Truthfully, my runs as of late have been unremarkable at best and lacking (in pace and distance) at worst. Right around Christmas is a difficult time for me to get out there. So, as it is, my head is spinning a bit while planning my future runs.
I've developed a loose plan for my 30th birthday run! This isn't yet written in stone, but as soon as it is, you know you'll hear from me.
Date: Tuesday February 9th, 2016
Time: Beginning at 11 am
Location: Top of Greenland Open Space (exit 167 off I-25)
Route: Front Range Trail all the way south to Uintah, then jumping in with the Jack Quinn's club run to finish at Jack Quinn's.
Total distance: 30 - 31 miles
Total time: 6 - 7 hours
Yeah, that's about it. My plan is pretty simple; begin at Greenland Open Space and follow the trail all the way south, peeling off at Uintah with the Jack Quinn's group and finishing at the bar. This will allow anyone who wants to jog a part of it with me to jump on in at any trailhead along the trail! Or, for anyone to meet up with me at Jack Quinn's after the run! (Please note I don't consume alcohol at all, but I might indulge in a Coca-Cola and some food!) I recently ran 20 miles on the trail northbound at a 12 minute per mile pace, which would put me at 6 hours assuming I could maintain the pace. The southbound direction *is* downhill, so it'll be *slightly* easier, so I figure to be arriving at Jack Quinn's at any time between 5 and 6 pm. This is all assuming the weather is good, which is a big assumption for early February.
Runners who can't run at the moment must plan runs.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
16 miles on Pikes Peak today, and they didn't say it was supposed to snow!
It was a great morning, crisp but warming quickly as the sun went up. I departed on my Incline club run a bit early before the main group because I knew I wanted to go up to and probably beyond Barr Camp today. This is a good time for me to plug the Incline club: it's a great group of folks who are serious about training (often for the Pikes Peak Marathon) but also like to get together and do long runs together, because it's more fun with friends!
I did run to Barr Camp two weeks ago, but the snow conditions today were worse than they were a couple weeks ago. Up until No Name Creek, it was intermittent ice patches. Then it was choppy snow all the way to Barr Camp. Beyond that, it was pretty much knee-deep snow. A few others had gone up before me, making holes in the snow, but any time I stepped to the side of the footprints, I sunk deep into the crunchy, ice-topped, wind-blown snow. I kept at it for half a mile, but eventually decided that was sufficient for today and made my way back to Barr Camp.
I spent some time talking to the volunteers filling in for the caretakers over the holiday. Alex Nichols, last year's Pikes Peak Marathon winner, was one of the volunteers. In addition to being super fast, he seemed like a very nice guy to talk to! I had brought a sandwich so I ate that and bought some last minute Christmas gifts from their nice t-shirt selection. They mentioned that they were expecting three guests tonight.
Eventually I knew I had to head out, so back out into the beautiful sunshine I went. I had checked the weather beforehand and it said that it was supposed to be a sunny day and hover in the mid 40s.
Down the trail a bit I passed a couple and their young daughter. They had large packs so I asked if they were headed for Barr Camp and they said yes.
Soon, a large cloud came in from behind the mountains. It cooled down quickly from the sunlit mid 40s. Quick weather changes are the norm in the mountains, so I shouldn't have been surprised. But oh, what's that? A snowflake? Good thing I was almost down to Ruxon by this point. After a brisk jog through town, I pulled out my GPS on my phone. Exactly 16 miles. It felt pretty good, considering I'd done 20 miles two days ago! My time to Barr Camp was 2:42 today, versus 2:40 two weeks ago, but I blame the snow conditions and slightly tired legs.
On my drive home, it began snowing more. Right at that moment, the guy on the radio was talking about "I hope you're enjoying your sunny Sunday!" I laughed. Poor kid must have been inside a room with no windows, because the sunny Sunday had morphed into windy wet snow within the span of half an hour. I thought back to the family on their way to Barr Camp. They still had about 1.5 miles to go, I hope they made it without getting too cold during that flash snowstorm.
