Go Gadget Go!

I have a new toy to play with on my runs now. A friend of mine bought a new heart rate monitor on Cragslist so he gave me his slightly used one. Now I can monitor my heart rate as I exercise and try to hit the target zones optimal for training. Yesterday it was very icy out so I opted to hit the gym and give the new gadget a try. I did impromptu speedwork, with a mile of warmup, followed by 3 miles of 2 laps hard, 1 lap recovery, and then another mile cooldown. During the speedwork session I was well into the 80-100% max heart rate that is optimal for speed training. My average for the session was 155 bpm, and max was 188. The max is actually only 2 bpm less than my maximum heart rate which is determined solely by my age. While I was working hard, it was certainly not an all out effort, so I suspect that my max heart rate is actually a little higher than 190.


It was nice getting out of the cold as all of my runs this week have been in the snow, which is really pretty, but adds another element to the workout. My quads have been sore since Wednesday!

Pictures are up

You can see me struggling through the last 100 yards of the Colder Bolder on Sunday.



eventpictures.com



Boy do I look warm!

It's Colder in Boulder

Today I ran the Colder Bolder invitational race in Boulder. It's a 5K race, but it is different in that you qualify for your wave based on your finishing time for the Bolder Boulder. That means that you are racing against people who are roughly the same speed as you, and if you have made significant fitness gains over the past year you have a chance to "win" your wave. My wave was the 46 minute invitational, and it had maybe 20 people racing in it. We all toed the line and with a blast from an air horn we were all off. Based off of the success of my speedwork this year my plan was to stick with the front of the pack for the race and either place in the top three, or get pulled along to a fast time. By the first half mile I was in the first 5 or 6 people, and the leader was setting a pretty fast pace. At the first (and only) mile marker we had set a 6:20 pace, but the leader could not hold on and fell back to be replaced by someone else. It was at this point that I moved into third place, hoping to hold on as well as I could. We hit a decent hill though, with a stiff headwind and it took a lot out of me, so I knew that it was only a matter of time before I was reeled in by someone who had paced themselves a bit better. Eventually I was passed by a guy who I swear must have been twice my height and was taking one stride to my two, and then finally by another guy who I had been neck-in-neck with for most of the race. I finished 5th in my wave in 21:02 (according to my watch). I felt a little bad having missed the "podium" by just 30 seconds or so, and the prize was a stuffed macaroni penguin (which Elijah has come to recognize from Diego). It would have been nice to bring back such a prize to Elijah, but I just have to be satisfied with a ripping fast PR (personal record) in the 5K.

Technical Difficulties

Well after almost a month here I am again. I have been consistent in updating my milage on the right, but posting has been difficult due to my computer being in for repairs. I've been running fairly consistently during the week lately, but the weekends have been difficult to get my runs in. Especially with preparing for Thanksgiving and the holidays. I went out today with a friend of mine for 8 miles through the trails of Cherry Creek. It was fun to run through the trees and enjoy what little snow was remaining from this weeks storms. You gotta love Colorado!

I'm still running!

I haven't had enough time to blog so I need to do a little bit of catching up. My trip to California was good, with a great wedding and a bunch of great running. The best part was a 12 mile trail run in Laguna beach, which I was happy to be able to complete just 2 weeks after the marathon. Mostly I have been easing back into regular running, trying to have a little fun in the process. Yesterday I hit the Mesa trail hard and was cranking up and down the hills, a great aerobic workout. Coupled with today's tempo run, that makes for a tired boy. But it hardly felt like work with the sun just disappearing behind the flatirons and the Boulder valley laid out before me.

The morning after

Well this week has been pretty laid back as I recover from the marathon. Monday I was pretty sore and I got hit with a cold pretty bad. Miles had been fighting one for a while so I'm happy it held off until after the big day. By Wednesday the soreness had subsided so I ventured out to the gym for some "no-impact" stationary bike riding. Friday I got a chance to hit the pool, and then today was my first run. I only went 5 miles, which didn't feel too bad, but my calves were kind of tight, I think partly due to the swim yesterday. Next week I'll be back into a semi-normal schedule, with daily runs and swimming where I can fit it in. I'm off to California on Thursday though, so I'll have to find time for some running "on-the-road."



By the way, my pictures are online at Brightroom, but there are only two and neither is what I was hoping for. I was wearing bib number 1457.

Twenty-Six Point Two!

I crushed the marathon today, crossing the line with 3:32:45 on the clock. We'll see what the chip time gives me.



The Denver Marathon was a class act all the way, everything ran like clockwork and the gatorade stations were plentiful. It would be great to see this race at the top of the list along with Boston, New York and Chicago. Even with the rain there were lots of spectators lining the course from start to finish. They are the real heroes of the day, the runners are running and generating heat, the spectators just get cold and wet.



Melissa, Elijah and Miles were all at the finish to welcome me back and it was wonderful to see the support that my family offers me. As I ran through the rain I thought many times how others must think I am crazy to want to do this. But the love and support of my wonderful wife and children are there regardless.



Update: My chip time is up and my time for the race was 3:32:09!! I came in 188 out of a field of 1563.

Tomorrow's the day

I picked up my race packet yesterday and so far I am impressed with the quality of the race. Of particular note are the Saturn cowbells for spectators, and the race bib, which has my name written on it! Being downtown yesterday with all the runners around brought me right back to the energy of the race last year. This year I am much better prepared and have a lot more confidence in the distance. In addition, having the race in my own backyard helps me to keep my routine pretty stable in these final days. The only monkey wrench in the works this year is the 70% chance of rain for tomorrow morning. I don't think it will be a factor once I get running and warmed up, but standing at the start line will not be pleasant with rain coming down. But with 4 plus months of training and $100 race fee on the line I will just have to make the best of it. Anything is better than what happened with the Chicago marathon last week!



