January 2024 update

I've been able to take Pippin out on every run I've done since the start of the year!

This year was off to a chilly start, with a major cold front overtaking the front range in the second week of the year.

I've done a little bit of rowing and strength exercises to supplement my runs, but I've also been able to get out there pretty often despite the cold.

Most of my runs this month have been fairly short, but I was able to take Pippin on two longer adventures near the end of the month.

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The month started off cool and slate grey for us in Palmer Park.

We often ran in the afternoons or evenings.

There were a few warmer days despite the cold fronts.

These warmer days often brought wind and interesting clouds.

Windy days had clear views from the top of Palmer Park, even down to the Spanish Peaks.

One day, we watched the biggest cold front come in from over the mountains, and made it home just as snow began lightly falling.

There were chilly evenings with city lights in the distance.

And nice crisp afternoons.

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I took a few days off from running near the end of the month, but I did go for an afternoon walk with my family at the Paint Mines.

We circled the sandstone formations route, and then watched the moon rise over the windmills on our way back.

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While most of my runs this month were in Palmer Park, Pippin and I made our first "field trip" near the end of the month to journey on Rampart Range Road!

We began from Balanced Rock, winding uphill with views to the east of Garden of the Gods.

The clouds danced on the mountaintops as we ascended the road.

An incoming cold front created a cloudburst above Queen's Canyon.

We made it an overlook near the upper water tank, which is near the old Waldo Canyon trail connection.

Pippin paused for his portrait.

The incoming cold front would bring snow in the evening, but while we sat at the overlook, it was non-threatening. 

I took a few minutes to soak in the views before letting Pippin lead me back downhill. We had a blast on the down, with Pippin occasionally going so fast that I felt like he lifted me off the ground! It was exhilarating!

The cold front that evening brought some decent snow to the mountains.

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A couple days later, Pippin and I returned to the Palmer Park overlook and surveyed where we'd been.

I looked out on the snowy mountains and decided I'd have to take Pippin there soon.

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The following day, the weather had warmed into the 50s in town. But I knew the recent snowfall had dumped quite a bit on the local mountains and foothills, so I grabbed my snow spikes and headed for Bear Creek Canyon.

Pippin was immediately enthusiastic, leading me energetically uphill from the base of High Drive.

He found the really deep snow and stuck his head in!

There were a couple switchbacks on the trail where the snow was very steep and deep.

Pippin was a far better navigational aid than hiking poles. In addition to being attached at the waist, I held the leash with my arm against the slope, so if I slipped, I could use it him to stabilize.

I've never gone uphill through deep snow quite as quickly! What a helpful adventurer!

We soon made it up to a prominent rock outcropping and overlook.

Pippin looked out over the town.

And the view to the south, into the main part of Cheyenne Cañon, was stunning!

We hung out for a bit before descending from our perch.

We dropped down into N. Cheyenne Cañon on the 776 trail connection. Pippin really got a flow going on this section! I'm glad I had my snow spikes.

We made it down to Gold Camp Road, and ran down the road for the rest of the way. We caught the sun receeding as we made our way down.

What an adventurous day! One of the best excursions we've had together.

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We ended the month with one more short run day at Palmer Park.

In general, I haven't had a very structured start to the year. I've kind of gone with the flow, taking it relatively easy (no speedwork yet.)

Going into February, I would like to get back to a few speedwork sessions, maybe at least two in the upcoming month. And maybe a few more bodyweight exercise days to keep me limber and to encourage all-around fitness. Specifically pull-ups, which I've been lacking in!

I also hope I can get out to some group runs soon. Although Pippin is a great running buddy, I like running with other humans sometimes too! 😂

My 2023 "Year in Running" Summary! 🏃

The year 2023 is wrapped up!

I went for one last run of the year with Pippin on New Year's Eve. It's hard to believe I've only known this awesome running dog since the beginning of this year. It felt appropriate to do my last run of the year with him.

My total mileage for the year 2023 ended up being 1621.6!

So over 100 miles more than last year, although not the most mileage I've ever had.

(Here is a link to last year's summary.)

