The Week that Was - January 1 - 7, 2012

Ah yes...a new year. The time when many make new resolutions, big plans and look back to take stock of the year that just ended. I am definitely a big fan of that stuff. Thus, my resolution is to make some big plans as soon as I finish reviewing 2011.

Until then, I'll try to keep up the daily ultramarathon of work, family, running and volunteering.

So, the week that was:

Monday: Steady - 10.38 miles; 1:38; 1,105 feet o' elevation gain - Hiwan - the Ridge - Kittredge. Met up at DW's house and ran through two local 'hoods and snuck over to the dirt road that leads down into Kittredge. Ran down to Bear Creek, east down Bear Creek Canyon. Climbed back up via Kerr Gulch. Took the upper sneak back into the Ridge and retraced our steps to DW's house.

Tuesday: Tempo - 8:59 miles; 1:16; 384 feet o' elevation gain - Upper Bear Creek Road.  Met up w/ Steve F. for this one. Two mile w/u jog up the road, then two miles of uphill tempo (6:31; 6:20). Actually, I did about 2.25 miles of tempo because I missed the prominent mile marker post. Turned around and did a mile easy, then two more miles of tempo (5:56; 5:55). One mile c/d.


Wednesday:  Climbing - 5:12 miles; 1:06; 1,513 feet o' elevation gain - Flagstaff Mountain. Started late afternoon from Eben G. Fine and climbed up the trail to the sign that marks the loop atop of the mountain in 33:24. Trail conditions were decent, with constantly changing mix of snow, ice and dirt. Most of the descent was in the dark. Naturally, I had no light. Took me 32:50 to get down (a whopping 34 seconds faster than the ascent).


Thursday:  Easy w/ hill fartleks - 9:23 miles; 1:18; 1,279 feet o' elevation gain - Ran a slightly abbreviated version of my 10-mile loop through the Soda Creek subdivision. Got in an extra mile on the bike path around Bergen Park. Toward the end of the loop my right knee started hurting - a very noticeable ache on the outside. Walked the last quarter mile.


Friday:  1 mile; 8 minutes - treadmill, Buchanan Rec Center. 6-7 miles was the plan, but my right knee objected. After some tense negotiations, I relented and headed to the weights. One and a half sets of squats was about all the knee would allow, so I scrapped that too and setting for a series of core exercises on the soft floor around the climbing wall where jP and CP were climbing. Frustrating, but was able to watch a lot more of the kids rock climbing that I would have otherwise.


Saturday: 23.25 miles ; 3:32; 2,137 feet o' elevation gain - Hooked up with CB for some early morning jogging. Started at the dirt parking lot at the Morrison exit of C-470. We headed north to Green Mountain running on the bike path along C-470, noting that the mountain ahead looked tantalizingly free of snow. As we drew even with the mountain, we called an audible and hung a right and did a loop around the southeast side of the mountain. We continued along to the snowier/icier north side before climbing steeply up to the signal towers (after I made a rather unglamorous butt slide down a steep, icy section of trail). We descended the west side of the mountain and ran the C-470 bike path back to the cars. I bid CB adieu (family commitments) and headed out for a nine-mile bike path/road loop through Bear Creek Lake park. My knee felt a little twingy now and then, but held up fine.

Lakewood's Green Mountain in the distance. From near Mt. Carbon. 

Road down from the Bear Creek Lake dam, looking southwest.

Total:  67.49 miles; just shy of 10 hours; 7,253 feet o' elevation gain. Overall a very solid week. The knee issue that cropped up Thursday, and forced the day off on Friday was frustrating, but seems to be manageable (as it held up OK on Saturday's long run). Fingers crossed that it was a fleeting protestation.

On Sunday I sweated my way through my second-ever yoga class with JP. I sweated so much over the hour-long class that my fingers were pruned and I regularly found myself laying in my mat's very own private sweat pond. I feel like these sessions are great for long-run recovery. I felt so much better post yoga work-out than before. Hope to make these a somewhat weekly affair. After the class, I went home and read the NYTimes Magazine article on the injury risks of yoga. Good reminder to take it easy.

Upper Bear Creek Road - Tempo

Very nice tempo run on Evergreen's Upper Bear Creek Road on a near-perfect spring-like morning.  Also got in a late-morning dog jog at Elk Meadow Open Space.