Also of note, I'm not sure if anyone has been paying attention to the milage total on the sidebar here, but I will break 1500 miles for the year in the first few miles of the marathon.

The last week

Only one more week until the marathon! The taper is going well, I am down to 38.5 miles this week from 57 during training. Today's 11 mile run seemed like I was just getting warmed up. With a laid back week coming up I just have to rest up for next Sunday. Carbo loading is in order this week as well, gotta love carbs!

September flies

Well September has gone by so quickly I barely knew it was there. With 232 miles for the month it has been a lot of hard training. But with winding down now all that is left is to await the marathon and let the training pay off. I realized today that I am really excited about seeing what I can do come race day.


My 14 miles today was nice, I ran it hard enough for it to be challenging, but being done in just 2 hours is a treat. The flies today were particularly bad though and I had several fly into my eyes, nose or mouth. It was the last thing I was expecting as all night the wind was really bad. So I was going into the run expecting a stiff headwind, and all I got was a light breeze, not enough to knock down the flies. I did have a pretty close encounter with some mule deer. Some young ones were out with their mothers and they let me get pretty close before bounding off into the brush. They and I were the only ones out at 6:30 before the sunrise.

Flying!

I was rockin' today for my 18 mile run. I finished it in 2:32:53 which is an 8:30 min/mile pace overall. It was not too hard of an effort so I think I am going to shoot for a 3:40 marathon time. This was my last "long" run of the marathon training, so now begins my three week taper. I am going to keep my mileage for the week about the same, just backing off on intensity and long run distance. Speedwork is still essential, however.

Five by Four

Did my third 20 mile run today for this training schedule and as a confidence booster this one was tops. I finished strong, right at marathon race pace, and I felt like I could go for more. I am feeling great and ready for the challenge ahead. I am four weeks out from the race and I have not yet decided if I will do one more 20 next week or not. At the moment I'm leaning toward 18 next week before heading into my taper.


This week was good but I am feeling pretty sore after all the workouts I did. I don't think I did any workouts at more than 8:30 pace, so my easy pace has certainly picked up. The worst workout I had was Wednesday, coming off a tough workout late the night before. My schedule this week made it difficult to fit in my runs, but I managed to do it. Next week should be a little more laid back.

16's feeling good

I capped off this week of 54 miles with a nice 16 this morning. I have to say it felt like almost nothing to crank through the miles, which is another indication that my training is going well. My speedwork this week was awesome as well as I pushed through 10x800m repeats at 7:00 pace. Next week is going to be a big one as I am going to have to fit my running into a pretty hectic work schedule. That and 20 miles again next Saturday.


I am pretty happy today as I managed to find my shoes at a great price this morning at Southlands. I had been looking into a new pair online for a while now and had been coming up empty handed at the usual places. I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I might have to pay "full price" for a new pair. But with today's purchase I am happy that I will be able to run the marathon on fairly fresh shoes. I will likely swap them into the rotation for the long runs so that they do not have too many miles on them for the big day. I must admit I am lucky to have a wife that understands my shoe collection, with this pair I will have three pairs of identical shoes in the running rotation.

Let me explain...

No there is too much, let me sum up. This was a great week of running for me, 4x1600m at the track on Monday I was hitting at sub-7:00 pace, then running in Boulder on Tuesday I ended up meeting someone new who was using my pace for a tempo run. We had a nice chat before heading out separate ways, and I thought it was funny someone running with me the way I run with Todd. Wednesday I took an extra "rest" day and just did a short run in the evening. This proved to be a great decision as I was fired up for my runs for the rest of the week. Today I finished up another 20, this time with Jake and over the "hilly" reservoir circuit. It was a little slower than my last one, but we still finished strong, at marathon race pace, and I made it through the whole distance without having to use an energy gel. This was a mental victory for me, as I now have more confidence in the way my muscles run into glycogen deficiency. With my extra rest day it was only 51 miles this week, but I really feel like I needed the break and I wasn't dropping a "quality" workout. I have been careful to be flexible in my training, while listening to what my body is telling me and I think this is why I have been so successful this year. I am in the best shape of my life right now and I am feeling strong and ready for the marathon. Just 6 weeks left!

Well that could have been worse.

Today was the first day in a long time that I woke up and did not really want to do my long run. Last night I was up until 2 with noisy neighbors and an overactive brain, so when I saw the clock read 4:56, I was not happy to be rolling out of bed. But I knew I had to get to it and I knew that Jake would be waiting for me at 6:15. So I went through the motions and got out the door on time.


When Jake arrived we greeted each other with lackluster enthusiasm as it turns out Jake's night had not been much better. Once we started running and chatting we got into it pretty quickly. By the time we got to 14 miles or so we were both feeling it, but agreed that things could have been much worse given our preparation. We hammered out the last of our 18 and were happy to be done.


I'm ready for my rest day tomorrow, this marks the 4th week in a row of 55+ miles.

Great Workout

I've had some great workouts this week, but today's was awesome. 16 miles and we really pushed the pace at the end. Our last 2.5 miles we did in 19 minutes! With the good banter with Jake and the "shorter" distance the miles really flew by. I must admit having the company for long runs makes it much easier to pass the time. My speedwork this week was really good as well and I am really happy with where my training is. I have a little bit of pain in my lower leg near my ankle, but it doesn't hurt when I run, and I'm chalking it up to the higher mileage. That and the fact that one of my pairs of shoes is almost ready to be retired. I am swapping in the new pair for the majority of my miles now.