This year's mileage breaks out to 31.1 miles per week. I ran a total of 170 days of the year, meaning each run averages out to 9.53 miles.

This was my 10th year of using the Marty Jerome running log book!

Of course, I've been running a lot longer than I've been using this log book, as I started running in Junior High School in 1998.

However, this full decade of using the same paper log has yielded some interesting data.

Indulge me for a moment, while I list my yearly mileages for the last decade:

• 2014 - 1861 miles
• 2015 - 1876 miles
• 2016 - 2172 miles
• 2017 - 1750 miles
• 2018 - 1127 miles
• 2019 - 934 miles
• 2020 - 1212 miles
• 2021 - 1816 miles
• 2022 - 1515 miles
• 2023 - 1621 miles

Giving me a ten-year grand total of 15,884 miles. So, my mileage this year was just slightly above the overall average.

But that doesn't tell the whole story, either. In this decade, my average run distance has trended mostly upwards. Meaning, when I do get out to run, I tend to run further.

Of note is that I have always done weightlifting and cross-training as well. Some low mileage years, I've done more weight training instead.

Running is a lifetime journey for me, and I hope that my cumulative strength from the last decade will serve me well in my future endeavors.

Which is the perfect segway to talk about 2023's goals and achievements.

2023 - Goals Accomplished

My goals, as detailed in last year's summary, included doing bi-monthly speedwork and completing a 50-mile mountain run. Doing the speedwork brought me to a strong point, peaking during the summer - which gave me the fitness to push through my 50-mile.

I am happy that I was able to actually complete the 50-mile goal this year, although it was extremely challenging for me. (Here's a link to the story about it.)

The 50-mile goal run was on Labor Day, but I completed several other ultra-length runs in training throughout the year, including a practice Pikes Peak Marathon and two 50k loops on High Drive and Gold Camp Road.

2024 - Big Plans Ahead

Now that I have the 50 miler with significant elevation under my belt, I hope to run a 100k race in 2024 as my primary goal. While I haven't decided on a race yet, I'm considering a few later in the year, including the Red Rock Canyon 100k in Nevada.

I also hope that 2024 will be my first time to go Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon.

With those big goals in my sights, I also plan to keep up on doing speedwork at least every-other-week, and at least one long run every month with significant elevation gain.

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Another year in the books, and a good one it was! Thanks to all my friends who joined me out on the trails in 2023!!! What a blast.

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope to see you out on the trails - in 2024!

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Nov to Dec 2023 update - 50k to round out the year

Merry Christmas 🎄!

I've had such a full autumn for 2023!

As we head into winter, I'm reflecting on what a fun and joyful season it has been for me, despite being so busy!

I had fun running on Thanksgiving day with the Sunrise Striders, and then went to the first Incline Club run of the season, which is always on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 😁.

I have done a lot of strength work, several longer efforts and a few "push" sessions (like the Incline). I did two runs up Dixon Trail and several larger loops in Section 16, as well as spent a good amount of time on Barr Trail!

And I started December with a 50k+ jog on my favorite loop around the base of Mount Rosa! 🏔️ I last did this same loop on Memorial Day. This time around, I added a little extra high altitude distance by including a new overlook. It was challenging to do this loop in the winter, and it took me over 9 hours with icy trails, when my summer time was 7:20.

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Here are a few photos from the last two months!

Nov 5 - Dixon Trail 

I ascended Talon, North Talon, and Dixon Trail on Nov 5.

It was a beautiful day to go up, and very warm! I easily made the overlook and spent more than enough time on top. About 15.8 miles total.

The next day, we took our children to the Denver Art Museum. I painted my interpretation of Cheyenne Mountain from yesterday!

Nov 10 - The Incline & Barr Trail

Dionne and I did the Incline, and ran up to the 7.8 metal sign on Barr trail. I was happy with an Incline time of 34:15, and we saw Jim on our way down!

Nov 12 - Section 16 Loop

About 10.8 miles total today.

Nov 15 - Dixon Trail (again)

My second trip up Cheyenne Mountain this month was marked by whispy clouds and a crisp autumn bite in the air.

