Weekly Summary - 1/2

Monday: Off
Decided to take the take off. Even though I didn't hit my hoped for weekly mileage, I felt that I should take a day. It was good to get home from work at a decent hour and hang out with my wife for the night.

Tuesday: 9.2 Miles - Neighborhood Figure 8 Plus (PM)
Was feeling pretty bad for at least the first half of the run. My ankles were super stiff which caused my calves to tighten up. After I settled into the run, my legs slowly loosened up and I was able to pick up the pace. I'm not sure what happens with my body, but it seems that my legs are always stiff after a day off.

Wednesday: 8.0 Miles Total
4.0 Miles - Rabbit Mountain with Christine (Lunch)
Wind can make a trail run borderline miserable. The temperature was nice, in the mid 40's, but the wind was brutal. I can't believe I was running in shorts on December 29th. Although, in the next 48 hours, we should see negative temperatures on the Front Range.

4.0 Miles - The Mill
I needed to get a few more miles in, so I headed to the mill for some nice and easy miles. I read an interesting article talking about training in the 'black hole' zone. It gave an example about a former champion rower. The following year, he was doing pretty bad in early season races, but had changed nothing in this training. After further research, they found that he had a new boat. This new boat, and the excitement that came with it, caused the rower to give it a little extra during recovery days. Therefore, he wasn't actually recovering. The article ended in saying that you should stick to intense days (i.e. race pace-ish) and light, easy recovery days. The days that hurt you, or are basically wasted miles, are the moderate ones. It was definitely an interesting read and had quite a bit of research to back it up.

Thursday:8.2 Miles Total
4.0 Miles - Hall Ranch (Lunch)
What a beautiful day to run. Today was, in my opinion, our first 'real' snow of the season on the Front Range. It had just started snowing as I was driving to work at 6:30 AM this morning. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to get out for a lunch time run. By the time I headed to Hall around noon, there was a solid 4 inches on the ground. I felt like a kid playing in the snow. It was definitely a slow, sketchy run, as it was difficult to see the rocks and roots under the snow. The entire run was spent on the edge of falling or injurying myself, although you couldn't wipe the smile from my face. The downside was only getting 4 miles in, as I had to get back to work.

4.2 Miles - McIntosh Lake (PM)
I couldn't resist getting out for another quick run in the snow. Despite the quickly falling temperatures (it was around 12F), I wanted to catch the last bit of daylight and take a spin around the lake while the snow was still falling. It was absolutely beautiful outside and it was another reminder of why I love where we live. I had almost forgotten, due to a mild December, that Colorado has four distinct seasons and that's just one of the many things I love about it. And Colorado dawned its winter today. Welcome to the snow and the cold!

Friday: 4.0 Miles - The Mill (AM)
Christine and I opted for a quick shake out on the treadmill this morning before heading up to Rocky Mountain National Park with a couple friends.

Saturday: 4.2 Miles - McIntosh Lake (Lunch)

Today was a big day in regard to the Wilson Family and football. The Alabama Crimson Tide were playing the Michigan State Spartans in the Capital One Bowl. You might ask why this was such a big game for the raining National Champion Tide. Well, one side of my family is pretty big Michigan State fans. My wifes side to be exact. She started out attending college at Michigan State, before transferring to Western Michigan University to major in Dance. Her sister Kim graduated from Michigan State. Both of her parents graduated from Michigan State. In fact, at least one of her grandparents graduated from Michigan State. So, as you can see, there are some pretty strong ties to the school.

As for me, I graduated from the University of Alabama. The tradition of Alabama football is equal to none. Most people that I run into, that aren't from the South, often question this tradition, wondering just how intense it really is. I typically tell the story of my senior design project. I was a Mechanical Engineering major, and my project team was driving to Birmingham from Tuscaloosa to present to Southern Company. We were driving down the interstate, in a university vehicle, which was simply a white Ford Taurus with a university emblem. Suddenly, a man in a beat-up pickup truck (I think he had a sleeveless button-up on!) was yelling, with his windows down, Roll Tide Roll!!!! WOW!!!!

I've always thought that sums up the passion and intensity of Alabama football and, especially, the fan. That is, until I saw this ESPN commercial which paints a clearer picture:




BTW - Alabama won 49-7!

Sunday: 12.0 Miles - McIntosh Lake (PM)

Weekly Summary - 12/26

Monday: 6.0 Miles - The mill

I had planned on taking the day off, as I felt good about the prior weeks effort and felt that I should take a day. After a little reflection, I decided against it. After all, if your body isn't necessarily saying "stop," then what's the point? I did feel that I should take it easy, so I opted for a slow run on the treadmill. I took a book that Christine and I are currently reading together and keep my pace slow enough to read. I found the time flew by as I read and pondered. I thought the multitasking approach was a good compromise.

