Weekly Summary - 1/16

Monday: 9.0 Miles Total
Sit-ups/push-ups (AM)

4.5 Miles - Ludington Neighborhood Loop with Christine (AM)
One last spin around town before heading out this evening.

4.5 Miles - Allendale Michigan (PM)
Sit-ups/push-ups (PM)

Tuesday: 3.5 Miles - Allendale Michigan (AM)
Sit-ups/push-ups (AM)

A quick and easy jaunt with Christine and her Dad before spending way too long at the Grand Rapids Airport waiting for our flight. I'll consider this a semi-rest day and get back in the swing of things tomorrow.

Wednesday: 4.11 Miles @ 30:24 min @ 261 vert ft - McIntosh Lake (PM)
Sit-ups/push-ups (AM)
A quick spin around the lake. I left just after dark and was fumbling around a bit with my footing in the packed snow. At about the 3 mile mark, I had to turn it down a notch, as I could feel that pesky right ankle a bit.

Thursday: Off
Sit-ups/push-ups (AM)
Was a crazy day at work to say the least. Then headed into Boulder to meet friends at Boulder Beer. It was tough not getting a run in today, but great to catch up with old friends.

Friday: 4.04 Miles @ 29:32 min @ 206 vert ft - Neighborhood Loop (PM)
I'm really enjoying having a GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner 305), although it's going to make it difficult for slow and easy recovery runs.

Saturday: 14 Miles Total
9.62 Miles @ 1 hr 34 min @ 1742 vert ft - Hall Ranch (AM)
It was really nice to get out, get some vertical in and enjoy the trails. The mix of snow and ice on parts of trail, especially on the Nelson Loop, made for difficult footwork and a slow pace. There were times that I was working hard to maintain anything faster than a snails pace. When I arrived at the back of the loop, I was more than 5 minutes slower than typical. There were a couple sections of trail on the descent with soft deep snow that made for too much fun. I saw a couple folks out, but for the most part, I had the trail to myself.

4.49 Miles @ 47:47 min @ 396 vert ft - Picture Rock with Christine (Lunch)
It was slow going with a lot of snow and ice on the trail. Definitely should have opted for the Microspikes, but naively decided against it.

Sunday: 8.88 Miles Total
4.10 Miles @ 32:32 min @ 292 vert ft - McIntosh Lake (AM)
Feeling a little stiff and sluggish on this brisk Sunday morning shake-out. I'm not sure if it was because of the effort yesterday or the fact that I had a business dinner, where I didn't pay particular attention to my caloric intake!

4.78 Miles @ 54.43 min @ 482 vert ft - Picture Rock with Christine (Lunch)
A mix of ice, snow, and mud would accurately describe this run. There were faint signs of sun during our run, but it didn't materialize until after we stopped. It was good to be out nonetheless.

Strength Training (PM)
Sit ups - push ups - planks - squats - lunges

2011 Year Totals
104.44 Miles
14 hr 32 min
3997 vertical feet of elevation

Nearing the end of the Nelson Loop at Hall Ranch (CCW)

Noticed these tracks on my run. It's not the best photo, but the lower left print is a mountain lion and the upper right is a mule deer. Just a little reminder that I'm in someone else's territory!

I can hardly take a run at Hall without stopping to admire Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak

Lastly, here is some music that I've been enjoying lately. I personally think the video is great!

Weekly Summary - 1/9

Monday: 10.4 Miles Total
Morning sit-ups & push-ups (1 set)

4.0 Miles - Picture Rock with Christine (Lunch)

Christine met me for a quick jaunt at Picture Rock.

6.4 Miles - McIntosh Lake (PM)

Headed out after work just as the sun set. I was feeling surprisingly spry, so I added on a few miles as a bonus.

Tuesday: 4.1 Miles - Treadmill (PM)

Morning sit-ups & push-ups (1 set)

This was probably the worst I've felt running in a long time. It had nothing to do with being stiff or feeling any pain. It was just that I had zero energy. I'm not sure if this was my body telling me to take the day off, a coincidence, or lack of calories during the day, but it was honestly a struggle to maintain a decent pace for 4 miles. The entire time I was running, I was telling myself that I need these days, as I'm sure I'll experience rough patches during longer races in the future. I'll consider it an easy, rest, experience gaining day!

Wednesday: 7.0 Miles - Treadmill (Late PM)

Morning sit-ups & push-ups (1 set)

Got home from work late, then had to take the Christmas Tree to the disposal place. After I got home, I decided to eat a bit and pack for Michigan before a short run. Almost opted out of the run. Glad I didn't. Felt decent, clicking away at a 7:30 min/mile pace @ 1% for the duration (1 mile warm up). Finished up around 10:30 PM.

Thursday: 4.2 Miles - Treadmill (AM)

Morning sit-ups & push-ups (2 sets)

Felt a little stiff. Also felt like I was just there, which was the case! Just a short shake-out before heading to the airport. 7:30 min/mile pace @ 1%.

