Storms on Middle Almagre

On Tuesday, June 28th, we took the family for a summer drive and tour through the Lost Creek and South Park areas.

We picnicked at Tarryall Reservoir and drove on Highway 77 all the way through to 285, taking in the sweeping views. What a lovely drive!

Then, on Thursday (the 30th), I was ready to go back to the mountains for another long one!!

My goal for the day was "Middle" Almagre. Almagre Mountain has north and south summits, both of which I've been atop in the past. But these summits are adorned with radio towers and human structures. Instead, I wanted to scale up one of the smaller sub-summits in between the north and south summits, and climb the tallest rock formation on top. It sounded more picturesque and natural. Unofficially, I call this "Middle" Almagre.

I began my day at the top of North Cheyenne Cañon, and headed up the Seven Bridges trail. It was fairly busy, up until the last bridge. After that point, the trail quickly became extremely quiet.

I made my way from 622 to 668, the Pipeline Trail. Clouds were building a little over my favorite valley. 

Soon I was back in the woods on my way towards Nelson's Camp, and I stopped paying attention to the sky, since the Colorado wildflowers were so abundant and amazing!

There they were, in every variety and color. And the columbines! The columbines were like purple little starbursts, popping up throughout the forest and along the main tributatory of N. Cheyenne Creek, which was still flowing quite well from the late-season snow.

At the old metal sign at the creek crossing, I turned west to follow the main flow of the creek, up towards the old Mt. Baldy Reservoir basin on top. This is the "standard" route up Almagre.

I've been on this trail many times in the past, and it used to be hard to follow in a few areas. But this was the first time I've been on this route this year, and the trail was very solid, easy to follow, and even carefully cairned at critical junctions.

Someone put in a lot of work to make this trail really nice!! I was so pleased that the trail was so easy to follow. The trail passed through a "bumpy" aspen forest and climbed beyond some steep crags.

Before I knew it, I was climbing close to the treeline and could see the Almagre Reservoir dam just ahead of me.

The view down into North Cheyenne Cañon and Colorado Springs beyond was filled with rain clouds, but it was dry where I was.

I reached the dam, and the alpine tundra. The tundra was filled with amazing wildflowers of all colors! It was impressive! Even the mosses were blooming.

The sky was cloudy, but it wasn't stormy or raining, and the flat, empty reservoir basin was calm and not very windy, with intermittent sunlight. 

I headed directly for the Middle Almagre summit. As soon as I climbed up to the ridgeline, a powerful gust of wind hit me.

I could see the South Slopes Rec Area a thousand feet below me to the west, with the Crestones and other distant 14ers decorating the western skyline.

As I scrambled up the short final ridgeline, Pikes Peak came into view, with a light green tint on its southern face, which I knew was actually a soft carpet of alpine grass.

I spotted the summit outcrop, and found that it was simple to get on top. It wouldn't even call it a "scramble" - more like a step-up!

From the summit of Middle Almagre, I could see a fantastic 360-degree panorama! There were some heavy rainstorms over the Westcliffe area to the southwest. But the most dramatic clouds were building over Bull Park, just on the other side of the South Slopes lakes.

"Middle Almagre" summit panorama. 

I sat on the top of the summit outcrop for as long as I could stand the wind. I loved looking at the views of the distant 14ers, with no smog or smoke in the air today.

Reluctantly, I decided it was time to descend and begin my return trip. I downscrambled the short ridgeline back to the Almagre Reservoir basin. As soon as I reached the basin, the sky crackled loudly. Lightning erupted and struck somewhere over by Bull Park, just to my northwest.

I had pushed my luck with the building storms. Now I had to get off this mountain, and fast. Adrenaline surged, and I ran downhill on the road 379A. This was the fastest way to escape back to treeline.

A cold spitting rain began, chilling me. But my pace to the south was faster than the storm encroaching from the north, and I quickly emerged from the rain. I slowed from my downhill sprint, and took a few more photos of the wide view down into North Cheyenne Cañon, and Mount Rosa to the south.

But the storm wasn't done with me. At the junction of road 379 and the 4-wheel road 370.C, the rain had returned, soaking me and chilling me to the bone. I sheltered under a tree for a moment, but the cracking thunder told me I hadn't much time to hesitate. I opted to continue to the south, following the 370.C road for a quick descent to Gold Camp Road, although I knew it would add some mileage to my day.

