09-27-2010
Mon-AM: 4.5 miles (:39) Creek Path+Kitt
1.5mi barefoot. Ran with Jocelyn.
09-28-2010
Tue-AM: 4 miles (:31) Leadville
Parked at Ice Palace, ran the Mineral Belt down to the new artificial turf field down by the middle school and did 2mi of barefoot there before running back up to the truck. That field has to have the best 360 degree view of epic mountains in the state. Was on my way down to Creede for field work.
09-29-2010
Wed-AM: 4 miles (:32) Kitt Field
Ran down to the field, 2mi of barefoot, and back home. Really had to exert some discipline to not charge up into the mountains today. Holding out for Oct 1 before hitting that again.
09-30-2010
Thu-AM: 4.5 miles (:37) Kitt Field
Down to the fields, 2.5 miles of barefoot, and back home.
10-01-2010
Fri-AM: 15 miles (2:21) Green & Bear, 4100'
Great to be back! Took Joe on a nice mellow circuit of my favorite peaks. Tried out a simple little loop through Chautauqua to get an extra 3/4mi or so of warm-up in before the climb up Green and I liked it, will probably make it a regular thing. It felt like the rest really did me good. For the first time since Leadville my perceived effort felt commensurate with the splits I was seeing on my watch, which was a very nice mental boost. I'm really looking forward to the next couple months of solid training; feeling mentally and physically recharged.
10-02-2010
Sat-AM: 15 miles (2:18) Green Mt., 3700'
With Joe again. Ran a warm-up loop up Enchanted Mesa and back on Bluebell-Baird and then went up the back of Green. I need that extra time before getting in the real climbing. Came down some vintage routes on the NE ridge before bopping over Flagstaff and down to EGF. Joe was digging the technical stuff coming off Green, but in general, we kept today nice and mellow.
PM: 9 miles (1:13) Skunk Creek-Kohler Mesa, 800'
Easy run in the evening. Didn't do barefoot because of all the tailgaters down at Kitt.
10-03-2010
Sun-AM: 13 miles (2:00) Green Mt., 3000'
Up the front and down Bear Canyon. Took it easy today.
PM: 7 miles (1:02) Creek Path
Late, easy jog with Jocelyn.
Total
-Miles: 76
-Hours: 11h 13min
-Vertical: 11,600'
I've run up Green 219 times this year and Bear Peak 23 times.
It was a real pleasure to return back to the trails and mountains at the end of the week. The hardest thing about getting back into real training is re-realizing that just because my bones and tendons are capable of running a high number of miles that doesn't mean that my fitness level is capable of doing so. So, by Sunday night my general fatigue was pretty high. This will mostly mean that I just have to watch myself for a couple of weeks--skip an evening run here and there if necessary, be conscious of taking some days really easy intensity-wise--and eventually my consistency and relative caution will hopefully result in top fitness once again.
Also, I'm ready for a little moisture. Right now the trails are as dry as I've ever seen them, meaning they're dusty and traction is generally poor. Not to mention the fact that the fire hazard is through the roof. On Saturday night there was an ever-so-slight flaking of something that wasn't quite rain (but I hesitate to actually call snow) falling from the atmosphere, and when I was up early Sunday morning to support my roommate at her first marathon (Boulder Backroads) the Indian Peaks displayed a very light dusting (that had then disappeared by time I made it up Green). So, the real deal probably isn't far away.
Finally, the running in Bear Canyon is phenomenal right now. Pure autumnal bliss with yellow aspen, red sumac, and dry singletrack.
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