Pikes Peak Greenway

15 miles 1:42:41 6:50 average per mile
10:00 am) low 30's sunny
Good long run today. I felt strong till mile 11. Fatigue set in and I
struggled a little bit miles 11-14. Finished with a solid 6:19 last mile.
Fitness is coming around. Still not running high volume weeks but
the workouts have been quality. Hamstring is much better.
Got a roll recovery for Christmas. Have not really used it yet. I hope
to start using it more. Its just another tool to have in recovery. I already
use the foam roller and the stick on a regular basis.
2015 race schedule is firming up. 4 marathons and a 50 mile ultra in June.
March - Albany, Georgia
April - Albuquerque, New Mexico (Half)
May - Green Bay, Wisconsin
June - Sheridan, Wyoming 50 miler
August - Colorado Springs, Colorado (?)
October - Bar Harbor, Maine

43.25 miles for the week.

s/g7/253
b/ravena/62

Pikes Peak Greenway

15 miles 1:43:29 6:54 average per mile
9:15 am) 40's
Best long run since Chicago Marathon. Been having hamstring problems
and have not been able to go over 10 miles for a couple of weeks.

42 miles for the week.

b/ravena/40
s/g7/240

Rampart Road

10 miles 1:16:29 7:39 average per mile
12:00 pm) warm upper 50's
They finally opened Rampart Range Road. I had not run this since 2011.
Was closed due to the Waldo Canyon fires.

11/29/14
Montello, WI
5 miles easy.

11/27/14
Festival Turkey Trot
Green Bay, WI
8:00 am) 20 degrees cold!
5 miles 30:11 16th Overall 1st Master
Roads were slushy and slick. Not the best conditions for running fast.
Was a fun event even with the very cold conditions.

11/25/14
6 miles treadmill

Not a great week of running. I didn't run much and ate too much. Was a great week of visiting
family.
27.5 miles for the week.

Pikes Peak Greenway

13 miles
8:00 am) 30 degrees cloudy
Ran with Scott on trail and road.

11/22/14
7 miles
Centennial to Garden of the Gods and back.

11/20/14
7 miles
50's sunny
5 mile tempo 6:20's - 6:30"s.
Didn't feel very good. Stomach was upset.

11/19/14
5 miles
Allegheny
Mile 4 took the worst fall of my life. Dislocated finger.
Was running on some trail and my foot caught a rock and threw
me forward. Happened very fast and had no time to prepare
for the landing. I landed on my left hand, arm and shoulder.
I was able to run the mile home. Bethany took me to urgent care.

11/18/14
7.75 miles
Cold and windy
Centennial
8 X 600 repeats with 600 recovery

11/17/14
7 miles
Santa Fe Trail
Ran with Scott.

s/g7/205
hokas/50

46.75 miles for the week.
week 4 of 18

Road Running

11.5 miles 1:22:34 7:11 average
10:00 am) cold but sunny
Ran on mostly road today since we had some snow last night.

41 miles for the week.
End of week 2 of 18.
weight 145

s/g7/175

11/15/14
5.6 miles
Garden of the Gods trails.
Ran with Dan and Jarod.

s/g7/

11/14/14
6 miles
Santa Fe Trail
Progression Run.


11/13/14
6 miles
Treadmill
Very cold and dark.
Opted for treadmill.
Did a pretty hard workout.
I did a warmup then I started at 7.7 mph. I upped the speed .1 every
minute did this till 10.0 mph.

11/11/14
6 miles
Centennial
Ran outside in the snow. Cold.


11/10/14
6 miles
Treadmill
Bitter cold outside so opted for treadmill for the first time in months.
Getting to that time of the year where I will use it more. I like the
option for days like this and for when it is icy and dark outside.

Manitou Springs Track

10 miles total
10:00 am) 50's calm winds
2 mile warm up
12 X 400's with 400 jog
1:22:25, 1:50:82
1:25:41, 1:48:65
1:26:52, 1:47:54
1:25:46, 1:47:54
1:25:58, 1:48:68
1:25:73, 1:50:79
1:25:17, 1:49:78
1:24:73, 1:48:45
1:24:80, 1:48:45
1:26:39, 1:47:83
1:25;97, 1:46:31
1:23:79, 2 mile cool down.
Not too bad my goal was fairly conservative of hitting 1:30 or better on these.
First track workout since early this year. More to come.

11/8/14
6.5 miles
Air Force Academy Roads. Moderate effort

11/5/14
6.5 miles easy
5:30 pm) Palmer Park

11/3/14
7 miles easy
4:00 pm) Santa Fe Trail

30 miles for the week.

s/g7/142

Pikes Peak Greenway

11 miles 1:20:44 7:21 average per mile
8:00 am) 50's
Longest run of the week. Only ran 20 for the week. Was sick early in the
week so I didn't run. Worked out okay as I was in my final rest week
before starting a 18 week training block tomorrow. Time to start running
more and eating much better. Way too much candy this past week.

s/g7/122
hokas/45

Pikes Peak Greenway

10 miles
8:00 am) 50's sunny
Felt pretty tired today. Last 3 miles I felt out of gas. I was sick yesterday
and the effects of that took a toll. Another easy week.
28.5 miles for the week.

b/pg/80
s/g7/105

Pikes Peak Greenway

8 miles
8:00 am) sunny and cool
Easy run. Feeling better each day.

s/g7/85

Centennial

3.8 miles
 First run all week. I have been very sore this week and had no desire to try to
run. I actually felt better than I anticipated. Going to run little for at least 2 more
weeks. I need some recovery time. I then plan on starting a 18 week training
block for my next goal race March 7. Going to try something new with my
training in hopes for a break through at the marathon. I'm determined to break
2:40. To do this I'm going to follow the Hansons Marathon Method program.
It's totally different than what I have been doing. This is what I need I hope.
Change usually stimulates new growth. Their plan is speed, strength, tempo
and a 16 mile long run every other weekend. The 16 miler is the longest
you run on this plan. It's harder than it sounds though because you run like
10 miles the day before so you are somewhat fatigued going into the run.
I look forward to mixing it up and seeing what happens.

hokas/40

Chicago Marathon #39

26.2 miles 2:46:19
7:30 am) 50 degrees sunny!
This was the largest marathon I have ever participated in. This made for a stressful
morning. I barely made it to my corral and when I finally got in I could not work
my way up to where I wanted to start. I started back near the 3:00 pace group.
I needed to use the restroom one last time but had no time for this. My corral
closed at 7:20 and I actually didn't get into it until after 7:20 they were threatening
to shut it down. I barely squeaked in.  Totally stressed out and worrying about
all the traffic I was going to be dealing with. So the gun went off and I started
dodging in and out. I found some running room but couldn't open it up like I
would normally have done. Took several miles to become less clustered.
Finally when it opened up I got my groove on and started running faster and
at a easier effort. Hit the half at 1:22:35. Second half was a bit slower as my
fitness was not super going into this race 1:23:44 (2:46:19).
I'm pleased with my race and had a blast in Chicago. Great experience!
The highlight of the weekend was Bethany finishing her first marathon.
I'm super proud of her. She put in the training and she did awesome!
I'm pretty sure she will be doing more marathons in the future:)

Nielson Challenge

6 miles total
1 mile warm up
2 mile race 11:52, 3rd overall. Last month I was 12:02.
3 mile cool down

b/st5/50
p/11

Thursday
4 miles easy. 7:10 average

Tempo Run

8 miles total 54:47 6:50 average per mile
5:30 pm) 60's
Pikes Peak Greenway
2 mile warm up
5 mile tempo
6:03, 6:01, 6:13, 6:13, 6:06
1 mile cool down
Best tempo run I have had in some time.