Tuesday: 8.2 Miles - The mill

I was hoping to get a lunch trail run in today, but Christine had a flat on her bike....husband to the rescue. That said, I was lacking in motivation today. So, after getting home a little later than anticipated from work, I decided to mill it again today. I didn't feel too terribly bad, getting 8 in right at an hour including a slow warm up. I did start having some calf tightness during last couple miles so I backed off, which is frustrating. I've only had a solid week of running without discomfort in my right ankle and now this. I'm finding that running is a sport where it's critical that you listen closely to your body. If you feel the slightest ache or tightness, it's better to slow down, stop, stretch, take a day off, etc or risk a serious injury. Hopefully I'll be disciplined enough to follow my own rules!

Wednesday: 6.0 Miles - Rabbit Mountain

After I saw that most everyone had left work early for the upcoming Christmas break, I wasn't planning on being the overachiever! I left while there was still daylight and did a couple loops at nearby Rabbit Mountain Open Space. The sun was trying to pop out from behind the clouds and I enjoyed picking up the pace on the semi-flat (around 400 vert ft) yet technical terrain. My thoughts migrated toward mileage, and just how many miles one needs to get in daily, weekly, etc!?!? I've been enjoying reading a lot of people's blog lately. They give me encouragement, inspiration, and motivation to move forward with my running. I've also noticed how different each runners weekly routine looks. Some are just running up a mountain everyday. Some have weeks that blend the trail, road, and track. Some seem to have little to no set pattern, just running however it feels good or fits into their schedule. Other than routine (i.e. just running trails or being more regimented in various running exercises), many of the runners I've been following (i.e. of the ultra-marathon breed) report a huge variance in weekly mileage totals. Some are getting in 60-100, while others are hitting 150 plus. My question is, is there a such thing as good miles and bad miles? Ok, maybe I answered that before I asked! But seriously, can one person get in, say 50 miles, while another is doing 100, but the former make much more of his 50 and be in better (i.e. faster and stronger) shape? I guess where I'm going is looking inward. Recently, I've been working to get my weekly mileage totals up. Ensuring I'm running at least 8 miles a day, as well as getting a long run in on the weekends. Should I focus less on the quantity and more on the quality? If so, how is that done? Ah, questions questions!

Thursday: 10.5 Miles - Picture Rock

Christine and I headed to Picture Rock for a Christmas Eve run. We drove separately so I could get a few extra miles in. We did the first 5.25 together. The first part of the run was a little choppy, having to constantly stop to allow mountain bikers to pass. After I said goodbye to Christine, I headed out to retrace our steps. I held a fairly solid pace for the out portion. Just as I hit my desired turn around spot, a mountain biker passed by me heading back toward the Picture Rock trailhead. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get some turnover in the legs, so I tried by best to stay with him. I stayed about 30 yards behind him for about a half mile, then he stopped to wait on another rider. I quickly passed and gave it all I had to stay in front, knowing these 2 guys would be gaining fast. Even though the descent was at a slight decline, I was able to hold them off due to the abundance of switchbacks. I figure I held a solid 6 min/mile pace for about a mile before they caught and subsequently passed me. I was able to keep them within 40 yards for another half mile before the trail smoothed and straightened out, allowing them to really kick it in gear. It was a great exercise to test my speed out on a semi-technical trail going downhill. Plus, it was super fun to give it all I had against a couple cyclists.

Friday: Off
A little ski cross-training

Saturday: 6.0 Miles - Rabbit Mountain
After enjoying our Christmas morning, filled with gifts and great food, Christine and I went to nearby Rabbit Mountain Open Space for a run. Christine and I had set a pretty low budget for our presents to each other. I pretty much stuck to the plan, trying to be as creative as possible with my gift purchases. Christine, on the other hand, broke the rules. She, along with one of her best friends, got me (and her friends husband) lift tickets to Silverton Mountain, which is an all guided back-country ski operation based in Southwestern Colorado. Knowing that Christine had gotten me a great gift, plus talking to others about their respective gifts (iPad, Wii, etc), I started feeling a little sucked in to, shall I say, consumerism. After running the first mile in pretty much silence, Christine asked me what I was thinking. I, speaking as honestly as I could, told her I had this strange desire to buy something. It was almost as if I felt entitled to purchase something....anything....big. I rarely, if ever, feel like this. There was definitely a weird battle playing out in my thoughts and they were taking me to a place I'd rather not visit.