Another good week

I put in 56 or so miles this week, with 18 today. It's good, I feel pretty good and I'm building up confidence for the big day. I had company for a change on my long run today. Jake, who will be running the Denver marathon with me, got up early and made it out to join me for the run. It sure was nice having someone to talk to for the 3 hours that it takes to get through the distance.


This week was really busy for me at work so I feel a little drained. But the weekend will do me good and I will be back at it next week with renewed vigor. I'll be going to Boulder next week so it will be nice to get a little run in there to mix it up a bit.

New Year's Resolutions

Well my new year's resolution this year was to run 1000 miles and with my speedwork today I achieved that goal. I guess now I will try to get to 1500 miles by the new year, but I am happy to have had the success I have had this year. Incidentally, I have officially registered for the Denver Marathon, so now I have a reason to train again.

Run to the Mall

This week marked a return to full-time training with 61 miles for the week. Of course part of that was the 20 miles I did today. I decided to mix it up a bit and instead of running around the reservoir I suggested to Melissa that she meet me at the Cherry Creek Peet's for coffee. From our house to the mall along the Cherry Creek trail is 20 miles, so I left home at 6 am and met up with Melissa at 9:30. We timed it perfectly, both arriving at essentially the same time. For me it was a great run, I finished the whole distance without having to take walk breaks and I averaged 9:18 minutes per mile. A few more weeks like that and I will be ready for the marathon.

I've been more careful about what I've been eating this week too. Of course it helps that there is so much fresh fruit on sale at the supermarket. I think I've actually been getting close to getting my daily recommended servings of fruit, which previously I thought was a theoretical impossibility. But what with fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, fruit for lunch and smoothies in the evening I think I'm there. It's tough to make smart snacking choices when you have the "marathon training appetite" but I know that empty calories will not help me to run better the next day.

Another Hurdle

Boy it seems like every week is a new barrier to my training. This week I got sick on Tuesday and was laid up for a couple of days with not much to eat. My run on Thursday was disastrous as a result of my lack of fueling the previous two days, and Friday I felt like I was just getting back into it. So I approached today's long run as flexibly as I could. Originally I planned on taking it a little easier with just a 14 mile loop, but by about 6 miles I was feeling pretty good and I decided to take advantage of the cool overcast weather and go 16. It ended up being a pretty slow run, but I finished the 16 with some gas left at the end. I'll have time to build my speed back up as the training continues as long as there aren't too many more monkey wrenches in the plans.

Getting Serious Again

I have learned that flexibility in a training program is a key to success. That has really been apparent over the past couple of weeks. Trying to fit in long runs and speedwork into a vacation is challenging at best, throw kids into the equation and you might as well kiss your runs good-bye. Then trying to resume a normal schedule and diet once you return takes time, and it takes its toll on running as well. But I managed to roll with it all and by today I feel pretty much back on track. My 18 miles was tough today, but I finished it, and my tempo run on Thursday was right where it should be thanks to Todd's pace-setting. Interestingly enough, the 18 I did today brought my total for the year up to 900 miles, so I should be on track to meet my goal in early August. From there the sky's the limit!

Vacation

Boy I've been out of the loop with this vacation. Although it's nice to have a break from the internet and phone for a few days. I did get in a few runs in California, a bunch of hilly runs and a long run up the PCH. The best run was up Park Ave to Alta Laguna park, a 1000 foot climb in less than 2 miles (the view at the top was breathtaking). It did make me appreciate running in Colorado though, so many roads there have no sidewalks. All in all it was a great trip and a fun time with the kids. Now that I've had a nice break I can concentrate on my training again with renewed vigor.

Happy 4th of July!

Did a run with the kids today in the joggy stroller. It was nice to have the time to go with them. Lately it's been too hot, or I've been going too long for them. Yesterday I did 10 miles in Boulder, with a fair stretch up the canyon. It's relaxing running with the rushing water going by. I'm really looking forward to the running in California!

Whole lotta miles!

Well with today's long run I broke 200 miles for the month of June. I'll break 800 miles for the year early next week! Today's run was really good. I did my 14 mile loop and bested my last time by 2 minutes (2:05:49). I really enjoy that route, but I'm looking forward to running in California in a week. Variety is the spice of life after all and when you are logging 50 miles a week a few new routes wouldn't hurt.

But it's a school night!

We watched "The Prestige" last night even though we aren't usually up for much at night any more. When you are tired at 9:30 and the kids don't go to bed until 8 it's hard to fit movies in on any night, much less weeknights. Still it was an engaging movie and it kept our interest throughout. I found that at times it was hard to follow with all the jumping around, but maybe that's because I was tired. Needless to say I feel like it was missing something, so I should probably try reading the book. I realize now though that movies on work nights are not a good idea, as I did not sleep very well. Elijah slept without the gate last night so I was up half the night thinking that I was hearing him up wandering around. It was worth it in the end though to see the look on his face when he came downstairs on his own in the morning.

Round and Round

I hit the track this morning for a 5x1000m workout. I was shooting for 5K race pace, which should have been about 4:43 for each 1000m, but I ended up hitting much lower than that. My first 1000m was 3:56 and let me say I am far from a sub 20 min 5K. Needless to say the rest of the repeats were much slower in 4:15, 4:16, 4:26 and 4:30. It was pretty hard, but you don't get faster by running slow.

Down and Up

Yesterday I did run, but it was just 6 easy miles so I didn't really have anything to say about it. I'm probably going to start writing only occasionally about my runs as I have started using an online training log that works better than this blog. Unfortunately, it doesn't have all of my previous miles for the year logged, so I'll keep updating the running total (all puns intended) on the right.


