Toeing The Line

RECAP: July 1 - July 7

2013-07-12T15:02:00.000-06:00

Monday - 07/01/13

Pineridge - 37:52

From Spring Canyon Park.

Tuesday - 07/02/13

Foothills Trail (medium loop) - 37:40

Wednesday - 07/03/13

easy 50 minutes at night. Started at 9:30pm
nice and cool compared to the day temps of 100+ degrees lately.

Thursday - 07/04/13

Ran home from work - long out of the way route - 1 hr 18 mins
Workout went like this:

Work > West on Spring Creek trail > to Pineridge > through Pineridge > East on Horsetooth > Past Taft, Past Shields > Home

Ridiculously HOT. 102 degrees! ugh! and practically zero shade. Cooled off at Spring Canyon Park by soaking myself pretty good at the outdoor water park! felt fantastic!

Friday - 07/05/13

Horsetooth Summit - 47:14 (25:53 to summit)

Another hot one -- 98 degrees.

Workout went like this:
Main TH > Rock trail up > summit > Rock trail down > Main TH.

Was hoping for a little more shade coverage up rock trail, as opposed to the open and exposed alternate South Ridge trail. Easy coming down.

Saturday - 07/06/13

Easy 45 minutes at night around town.

still in the 70's at night but much cooler then the upper 90's during the day.

Easy effort. Started around 9:45pm.

Sunday - 07/07/13

Horsetooth Mtn Park - 1 hr 35 minutes.

Workout went like this:

South Ridge > Rock Trail > Westridge > down Towers > R on Herrington > up Wathan > Rock Summit > down Rock trail > South Ridge > Main TH

felt good. Another 90 degree + day. Easy effort.

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Officially registered for the Run Rabbit Run 50 this September. After the Barr Trail race I plan to switch up my training and spend the next 2 months in full throttle Ultra training mode. I hope to run well there.

Purchased some new kicks this week-- NB MT 110. This will be my 4th pair of the NB Minimus series.

"Keep Up" engraved into the lugs!

RECAP : June 17 - June 23

2013-06-24T15:48:00.003-06:00

Monday - 06/17/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit and back - 44:53 (round trip PR), 25:55 to summit.

Workout went like this:

Main TH > South Ridge > Audra Culver > Summit > down rock trail > South Ridge

Felt good. Still feel like I can chop off some time on that downhill split - perhaps by 1- 2 minutes if I commit to a hard downhill effort. If I can get my climb to hit a sub 25 minute mark I might be able to make the round trip time in about 42 - 43 minute range.

PM - Ran home from work - 24:11

Tuesday - 06/18/13

Pineridge - 37:40

From Spring Canyon Park. Felt solid.

Wednesday - 06/19/13

Twin Sisters Summit - 43:54

Took the day off work and headed up to Estes for a fun run up Twin Sisters. Was originally planning to run up Flattop in RMNP, but reports had 3 feet of snow punching for about 2 miles of the trail. I wanted to keep the uphill running constant without having to stop and hike a bunch. So I decided on Twin Sisters - 100% clear of snow, gets up to just over 11,400 ft, and is a fairly short drive from the Fort.

about a few hundred yds from the trailhead

trailhead

Starts off in a dense forest like rocky trail

view of Longs Peak - about 1 mile in

some technical rocky sections

Almost to Timberline -- more rocks!

do you see "the trail" --- about 1/2 mile to go

looking up

Summit view - 11,400 ft

summit with Longs in the background

Me Chilling

Ran the climb up at a moderately hard tempo effort. First mile or so I could feel the 9,000 ft starting elevation -- my first time this year above 8,000 ft. But got into a groove and felt great the rest of the way to the summit. My downhill time was actually 1 minute slower than the uphill, as I stopped a handful of times on the way down to take the above pictures. I wanted to focus on a solid uphill grind without stopping. Total elevation gain was around 2,400' ft from trailhead to summit.

Temps were in the 60's at the summit --- beautiful.

Thursday - 06/20/13

Foothills Trail (medium loop) - 38:25

From Maxwell TH.

Friday - 06/21/13

OFF - busy day at work and after work.

Saturday - 06/22/13

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 70 minutes

Workout went like this:

Main TH > Falls > L up Spring Creek > L on Towers > Westridge > Rock trail > South Ridge > main TH

Spring Creek

South Ridge looking East

Sunday - 06/23/13

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 75 minutes

Workout went like this:

Main TH > Falls > R on Spring Creek > R on Stout > L on Sawmill > L on Loggers > R up Herrington > R on Towers > L down Herrington > L on Spring Creek > R up Wathan > L on Rock trail > down South Ridge > Main TH

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Felt great to get above Timberline on Wednesday!

Been feeling really strong lately on all of my runs, almost everyday of the week....and have lost 7 pounds since Quad Rock 50 last month - not on purpose- just getting into better, more efficient racing weight.

Next trail race is Barr Trail Mountain Race mid July.

Thinking about running the Loveland Liberty 5k on July 4th as well.

RECAP : June 10 - June 16

2013-06-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

Monday - 06/10/13

Horsetooth Summit and back - 48:12

PM : Ran home from work - 24:26

Tuesday - 06/11/13

Pineridge - 38:06
From Spring Canyon Park

Wednesday - 06/12/13

Pineridge - 37:27
From Spring Canyon Park -- felt great today.

Thursday - 06/13/13

Ran home from work - 24:41
busy day, no time for an earlier run.

Friday - 06/14/13

Horsetooth Summit and back - 46:08 (26:17 to summit)

PM : Ran home from work - 23:31

Saturday - 06/15/13

OFF - busy family day. Zero time.