9/29/2014
Falcon Trail
6.57 miles.
Easy paced run.

B/pg/68

Long Run - Taper Time

22 miles 2:36:14 7:06 average per mile
9:00 am) sunny 50's-60's
Last long run before Chicago Marathon in 2 weeks.
I'm glad I got it done but I wasn't feeling it today. Never felt
great or wanted to push hard.
53.5 miles for the week.

s/g7/65
b/st5/47

Pikes Peak Greenway Tempo

9 miles total 1:00:50
6 miles tempo 6:22 average per mile
5:45 pm) upper 70's warm!
Was pretty hot for a tempo run. Pace was affected by the temps.
Last mile of the tempo was the fastest.

Tuesday 9/23/14
Centennial - Mesa Rd.
7 miles 7:26 average per mile
Easy run.
s/g7/55

Monday 9/22/14
Off. Too tired to run from the race on Sunday.

Pony Express

14+ miles 1:50:16
7th place overall.
First time running this low key race. Course runs along the Rampart Reservor
near Woodland Park. Very challenging race with the constant undulating
trail. Also its at 9,000+ feet which is tough right now as I have not been
running above 7,000 ft. all year.
39 miles on the week. Will ramp it back up this week before a 2 week taper.

B/pg/61
Hokas/36
B/st5/31
S/g7/47

Pikes Peak Greenway Long Run

20 miles 2:22:16 7:06 average per mile
8:00 am) 50's sunny
Ran 8 miles with the Sunday morning group and last 12 on my own.
Legs felt heavy today. First 20 mile run in 2 months. Will get one more
20 miler in before Chicago. Next Sunday I'm planning on a 15 mile
trail race at 9,000 ft. I look forward to the challenge.
54 miles for the week.

b/pg/54
hokas/31
s/g7/43
b/st5/23

Pikes Peak Greenway Long Run

16 miles 1:48:40 6:47 average per mile
9:25 am) 50's sunny
Good long run.  Fitness is coming around. Still might have a chance at
running well at Chicago marathon in 5 weeks. I plan on two 20 mile long
runs in the next 3 weeks.  Originally Chicago was my A race and was
shooting for a PR. I don't think that's in the cards anymore. Training
has been nowhere near where it needed to be. Injuries suck but it's
part of the risk when pushing your body day in and day out.

b/st5/14
s/g7/30

Nielson Challenge

2 miles 12:01 6th overall
Only second time doing this monthly race. I last did it in 2011.
I hoped to break 12 but just came up short. I ran 11:39 3 years ago.
I have done very little speed work so not surprised with my time.
Maybe next month I will give it another shot. Fitness should be
much better by then. Long run tomorrow.

hokas/26
b/pg/31
b/a14/276

Pulpit Rock

5 miles
Nice easy trail run. Enjoyed the day off from work and watched the ADT trail marathon.

b/pg/22

Pikes Peak Greenway

12 miles 6:52 average
Slowly building my long runs up again. This week was pretty good got
5 runs in and 38 miles. Goal for next week is 50 miles with a long run
of 16. Chicago is quickly approaching and I need to get some longer
runs in. My goal is to just run well at Chicago no goal to run a PR or
anything like that. I hope to at least run sub 3 hours.

hokas/13
st5/8
s/g7/21

Centennial

5 miles 34:10
Ran in the Cliftons for the second time. I put some Superfeet insoles
in. I felt like I had better support. Probably still pronating though.
Need to have B video tape me while I run in them.  Fitness is pretty
bad right now. I have hardly put in any miles in the past month.
I do feel pretty healthy though, just need to run more.

hokas/8

New shoes

8.13  miles 55:56
Pikes Peak Greenway - Wood Ave.
8:30 am)
Wore the new Hoka Cliftons today. I only ran 3 miles in them.
Not sure they will work for me as I pronate. I noticed I was
pronating some. The shoes feel very cushioned. It's a different
feel than Im used to for sure but my first impression was positive.
I ran one short downhill in them and I never felt so fast or
comfortable going downhill in a shoe.  Mile 3 split was 6:10 which
really surprised me as I didn't feel like I was running that fast.

hokas/3
s/g/15
b/pg/17

Culvert trail & Allegheny

4 miles 27:39
Been thinking about 2015. I'm considering giving Pikes Peak Marathon
another shot. I have yet to run as well as I had hoped for. I haven't even
broke 5 hours. My best is 5:04:11 in 2011. I watched the finish of this
years race and it kind of inspired me to get back into trail running in general.
I will still do road marathons in 2015 but after May plan on switching
over to the trails for the rest of the year.
Tentative schedule 2015
March  Albany, GA. Marathon
May Green Bay, WI. Marathon
July Barr Trail Mountain Race
August Pikes Peak Marathon
October Silverton, Oregon Silver Falls Trail Marathon

b/a14/270
b/pg/10

I'm back!

6 miles
Finally feeling better after 4 weeks of dealing with a grumpy calf. Today was the best I have felt since hurting the calf. I have lost fitness but happy to be running again. I did maintain some fitness during this time with biking and the elliptical. I did run a half marathon last weekend even with out really running at all. It hurt 1:26. Hurt mostly due to fitness calf felt pretty good.

Pikes Peak Greenway

7.82 miles 1:06
8:30 am) 60's sunny
Was hoping I was back to being healthy. Well I'm not. I felt okay for the
first 5 miles then the ache in my calf came back. Then it turned into the
sharp pain that shut me down totally. I had to walk over a mile to get
back to the car. This is disappointing since I thought after dealing with
this for 2 weeks I was better. Not sure what to do going forward. I will
take it a day at a time. In hind sight I should have planned for only
a 5 mile run today to be safe. The 3 miler was fine on Friday but jumping
up to 8 proved too much. Back to biking and elliptical I guess.

s/g7/245

Culvert trail

3 miles 22:04 7:21 average per mile
First pain free run in a couple weeks. I have tried to run past 2 weeks but every
time it would become painful after a mile or so. I went and saw Jeff Mathews and
he noticed my hips were out of alignment. He made a adjustment and I think it
helped. I noticed walking around was not bothering my calf anymore. I waited
2 more days to make sure I was not rushing back to running. So tonight I only
ran 3 miles just to basically test it out. I'm hopeful I'm back on track.
I have a half marathon in 3 weeks that I plan on racing. I hope I can regain
my fitness by then and stay healthy. During these past couple weeks I was able
to get some aerobic training in. I did elliptical and biking. Was happy to
at least do something.

s/g7/237

Pikes Peak Greenway Mountain Biking

20 miles on the mountain bike 1:25
2 mile run
Has been a bad week for me. Last Sunday my calf muscle started to hurt
during my run. It has been hurting all week. I did some elliptical
during the week and tried to run but the running aggravated it every
time. Today was no different. The biking and elliptical don't bother
it really at all so I will stick to that and hope it improves soon.
My calf has a couple large knots that I can't get to go away. I have
been icing it, foam rolling, using the stick and having Bethany
work on it.