After a few more miles of running and talking, I realized, with thankfulness, that I was in the midst of what I really enjoy and desire. I was with my wife, outside, on a beautiful, sunny day, in the mountains.....and it was all pretty much free and created for my enjoyment. Trail running had become another activity to help reorient my life to what's important. For me, it's easy to lose sight of the things that are (what I consider) good and right. I need things (including people) to help me reorient and gain perspective. Today, I was thankful for the gift of trail running.

Sunday: 6.7 Miles Total
4.2 Miles - McIntosh Lake with Christine (AM)

Got up for an early morning run around the lake with Christine. We were both feeling pretty tight in our joints. It was nice to be out early, watching the sun rise higher and feeling the warmth it brings.

This is actually the second day of Christmas. The 12 Days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas Day, rather than Christmas Day being the 12th day like many folks think. The 12 Days of Christmas actually culminate on the Day of Epiphany, which is when the Magi (sometimes referred to as Wise Men or Kings) came to visit Jesus after his birth. There's a lot of interesting stuff here, I just don't take enough time to study and learn it.

Hot Yoga - 1 Hr + 2.5 Miles - Prospect Loop (PM)


Overall, this would be considered a mediocre week of running. I had a few runs that would/could be filed into the good+ category. Most of the runs were just getting the miles in. I also didn't get a long run in, which I've managed over the past few weeks. I do plan on getting at least one substantial run in this coming week before heading to the mountains for a long holiday weekend in Grand Lake.


Here are a few pictures from one of my evening runs at Rabbit Mountain:

Weekly Summary - 12/19

Monday: 11.6 Miles Total
4.2 Miles - McIntosh Lake with Christine (AM)Enjoyed waking up and getting a morning jog with Christine. Neither of us were feeling very spry, but being together made the run the nice.
7.4 Miles - Hall Ranch (PM)
With the amazing weather today (60F and sunny!), I couldn't help but get a few more miles in. I headed over to Hall for a little vertical fun. I'm hoping that I could feel Saturday's effort....otherwise, my strength is going the wrong direction. Besides a little soreness in the legs, I was pleased with the effort and was thankful for a day off to enjoy being outside during daylight hours.

Tuesday: 7.1 Miles - Neighborhood Figure 8 (PM)
I didn't feel half bad tonight. Since Christine had to work late tonight, I thought I'd just enjoy a nice and easy (i.e. slow) loop around the neighborhood. After a short warm up (speaking of warm it was super nice out tonight....maybe still 50F) I easily picked up the pace and held it for the majority of the run. There were a few times when I had to make myself slow down, as my legs were getting a little tight and I didn't want to risk an injury. I've read plenty recently of folks getting injured on random training runs, so I backed off, pretty much trotting the last half mile. I feel like I'm starting the week out well, in terms of both mileage and the way I'm feeling physically.

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 6.1 Miles - The Mill

Friday: 8.1 Miles Total

5.0 Miles - Picture Rock with Christine (AM)

I haven't been sleeping well for the last 3 days so it was a challenge just to get a few miles in. My blood sugar also seemed to be screwed up, so I was struggling to say the least. I guess I have to look at days like these as giving me more mental toughness!?

3.1 Miles - The Mill Just a little shake out before heading to Boulder for the evening.

Saturday: 16.5 Miles - Picture Rock (Lunch)

Slept in today.....finally was able to get a good nights sleep, although I felt lethargic from my schedule change. We lounged around during the morning and decided to head out on a run. We drove separate cars, since I was planning to get a few extra miles in. Christine and I did the first 6 together, doing an out and back. It actually worked perfectly, as my legs were feeling tight and it gave me ample time to loosen up. I also enjoyed getting to run with Christine, talking about our previous week, the Holiday's (including our upcoming trip to Michigan) and the coming year. I'm really thankful to get to share time on the trail with my wife. It's a great time to connect while enjoying the outdoors.

After a quick pit-stop and a hug good-bye to Christine, I headed back up the trail. I was a little unsure of how much I was going to do, knowing that my left quad had been tight all morning. I did want to ensure I got in as many miles as last Saturday.