I just had to get off this mountain quick, and it turned out that 370.C was the perfect way to do that. The rock-strewn road descends sharply through thick forest. 

Soon, the storm began to dissipate, and the electricity gave way to a gentle pitter-pattering of drizzle. I was rock-hopping with a fresh energy, and my fear had evolved to joy. I loved this road! It was like a hidden gem, with views of Mount Big Chief to the east, and unique rock pinnacles to the west.

Soon I'd reached Gold Camp Road, although a few miles further away from town than my usual descent route. But I was certain now that I'd picked the right way to go, as the storm had nearly cleared, it was no longer raining, and the birds were singing all around me.

I began my long journey back to town now, with at least another 14 miles to go. However, it was all easy dirt road mileage, and totally doable. My confidence was up from last time I'd done this road run. All I had to do was put in the work!

I enjoyed the green valleys and the craggy rock formations - "old gods" that stood tall, made of Pikes Peak granite, watching over these mountains.

I felt good overall during the whole way back to town. Maybe I'm getting used to the ultra long road runs! Hopefully that means I'll be able to succeed in the Silver Rush 50 miler someday, which is one of my long-term goal races. I believe it has a decent portion of high altitude dirt road running. 

When I finally got back to town and finished, my distance exceeded 27 miles. A nice total for a crazy day! And, even though I'd had to escape from the lightning above treeline, I'd had an amazing day and made my summit goal.

It's been shaping up to be a great summer so far, training-wise! Soon, I hope to do a 40-miler and then eventually go for the 50-mile, which is my main goal for the year 😀. The training has been helping to build my mental long-distance fortitude, but I'm still a bit anxious about attempting the big distance.

This big Almagre day was a good one for me though! Hope that you enjoyed the photos and journeying with me.

Weekly summary, June 20th to 27th, 2022

After my Mount Rosa loop on Friday the 17th, I took a few days off immediately. My left shoulder was paining me quite a bit. The first night, a small muscle seized up in my back.  Fortunately, it resolved itself within a few days.

I still realized I likely overextended myself between the heavy deadlifts a few days prior, follower by the 27 miler (especially with carrying the heavy water pack).

On Monday evening (the 20th), I did 45 minutes easy on the exercise bike. This was the perfect recovery exercise, and I felt like it got the blood flowing without any risk for injury.

I got back into it with a slow 8.5 mile recovery jog on Tuesday the 21st.

8.5 mile recovery run at Palmer Park.

It was overcast and not overly hot.

Another full rest day followed, and then I did another short run of 6.75 miles on Thursday the 23rd.

6.75 miles at Palmer Park, on lovely trails.

This run was quite a bit hotter by contrast.

Still, it was such a beautiful day, and I just enjoyed that southwest sun as I topped out the bluffs and viewed the mountains from afar.

I stuck to trails, enjoying the rock formations and making a big loop around the park.

By Friday the 24th, a week after the long run, I felt ready to get back to the weight room. My shoulder felt back to 100%, but I still wanted to be extra careful.

So I chose to do only one exercise, which was lightweight squats. I didn't really want to squat a heavy barbell yet. Instead I took a single 25-lb dumbell and held it out in front of myself as I squatted for about 15 to 20 reps, with about 7 or 8 sets.

I followed up with 45 minutes on the exercise bike, like earlier in the week.

This weight session felt great overall, and I felt I'd be ready for a real heavy lifting day soon.

On Saturday, I simply hit the exercise bike again, for an hour this time, and at a bit faster/ more athletic pace this time. It's such an accessible cross-training exercise, since it's right in my gym.

On Sunday, Alex and I went to Denver Pridefest!! It's been three years since we've been - since before the pandemic. Still, we wore masks and stayed away from the main part of the crowd. It was nice to be able to take this day off and walk around the festival and enjoy spending time with my husband!

On Monday the 27th, I headed out for a mid-length jog and ended up with 13.5 miles. It was another beautiful Colorado day. I went out-and-back on the road to Grandview Overlook twice before adding some more mileage on trails.

13.5 mile day in Palmer Park, with clouds building over the mountains but sunshine 🌞 in the park.

