11/23 to 12/6

11/23, Sunday – Treadmill, 2 miles, 0’, 0:18

Don’t be fooled thinking this was just a boring run after driving all day. This was actually a huge accomplishment being the longest I’ve ever lasted on a treadmill.

11/25, Tuesday – Indiana, 6 miles, 150’, 0:41

In Indiana for Thanksgiving. Today I was thankful for sea-level allowing me to comfortably hold 6:50’s.

11/26, Wednesday – Indiana, 9 miles, 300’, 1:10

I ran on a flat straight street until it ended and then I ran home. I miss Boulder and am painfully aware of how spoiled I am there.

11/29, Saturday - Freeway, 7 miles, 1,750', 1:20

After arriving home from the drive from Indiana, easy effort just getting some fresh air.

Week Totals:

Distance: 24 miles

Vert: 2,200’

Time: 3:29

Well, it was break time I suppose.

11/30, Sunday – Freeway + Green, 9 miles, 3,200', 2:44

A heavy wall of clouds blanketed the mountains along with 20 degree temps. The scramble was very cold on my fingers so I took several “hands-in-pockets-to-warm-up” breaks. This was my 50^th ascent of freeway, so that was a fun stat despite seeing on social media a couple of guys closing in on their 1,000^th summit of Green. I stumbled my way through the clouds on a trail that more closely resembled an ice rink than a path for my comparatively lowly 23^rd summit of Green mountain. Amazingly, the summit was able to just get above the cloud layer, it was one of the best views I’ve seen in my life. I sat up on the summit rock for 30 or 40 minutes as waves of clouds would rise and fall over the summit, basking in the sun. Then it was back to the deathly ice luge back home.

12/1, Monday – AM: Streets, 7 miles, 300’, 0:53 – PM: Track, 5 miles, 0’, 0:41

Rent was due, so I made a run out of dropping it off in the morning. After class I dropped by the rec for a little speed session of 4 by 800m. I’m not quite believing the conversion of 10 laps to 1 mile as I was hitting the 800’s at about 5:30 pace min/mi while feeling like I was going much faster. Anyways it was a good workout.

12/2, Tuesday – 1st Flatiron, 7 miles, 2,100’, 2:12

The wind was howling on the jog up to Chautauqua but appeared to have died down once I reached the 1^st. The scramble felt awkward and eventually the wind kicked right back up making for a uncharacteristically unpleasant experience. By the time I reached the arête the gusts were quite unnerving. At the summit I was feeling some slight nausea, likely from the illness everyone in my apartment seems to have. I waited a bit for the wind to subside for a moment (seriously, it was really powerful) then proceeded to down climb in slug-like fashion still pausing in little nooks to evade the gusts. At the current state of things it was an easy decision to wobble back home rather than suffer up to Green for a potential reward of puke.

12/3, Wednesday – Track, 6 miles, 100’, 1:00

Another speed work session at the rec. After a 2 mile warm-up, 10 minutes of 30 second sprints with 30 second “rest”. Rest in quotes as my goal was to keep the rest pace at about 7:30-8:00 min/mi. Finished with another 2 miles for warm-down. I ran to and from the rec -  if you’re doing the math on this wondering how I allegedly did a 10 minute two mile and managed 100 feet of climbing on an indoor track.

12/4, Thursday – Mount Sanitas, 11 miles, 2,000’, 2:05

I originally intended on doing the Poorman loop, but the Boulder Canyon segment of the creek path was closed. So instead I meandered up and down Mount Sanitas. Still feeling a bit under the weather sickness wise so it was a slow day.

12/5, Friday – Creek Path, 6 miles, 300’, 0:45

Easy jog on the ol’ path.

12/6 Saturday – Flagstaff/Myer’s Gulch/Walker Ranch/Eldorado Canyon, 17 miles, 4,000’, 3:30

A weird backside-esque loop. I started at Chautauqua headed up Gregory Canyon to the Long Canyon trail. I had never before been on the Long Canyon trail pre or post flood but it appeared to be the worst hit trail I have seen. Long Canyon eventually dumped me out on Flagstaff road which I followed until I saw what I thought was a shortcut through Myer’s Gulch. I had biked Myer’s Gulch like 6 years ago so my knowledge was a shaky. It did end up taking me to Walker Ranch, but it would be more accurately termed a “long-cut”, but only maybe a half mile. From here I could see the backside of the Boulder skyline, the western perspective (looking east from the west) makes Green look almost dismissible as a slight high point. The best view was that of James Peak along the divide. I took the slightly shorter section of Walker Ranch to Eldorado Canyon, but I ended up somehow losing the trail briefly and wasting a bunch of time back tracking. By the time I reached the Eldo junction I felt wrecked, maybe a nagging cold, being a bit out of form or not giving enough respect to the route I planned. I finished off my water and my second (and last) gel. Despite being in a depleted state, Eldorado Canyon is an absolute gem, I’m almost sad it had taken me this long to get there. Running out of the canyon the sun and the warmer temperatures both began to fade. Not wanting to shiver my way back across the Mesa trail in low light, I hitched a ride to a mile or so from my car.

About what it looked like, picture taken from SummitPost.org

Week Totals:

Distance: 65 miles

Vert: 12,100’

Time: 13:41

Well it was a good weak, albeit a bit rough. Even though I’m trying to get back to regular training, I probably will have a down week or two given I have finals next week. I actually like the speed workouts and with all the random exercise stuff at the rec it makes me stretch and do all the exercises I know I should be doing. Lastly, just as I’m posting this I couldn’t help but notice another stacked field for Hardrock 2015. Given my Boulder roots and general high respect for the man, I was stoked to see Krupicka on the list of entrants. I was already hoping to get an extended trip in the San Juans next summer; maybe I could volunteer at an aid station or something. Of course, barring complete implosion Kilian should handily win as he did last year, but it would surely be a race well worth watching.