Pikes Peak Greenway

9.70 miles 1:08:08 7:02 average per mile
9:00 am) 70's sunny
Pretty good run until my calf tightened and forced me
to slow down. Not sure why it flared up other than
maybe I was a bit dehydrated going into this run.
It's pretty sore now. I iced it and used the stick on
it.

s/g7/231

Peregrine Trail to AFA

6 miles 51:45 8:37 average per mile
9:00 am) sunny 70's
Elevation gain 1029 loss 1028
Ran some trail today it was a nice change. Ran toward the Academy and
turned around. Wasn't sure how to connect to the Falcon Trail. Ran
into a closed gate with barb wire all around it. Security was out driving
around. I thought I might get in trouble as I went thru several no
trespassing signs. The guy just waved at me.

Back to running

4 miles 27:25 6:42 average per mile
Upper 80's HOT!
First run since Sunday. I have been extremely sore from this past marathon.
The course was pretty hard on me with the steep downs. I felt good on
the run tonight. Legs still sore but felt much better.
In other news we adopted a 5 year old snowshoe blue point cat. She is
very cute. We named her Zoey her previous owner named her Zo Zo.


s/g7/221

Mad Marathon, Mad River Valley, Vermont

26.2 miles 2:53:02 3rd overall out of 275
7:00 am)64 degrees sunny
1,868 elevation gain 1,873 elevation loss
Going into this race I knew it would be hilly but it was beyond what I
thought. We drove the course on Friday so that was good so I could be
prepared for what I was getting myself into. This course was probably
the hardest road marathon I have run. This would explain why 2:55 won
it last year. This year the course record was broken 2:44:50 a 25
year old from Boston. The course was beautiful. It runs through the
Mad River Valley. Lots of family farms along the course. Miles 2 & 9
were by far my slowest of the day 7:31 and 7:47. I'm not used to seeing
that kind of a mile split in a road marathon. I was kind of freaking out
when I saw those splits. I was happy to run strong all day and never
bonked unlike my last marathon where I bonked at mile 19.
So check Vermont off the list. Illinois here I come in October.
Chicago should be marathon #40. I will train very hard for this one as
I will be shooting for a PR!

Pikes Peak Greenway

6.25 miles 43:49 7:01 average per mile
4:00 pm) cool upper 60's
avg. HR 133 max HR 148
Did 2 miles at tempo effort 6:07, 5:57.
Last real workout till Sunday. Leave for Vermont Thursday. Excited
to see Vermont. I hear it's a beautiful state.

Shooks Run & Rock Island Trail

13.11 miles 1:29:53 6:52 average per mile
8:40 am) 70's sunny
141 HR avg. max 152
Last longish run before next Sundays marathon.
Felt good today.
37 miles for the week. Less than planned with a extra rest day.


6/28/2014
Pikes Peak Greenway
10:15 am) 70's sunny
7 miles 46:52 6:41 average per mile
Ran pretty hard from the start. Miles 4-7 I did 10 20 second strides.

s/g7/211

Last 4 days

Monday 5 miles treadmill 34:25
Interesting run as I actually had a fall on the treadmill. I was running
and I drifted too far to the right and my foot hit the non moving part
and it threw me off balance and I went face down. Got a few scrapes and
some sore spots from that fall.

Tuesday 7 miles Santa Fe Trail.
Had intentions of running 3 X 1 mile repeats. During the second one my
hamstring acted up again. Cut workout short and jogged back to the car.

Wednesday Day off. Hamstring still sore.

Thursday 5 miles. Just a easy run to test out hammy. My average was 7:47
per mile. Hammy felt okay but never really pushed pace, so not sure how
it really is.

s/g7/204

San Isabel - Bishop Castle weekend runs

Saturday
10 miles 1:14:14 7:25 average per mile
Elevation gain 1145
Min. elevation 8,467 max. elevation 9,245
135 HR average
9:30 am)79 degrees
Camping weekend with Bethany and the kids.
We slept in the vehicle and the kids slept in a tent. Slept terrible
and the inflatable mattress kept deflating, no pillows either.
Saturday night slept better since we got the mattress leak under
control.
Hilly run and higher elevation than I'm used to running in.

s/g7/192

Sunday
17 miles 2:07:34 7:30 average per mile
Elevation gain 2401
Min. elevation 8,467 max. elevation 9,383
138 HR average 150 max
9:30 am) 75 degrees
Pretty happy with this run considering the elevation gain. Should prepare me
well for my marathon in 2 weeks that has a lot of climbing. Time to taper!
57 miles for the week.

b/a14r/242

Air Force Academy

6 miles 43:18 7:12 average per mile
3:50 pm)80 degrees & sunny
134 average HR max 147
Did half of this on trails and half on the roads.
6 x 20 second strides.

HP, Greenway, Sinton loop

11 miles 1;17:39 7:03 average per mile
4:20 pm) 80 degrees sunny
142 HR average 152 max
Pretty sore and tired today from the track workout.

s/g7/182

Colorado College Track

6.25 miles
mid 80's sunny breezy
6x 800's 2-3 minutes rest in between
2:44.6 .51
2:46.7 .52
2:48.6 .51
2:46.8 .51
2:47.1 .51
2:41.6 .50
Pretty tired doing these 800's and it was very warm.

11:00 am)
1.75 miles
Ran a little bit during lunch break.

s/g7/171


6/16/2014
5 miles
easy recovery run.
b/a14r/225

Waterton Canyon

20 miles 2:16:45 6:50 average per mile
9:15 am) 60's sunny breezy
145 HR average max HR 165
Very good run today. I didn't have high expectations today. I have been sick all
week and barely ran. my last 3 miles were the fastest of the day with mile 20
being my fastest. This is a good sign. Let heart rate drift up today. I did
not hold back. I hit 165 in the last mile the highest I have seen since wearing
my heart rate monitor the past few weeks.

s/g7/169

Pikes Peak Greenway

8 miles 58:03 7:15 average per mile
11:15 am) upper 70's
144 avg. HR 159 max
Not feeling 100% still. Have had this cold for a week. Good news is my hamstring
feels much better. Tomorrow will try to get my long run in.

b/a14r/220

Culvert Trail

3.25 miles 21:53 6:43 average per mile
6:15 pm)
Had my hamstring worked on today. It looks like the problem stems from
my hip/glute area. Felt good on the run tonight. Hopefully I'm back
to real running. My cold is also getting better.

b/a14r/212
s/g7/156

Culvert Trail

5 miles 35:00 7:00 average per mile
4:00 pm) mid 70's
143 HR avg 155 max HR
Took off yesterday due to my bad cold. Was good to take off anyway
since my hamstring is still bugging me. Tonight I ran 3 miles
without any pain then I felt the knot in my hamstring. So between
this cold and my hamstring doesn't look to be a great week of
training for me.

s/g7/153

Garden of the Gods 10 miler

10 miles 1:20:32 8:03 average per mile
7;00 am) 50's cloudy
HR 128 average 138 max
Thursday I strained my hamstring then Friday night a cold settled in. Woke up this
morning and felt terrible. I felt like I had a hangover. The cold medicine I took
yesterday was making me very tired. I wanted to just stay in bed. I finally got
up and I made my way to the race. I did a 2 mile warm up. It did not go well.
I decided not to race. I needed to get some miles in so figured I could just
jog the race. Well jogging this course when you don't feel good is not so easy.
My hamstring was also very tight. It was definitely a good decision not to race.
I was supposed to run 17 today but after the race I had nothing left in me.
So I ended the week with 49 miles instead of the 57 scheduled.
Hope to recover quick from this. Marathon is coming up soon.

