A day late

I'm a day behind here, but that's okay, it's been busy. I did run yesterday for a nice 6 miles with sunny skies. It was a little cloudier today with rain coming in, so with all I had to do I decided to give my legs a break. I've done 22 miles in 3 days so far this week anyway, so it's good to have a rest. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, so I may hit the pool instead of running. I think I will try to put a longer run in on Sunday though just to round things out nicely.

Cross Training

I did a mix of things today. I started off heading out the door a little early to get in a pool workout before work. I swam for half an hour and worked a bit on breathing on my "off" side. I am much better at breathing on my right side and whenever I try to do it on the left I feel like a fish out of water. But I should be able to do both so practice I must. I got to work and got my helium fill done, then I was off for a 9 mile run with Todd. We ran out towards Stapleton today and ended up going under where the old runways for Stapleton airport used to be. It was kind of cool to see how big they were and how thick and reinforced the concrete was. It was a nice run and will probably serve as the long run for the week as the weather is not supposed to be as nice on Friday and the weekend. Anyway it was interesting to see that my body could still handle a run like that after already being a little tired out from the pool.

It's official!

When I got up this morning and looked out the window the last of our snow had melted. Considering that our blizzard happened on December 20, that means that there was snow in our yard for a solid 3 months (the entire winter in fact). Today was awesome weather, low 70s for my run, and I did a little over 7 miles. I'm starting to get used to the heat a little more now I think, and the sun has been doing me good.

More swimming

I went to the pool today again after church and worked out for about an hour. Ended up doing about 2000m in the end. It's gorgeous here this weekend, with temps in the mid 70s. A little warm for running if you ask me so I did my run yesterday in the morning. It was a nice 5 miles in the reservoir with a great view of the snow-capped mountains. It's almost enough to make me forgive Colorado for the winter we've had. Speaking of which, the last of the snow from the blizzard is just about gone. There's just a tiny patch in the corner of our yard, and that will probably be gone by week's end. I will be happy to see it go.

Return of nice weather

Yesterday was kind of crummy out so I elected to take a rest day knowing that Friday was supposed to be better. It was and I got in 9 miles today in a group of 4. I felt really good on this run and even had some kick left at the end to keep up with Ultra-man. It was a great run and the temps were perfect for it. I think my preparation was good too as I made sure to drink 16 oz of water and have a banana and granola bar a half hour before we left. I think that's what gave me the energy to finish strong. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice as well so I will get to take Elijah out in the joggy stroller, that will be fun!

Hot and Cold

I did yesterday's run (an easy 3.5 miles) in 70 degree weather and today's 6.5 miles in 51 degree weather. The wind was up today too, which made it a little chillier, but it was not so unpleasant once I got warmed up. I underestimated the temperature a little and I didn't bring my jacket in, so needless to say the t-shirt stayed on. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler still, with a chance of rain so we'll see if I make it out or not. My knee has been bugging me since last Friday, but it doesn't hurt when I run so I'm not sure what's going on there. Icing seems to help so I'll keep that up.

Late Run

My nitrogen fill took forever today so I couldn't go for my run until 3. It was really hot and sunny by then so my 6.5 mile run felt more like 13. But afterwards I felt pretty good, although I have a headache tonight. Tomorrow may be late as well since I'm going to Boulder, and it's going to be even warmer tomorrow so I'll probably try to take it easy. I'm not very good with the heat but now is the time to start acclimating myself to it. It's not going to get any better as the year goes on.

1 mile!

I went to the pool today and I swam 1 mile! It's the first time I've gone that far. Now I have to admit that the 1 mile was made up of a series of shorter workouts with short breaks in between, so it's not like I just swam constantly the whole time. It was nice to be off my legs for a while. I did get 3 miles in yesterday at the reservoir, but my knee was kind of bugging me. I iced it last night and it feels much better today.

Another nine

I went out again today with Ultra-man and we did another 9 miles. I wasn't sure if I would do the whole thing but I ended up feeling pretty good so I went for it. Hopefully I didn't overdo it. Yesterday I didn't run at all so that I could recover a bit. It was hard not to go out as the weather was great for it, which was part of the reason I went longer today. When it's that nice out it's just hard to go back inside. Tomorrow I hope to take the joggy stroller out to the Cherry Creek Reservoir for a short easy run. The view alone will be worth it.

A perfect nine?

I went out for a run today with a couple of guys from a lab upstairs. One of the guys is a pretty exceptional runner and runs ultras and the like (for those unfamiliar ultra-marathons are usually 50 plus miles). We went out for 80 minutes on a route that I figured was about 9 miles, but for some reason he thought it was 10. I checked tonight and it was closer to 9 miles. Regardless it was a great run and longer than I have been able to do in a long time. I might add that it was so warm out there today that I actually ran the second half of the run without my shirt. Fortunately most of the run was on a trail so no accidents were caused by the sun reflecting off my pasty white chest.

Fabulous Weather

The weather here is amazing right now. 60 degree days, with sunshine. I'm running in shorts and a t-shirt and the remaining snow is melting like crazy. I did 6.5 miles today and I had a new running partner, so there was some good conversation too. Man I'm enjoying this week, I hope this spring thing sticks around.

Back to Work

I went back to work today after taking some time off to help Melissa with Miles. I had a lot of catching up to do, but I still managed to get a run in. I went for 5.5 miles which took me about 45 minutes. It's great to see how much snow has melted. Most of it is now gone, and there will not be much left after this week of warm weather is over. Tomorrow I will likely have some company too, so that is a plus. I did get out running once this weekend on Saturday, but it was only for 3 miles at a slow pace. It was probably good to take it easy as giving blood really makes a difference in my running performance and it takes a few days to get back to normal.

Indoors again

We had another snowstorm yesterday so today I was relegated to the track once again. I was planning on donating blood afterward so I only went 3 miles, but it was still good to get moving. The sun was out today but it was cold so things are still pretty icy. But with more sun tomorrow I may be able to get out without killing myself.

Miles and Miles

Well now that the word is out I can announce that I have a new passenger for my joggy stroller. Miles Iain Armstrong has joined the family and will be joining me for future workouts. None right now, I'm going to wait until it gets a little warmer to bring him along. I did 5 miles today on my own as Elijah was due for a nap. I felt like a nap too, but I decided that a run would do me just as much good, if not more. I really pushed hard and I got the 5 miles done in 40 minutes. Pretty good for the hills and the wind I was facing.

Rollercoaster

Our weather is like a rollercoaster. Today I did 5 miles and it was 60 degrees out. I was in a T-shirt and shorts, and even with a really strong wind it was still really nice. Unfortunately it's not going to last. We are due to get a blizzard tonight which may or may not dump a lot of snow on us. 2 inches is a best case scenario at this point. So since it will be difficult to get out over the next couple of days I took advantage of the calm before the storm.

