Weekly Summary - 10/3

Monday: 3.5 Miles - Pond Loop with Christine (AM)

Nice cool morning run before catching a flight to Tennessee for work. Ankle is still giving me problems and I have no idea why, other than the fact that it began after a timed mile and some barefooting last week.

Tuesday: 5.5 Miles - Knoxville

Late night treadmill workout. Work has been long and tiring. My workout was pretty terrible with the exception of the last mile. I raised the treadmill to it's highest incline, which was 15%, and ran a mile, covering almost 800 vertical feet. I got the idea from the treadmill challenge, which is at the outdoor retailer event each year. It almost made me forget I was on a treadmill. Right ankle is still giving me issues.

Wednesday: Off

Another long work day followed by a dinner I had to go to. Got back to the hotel late and the fitness room was closed. Probably the best thing, as my ankle was still sore. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Thursday: I actually drove to Gatlinburg after work. I had been there many times with my family growing up, as well as with friends in college, but it's been at least 6 years since I had been in the area so I was anxious to see if it had changed. In a word, no it hasn't really changed. The Appalachian Mountains are certainly beautiful and I wish I had made it there before dark. The town of Gatlinburg on the otherhand, is no longer my cup a' tea. Although it was fun to think of all the memories I have from that area, from my first time on sliding down a snowy hill on two planks strapped to my feet, seeking refuge from the rain under the hatch of my car after a morning of fly fishing. Despite the toffee and candied apples in the window, this area shaped my love for all things mountain and for that, I'm thankful.

Friday: 6.6 Miles - Knoxville (AM)
My right ankle continues to give me pain, which I cannot figure out. Christine seems to think it is tendonitis. I'm planning to lay off running for a few days straight this week in hopes it will heal before it gets worse. I think I'll substitute mountain and road biking for running this week, something that's taken a backseat to running this summer.

Saturday: Bear Peak w/Christine

Sunday: 3.5 Miles - Pond Loop w/Christine (AM)
Iced the ankle before and after.

Yoga (PM) followed by 2 miles barefoot at Prospect
More ice afterward

Weekly Summary - 9/26

Monday: Hall Ranch - 4 Miles @ 784 vert ft (Lunch)
Really warm out.....can hardly believe it's the end of September. Definitely enjoy getting out at lunch and feel like I need to make this more of a routine. It's therapeutic for me to release some energy, forget about work for a few, and just escape into the hills.

Evening walk with Christine, following by a 2 mile jog.

Tuesday: Skyline HS Track - 6 Miles (PM)
Need to make some speed work more a part of my weekly running, even though it's not at the top of my list of favorite runs. I warmed up with a 8 min/mile pace, stretched and did a timed mile. It wasn't what I wanted for time, but the legs weren't feeling good, so I was expecting slower than desired. I chased that mile with another mile barefoot.

Wednesday - Pace Loop - 3.32 Miles @ 98 vert ft (PM)
Was planning to take the day off since I wasn't able to run at lunch. Came home after a long day at work and had dinner with Christine. Christine went to bed early, so I thought I'd go out for a night jog before bed. It's pretty enjoyable running later at night. It's cooler, quieter, and there's usually not very many people out (or at least I don't see them). But I did end of passing a couple a couple of folks, both of which seemed to jump out of their skin. I'm assuming they had their iPods in, as I called out multiple times "coming up behind ya" and "on your left", but I still had to laugh when they jumped away from me as I sped by.

Thursday - Hall Ranch - 7.2 Miles @ 894 vert ft (PM)
What a beautiful day for the first day of Autumn. I worked late (again) and headed to Hall Ranch for a welcome Fall trail run. It was already later than I had hoped when I left the trail head, but I was set on getting a decent run in. Less than a mile in, I ran into a rattlesnake. Just earlier today, Christine had ran at Rabbit Mtn and almost stepped on a big bull snake. I was able to snap a couple pictures, let it move off the trail and I was on my way again. It was probably the best weather one could ask for. By the time I hit the 2nd bench, most of the mountain bikers were heading down and I had the trail to myself. I hit the loop, stopped to take a few pictures and knew I wouldn't be able to get the extra 2.2 miles in, so I headed back the direction I had came. The moon was out by this time, full and shining brightly in front of a veil of navy blue sky. I couldn't help but be taken aback by the beauty of my surroundings. But, the light was fading quickly, so I let the picture burn in my head, then I sped down the trail as quickly as possible, hoping the snakes were taking a nap.

Friday - Took the day off. My ankles have been really sore the last few days, so I didn't want to push it.

Saturday - Bear Peak w/Christine (AM)

Nice day to be out hiking. Surprisingly, there weren't that many people on the trails. We enjoyed the summit for a few minutes then headed back down quickly. We ended the last 2 miles running.

3.5 Miles - Pond Loop (PM) + 1 Mile barefoot at Trail Ridge

After a quick shower, Christine and I had dinner at Pasta Jay's, then saw the Eric Forsyth show at the Laughing Goat in Boulder. I was pleasantly surprised by this guy. Definitely a good live act.

Sunday - Rabbit Mountain - 4 Miles @ 400 vert ft.

It was a bit warm out, but a great day to be running. Christine nailed the downhill technical sections. I followed with a huge smile on my face as she continued pushing the pace. You could tell she was enjoying the run and felt good with the time at the end. Everyone needs those kinds of runs to keep you going thru the bad patches.

Yoga (PM) followed by 1 Miles barefoot at Prospect

A nice little rattlesnake that was laying across the trail. You could tell he was cold and attempting to warm himself on the open ground. After snapping a couple pictures, I rolled a few rocks his way to get him off the trail. He never even rattled, just slowly turned and slithered into the tall grass. Even though my interactions with rattlesnakes, as well as the similar looking bullsnakes, have been frequent, they've never been aggressive. My hope is that it stays that way.