s/g7/148

Culvert trail

6 miles 44:30 7:24 average per mile
Hr avg 133 Max Hr 143
Easy run left hamstring feels like its strained.

s/g7/136

Chuckwagon

6 miles 44:33 7:25 average per mile
4:00 pm) upper 70's breezy
136 Hr avg. Max Hr 146
771 elevation gain
Hamstring got tight during the run. Hopefully it's nothing.

a/14r/208

Sinton Trail & Pikes Peak Greenway

11 miles 1:22:47 7:31 average per mile
135 average HR max HR 145
3:45 pm) 82 degrees
Easy run but tired legs.

s/g7/130

Track Colorado College

9 miles
143 HR average 158 max
4:30 pm) HOT 90 degrees 20 mph wind
3 mile warm up
Then 6 X 800's
2:44.7 .51 5:26 pace average heart rate 148 max 151
1:30 rest
2:58.7 .55 5:23 average heart rate 148 max 154
1:55 rest
2:55.1 .54 5:23 average heart rate 149 max 155
2:20 rest
2:56.2 .56 5:15 average heart rate 152 max 157
2:06 rest
2:53.3 .55 5:19 average heart rate 152 max 158
2:02 rest
2:54.0 .55 5:14 average heart rate 153 max 158
2 mile cool down
These were a bit long as I was running on lane 4 and didn't do a staggered start.
I also had to dodge kids that were on the track.
Heart rate was pretty high on my warm up and cool down but during the workout
couldn't get heart rate out of the 150's.

Santa Fe Trail

5 miles 34:51 6:58 average per mile
140 HR average 152 max
Pushed hard today to get the heart rate up. It stayed pretty low
even though it felt like I was pushing it. No real soreness from
the race and long run yesterday.

s/g7/119

Steamboat Springs Long Run and 10k race

19 miles total
7:30 am) low 50's sunny
6.2 miles 10k race 38:48 3rd Overall
I wore my hear rate monitor for the race. This is not normal for me but I thought
it would be interesting to see what my heart rate is at race effort compared to
the training runs I have been wearing it on lately. The data was interesting
my heart rate was pretty low and I actually had a hard time getting it up.
The race was pretty hilly today and my pace was pretty slow first 3 miles
until the turn around and the flatter and faster portion of the course. My
heart rate was very low early on even though my breathing felt labored. Maybe
fatigue is a factor? I did do 10 miles Tuesday and 15 miles on Wednesday not
my normal amount. My splits are as follows.
6:47 HR avg 135, 6:15 HR avg. 142, 6:55 HR avg. 146, 5:56 HR avg. 146,
5:48 avg. HR 149, 5:39 avg. HR 149, 5:47 avg. HR 150 (.26)
Average HR 145 Max HR 153
First mile my heart rate was in the 130's even with the climbing. I did some
3/4 miles repeats earlier in the week and was able to hit low 160's. So
I'm wondering why my heart rate didn't shoot up in the 160's at race effort?
Is it just fatigue or something else? I did do a 2 mile warm up before race
but didn't do any strides. Maybe if I did some strides I could have got
heart rate higher earlier in the race and felt better. Any suggestions
I would love to hear.
After the race did another 10.8 miles since today was my long run for the week.
Not the way I like to get my long run in but sometimes you gotta do what
you gotta do to get the miles. I ran this easy even though the effort felt
hard only because of the race before hand. I ran 7:26 average with a 139
HR average.

60 miles for the week.

b/a14/202
b/st5b/114

Steamboat Springs Spring Creek Trail

4 miles 32:25 8:05 average per mile
9:00) 50's sunny
Easy trail run 2 mile out and back.

b/a14/191

Culvert trail

6 miles 43:08 7:11 average per mile
5:30 pm) 75 degrees cloudy and light rain
130 HR average 142 max
Legs pretty tired from yesterday. Felt okay otherwise.

s/g7/101

Santa Fe Trail

15 miles 1:54:00 7:36 average per mile
3:30 pm) 84 degrees hot!
141 HR Average 148 max HR
Very tired from the start on this run. The warm temps made this a difficult
run. I ran by heart rate and kept it under 149. The warm temps made my
heart rate higher than normal for the pace I was running.

b/a14r/187

Pikes Peak Greenway 4 x 1200's

10 miles 1:10:32 7:03 average per mile
3:50 pm) 81 degrees and windy
HR average 142 max 161
4 x 1200's with 3:15 rest in between.
4:34 .76 (6:05)
4:20 .76 (5:41)
4:45 .76 (6:13)
4:17 .75 (5:42)
vo2 max 62
Race predictor
5k 16:33
10k 34:21
Half Marathon 1:15:53
Marathon 2:38:42

b/st5b/105

House to HP & back

6 miles 44:45 7:27 average per mile
132 HR average
Easy recovery run after yesterdays long run.

s/g7/95

Waterton Canyon

17 miles 1:58:47 6:59 average per mile
9:30 am) 61 degrees
742 elevation gain
HR average 142. Highest I saw was 148
Vo2 max 61 up from 59
Race predictor
5k 16:47
10k 34:50
Half Marathon 1:16:57
Marathon 2:40:55
Training effect 3.9
Avg. run cadence 179 spm
Avg. vertical oscillation 10.7 cm
Avg. ground contact time 235 ms
Avg. stride length 1.29 m
cadence 179 average, max. 188
First time running at Waterton Canyon. It's about 6.5 miles each way through the
canyon. River runs along the dirt road it's very scenic. I loved running there.
Will be back.

b/a14r/172

Chuckwagon, Rossmere, Centennial

8 miles 57:20 7:10 average per mile
8:53 am) 52 degrees 94% humidity
elevation gain 1,028 loss 1,045 max elevation 7,008
HR avg. 142 max. 152 Vo2 max 59
Training effect 3.8
Avg. run cadence 172 spm
Avg. vertical oscillation 9.9 cm
Avg. ground contact time 242 ms
Avg. stride length 1.27 m
cadence 177 average, max. 196
Hilly run with 10 x 20 second strides. Loving the new Garmin!

s/g7/89

Culvert trail (new Garmin)

 4 miles 28:03 7:00 average per mile
HR avg. 134 might have been a little lower if not for the spike early on due to not
having the strap wet. I like the new strap design very confortable. I also need to
adjust it so it's tighter.
Avg. run cadence 172 spm
Avg. vertical oscillation 10.9 cm
Avg. ground contact time 2.49 ms
Avg. stride length 1.34 m
Vo2 max 59
Race predictor
5k 17:22
10k 36:02
Half Marathon 1:19:38
Marathon 2:46:25
 Got my new Garmin 620 today and had to go for a quick run with it.
I got all kinds of data from this watch. Some of the info might not be really
accurate as it was my first run with it and only 4 miles. Still fun to look at.
Race predictor is pretty accurate I would say. The only one I would say
I would be faster at is the Half Marathon. I ran 1:18 at altitude so I would
think maybe 1:16:30 at sea level. 

