Summary - 2/19

Well, not much to say here other than I've struggled to get runs in! My life has been busy to say the least, running from one thing to another and trying my best to love and care for my wife and daughter in the process. My hope is that things are somewhat slowing down, work wise, which means I should be able to connect more with Christine and Maddie and also get some much needed running in.....not to mention some time to reflect.

I was able to string together 2 decent 10+ mile runs, both of which my average pace was below 7:30. The pace felt easy and I had the feeling that I just wanted to keep going. Those are some good signs that I'll be able to get my fitness in line for the Quad Rock in May. My hope for next weekend is to string together another 2 runs, one of which I'd like to see in the 15ish mile range. We'll see what happens, as right now my goal is to be as flexible as possible and not be too selfish with my time. If I have to continue to run in jeans or get my "trail" run in by hitting the dirt roads west of the house because that's what is most efficient and can allow me the most time to spend with my wife and daughter, then bring it on!

Lastly, I've still managed to keep my streak alive, running at least 1 mile each day thus far. Cheers to keeping it going!!

Feb 6
3.82 Miles - AM loop with Jason

Feb 7
1.37 Mile - Late PM just to get my mile in

Feb 8
2.02 Miles - Another "just to get it in" loop around the block

Feb 9
4.38 Miles @ 620 vertical ft - Rabbit Mtn
Was able to sneak out for a lunch time run and hit Indian Mesa which has some nice vertical and is only a few miles from work. Definitely have to start hitting the hills or Quad Rock is going to be painful!

Feb 10
3.02 Miles - Neighborhood Loop - Late PM

Feb 11
4.01 Miles - Neighborhood Out and Back - Late PM

Feb 12
11.2 Miles @ 482 vert ft- Double Lagerman Loop

Feb 13
4.0 Miles - AM loop with Jason

Feb 14
1.61 Mile - Late PM "get 'er done" mile to keep the game going

Feb 15
4.0 Miles - Lake Mc with Jason

Feb 16
3.3 Miles - Late PM - Arezzo Loop Intervals

Feb 17
1.5 Mile - Late PM jog back from Eric's house on his 40th!

Feb 18
10.67 Miles @ 489 vert ft
Lagerman Loop

Feb 19
11.46 Miles @ 523 vert ft
Lagerman Out & Back

Christine and Maddie got me a new camera for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, most of my runs these days are in the dark......either early in the morning before sunrise or late at night just before bed. I was able to snap a few pics during my Saturday and Sunday runs, so check em out and see if the quality is there.

Thankful for dirt roads! My current "trail" running!

Lagerman with Haystack in the background

Meeker, Longs, and Mt. Lady Washington can be seen through the haze on the far right

Summary - 2/5

Overall, not a stellar end to January. I managed to get at least one mile in each day, but there was a handful of days which I barely ran. This was due to having a super busy schedule coupled with the scare of a stress fracture in my right tibia. Based on some pain in my shin area both during after my runs, I felt it necessary to take it easy for a week and then gauge whether I should totally take some time off. After a week with some easy miles, I was encouraged by how the shin felt. I figured I'd give it another week for ensure all is good and then begin ramping things up a bit.

In other news, I signed up for the Quad Rock 25. This very well may be a precursor to another road marathon in early June as I try to get a BQ but nothing's official on that front. I'm super excited about running Nick Clarks new race and hopefully finishing the 25 in ample time to see a number of guys running the 50. This means I have to start getting some more vertical into my training regemine and begin alternating a long run with two semi-long back-back runs on the weekends.

Monday, Jan 16

3.93 Miles - AM with Jason

Tuesday, Jan 17

2.11 Miles - Late PM

Wednesday, Jan 18

1.5 Miles - Late PM

Thursday, Jan 19

1.04 Miles - Early AM

Friday, Jan 20

2.52 Miles - Late PM

Saturday, Jan 21

8.02 Miles - Mt. Sanitas

Sunday, Jan 22

8.74 Miles - Midday

Monday, Jan 23

3.98 Miles - AM w/Jason

Tuesday, Jan 24

2.01 Miles - Late PM

Wednesday, Jan 25

3.92 Miles - AM w/Jason

Thursday, Jan 26

2.56 Miles - Late PM

Friday, Jan 27

4.04 Miles - Early PM

Saturday, Jan 28

10.11 Miles - Button Rock Res

Sunday, Jan 29

8.8 Miles - Midday

Monday, Jan 30

3.84 Miles - AM w/Jason

Tuesday, Jan 31

1.04 Miles - Early AM
Quick jaunt before flying to Houston

Monthly Totals

150.69 Miles
19,892 Vertical Feet of Climbing

Feb 1 @ 1.5% - AM

5.0 Miles
Treadmill at the hotel in Houston

It's been so long since I've been on a treadmill, I had forgotten how slowly the minutes pass by. Fortunately, I was looking out the window of my 18th story hotel.

Thursday, Feb 2

4.0 Miles @ 0% - AM
A few early miles on the mill after staying up past midnight working.

PM strength training with a 1.0 mile slow shake-out. It actually felt good to be hitting the weights in the hotel gym. It's been much too long and I'm certain I need to do it at minimum once per week.

Friday, Feb 3

4.0 Miles @ 0% - AM Treadmill

Saturday, Feb 4
7.15 Miles
Enjoyed getting out on some snowy North Boulder trails with my wife. My mother-in-law is in town and she graciously agreed to let Christine and I sneak away. Not only did we get a run in, but we were able to go out on our second date since Maddie was born over 4 months ago. Christine and I thoroughly enjoyed our night at Sugarbeet in Longmont. I ate entirely too much but loved every bite.

Sunday, Feb 5
9.08 Miles
Got out for another run with Christine at Pella Crossing then tacked on another 5 around Lagerman Res.

The shin is definitely feeling better and I think I should be good to increase the mileage in the coming weeks. As I was heading back to the house this evening, I couldn't help but think about how fast the Quad Rock is approaching. It's been a long time since I've spent a considerable amount of time on my feet but I feel confident I can be ready in just over 3 months. I'd really like to find a half marathon in mid to late March to use as a gauge for my fitness level.