can I say, another Pikes Peak Ascent has come and gone and yet again I failed to meet, what I felt to be, my realistic and attainable goals. I did not necessarily have a bad day, nor did I have a very good day. Everything indicated to me that I was ready to match or beat my PR of 2:46:10 from 2006, as my fitness was as good or better overall this year as it has ever been, I had no injuries and I deliberately avoided the majority of the pre-race hype as to not get too psyched up mentally and went into the race with a relatively laid back attitude. I ran 25 14ers in the preceding months, 106 trips up Green Mountain in Boulder, a handful of 13ers, 175 peaks in all with a total of 465,000 vertical feet, tapered well, slept well prior to the race, ate well etc….
One moment I am accepting of this, the next moment it stings a little bit, as I have developed a true love/hate relationship with the race. I often times question what it is I love so much about Pikes Peak and why I keep coming back despite the radically mixed emotions I feel. Maybe the camaraderie? The training and anticipation? Having a goal for the year? The excitement of the race itself? All of the above?
Though I know better, I have trouble avoiding the pitfalls of judging my entire year on one morning in August and associate a disproportionate amount of athletic self worth on this one race. I know there is much more to it than that. I run mountains almost every day simply because that is what I love to do most and I never run a step because I feel I have to, it is always because I love to. Pikes or no Pikes, I would be out doing the exact same things year round. I do truly consider myself to be fortunate to be able to run up and enjoy high peaks. In the overall big picture of my life, it is a minor irritant, but since these outdoor pursuits are such a major part of my life, I can’t help but to let it affect me, good or bad.
Despite not living up to my race day expectations, I did have a great time. The weather was perfect and I got to enjoy the company of many good friends and even make some new friends. I could try to dissect the race more, my training leading up the race, my motivation, expectations and perceptions vs. reality, but I have done that enough times. It is what it is.
It might sound like a cop out, but increasingly, I feel that Pikes just might not be the ideal race course for me or suit my strengths (whatever they are?). I also only race a few times per year and though I often times fancy myself racing more often and getting better at it, the truth of the matter is that I really don’t race more because I am just not that into racing. There I said it. The days I spend running in the mountains by myself or with a few friends leading up to a race or any other time of the year are FAR more enjoyable to me than the race itself.
I am not sure if I will be back for the Pikes Peak Ascent next year, as Allison and I are expecting twins this fall. I am very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life and don’t yet know how much that will impact my running, but I expect that it will a lot!
A brief overview of the race:
After a great Spaghetti dinner and a good night’s sleep (dinner and accommodations provided by Hoot and his wife Cindy, thanks Hoot!), Nate and I arrived at Memorial Park before 5:30am and scored an excellent parking spot with a view of the park, which made for convenient trips to the bathroom and a good feeling of not missing out on anything.
I took several productive trips to the porta johns and took my time eating and getting ready. I was antsy and a little nervous, but felt as though I had a good mindset and perspective and had a strong sense of confidence that I was as ready as ever for this day. We finally left the car a bit after 6:30am to head over to the start line, where we bumped into many good friends and acquaintances. I milled about for a bit, having brief exchanges, but my mind was elsewhere. I feigned a warm up, running back and forth up and down the road with the other runners, but it was really just some jogging around, debating one last pee.
My plan was to not go out too hard, so I placed myself accordingly, two or three rows back, but in the last minutes, it got really crowded up front and I found myself virtually in the 7th or 8th row, feeling a bit swamped. As the race started, the front runners took it out very hard, but I just did my best to stay upright in the crowd and work my way through those who had placed themselves incorrectly at the start line and held what I felt to be a good pace. As we turned onto Ruxton Ave. and the road tilted up, it was tempting to up the tempo and pick people off, but I knew that would of course be a bad move, expending so much energy so early in the race, so I just kept my HR and breathing under control, took short steps on the steeper stuff and slowly and non-deliberately began to pick my way past people along the way through the W’s.
I was working hard, but I felt good and the pace at no point felt un-sustainable and was confident that I could maintain that or more all the way to the top. On the “flattish” rolling section to Barr Camp, I passed a few people and a few people passed me, but I felt as though I were holding my own pretty well. Though I always want to do more passing than I want to get passed, I was not overly concerned specifically about placement, as there were so many fast people ahead. I knew if I stuck to what felt to be the right pace for me at the time, I would be better off in the long run, vs. trying to directly compete with whomever I was running near at the time. This worked great, until Barr Camp.