s/g7/81

Sinton Trail & Pikes Peak Greenway

12 miles 1:23:46 7:00 average per mile
3:30 pm) 70 degrees and falling then back up.
What a crazy run today was. I was at 1.25 miles into my run and all of a sudden
it started to pour and hail. The hail was fairly large up to quarter size.
Lucky for me I was near some businesses. I got hit a few times by the hail and
it stung. I waited around for several minutes before it let up. I then headed
back out only for the the rain to start coming down again. Oh well I was wet
at this point so kept on running. After a couple more miles it came down
even harder. I needed to get out of the rain again. This time I found a
building with a over hang. I waited a few minutes then it let up again.
So back at it. Now it was just a drizzle so much better. The last 3 miles
of the run the clouds moved out and it was sunny. Was a good run as far
as learning to deal with less than ideal conditions.

b/a14/155

Pikes Peak Greenway

9 miles 1:01:14 6:47 average per mile
4:30 pm) 80 degrees warm and windy 18 mph
Was a difficult run with the wind and the warm temps. I did 5 miles
at tempo effort.
6:23, 6:28, 6:18, 6:17, 6:14.

a/ds9/53

Air Force Academy Prep School

5 miles 36:50 7:22 average per mile
3:00 pm) warmest day of the year so far 80's
Felt pretty tired today no surprise due to the warm conditions and a couple
of good runs this past weekend. Did 5 X 1:00 strides during the run at
various times.

s/g7/77

House to Garden of the Gods

9 miles 1:03:24 7:02 average per mile
10:00 am)upper 50's sort of humid as well.
1095 ft gain.
Hilly run from the house to the Garden of the Gods park. I felt pretty good
today. I felt pretty beat up after yesterdays run but recovered well over
night.

42.5 miles for the week. Mileage is on the upward swing for next 5-6 weeks
as I get ready for a July 4th marathon in Vermont.

s/g7/72
Pictures from Shiprock Marathon 2 weeks ago.

Pikes Peak Greenway

13 miles 1:29:32 6:53 average per mile
10:00 am) 50's sunny
Did 4 mile warm up then did 5 miles at tempo effort then 4 mile cool down.
The tempo effort felt very hard today. Legs felt heavy. Not really a
good run but glad I got it done. I need more tempo runs for sure and
I will need to extend the distance of the tempo portion.

b/a14/142

Air Force Academy Trail Prep School

5.5 miles 40:53 7:26 average per mile
3:00 pm) 50's
Ran a new trail today. It's a short 1.5 mile loop but pretty fun and hilly.

b/a14/128

Santa Fe Trail

9 miles 1:03:17 7:02 average per mile
3:00 pm) 50 degrees
Medium effort with 8 x 1:00 strides.

s/g7/63

Pikes Peak Greenway

5/11/2014
10 miles 7:57 average per mile
8:00 am) 40's chilly
Easy run. Just getting the miles in.

B/a14r/122

Treadmill AFA

6 miles 42:40 7:07 average per mile
3:00 pm)
Did some incline and played with the pace throughout.
Snowed all day and was cold so opted for the warmth
of indoor running. Crazy weather here and I'm ready for
it to be over. Give me summer already or at least
spring.

Garden of the Gods Trails

7.3 miles 1:03:00
11:15 pm)
60 degrees & sunny
Good trail run. I threw in 8 x 1:00 minute strides.

5/9/2014
5 mile mountain bike ride.
First mountain bike ride of the year. Rode at Ute Valley Park. I fell once
and almost fell another time. Not ready for technical riding yet. Next
time will be a easier location like Santa Fe Trail.

5/8/2014
Ute Valley Park
5 mile easy trail run.

Chuckwagon

5 miles 36:18 7:15 average per mile
3:40 pm) 50's cloudy
Hilly run moderate effort.
Not really sore anymore from marathon just heavy tired legs.

s/g7/53

Santa Fe Trail

5 miles 37:35 7:31 average per mile
3:00 pm) upper 70's sunny warm!
Easy run today. Legs felt okay. Was warmer than I'm used to. Had no impact
on my run though.

s/g/48

Shiprock Marathon, Shiprock, New Mexico

26.2 miles 2:50:14 PR at altitude.
7:00 am) 40's sunny slight head wind out of the east
2nd Place Overall
This race starts out with the first 3 miles climbing. I was breathing pretty hard by mile
3. I studied the profile so I knew it was going to go down after that. Mile 4 was my
fastest of the day. My pace was all over due to the nature of this course. I ran 19
miles with the eventual winner. We would jockey back and forth he would lead for a bit
then I would pass and take the lead. I felt a bit stronger than him on the ups and he
would pass on the downs. I felt pretty strong till mile 19. Then the wheels fell off.
He made a move and I couldn't respond at all. The last 10k I felt terrible even with
it being a very nice downhill grade. I struggled just to keep miles under 7:00 pace.
I hoped to run under 2:50 and just missed that goal. Still my fastest marathon above
5,000 ft. The awards were for only the overall winner and then straight to age group
so I got the age group award for 40-49. It's a beautiful handmade vase made by the
Navajo tribe. This was a pretty amazing experience running through the Navajo reservation.
The landscape was breath taking.

My splits:
1 6:46
2 6:46
3 6:24
4 5:53
5 6:05
6 6:24
7 6:14
8 6:16
9 6:20
10 6:28
11 6:48
12 6:41
13 6:22
14 6:41
15 6:10
16 6:20
17 6:16
18 6:50
19 6:31
20 6:34
21 6:31
22 6:35
23 6:44
24 6:49
25 6:40
26 6:25
27 .28 1:42 (6:04)

5/4/2014
Pretty sore today but managed a easy 3 mile shakeout run.

b/st5b/95
b/a14r/111

Santa Fe Trail

5 miles 35:07 7:01 average per mile
3:00 pm) cold and windy!

b/a14/103

Chuckwagon, Flying W Ranch Road

5 miles
5:00 pm) windy and chilly
Ran up Chuckwagon for the first time. Nice climb for .65 mile before hitting Flying W
Ranch Road and going down that. Headed over to the gym and finished up with 1.25
miles on the treadmill. Followed up with some core and strength. Nothing fast today
as I'm in serious taper mode this week.

b/a14r/98

Treadmill

5 miles 35:05 7:01 average per mile
11:00 am)
Easy run with a few faster surges thrown in.

Pikes Peak Greenway & Santa Fe Trail

12 miles 1:23:15 6:56 average per mile
8:30 am) mid 60's sunny
Last longish run till the marathon next Saturday. Legs still tired. Hopefully
this coming week they will recover. I will not run much which should help.
My goal for this marathon is to try and run a PR. Not sure if running at
5,000+ feet is a good race to go for a PR but what the heck. I PR'ed last
weekend at altitude in a half marathon so I'm hopeful.
If nothing else I should PR at altitude. My altitude PR is 2:53:14.
My sea level PR is 2:42 from 2011.

s/g7/43

North Gate Santa Fe Trail

7 miles
3:00 pm)60 degrees windy
2 mile effort at 6:26 pace. This was difficult as it was into a headwind.
1 mile effort 5:50 tailwind
.5 mile 2:50.
Not a particularly good workout. Was windy and tired legs from work.

a/ds9/43

Centennial, Mesa Rd.