The best feeling in the world is a hot shower and fuzzy jammies after a long run in the snowy mountains. *Especially* when it's snowing outside. And it did snow enough to accumulate a bit. But as quickly as the weather came, it cleared out. In fact, it went from blowing snow to clear and cold skies during the time I typed this on my phone. So now I have the great fortune of watching the sun set behind the summit of Pikes Peak, the mountain still partly veiled in clouds, shrouding it in mystery. In fact, if I look hard enough, I believe I can see where I was earlier today, up on that behemoth of granite.
I did run to Barr Camp two weeks ago, but the snow conditions today were worse than they were a couple weeks ago. Up until No Name Creek, it was intermittent ice patches. Then it was choppy snow all the way to Barr Camp. Beyond that, it was pretty much knee-deep snow. A few others had gone up before me, making holes in the snow, but any time I stepped to the side of the footprints, I sunk deep into the crunchy, ice-topped, wind-blown snow. I kept at it for half a mile, but eventually decided that was sufficient for today and made my way back to Barr Camp.
I spent some time talking to the volunteers filling in for the caretakers over the holiday. Alex Nichols, last year's Pikes Peak Marathon winner, was one of the volunteers. In addition to being super fast, he seemed like a very nice guy to talk to! I had brought a sandwich so I ate that and bought some last minute Christmas gifts from their nice t-shirt selection. They mentioned that they were expecting three guests tonight.
Eventually I knew I had to head out, so back out into the beautiful sunshine I went. I had checked the weather beforehand and it said that it was supposed to be a sunny day and hover in the mid 40s.
Down the trail a bit I passed a couple and their young daughter. They had large packs so I asked if they were headed for Barr Camp and they said yes.
Soon, a large cloud came in from behind the mountains. It cooled down quickly from the sunlit mid 40s. Quick weather changes are the norm in the mountains, so I shouldn't have been surprised. But oh, what's that? A snowflake? Good thing I was almost down to Ruxon by this point. After a brisk jog through town, I pulled out my GPS on my phone. Exactly 16 miles. It felt pretty good, considering I'd done 20 miles two days ago! My time to Barr Camp was 2:42 today, versus 2:40 two weeks ago, but I blame the snow conditions and slightly tired legs.
On my drive home, it began snowing more. Right at that moment, the guy on the radio was talking about "I hope you're enjoying your sunny Sunday!" I laughed. Poor kid must have been inside a room with no windows, because the sunny Sunday had morphed into windy wet snow within the span of half an hour. I thought back to the family on their way to Barr Camp. They still had about 1.5 miles to go, I hope they made it without getting too cold during that flash snowstorm.
The best feeling in the world is a hot shower and fuzzy jammies after a long run in the snowy mountains. *Especially* when it's snowing outside. And it did snow enough to accumulate a bit. But as quickly as the weather came, it cleared out. In fact, it went from blowing snow to clear and cold skies during the time I typed this on my phone. So now I have the great fortune of watching the sun set behind the summit of Pikes Peak, the mountain still partly veiled in clouds, shrouding it in mystery. In fact, if I look hard enough, I believe I can see where I was earlier today, up on that behemoth of granite.
Friday, December 18, 2015
20 miles! At sunset in the winter.
I ran a solid 20 miler today. It's not the first time that I've run 20 miles, but in a way it was the most comfortable 20 mile run I've done to date.
I started off at a comfortable pace, and it was fairly warm for a Colorado winter day, about 45 degrees. But it was already late afternoon and I knew I had barely more than an hour until sunset. I packed a hat and gloves in my Ultimate Direction running pack, and about 2 liters of water, in addition to my headlamp.
I picked a familiar route and arranged for a ride at the end so I wouldn't have to go out-and-back. Although I usually run out-and-back runs, I like to indulge in an occasional point-to-point endeavour. This allows for different scenery to keep the mind entertained. Plus it's fun to sometimes "see how far you can go."
Interestingly, just after mile 4, a man who said he was interested in picking up running jogged with me for a short distance. I basically told him about the Galloway method; just run at a comfortable pace until you can't anymore, and then walk. Repeat. Eventually, you'll be able to hold the comfortable pace for longer and longer without walking.
I watched the sun set behind the Front Range as I ran. The colors weren't overly dramatic in tonight's cloudless sky, but the fading of light from bright blue to orange and yellow and purple is always a relaxing sight.
