Monday, October 5 - Off

Had running gear with me at work today, but just wasn't motivated to run in the cold rain. Thought about it...but that's as far as it went. Legs still a little heavy from Saturday. I think the pavement running beat me up a bit. Definitely need to get back to the long weekend runs.

Sunday, October 4 - Off

Was feeling pretty worked from the hard run Saturday morning. Legs felt heavy...calves ached. Thought about a late p.m. easy run in Elk Meadow, but decided to listen to the body and take the day off. I'm a little anxious about pushing the body too hard right now. Numerous reports of swine flu (sorry...H1N1 flu) at the kids' school. Don't want to be sick during next week's trip to Italy.

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!

Friday, October 2 - Doudy Draw, Boulder

Run: Friday, October 2nd - Doudy Draw and Spring Brook Loop

Time: 56:39

Distance: 7.14 miles

Effort: Tempo on the ups, easy on the rest

Body: Very Good

Weather: Sunny and warm

Hit the Doudy Draw trailhead after work today on an absolutely gorgeous fall day. I'd never run on this bit of City of Boulder open space. Was hoping to catch GZ returning from a planned mid-afternoon run (missed him).

There's some nice variety on these trails, with sections that meander along a now-dry creek bed, some steady climbs, a bit of flat through a ponderosa forest and a few rollers.

Was feeling good today, so I ran tempo on the ups and took it easy on the descents. I started on the Doudy Draw trail and ran it up to the gate that marks the boundary of the Flatirons Vista Open Space parcel.

I returned back down the Doudy Draw trail and picked up the Spring Brook Loop, starting on the south trail and ending on the north trail. Ran a real strong pace up the north Spring Brook trail in pursuit of a mountain biker I saw about a quarter mile ahead. Caught him about 100 yards from the top. It always feels good passing bikers on climbs. Reminds me of the freedom of running...so little gear (and weight) required.

A fabulous 7+ miles in a little less than an hour. A truly great day to be out on the trails. The lighting was perfect.

Thursday, October 1 - Elk Meadow Open Space

Run: Thursday, October 1st - Meadow View Trail

Time: 1:00

Distance: 7 miles

Effort: Easy

Body: Average

Weather: Cool - breezy

An easy, relaxed seven miles on the Sleepy S - Painter's Pause - Social trail - Meadow View loop. Beautiful,sunny day, but with a bit of a chill in the air. Felt under-dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Hands actually got cold...first time this fall. A sure sign of things to come.

The meadow was looking beautiful in the late afternoon sun. The grass is now all brown and splashes of fall colors dotted the flanks of Bergen Peak. In places where the upper part of Meadow View dips down into draws, golden aspen leaves covered the trail. Only saw one person the entire seven miles.

Wednesday, September 30 - Eldorado Canyon State Park

Run: Wednesday, September 30th - Eldorado Canyon

Time: 1:23

Distance: 7.14 miles

Effort: Moderate

Body: Average

Weather: Cool - windy

A cold front was moving in and the winds were really kicking up when I left work this evening. In hopes of finding a little shelter from the gusts and seeking some new trails, I opted for a run in Eldorado Canyon State Park, just south of Boulder.

A sign at the unstaffed park entrance indicated walk-in fees were $3. And here I was with no money. I parked outside the park and ran past the entrance, just as a park ranger appeared to do a little maintenance at the entrance booth. I stopped and explained I was running in, but had no money. He looked at me a little skeptically, but waved me in after extracting a promise from

me to make a double payment next time.

I've never been to Eldorado Canyon before. This park is a climbers' mecca, with sheer canyon walls, boulders and over 500 climbing routes. South Boulder Creek cascades down the canyon floor.

I ran up the dirt road through the canyon to the Eldorado Canyon Trail, which climbs about 3.5 miles and 1,000 feet up and out of the canyon, into City of Boulder Open Space and then connects to Boulder County's Walk Ranch Open Space. I climbed for about three miles to a ridge overlooking Walker Ranch. I turned around here and retraced my steps back down the trail and the road and returned to my car.

I'd really like to return here and continue this run up into Walker Ranch, perhaps making a big loop from Eldorado to Walker and return via Bear Peak and Shadow Canyon to the South Mesa trailhead. Wonder how long that would be....?

Weekly Round-up -- September 20-26

Sunday: Off (camping)

Monday: 6.5 miles - Bear Canyon, Boulder (moderate)

Tuesday: 3.5 - Elk Meadow Open Space, Evergreen (easy)

Wednesday: 3.5 - Flatirons Vista, Boulder (tempo)

Thursday: 7.2 miles - Sanitas Valley; Boulder Bike Path (easy)

Friday: Off

Saturday: 13.1 miles - Golden Leaf Half Marathon, Aspen

Total: 33.8 miles

I had a pretty conservative week, knowing the Golden Leaf Half Marathon was coming up on Saturday. Tried to keep the quality up but the quantity down. Would have preferred a short, easy run on Friday, but work and the evening drive to Aspen ate up any available time. I'm really beginning to dread the onslaught of winter and the inevitable snow- and ice-covered trails.