I was pleased that my pace was fairly quick as compared to my last couple runs. I now feel totally recovered from my Mount Rosa jaunt, and I didn't overextend myself by doing 13.5 today. 

As the primary summer training season is here, I am planning to head to the mountains again as soon as I can - maybe even later this week! I'm planning on hitting up Almagre Mountain, one of my usual summer favorites. See you on the trails 👣! 

Beating the heat on Mount Rosa!

The last couple weeks have seemed busy! Overall, my summer training has been going well - a fair mix of weights, rowing, running, and working on the yard and house.

Here's a few photos from my training the last couple weeks in town. The flowers in the city are in full summer mode.

Clouds quickly building over Palmer Point Trail, on my way out versus on my way back, on a 9 mile run.

Wildflowers of a variety of colors in Palmer Park. Stunning!

***

The town runs and gym training have been consistent. But as you all know, I love nothing more than putting my training to use in the mountains.

Originally, I wanted to do a mountain run on Monday, but it was going to be 95 degrees and it was already fairly hazy in the morning.

Since I knew the haze would make it harder to see the distant 14ers from the mountain summits, I decided to put the mountains off until later in the week. Hopefully a cold front will at least clear the haze, and I'll go on a day with temps only in the 80s instead of 90s!

Instead, on Monday, I did a pre-planning run for this mountain run.

Austin Bluffs was the perfect location for this. I really enjoy how I live close to the bluffs and can top them out for a good view of the mountains and trails.

It was super hot out, and the sun was beating down already even though it was really early. I ran up and over Palmer Park first, trying to stick to the shady canyon trails.

There was nothing I could do to avoid the sun and heat once I went up Marconi Heights.

Soon I arrived at my overlook for the day, up above UCCS. And a set of pull-up bars, too!

Similar pull-up bars are found throughout the parks in the local area.

I found a nice shade tree and observed the mountains for a few minutes. There's almost no snow remaining anywhere in the Pikes Peak region. Full on summer trail conditions everywhere. Of course, that's expected with 95 degree temperatures in town today! 

Pullups and panoramas on the bluffs.

I did a few pullups before returning home and planning out a few routes.

I will try to do my next mountain run on Thursday or Friday this week.

***

On Tuesday, I had a great heavy lifting gym day. Barbell deadlifts were called for, and I'm glad I did them. What a great overall strengthening exercise! Followed up by standing curls, for some supplemental upper-body work.

***

On Thursday, we took the family and visited Clear Creek Canyon, outside of Golden. They've made a number of improvements to the trail in recent years.

It was a lovely day for a walk along the creek in this steep, jagged canyon. And then just hanging out by the water with the kids! 

Our day in Clear Creek Canyon. 

***

Finally, it was Friday - and time to hit the mountains for a long trail run! 

It was still somewhat hazy in the morning, but better than it was earlier in the week. Also, it was going to be another very hot day. Not ideal, but I was hoping that I could beat the heat.

I had looked at several routes for the day but ultimately settled on ascending Mount Rosa. I would start from the base of North Cheyenne Cañon (not the top), just as I had almost a year ago on my 2021 summer solstice run. Last year, I didn't make the summit on that day, so I had extra motivation to top out today!

I started out on Columbine Trail this time. I enjoyed some of the classic views and rock formations that I haven't seen in a little while. 

Views from Columbine Trail. 

I connected to Gold Camp Road and kept jogging up the St. Mary's Falls standard route. 

Ascending the St. Mary's Falls Trail. 

It was already warm in the morning, but the heat was beginning to catch up with me. It was the kind of day when the heat was so extreme that it even gathered in the valleys and normally cool canyons in the forest.

After the final St. Mary's Falls junction (500 feet from the base of the falls), the trail begins to climb much more steeply. This part of the trail was HOT! All I could do is keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

I contemplated reaching the junction on the saddle and just descending towards Frosty's Park without attempting the summit. I felt overheated. I knew I had to go at least as far as the saddle, since I was planning on running the road down instead of descending the same way I'd come up.

It was slow going for a while. Even the wind was hot. I felt like I was in an oven!

Thankfully, when I finally arrived at the saddle, a cooler breeze blew over me. Some distant clouds were forming over Pikes Peak and the other mountains to the west.

Scenes from the saddle to Mount Rosa. 

