***

Sunday, May 15th:

Today I did an afternoon run, it was warm, but I felt fairly fast for the 8.5 miles. The flowers along the in-town trails are blossoming! Beautiful variations of blue and pink dot the trails, even though the grasses in the wild fields are still quite yellow for this time of spring.

In the evening, there was the full lunar eclipse! With a full moon, this was going to be a (fairly) rare event. The earth's shadow began to cover the moon at around 8:30pm, shortly after sunset. The moon was fully covered with the shadow by 9:30 pm.

This event is called the "blood moon" as the earth's shadow creates a reddish-brown appearance of the moon. 

We decided to drive east of Colorado Springs to escape the light pollution and a few clouds that were close to the eastern horizon in town.

We found a great view by the windmill farm! This windmill farm is visible on a clear day from most of the mountains. Looking east from the top of the Incline, you can spot a whole line of windmills! It was awesome to be able to see this lunar event.

Top: Afternoon run, 8.5 miles. Bottom: Watching the lunar eclipse by the windmill farm.

***

Monday, May 16th:

Today's run was over 13 miles, making a two-day total of about 22 miles. I felt pretty tired today honestly, as I don't do back-to-back runs very often. Nonetheless, it was a lovely sunset run and I appreciated the great weather and some cool clouds as I wrapped up my run.

***

Tuesday, May 17th:

Today's home gym session was a great one! And by great, I mean it was challenging and will probably leave me quite sore within the next couple days. But hopefully not so sore that I can't sleep - I hate that feeling!

I did heavy barbell deadlifts with various stances (narrow, wide), followed by bodyweight dips. I meant to do core work but I didn't end up focusing directly on core today. I did try to make sure I engaged throughout the core during all sets today. Maybe the ab wheel or planks next time!

***

Wednesday, May 18th:

25 minutes on the row machine. I haven't done rowing in a little while and I can tell. My goal was 30 minutes, but I felt spent by 20 minutes. I managed to eek out another 5.

***

Thursday, May 19th:

Family day for my daughter's birthday. What a nice rest day! 

***

Friday, May 20th:

7 and a half miles in the early morning. We are expecting a big snowstorm this afternoon, but it was actually still quite calm and not too cold this morning. It was quite interesting actually, as I could see the clouds over the mountains and they didn't seem to be moving in on the town at all during my run. I got home and took a shower, and when I looked outside again, it was raining and completely socked in. The weather changed quite quickly!

It's always a nice feeling to get a run in before a storm. 

***

Saturday, May 21st: 

Over 8 and a half miles after the snowstorm! Today's run was an afternoon one. They usually close the road to Grandview Overlook when it snows, so this is where I went. Since it was the afternoon after the storm, the roads were totally melted off and completely dry already. But the road was still closed! Perfect 👌. Now I had the whole top of the mesa to myself, so I ran it twice out-and-back. A good "quicker" route on 100% roads. Rougher on the ankle than trails though. 

Still cloudy over the mountains and cool, but not terrible at all with hat, gloves, and my Pikes Peak Marathon finisher jacket.

***

Sunday, May 22nd:

Home gym day. Overhead barbell presses, one of my favorite exercises, with stabilizing throughout the core.

Then, I did a core exercise I haven't done in quite a while: planks. I did these with gloves, holding onto heavy dumbbells on the floor. This results in a very slightly elevated plank that is easier on the wrists but also engages the shoulders in supporting myself.

My first plank I did was 3 minutes! I didn't plan on going any certain length, rather I just watched a video until I started to feel weak in the core, and then switched back to the stopwatch ⏱ to see how long it had been. Since I was over 2:30 when I first checked, I just stuck it out as long as I could on the first one. I'm not sure I have ever done a plank of that duration before. I credit engaging my core and focusing on big, compound lifts in all my weight sessions this year so far.

I'm reminded here of my "word of the year," consistency, which I haven't thought about in a while. I have been consistent with 1 or 2 weight sessions each week. Even though it's not a whole lot per week, we're almost six months into the year, so that's actually a good amount over time. Consistency!

Anyway, my planks today were timed as follows:

1. 3:00

2. 1:45

3. 2:00

4. 1:45

Decent for first time doing them in quite a while (like, years maybe 👀). I enjoyed this timed exercise and plan on incorporating them more often. I hope it'll help strengthen my core even more for those long mountain adventures.