Soon enough, I needed my headlamp and pulled it out. The light of the crescent moon alone wasn't enough to guide me on the trail. The night was cool but not too cold, with warm patches of air still hanging around.
About 15 miles in, I called my ride to say I was right on pace with where I'd predicted and told him beforehand. After this, my legs started to feel pretty tired for a couple miles. It was a feeling like "you usually stop running around now, are we stopping?" And it's true. I usually run about 15 miles during my long runs but rarely more than that most weekends.
But I knew I could go further. I wasn't ready to employ the Galloway method yet, and I wanted to keep on pace. So I pushed through for a couple miles.
By mile 17, I felt better. Like surprisingly better. Like, I haven't had a long run like this in quite a while feeling! I wasn't any long dwelling on the remaining distance and I could just keep going at the same steady pace comfortably. Perhaps it was a slightly downhill on the trail that prompted my legs to "just get over it." But the feeling lasted all the way through the end of my run.
I felt like I could have gone farther than 20 miles. But I had already arranged with my ride to pick me up at a specific location. I'm very satisfied with this run. It was a good trial for my upcoming birthday run of 30 miles. I have not decided for certain, but I think I'll do the same trail.
The funny thing is, I'm not yet training for a specific race. This is the first time I've run 20 miles when I didn't have an immediate upcoming marathon. Perhaps I'll do one in mid-May, but that's still too long out to be doing 20 milers.
I guess it was just a fun 20 miler! If you can run 20 mIles when you feel like it, why not?!
I started off at a comfortable pace, and it was fairly warm for a Colorado winter day, about 45 degrees. But it was already late afternoon and I knew I had barely more than an hour until sunset. I packed a hat and gloves in my Ultimate Direction running pack, and about 2 liters of water, in addition to my headlamp.
I picked a familiar route and arranged for a ride at the end so I wouldn't have to go out-and-back. Although I usually run out-and-back runs, I like to indulge in an occasional point-to-point endeavour. This allows for different scenery to keep the mind entertained. Plus it's fun to sometimes "see how far you can go."
Interestingly, just after mile 4, a man who said he was interested in picking up running jogged with me for a short distance. I basically told him about the Galloway method; just run at a comfortable pace until you can't anymore, and then walk. Repeat. Eventually, you'll be able to hold the comfortable pace for longer and longer without walking.
I watched the sun set behind the Front Range as I ran. The colors weren't overly dramatic in tonight's cloudless sky, but the fading of light from bright blue to orange and yellow and purple is always a relaxing sight.
Soon enough, I needed my headlamp and pulled it out. The light of the crescent moon alone wasn't enough to guide me on the trail. The night was cool but not too cold, with warm patches of air still hanging around.
About 15 miles in, I called my ride to say I was right on pace with where I'd predicted and told him beforehand. After this, my legs started to feel pretty tired for a couple miles. It was a feeling like "you usually stop running around now, are we stopping?" And it's true. I usually run about 15 miles during my long runs but rarely more than that most weekends.
But I knew I could go further. I wasn't ready to employ the Galloway method yet, and I wanted to keep on pace. So I pushed through for a couple miles.
By mile 17, I felt better. Like surprisingly better. Like, I haven't had a long run like this in quite a while feeling! I wasn't any long dwelling on the remaining distance and I could just keep going at the same steady pace comfortably. Perhaps it was a slightly downhill on the trail that prompted my legs to "just get over it." But the feeling lasted all the way through the end of my run.
I felt like I could have gone farther than 20 miles. But I had already arranged with my ride to pick me up at a specific location. I'm very satisfied with this run. It was a good trial for my upcoming birthday run of 30 miles. I have not decided for certain, but I think I'll do the same trail.
The funny thing is, I'm not yet training for a specific race. This is the first time I've run 20 miles when I didn't have an immediate upcoming marathon. Perhaps I'll do one in mid-May, but that's still too long out to be doing 20 milers.
I guess it was just a fun 20 miler! If you can run 20 mIles when you feel like it, why not?!
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Welcome! ...and other mundane topics.