Friday: 8.6 Miles Total - Ludingston Michigan
2.2 Miles - Ludington neighborhood with my Father-in-law (AM)
Nice to be out with Dr. Mr. Dad this morning. We chatted it up.....well, actually, I chatted it up and he probably thought I'd never shut up. Definitely good to be out and about and make a loop with Christine's Dad.

6.4ish Miles - Another neighborhood loop.
Ran around 3 with Christine and her sister, added on another with Christine and then looped around for a couple more so that I could take some pictures of the lake. The snow started really falling and the wind was blowing hard off the lake. I wasn't sure if I was getting pelted in the face by frozen snow or sand, but I loved being out. With the realatively warm weather we've had on the Front Range so far, I had almost forgotten how much I love the snow.

Saturday: Off
4ish Miles - Cross-country skiing - Ludington State Park
We headed out cross-country skiing with the rest of the family. We did around 4 miles, with tons of stops and photos mixed in. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was in the mid 20's and sunny. From what I hear, it was pretty rare weather for Michigan. The trails at the state park were beautiful and I was itching to throw on the running shoes and go for a spin. Hopefully I'll have time to log a few trail miles before leaving on Tuesday.
Sit-ups/push-ups (2 sets)

Sunday: 10.3 miles total
Sit-ups/push-ups (1 set)
7.8 Miles - Running toward the Ludington State Park (AM)
You couldn't have asked for better Michigan weather. The sun was rising and was causing the sky to the west over the water to have deep purples and blues. There virtually no wind and traffic was minimal. I think I saw 4 trucks with plows mounted on the front to every one car that pasted. Overall, I felt good and truly just enjoyed being on my feet with the beauty of the lake and the fallen snow.

2.5 Miles - Neigborhood/Lake Loop with Christine (Lunch)
Just a quick shake-out with Christine before having some lunch. It was pretty slow moving around the lake, making our way through various snow drifts. Nice to get out with my wife and connect, even if for just a short time.

2ish Miles - Nighttime cross-country ski outing (PM)
The whole family donned skis and headlamps for a little tour through what they called the School Forest. It's a 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile square area of woods near the school where they use to have cross-country meets. Temperatures were in the mid teens, but seemed to be veritually perfect for touring around for an hour or so. The stars were out in full force and was just one of many welcome signs to the family during yet another fun-filled outing.

Sunset over Lake Michigan

Man, what a great week. It's been another short week of work, which I've quickly become accustomed to but will be a rude awakening soon. Christine and I headed to Ludington for a late family Christmas and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. We're able to relax each day with very little scheduled, connect with family and friends over great food and coffee, and take in the beauty of the area by various means such as walking, running and skiing.

As for running, it hasn't been the best week I've had, considering I've had ample time to run and still haven't gotten in a long run, but I'm not sweating it. I'm enjoying the downtime. I know that my running has come a long way and I've enjoyed each step for the most part. I've got plans for this year which will require a more disciplined approach, but there's plenty of time for it. I do feel like I've struck a balance this week, one that's healthy and needed during this time set aside for enjoying family.

Picture Log

I haven't been able to run as much as I'd like in the last week. Christine and I were working hard to finish packing before our move on Saturday. My workouts during that time could be described as strength training, as I was lifting couches, chairs, beds, and boxes stuffed to their limit. Thankfully, most of Christine's family had come into town to help with the move. They were a tremendous help and it actually brought some fun to the hectic move.

Sunday afternoon, Christine and I were able to take her parents and sister for a hike up Green Mountain. You could see that they were captured by the beauty of the hike, especially Christine's Dad, who loves being the mountains and was taking pictures the entire time. I enjoyed being able to share a favorite trail with them and was able see it a little differently through their eyes.

Here are a few pictures I took during the hike.


























The last two days define why I lean away from planning, especially through the week. When working in the manufacturing industry, you never completely know how things are going to operate. Christine has planned some time with her sister and mother for Monday, so I decided to plan a long run for Monday afternoon. Well, my plans failed me, as I worked late, not getting home until around 8 PM. The break from work was only temporary, as there were problems with a piece of machinery, causing late night, or should I say early morning troubleshooting at 1 AM. I worked through the morning, but decided to head out around 11 AM, when I found it difficult to concentrate on the computer screen.

I decided to get a trail run in, even though I was working on less than 3 hrs of sleep and at least 5 cups of coffee. I headed to Hall Ranch in the midst of 54 mph wind gusts and sustained winds of over 30 mph (we have a wind speed monitor at work). I actually enjoyed being out, having the trail to myself.

Here are a few pictures from the trail:






































Lastly, we weren't the only ones in the country to have extremely high winds. Christine showed me these pictures from a local photographer in her hometown of Ludington Michigan. It shows the true power and beauty of Mother Nature.

Ludington Michigan Lighthouse