Golden Leaf Half Marathon - Update

Had a pretty good run at this weekend's Golden Leaf Half Marathon. Finished race in 1:42:54 and in 23rd place. Happy with that time. Full race report due up soon. Full results here.

Noooooooooooooo!

This week brought a major weather change to our little corner of the world...snow on the first day of fall. Could this portend a wet, snowy (epic!) winter? The sun is expected back for the weekend, with temps in the mid-to-high 70s. Here's to hoping we'll get another month of snow-free trails. I'm headed off Friday to Aspen for Saturday's Golden Leaf Half Marathon. Hoping for good weather!

Race Report – Colorado Relay

Friday, September 11 – Saturday, September 12

10-runner team; 170 Miles; Georgetown to Carbondale

Team Robe Runners

Last weekend I joined a team of nine other runners in the 170-mile Colorado Relay race, an annual affair which sends runners from Georgetown to Carbondale, crossing three high mountain passes – Loveland, Burning Bear and Vail Passes.

I joined the nobly-named Team Robe Runners at the invitation of Evergreen running pal Steve F. The team came complete with a storied history and strong pedigree, having won the race last year. This year, though, there only were four runners returning from last year’s winning team. Six of us were new.

We all met Friday morning around 8 a.m. in Georgetown. We had two big SUVs to ferry us to the 30 individual exchange points, where runners would hand off the race belt and number to the next runner. T-shirts, contributed by Boulder-based Newton Running, were handed out, introductions were made and check-in was completed.

Steve F. had assigned runners to each of the 30 race legs. He even helpfully provided predicted times for each leg, giving us a time goal to strive to reach. Overall, our goal was a repeat win, and a finishing time of less than 20 hours.

The race uses a staggered start approach to help ensure teams cross the finish line within a reasonable multi-hour window. Start times are assigned based on self-reported team 10K times. Some teams began as early as 5:30 a.m. Our team, and about 10 others, was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., the latest start time.

Due to a large mass of unstable rock on Guanella Pass, southwest of Georgetown, the pass was closed and the race course was altered. The first four runners would each run a leg up Loveland Pass along bike paths, frontage roads and service roads alongside I-70 to Loveland Ski Area. Here, the fourth runner would run a delightful 1.5-mile route 1,000 feet up and back down the ski hill. The collective time of the first four legs would be added to the time of the other 26 legs run on the original race course.

While our Loveland Pass runners -- Steve F., Steve G., Steve S. Brian and Frank -- took on Loveland Pass, the rest of us -- Simon, Paul, Kris, Phil and I -- drove back to Evergreen to Highway 285 to Grant and the south side of Guanella Pass where we would pick up the original race course.

I was runner #5. My first leg would be a six-mile run up and over Burning Bear pass, featuring an 1,100-foot ascent and descent. At 2 p.m., four-and-a-half hours after our first runner left Georgetown, it was race time at Burning Bear. As I stepped to the race line with four other guys, I lined up next to a familiar face. Standing next to me was none other than mountain running legend Matt Carpenter, the current and 10-time Pikes Peak Marathon and 6-time Pikes Peak Ascent winner.

Before I could do some proper calculation as to how long it would take for Matt to leave me in the dust, the race official began his countdown. Right at 2 p.m. we were off. As expected, Matt set off at a brisk pace. A fit looking guy wearing black compression socks took out after Matt. I settled into third, wondering if Socks knew who he was chasing and how long it would take before he was cooked. I kept Matt and Socks in sight for about a mile. Once the trail entered a pretty dense forest and the trail grade steepened, Matt disappeared and I caught glimpses of Socks starting to walk through rock gardens and up short, steep pitches. At about 1.2 miles I caught and passed Socks. I knew Matt was well out of reach, so I focused on keeping a steady pace and ensuring no one caught me from behind.

After cresting the pass and flying down the other side on a steep, rocky trail, I was dumped onto a road at Exchange Point 6, where I handed off our race number to Phil, who was ready for some trail fun. (48:40; 8:20 average pace)

Matt beat me by six minutes. Such an impressive runner! I reckon Socks had no idea whom he was running against. We left the exchange point before the other three runners emerged from the woods.

At Exchange Point #7, I had a chance to chat a bit with Matt. Turned out, his team, Daddies Gone Wild, was in the “Non-conformist” category, which includes teams of 6-12 runners. Matt’s team had seven runners, including a couple from out-of-state…sea-level states.

Phil and Kris ran the next two legs, which featured similar terrain to Burning Bear…steep climbs and descents, lots of forests and a fair dose of golden-leafed aspen trees. Together, they managed to pick back up two or three of the minutes I lost to Matt in leg 5. The race was on…and it was crystal clear that Daddies Gone Wild (DGW) would be our toughest competition.