For next time, I think side lateral raises and dumbbell lunges are due. 

***

Monday, May 23rd:

Yard work is hard work! But it makes for a great workout while also getting something done. Today I did several hours of yard work, and I have more to do tomorrow. I'm going to count this one as a bonus workout. ;)

It was a great day for it, because it was rainy and drizzling the whole time, meaning it wasn't so dry and dusty in the yard.

***

Tuesday, May 24th:

Another yard work day. I might have underestimated the amount of time I'll have to put in so that my yard will be ready for summer. But that's alright, since yard work is still good strength work 💪! When I'm done, it will be a neat play yard with trampoline and tree house. 

***

Wednesday, May 25th:

Today, I did a couple hours of yardwork and reached a good stopping point. There's still more to do eventually, but it looks far better for now. Spring cleaning!

I decided to celebrate completing this portion of the yard with a short evening run. I planned on 6 or 7 miles and still managed to get almost 8. (Good thing I didn't plan on 8 or I would have done 9 or 10!)

I felt a little tired on this run, despite not having run all week. Likely a result of all the yard work! I'm hoping to get a longer mileage run in soon, but it depends how I feel and recover.

***

Thursday, May 26th:

A few pullups and dips on the captain's chair that is in a better location in my re-arranged yard. It's really beginning to come together!

Then I did 30 minutes on the row machine. I felt stronger on it today than last time. 

As I look at the mountains and dream of my next long run, I think I'll do my Mt. Rosa semi-circle loop again soon.

***

Friday, May 27th:

Today I did a sunrise run. It was a peaceful and calm morning. A little chilly at the start, but I knew the day would heat up fast. Originally I had wanted to go to the mountains for a long one, but I decided to wait until after the weekend. Instead, I'd planned on 10 miles today and 23+ next Tuesday or Wednesday. 

As soon as I got to the trail, the sky was already magnificent. 

Sunrise on Palmer Point trail and magnificent morning rocks atop Marconi Heights. 

I took trails all the way to the overlook in Austin Bluffs Open Space. 

Here, halfway through my 10 miles, I took a break for a while and took in the views. This overlook is so 🔥!

The overlook at Austin Bluffs Open Space is a great location to scout the snow levels in the mountains.

I had brought my mini binocs with me, and I took the opportunity to scout out the mountains from the overlook. Still a TON of snow, but with the 80s forecast for the weekend, a lot may melt.

Another reason I was glad I pushed off my longer run until early next week.

At this point, I took stock of how I was feeling. I did not feel too tired overall, but my feet were agitated. I was instantly glad I had decided to take the remainder of the weekend off from running to rest for a big one next week. I will plan to do some stretching, yoga, and use the massage gun on my feet.

After my fill of views, I headed back to Palmer Point trail and home, totaling around 10 miles and 1400 feet of climbing. What a lovely trail and mountain-planning run! 😍 

High altitude puffy cloud above Palmer Point trail on my way home.

To summarize these last two weeks in exercise, I did a fair mixture of running, weightlifting, bodyweight work, and yard work (also counts!) 😀 I just can't complain about that! I am feeling fairly strong headed into the summer trail running season.

Next one will be a long one (fingers crossed)! 🤞

Can't wait to share it with you all! 

Northern ridge up, eastern granite field down on Stove Mountain!

Thursday, May 5th:

On my last mountain run a couple of weeks ago, I had ascended Columbine Trail to Daniels Pass, and I wanted to do this route again before the road up North Cheyenne Cañon opened, while the trails were still (relatively) quiet. 

I decided to attempt a mountain I've long looked at, but bypassed in favor of other adventures: Stove Mountain.

I figured this would be a good one for this week, as it is below 10,000 feet and also a shorter round-trip than some of the higher mountains. 

There were gorgeous deep blue afternoon skies with puffy, non-threatening clouds as I began my journey at the base of the Cañon. 

I went the same way as last time for a few miles, up Columbine Trail to Mt. Cutler Trail, bypassing Mt. Muscoco and using Daniels Pass Trail to connect to Gold Camp Road.

I jogged the gentle uphill on the road as it winds south towards Stove Mountain.