Sunday - 06/16/13

Horsetooth Rock summit repeats X 2

Summit #1 - 26:40 (46:20 round trip)

Summit #2 - 26:12 (45:27 round trip)

Workout went like this: (same for both repeats)
Main TH > South Ridge > Rock trail > Summit > back down same way.

from Summit - looking East

from Summit - looking North

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Decided to not run the Fathers Day 5k. Didnt get time to run on Saturday and figured I would only have enough time for an early morning run on Sunday. Had to get in more than 3 miles and zero vertical for the weekend. Used my time on Sunday morning for a couple of Rock Summit repeats instead. --- ~ 10 miles / 3,000' ft....roughly.

Planning a mid-week run above Timberline sometime next week -- looking forward to that!... It has been too long!

RECAP: June 3 - 9

2013-06-13T16:08:00.001-06:00

Monday - 06/03/13

Ran home from work via spring creek trail and side roads (long route) - 41:44

Tuesday - 06/04/13

Pineridge - 38:12

from Spring Canyon Park

Wednesday - 06/05/13

Pineridge - 38:29

from Spring Canyon Park

Thursday - 06/06/13

Ran from doorstep to Pineridge saddle and back - 41:16

Started late @ 9:30pm.

Friday - 06/07/13

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 58:07

Ran a PR up to the summit without trying to do so - 25:41 to the summit of North rock.

Workout went like this:
Main TH > South Ridge > Rock Trail > Summit > down Wathan > R on Spring Creek > R on Soderberg > South Ridge > Main TH

Felt great today -- been feeling great all week actually. Ran a PR to the summit without even realizing I was clipping off a steady uphill tempo effort until I was within 1/4 mile or from the summit. Glanced down at my watch and was like, "I have a shot at sub 26 minutes!"

view from up top

Saturday - 06/08/13

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 47:26

Moderate tempo effort up and down.

Workout went like this:

Main TH > South Ridge > Rock Trail > Summit > back down same way.

overlooking foco

Sunday - 06/09/13

Pineridge - 38:14

Hot -- like 95 degrees. But felt solid.

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Felt good to hit the sub 26 mark on the Rock summit (25:41) without even really trying to. Perhaps I will intentionally give the climb a purposeful hard grunt sometime soon and see how much time I can clip off.

I havent yet, but planning to register for the RRR50 this September in the upcoming weeks.

I hope to get above timberline in the next 2 weeks or so for run up in the high country -- its been too long!

Up next --- Fathers Day 5k! Should be interesting to see if I can get the wheels moving, having only ran one speed workout in the last 5 months or so!

RECAP : May 27 - June 2

2013-06-07T12:02:00.004-06:00

Monday - 05/27/13 (Memorial Day!)

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 1 hr 53 mins

Workout went like this:
Main TH > Rock Trail > Westridge > Towers > Spring Creek > up Wathan > Rock Summit > down Rock Trail > Main TH

First time back up on some hills in almost 2 weeks! Met up with Steve and I was able to drive our one and only working vehicle up there to get in an early run on this Memorial day. The girls stayed home and made breakfast which allowed me to use our car to get out there for a nice change of scenery.
Dave, my bro in law tagged along and hiked to the summit while Steve and I ran. Dave is new to the Fort, and showing him the local trails for hiking has been fun.

Tuesday - 05/28/13

AM : 22:32

to work via the mason street trail.

PM : 55:12

ran home via Spring Creek trail (long route) to Spring Canyon Park.

Wednesday - 05/29/13

AM : 23:05

to work via the mason street trail.

PM : 21:22

ran home via mason street trail.

Thursday : 05/30/13

AM : 23:17

to work via the mason street trail.

LUNCH : easy track workout -- 6 X 400m w/ 100m recovery

(72, 69, 68, 70, 70, 69) - 1 mile warmup, 1/2 mile cool down

PM : 24:09

ran home via mason street trail.

Friday : 05/31/13

AM : 24:22

to work via the mason street trail.

Saturday : 06/01/13

Horsetooth Mountain Park - 1 hr 25 mins

Originally planned to Race Pilot Hill 25k today, but bailed at 5am...last minute.

Had some time in the afternoon during the kiddos nap time to head out to Horsetooth.

Workout went like this:
Main TH > Falls > R on Spring Creek > L on Stout > L on Herrington > L on Spring Creek > R up Wathan > Rock Summit > down Rock Trail > Herrington > R on Spring Creek > Falls > main TH

Spring Creek over looking Falls trail

The Res from Stout

Summit view

summit

Herrington trail

Sunday : 06/02/13

Pineridge : 38:14

Starting from Spring Canyon Park

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Well its looking like my truck is permanently out of order. Time to trade in both our cars and get a somewhat newer minivan/SUV ride, but probably not until sometime in July. Getting out to the trails has been tough at times, but I sure do enjoy it even it its only for an hour or 2 here and there.

Opted out of Pilot Hill 25 last minute. Combination of lackluster training and vehicle logistics aided my decision. I suppose I could have carpooled, but I would have needed a ride to the carpool spot!

I also threw in an easy track workout this week. First one in over 4 months! I figured I needed to get my legs moving a bit, since the lack of trail running has dissipated any and all amounts of vertical I am usually getting in each week, I thought that a speed workout might be good to makeup for the little 5 feet of vertical I have been getting to and from work. Felt good to get the legs moving a bit.

RECAP: May 20 - May 26

2013-06-07T11:30:00.002-06:00

Monday - 04/20/13

Ran home from work : 43:17

via the spring creek trail and side roads

Tuesday - 04/21/13

AM : 23:50

To work via the Mason Street trail

PM : 42:44

Ran home via spring creek trail and side roads.

Wednesday : 04/22/13

AM : 22:55

To work via the Mason Street trail

PM : 46:12

Ran home via spring creek trail and side roads.

Thursday - 04/23/13

AM : 23:07

To work via the Mason Street trail

PM : 41:31

Ran home via spring creek trail and side roads.