7.30 miles
4:30 pm) 70's warm!
Legs felt pretty tired and heavy.

b/a14r/93

Santa Fe Trail

6 miles 42:11 7;02 average per mile
3:00 pm) 50's windy
Felt pretty good today. Not too sore from the race.

s/g7/31

Albuquerque Half Marathon

13.1 miles 1:18:26 PR! 5:59 average per mile
8:00 am) low 50's sunny
2nd overall out of 673 finishers.
Very happy to finally get a new PR at the half marathon distance. I have not run many
the past 4 years so it has been difficult to get a PR. My PR was from 2009 and at sea
level. My next marathon is in 2 weeks so this was meant to be a good last hard workout
before starting to taper.
Really enjoyed the race and the course was flat and very well marked. I missed first
place by 5 seconds. I was very close to catching the leader but ran out of real estate.
Never felt great during the race. My legs were tired from working and then sitting in
a car for 6 hours. Definitely not ideal for the day before a race. At mile 8 I tried
to pick up the pace as GZ's comment was in my head that I should "make my teeth
sweat the last 5 miles". Thanks GZ for the motivation!
Was nice to get to visit Albuquerque and Santa Fe on this trip. This was my first
time visiting New Mexico. Yesterday ate some good food in Albuquerque thanks to the
half marathon and getting some gift cards. Today we visited Santa Fe and did some
trail running and shopping. Was a great weekend getaway.
Splits from the race.
1 6:03.4
2 6:02.0
3 5:56.2
4 6:04.4
5 6:00.2
6 6:04.0
7 6:08.1
8 6:00.5
9 5:54.4
10 6:05.9
11 5:59.5
12 5:57.8
13 5:54.1

4/20/2014
Santa Fe, Atalaya Mountain
7 miles
We ran/hiked this trail. It was steep in spots. Gained around 2,000 ft.

a/ds9/36

Centennial

4.2 miles
3:45 pm) 50's
Short workout as I'm racing Saturday morning. Did 2 miles at a hard effort.
5:51 and 6:01. This was into some wind so it was pretty difficult.
My race this weekend is in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Will be my first time in
New Mexico. Excited to see Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Will be racing the Shiprock Marathon in 2 weeks and it's also in New Mexico.
Goal for this race is to PR. My PR is from 2009. I have not run many half marathons
since then so I think I'm due. My PR is 1:19:XX. I'm shooting for 1:18. Race is
at 5,000 ft but is very flat. My PR is at sea level so a PR would be
pretty sweet at altitude.

a/ds9/21

Santa Fe Trail

10 miles 1:10:34 7:03 average per mile
3:00 pm) 50's sunny
Okay run felt tired from work.
5:30 pm)
Gym workout
10 minutes elliptical followed by some core exercises.

b/a14r/85

Treadmill USAFA

6 miles
Did something different on the mill. I did 3 miles at incline and 3 mile flat.
Mile 1 @ 1% 7.0 - 8.4 mph
Mile 2 @ 5%, 7.0 mph
Mile 3 @ 1% 9.1 mph
Mile 4 @ 5.5%, 7.0 mph
Mile 5 @ 1% 9.1 mph
Mile 6 @ 6%, 7.0 mph

Was a pretty good workout. Looks like I will be adding a race to my schedule
this coming weekend.

Treadmill

4 miles
Easy run on the treadmill.
Followed it up with some core work.
52 miles for the week.

Tortoise & Hare 5k

15 miles total
3.1 mile race 18:11 on watch
This is a interesting race. It's a handicap race. They figure in your age, weight
and height to determine when you start. The theory is it makes it more fair
for all runners. My handicap was 1:47. Bethany's was 8:04. So when the clock
counts down and hit 8:04 she took off. I started when the clock read 1:47.
It's kind of fun as you get to chase people down and try to hold people
off that might be faster than you.
My race today was nothing special in fact I was a bit disappointed with my
time. I think I did too much hard stuff this week leaving my legs flat.
Good speed work nonetheless.

a/ds9/16
s/g7/25

Falcon Trail

12.86 mile 1:36:20 7:29 average per mile
3:00 pm) 60 degrees sunny!
Fastest I have ever run this loop. Not sure why I pushed so hard. I started out
with a good first mile and then the thoughts entered my mind can I get a new
PR on this loop? The answer was yes. My best was 2 weeks ago 1:38:21. So
I took another 2 minutes off. I guess my next goal should be sub 1:35.
Anybody know what the FKT is on this loop in the counter clockwise direction?
I start at the parking lot just to the north of the stadium.

30th st. to Accolade & Treadmill

4 miles total
5:00 pm) 70 degrees!
Ran from the house to the gym. Then ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill. Did 1 mile
at 11.2 mph.
After the run did some core and strength training with Bethany.


a/ds9/10

Santa Fe Trail

10 miles 1:12:23 7:14 average per mile
4:10 pm) 60's sunny
Legs felt dead today. I was going to pick up the pace on the second half but
legs had no spring. So I ended up running a steady pace for 10 miles.

s/guide/16

Centennial & Woodmen

6 miles 41:07 6;51 average per mile
3:30 pm) 40's sunny
Felt really good today. I didn't notice any soreness from the half marathon.

a/ds9/6

Redline Half Marathon Westminster, Colorado

16.1 mile half marathon! 1:39:48 6:12 average per mile
13.1 miles in 1:20:30 6:09 average per mile
8:00 am) 40's sunny! Perfect weather!
Last minute decision to do this race on Thursday. Figured it would be a good
workout. Little did I know it would be a hard 18 mile day.
Arrived to Westminster early so we could find the start line. This was a
good call as we drove around for over 30 minutes only to not find the start
line. Finally Bethany says the start line should be that way get out of the
car and start running on that bike path. I jumped out of the car and started
running hard as I had no idea how far it was to the start. I found a few runners
and they guided me in the right direction. I was pretty winded by the time I
got to the start line. I probably ran about 2 miles. So I had a little time
before the start to catch my breath and compose myself.
Gun went off and it was myself and one other guy pulling away from the pack
almost immediately. I hoped he would stay with me so I could push myself.
Unfortunately after 1.5 miles he fell off the pace.
We followed the lead bicycle guy around some rocky roads before making a wrong
turn. He for some reason didn't know the course. I assumed he knew what he
was doing and so did the other runners. So I'm running along and come to realize
he doesn't know what he is doing. What a bad feeling that is. We finally get
to a road and he tells me to turn right. Then he leaves me and goes back for
the other runners. I couldn't believe he had done this. I had no idea how
to get back on course. Finally I come to a dead end street. I'm like this
is just great. I finally figure out a way to get back to the bike path.
I come up to the first aid station mile 3 and look at my watch mile 6!
I'm pissed off at this point. I continue to run hard as what else can I
do. This was very hard on me mentally more than physically at this point in
the race. I see my girlfriend a couple times out on the course and I voice
my aggravation to her. I checked my watch at mile 13.1 because I wanted to
know what my half marathon time would have been. It was 1:20:30. Pretty
happy with that considering the guy taking us the wrong way which included
a very hard mile that I should not have had to run. It was my slowest of
the day 6:43. Plus I had to stop a couple times to find my way. I figure
I would have gone sub 1:20 if I had been on course. I finished the race
finally after 16.1 miles and immediately voiced my disappointment with
them. Race director was very apologetic. Still does not change the outcome.
Since the race was so messed up there was no awards. He did however give me
the award for the win.
I don't win races often and it's a shame I didn't get publicly aknowledged.
Oh well it's a small race and not really a big deal.

st5/b/68

Pikes Peak Greenway

9 miles 1:00:45 6:45 average per mile
3:30 pm) 50's sunny & windy
Ran with Scott again. He only could run 20 minutes of this with me due to
other obligations. Tough run with a strong wind out of the north. Going
south was nice though.

b/a14r/83

4/1/2014
5:15 pm)
Treadmill 2 miles
Followed by core work and weights.