Today is my long run day and I must admit I was not convinced I was going to complete the 16 miles I had set out to do. As half the game is always mental this meant I was behind from the start. I feel like this has been a hard week for me as I haven't really caught up after the hard workout on the Mesa Trail on Tuesday. But I figured I would go through the motions and see where I got to. Preparation begins the night before, and I made sure to carb up and keep hydrated before bed. I also laid out all of my running stuff so that it would be ready to go in the morning. This makes it easier to get up at 5, knowing that I just have to roll out of bed and I am practically out the door.


Five o'clock came and I was pretty much awake already. I got up and had a bowl of granola before sunscreening up and getting dressed. I was at the trail head by 6:20. I started the run feeling pretty good and got my first 4 miles done on pace (about 9:15). I kept at it but at around 5.5 miles my legs were starting to feel pretty tired. As I headed down the backside of the dam I calculated my pace again and somehow managed to figure out that I was 5 minutes behind! I was unhappy that I had slowed so much but still I kept going knowing that I would take an energy gel at 8.5 miles that would help out a bit. When I stopped to take the gel I discovered that my key had put a hole in the package and it was leaking all over the pocket in my shorts. I was just about ready to call it the worst run ever. As I headed up the big climb to the top of the dam I started feeling much better. The shot of energy and caffeine was really boosting my spirits and by the time I crested the dam I was ready to bring it on home. My legs still felt tired, but I was there mentally and I knew my training would get me through the rest of the run. By the time I hit 3 miles to go I was ready to kick it up, and I finished the last 2 miles in 8:00, and 7:39. A strong finish to a tough run. Overall it took 2 hours 24 minutes to do the 16 miles, averaging a pace of 9:00, and I can't figure out where that extra 5 minutes came from.

Another Early Morning

I was up at 5 again this morning to do a tempo run from home before work. I knew it would be too hot to get a good workout later in the day. I warmed up for a mile, then did a 5.5 mile loop at tempo pace (ended up being 7:48) and finished up with a mile cool down. With all the hills in our neighborhood though I feel like it was a double workout. Tomorrow will be an easy day, as I prepare for the long run on Saturday. I am hoping to do 16 on Saturday, but we'll see how I feel when the time comes.

Tired Legs

It's been getting really hot lately so I've been trying to get out earlier for my runs. Today I went out at 9 and it was still pretty warm. I was feeling the temperature for sure, although I could have still been seeing the effects of yesterday's trail run. I did not really feel like I was breathing harder but my legs just felt heavy. No aches and pains though, which I think is pretty impressive considering the beating I gave them yesterday. I'm thinking about going out before I leave for work tomorrow as then I am guaranteed cooler temperatures. We'll see how I feel tonight I guess.

I love trail running?

Was that a question? I hit the Mesa trail hard today and succeeded in kicking my own ass all up and down the Flatirons. I felt like I didn't really work hard enough for my track workout yesterday I guess. It was fun though and the time really flies when you are out there. I went approximately 6 miles and it took me 1 hour 14 minutes. That shows you how much the hills affect pace. Todd can do that sort of thing and still push 8 minute miles, I don't even know how he maintains control. I guess practice makes perfect.

Sunrise

I was up at 5 for my run this morning due to my schedule during the day. I hit the track at the local high school for some 800m repeats. Totaled 7.5 miles, but not all of that was speedwork. I got to see the sunrise, which was beautiful, and was back with enough time to get out the door on time for work. Not something I'd like to do everyday but you do what you have to sometimes.


The weekend was great and I spent Father's day hanging out with the kids. Miles seemed to be into golf this weekend so we watched part of the U.S. Open together. Not my idea of riveting action, but hanging out with your son makes it easier.

Out with the boys

That phrase means something completely different than it used to. Miles and Elijah and I all went out for a run this morning. We hit the Cherry Creek reservoir for 12 miles. Miles slept the whole time I think, and Elijah had fun saying "Hi" to all the other runners and cyclists on the trail. We got out early and were done before it got too hot. It's definitely harder with the joggy stroller.

Nice and easy

Did an easy 6 miles today around Bluff Lake. The weather was great, not too hot with lots of sun. I'll be doing my long run early tomorrow to beat the heat though. It's supposed to be in the 90s all weekend! With Father's day on Sunday, I'm guessing I'll be hauling out the charcoal grill for a cookout, and making pancakes. Yum!

Perfect Temp!

Today was awesome weather and we had decided to go for a longer run. We ended up going a little over 10 miles in 90 minutes and had a blast. Tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer, although the temps are coming up steadily. I will have to do my long run early on Saturday for sure.

The Itch

I've got the marathon itch bad! I'm seriously considering running in the Denver Marathon this year in October. I feel like my training is at a level where I'll be able to improve on my previous result, and I think it will be fun to support my "hometown." We'll see how the training goes this summer I suppose, although I'll have to commit at some point. Today I did 7.5 and enjoyed a nice pace for it. Tomorrow the idea is to go a little longer.

It's not so much the heat, it's the humidity

Today a cold front blew in with scattered showers. Even though there was no rain for my run the humidity was way up there and despite temps in the 60s it felt much warmer. I did 7.5 miles around Bluff Lake, doing 8 minute mile tempo for the first 30 minutes and a slower pace for the rest. This afternoon the real rain hit so it's going to be a pretty wet evening, but clearing for tomorrow.