Friday : 04/24/13

AM : 22:45

To work via the Mason Street trail

PM : Pineridge from Spring Canyon Park - 40:22

Saturday: 04/25/13

Pineridge (2 laps) - 1 hr 9 minutes

Started from Spring Canyon Park

Sunday : 04/26/13

OFF - Tons of stuff around the house to work on --- no time.

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Ridiculously boring week of running. Truck is out of commission and having only 1 vehicle has been tough to get out to the trails. Running is my mode of transportation to and from work for the most part....until we get a 2nd vehicle. --- which might not be until July or August. Ugh!

Trips to the high country to get in some solid high altitude runs are going to have to wait for a bit. Unless I can figure out some creative ways to solve this dilemma.

This sorta puts a slight halt on my plans for registering for any long races during the summer months, since my training is going to be hampered by any minimal amount of vertical and miles I can hopefully get in it here and there.

RECAP: May 13 - May 19

2013-05-24T15:02:00.005-06:00

Monday - 05/13/13

Pineridge - 45:27

Tuesday - 05/14/13

Pineridge - 42:20

Wednesday - 05/15/13

Pineridge - 34:33

Thursday - 05/16/13

Foothills trail (medium loop) + Pineridge - 68 mins

Friday - 05/17/13

2 laps around Pineridge starting from Spring Canyon Park - 65 mins

Saturday - 05/18/13

OFF

One of the craziest, worst days I have had in a loooooong time!

First this happens...

Radiator hose blows up on my way back from my second trip to the landfill --- Got towed home

Then this happens...

Since my truck was out of commission and we needed to get other things done around the house to get ready for my bro and sister in law and their 2 kiddos to move in with us tomorrow morning, I decided to do some yard work -- until I realized that one of the ball joint valves was spraying water everywhere --- yard work postponed.

And then this happened...

Came back from dinner (driving our one and only functioning vehicle) around 7pm to realize that our dog was nowhere to be found..missing without wearing her tags! Larimer county humane society was closed by this time. So I put aside the long list of things still needed to get done around the house (move furniture, clean....etc) and drove around for about 2 hours searching everywhere I could within a 1- 1.5 mile radius from our home --- nothing.

Decided to go for a walk at midnight with a flashlight in hand hoping that she would be at the local park somewhere hiding under a bush and maybe the still of the night would allow my voice to travel further so she could hear me. Walked for about 45 minutes --- nothing

Needless to say I got almost no sleep that night. Thankfully the temps were pretty moderate -- 40's at night, nothing brutally cold.

Stopped into the humane society first thing in the morning hoping she was there --- nothing. Filled out some forms and gave them her picture. I decided to print up 50 flyers and hang them up around surrounding neighborhoods. Then at about 2 pm we got a call that someone found a dog that looks like her --- short story, it was her! She was found about 2 miles away, after she had already crossed Horsetooth Road and also crossed over Shields!

Sunday - 05/19/13

OFF - no sleep last night thinking about Gypsy being out all night. Spent an hour hanging up flyers and spent the rest of the day moving my bro and sister in law into our house and then spent another hour pulling down the missing dog flyers once we found her. So glad she was found safe.

Headache gone, stress dropping --- finally had a few minutes in the PM to get some shut eye and nap on couch for a bit........never thought I would say this, but is it Monday yet?? lol.

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Its a funny thing how priorities and plans change when things in life pop up out of nowhere!

Truck will be out of commission until at least next weekend. So mostly will be running to and from work all of next week as my runs for the day --- nothing exciting or fancy but it will get me from point A to point B...and back!

Quad Rock 50

2013-05-24T15:02:00.004-06:00

Quad Rock 50 -- 05/11/13 -- Race Report

The Starting line

For whatever reasons I had to drop at mile 25. I felt slow and sluggish from the start even though I was hitting close to most of my splits through the first 15 or so miles. I never was able to get into a groove and was never able to find the energy to RACE. The first few hours felt like nothing more than just another training run --- only with very little zip in the legs. Uphills felt rough and downhills my legs were not responding to the effort of picking up the pace very much.

elevation profile

I really am not sure what happened, why I felt tired and slow. I do know that I couldn't fall asleep the night before despite going to bed at 9pm --- I saw the clock hit 10pm, then 11pm, then midnight!...ugh! Just tossing and turning. Alarm went off at 3:15 am and I staggered out of bed in a foggy daze.

Sipped on some EFS drink, chowed down a bagel and carpooled over with Kris.

Some notable splits:

Arthurs Aid station - 14:37

Towers Aid station - 1:05

Horsetooth Aid station - 1:33

Towers Aid station - 2:21

Arthurs Aid Station - 2:51

Finish / turn around mile 25 - 4:22 (ish)

My legs had nothing to give, no cramping or anything, I just felt tired, like my eyes were burning and squinting and I just wanted to hop off the trail for a snooze. Ugh!

Disappointed, but it is what it is -- time to move on and look forward to getting back at it next year!

On a side note - The course was well marked and getting lost on the trail for out of towners would most likely not be an issue at all. Nick and Pete and all the volunteers did a great job getting the 2nd annual Quad Rock 25/50 off and running without a hitch. Aid stations were fully stocked with EFS gel, snacks, tortilla rolls, soda, water...etc Everything you will need to stay hydrated on the course. The finish had everything you could possibly want or need to eat and consume calories, including tubs of EFS Ultragen recovery drink (I am becoming more a fan of this stuff).

Time to rest and reflect and move on to other races this summer.

RECAP: May 6 - May 12

2013-05-24T15:02:00.003-06:00

Monday - 05/06/13

Pineridge - 33:40

Tuesday - 05/07/13

OFF - Rest

Wednesday - 05/08/13

Horsetooth Mtn Park - easy 18 mins

Ran up to the Soderberg / Rock trail intersection and back down.

Thursday - 05/09/13

Easy 25 mins around the neighborhood

Friday - 05/10/13

OFF - Rest

Saturday - 05/11/13

Quad Rock 50 Race
(DNF) - mile 25

Sunday - 05/12/13

OFF

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Felt slow and sluggish from the get-go in the race on Saturday. Just not my day..it is what it is.... more details in the Race report.

