Kicking Off 2011

Another catch-up post to keep the log up-to-date.  Here's the run-down on the first six days o' 2011.


Saturday, January 1 - 6 miles in 55 minutes. Easy run on the roads of the Hiwan and The Ridge subdivisions with DW. Good to kick off the new year with a chilly run with a good friend.

Sunday, January 2 - 12.23 miles in 2:07.  Breckenridge.  Had to cruise up early to Frisco to pick up my son who stayed overnight with some friends at a condo there. I had planned on running the bike paths around Frisco, but they weren't plowed.  Should have guessed...I guess.

Drove over to Breckenridge and parked at the east end of downtown and started running. I cruised up through the completely empty downtown (it was about 6:30 a.m. and -12 degrees!).  Ended up running up through a couple neighborhoods of condos and mountain houses up towards the ski area. I soon left the dense development behind and ran up Spruce Creek Road. This relatively lightly-travelled road eventually dead-ended at a big snow pile at the Spruce Creek Trailhead on national forest land.

This trailhead accesses Francie's Cabin, one of the Summit Huts Association huts, some great lakes and several 13'ers.  I ran up a well-packed xc ski trail for about 1.5 miles to the intersection with the Wheeler Trail.  I paused for a bit here to take in the amazing views around me (listening all the while to the distant BOOMS from ski area avalanche control work).

I then turned around and ran back to the car. Cold morning!  The hot tub and pool and the Breck rec center that followed was much welcomed!

Monday, January 3 - 8 miles. Treadmill. A busy day meant an evening run on the treadmill at the Buchanan Rec Center. Did two miles at 8:00; 3 miles at 7:00 and three more at 8:00.  Easy.

Wednesday, January 4 - 6.06 miles 1:22.  Green Mountain, Boulder.  First jaunt of the new year up Boulder's Green Mountain. Ran from the Gregory Parking lot. Noted that a car with Alaska plates was getting a ticket just as I was heading up Gregory Canyon.  Temps were perfect. Ran in shorts and a heavy tech shirt. No traction needed on the ups. Ran easy up the backside. Summited in about 44 minutes. Used traction on the descent. Had to take a detour near the intersection with Greenman due to some tree removal work being done by some OSMP workers.

Thursday, January 5 - Had my second PT appointment with Richey Hansen at High Altitude Spine and Sport. More work today on my right hip/adductor/lower ab and left calf/foot. I'm making very good progress. The Active Release Therapy and Graston work he's doing is showing very solid results with me. The raging pain in my left heel is nearly gone...just post-run achiness that goes away overnight - and even that seems to be easing. Lower ab tear/strain/whatever also seems to be getting better. Still too fragile for core work, but I regularly have runs now where I don't think about it. Cautiously optimistic on that.  I highly recommend Richey...very knowledgeable, listens first, knows his sh** and explains everything.

Had plans for another Green Mountain jog, but took PT's advice to give the foot/ab a rest post-treatment. Wasn't an easy decision...