Just before Christine and I hit our turn-around point at the 3 mile marker, we passed a runner going the opposite direction. When we arrived back at the trail head, this same guy was heading back up the trail. I wasn't sure if he was doing laps or had parked at the Heil Valley Trailhead, but the thought of catching him gave me something to work for. About a mile and a half into the ascent, I saw that he was about 5 minutes ahead of me. With that, the thought of catching him left and I just settled into a manageable pace. Another mile up the trail, I caught a glimpse of this guy again, seeing that I gained a couple minutes. The chase resumed, and I picked up the pace a bit in hopes of catching him before my turn-around point. I ended up catching him and ran behind him about a mile. At the junction of Picture Rock with the Wild Turkey loop, we exchanged a few words before he went on his way. Turns out, he was on the homestretch of a long run. He mentioned he had been at Hall Ranch that day as well, venturing to Button Rock reservoir. I'm guessing he knocked out a solid 35+ miles. I must say, I didn't feel quite as good about my meager 16.5 miles on the day, knowing this guy had been running for hours. Regardless, it was encouraging to run into someone on such a long run, on my backyard trails.

Sunday: 4 Miles - Rabbit Mtn with Christine

Just got out for a little jog today to stretch the legs. I could definitely feel the tension in my legs from the prior days effort, but nothing that felt bad. Tomorrow will be the true test, as it seems I feel the most soreness two days after a hard effort. The weather was amazing today, running in shorts. When I get out on days like this I'm always thankful, but I'm really hoping winter will come soon. I miss the snow!

Overall, I think this was one of my strongest weeks of running yet. Breaking the 50 mpw mark feels good by itself. I was also glad that I got in a decent long run. Besides feeling a little fatigued during the last 2 miles, I felt pretty solid. I only took one bottle and zero gels, so I was pretty gased at the end. Anything longer and I need to ensure I bring fuel along.

On the other hand, I didn't get in any speed work at the track or on the mill this week, which I think needs to be somewhere in the mix. With my current fitness level, I feel that I could venture off and run 15 pretty much anytime, but that 15 probably wouldn't be the fastest. My hope is that my cardiovascular system will improve with the long runs, which should inevitably aid my speed. Only time will tell and I feel that I'm in a good place going into 2011!

Coldplay - Lovers in Japan (Acoustic)

Weekly Summary - 12/5

Monday: 4.0 Miles - Hall Ranch with Christine (PM)
I took the day off to spend time with Christine on her birthday. We headed to Hall Ranch in the afternoon for a little run. I was feeling really sluggish, the legs just not wanting to turn over. It was good to get a little vertical in and be back on my favorite trail. And, Christine got an added birthday present with a personal best to the first bench!

Tuesday: 7.0 Miles - Treadmill (PM)

Just a little shake out after a long day back to work. Not really feeling great and definitely not excited to be on the mill, but I just didn't have the motivation to put on more than shorts and a T-shirt.....that's sad!


Wednesday: 4.0 Miles - Treadmill (AM)

Man 4:50 AM came early this morning. Trying to get back in the routine of a few early morning shake-outs. I think my schedule is off drastically due to the long weekend. Although rolling out of bed wasn't easy, it was good to loosen up and get some good reading in this morning.

4.0 Miles - Neighborhood Loop (PM)
It's amazing how much better I feel in the evening/night versus in the mornings. Every morning that I wake up for an early run, I'm sluggish, feel slow (generally am slow) and really just grind out a few miles. But in the evenings, as was the case tonight, I felt great pretty much from the beginning of the run. I was only a short distance in the run and I had to mentally tell myself this was just a little shake-out. Then I made the mistake of picking up the pace too much at the end of the run and tweaked my right calf a touch. It stiffened up pretty quickly, but I have hopes I'll be good as new tomorrow. No AM run tomorrow as I'm meeting friends for coffee at 5:30, so I'll have the day for a little healing. Overall, the run was 100% better than this AM (minus the tweak).

Thursday: Off
After working 14 hours and hoping to just sit down and have a conversation with my wife, I opted for the day off.

Friday: Off
Another 13 hour work day.....seriously!

Saturday: 9 Miles total

4.0 Miles - Picture Rock with Christine
I had to work today.....on a Saturday.....but I had a surprisingly good attitude about it, despite not being able to get a long run in, which I had been mentally planning since Thanksgiving day's 14.5 miles. I was able to sneak away around lunch for 4 miles with Christine, although my stomach was giving me issues which made it less than stellar.

5.0 Miles - Rabbit Mtn
I left work just after 3 and was able to get a few more miles before Christine and I went to get a Christmas tree and get out of the house for a while. After picking out a nice little tree to go in our nice little apartment, we headed to the Pumphouse Brewery for good food and better conversation.

I was able to PR on the 4 mile loop. Things like this continue to confirm that my fitness and speed are improving. A 1 mile shake out to end the session.