Hot Hot Hot

Today was a hot one, with temps getting up into the 90s. I did my run earlier to beat the heat a little, but it was still in the 80s. It was good though, just had to take it a little slow toward the end. We did 7.5, with a brief jaunt through the trails. We couldn't take the full trail as the stream was pretty high and we could not jump over. Well, that happens I guess.

I was in a triathalon!

Well not really. I did my long run this morning in Cherry Creek State Park and part of my run happened to be a section of the run leg of a triathalon. Fortunately, I was a little ahead of the lead pack so it didn't get too busy on my side of the trail. I ended up doing 14 miles at a perfect long run pace. The whole thing took me 2 hours and 8 minutes, so averaging 9.14 minutes per mile. I had plenty of gas left at the end though and my last 2.5 miles were 8 minute miles. I love that loop, it is perfect length and has some amazing views along the way.

Visitors!

We have visitors from California this weekend so things are pretty exciting around the house. Elijah is happy to have the attention for sure. I had to work and go to the dentist, but I still managed to get in a nice 7.5 miles around Bluff Lake. The lake is really full, which shows how much rain we've had this year. I plan to get in a nice long run tomorrow morning before things get busy, should be fun.

What a difference 20 degrees makes

Yesterday was windy and hot, today was windy and cool. I ran the same 8 mile route as yesterday and it took 2 minutes less than yesterday with less effort. I'm feeling great this week and am happy to be getting my milage back to my training level. I don't know what I'm training for yet, but I'll be ready when I do.

Claritin's my friend

I took a Claritin last night after dinner and today I was reaping the benefits. Despite being incredibly windy and dusty for my run today I had no problem with allergies and for the first day in a month my throat was not itchy. I'm a believer! Despite the wind, today was a really fun run. We were pushing each other on the hills and sprinting to the finish! 8 miles today through the sandy trails.

Stupid Seeds

We did 9 miles today, and with the heat I have to admit it was pretty rough. Plus, to make matters worse all the trees and grass in the area seem to be on some sort of mating spree, and we were dodging fluffies and pollen clouds the whole time. After we were done I had a major allergic reaction, which I am still recovering from. Still it was the longest I've run in a few weeks and it felt good to get out for that long again.

Back at it

After a weekend off (I was digging a trench all day yesterday) I got back into it today with a nice 7.5 miles. It only took me an hour, even though it was late afternoon and it was pretty hot. Tomorrow I hope to get to it earlier in the day when it's cooler.

Boulder Run

I hit the Boulder Creek path yesterday morning for an easy 6 miles before I did the work thing. It was nice, but I ended up making a wrong turn at some point and got a little frustrated trying to find my way. Today was a rest day, and I really enjoyed putting my feet up for a little while. I'll see how I feel tomorrow, but I might try to do a longer run to kick off the week.

Hills

I love running with the boys, but running around the neighborhood is always tough due to the hills. Today I elected to try a different route that would put the big hills at the beginning of the run rather than at the end. It ended up being shorter than I wanted (5 miles) but the hills were pretty tough. I still haven't fully recovered from the race on Monday, so my quads were "moody" all day. Tomorrow I'll be running in Boulder, and I think I'll take the flat route over the really hilly trail run. Then Saturday will be a rest day.

And the time is...

It's official, the times are in from the Bolder Boulder: 46:11! That puts me at an average pace of 7:24 min/mile. I knew that I had padded my watch time on either end a little but twenty seconds was a surprise. I'm really pleased with my time and I know I'll be back next year to try to improve on it.


I did 7.5 miles today at a pretty laid back pace as my legs were still a little achy. By the end of it though I was feeling pretty good. Tomorrow I will venture out with the boys for a nice run while mommy is off at the dentist. Should be a fun time!

Bolder Boulder

Well it's a bit anticlimactic as I was hoping to have a finishing time to post here, but technical difficulties have delayed those results. But, despite the lack of an official result I'm going to have to post something about the race.


For the initial waves of the race, everything went off like clockwork. The starting gun goes off for a wave, everyone moves forward, waits and the gun goes off for the next wave. My wave left at 7:07 and I was across the starting line in less than 30 seconds. Because a qualification is required, everyone in the wave seems to start off at about the same pace. I kept pace with the group to make sure I did not go out too quickly. I passed the first mile in 7:30 according to my watch, which was perfect. I wanted to make sure that I did not hit the hills too hard and run out of gas in the end, so I raced smart, slowing down a bit on the hills and booking it down the other side. In the end I didn't have to worry as the hills were not nearly as bad as people had lead me to believe. In the end I had plenty of gas left to book it through the end of the course and finish with 46:30 on my watch.


In the end it was a smart race, but conservative. I'm really happy with the result and I feel like I can improve upon it in the future. Now that it's over I'm going to continue my training and see if I can find some interesting races to tackle this summer. I kicked it off today with a 5 mile run.

Ready to go!

I did an easy 3 miles today and was definitely holding myself back. I'm pretty fired up for tomorrow. Apparently I will get my results and split times when I turn my chip in at the expo, but they may be online if anyone is interested. Go to http://www.bolderboulder.com and go to the results section to look me up. My bib number is CA416.

Resting up

I did run Thursday and Friday this week, but I managed to keep it to a pretty decent pace and lower milage. I did 7.5 miles yesterday and 6.2 today. I feel quite a spring in my step, which is a good sign that I am recovered for the race on Monday. I will take tomorrow off (maybe take a walk) and then do 3 or 4 easy miles on Sunday. Then I'll be good to go!

In the nick of time

It was so nice this morning that I convinced Todd and Jake to go running earlier than usual. It was a good thing too as the rain rolled in pretty quickly and we just barely got back before it hit. We cut it short to 5 miles, and it was a nice pace. We'll see about tomorrow, there's a talk I want to go to so I may just give it a miss for a total rest day.