There is a junction to the west with a trail that I've been on before that I know connects to the St. Mary's Falls Trail eventually. I started out on this trail, and eventually split to the south, up the north ridge of Stove Mountain. 

At this point the real climbing began. I was following a social trail that faded in and out, trying to stick to the ridge as much as possible. The ridgeline reminded me of a tamer version of the northern Almagre ridge that I'd scrambled up last summer.

I came to an open area with a big square boulder, and looked up at the summit.

At this point, I tried my best to follow the ridge but I guess I ended up scrambling slightly too far to the west and came to the northern edge of the big rock face that makes the "cookstove" appearance of this mountain.

I climbed out on a ledge along the northern edge of this face that hung above the valley below. 

The exposure felt extreme!

The photos don't do this little ledge justice. It hangs out over the valley below, with what feels like a thousand-foot drop.

After this overlook spot, I rounded the bend to continue climbing, but I was too high up on the cliff face and I would have to descend into the valley on the back side of the mountain before I could continue to ascend towards the true summit. 

I decided if I was going to descend, I was going to retreat from the mountain, not just descend so I could ascend again.

After all, I'd made it up to a lookout point, and nearly the top of the mountain, so I didn't really mind skipping the true summit for today. 

Instead of descending the sandy ridge that I came up, I thought I'd be able to find more solid footing in the wash on the eastern face.

After a short portion of gravel/ scree, I came to a HUGE boulder field!

I was instantly so glad that I had picked to go this way. I am very comfortable down climbing on boulders. This wash was composed of huge chunks of Pikes Peak granite, with their characteristic pink and tan colors.

Pikes Peak granite is known for being loose and crumbly, so I still had to be cautious when stepping down, "testing" each foot placement before bearing my weight on it. Many of the rocks did move slightly underfoot.

This boulder field reminded me of the one on Blodgett Peak. A nice steep downhill slope! With a great view across to the broad western face of Cheyenne Mountain.

I felt like my strength training really benefited me for this downclimb, hopping from rock to rock, grabbing on to handholds as the steepness of the slope permitted.

I soon returned to Gold Camp Road, and now I just had an easy downhill jog remaining. My favorite part! Instead of descending back through the Cañon, I simply stuck to the road, enjoying the smooth, fast descent. Even once I reached the part of the road where vehicles are permitted, I saw more cyclists than motorists. It was a great day to be active outdoors!

The sun disappeared behind the mountains just as I rounded the last portion of the gravel, still shining brilliant streaks of light on the foothills.

I continued downhill on the asphalt for a couple miles before Alex arrived and picked me up. The total for today was 16 miles with 4000 feet of climbing. Those 4000 feet were hard-won on the  scree-covered steep slopes of Stove Mountain!

One more thing from today - the high altitude flora is already showing its intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

I look forward to seeing more of the high altitude plants soon! 😄 

***

Saturday, May 7th:

I just wrapped up another lovely, warm evening jogging in the bluffs.

I set out for a "recovery run" after Thursday's mountain adventure.

I planned on 8 miles initially, but ended up with 10. A little long for a typical recovery run, but I felt good and figured I'd take what I could!

Aravaipa Running has a new race series in Colorado Springs called Ring the Springs which Jim mentioned when I ran into him in the Garden. This race utilizes many of the trails that I frequent, and I thought about this when I was running through Palmer Park and the adjacent open spaces today. 

It was hot during the day today, and summer definitely feels like it will be here soon. It was still very warm when I set out in the early evening, although the breeze helped.

I've long heard Colorado Springs being called "the gateway to the southwest" and it definitely felt like that today, as I jogged in the warm dry air along sandy trails amidst the yellow sandstone formations.

I love the varied environment zones that exist here right along the southern Front Range, from high desert and grasslands to mountain forests and alpine tundra. Such an amazing place to live and play! This really is an ideal place for a trail runner 🏃‍♂️.

Today's run included a small loop with an overlook. I felt a little like the king of the mountain atop here, stretching in the golden setting sun and enjoying the cool rock formations all around me.

As a bonus, when I returned from today's recovery jaunt, I weighed in at 140 - and that was after drinking a whole bottle of water. That's been my target weight. Although I could probably get down to 135 and be a little faster, I'm still feeling pretty good about it. Especially since my diet hasn't been perfect lately.