RECAP: April 29 - May 5

2013-05-07T15:07:00.000-06:00

Monday - 04/29/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 54:08

Rock trail up > South Ridge down

Tuesday - 04/30/13

Pineridge - 32:12

Wednesday - 05/01/13

OFF -- Rest day

Thursday - 05/02/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 51:03

South Ridge up > Rock Trail down

* forgot camera , so no pics.

Friday - 05/03/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 50:44

Rock Trail up > Rock Trail down

Saturday - 05/04/13

Horsetooth Rock summit + short loop - 1hr 18 min

Workout went like this:

Main TH > up rock trail > Summit > down rock trail to lower south ridge intersection > up south ridge to upper rock trail intersection > down rock trail > Main TH

Sunday - 05/05/13

easy 30 minutes around town in evening.

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Easy week. Felt good to get in a few runs up in Horsetooth as well as a couple of easy rest days.

Quad Rock 50 is next weekend -- race preview coming soon!

Officially registered for the Barr Trail Mountain race this July...always a fun time on Pikes!

Upcoming training week will comprise mainly of easy jogs here and there and a day or two off before the race on saturday morning. -- taper mode!

RECAP: April 22 - April 29

2013-05-02T14:20:00.001-06:00

Monday - 04/22/13

Pineridge - 32:17

Tuesday - 04/23/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 58:49

Slow going for the most part in the snow...but makes the views from up top worth the uphill grind.

Wednesday - 04/24/13

Foothills Trail (long loop) - 46:12

Thursday - 04/25/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 52:28

Friday - 04/26/13

Pineridge - 33:10

easy effort around Pineridge from Maxwell TH

Saturday - 04/27/13

Horsetooth Mtn - 2hrs 12 mins

Workout went like this:

Main TH > falls > up Spring Creek > Towers > Westridge > Rock Summit > Down Rock Trail > main TH > falls > Spring Creek > up Wathan > down Rock Trail > main TH

Sunday - 04/28/13

OFF

Got a call early in the morning that my sister in law was going into labor (baby #2), so we spent most of the day and evening down in a Denver hospital. Andrea with her sister, and me hanging with Eliana....along with other family members.

Got home late, around 10 pm with Eliana.

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Less than 2 weeks to go before Quad Rock 50. I am planning on taking the next week pretty easy in regards of training. I might even take a day or two off.

Colorado weather has been CRAZY lately! --- Blizzard, 70 degrees, ice, 60 degrees, blizzard, 80 degrees, blizzard, 65 degrees.......we need the moisture, but would rather have a week of drizzle or rain than going back and forth from 75 and sunny to 25 and 2 ft of snow.

RECAP: April 15 - April 21

2013-04-26T16:54:00.000-06:00

Monday - 04/15/13

Pineridge - 34:55

Work closed at 3pm due to the blizzard that began to move in across town early in the morning. Was hoping to get in more time on my feet since I essentially had more time because work shut down so early. But road conditions were deteriorating quickly. Took me an hour to drive about 5 miles to pick up Eliana after I finished my run.
Fresh powder though -- boo yah!

Tuesday - 04/16/13

Around town plowing through snow drifts -- 1hr 12 mins

By noon there was a solid foot of snow on the ground. Work shut down at noon and let us go home. Road conditions were awful for driving. 4 accidents in 3 miles along the road. Decided to head home and run from my doorstep instead of trying to make something happen on the trails.
I trust the lugs on the bottom of my shoes more than I trust the rubber wheels of my truck on ice/snow.

Wednesday - 04/17/13

Another trot through town with 3ft + drifts -- 65 mins

Slogging through 20 inches of snow over unplowed sidewalks essentially made for a 1 hour "high Knee" workout session. Man, I am looking forward to having my feet make contact with a grippy surface once again. Snow is fun and all, but C'MON summer!

Thursday - 04/18/13

Foothills Trail + Centennial road - 46 mins

Road conditions were drive-able today so I decided to head over to Maxwell TH for a run up the hill and see how it goes.

hard to see the "trail"

every other step was a knee deep sinker

frozen tundra

View of Horsetooth

Lory across the way

The effort it took to slog my way through a few miles of knee to mid thigh sinkers every few steps was brutal. So by the time I got up to Centennial Road I had decided to stay on the road and head back to Maxwell TH that way.

Friday - 04/19/13

Pineridge - 42 mins

2 feet of fresh snow on top of a good 4-6 inches of wet slush --- made for yet another slow slog around Pineridge. Felt like I was running through a Pina Colada flavored slurpee machine. Winds were whipping pretty good today.

Saturday - 04/20/13

2 X Horsetooth Mtn rock summits + Falls loop - 2hrs 35 mins

Decided to head up a little higher out of the slush pools back in town for a run up in Horsetooth.
Workout went like this:

Main TH > up rock trail > Rock summit > down rock trail > Main TH > back up South Ridge > Audra Culver > Rock summit > down rock trail > Main TH > Falls trail > turned around at falls and back to Main TH

Trails were a mix of ice/slush/packed snow/powder --- good times!

Easy effort, but felt good to get in some vertical finally for the week with the double summit today. Its been rough trying to get in anything with the blizzard earlier this week.

Rock summit on ice!

Sunday - 04/21/13

Horsetooth Mtn - 90 mins

Workout went like this:
Main TH > rock trail > southridge > towers > down spring creek > falls > Main TH

A slow slushy grind in parts, super easy effort -- felt great.

valley from Spring Creek

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Didnt get in nearly as much mileage as I would have liked because of the blizzard.

Slogging through 2 feet of snow isnt as easy as it sounds sometimes!

Quad Rock 50 miler is only 3 weeks out. I feel great right now -- lets hope some of this snow melts away before race day.