This is taking it easy?

I'm supposed to be running pretty easy this week, but today I went pretty hard for 8 miles. It's supposed to rain tomorrow though so I'll either take a rest day or go for a really short one. As long as I get a few recovery days before next Monday I'll be good I think. I'm pretty nervous about this race, so I need to start forgetting about it and just letting it happen. If I overthink it it will end up being worse in the end I think. I certainly feel like I'm prepared, the hills yesterday were pretty gnarly with the joggy stroller and I had no problems at all. I just have to let go and rely on my preparation to get me through.

Well we had lots of fun this weekend even though we didn't end up going to the railway museum after all. We went for a nice 5 mile walk yesterday as a family, heading up to Caribou for a smoothie, and then off to the firehouse for their open house. We got to see the flight for life helicopter come in for a landing and then had to head home due to a hungry baby.


Today I got out for a 10 mile run around the neighborhood with the kids in the stroller and hit the hills pretty hard. I feel like I could keep running forever on days like today. Elijah and Miles are awesome to let me take them out for so long.

Another big week

With the 6.2 miles I did today that's another 45+ mile week for me. I feel pretty good though, knock on wood. Tomorrow we are off to the railroad museum for a free day, assuming that Elijah is well behaved. It's supposed to be in the 80's this weekend so the weather will be perfect for being outside. Some family walks will be in order I think.

Achy Legs

I had a weird running dream last night and I woke up with achy legs. But since I knew it was going to be a fairly laid back pace today I still went out for 7.5 miles. Afterwards I actually felt much better. This week's mileage has been pretty high for me, but I'll be scaling back next week in preparation for the race. I can definitely feel that I've been pushing myself, so I hope I have some results to reap in the race.

Here comes the sun

The sun returned today and warmer temperatures came with it. Beautiful weather in the upper 60's. I did 7.5 around Bluff Lake with Todd and Jake. It turned out to be a pretty busy day, but fulfilling. My legs were still kind of sore from yesterday, but they warmed up okay.

Halfway there

Today I broke 500 miles and am halfway to my goal of 1000 miles in the year! It couldn't have been a nicer run either, I went to the Chautauqua Park in Boulder and ran the trails for an hour or so. The weather was perfect, overcast and cool, and the views were breathtaking.

Quick Six

I managed to squeeze a fast 6.25 miles into my crazy schedule today. I was hoping to do the Bluff Lake loop twice, but I decided I had better get back a little earlier. Tomorrow should be better as I am planning on getting out while I'm in Boulder again. That is if the weather will cooperate. My legs are doing really well with the miles I've been putting on them, but I can certainly tell that my mileage is up. I am really tired in the evenings and I am constantly hungry. Speaking of which, I need a snack.

Long Run for Momma

I took the boys out in the joggy stroller today for 11.5 miles so that Momma could have some time to herself. We had fun and my pacing was good because I was able to push 8.5 minute miles for the last 2.5 miles. Always nice to have gas left at the end. We saw a big snake on the path right at the end of the run and had to stop quickly to avoid running over it. Elijah thought it was pretty cool, but the snake didn't seem to want to hang around. We waited until he was safely off the path and then we finished our cool-down.

It just keeps getting better

This week has just been getting better and better weather wise. Today was in the 80's and gorgeous. All of us were kind of tuckered out after a big week of running so we took a laid back pace for 8 miles. We went through some of the trails and although I managed to stay dry, I got a thorn stuck in my toe and tons of sand in my shoes. Still it was a nice run, good for helping me get used to the heat. Tomorrow is a rest day and then I'll try to get out on Sunday with the boys. I'm glad the weekend is finally here.

Same old, same old...

Ran the same circuit as yesterday for 7.5 miles. Tomorrow I'll have to mix it up, but today I went with the majority. We did a pretty slow pace so it was a nice break. The weather has been wonderful so getting out for a run is great way to enjoy the outdoors rather than being cooped up all day. I'm looking forward to this weekend though, with a road trip up to Boulder in the works.

Heating Up

Temps were in the mid 70's today but I didn't find the heat to be that bad. I did my 7.5 mile loop pushing 8 minute miles. This gives me confidence that my sub 50 minute 10k is an attainable goal. Once again I was on my own, but mostly because I had to be back in time to get my helium delivery. It was good that I got the run in when I did though as I was slammed the rest of the day. When I have problems to deal with at work I know that my run gives me the energy and clarity I need to push through.

Am I Fast Yet?

Couldn't find a running buddy today so I went out for some speedwork. Once again my butt was kicked. I know that it is supposed to help, but man it sure is hard to push that hard for 2 minutes. That 2 minutes is like an eternity and then the 1 minute recovery goes by in an instant. But the idea is to not fully recover before the next speed interval, so I guess I'm doing them right. The rest of the run was nice though, sunny and in the mid 60s. This week is going to just get warmer so it was a good opportunity to get the hard stuff out of the way while it's relatively cool.

3 weeks to go

That's right it's three weeks today to the Bolder Boulder and my training is in good shape I think. I did 8 miles today with Todd at a pretty fast pace. It took us just over an hour to finish! I should be able to run in the realm of 7:00-7:30 for the 10k as long as I can get moving that fast with the crowds. A few more speed workouts and a long run or two and I'll be set.

Would have been a good day for a Garmin

Today's run was 7ish miles. I think. I ran to meet Shaun at his place, and then we ran a couple of miles from there. After I left there I ran up a new road and up a bunch of hills before heading home. Unfortunately because the road is new it is not in Google maps so I have no idea how long it is. Plus I didn't bring my watch. In the end I was gone for about an hour and a half. It was a nice slow pace, so a great way to kick off the week.