The cool breeze was just enough to convince me that going to the summit would be worthwhile. My final climb was enjoyable, as the trail twists through the pine trees after the saddle. A last few switchbacks near the peak, and finally the trail breaks out onto the open summit.

I enjoyed the summit view for a moment. But out in the open, the sun was quickly roasting me.

I had to find some shade and rest before heading down.

I scrambled down a few meters from the top, onto the boulders on the summit's west flank. Here, I found a shady spot with a great view to the southwest.

The view to the southwest from Mount Rosa's west flank, just a few meters below the summit. 

I could see Penrose-Rosemont Reservoir down below, and a superb view of Mount Big Chief to the west.

Unfortunately, the day was too hazy to be able to see the distant 14ers that are normally visible from the summit block. Nonetheless, I sat and relaxed for a while and enjoyed looking at the Gold Camp area, where I'd soon be headed on my downhill return to town.

As I left the summit and returned to the heat, I took some photos of the barren dead tree trunks that litter the saddle. It really felt like a high altitude desert!

I reached the junction with the 672 trail and descended to the west, to Frosty's Park. It was all easy downhill road running from here.

I'm always surprised by how far away Mount Rosa looks while descending Old Stage Road. It feels way more distant than the few downhill miles I'd put in.

Between the heat and the mileage I'd already put into the day, I was reduced to walking for a while.

But once I reached Devil's Slide, and then the St. Peter's Dome area, the road began to descend sharply, and I felt up to jogging again. Or more like, I felt like I had to jog or I'd never be done.

After the steep descent, the road began to climb again for a short mile before it makes its final exit from the National Forest. On this section, I was worried about being late to meet my ride, so I just kept jogging and pushing onward. Happily, I think this is the best I've ever done on this section. When I was feeling burnt out and tired earlier, I didn't think I was going to make it through this part AT ALL and I'd have to have my husband come get me. Instead, it was actually my fastest mile all day! It goes to show that we can actually do much more than we think, and that running long distances is often mostly mental rather than physical. 

I did take a brief look back at the distant mountains from where I'd come.

The mountains were beginning to cloud over now. That would have been nice earlier, ha!

I made it out to the paved part of the road, and by the time Alex had come with the kids to get me, I'd made almost 27 miles on the day. And 6600 feet of climbing, according to my app (accuracy is questionable 😅). Still, whew! What a day! A full marathon with over a mile of ascent. I'll take that.

And I did actually make the summit all the way from the bottom of the canyon - the run I was unable to complete a year ago. What a great adventure on this last weekend before the summer solstice. 

After meeting with my family, we decided to take a short walk. I loved having my family join me for a little cool-down hike at the base of the canyon.

What a great way to wrap up the day!

***

I'm now home and resting on Sunday evening, enjoying this father's day at home. Yesterday, my left shoulder was very sore. I think I overdid the exercise, between the heavy lifting on Tuesday and the marathon on Friday. But I feel much better today already. It's not a bad thing to be forced to take a break for a few days in a row!

Mainly, I did too many deadlifts, and aggravated my shoulder by running so far with my pack on and bouncing around. Next time I'll be careful to not overdo it in my lifting session.

However, as I enjoy this lovely day, I can't help but be thankful for all I've been able to experience lately, and for the support of my family ❤. And summer hasn't even officially started!! So much to be glad about, and even more to look forward to.

"Ring the Peak" - Mount Rosa edition

It's a good feeling when a run goes as planned!

Originally, as I mentioned in my last update, I had planned to do my long run on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. But a cold front was threatening to overtake the mountains, so I decided to start very early Monday morning (Memorial Day) instead.

I set off from the base of High Drive around 5:45 am. The sun was already up, and soon it was illuminating the rocks high up on the hillside.

As I started off, another jogger came up behind me, which gave me some encouragement. We kept pace for the first mile until he split off towards the Bear Creek Canyon Trail. I stayed on High Drive until the saddle, then joining the 667 trail towards Mount Buckhorn.

The little silent competition with the other jogger had energized me, and I topped out Buckhorn in the beautiful sunshine and pressed on quickly, only stopping for a quick photo.

Top: Views from High Drive and Mt. Buckhorn. Bottom: Pipeline Trail towards Frosty's Park. 