The Road Less Traveled

I did 5.5 miles today on a route that I have not been able to do for a long time. There were still some patches that were pretty snowy but for the most part it was clear. For those that may not know we just missed the all-time record for most number of days with more than an inch of snow on the ground. The record was 63 days and we made it to 61. It was really nice to not have to run on the road. It's been a couple of days since I have been able to go so I was happy to get the break. Tomorrow I might have some company for my run as a couple of guys said they would go.

Neighborhood Run

I did a run around the neighborhood with Elijah and Caley in the double jogger and with Shaun and Chad running alongside today. It was a good 4 miles with lots of hills as usual. It was nice to have someone to chat with on the run. All in all a good way to closeout the weekend. I did wash the car today as well, as the weather was so nice and I put air in the tires too. It is so nice to be able to enjoy nice warm weather for a change.

Cold Wind

Today I did 7 miles with Elijah in the joggy stroller. With all the hills it was a great workout, but the wind was pretty cold. I was glad I had brought my jacket as I needed it for most of the run. Only a few patches of snow left and the stroller handled it well. Looks like I will probably go out for another 3 with Shaun tomorrow, which will be a good recovery run. I'm trying to increase my long run each week so that I can get back up to 10 miles. With a little more snow melt I can start varying my routes a little more too.

On Track

Well we've had bad weather the past few days so I have been relegated to the track once again. I swam on Wednesday and did 5 miles on Thursday and Friday. But the weather is due to improve this weekend and next week so I should be able to get back outside. That is assuming there is no baby arrival. I'm not sure exactly how my running is going to go once the baby arrives, but with the early rising I may find that early morning is my best time. I remember taking Elijah out in the stroller a few times when he did not want to sleep past 5 and mommy did, perhaps those kind of bonding runs will be in my future.

One Day, Thirty Degrees

Today it was 30 degrees colder outside for my run than yesterday. That's right it was 15 today when I ventured out for the same 4.5 mile circuit as yesterday. I was prepared though, I had my pants, my headband and touque, and my new gloves from Christmas. Everything was nice and toasty and warm, although at some points I was wishing I had brought my long sleeve shirt. At the end of the run I was feeling like I could have done more, but time did not allow, and I did not want to get too cold. It was nice as I had forgotten how much I like winter running. Now I just have to get myself used to the heat!

Quick Change

I went for a run today at 1:30 and it was beautiful out, sunny and in the mid 40s. It was a good run and I went for 4.5 miles around the campus. Not nearly as much mud today as I avoided the campus roadways as much as possible. With all the construction going on the roads seem to be perpetually covered in mud. When I left work, the weather had taken a pretty severe turn for the worse. The fog had rolled in and the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees. We are supposed to get some flurries tonight I guess and over the next few days, but according to the weather it will not add up to much. I don't mind the snow as much now as we have our front street back now, with just a few piles of ice left to melt. The snow in our front yard is another story and will take a few good warm weeks to get rid of. At least progress is being made.

Boy where to start!

Today was a beautiful day and we spent a lot of it outside as a family. We were up pretty early this morning so we decided to head to Boulder to catch some of the cross-country championships. We caught the first race, which was the masters women. You know how sometimes you look at someone who has been smoking for a long time, and they look older than they are? Running seems to have the opposite effect. When we first saw the woman who eventually came in second, Melissa could not believe that she was 40. And there was one lady who was making her way around the course who was 71!!! After we watched the first few runners come in we headed out to go to Peet's for coffee and walk around the 29th street mall.



We came back home and ate lunch, then Elijah and I got ready for a run. We had to pump up the tires on the joggy stroller, and once we had done that we were off. We ran a route based mostly on where they sidewalks were clear and ended up going for 6 miles. It was slow going at times with the hills and the snow, but it was a good "long" run. It was also the first run with the double joggy stroller. It performed flawlessly, and was much easier to handle than the old stroller despite being larger. The boys and I are going to have fun with that for sure!

Road Running

I went running at lunch today, mostly because Melissa needed the car and I would not be able to get to the gym. As much as I like running outside, I really dislike running on the road as I feel every car that is coming towards me is going to try to run me off the road. So I'll probably do my longer runs at the gym until more snow melts off the sidewalks. Today I did 4 miles and when I got back my calves were covered in mud (some people pay good money for that kind of thing). I figure I need to get some mud flaps or something. It's okay though as it will just get me in the mood for the USA Cross Country Championships that are going to be in Boulder on Saturday. We might head down there to check it out if the weather is not bad, but if not they are televising it on Sunday afternoon.

Let's Go Outside

I went out for a run at work today for the first time in 8 weeks. I was hoping that the snow around the golf course would not be too bad, but there were places where it was still several inches deep. I ended up switching over to a road so that I could run on bare pavement for most of it. I went 3 miles and was pretty muddy at the end of it, but happy to have had some time outdoors. I also hit the pool this morning for a half hour workout and ended up swimming a half mile freestyle. It was nice to get some cross-training in like that.

Picnic

I had to go to Boulder today, and I took advantage of the nice weather there to eat my lunch outside. I was able to sit out without my jacket on it was so warm. I hope this will go a long way towards melting the snow. I was this close to running outside today but I decided that in the interest of time I would just hit the gym. I went 5 miles at a pretty slow pace as my lower back has kind of been bothering me lately. It actually feels more like my hip, which is weird and it doesn't hurt when I run, just when I've been sitting for a while. Maybe tomorrow I will try to get a couple of laps around the golf course in.

Beautiful Day

The weather is gorgeous here right now and it sucks that there is still so much snow everywhere. I might try to run around the golf course later this week, but for now I still have to hit the track before work in the morning. I went for 4 miles today and I have updated my totals in the sidebar (thanks for the idea Cate)so that I don't have to keep looking for where I am every day. I had a little swim on Sunday while Melissa took the boy into the little pool, then I helped him blow his bubbles and practice his kicking. I hope he takes to it as I think that knowing how to swim at least a little is a good skill to have. We had fun and I imagine there will be more trips to the pool in the future if I need to get him out of mommy's hair for a little while. That and trips out in the joggy stroller, I can't wait!

Speedwork

I went to the gym this morning after shoveling and decided to mix in some speedwork into my week. I did 4x800m repeats at a little less than 7 minutes per mile. I had 400m of recovery between each, and a mile warmup and cooldown on each end. So that added up to 5 miles for 72.5 total. It was a good start to the day and it helped me get warm after the cold shoveling. It is supposed to be getting warmer tomorrow and by Monday we are supposed to be in the 40s again! It will feel like 80s with all the nasty weather we've been having. God I hope Punxsatawney Phil had it right.

Nasty Commute

I went to the gym for 5.5 miles this morning as we were expecting snow this evening and I didn't want to deal with traffic. I was glad I did as the drive was terrible. The snow really wasn't coming down too hard so I don't know why traffic was at a standstill most of the way. I think it is because drivers are used to the big storms we have had so many of that they just slow way down when even a trace of snow starts falling. I guess that's better than driving like maniacs. The snow is supposed to last all night so we'll see how much we have when we get up. If I do go to the gym tomorrow I'll be doing a "shoveling warmup" again. 67.5 Total.