EDIT: I went back and mapped the run as best I could and came out with closer to 8.5 miles. Sweet!

A hard rain's a gonna fall

The weather took a turn toward the cool and rainy today, but it still made it into the 50's by noon so I was able to get out while it wasn't too bad. I did 9 miles with Todd and we did some trails on the way too. It was great and I feel really good considering I've run every day this week for 37 miles. It's been a good week at work, but I'm glad it's Friday. This weekend may not be so nice weather wise so I'll be able to catch up on some household chores. Perhaps a trip to Peet's will be in order.

Big Group

We had five people for our run today, and had a great time. The weather was gorgeous, mid 70s and sunny, and the pace was good. I ended up going 7.5 miles and felt great at the end. It looks like the weather might suck this weekend, so I'll get them in while I can.

Fast Sucks

I did speedwork today at Bluff Lake. I ran there at a slow pace and then did 2 minutes fast, 1 minute recovery for 2 loops. With the added hills and headwind it really kicked my butt. While I was doing it I seriously questioned why I was subjecting myself to the torture, but after it was over it felt great. Hopefully doing workouts like that will get my legs used to running fast for the Bolder Boulder.

New Trail

I ran in Boulder today up the Boulder Creek Trail into the canyon. I went with a guy who has a Garmin so I know that we went 7.7 miles. It was a nice run through beautiful surroundings, and a great change from routine. I also broke 400 miles today, so that's an impressive goal already. 600 more to go towards my 1000 miles in '07 goal.

Better get used to it

It was hot today! I couldn't get out until almost 2 so it was 82 degrees out. It was good though as I have to get used to running in the heat again so that I can run in the summer. I took water with me and had a pretty good time, despite the heat. It was harder than if it had been cool so I didn't push it too hard, I just went 6 miles. Tomorrow should be cooler and I'm hoping to go in Boulder. Should be fun.

Saturday in the Park

I hit the reservoir trails with Chad this morning for 10 miles or so. It was actually closer to 11, but we walked the last little bit so I'm not going to count that in my total. It was farther than I had thought we were going to go, but it was so nice and we talked ourselves into it. Both of the boys came along in the joggy stroller and were well behaved. Miles slept most of the way and Elijah just watched the sights go by. We also helped out a cyclist who had a flat tire and no repair kit. I usually carry a patch kit and pump so he was able to get fixed up and on the road again. I was happy to help out.

Much Better

I had a much better run today through Bluff Lake. It was shorter and at a slower pace. Ended up being 7 miles or so and took about an hour. I went to give blood today so I'll be a little sluggish over the next couple of days, but that's okay as it's going to be much warmer this weekend. A couple of nice runs at a slow pace will be just the ticket.

They can't all be good

I had a not so nice run today, but that happens sometimes. I went out with Todd and James (Ironman triathlete) and James set a really mean pace right out of the box. We ended up doing the first 4.5 miles in 35 minutes which is about a 7:45 min/mile pace. By the turnaround point though I knew I was done, so I told the others to go on and I would take an easier pace back. It was not an enjoyable return trip, but I managed it, taking 45 minutes to do so. On the plus side the weather was great, sunny and warm the whole time.

Springtime in the Rockies

Yesterday I did 7.5 through trails and I had my shirt off for half of it. Today it's snowing like crazy and we have had several inches accumulate. I heard the radio DJ say today that he hates hearing people say "Well, it is springtime in the rockies!" because it doesn't make it any easier to deal with the fact that he can't ride (i.e. motorcycles). It's like that for me too, except for running. Well at least this won't last as temps on the weekend are supposed to be in the 70's. I guess this should be expected for the winter we've had.

Visitors!

Nana and Grampy arrived today to see Elijah and Miles. Elijah seems to be very happy to have someone else to read to him. I managed to get out for a run this afternoon for 6.5 miles from home and I ran it pretty hard. My first mile was around 7 minutes, which is pretty fast for me. But on the way home the hills and really strong headwind slowed me down a bit. In the end it took me just over 50 minutes to do the distance. Despite the wind it was a great day for running.

If you don't like the weather...

...wait 5 minutes.

It was cloudy and rainy this morning when I got to work, but it was supposed to clear up in the afternoon, so I put off my run until the afternoon. By that time the sun was mostly out and it was 50 degrees, perfect running weather! I did 7 miles which took an hour. Good stuff!

I. C. Weiner

Today was a first for a couple of things. First of all it was a new route for me, a 14 miler around Cherry Creek Reservoir. I've run parts of this route before but never all the way around. It was a great run, I forced myself to go slow in the beginning and I had plenty of gas left in the end to battle the headwind that had developed. Took me about 2 hours to do, but I don't know exactly as I forgot my watch. Oops.


The second first was my ice bath that I had when I got home. Soaking your legs in ice water after a long run is supposed to help keep inflammation down and speed up recovery. I have to say that after the initial shock wore off it was quite nice, a bit like a cold pool on a hot day. And my legs did feel much better afterwards. I guess this is just another rung in the ladder of "crazy runner." Thankfully my understanding wife just rolls her eyes.


For those of you who are marginally interested in running events, tomorrow is the 111th Boston Marathon. Boston is the top of the heap marathon wise and most marathoners set their sights on Boston at some point in their running career. In order to run, runners must qualify at another sanctioned marathon earlier in the year and the qualifications are rigorous. In order for me to qualify for the Boston marathon I would have to run a marathon in 3 hours, 10 minutes. My best hope is to keep running until I am 70 when the qualifying time is 4:30.