Time:  1:35 (run #1); 30 minutes (run #2)
Distance: 12.3 miles (run #1); 2.6 miles (run #2)
Effort: Hard and Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Sunny and warm

Hooked up with Steve F. and Mara in the a.m. at the Wulf Rec Center.  We jogged the mile from the rec center to the Evergreen Lakehouse as a w/u, then set off up Upper Bear Creek Road at an easy 8-9 minute pace.  The plan was to run to the five-mile post, then tempo back to the lake.

The jog up was easy, but my legs felt flat. I was not looking forward to the tempo run back.  Mara turned around at about 4.5 miles and Steve and I continued to the post.  After a quick bio break, Steve hit his watch and off we went.

As we got up to a 6:15 pace, I started thinking "Uh-oh."  6:15 felt fast...hard.  After about half-mile, my breathing eased up and I settled into pace, as Steve and I strode down this scenic road side-by-side. Still, things felt harder than they should have as we passed the two-mile mark.  Somewhere in here, though, things started clicking.  My legs suddenly felt solid under me, the breathing was steady, but measured and the pace was holding.

We caught Mara at about the 3.5 mile mark and kept chugging along. I gapped Steve a bit in the last mile and just focused on maintaining pace back to the lake. The last little uphill next to the golf course hurt a bit, but I held on fine.

The miles looked like this: 6:10; 6:11; 6:14; 6:04; 6:00.

After re-grouping, we did a one-mile c/d back to the rec center.

I was pretty happy with this run.  It's been a couple weeks since I've done such a high-quality, structured run. Most runs of late have been longish and steady mountain runs. I enjoy the latter much more, but know there's a lot of benefit to be gained by the former. Definitely need to add more quality in the weeks ahead.

Late morning, I grabbed the dog formally known as the Dog to be Named Later, now named Maya (My-Yuh), and did an easy 2.6 mile dog jog in the eastern part of Elk Meadow Open Space.

14.9 miles on the day. 850 feet o' elevation gain for both runs.

Road Runner

Slowly working the long run mileage back up...bit by bit.  This morning was a long, slow loop on the roads of west Evergreen.

Time: No watch

Distance: 18 miles

Effort: Easy

Body: Average

Weather: Sunny and cool

Got up before the sun, but didn't hit the roads until the hills were starting to turn red with the morning sun. 

Did a slow, even-paced loop from the house down to Evergreen Lake on the bike path, up Upper Bear Creek Road eight miles, back to Whittier Gulch, then up to Greystone and back on Stagecoach. At the upper parking lot at Elk Meadow Open Space, I hung a left and ran a 1/2 mile of trail to get back to the 'hood. 

I ran without a watch today, focusing instead on running an even, easy pace and keeping the heart rate down. Too often on these runs, I start picking up the pace just to be done. Today, I just kept it mellow, trying to enjoy the self-propulsion.

Unfortunately, the enjoyment was, at best, fleeting. There were a few great moments, such as running  on the upper reaches of Upper Bear Creek Road with a full-on view of Mt. Evans.  However, most of the run must be filed under the Just-Get-it-Done category.  Sunday was a long run day...so run long.

I reckon I'm hitting a bit of a running rough patch...losing a bit of the fun quotient.  Nothing a bit of prolonged warmth and snow-free trails won't cure.  Just another couple of months to go...

I'm off to Florida for several days.  Hope to get in a few miles right at sea level.

Upper Bear Creek Road & More - Long Run

Time: 3:24
Distance: 22 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Gray and snowing


Up early to meet Steve G., Chris A. and Kristin for a run up Upper Bear Creek Road. Everyone had different mileage plans. Steve turned back at four miles and Chris and Kristin turned back at 7.5 miles. I continued on to the caretaker house at the Mt. Evans State Wildlife Management Area at 8.5 miles. Did a bit of exploring on the way back, including a run up to the Mt. Evans Outdoor Lab, a JeffCo school district property, and an uphill jaunt up Echo Lake Road to King Murphy Elementary and looping back down Whittier Gulch to Upper Bear.


It was snowing off and on the whole time...even had a few tantalizing glimpses of blue sky and sun now and then, but those moments were fleeting at best. We're back to a full-on snow storm now.  


Off to Crested Butte tomorrow.