Wildlife was abundant. I ascended a different overlook this time and got a little shorter distance, 15.4 miles.

Nov 18 - Butterfly Pavilion

We took the kids to the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster. We saw so many bright colors!

Nov 23 - Thanksgiving Incline with the Sunrise Striders

What a fun day! So many blessings to be thankful for! I got a little extra mileage by going up to the "7.8 mile to summit" sign afterwards.

Nov 26 - First Incline Club run of the season!

A big group showed up for a nice weather day after the snow. It was great to see my friend Russ!

The snow was so charming, that I decided to the Experimental Forest loop today for a little extra mileage.

Nov 27 - Blossoms of Light (Denver Botanical Gardens)

We toured the Blossoms of Light with the family. What an impressive display this year!

Nov 30 - Section 16 Loop (with Paragliders)

It was really neat to see some paragliders setting off on their flight today when I summited the Section 16 overlook.

Dec 5 - My 50k Loop Day!

I set out up High Drive on this clear day. From the saddle of Mt. Buckhorn, I could see part of my icy return path on Gold Camp Road.

I encountered winter obstacles, like this frozen stream. The Pipeline trail crosses somewhere underneath this ice slick.

I saw my favorite view of Mt. Rosa, with the small pond I love in the foreground.

Devil's Slide on my way down Gold Camp Road.

I was on the non-motorized portion of Gold Camp Road when the sun receeded behind St. Peter's Dome.

I finally made it back to my car after my phone died, over 9 hours later and between 31 and 33 miles!!

This run was challenging, but I felt more able to push through. Despite some icy conditions, I just kept moving. I felt like this was a great way to knock out the last ultra-length run of the year.

Dec 18 - Garden of the Gods with Dionne and Pippin

A fun casual day in the Garden. Dionne joined me, and I brought Pippin along! An easy, recovery-paced jog.

These last two months have been great. A jump start to the season, and a big finale of the year with my favorite 50k loop.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy holiday season!

Second half of October 2023

The second half of the month was fairly balanced with running and weights!

Workouts were:

• 10/16 - 10.5 miles
• 10/17 - 5.7 miles & barbell deadlifts; barbell curls
• 10/18 - 5 miles & bodyweight dips
• 10/20 - 5.5 miles & barbell overhead presses
• 10/21 - side lateral raises
• 10/22 - 8.8 miles
• 10/23 - dumbbell front raises
• 10/24 - 6.2 miles
• 10/25 - 4.5 miles
• 10/26 - 12.7 miles
• 10/27 - 35 minutes rowing & bodyweight dips
• 10/28 - heavy squats
• 10/31 - 45 minutes rowing

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Oct 19:

A visit to Cañon City and a walk with my family on the Tunnel Drive trail.

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Oct 22:

Hometown fall colors in Monument Valley Park.

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Oct 24:

A nice trail 10k with my pal, Pippin.

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Oct 25:

A short jog around City Park in Denver.

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Oct 26:

In the early morning, I met with Dionne for a fast & flat jog in MVP.

Then, I wanted a little more mileage and still had time, so I went over to Red Rock Canyon open space. Beginning at the 31st Street trailhead, I headed towards Section 16 and did the "inner loop."

The daylight came up beautifully, with clouds articulating the blue skies.

The day was very photogenic.

Since I loved my vacation run at Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas so much, I wanted to get a little bit of that "rocky desert feeling" right here at home.

Our namesake Red Rock Canyon open space here is actually quite similar in many ways!

I love this part of the loop, where the rocks are layered and "wavy," filled with spikes and juts, like the back of a Stegosaurus.

But I hadn't even gotten to my favorite rock formation yet, which is the pale pink-orange slab in the middle of this inner "Section 16" loop.

The cool air from the bottom of the canyon occasionally swirled up with the breeze, creating a refreshing feeling.

The clouds made interesting patterns in the sky as I finished the loop portion and came back to the Ridgeline trail.

This loop ended up being just what I needed today - a little bit of the desert southwest in my own backyard!

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