The mountain getting its last glimpse of sunlight

Once I made it to the Nelson loop with the light quickly fading, I knew I wouldn't get the additional 2.2 miles in. I snapped this picture of the full moon, then headed back from whence I'd come.

I found myself running the trail more by braille than by sight, as I couldn't help but stare at the moonlit landscape. The beauty of Colorado continues to captivate me, even when I'm on a trail that I've been on hundreds of times, and I doubt that it will change anytime soon!

New Balance Minimus

Running is probably the simplest forms of movement, exercise and sport that I've experienced. There's really no equipment involved. All you need is shoes and shorts.....shoes being the most complicated or technical of the two.

I've been running in the New Balance MT100's since this past Spring. I moved from the Brooks Cascadia trail runner (which was a very good shoe I might add) to NB's when I wanted a lighter, more minimalist shoe. I'm on my second pair of 100's already and am looking forward to the MT101's that should be out sometime in October. Even though I love my current shoes, I'm even more excited about the upcoming release of the New Balance Minimus line. I've read they will be releasing a series of shoes under this line, including a trail runner, sometime in early 2011.

The following video is a promotional for the line and features a runner I've been following for a few years now. I've referred to his blog and his running numerous times. The video footage was shot in and around Boulder and gives a little insight into the type of running which I prefer. Take a gander!

Mt Yale

Recently, I had the opportunity to hike Mt Yale with a group of co-workers. The manager of the facility where I work has made this a yearly tradition and most everyone looks forward to it all year. It's a great time to leave the stress and busyness of work behind and enter nature with people you mostly see across a conference room table. I heard a phrase while in Peru recently and have caught myself using it numerous times.....digital detox. For those of you that make computers, blackberry's, and the like, a major part of your daily routine, whether welcomed or forced, I think you can relate to the need to detox from your digital self. It's also a time to connect with people on a different level. Often times, I can get wrapped up in work and the goals we're trying to achieve and I can sometimes miss truly getting to know the people I interact with each day. Times like these allow for a different side to come out and, all of a sudden, you see people in a completely different light. I'm thankful to have a manager that sees the importance of building relationships and also connecting with something other than your laptop.

It's also easy to work late when your office looks like this:



















View from the summit of 14,196 ft Mt Yale


















High alpine fauna....a marmot just enjoying a little sunshine


















My summit picture thanks to Steve. What a windy day. You can tell by my choice of gear that it wasn't a summer hike. By treeline, the wind was blowing at least 35 mph and it made for a cold climb on the windward side of the mountain. I took refuge behind some rocks just below the summit, enjoying a finely packed trail-mix and apple, thanks to my lovely wife. Once everyone assembled and recovered from the wind, we summited together and took in the views.


















Another view from the summit. I doesn't really matter what the conditions are, the geography or the prominence, blue skies or a socked in fog, any day in the mountains is a good day.

Weekly Summary - 9/19

This last week was far from a stellar performance as far as my running goes. I was able to get out almost everyday, which is a start. I've been kicking around some fall season racing goals and will probably share in the coming weeks. I've been trying to incorporate some speed work in my routines as well. My hope is that the coming weeks start to move toward the mileage that I was seeing in April and May.


Monday - Union Res (AM)
6 Miles
Nice cool morning. The sun was rising as I was headed east, with beautiful orange, red and blue colors on the horizon. I could actually feel the temperature rising along with the sun. Also, my attempts at starting a more disciplined approach to my life began today. I hope my running and reading takes on a new shape, as I try to begin my days with these 2 things. I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder, as I leave for Texas this morning.

Tuesday - Off

Set my alarm for the right time, but I forgot to change the time to Central, so I didn't wake up in time. I was able to hit a local Starbucks and get some reading in before work. I also wasn't able to run in the afternoon, as I didn't leave work until after 7 PM, then it was off to meet some work folks for dinner. At least I'm trying to eat semi-healthy while I'm on the road. It was fish and veggies 2 nights in a row. The 'semi' portion means I had a greasy burger at a local yocal place for lunch today. Back in the swing of things tomorrow.

Wednesday - 5.5 Miles - Hotel Treadmill.....boooorrring

The sun rises much later here than what I'm use to, so it was pitch black out when I got up just after 5 this morning. I headed downstairs to the 'fitness' room and jumped on the treadmill. You know, it's days like these that make me cherish where I live and where I get to run. After a quick warm up, I did some intervals of 0.75 mile at about a 6:30 min/mile pace, chased with a 0.25 mile rest at 8:30 min/mile pace. It was pretty hot in the room, so I stripped off the shirt for the majority of the run. I'm not sure why but I felt a little awkward when another guy came in toward the end of my run. It's different running outside shirtless for sure. Oh well!

Thursday - 4.25 Miles - Hotel Treadmill

Friday - Green Mountain hike w/ Christine
Headed straight to Boulder after I flew in from Texas. We topped off the evening at Tokyo Joe's.

Saturday - 7.2 Miles - Hall Ranch
Colorado rarely lets you down. It was misty and foggy from the time I woke up throughout the day. Unfortunately, I worked most of the day, but afterward, I headed to Hall for an evening run before dinner with Christine. Only minutes from the trailhead, the clouds started thinning and the temperature seemed to rise. By the time I crested the top of the hill at the 2 mile mark, you could see the foothills to the south. I'd almost say it was perfect running weather. Nice and cool. My only regret is not having my camera so I could share the views.

Sunday - 3.5 Miles - Pond Loop with Christine (AM)
2 mile jog around Prospect after an afternoon hot-yoga session with Christine. I'm actually starting to like yoga. Christine and I have almost made it a routine now and it's a fun thing to do together. It's also relaxing and gives my body some needed stretching.