RECAP : April 8 - April 14

2013-04-17T12:00:00.005-06:00

Monday - 04/08/13

Pineridge - 31:09

Tuesday - 04/09/13

AM: Pineridge - 31:20

PM: Easy 40 minutes around town. Started at 9pm.

Wednesday - 04/10/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 52:10

A fun run to the summit in fresh powder. Cold. Was super quiet up top and could actually hear the sound of the train horn from town!

Rock Trail up > Rock trail down.

Thursday - 04/11/13

Foothills Trail (medium loop) - 41:22

Friday - 04/12/13

Horsetooth Rock Summit - 50:44

Its amazing how much the weather can change out here in Colorado. First picture from Wednesdays run is close to the same spot as the second picture posted above.
A beautiful day!

Saturday - 04/13/13

Horsetooth Mountain - 3 hrs 44 mins

Workout went like this:

Main TH > Rock Trail > Westridge > Towers > L down Mill Creek > Lory closure sign (see pic) > Back up Mill Creek > R on Towers > L on Westridge > Rock summit > down Wathan > L up Spring Creek > R down Towers > R on Herrington > L on Spring Creek > R up Wathan > L down Rock Trail > Main TH

Mill Creek - Fire scorched area on left of trail

Mill Creek - Fire came within feet of crossing over Mill Creek

Lory - burnt areas

Mill Creek / Lory intersection

Rock summit

A great long run today. Felt really good! Legs felt solid on all the climbs.
Ran down Mill Creek to take a look at some of the scorched areas from the Galena fire last month. Still smells like a campfire in parts. Amazing to see just how close this fire came to lighting up Horsetooth Mtn.

2 Gu's - 20 oz water.

Sunday - 04/14/13

Pineridge - 33:12

Easy recovery jog. Legs felt surprisingly fresh. No stiffness or lag from yesterdays long run. Wanted to go further but opted to keep it an easy recovery day instead.

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Felt great to get in 3 summits of Horsetooth this week.

Another solid long run. Was amazing to see the damage from the Galena fire up close along the trail.

RECAP : April 1 - April 7

2013-04-11T14:55:00.001-06:00

Monday - 04/01/13

AM: Horsetooth Rock Summit - 51:47

Main TH > Rock trail up > summit > South Ridge down > Main TH

PM: Pineridge - 32:25

One lap around Pineridge starting from Maxwell.

Horsetooth Mtn Summit -- looking East

Tuesday - 04/02/13

Foothills Trail (Long Loop) - 46:12

Wednesday - 04/03/13

AM: 1 min easy/1 min hard climb up Towers - 32:44 up (56:55 total)

easy jog back down.

Really put in a good quad busting effort on the hard parts of this workout.

Made the easy parts..REALLY easy --- borderline crawling pace.

PM: Pineridge - 32:17

Thursday - 04/04/13

Pineridge - 33:12

Friday - 04/05/13

Horsetooth Mtn Park ~ 25-26 miles - 4hrs 19 mins

Workout went like this:

Main TH > South Ridge > Rock Trail > Westridge > Towers > L down Mill Creek > R on Loggers > L on Sawmill > R on Stout > R up Towers > L down Spring Creek intersection > Falls > Main Th --- refilled water bottle --- Main Th > Falls > up Spring Creek > R down Towers > L on Stout > L on Sawmill > R on Loggers > L up Mill Creek > L on Westridge > Rock trail > South Ridge > Main Th

Great run, lots of climbing and descending --- felt good. Easy/moderate effort throughout. Took the downhills easy. Nothing kamikaze! Focused on the climbing sections.

Worked a half day today since I have Eliana all weekend long and this was the best day to find time for a long run this week.

Saturday - 04/06/13

AM: Horsetooth Falls hike with Eliana.

having a blast!

snack time!

Falls....more like a trickle right now!

PM: easy 40 minutes (20 out/back) with Elli in the stroller along the Spring Creek trail.

Felt good to loosen the legs up with the hike in the morning, and get in an easy recovery jog in the afternoon after her nap.

A great Daddy-daughter day!

Sunday - 04/07/13

Easy 50 minutes in the PM around town after Andrea got back home from visiting with her good friend Dionne for the weekend.

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A Great Daddy-Daughter weekend! Elli loves nature -- exploring and getting her hands on rocks and water...etc I really enjoy these "just the 2 of us" weekends from time to time.

A solid long run on Friday afternoon felt good. Cant wait until Quad Rock 50 next month!

Now that I have a parking pass, I hope to get in more Horsetooth Rock summits this year. I plan to get up there as much as I can from here on out.(work schedule aside)

RECAP : March 24 - March 31

2013-04-01T23:43:00.004-06:00

Monday - 03/24/13

Foothills Trail "out and back" -- 1hr 25 mins

45 mins out - 40 mins back along the foothills trail.

Tuesday - 03/25/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,428'

Workout went like this:

5 min warm up

50 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:40 pace

10 mins @ 12% grade @ 9:30 pace

5 min cool down

Wednesday - 03/26/13

AM - Foothills trail (medium loop) - 48:15

Trails were a muddy slop. Got back to Maxwell TH and the park ranger was closing the Pineridge gate and was waiting for me to get back so that he could close over the Maxwell TH.

Thanked him for waiting for me, and was glad I was able to sneak in a run before the trails got closed off due to muddy conditions.

PM - easy 30 mins at night around town.

Day total - 1hr 18 mins

Thursday - 03/27/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,689'

Workout went like this:

5 min warm up

30 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:50 pace

20 mins @ 11% grade @ 9:40 pace

10 mins @ 12% grade @ 9:30 pace

5 min cool down

Friday - 03/28/13

Horsetooth Mountain - 1 hr 45 mins

Workout went like this:

Horsetooth Liquor store > Soderberg TH > up Towers > R on Stout > L on Sawmill > R on Loggers > L up Mill Creek > Towers > Westridge > Rock Trail > Main TH > back down hill to truck

Felt great today.