Beyond Barr Camp, there was no one point where I felt like the wheels came off and had I been alone, I might have felt better about how I was running, but I soon began to notice people creeping up on me. One here, two there, another one, then three. I lost count. Each time I thought to myself ‘this is it, this one can go by, but no more, that is all’, but of course I had no choice. No matter how I sliced it, it was taking a bit of mental toll. I walked some of the steeper steps on the switchbacks before the A-Frame and spent a bit of time sucking down my now 3rd gel, kidding myself that I was only walking to eat and drink, but deep down, I knew I was in a bit of trouble.
My time split at the A-Frame indicated that I was still on track to come close to PR if I could really pull it together and I actually felt a little better above tree line, mentally and for a short while, physically. I had been playing a bit of leap frog with a racer from Slovenia since before the rock arch early in the race and he was slowly creeping up on me again. I did not really care all that much, until he cut a switchback, and in an instant closed in significantly. I pointed out his mistake to him, but my comments went seemingly un-noticed. Soon after, he did it again, and I made mention that this was not an open course. No response. Before I knew it, he had done it 2 more times and was now moving ahead and I was a bit pissed at the nerve of this guy. Whenever we were moving along equal ground, I would gain on him and even passed him back at one point, but sticking to the trail proved to be no match for cutting switchbacks, as he continued to do all the way to the summit.
Over the final mile or so, my determination was fading and was really just ready to be done with it, as I knew that I was falling far short of my goal and what little fight I had left was fading quickly. Though I did not feel terrible, I was just not producing the power I knew that I should be and was walking more than I care to admit. I forced myself to run as much as I could, as I knew I was going to get some much welcomed flack from George, Homie, Justin and Scott (an 8 time winner no less). Their cheers boosted me a bit over the final section and I just squeaked in before 2 guys who were charging hard up the final section (one who I later found out was Jim P setting a 10 minute PR for himself, congrats Jim!!, well done!). Had the race continued on another few hundred yards, they would have passed me for sure.
I spent about 40 minutes on the summit, reporting the wayward Slovenian to the race timing crew (not sure if it did any good though, as I still see his name in the standings), chatting with friends and fellow competitors and just enjoying the nice day and the fact that I was finished, regardless of the outcome. The shuttle down the mountain was efficient and I was pleased to ride on the bus with Jim Mallory, whose conversation made the always long trip down go by much quicker.
As always, the race was run extremely well and I want to express my gratitude to all of the volunteers, SAR and the race organization. This race is a model in which all other races should follow. I also appreciate the timely and almost live results, awesome!
Oh, of course, can’t forget my splits/results:
Results:
8/154 in the 35-39 age group
53/1166 out of all males
65/1716 total participants
Splits:
Ruxton: 3:00
Hydro: 9:07
Top of Ws: 30:28
No Name: 45:08
Barr Camp: 1:20
BP turn: 1:34
A Frame Aid: 1:58 (2:01 at the sign?)
Summit: 2:56:11
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thursday, 08/19/10 Green Mountain
Same format as yesterday, except I opted for the Ranger Trail, as I had Sierra with me. This outing was more for Sierra than for me, as she has not been out for a few days. Started at 8:23am under cloudy skys that soon turned to intermittent soft fainfall. I went easier than yesterday, topping out in 30 minutes on a shorter route (I probably hiked 40-50% of the up and the rest was the lightest jog I could muster). Very easy on the down too, jogged and walked mostly.
30 up
?? down (forgot to look at the watch and stopped for a while to pick red raspberries).
30 up
?? down (forgot to look at the watch and stopped for a while to pick red raspberries).
Wednesday, 08/18/10 Green Mountain
I wanted to keep my run shorter today to conform with my very loose and unscientific taper plan. I debated between Sanitas and my old taper standby, Flagstaff. Sanitas is too hot and a bit steeper than I prefer for tapering and Flagstaff is not my favorite, as it crosses the road many times and is not particularly exciting and lacks a distinct summit.
It took me years to figure this out, but I came up with the last minute idea to drive up Flag to the turnoff and run Green from the halfway point to keep things mellow.
I ran down to the Ranger Cabin, then took Greenman all the way to the summit. It was relatively cool and my legs, mind and body were feeling top notch. Though I was raring to go, I went SUPER easy, just lightly jogging the gentle grade to the summit and took it really easy on the down.
29:50 up
23 down
It took me years to figure this out, but I came up with the last minute idea to drive up Flag to the turnoff and run Green from the halfway point to keep things mellow.
I ran down to the Ranger Cabin, then took Greenman all the way to the summit. It was relatively cool and my legs, mind and body were feeling top notch. Though I was raring to go, I went SUPER easy, just lightly jogging the gentle grade to the summit and took it really easy on the down.
29:50 up
23 down
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)