Some days...

Some days it's harder than others to motivate myself to keep going while on the track. Today was one of those days. But I pushed through and did the full 45 minutes. So 5.5 miles makes it 62 for the month of January (I'll probably just do the pool tomorrow). It's a little short on my mileage goal but not bad considering how much of this month I have been on the injured list. The rest of my week should settle down now which is good considering it feels like it should be Thursday by now.

Evening Run

I had to go to Boulder early this morning so I went to the gym this evening after the boy went to sleep. I went 4 miles for 56.5 for the year. I realized that that tomorrow is going to be busy as well so I would not be able to go in the morning. I might go for another run tomorrow after work if things work out. This weekend turned out to be pretty good when all was said and done. The snow was not too bad, although it made everything really slippery. Sunday was actually sunny and warm so I was able to finally clear the snow and ice off the back patio. It's the little victories that give me hope in times like these.

Pushing the pace

I decided to see if I could keep my pace up at the gym today and I ended up doing 6 miles in the 45 minutes I ran. That gives me 52.5 miles for the year. It was a really good workout and I am so glad to be off the treadmill. It's weird how 15 minutes on the treadmill seems like an eternity, but on the track it just flies by. If the snow holds off tomorrow I may go out to the Cherry Creek State Park to run, but it doesn't look like that's going to be the case. Ideally the snow will have tapered off by Sunday so that we can go to the pool as a family.

Morning Workout

Yesterday was busy again so I didn't get a chance to post my workout. I went to the gym in the morning and did another 4 miles in 31:30 (46.5 total). I actually counted the laps this time to see how my splits were during the run. After that I hit the pool for a 20 minute swim. I really like my trips to the gym in the morning, but I find it gets me to work too late, so I will be looking forward to the day when I can do my afternoon run at work. I may try to venture out into the Cherry Creek Reservoir on Saturday if the weather's not too bad. We are supposed to get snow again this weekend, so if I want to run outside I guess I'm just going to have to get used to doing it on snow and ice.

Slammed!

Wow, these past couple of days have been crazy! I've barely had a chance to check my email and everyone knows what an email junky I am. I have been able to get to the gym though so that has been good. Yesterday I did 4 miles on the track plus a few laps in the pool, and today I did 5.5 miles on the track. That gives me 42.5 miles and things are starting to look up. My back feels good and although I'm not yet running outside I'm at least I'm off the "dreadmill." Even though I'm just going around and around the track still is more interesting than the treadmill. There are people to pass and people passing me (although fewer of the latter).


I did go skiing on Saturday which was nice. It was really busy and the lines were long, but at least the snow was good. It felt good to get out on the slopes, and it was good exercise. I'll have to find the time to get out again this season, preferably on a day that's less busy.

Improvement

I had a good half hour swim today, doing 1000 yards, 750 crawl, 250 breaststroke. It was really nice and I'm happy to see my endurance improving slowly. I really like doing the morning swim thing as a dip in the pool and a nice warm shower afterwards is really invigorating. The membership at the Trails is certainly paying for itself this month! I got all my cryogens filled and tests done this week so I'm a happy facility manager indeed. Time to enjoy the weekend and take advantage of the snow by going skiing. We are getting snow again this weekend, unfortunately. It's never going to melt at this rate!

I shoulda skipped that coffee

Elijah came to visit me at work today so we went to the coffee shop to get a snack. I had a latte and we got a scone for us to share. Unfortunately the coffee went to work on my digestive system and I had to cut my run tonight short at 35 minutes. That was 4.5 miles for 33 total. I'd like to get a swim in before work tomorrow, and it looks like I'll be going skiing on Saturday, so the next time I run will likely be Sunday. I think that's a good start to bringing my mileage back up.

Finally a good run

Yesterday I hit the gym for a run on the track as I feel like I'm fully healed. I ran for 45 minutes and went about 5.5 miles. That's 28.5 total and I have some catching up to do. I'll start ramping up my miles gradually again, and hopefully will be able to run in the great outdoors soon. We got a double joggy stroller yesterday (Thanks Nana!) and it looks like it will be really sweet to run with. Elijah climbed right in and both of us were very sad when we told him we couldn't run with it yet. With some warm weather and no new snow we might be able to hit Cherry Creek Reservoir in a few weeks. I just have to keep praying for good weather.


I hit the pool this morning for a nice workout before work. It's a really great way to start the day. I wanted to get my swim in before the aquacise class started so I think I went a little faster than I should have. I did a good 20 minutes though and was out of the pool in plenty of time. Now I have a busy day ahead of cryogen fills. Yay!

In the depths of winter

Our 4th storm in 4 weeks hit today and compared to the last 3 so far it's not too bad. I shoveled an inch of poofy snow this morning, but the real issue is the cold. When we got up this morning it was -2 degrees (that's -19 C for you Canucks) and it is supposed to be colder this weekend. I don't mind the cold so much as we have good winter gear, but it will be a shock for Lexi, who is visiting from California this weekend. We'll probably just huddle inside and bake, as that is the best thing to do on a cold winter day. We are greeting at church on Sunday though so I'll have to wear long johns for that as I am the "outdoor greeter".


You can't let the cold get you down though so I did head to the gym this morning for a workout. I really wanted to get a swim in before the week was out, but as the aquacise class started at 8:45 I had to skip the run and go straight for the pool. I still wanted to get a good workout though so I really worked hard to motivate myself to keep going. I ended up swimming for half an hour and had a great time. Not a bad way to beat the cold!

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, and mother to the fruit of my loins!

On the mend

Melissa and I went to the gym today after she picked me up from work. We both hit the track for half an hour and I managed to run about 3 miles pain-free. 23 Total. The pool was full of rugrats so we decided to head home without a swim. It was good we did as we were both starving when we got home. Fortunately we had planned pizza for dinner so it was pretty quick to get that going. Tomorrow the snow begins, let's hope it's only a few inches.

Healing up

Well I feel like I'm healing up slowly. This weekend my back felt the best it has in two weeks and today at the gym I was able to run a mile on the track at a very slow pace after running 3 on the treadmill. So I'm at 20 now and hopefully when I get back to 100% I'll be able to get back to running more than 5 miles at a time. Maybe by then the snow will be melted too, although we are due for another round this week so probably not. This weather is really starting to get me down, but at least I've been able to get to the gym somewhat consistently. The plus side of being injured is that I've been swimming more. Yesterday I swam when we went to the pool with Elijah and I got another workout in today. Summer can't be too far away right?

Uncle! I said it!

We had another storm today, another 6-8 inches of snow. I give! No more! Please!