Air Force Academy

6 miles 42:07 7:01 average per mile
3:00 pm) 50 degrees windy!
Tough run today with the wind.

s/g7/6

Pikes Peak Greenway

17 miles 2:05:38 7:23 average per mile
8:00 am) sunny 40's
Ran with the HART group today. Was a nice run. Nothing too fast which is what I was looking
for. I might race next weekend so didn't want to run hard.
52 miles for the week.

b/a14r/74

Falcon Trail

12.86 miles 1:38:21 7:39 average per mile
3:00 pm) low 50's
I think this was the fastest I have ever run this loop. I feel like my fitness
is improving weekly.


3/27/2014
6 miles treadmill
Did some speed work.
1 mile @ 10.7 mph
1/2 mile @ 11.1 mph
.35 mile @ 11.2 mph
.25 mile @ 12.0 mph

Struggled on this workout.

Pulpit Rock loop

8.12 miles 59:45 7:22 average per mile
5:00 pm) 60's nice!
Ran with Scott today. He took me on one of his typical running routes. The run
had some trail and lots of concrete sidewalks. First mile was a killer. It
climbed nearly 400 ft. Was a enjoyable run.

b/a14r/56

Falcon Trail

8 miles 1:00:44 7:35 average per mile
3:00 pm) 40 degrees sunny
Nice day for some trail running. Not a easy run as I pushed it pretty good.

Pikes Peak Greenway

13 miles 1:35:16 7:19 average per mile
9:00 am) cold low 20's cloudy
Ran this with my friend from Boulder. We took it fairly easy and had good
conversation. After yesterdays faster stuff on the treadmill needed a
easier day. Was going to do 17 but cut it short.
42 miles for the week.

b/a14r/48

Treadmill speed intervals

5 miles total
10:00 am)
5:30 mile and 4 x 400's @ 5:00 pace.
Plus some core exercises.

b/st5y/130

Pikes Peak Greenway Tempo

10 miles 6:45 average per mile
3:00 pm) low 60's sunny
6 mile tempo run. Was windy so my pace was not great. The 3 miles going north
were like 6:25-6:45. Coming back I was able to run 6;00, 6:00, 5:57.

b/st5b/50

Santa Fe Trail

5 miles 37:30
3:30 pm) upper 40's sunny!

3/18/2014
2 miles 14:45 treadmill
Followed by some circuit training with Bethany.

Air Force Academy Roads

6.75 miles 50:33 7:29 average per mile
2:45 pm) 60's sunny and very windy 25 mph.
Today was a tough run. The wind was strong. I ended up running uphill
and into a head wind last 2 miles of the run.

b/a14/313

Cottonwood Creek Trail

15 miles 1:44:31 6:58 average per mile
9:35 am) upper 30's sunny!
Elevation gain 797
Ran on a trail I have never been on. Trail didn't go for 15 miles so I added on
with a connecting trail. Never saw a name for that trail. Legs never felt great
today.

b/a14r/34

Falcon Trail

12.8 miles 1:39:33 7:46 average per mile
mid 50's sunny!
Elevation gain 1402 ft
Elevation loss 1382 ft
Today was my birthday so wanted to run something fun. I chose the Falcon trail.
Was fun but challenging. I'm not in very good trail running shape and I felt
it. Trail was in good shape other than some mud and slushy snow.
Afterwards had a nice dinner and ice cream. Was a great day!

Track

4.5 miles total
3:45 pm) upper 50's sunny & breezy
First time doing a track workout in forever. The track was a bit muddy probably
slowing my times down a little. I mostly just sucked wind today. Far from track
shape.
Did 4 X 400's and a 800. Was going to do 2 800's but not fit enough yet.
First 400 didn't hit the start button no time.
#2 - .26 1:19 (5:10)
#3 - .25 1:18 (5:06)
#4 - .26 1:19 (5:07)
800 - .53 2:52 (5:26)

st5y/124

Culvert trail to Garden of the Gods Rd.

5 miles 33:53 6:46 average per mile
5:45 pm) 45 degrees sunny!
Easy run that ended up not so easy. Feeling mostly recovered from the marathon.

b/a14/306


3/11/2014
1.3 miles 10 minutes treadmill.
Followed by some circuit training weights and body weight stuff.

Air Force Academy

6 miles 43:40 7:16 average per mile
70 degrees warm and breezy
Ran on the roads around the academy. Beautiful day once again.

b/a14/18

Santa Fe Trail

11.10 miles 1:18;48 7:06 average per mile
11:00 am) sunny 59 degrees!
Was warm today. I could tell my body was not used to running in these temps.
Saw lots of people out running and biking today. Was nice to see Steve & Kathleen
out on the trail today. Also ran into another Steve and his wife Tonia. Tonia
is going through some health issues but always has a smile on her face. I admire
her spirit. She is a heck of a ultra runner as well.

b/a14/301

Centennial

3/8/2014
7 miles 48:55 6:59 average per mile
Felt okay and ran this hilly run pretty hard.
b/a14r/12

Ute Valley Park

4 miles
5:30 pm)
Easy run still pretty sore.
b/a14/290
Photo from Sunday's marathon. Little Rock, Arkansas.

Recovery

No running today for me. I'm pretty beat up and need some recovery. I want to thank
my coach Justin for all of his help the past 4 months getting me prepared for the
Little Rock marathon. If any of you reading this blog are looking for a coach, I
highly recommend you contact him. You can find him at http://www.grassrootsevents.net/
Click on the Coaching tab. Also want to thank my girlfriend for all her support.
She is always proud of me no matter what. Last but not least I want to thank my
parents. They have always been there for me. I appreciate it very much!
So what's next you ask? Tomorrow I will sign up for the Chicago Marathon. I have
not run this marathon yet and look forward to it. My next marathon is 60 days away
so I will take it easy for the rest of the week then look to start training again.
I love that as soon as one race is over I can look forward to repeating the process
again. I guess I'm a bit addicted to this sport I love so much.

My splits from the marathon:
1 6:07.3
2 6:14.8
3 6:13.3
4 6:06.7
5 6:21.1
6 6:11.0
7 6:19.5
8 6:17.5
9 6:18.9
10 6:19.1
11 6:12.8
12 6:16.9
13 6:09.9
14 6:20.7
15 6:28.5
16 6:12.3
17 6:06.9
18 5:54.6
19 6:16.8
20 6:14.1
21 6:12.8
22 6:03.3
23 6:14.9
24 6:11.6
25 6:13.6
26 6:11.2
27 3:12.6 0.54 5:56

Little Rock Marathon Epic!