Sunday: 13.9 Miles Total
7.4 Miles - Hall Ranch with Christine (Antelope side)
Enjoyed getting out with Christine, spending a little extra time on the trail.
6.5 Miles - McIntosh + Neighborhood
Went straight from the trail to pounding the pavement. I'm trying to get a few extra miles in on the weekends to hopefully transition to a true "long" run in the near future.

I've been thinking a lot about what my running goals are for the coming year. I feel that I've been more consistent with my running that ever before. I would still like to dial in my 5k and 10k in the coming months. I found a few 5k's in early January that I may sign up for. But my true motivations are of the longer distance variety. I'm really just searching to find both my capabilities and my limitations. More on this soon.

Weekly Summary - 11/7

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 4.1 Miles - McIntosh Lake (AM)
A little spooky running around the lake at 5 AM without a headlamp!

2.2 Miles - Neighborhood Loop (PM) + Strength training

Wednesday: 4.4 Miles - Neighborhood Loop (AM)
It was my second 5 AM run in as many days and I've thoroughly enjoyed both. I see that I need to get up a little earlier to get a longer run in, read, and get to work when I'd like. I'm sure the upcoming time change will make that 30 minutes much easier.

Thursday: 5.2 Miles - Neighborhood Loop (PM)
When my alarm went off this morning, I was feeling rough. So, after a few thoughts, I reset my alarm clock and dozed off for what only seems like seconds, but was actually an hour.

I went to the Chiropractor today at lunch. As I've stated numerous times in previous posts, I'm continually battling pain in my right ankle. I can tell that my foot strike is concentrated on the outside of the foot rather than exactly balanced, so I thought it worthwhile to get it checked out, especially since I have never done this before. Christine has worked with this particular chiro (both teaching her as well as getting work done from her) and said she pays a lot of attention to bodies being completely balanced, recommending not only adjustments but a mix of proper posture, stretching, strength training, and even PT in cases.

So, today my theories were confirmed that while both of my feet supinate, by right foot is worse that my left. She recommended orthotics as well as reviewing my total body alignment. I was a bit surprised at the price of orthotics and am somewhat hesitant to go down that road. I'm going to continue dialogue with Christine, my in house expert.

Friday: 4.1 Miles - McIntosh Lake
A quick run before dinner. We had squash and pepper fajitas, fresh Salsa from the Farmers Market, and a Fat Tire for dessert!

Saturday: 4.0 Miles - Rabbit Mountain with Christine
What a ridiculous day! I, as well as everyone else, cannot believe it is November 6th. It was a beautiful day to be out on a trail.....or picking up trash on the side of Hwy 36! Christine and I volunteered (along with a few other folks from work) to do clean-up with the Lyons Community Foundation. We spent the better part of the afternoon, making our way through the weeds to do a little bit for the community. It was great to be out, especially since Christine and I could volunteer side by side. What did I find that was most surprising? Definitely the amount of hammer gels, power gels and the like. For some reason, I thought that the cyclists (ok, I'm making an assumption) were much less likely to throw waste out the peverbial window than most, but I'm starting to rethink that stereotype.

Sunday: 7.4 Miles - McIntosh Lake with Christine (AM)

I'm really getting really tired of this darn ankle pain. I feel as if I have to change my stride, and hence foot strike, in order to compensate for the dull pain. Then, after a few miles of this compensation, I begin to feel a twinge here and there in other parts of my body, like knees and hips, where I then revert back to my original stride and foot strike. I feel like I'm playing this game much too often. After this mornings run, I've decided to give the orthotics a try.

Track workout: 5 Miles - Westview Middle School (PM)
Short warm up at 7:45ish pace
400 meters on by 400 meters rest
Ended with 800 meters on by 800 meters rest

Overall, I felt like this was a pretty decent week, running wise, besides the ankle issues of course. I'm finally getting a few early AM runs in, which both ensures I get miles in before my day starts and also ensures that I get ample time at home with Christine, even if work goes awry. I can definitely feel my fitness improving, as each mile goes by a bit quicker and easier. Although, I feel that I'm doing a little work to get there, which feels good in and of itself. And with that, I'm toying with the idea of running the Children's Hospital 5K this coming Sunday. I don't feel that my time will necessarily be at goal pace, which I've yet to divulge, but I'm a bit anxious to toe the line just to see how far I have to go. The decision is pretty much made, I just need to bite the bullet, even if my showing is not what I want it to be. Regardless, I'm having a pretty good time running right now and I don't plan to change course anytime soon.

Here's a little soul for this Sunday night. Sean Hayes