After a 20 minute shoveling warmup I managed to hit the gym this morning for 4 miles on the track and treadmill and then a quick swim. 16 miles so far but I may have to start doing more cross-training if my back doesn't start feeling better. The treadmill doesn't feel too bad, but running on the track is still fairly painful. It may be that an exercise bike would be better for me. I'd love to make swimming most of a workout but I can only do it for so long before I'm bushed. Oh well, that will come with time I suppose.

Uncle! I said it!

We had another storm today, another 6-8 inches of snow. I give! No more! Please!


After a 20 minute shoveling warmup I managed to hit the gym this morning for 4 miles on the track and treadmill and then a quick swim. 16 miles so far but I may have to start doing more cross-training if my back doesn't start feeling better. The treadmill doesn't feel too bad, but running on the track is still fairly painful. It may be that an exercise bike would be better for me. I'd love to make swimming most of a workout but I can only do it for so long before I'm bushed. Oh well, that will come with time I suppose.

Swim swim!

I managed to convince myself to do a full 4 miles on the treadmill for a total of 12 so far. I set it up for half an hour and I managed to convince myself that if I wanted to quit early I could do that. So after about 10 minutes I decided I would cut it short at two miles, but when that came I figured, hey another one couldn't be that bad. By the time 3 rolled around I was able to convince myself that I could pull off the full 4. I finished up on the treadmill and then I went up to walk around the track and check out the pool. The pool was full, but I figured I wanted to have a shower anyway so I would get changed and check to see if any lanes had opened up. One just opened up when I got there so I got to test out my new goggles. They worked out well, and the swim was great for my back. I can't wait to heal up so that I'll at least be able to run on the track instead of the treadmill, but at this rate it looks like the snow will be melted before my back is better.

Eugoogly

I did 4 miles on the treadmill this morning at a fast pace (they limit you to 30 minutes so I have to do 7:30 min/mile to get it done) and I caught some of Gerald Ford's eulogies. Some of them were really impressively written and I have to say that anyone should consider themselves fortunate to have such praises lauded upon them at a funeral service. Watching it made the minutes fly by. No swimming today, the aquacise class was using the lap pool. Too bad as I want to test out my new goggles.

Great Workout

Went to the gym today and had a good workout. I decided to take it easy on my back so I did 4 miles on the treadmill. It was boring, but it's still running. After that I hit the pool for a few laps. When we went out shopping this afternoon I bought some goggles because I'm tired of having nasty red pool eyes afterwards. We had a nice day as a family, and it was nice to get out of the house for a bit. It's great having the family back together again!

2007 Miles: 4!

Happy New Year!

Well the new year is almost here so I suppose it is time for those new year's resolutions. My biggest goal is just to stay active this year, and I am striving for some sort of activity every day, even if it is just a family walk. My running goals are a little more concrete, I am hoping to train semi-seriously for the Bolder Boulder in May, and perhaps tackle a half-marathon in the fall. But the biggest goal I have is to run 1000 miles in 2007. I am going to maintain a running total of my miles on this blog to keep me on track. While it may seem like a lot, it's not really that bad, just an average of 20 miles a week. Now all I need is for all this damn snow to melt so that I can run outside again.

Day 2

Well we made it through another day of the blizzard and it was not all that bad. We only woke up to about 3 inches, so I shoveled that in the morning. Then through the day we got about another inch so I shoveled that at 5. Still no trash pickup for us, but the mail is becoming more reliable again. On the whole this blizzard has not yet been as debilitating as the one last week. Because the storm is moving fairly slowly the city seems to be able to keep on top of things pretty well. While some flights have been cancelled the airport has stayed open, which gives me hope for Melissa's return on Sunday. Unfortunately we are due to get another bout of snow tomorrow evening into Sunday morning, so we'll see how the conditions hold up.



Elijah and I beat the cold this morning by making biscuits with my new biscuit cutters. They were really good, so I'll have to make them again when Melissa is here. Well I have to go now, I'm learning how fiberglass insulation is made and the cat wants to be fed.

Blizzard 06.2

Well with Melissa off in sunny California for a few days I suppose it's up to me to keep updates going on the second blizzard of 2006 in as many weeks. Elijah and I took a nice long walk up to Smoky Hill road this morning before it started snowing. By the time we got back at 10:30 the first flakes were starting to fall. When Elijah got up from his nap at 4 we both went out to do the first shoveling of the day. We shoveled 2 inches or so but it was really starting to come down and by the time we got our snow gear off you couldn't tell we had done anything. Elijah went to bed at 7 and I noticed that our neighbor had done a run down our sidewalk with her snowblower, so I decided to brave the elements once again so that I'm not overwhelmed tomorrow. I shoveled another 3 or 4 inches but I was encouraged by the fact that the snow had let up a little bit. If the weather is correct though I'll have another 6 inches to do tomorrow morning. The hardest part of the job is the fact that I have to shovel our driveway halfway across the street to get to the ruts. Well, to be continued...

Back to Work

Today I was finally able to venture back to work after being snowed in over the holiday. The neighborhood streets are still really bad, but everywhere else is in pretty good shape. I was able to get everything ready for my absence over the next few days. I took advantage of being out of the house finally to hit the gym and get a workout in. I threw my back out on Friday shoveling snow for a neighbor so it hasn't been too bad that I have had to take it easy. But I could not take being sedentary for much longer. I ran on the track for 10 minutes, but I found that was aggravating my back by running. So I hit the pool and did some laps for some no-impact exercise. A trip to the hot tub later and my back was feeling much better. Tomorrow we are going to try to spend some time as a family out of the house, I'm looking forward to that.

Man what a week!

Well this week has been pretty crazy so I've been keeping active where I can. We took Elijah to the pool on Sunday and I took a few minutes to do a few laps, so that was good. But then Monday and Tuesday I was slammed at work and I did not get a chance to go running. It's too bad because those were probably the only nice days of the week. Last night I decided to hit the gym after dinner just in case the weather was too bad today to run. Boy am I ever glad I did that. It is crazy snowy today and I was super bummed that I had to go into work to put a new sample in the magnet. The morning drive wasn't bad but I knew it would just get worse as the day went on so I was trying to get out of there as soon as I could. I ended up staying until 12:30 to get the experiments started, then I started the trek home. The drive was pretty bad and it took me over an hour to get home, but then I got stuck trying to pull into the driveway. Thankfully there was a guy with a big truck passing by who had just pulled someone else out of trouble up the street and he offered to pull me back out into the street. Once I had shoveled out the drive and street a bit I took a run it at it. This time I got stuck only once, for a minute or two, then I peeled up the driveway into the garage. I can do most of my work from home now, so I'll probably be taking a snow day tomorrow as well, but it will be tough to get a workout in. I guess shoveling will have to be my exercise.