No water, no GU's.

Temps in the 60's -- Spring fever is here!

Saturday - 03/29/13

Horsetooth Mountain - 1 hr 47 mins

Workout went like this:

Soderberg TH > up Towers > L on Stout > R on Spring Creek > L up Wathan > L on Westridge > down Rock trail > Main TH > Down to falls > R on Stout > R down Towers > back to Soderberg TH

Another solid run. I finally bought a park pass for the year, so no more running in from the liquor store!

What a run -- temps started out in the mid 60's then by the time I was halfway up wathan the clouds rolled in and it began to lightly drizzle/hail and temps dropped. Running down Rock trail I saw hikers on their way up taking shelter under boulders and large rocks. Precip only lasted about 20 mins or so -- and it felt great... refreshing!

No water, no GU's.

Spent the first half of the day at the park, as the near 70 temps made it a perfect family day to walk to the park together. Elli sure does enjoy her little red wagon!

Chauffeuring Elli to the park, grocery store and back home!

Sunday - 03/30/13 --- EASTER!

Easy 40 mins at night around town

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I purchased some new trail shoes -- Salomon Speedcross 3's this week:

This will be my 3rd pair of the Speedcross series. I had a couple of pairs of the Speedcross 2's last year. The last couple of years I have been running almost entirely in either Speedcross's or numerous shoes from the NB minimus line. (with the exception of one pair of Brooks Cascadia 6's that I got dirt cheap and decided to give them a try)
But I think I will be sticking with either Salomon or NB as my go to shoes for the foreseeable future.
Solid trail shoes that just work!

RECAP : March 18 - March 24

2013-04-01T21:26:00.000-06:00

Monday - 03/18/13

Pineridge + Foothills Trail (medium loop) - 1hr 8 mins

Tuesday - 03/19/13

Treadmill Speed Climb - 2,850'

Workout went like this:

5 min warm up

10 x 3 mins @ 15% grade @ 8 min/pace --- (2 min recovery @ 0% grade @ 8 min/pace)

5 min cool down

Wednesday - 03/20/13

2 laps around pineridge - 58:55

Thursday - 03/21/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,420'

Workout went like this:

5 min warm up

60 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:40 pace

5 min warm up

Friday - 03/22/13

Foothills trail (long loop) + Pineridge - 1hr 14 mins

Saturday - 03/23/13

Ran from my house to Pineridge. 1 lap around Pineridge and back home -- 1 hr 20 mins

Fresh snow powder on the ground and chilly temps made this a fantastic run. Knee deep snow drifts and getting pelted in the eyes ....felt like a kid again!

Run through Pineridge was slow going...but the fun of trotting through fresh powder made up for it!

Sunday - 03/24/13

Same as yesterday - 1 hr 22 mins

Snow not as fresh -- crunchy snow pack in parts...but enjoyed every step along the way.

RECAP : March 11 - March 17

2013-03-22T15:57:00.002-06:00

Monday - 03/11/13

Foothills Trail (medium loop + Pineridge) - 1 hr 9 mins

Workout went like this:
Maxwell TH > up the hill (medium loop) > back down to Maxwell TH > 1 lap through Pineridge > back to Maxwell TH

Tuesday - 03/12/13

Treadmill Speed Climb - 2,842'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
10 x 3 mins @ 15% grade @ 8 min pace --- (2 min recovery @ 0% grade @ 8 min pace)
5 min cool down

Same as last week only bumped down the recovery time from 3 to 2 minutes per repeat.
Lungs were feeling the burn on the last few climbs --- was a sweaty sloppy mess after this one!

Wednesday - 03/13/13

Foothills Trail (short loop) + Pineridge - 58:25

Workout went like this:
Maxwell TH > up the hill (short loop) > back down to Maxwell TH > 1 lap through Pineridge > back to Maxwell TH

Thursday - 03/14/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,622'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
30 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:40 pace
30 mins @ 12% grade @ 9:30 pace
5 min cool down

I really worked hard the second half of this workout. Honestly I felt like hoping off the treadmill once I hit the 40 minute mark -- but I trudged along for the final 20 minutes digging deep and trying hard not to "cheat" and lower the grade the further I ran.

Sweat was literally flying off my elbows with every stride the last 15-20 minutes or so --- Gotta love these character building workouts!

Friday - 03/15/13

easy 50 minutes at night through town.

I thought about heading out for a lunch time run up at Horsetooth Mtn -- but for whatever reason decided to skip it and run later in the evening. If I decided to head up for a lunch time Horsetooth Summit I would have had a great view of the Galena fire in Lory State Park, which was reported around 11:45am or so.

Town was covered in smoke all evening and night -- smelt like someone was BBQ'ing in my living room all night long.

Saturday - 03/16/13

Foothills Trail ( medium loop ) - 35 mins

Well, originally my plan was to run from Soderberg up to the summit of Arthurs rock (via valley trails) and then up mill Creek and down Towers. However, Lory and Horsetooth and Lory state park had evacuation orders because the fire was torching the entire south end of Lory.

I decided to head up the Foothills trail for a short run and try to look across into Lory and see the fire and just how bad the damage was. I didnt have my camera with me...but what I saw was not a pleasant sight. Flames, smoke and black scorched areas from, as far north as Solider Canyon TH and stretched a couple of miles south from the valley all the way East to the shoreline.

I perched myself on top of a rock and watched the flames rip through Lory from across the res. After a few minutes I got up and continued on my way. I was going to tack on an additional 30 minutes or so, but the wind had shifted and a dark smoky billow covered the entire area. I decided to call it a day when I got back to Maxwell TH.

Sunday - 03/17/13

Easy 50 minutes at night around town. Started late -- 10 pm

Spent the day down at my in-laws and brother in laws place. Got back late but the air felt crisp, so decided on a late night trot through town.