The longest leg in the race was leg #8, which goes 13 miles up and over Georgia Pass. This leg belonged to Paul, an accomplished runner and ultrarunner and Newton Running employee. Paul had the unenviable task of chasing Matt Carpenter on this leg. And, as if that weren’t fun enough, Paul was still recovering from several broken ribs and hadn’t run in about three weeks. Still, he looked fresh and ready to go. And go he did…sore ribs and all. I don’t remember the splits, but Paul didn’t give up much time to DGW.

After Steve F., Simon and Steve S. ran impressive legs from the bottom of Georgia Pass to Copper Mountain. Robe Runners and DGW were neck in neck at Exchange Point 11, at the Copper Mountain base. With a climb up Vail Pass in the darkness looming, Frank and Matt Carpenter set off together. Frank ran a great leg, flying up the staircase at the Vail Pass rest area just two minutes behind Matt. From here, it was all downhill…literally.

After impressive legs by Brian (busting sub-5:40 miles down the west side of Vail pass) and Steve G. (running so smooth and fast through East Vail), I took the handoff at 10:30 p.m. in Vail’s Ford Park and set off on a nine-mile gentle downhill jaunt to Avon and its Battle Mountain High School (58:40; 6:37 average pace). I felt very good this entire run. I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast that long before. I just focused on keeping the pace up, the breathing steady and the mind on the nine other people counting on me to run hard (and Steve F.’s 60-minute time prediction for that leg). I finished the leg in a full-on sprint to keep a sneaky runner from passing me in the final stretch. I held him off, but, in my zeal, managed to pass Phil, who was waiting there in the finish scrum for me to hand off the number so he could get on with leg #16. Once I settled down and managed to locate Phil, we completed the handoff and he was off. And, Steve G., Brian, Frank, Steve S. and I headed off to Eagle High School for a catnap and to wait for the other half of the team to do their thing.

Through the early morning hours, Phil, Kris, Steve F. and Simon each ran their asses off. As the hour grew later, we lost track of where we were time-wise in relation to the Daddies Gone Wild team. We knew we had passed them on west side of Vail Pass, but little more was known. We were now running not to be caught, with the additional goals of beating Steve F. predicted leg times and getting to Carbondale in under 20 hours.

The last legs for the five of us in Vehicle A were the legs to and through Glenwood Canyon. Steve S. ran a blistering pace to the mouth of the Canyon, followed by Brian and Steve G. going all out along the dark bike path parallel to the noisy Colorado River.

My final leg was a four-mile stretch from the No Name exit off I-70 to the Glenwood Recreation Center. I took the handoff from Steve G. at 5:09 a.m. and ran alone through the last three miles of the canyon and into Glenwood Springs.

I was warned ahead of time that the route through town was a little tricky. I managed to follow the odd collection of signs, fading glow sticks and flashing red lights on an eclectic collection of bridges, bike paths, sidewalks and roads to get from Glenwood Hot Springs to the rec center (25:38; 6:23 average pace). After a final handoff to Phil, Vehicle A was officially done with the 2009 Colorado Relay.

As we drove to the finish line to wait for the Vehicle B runners to finish their final legs, we started doing the math. We all had run our legs in times very close to what Steve F. had predicted. If we continued that trend, we figured we’d finish in under 20 hours.

We drove on to Carbondale and settled in at the finish area to wait as the rest of the team completed their final legs. Before we knew it, the whole team was together at the finish area waiting for our last runner, Simon, to complete the race's last leg.

Suddenly, Simon came barreling around the final corner into the finish area, chasing one more runner. Colorado Relay rules say the entire team must to cross the finish line together. Simon was about eight minutes ahead of schedule, and we weren’t ready. Simon passed the runner he was chasing, as well as the rest of the runner’s teammates limping after him. Unfortunately, due to our inattention, we didn’t get the entire Robe Runners team across the finish line with Simon.

As a result, officially we were the third team across the finish line (the first two teams had started the race two or three hours before us). We had the fastest overall time, finishing the 170-mile race in 19:34:59. Daddies Gone Wild, running with just seven runners (three fewer than us!), came in second, with a time of 20:25:59. (Additionally, DGW went off course at the top of Loveland Pass, ceding 10 minutes. That made their overall time even more impressive!)

All in all, the Colorado Relay experience was great. The first half of the course is beautiful and challenging. Thankfully, the long, flat and boring (and somewhat dangerous) stretches of I-70 frontage road from Avon to Dotsero were run in the dark. I couldn’t imagine running those stretches in the daylight.

The volunteers were fantastic. Even in the middle of the night, they were attentive and informed (thank you!). The course was pretty well-marked. No one on our team went off course. The best part, though, was running as part of a team. The camaraderie and encouragement from teammates was uplifting and the unspoken pressure to perform for the team was inspiring. And, the shared suffering from running all night resulted in a strong bond among a group of near-strangers.

A special thanks to Race Director Garrett Bell, all the race sponsors and the countless volunteers that made this event so special, and raised significant funds for Outward Bound. And, thanks to my Robe Runners teammates for pushing me to run faster, harder and longer than I thought I could.