Improvement

I did not do a run today, opting instead for a bit of a recovery with a trip to the pool. My swimming is showing signs of improvement and I can already do much more than I could when I first went a few weeks ago. As anyone who has ever "cross-trained" before knows, being relatively fit does not translate into being able to do any activity you want really well. So I have been taking it pretty slowly with the swim. Today was the first time that I stopped because I was a little bored rather than stopping because I am bushed. I find that much like the treadmill swimming laps is a little dull, but I love the low impact workout. I did 20 minutes today, which consisted of 2 laps each of sidestroke and breaststroke to warm up and then did a bunch of laps of front crawl (or freestyle). I lost count of how many laps of that I did, it was at least 10. Then I did 4 laps of back crawl and a cool down of 2 laps each of just kicking on my back, breaststroke and sidestroke. I don't know exactly how long each lap is, it's certainly not an olympic sized pool so it's probably 25 yards. I'm also kind of wussing out as I haven't got up the nerve to do any turns at the end of my lap, so I stand up and take a few breaths before turning around. In thinking about it it probably costs me more energy to do it that way as I have to find my rhythm all over again each time.


As a side note, I received a comment about my recent goose related blog post that I did not know whether they were in fact "Canadian" Canada geese, and not "American" Canada geese. The geese that I observed were in fact "Canadian" Canada geese as they were clearly gathering to discuss the merits of a centralized health care system before they were interrupted by my run. Just to set the record straight.

Just me and my thoughts

Today I did my 5 miles around Bluff Lake all on my own, no major epiphanies although I did have Supertramp stuck in my head for a while (I have no idea why). It was a hard effort so I'm kind of looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. If my meetings in Boulder don't go too late I may try to hit the pool on the way home. Tomorrow there is a scheduled power outage at work so I have to be there at 7 to make sure that everything works as it is supposed to. It's going to be long day!

Company

Today I had company again for my run and we went for a few loops around Bluff Lake. Ended up being around 7 miles. It was supposed to be fairly warm today, but for some reason a big cloud was stuck over the whole city which made it feel much colder. But after a few minutes I warmed up and it ended up being really nice. The deer were out again today, and one bounded across the path as we approached. It should be a good day for a run tomorrow, but Thursday may be tough with all I have to get done.

Weekend Workouts

I did my Saturday run with Elijah this weekend (and got another flat tire), and went to the Trails yesterday for a 15 minute jog and 15 minute swim. It was a nice break from the sidewalk runs I had to deal with last week. Today I felt pretty good, and I kept off the sidewalk as much as I could. Ended up going 5 miles up to Bluff Lake via a slightly different route. The trail has dried out pretty well now so it's smooth sailing.

On the psyche of geese

It was 59 degrees today, so I did 6.5 miles in shorts and a t-shirt. The Canadian geese seemed to have all decided to congregate around the trail today, so as I was running they would take off all at once and move a safe distance away. All the geese seemed to be on the north side of the trail, with the path cutting between them and the creek. As I was running back, however, the geese had made their way back to the trail, but were now on the south side. As I was running towards them I hypothesized that the geese would not fly away due to the fact that this time they had a clear escape route available to them. As I ran past the geese waddled off, but did not take flight. I was just patting myself on the back for having made such astute observations of goose behavior, when I came upon another small gaggle of geese on the north side of the path. These geese did not fly away either. I realized that I had forgotten the first rule of scientific observation: in observing any event, you fundamentally change its outcome in some way. In this case my hypothesis was proven wrong by a "control gaggle" of geese. Evidently the behavior of the geese did not have anything to do with which side of the path they were on, just the fact that they had seen me run by before and decided that I did not represent a threat.


Some may in fact question why all of these thoughts would be going through my mind at a time like that, in which case this post may be more appropriately titled "On the psyche of Geoff."

Muddy

I couldn't bear another day of running on sidewalks so I decided to venture out onto the trails. I ran around bluff lake and on the whole it wasn't too bad. But there were a few pretty muddy spots that were tough to get through. Nothing like getting hit with chunks of mud that are flying off your shoes. No deer today, I found out yesterday that they have moved up the creek a little bit as I saw them on the other side of campus. It was a nice 4.5 miles despite the mud, but I'm hoping for drier conditions tomorrow.

Slushy

Well my schedule has not been the best the last couple of days but I have managed to get out running. With the warmer temperatures though it has been hard to find routes that aren't really muddy. Yesterday I went for 6 miles or so, and today I did a faster 4 miles. They were all on sidewalks though. Ideally things will have dried out enough to hit the trail tomorrow.

Weekly Mileage

Well I woke up to light snow and cold temps so I decided to forget about running today. I'm still pretty creaky from these last few days anyway. So I imagine that will cap my weekly milage at 23.5. Maybe tomorrow I will hit the pool!

Dentist

I went to the dentist this morning. I remember the last time I went to the dentist it was a hot summer day and I was supposed to do a 10 mile run for my marathon training. I was only able to run 6 because of the heat of the afternoon! Quite a difference 6 months makes, there was still lots of snow on the ground and unfortunately today it was accompanied by a cold wind. But with the sun it wasn't too bad and I ended up doing the same 6.5 mile route as yesterday. I've got my shoes all opened up now and hopefully they will dry out by tomorrow morning. Elijah will not be coming with me as the snow is still too much to push a stroller through. Ideally it will warm up enough to melt it off next week.

Trailblazer!

Today the afternoon temps were in the mid 20s so I went outside for my run. I ran through the golf course to avoid the sidewalks then I hit the prairie dog trail. I was the first one to run on that path, I love the feeling of running on fresh snow. There was only a few inches of it, which made it a bit of a resistance workout, but didn't slow me down too much. I ran for an hour and went about 6.5 miles. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as nice.

Snow and Ice

Today was snowy with icy roads and sidewalks, so I elected to do my running at the Trails instead of outside. It ended up being pretty good, I did three miles at about a 7 minute mile and another mile or so at a little over 8. So for a half hour workout it was pretty good. The roads here suck so driving anywhere takes forever and even with leaving work a little early it still took me almost an hour to get there. Tonight is supposed to get down to 0 so it will be a chilly one. Hopefully I won't get called in to a cold magnet!

Back to Work

The holiday was great and I am really looking forward to enjoying the Christmas season. Today though it was back to business as usual. I did have a great run, 6.5 miles or so (3 times around Bluff Lake), and I had some company for a change. The weather was quite a bit cooler than it was a little while ago, but it was still nice. This week is going to be challenging with the cold temperatures that are due to hit us. I'm not looking forward to that.

Turkey Trot!

Well I finished the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot this morning, and had a blast. It is a 4 mile course and I finished (according to my watch) in 30:34. We'll see what the chip time turns out to be, as that is what I am hoping to use as my entry time for the Bolder Boulder in the spring. It was not my best run as I certainly went out too fast in the beginning, but it is easily my best time so I'm quite happy with the result. My mile splits were as follows: 7:11 (Yikes!), 14:48 (Still Yikes!), 22:30 (But I'm dying!), and 30:34 (Crikey!). I swear the first two miles did not feel that fast, but the last two certainly felt slower than they actually were. Ideally the spilts should have been the other way around, but I still feel like that was the first race where I have really been able to race up to my ability. It sure as hell wasn't easy, but I made it!