When I was standing atop the rock in the warm wind, I realized that it's about time to put in motion the plans for my first 40+ miler in a while, before the weather turns to true midsummer heat.

I'd like to do a flat long one before it gets too hot, along the Front Range Trail. I think I can make it to Columbine Open Space in Larkspur within about 40 miles or so. This seems like a good way to start a strong summer. 

***

Sunday, May 8th:

Took the whole family for a picnic (mild rock scrambling too) by Cheesman Reservoir. It was windy! 

***

Monday, May 9th:

8 and half miles with 950 ft of climbing on a cool evening jog, followed up with machine butterfly and machine chest press.

***

Wednesday, May 11th:

Today was hot, hot, and more hot! 85 degrees at the outset. I kept thinking of how it felt like a desert out along the trail. In the two and half decades I've lived here, it seems like the cacti, yucca, and high plains grasses are converting the landscape slowly towards more of a high desert. Maybe I'm slowly witnessing the environment change as the globe warms? Or maybe it just feels way hotter than expected for early May!

I did a similar loop to last Saturday, enjoying the yellow-orange sandstone rock formations along my local trails.

I ran up to the overlook in Austin Bluffs Open Space, then down on different trails, adding 10.5 miles and 1600 feet elevation to the logs.

Also, beware of snakes on the trails. I encountered two today and several during my last couple runs as well.

Fortunately, I've only seen garter snakes and bull snakes so far, but I know rattlers are out there too. Just watch where you step!

I realized today that I'll have to wait for a little bit cooler weather window before I will be able to do a long, flat run. It's just too hot already.

The road up to the top of North Cheyenne Cañon will open on June 1st, so I'm hoping to get up there soon after that and hit some of my favorite summits like Mt. Rosa and Almagre, and maybe some new summits too.

***

Thursday, May 12th:

A busy day, but still fit in some weighed squats, then rotating pushups.

Still feeling pretty good about the balance between the weight room and running. I'd like to focus on some more core work in the next session, though. 

***

Friday, May 13th:

8.5 miles on the bluffs, 1150 ft of ascent. An overcast evening helped temper the afternoon heat.

***

That's about it for this past week. It was a busy one! At this time of year, I get really excited for the upcoming summer trail season. I'm really looking forward to this summer especially, because I hope 🙏 to be able to meet with friends for a few runs 🏃‍♂️! It's been a long couple years of solo running, so I'd love to return to adventuring with others soon.

The last couple weeks have been flying by.

Despite being busy, the gym workouts have been good lately. I could go a little heavier on the leg work, but I've been doing a lot of compound movements and also bodyweight work with the yoga trapeze. Overall, a fair amount of strength work to support and enhance my endurance. 

I've also been consistent in putting in my normal weekly mileage and waiting for the next big mountain run. Consistent town mileage is the base builder for those special marathon-length adventures!

Many of my town runs are now around the 12+ mile distance, about 3 times weekly.

The only thing lacking lately has been my diet, which has gotten a bit off track. Time to reign it back in, focusing on more whole foods and less snacking.

Since my last couple mountain runs above 10,000 ft have resulted in altitude headaches for me, I think I'll try for a 9,000-foot peak next. There's a few in the local area that I haven't marked off my summit bucket list yet. I hope to do this next mountain run soon. 

Here's a few photos from the last couple weeks: 

14 miles loop through Austin Bluffs Open Space on a cool and windy spring day.

A visit to the South Platte River and Sugar Creek Trailhead with the family. I'd like to return and do the Lower to Upper Sugar Creek loop as a run.

Sunset on a peaceful 12 mile loop run in the evening.

A few more shots of the bluffs and their characteristic outcroppings at sundown.

Another calm and perfect evening along Palmer Point Trail. 10 miles.

One final note: I enjoy mixing up my routine with both morning and evening jogs. This helps to not only keep things fresh, (the lighting is different at different times throughout the day, and you notice different things), but also it helps train my body to be comfortable running at all times of the day. Ultimately I hope to utilize this training with more long mileage ultra runs!

A 50-mile self-supported adventure is still the plan for sometime this summer, although I have no definitive route in mind yet.

For the next week or so, I want to focus on some ab-specific training in the gym, and hopefully summit that 9,000-foot local peak!