Upper Bear Creek Road - Easy

Time: 2:08
Distance: 15 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Sunny and gettin' warm!


Easy and early run from Evergreen Lake up Upper Bear Creek Road to the 7.5 mile mark. Good sized group this morning with Steve G., Chris A., Lori B. and two others whose names escape me now. Ran up at around an 8:30(ish) pace and returned at around an 8:00 pace. Spectacular winter morning, with temps in the high 30s at the start and in the mid-40s at the end. The views of Mt. Evans were inspiring, especially with the morning sun lighting it up.


Felt really good to be out and moving. My running mojo has been flagging this week. Based on this run, perhaps the bounce is back...

Upper Bear Creek Road - Easy

Time: 1:25
Distance: 10.2 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Cold and overcast


Early morning meet-up with Chris A. and Steve G. for 10 mile out-and-back on Upper Bear Creek Road. Started at 6:30 a.m. at the Evergreen Lakehouse and ran to the five-mile post a bit past Whittier Gulch Road. Easy pace up, around 8:30, and back down, around 8:00.


Great time catching up with Steve G. about his race at the Rocky Raccoon 50.  Congrats, Steve, on being the fastest-ever finishing 44-year-old - a CR for that age!


Also, signed up this week for next month's Salida Run Through Time Marathon. I figure I'll plan on using the race as a weekly long run. I'll just head down there with the intent to see some new ground,  enjoy the race vibe and knock out 26.2 miles in a place I've never run. A change of scenery for a long run will be swell. Plus, Salida is a great town.


Last week's Moab Red Hot 50 was, by far, the longest race I'd run. The next longest was in 2008 at the Breckenridge Crest Marathon, which was actually 24.5 miles. So, running in Salida will give me some more race experience, which should help a bit in the build-up to June's San Juan Solstice 50.

Upper Bear Creek - Yankee Creek - Willow Creek

Time: 3:31
Distance: 23.6 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Sunny and Cool


Another early morning weekend long run with Steve G and Chris A. Starting at 6 a.m., we ran together up Upper Bear Creek Road.  Chris turned around at about the six mile mark to get a start on weekend plans. Steve and I continued on to the gate at the Mt. Evans State Wildlife Management Area at the 9-mile mark. We parted ways at about the 11-mile mark where I headed up Yankee Creek Road, a narrow, hilly and windy road that heads southwest, to get in a few more miles.


I climbed a couple of miles on Yankee Creek and then took a left up Willow Creek Road and ran to where it ends at a gorgeous looking piece of private property.  I returned then to Yankee Creek and ran it to it's end at another hunk of private property - Indian Creek Park Ranch. Looking at these ranches on Google Earth makes me even more want to explore this area. Wish I knew the families that own that ground.


On the return down Yankee Creek, I ran out of water. I was only carrying a handheld today. I just couldn't deal with another cold morning carrying my leaky North Face hydration pack (it leaks at the place where the tube and bite valve meet). Luckily, there's one place on Upper Bear where one might be able to get water. The well-known Tallgrass Spa. Undoubtedly, the women that work there like nothing more than having dirty, sweaty runners pop in for water. To my surprise and great pleasure, they were welcoming and hospitable. In just a few minutes I was out of there with a water bottle full of cucumber water. Can't beat that.


I finished the run by picking up the pace down Upper Bear, sipping fancy cucumber water the whole way. I won't run with anything less ever again. Might be time for a massage, as well. It's been two years.


2,077 feet of elevation gain.  Average HR - 141. Average pace 9:12.

Friday, January 1, 2010 - Upper Bear Creek Road

Time: 2:27
Distance: 17.8 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Fair
Weather: Sunny and cool


If ever there was a testament to the motivational value of running partners it was this morning's run. When the alarm went off at 5:40 a.m. this morning, I happily would have rolled over and went back to sleep were it not for a commitment I made to meet Steve G. for another jaunt up Upper Bear Creek Road.


With a peanut butter sandwich and a tall glass of chocolate milk and 4.5 hours of sleep under my belt, I ambled over to the Evergreen Lakehouse and met Steve just before 7 a.m.  On the agenda was an 18-mile run up Upper Bear to the gate at the Mt. Evans State Wildlife Management Area. We were joined by Andrew A., whom I learned is -- in addition to being a very impressive runner/triathlete -- a very selective connoisseur of only the finest offerings of the World Wide Web. A rare trait, indeed.