Pseudo Taper

As part of my scaling back my mileage to prepare for the race on Thursday I only went running on Saturday and today for only about 3 miles each. My legs are feeling much better and I hope to be able to push the pace up a little on Thursday. As usual though I will take advantage of the crowding at the beginning of the race to make sure I don't go out too fast from the start. My goal is to run under 36 minutes for the 4 miles. More than likely I will not run tomorrow and try to get out of work early instead. I remember last year trying to drive home the day before Thanksgiving and it was painful. Check here for an update on Thursday with my race time!

Tumbling Tumbleweeds

I thought it was going to be a great day for a run today. It's 65 degrees out there and I was able to go out with just shorts and a T-shirt. But not two minutes after I left, the wind started blowing like crazy and quashed any aspirations I might have had about a nice long run today. But I decided to roll with it and fought the headwind all the way to Bluff Lake before turning around and taking advantage of the tailwind to do some aerobic intervals. Ended up being only about 3.5 miles, but with the speedwork it was still a good workout. It's probably good to have a week with less mileage, it seems like I've been pretty sore this week. But when I run it works out all the kinks and I feel great, although a trip to the hot tub would be nice...

Perfect Day

It was a picture perfect day for running today, clear, sunny, no wind and nice and cool (45 F). I put in a couple of loops around Bluff Lake for about 5.5 miles. I tried to push the pace a little as well which made it a hard workout. This week I have been doing most of my runs around 1, and eating my lunch at 12 to give me a good energy base. I think it has worked out well, much better than what I was doing before which was having a piece of fruit around 11 and going for a run at 12. I should probably work a small taper into my training next week to get ready for the turkey trot. I can't wait for Thanksgiving!

Blustery 7 miles

It's pretty windy here today but I was keeping an eye on it before I left for my run and it didn't get too much over 10 mph. So I decided to go out for my run anyway. It wasn't too bad, the wind was at my back on the way out, but the way back was a little tougher. When I got back I checked the weather and the wind was up to 20 mph! Still, I got through it and it ended up being a pretty good run. Shoes are still working out great, although it takes some getting used to when your old ones were worn down to almost nothing. Tonight Elijah and I are going to hang out while mommy goes to the gym, I'm looking forward to it.

My Worst Nightmare

The Boy Who Ran Like a Deer


No deer today thankfully after reading this story. I did a nice 4.5 miles around Bluff Lake in my new shoes. They were very comfy and I am looking forward to putting in some serious miles in them. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to go running today as the weather was supposed to get pretty nasty this afternoon, but so far it has held off.


Yesterday I took a rest from running but I stayed active by going to the Trails to swim a few laps. I ended up swimming for about 15 minutes before my form started going downhill fast and I took that as my limit. It wasn't too bad actually considering the last time I tried to swim I went out far too hard and had problems even finishing a few laps. I really like swimming, so I hope it is something I can consistently add to my weekly activity. Having the membership to the Trails will really help in that I think.

New Shoes

This morning was pretty busy for us. I drove Melissa to the Trails for her workout and then ran up to the Piney Creek trailhead to meet Shaun for our run. Put in a good 4.5 miles or so for a total this week of 32 miles. It is windy today, but warmer than I thought it would be. I had a quick shower at the Trails and then we were all off to Runner's Roost to buy my new shoes. It's amazing how much better they feel than my old worn out ones, I can't wait to put a few miles on them. I'm making banana bread now, and after lunch we are off to the pediatricians for Elijah's flu shot. I'm sure we'll have to comfort him afterwards with a trip to Peet's.

Big Deer!

The big buck was out today, and he was huge! Also one tried to run by me without being seen, they look kind of funny when they are bounding from their back legs to their front legs. I did just 4.5 miles today to take it easy, but I was feeling really good at the end. I don't want to risk injury though especially with my old shoes. I'm going to try to buy new ones this weekend so that I can break them in before the turkey trot. TGIF, this week seems like it's gone on forever. Tomorrow I get to have my run with Elijah, I love Saturdays!

Happy Gary

Gary now has a new battery, a new alternator and a new serpentine belt! He's a happy car. We didn't make it to Melissa's appointment this morning, but they were all done with the repairs by 9:30, which isn't too bad. They had a copy of Runner's World there so I was all set.


I went out for a 7 mile run at noon today and really enjoyed the cooler weather. It was 80 yesterday and 46 today so it was quite a front that moved in. No major precipitation though and we are not supposed to dip below freezing so I doubt we'll get any snow out of it. It was perfect weather for running although the view of the mountains was obscured by clouds. I'm definitely a cold weather runner, I feel like my strength is sapped when it's hot out and the sun is beating down. Give me cloudy and cool any day! I'm glad to have the right gear for it too, my jacket and pants keep me nice and toasty warm even when the temps get pretty cold. I just need a shell now to keep the rain and wind out. But with the car repairs that will just have to wait.

Cue the Stripper Music

It was so hot for my run today that I actually took my shirt off for part of it. That does not happen very often. I took it pretty easy after yesterday and only did 4.5 miles around Bluff Lake. It was a good break in the day and nice to take advantage of the great weather we have right now. I think a front is supposed to move in tomorrow night so it may not be as nice for the weekend as this, but for November I can't really complain.


Tonight I am going to make enchiladas for dinner (thanks Cate and Kaisara!) which I love so I'm looking forward to that. That's assuming I can start the car to get home. Yesterday the battery light came on while I was driving home, which usually indicates that there is something wrong with the alternator. It started fine this morning so I suspect that the alternator is just on its last legs and not completely dead. So tomorrow Melissa will have to take it in to Sears to get that replaced. I really can't complain when anything goes wrong with Gary, he has been such a reliable car and with more than 120k miles to his credit it's not so surprising when a part wears out.


[UPDATE]: Well the alternator is dead, I barely made it into a shop before the car conked out on my way home. They sold me a new battery to get me home and I'll head back there in the morning to get the alternator replaced. Hopefully it won't take too long as Melissa has a doctor appointment to get to. Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it now.

Oops

You'd think I would know my body better by now. Today I didn't leave Boulder until quarter to one so I ate an apple before the drive home so that I would have some energy for a run. I ended up crashing pretty hard towards the end and regretted not eating more. When I got back I downed my sandwich and felt much better afterwards. It seems like I really need a pretty good energy store to do my runs and breakfast just doesn't hold on that late.


I got home early enough to take Elijah swimming at the pool. He had fun I think but was still pretty cold as he doesn't like to move around much in the water. We swam for about 20 minutes then had a nice warm shower. Since I had such a late lunch we just had dinner after we got back. Spaghetti, tasty!

Getting away from it all

I did a nice 6 miles today which was a great break from work. The only problem was that we've had some water quality issues at work and I had to walk to a whole other building to fill up my bottle. It was great weather, and I almost had to go shirtless I was so hot. No deer today, I must have gone too early.