I kept on 667 until the 622A junction. This short but steep descent would immediately lead to a quick climb, regaining all the lost elevation as I joined the Pipeline Trail #668.

Around this point I passed by the jogger that had given me a push up High Drive earlier. He encouraged me to keep pushing 💪! This gave me an additional boost as I was only about halfway through the uphill section of today's run.

When I was out in the sun on the south- and east-facing trail portions, I was almost too warm with my jacket on. But when the trail turned to the north or west, I was hit by instantly freezing winds. 🥶 

This made me glad that I'd opted to go a day earlier, since I knew the cold front was coming. But also, I was glad that I chose to do the route I had selected for today, which was the same route I'd done exactly six months ago, on November 30th, when I saw the most amazing sunset.  I didn't realize that it was exactly six months to the day until afterwards! I just really loved this route and was glad to do a repeat of it.

My route didn't have any summits or off-trail climbing involved. It is a simple horseshoe-shaped "almost loop" which starts at the base of High Drive and ends at the base of Old Stage Road, at the entrance to the National Forest. It nearly circumnavigates the base of Mount Rosa. It is easy to follow and extremely runnable - just perfect for a day like today.

I kept at a steady pace up the Pipeline trail until reaching Frosty's Park, where the outstanding view of Mount Rosa greeted me. At the same time, a great gust of wind brought icy little snowballs! (You can't tell from the photo, but it was snowing and sunny at the same time.)

Top: Sights along Pipeline trail. Bottom: Mount Rosa from Frosty's Park.

This was a fast way to attain the highest elevation point of the day, at Frosty's Park, over 10,500 feet. I was just under 10 miles in, but now I had a nice long downhill to look forward to!

I cruised easily down the Forest Service Road #379. I felt good the whole time, no complaints today.

Occasionally, a gusty wind would bring a short bout of snow. But once I reached Gold Camp Road, the sun was shining and the tree cover was gone, and I was warm. I was finally able to shed my jacket and run in my tank top.

I enjoyed views of all my favorite rock formations as I made the slow, gradual descent towards town. I really love this road and how it showcases the characteristic Pikes Peak granite uplifts. Wide-open views are abundant. 

The recent snowstorm has really helped the surroundings green up quite a bit! The little marshy valley east of Penrose-Rosemont Reservoir was green, and the skies above were gorgeously blue. 

Mount Rosa towers above in the distance, while new green growth lines the pond that reflects the blue skies.

I love this section of the road. No matter the time of day or time of year, it seems to be the best place to catch interesting clouds and bright colors.

I made this collage to compare the same segment of road from my run 6 months ago, to today.

Top: November 30th, 2021. Bottom: May 30th, 2022.

I was relaxed and jogging easily, even though I couldn't stop taking soo many photos 😅! My pace did suffer a little, but it was worthwhile.

Soon I arrived at Devil's Slide, with Colorado blue skies above and dramatic clouds to the west.

Looking up at Devil's Slide. 

Looking west at angry storm clouds. 

From here, it wasn't too far to the St. Peter's Dome parking area, and then the long descent that would lead out of the National Forest and back to town.

All the way along, I chased the puffy clouds ☁️ to the east while running away from the angry ones to the west. It was increasingly warm now, and although I didn't feel fatigued or too tired, I simply tucked in and did the mileage before I got too overheated.

The road goes back uphill for a short section, right before the last descent out of the National Forest. Here I soaked in some last views before I approached the big slabs of rock that told me I was almost done.

Top: Looking north towards Blodgett Peak in the distance. Middle: Looking back to the west over North Cheyenne Cañon. Bottom: These big rocks stand guard near the entrance to Old Stage Road.

As I came out of the National Forest, my ride hadn't arrived yet, so I turned and ran a mile up towards the zoo, just like last time. Because after running almost 24 miles, why not run another mile - uphill?! 😆

I ended the day with 25.5 miles and 6300 feet of climbing! What a day!

Although this route wasn't new or different or especially adventurous, it was a favorite and an absolute joy to be able to complete it again. I found this run to be very fulfilling, and exactly what I was looking for.

Now that the road up North Cheyenne Cañon is set to open within a few days, I'll have a chance to plan some more adventures soon. And maybe hit some of my other summer favorites, like Almagre Mountain.

Thanks for reading along, and I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed this day. 😀 

***

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!