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RECAP : March 4 - March 11

2013-03-22T15:14:00.000-06:00

Monday - 03/04/13

Foothills trail (medium loop) + Pineridge - 1 hr 8 mins

Workout went like this:
Starting from Maxwell TH > up the hill (medium loop) > back down to Maxwell TH > 1 lap through Pineridge > back to Maxwell TH

Tuesday - 03/05/13

Treadmill speed climb - 2,850'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
10 x 3 mins @ 15% grade @ 8 min pace --- (3 min recovery @ 0% grade @ 8 min pace)
5 min cool down

Solid hill speed session. Similar to last weeks only tacked on an additional minute of climbing per repeat and recovery.

Wednesday - 03/06/13

Pineridge (2 laps) - 58:35

Started from Maxwell TH and ran 2 laps through Pineridge.

Thursday - 03/07/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,570'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
60 mins @ 11% grade @ 9:40 pace
5 min cool down

Friday - 03/08/13

easy 1hr 15 mins at night around town

Saturday - 03/09/13

Pineridge + Foothills Trail - 1 hr 55 mins

Workout went like this:
Starting from Spring Canyon park I ran a 1 hour out and back > through Pineridge > Maxwell TH > Foothills trail > and back (1 hr out -- 55 min back)

Sunday - 03/10/13

Pineridge - 38:46

One lap of Pineridge starting from Spring Canyon Park.

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RECAP : Feb 25 - March 4

2013-03-22T14:30:00.000-06:00

Monday - 02/25/13

Pineridge - 38:34

Tuesday - 02/26/13

Treadmill speed climb - 1,950'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
10 x 2 mins @15% grade @ 8 min/pace --- (2 min recovery @ 0% grade @ 8 min/pace)
5 min cool down

Trying to combine speed work with hill repeats. This is a fantastic lung burning workout!

Wednesday - 02/27/13

easy 30 minutes at night around town.

Thursday - 02/28/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,625'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
40 mins @ 11% grade @ 9:50 pace
20 mins @ 12% grade @ 9:50 pace
5 min cool down

Another solid hill workout this week. Really think these workouts that simulate running in the mountains can really improve your overall mental and physical toughness.

Friday - 03/01/13

Pineridge - 40 mins

Saturday - 03/02/13 ----- My Birthday!

Horestooth Mtn - 1 hr 46 mins

Workout went like this:
Horsetooth Liquor store > Soderberg TH > up Towers > down Herrington > up Wathan > Horsetooth summit > down Rock Trail > main TH > down hill to truck

Horsetooth Summit looking South East

Decided to head out up to Horsetooth Mtn for my morning birthday run.
It was slow going -- trails were mid shin deep of snow...and not fluffy snow, more like a hard snow pack icy crunch with every step. Slow going, but enjoyed getting in a beautiful trail run.

Sunday - 03/03/13

easy 45 mins at night around town.

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RECAP - Feb 18 - Feb 24

2013-03-15T14:52:00.003-06:00

Monday - 02/18/13

Pineridge - 29:45

Tuesday - 02/19/13

Pineridge - 30:57

Usually Tuesdays are my "speed" day but had no time today so moved it to tomorrow.

Wednesday - 02/20/13

Track Workout

Workout went like this:
1 mile warm up
2 x 800m (2:31, 2:33)
1 x 1 mile (5:17)
2 x 800m (2:29, 2:32)
1 mile cool down

Thursday - 02/21/13

Treadmill Climb - 3510'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
20 mins @ 10% grade @ 10 min/pace
20 mins @ 11% grade @ 10 min/pace
20 mins @ 11% grade @ 9:50/ pace
5 min cool down

Little lag in the legs since it was the day after a speed session --- usually have an easy day in between. Felt good overall.

Friday - 02/22/13

Foothills (short loop) - 34:40

Snow -- Plowed through a fresh 8 inches of white powder along the trail today. Loved it!

Saturday - 02/23/13

Pineridge - 35:50

Another trudge through snow packed trail.

Sunday - 02/24/13

Pineridge - 42:30

Started from Spring Canyon Park. Packed snow starting to get a punch crunch on the surface.

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RECAP : Feb 11 - Feb 17

2013-03-15T14:12:00.002-06:00

Monday - 02/11/13

Pineridge - 39:21

Tuesday - 02/12/13

Track Workout:

Workout went like this:
1 mile warm up
5 x 800m (2:34, 2:31, 2:33, 2:30, 2:31) -- all with 100m recovery
1 mile cool down

Wednesday - 02/13/13

Pineridge - 30:17

Thursday - 02/14/13

Treadmill Climb - 3354'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
30 mins @ 10% grade @ 10 min/pace
30 mins @ 11% grade @ 10 min/pace
5 min cool down

Love this weekly workout ....always a grinder!

Friday - 02/15/13

Pineridge - 02/16/13

Saturday - 02/16/13

Pineridge + Foothills trail (long loop) - 1 hr 39 mins

Workout went like this:
Starting from Spring Canyon Park > one lap around Pineridge > Maxwell TH > foothills trail long loop > back same way.

felt solid.

Sunday - 02/17/13

Pineridge - 40:20

One lap around Pineridge starting from Spring Canyon Park.

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RECAP : Feb 4 - Feb 10

2013-02-19T14:25:00.001-07:00

Monday - 02/04/13

Pineridge - 29:46

Tuesday - 02/05/13

Foothills Trail - 47:31

Tuesdays are usually track/speed days but the track was occupied during the time I had to get a run in, so headed over to Maxwell TH for a solid effort on the trail instead.

Wednesday - 02/06/13

Pineridge - 31:38

Thursday - 02/07/13

OFF - Andrea had her Gallbladder removal surgery today. Spent most of the day hanging out in the surgery centers waiting room with Andreas parents, then spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of Andrea and hanging out with Elli at home.