I watched the highlights of the NYC marathon yesterday and was pretty surprised by the outcome. I ended up feeling pretty unhappy about the coverage that such an event received from the media, and I boycotted football for the rest of the day. It's not like there was anything on that early on a Sunday morning that couldn't have been preempted for live coverage.

All on our own!

It was just Elijah and I for our run this morning. It was warm, even though it was still fairly early. We went for 3 miles as I didn't want to push too hard having run 34 miles this week total. That brings my total mileage right around where I want it to be. Tomorrow will be a nice day off to recover. Today we went to Cherry Creek to get the oil changed. Melissa and I were lamenting the fact that Cherry Creek just doesn't offer what it used to. There's no real bookstore there now and Harry and David is gone too. The only reason we go is to go to Sears usually as we can always go to Peet's in better locations. Southlands is so much better for our shopping needs now.

Gotta love Denver

Today it is beautiful outside. Perfect temperature in the mid 60s and sun, sun, sun! I went out for 5 miles around Bluff Lake and saw the deer again. This time I caught sight of the buck too, just a young-un, only a few points. I think I'm pretty well recovered from my blood donation now, so I'm thinking about signing up for the Denver Turkey Trot at Washington Park. It might be nice to kick off the T-Day with a little run. I can't believe that thanksgiving is so close, Christmas is just around the corner. I'm surprised Melissa hasn't started playing Christmas music already, usually she breaks it out Nov. 1. I bet it will be playing this weekend for sure.

Warmer weather

Today was quite a bit nicer than yesterday and I went out running in my shorts. I still had my jacket on, but I could have almost taken that off towards the end. Did a nice 7 miles or so at a good pace. It was tiring but rewarding. So far I have run everyday this week to a total of 24 miles, I can feel the cumulative mileage in my legs, but other than that I feel pretty good. I think I'll do a shorter run tomorrow and then Saturday will be a pretty easy run. I don't know when it happened, but at some point I transitioned from "someone who occasionally runs to keep fit" to a full on "runner." Some people may see me as a nut for that, but I think Melissa understands. I'm lucky to have such a caring and understanding family!

Deer!

Today I was solo for my run, but I got to see some deer up close as I was running through Bluff Lake. I think I surprised one deer as I didn't even see her until I was right next to her. She couldn't have been more than 6 feet away, I was actually a little scared. It was nice to see them again. Bluff Lake is looking pretty good too, there is actually water in the lake for the first time that I have ever seen. According to the Bluff Lake guy I spoke to there is 4.5 feet of water! Hopefully that will bring some waterfowl to the area. I just went for 4.5 miles or so due to my long run yesterday. I'm on my own for the next couple of days too, but I think the kick start I've had will give me enough momentum to get out. The only problem is that we have to do laundry every two days since I only have two sets of running clothes. I should get another set from Target now that I am running more often. That and a new set of running shoes. I can't complain about that I suppose, they have carried me over 600 miles this year.

Cold But Sunny

Today was colder than yesterday, but sunny and no wind. So I went for a little longer today, probably 7 miles or so. It was a hard run but it felt good to get away from it all for a while. I miss running with Elijah though. Oh well, it would be too dark to go with him after work now anyway. We'll always have Saturday I suppose.

Denver Weather

Today I checked the temperature before I went out for my run and it was 63 degrees out. So I went out with just a T-shirt and shorts and I froze due to the 30 mph winds! But after getting my workout going it was not that bad, especially when the wind was with my back. It was good to get out for a run as I was not sure it was going to happen with all that I had to do today. Tomorrow should be a little less hectic.

Snow and Joggy Strollers Do Not Mix

I did go out for my Saturday run today, but met up with a lot of resistance with sidewalks that have not been cleared. It was pretty icy in spots too. So it was short, maybe a mile or two, but I ran a little faster on the dry parts to get a sweat up. That made it 5 days that I ran this week, so my total mileage is right where I want to be. The weather sure was nice, by noon I was walking around Southlands in a T-shirt. Elijah is having a nap now, so I took the opportunity to make peanut brittle. That will be a nice halloween treat for all of us. This afternoon we are carving our pumpkin.

One Gallon!

Well I hit the gallon mark for blood donation today (that's 4 liters for all you Canadians). I got a little pin which was cool. I didn't even know I was that close to the mark.


I did go for about 5 miles today, although it was pretty slow and soupy. I must have been covered with dirt by the time I got back. Hopefully the path will be in good enough shape to go tomorrow with Elijah. No plans for the weekend really, I'm sure we'll come up with something fun to do though. Maybe another trip to Southlands. It's supposed to be really nice this weekend so we'll have to have some outside time as a family.

Snow Day

Today I did not run due to the blizzard outside. I did go yesterday though for 5 miles and tomorrow I will definitely get out as it is supposed to be in the 50s and sunny. The snow won't last long with that kind of weather!


Yesterday and this morning were really busy dealing with a major air compressor problem. We did get it fixed though so tomorrow should be a little more laid back. One more day to the weekend!

Better today

Did another 6 miles or so today, and with it a little cooler and spending most of the time on a gravel path it was a little easier. It was nice to get out though as today was pretty busy. We had a minor issue with a compressor today, so we were fortunate to have a backup compressor on hand. We were able to get the problem fixed with only minor down time.

The Pool

Went for a good 6 miles today at lunch, and went by the Fitzsimmons Pool to see what facilities are there. I'm trying to get a good replacement for my gym membership that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg. Unfortunately the Fitzsimmons pool is not that, as it costs almost as much as my gym membership, but almost nothing there other than a pool. They did say if we wanted to use the shower after a run that we could do that for free though, bonus! Looks like the Trails is the best bet for us as Melissa can get in on the membership for a similar price.


These longer runs at lunchtime are really helping me to get back into it. I'm going to try to get out most weekdays, but probably one day a week I will have to go to Boulder instead, so five or six days a week total. It's a lot easier motivating myself to go when there is someone else going too. All in all it will be great getting back in distance shape and it will help me prepare for the races I'm planning next year.

I love my Saturdays!

Yesterday was another busy day, but I love weekends when I get to do my little fix-it jobs. It did snow Friday night and we awoke to a few inches on the ground, but it was not too cold so Elijah and I went for our run anyway. By the time we got to running the sun had come out and it was gorgeous. After we got home, Elijah went down for a nap and I started on my task for the day which was to fix the garage entry door. After several "quick-fixes" over the past year I wanted to fix it so it would last. A couple of hours and a trip to Home Depot later I had fixed the door and improved things a bit by installing the strike-box with 3-inch screws. Since I was on a roll I took a look at the upstairs bathtub, which had caused a minor flood the night before. It turned out that the genius that had installed the tub had not installed the overflow gasket, allowing water to flow right down into the laundry room below when the tub was filled up to the overflow drain. Melissa and I headed off to Southlands to check out the opening festivities there and have some coffee. On the way back we picked up a gasket at Home Depot. 5 minutes and $2 later the tub was fixed, although we will eventually have to replace a piece of drywall in the laundry room.