We ran the out part of the out-and-back at an easy pace, hitting the turn-around at 8.77 miles in 1:16. We did the return a bit faster, chatting the whole way. Average pace was an easy 8:12 with 1,303 feet of total elevation gain.


Legs  were heavy today, with some noticeable soreness over the last three miles or so.  I chalk it up to too-little sleep and a pretty hard run yesterday. Day off tomorrow.


Overall a great day to be out.  Temps hit the 40s around the time we were finishing. A beautiful day, this first day of 2010. Doing this run with Steve and Andrew was a great way to start a new decade.  Thanks, guys!

Later in the day, the family and I returned to the Lakehouse for the annual Polar Bear Plunge, a fundraiser for Drive Smart Evergreen, a local non-profit dedicated to improving the driving habits of mountain area residents. 


We had a great time watching the local color as dozens of bathing suit-wearing, costumed and cross-dressing locals took the plunge. The most inspiring of the plungers was a disabled woman whom was lifted from her wheelchair by friends and family and together they made the leap into the frigid waters (see pic). Too cool.  

Tuesday, December 22 - Upper Bear Road - Stagecoach Loop

Distance:  11.23 miles
Effort: Moderate
Body: Fair
Weather: Cool and dark


Late (too late) afternoon loop here in north Evergreen.  Ran from home, down Evergreen Parkway, up Upper Bear Creek Road, then up Whittier Gulch and Greystone Road to Stagecoach Road and back home through the southern park of Elk Meadow Open Space. 


With the winter solstice having just come and gone, I was hoping those two extra minutes before the sun set would permit me to complete this run before darkness set in. As has been the case too many times since the time change, I overestimated my speed and underestimated the rate at which the sun would set.  Ended up running about half of this run in the dark. At least I had the good sense to wear a reflective vest.


Felt pretty good, but there was definitely some lingering fatigue in the legs from Saturday's 35-miler.  Pushed the pace a bit on the middle section on Upper Bear Creek Road, which only gains about 300 feet over five miles.  I ran those miles at a 7:15 - 7:25 pace.


Average pace was 8:09 with 1,377 feet of elevation gain.

Saturday, October 3 - Upper Bear Creek Road

Run: Saturday, October 3nd - Upper Bear Creek Road

Time: 2:22

Distance: 18.14 miles

Effort: Moderate on way out; hard on way back

Body: Good

Weather: Sunny and cool

Met Steve F., Steve G. and Caroline S. bright and early this morning for an 18-mile run from the Evergreen Lake House to the caretaker house in the Mount Evans State Wildlife Management Area and back. It was brisk at the start and I was under-dressed. Guess I'm a little out of practice in dressing for chilly morning weather.

We set off just after 7 a.m. and ran the 6+ miles up the paved and relatively flat Upper Bear Creek Road. Beautiful views of Mt. Evans and Mt. Rosalie greeted us as we emerged from the canyon into the wide-open meadows around Tallgrass Spa. With the mountain looming before us, I started thinking about running next summer from the lakehouse to the summit of Mt. Evans. I figure this run would be in the 30-35 mile range, with a combination of pavement, dirt roads and trails (through the Mt. Evans Wilderness Area). Epic.

We hung a right on the welcome dirt and gravel of Yankee Creek Road at 6 miles, ran 2 miles up to the turn-off to the Elk Management Area. After a mile of steady climbing, we turned around the the caretaker's house. We gained about 1,000 feet over the first 9 miles. In the first 9 miles, we averaged an 8:30 - 8:45 pace. Steve and Steve had other plans for the return. Both are training for the NYC Marathon, 4 weeks from now. So, a "progression run" was in the offing.

For our return 9 miles, the plan was to get -- you guessed it -- progressively faster. We ran the first 3 miles averaging about 7:15. Their plan was to run the next five miles at around a 6:20 pace. Since this was to be my longest run since...oh...June, I set my sights a little lower. I ran the next five in 6:41, 7:19, 6:57; 6:47 and 6:36. I caught back upto the the Steves (Caroline had turned back a bit earlier.) with about a mile and half to go and we jogged it in together.

It was great getting out early on a Saturday and getting the weekend's long run in early. A full weekend of family and great weather awaits!