Friday - 02/08/13

Pineridge - 31:38

Had time for a short scamper during both Eliana's nap and Andrea's nap.

Saturday - 02/09/13

Pineridge - 1hr 22 mins

Workout went like this:
Spring Canyon dog park > one lap through Pineridge > Foothills trail (long loop) > back same way.

Sunday - 02/10/13

OFF - Technically I could have got in a short run today during Eliana's and Andrea's nap, but was wiped. So I opted for a nap myself.

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RECAP : Jan 28 - Feb 3

2013-02-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Monday - 01/28/13

Pineridge - 32:20

Tuesday - 01/29/13

Speed Workout:

Workout went like this:
1 mile warm up
5 x 800m (2:33, 2:30, 2:33, 2:29, 2:33) -- All with 100m recovery
1 mile cool down

Wednesday - 01/30/13

Foothills Trail (short loop) - 31:12

Thursday - 01/31/13

Treadmill Climb - 3223'

Workout went like this:
5 mins warm up
30 mins @ 10% grade @ 10:00 pace
30 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:40 pace
5 min cool down

Solid treadmill climb. Went easy for the first half then ramped up the pace for the last 30 mins. Was a sweaty mess after this one. Looked like I literally jumped into a pool. I think the REC severally needs an upgrade to more commercial sized fans...little 2 foot fans hanging 20 feet over my head isn't doing squat, in regards to keeping me cool when running.

Friday - 02/01/13

Pineridge - 32:10

Saturday - 02/02/13

Pineridge / Foothills trail - 1hr 24 mins

Workout went like this:
Starting from the Dog park > one lap through Pineridge > Foothills trail (short loop) > back same way.

Basically ran an out and back -- 45 out / 39 back

Sunday - 02/03/13

Pineridge - 39:46

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RECAP : Jan 21 - Jan 27

2013-02-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Monday - 01/21/13

1 hr on the roads at night -- busy day and didnt get out the door until just after 9pm. Easy.

Tuesday - 01/22/13

Speed Work

Workout went like this:
1 mile easy warm up
4 x 800m (2:28, 2:30, 2:32, 2:29) -- all with 100m recovery
1 mile cool down

Felt good today. Sub 2:30's this early in the year....feels nice.

Wednesday - 01/23/13

Foothills Trail (Long loop) - 48:20

Thursday - 01/24/13

Treadmill Climb -- 3225'

Workout went like this:

5 mins easy warm up
60 mins @ 10% grade @ 9:50 pace
5 mins easy cool down

Legs felt little sluggish towards the end --- sweating like an animal after this one!

Friday - 01/25/13

Pineridge - 28:10

Was a slop fest on the trails. Easy.

Saturday - 01/26/13

Horsetooth Mtn Park - 1 hr 28 mins

Ran this one with Steve.

Workout went like this:
Horsetooth Liquor Store > Main TH > Falls > Spring Creek > Wathan > South Ridge > Main TH > back up to bench > back down to main TH > down hill to truck

Easy conversation pace the whole way. Felt good. Wanted to get in as close to 90 mins as possible, so ran back up the to bench after we got back down to the TH to tack on a few more minutes.

Sunday - 01/27/13

OFF - Just a day off to rest. Took a solid 2.5 hour nap during Eliana's nap! -- Felt great! I love to sleep!

RECAP : Jan 14 - Jan 20

2013-01-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Monday - 01/14/13

Pineridge - 38:40

Started from dog park. Felt good.

Tuesday - 01/15/13

Speed work

Workout went like this:
1 mile warm up
4x800m (2:31 - 2:30 - 2:34 - 2:33) all with 100m recovery.
1 mile cool down.

Track was actually worse today than it was last week. Mostly covered in an icy snow pack, which made this workout all that more interesting!
Anyway, overall a good run. Felt good and comfortable out there.

Was planning on running an easy 40 mins later this evening just to get in a few more miles, but some things came up and had to skip workout number 2 of the day.

Wednesday - 01/16/13

Pineridge - 27:10

Felt great today. Started from Maxwell TH. One lap around Pineridge.

Thursday - 01/17/13

Treadmill Climb - 3,205'

Workout went like this:
5 min warm up
60 minutes @ 10% grade @ 10 min/mile pace
5 min cool down

First treadmill climb of 2013 and felt great! I plan to keep these going throughout the year on Thursdays with varying grade and overall distance. On nice days I plan to substitute treadmill climbs for a hard effort run up Towers or by running a handful of shorter hill repeats. (road or trail)

I fully believe these treadmill climbs do wonders for your overall endurance and strength...and even speed to a certain degree.

Friday - 01/18/13

Easy 45 minutes on the road at night. Trails were closed due to muddy conditions....

Saturday - 01/19/13

Ran with Steve up Towers starting from the Horsetooth Liquor store (yup...we both need to get a parking pass)

Climb up Towers - 34:10

Total time - 1 hr 24 minutes

Trail conditions were ok, with icy spots here and there. Took the pace easy for the first mile or so up Towers...conversation effort. Steve was feeling the hill and had to back off the pace slightly just after the Stout intersection and I forged on....clocking a modest 34:10, Steve chugged in about a minute later.
I would like to plan a "drop the hammer" type of Towers climb sometime in the next few weeks. It would be nice to get some mid-winters form base-line Towers time trial data.

I broke 30 minutes once last year (29:36) --- planning to better that time this summer.

Sunday - 01/20/13

OFF

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

First week of speed, treadmill climb and a long run. Finally feel like I am breaking out of my winter form. Both speed and endurance are coming together nicely. A great place to be in mid-January! Prepped and ready for some hard running later this summer.

As the spring/summer nears I plan to add total volume to my 3 main staples of my training week....

Summer training week goals: Speed workouts (20-50 repeats all with short 100m recovery), Treadmill/hill climbs (2hrs of climbing) and long run (will vary, but at least 3-4hrs each week). --- but for now, January, I like where I am at.