Weather Changes

I got to work this morning and it was sunny and cool, but by the time I went for my run at 11:30 it had clouded over and was pretty windy. Over the course of our 9 mile run the clouds got lower and lower and the wind stronger. Finally, a mile and a half from the end the flakes started flying. Over the course of the next day we are due to get a foot of heavy wet snow! So likely no running outside tomorrow. It's probably for the best as my knee has been acting up lately. So yet another blizzard of '07, but at least this one the snow won't last long. We are due to be in the 50's on Saturday.

Birthday Miles

It's been windy the past couple of days and work has been busy so it's been tough to get my miles in. Yesterday I squeezed in 3 miles before dinner, and today I hit the trails with Todd and Jake for 7. That on top of going to the pool this morning. So when Melissa came to take me out for ice cream I figured I had earned it. It was a great birthday, thanks to all those who sent along well wishes!


While I was in Boulder yesterday I popped in to the Bolder Boulder store at the 29th street mall to register. It was really easy and they were able to give me my bib and everything right up front. I will be running in the "CA" wave, with a projected finish time of less than 49 minutes. Now I just have to live up to my wave placement. This year they are offering the choice of a Technical t-shirt as part of the registration for $10 more than the regular t-shirt. It's a really nice blue Pearl Izumi shirt that I can actually wear for running. I figure if I were to buy the shirt alone it would cost $30, so really my registration is only $15 for the race. It will be nice to have one I can use as I have too many long sleeve race shirts that I will never wear.

Rest Day

Yesterday I did a fairly long run (8.5 miles), so I ended up taking a rest day today instead of running. It's good to mix it up every once in a while. It's too bad though as the weather today was awesome, while yesterday it was snowy and cold. I guess you win some you lose some. I might try to hit a trail in Boulder tomorrow, we'll see I guess.

Chilly!

It turned out to be flippin' cold today (in the 20s) and foolishly I did not bring my running pants or gloves with me. So my legs and hands were a little cold for the start, but once I warmed up it was not too bad. I did 7.5 miles and considered it a victory just to have got out at all. Tomorrow is due to be cold and snowy so most likely I will not run, but Sunday is supposed to be better. It's April weather, so it's to be expected.

Offroading

Today I got out for a nice 7.5 mile run with Todd (ultra-man). He set out at a mean pace which, amazingly, I was able to keep up for quite a while. Right around the halfway point we decided to hit some of the off-trail trails for about a mile. This mostly involved running through deep sand, bounding over creeks and dodging branches. It was kind of fun in a masochistic kind of way, and it really got me breathing hard. We took it a little easier for the return trip, which I was thankful for. I really like running with Todd as I find that keeping up with him shows me how much I can actually do that I think I can't. Sometimes you just need someone to push you out of your comfort zone.

Company Again

I had company again for my run today after a few days on my own. Ultra-man was recovering from an illness so the pace wasn't as fast as it could have been. That was good as I was still a little stiff from my hard run yesterday. Tomorrow I will likely not get to run as there is a seminar at noon, but I will go for a swim in the morning I think.

Why I like running

Today was crazy busy! I had five million errands to run on top of fixing a major computer problem and filling my cryogens. It was insane! But I was determined to squeeze in a run so I managed to put in 6 miles. Unlike the rest of my day my run was relaxing and therapeutic. It was just me and my thoughts and I didn't spend any time thinking about all of the things that I had to do. Escape. In another escape, I took both of the boys in the joggy stroller yesterday for 6.5 miles so that Melissa could escape. An hour away from the kids is like gold these days. It was Miles' first time in the stroller and he did great, sleeping pretty much the whole way. Watching the world pass you by is pretty boring I suppose.

Extended Run

I was meaning to go out for an easy run today, but the weather was the nicest it's been all week so I went for a full 9 miles. It was still cool, but the sun was out and I had enough clothes to be warm. This weekend is supposed to be nicer still, so hopefully I'll get out again on Sunday, but I think I'll take a rest day tomorrow. Maybe even a trip to the pool.

There's always one

Last night I went to bed with clear skies and a warm wind. Today I woke up to 3 inches of snow on the ground. It was not so surprising, there is always at least one spring snowstorm here. It didn't stop me from from running though, I donned my gear and had a nice 6 miles with some speedwork in the snow. The wind was bad at times, but it wasn't cold enough to make it really biting. It mostly was just getting pelted with snowflakes that was annoying. I was not about to lose another running day to snow though.

Blown Away

I remember training for the marathon last year and being frustrated with the wind, which seemed to be in my face every long run. This year I haven't really experienced much of that until today. It was 20 mph headwinds today and it felt like I got sandblasted running by the construction zones. But I had company so it wasn't as miserable as it could have been. I did 6 miles around Bluff Lake, and was also able to hit the pool for a half hour this morning. So all in all a pretty good day.

A Quick Five

Got out today for a quick 5 miles, even though it was pretty windy out. Turned out to be a pretty good workout, but it left me wanting more. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. Hopefully the rest of this week will pan out. We are supposed to get rain off and on for the next few days so that may interfere with my plans. I can't complain with the March we've had though.

Long Slow Day

I took Elijah out for a nice long run in the joggy stroller today, 11 miles! I took a pretty easy pace and enjoyed every minute of it. The weather was beautiful and not too hot. Elijah didn't last though and eventually fell asleep on the return trip. It was quite the change from yesterday, when it rained off and on all day. I did go to the pool yesterday for an hour though, so it wasn't a total wash.

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!