Today we will be relaxing at home, and then having a night out for the two of us tonight. We're going to see the Lion King musical at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It will be nice to have a date night, we haven't had one since our dinner at PF Chang's in June.

Thar be squalls ahead...

Went for a lunchtime run again today. It was windy but sunny and warm. By the time we had finished though the clouds were starting to move in for our next storm front. We are supposed to get snow tonight, but it won't get as cold as the last front. I still have to get my sprinklers blown out, so I hope we haven't had anything freeze with all this cold weather. We'll see I guess.

Back to work

I went back to running at work now that it is getting cool in the evenings. I'll still take Elijah on the weekends, but it's just easier for me to get out at lunchtime than it is to get home before it gets dark. Anyway I went out for about 50 minutes with a new guy at work who is also a runner. It was nice to have someone to chat with while I was out, and we went further than I would have if it had been just me. Other than that and putting out little spot fires it was a pretty laid back day.

Greatest Sentence Ever!

"The bears bear hard hard yarn yarns."

-- L. Snicket

Make hay while the sun shines

Yesterday was a beautiful day and it was still really warm when I came home from work so I took advantage of the weather while I could. It is supposed to turn nasty today, so I thought I might as well get the runs in while I could when it's not cold and windy. Elijah and I had a good time, and I was trying to make sure that I did not push down too hard on the stroller as I ran. It's probably better for my posture that way, and maybe I'll be less likely to get thorns in my tires. I must have pulled some weird muscle doing that though as my back was in pain all last night. Despite that I still slept well.


Today is a little less hectic at work so that is good, hopefully I'll have time to get some of my little administrative things done. These things always seem to pile up until you make a conscious effort to finish them. I guess it's a part of life though.

All on our own

Elijah and I went out for a run this morning at the Cherry Creek Park, but it was just us today. We went for about 5 miles and kicked it up at the end of the run. It was a beautiful day here and I took advantage of the weather to do all my yard-winter preparations. I raked and mowed the lawn for the last time and in the next couple of weeks we will have the sprinkler system blown out. At some point I will have to do lawn mower maintenance this winter. I also had a chance to fix our toilet, which I think was costing us a fortune in water. It took a bid of fiddling and a couple of trips to Home Depot, but in the end it was worth it to have a working toilet again. Now if only I could do something about our stupid door.

Getting over myself

Elijah and I had a great run today, it was perfect temperature outside and the mountains were misty in the sunset. It was cool. Elijah finally waved at the firefighters, but it looked like they were out fighting a fire. Oh well.


I signed up to audition for our worship team at church next week, so it looks like I'll have to get over myself and just play. I really dig our worship leader's attitude towards worship, so I wanted to chip in to support him. Should be interesting.

Homemade Peas in a Can Pie

We went to Jim and Nick's for dinner tonight, which was excellent! I had the brisket sandwich and cheese biscuits which were both great, but for dessert I had the pecan pie which was transcendental. They make them there fresh and it shows, the crust is flaky and tender, and there were tons of pecans in the filling. The best thing is you can go there and buy the whole pie if you want to! I know what I want for my birthday. Grampy is going to have to make a trip down here just for that.

Afternoon Run

I had to take care of Elijah this afternoon so when we got home we went out for a little run. The rain has stopped and the sun is out so it's quite nice. The temperature is in the low 50s so there is a chill in the air and I needed my jacket, but it felt like a fall run for sure. Elijah was all bundled up and had a blanket so we were both happy. It was just a 3 mile run though, I didn't feel up to going too much farther.

Race for the Cure

Well the race is over and we all had fun. There were a lot of people there! Apparently the Denver race is the largest in the country, although this year apparently St. Louis had topped us. They were hoping the on-site registration would push us over the top again. Our team ended up being the largest team from a College with over 60 members. We raised over $3300! A big thanks to all of you who donated. It was a chilly morning, but not too bad. Elijah wouldn't wear his hood, so we don't know if he was cold or not. That boy seems to be made of different stuff than the rest of us. I was always joking with Melissa when Elijah was first born that we didn't want any loafer babies, I certainly can't claim to have any. They are both having a nap right now after having got up at at 6 am this morning. As for running, this race was very difficult to run and we were basically walking for the first mile or so, but we were able to pick it up in the end for a total time of 31 minutes. Now I have to figure out what my next race will be.

Productive Saturday Morning

It's noon on Saturday and already I have had a nice run in Cherry Creek State park, had a shower and baked banana bread. Elijah and mommy are napping now, so I'll probably just make myself some lunch while I'm waiting for them to get up. We have to do some grocery shopping this afternoon but other than that we have no specific plans. Tomorrow it is an early start for the race and we may see if we can check out the Downtown Peet's location. That or we'll go to the Harvest festival at Four Mile Historic Park, and go to the Cherry Creek Peet's. Next weekend is the grand opening of the Boulder Peet's so we'll have to head up there for that. Man, what did we ever do for that two month period that we had no Peet's in Colorado!?

Ugghh

What a day, this was a long week. I was hoping to get a run in after work but I didn't get home until late. Tomorrow morning will be a nice way to start the weekend!

Puppy Love

A few runs ago Elijah and I were running by a house when we had the bejezes scared out of us when a dog pushed its head through a broken board in the fence right next to the joggy stroller. The whole event made me feel pretty unsettled, but I was happy to see today that the fence has been mended.


My day was really hectic today so it was nice to get out for a run. It felt pretty hard though as it has been a while since I took the stroller. I thought I was going to grind to a halt on the hills. I picked up my race number today though, so I'm all set for Sunday. It's going to be fun to get back into a race setting.

I'll get you a satanic mechanic

Elijah and I went out for our run today and didn't even get out of the garage. Stupid tire on the joggy stroller was flat. After a quick look at the tire I found a giant thorn to be the culprit. So we had to hang out until Melissa got back from the library, and I went out by myself. It felt weird to run without the stroller, but I got into a good pace and had a great workout. Melissa was nice enough to go to Target and pick up a patch kit for me. So we should be back up and running (no pun intended) for our next outing.

Today was a busy day at work, but I got through everything I needed to do. I have some writing left to do though which I always put off. Tomorrow I'll have to take care of that, I'll just blast some tunes and get through it.

Saturday Morning

Elijah, Shaun and I went out for our Saturday morning run yesterday and it was a postcard fall Colorado day. The leaves in the park are all starting to turn and the mountains were capped with snow. Gorgeous. We had a great day yesterday and Elijah napped most of the afternoon. Today we bought a rake and Elijah and I spent an hour and a half raking the lawn. You sure work up an appetite doing yardwork! I was thinking about going for a run again today, but with all the raking I'm pooped now. We'll probably spend the afternoon relaxing or doing work around the house. All in all it's been a great weekend.