Welcome to my blog. I created this as a place to sound off about my life. A place where I can talk about running 24/7 and not drive everyone else nuts. Yes, running isn't the only aspect of my life. My children are wonderful, and being youngsters, caring for them takes up a huge portion of my time. But I am creating this blog as a place where I can focus on the run. And all those mundane details of the run that I always overshare with my family. Instead, I'll overshare to an anonymous group of strangers who may feel free to close the Web window at any point. Given that fact, I won't feel guilty for going on and on in detail about my fleeting thoughts while running.
On that note, I'll begin my sharing that I consider myself a hobbyjogger. I'm not a fast runner, I'm a jogger. But I still love it, and still try to improve. I'm not always great about doing speedwork as often as I should, and I could probably afford to lose a few pounds and "trim down." I'm not overweight per se, but I certainly wouldn't be considered skinny, either. But I jog as well as I can, given my family and time constraints.
Now if you know me, you know that I hate the cold. I still run when it's cold outside, because it beats out both of the alternatives of not running or running on the treadmill. But I don't care for it.
Tonight, it is cold. Very cold. The single-digit kind of cold. And I am inside and just dreaming of running, because it's dark also. Very dark. When the sun rises, it will still be cold but at least it won't be dark. And at that point, I will contemplate running. And then I'll run.
I want to go on the kind of run where one loads up up a water pack and snacks and just goes off for the entire day. The adventure kind of run! Adventure running is a term that Dean Karnazes uses (he's one of my favorite running authors). An adventure run is a run that renews your spirit, that allows you to breathe in a little bit of the elixir of life.
I'm turning the corner on 30. Soon enough, I'll be the dreaded "old." No longer in my twenties, no longer young and free. Tied down, small children, living the standard home life. Nothing wrong with a bit of stability. If only it hadn't all occurred while I blinked.
This is why I need an adventure run. A moment when I realize that life is still full of spontaneous joy. I think I want to begin a tradition of running the number of miles as the age I will be, either on or near my birthday. 30 is the perfect age to do this. It's a nice round number.
I've run two marathons, so jogging (not racing) 30 miles is not beyond my ability. Will it be difficult still? Definitely. But assuming I just plan for this adventure myself, rather than attempting to race the distance, it avoids all the normal race-day stresses. No lining up and waiting for the gun; I can just go when I feel like it.
And that is my plan. To go when I feel like it. To add a little adventure back into my life. To sip the elixir that is the long run.
Have you ever done an adventure run?
On that note, I'll begin my sharing that I consider myself a hobbyjogger. I'm not a fast runner, I'm a jogger. But I still love it, and still try to improve. I'm not always great about doing speedwork as often as I should, and I could probably afford to lose a few pounds and "trim down." I'm not overweight per se, but I certainly wouldn't be considered skinny, either. But I jog as well as I can, given my family and time constraints.
Now if you know me, you know that I hate the cold. I still run when it's cold outside, because it beats out both of the alternatives of not running or running on the treadmill. But I don't care for it.
Tonight, it is cold. Very cold. The single-digit kind of cold. And I am inside and just dreaming of running, because it's dark also. Very dark. When the sun rises, it will still be cold but at least it won't be dark. And at that point, I will contemplate running. And then I'll run.
I want to go on the kind of run where one loads up up a water pack and snacks and just goes off for the entire day. The adventure kind of run! Adventure running is a term that Dean Karnazes uses (he's one of my favorite running authors). An adventure run is a run that renews your spirit, that allows you to breathe in a little bit of the elixir of life.
I'm turning the corner on 30. Soon enough, I'll be the dreaded "old." No longer in my twenties, no longer young and free. Tied down, small children, living the standard home life. Nothing wrong with a bit of stability. If only it hadn't all occurred while I blinked.
This is why I need an adventure run. A moment when I realize that life is still full of spontaneous joy. I think I want to begin a tradition of running the number of miles as the age I will be, either on or near my birthday. 30 is the perfect age to do this. It's a nice round number.
I've run two marathons, so jogging (not racing) 30 miles is not beyond my ability. Will it be difficult still? Definitely. But assuming I just plan for this adventure myself, rather than attempting to race the distance, it avoids all the normal race-day stresses. No lining up and waiting for the gun; I can just go when I feel like it.
And that is my plan. To go when I feel like it. To add a little adventure back into my life. To sip the elixir that is the long run.
Have you ever done an adventure run?