26.2 miles 2:44:58 9th overall 1st master!
8:00 am) low 50's and dropping with wind.
Well this event lived up to the hype. It was EPIC! The weather was bad and only got
worse as the day went on. It was a light rain at the start. The rain was never a big
issue for me, thank goodness. The heavy rains started just after I finished. However,
it was windy and the temps were dropping.
I had a goal going into this race of sub 2:40 and top master. My goal of sub 2:40
quickly went out the window. I had a hard time getting low 6 minute pace from the
get go. I did run smart and even found a familiar face to run with. Roy was shooting
for 2:40 as well so we stayed together until about mile 23. He ended up in 8th place.
I hit the half way point at 1:22:20. I still felt great so I thought maybe a negative
split for the second half was possible. I didn't quite do that but pretty even pacing.
I never knew exactly what place I was in or if any masters were ahead of me. As I
look back at the results, I see I was 3rd master at the half way point. At mile 20,
I was second master and ended first master. I'm thrilled to get the master win.
I have done the race the past 2 years and have finished 3rd master and second master.
I figured I had to win this year with those stats right? Well it worked out perfectly.
So afterwards, we went back to the hotel to clean up and pack up. We had to check out
at 2:00. Our flight was not till 6:40. So we would be sitting at the airport for
hours. Well we finally boarded the plane only to hear a announcement over the loud
speaker that the engine is not firing. No big deal they will jump start the plane.
Well by the time they jump start the plane the rain that has been falling has
turned to sleet and ice pellets. Captain now says we will de-ice the plane and
head out. Okay no big deal better safe than sorry. Well after many minutes waiting
for this process the captain comes back where we're sitting and looks out the little
windows to peak at the wings. He goes back to the cockpit and makes another
announcement that he was not happy with the de-icing attempt this crew made. He
announces he has contacted another vendor to come and do the job. Meanwhile we
deboarded the plane for the second time so we could get food. Well not sure what
happened next but the captain announces he is cancelling the flight. At this point
it's late and we are the only ones left in the airport. The agents announce they
will offer vouchers to a hotel. We wait for a long time in a line to get this
voucher only to hear we are being kicked out of the secure area. So now you have
hundred plus people running downstairs to get yet in line again. We get down
there and now our even further back in line. The agents take forever issuing these
vouchers and printing new boarding passes. Like 10 minutes per person. At this
point it's well after midnight. We finally get our voucher and hear the shuttle bus
is coming soon. We don't want to miss it at this point so we stand in yet another
line outside in the elements waiting for it. After at least 20 more minutes one of
the persons in line calls the hotel. The hotel says sorry the shuttle bus driver
is not coming back. Road are too dangerous. So back inside airport. Regroup get
in the line again. We talk to the agents and they were like you're on your own to
get to the hotel. At this point no cabs are running and it's a ghost town. So at
this point my girlfriend and a few others come up with a plan. The next vehicle
that comes through going to any hotel, we will hijack it. We won't tell them that
we aren't going to their hotel till we leave the airport. We're desperate at this
point as it's after 1:00 am. We explain to the driver we're not going to the Comfort
Inn and what we had done. We say we're sorry and we have cash. He takes it well
and drives us to our hotel. We finally made it. Ready to check in the guy at
the counter says sorry I'm doing a audit and can't check you in for 45 minutes.
We are all about to die at this point. We talk him into helping us sooner. He
stops his audit so he can use his computer to look up rooms for us. He says
I can get you rooms but not guarantee they are empty as the system was not
running at this time. We will take our chances we say. We finally get to our room
and luckly no one was occupying it. Finally a break. So today we got on the
shuttle bus to take us back to the airport. We were worried they wouldn't
take us back with the 2" of ice on the roads and no snow plows in sight.
We made it back and that was a huge relief. Went through security again. Our
new flight was scheduled for 11:00 departure. What could go wrong? Well, plenty.
The flight crew was not even around just minutes before 11:00. They finally show
up around 11:00. They start de-icing the plane again since it's been sitting
at the terminal all night. Now we have new problems the heater broke down over
night and pipes were frozen. They have to now get a huge generator and hook
it up to the plane to warm it back up. So we finally get the okay to board the
plane at 12:45. Now we are all sitting on the plane excited to get going. We
sit for 45 minutes waiting for yet another de-icing attempt. The truck finally
shows up and does it's job. This takes like another hour. We finally take
off after 2:00. More than 3 hours later than scheduled. The flight back to
Denver was smooth. So exhausted from this experience. So yes it was epic to
say nonetheless.

Centennial

2/27/2014
4.25 miles 30:00
4:30 pm) 50's sunny
Easy run. Flying out today to Little Rock.
Weather looks warm and wet for race day. Upper 50's at the start.
Rain chances look to be around 20-30% chance and temps falling
thru the day. I'm ready to go no matter what the conditions.

b/a14r/4

Pikes Peak Greenway 2x2 mile repeats

6 miles 39:22
4:45 pm) 40's sunny
6:01, 5:59 = 12:00 total 6:00 average
2 minute rest
5:56, 5:55 = 11:51 total 5:56 average

Last hard workout before Sunday's marathon.
Feeling fit and ready to go.

b/st5b/13

2/25/14
Treadmill
4 miles 29:00

Pikes Peak Greenway

7.2 miles 49:20 6:55 average per mile
11:00 am) mid 20's sunny
38 miles for the week.

b/a14/285

Pikes Peak Greenway Tempo

6.8 miles 45:11 6:39 average per mile
9:00 am) mid 30's sunny
4 mile tempo with Justin. 5:58, 6:00, 5:55, 5:54 (23:47 5:57 average per mile)
Felt pretty good breathing was a little more labored than normal.
Still recovering from the cold I had. Talked race strategy for
next Sunday's marathon. Getting pretty excited for the race. Training has
gone really well leading up to this. I have missed maybe 2 key workouts
in the 16 weeks of training.

b/st5b/7

2/21/2014
Treadmill 5:00 pm
4 miles 30:15

Santa Fe Trail & Pikes Peak Greenway

7 miles 51:11 7:18 average per mile
4:30 pm) low 30's
Easy run. Started out on Santa Fe trail but turned around after 1.5 miles.
Was a bit too much snow for me. Trying to avoid slipping on snow at this
point.

b/a14/277

Pikes Peak Greenway 3X2 mile repeats

8 miles total
4:15 pm) 60 degrees sunny! Breezy winds were 15-17 mph.
Hard workout tonight especially since I'm on day 8 of this cold. First hard workout
in 9 days. Was not sure what to expect. It went pretty well considering.
First 2 mile repeat:
6:16, 6:03 = 12:19 (6:09 average)
Second 2 mile repeat:
6:12, 5:55 = 12:07 (6:04 average)
Third 2 mile repeat:
6:09, 5:48 = 11:57 (5:59 average)
I took 2:30 rest in between these. Was happy to improve on each one of these.

b/st5/119
#144.5

2/17/2014
5:00 pm)
Treadmill
5 miles 36:25

Pikes Peak Greenway

12 miles 1:27:30 7:17 average per mile
8:00 am) 30's sunny
Feeling a little better today. Got my longish run in for the week. Was a tough
week for me with the cold. Didn't get my miles in or my speed work. Good thing
I'm tapering. Two weeks till race day.

31 miles for the week.
143.5
b/a14/270

Boulder, Colorado

6 miles 45:00
6:30 am) low 50's Windy!!
Drove up to Boulder to watch the USATF XC Championships. Saw some great races.
Good times except for the cold and the wind. The temp started out nice and warm
then quickly dropped 20 degrees.
Still got this cold. Doesn't want to go away. I'm tapering but this is a bit
more than I wanted. Had to skip the speed work this week.
Congrats to my coach Justin Ricks on his win today at the Red Hot 33k in Moab.
Also congrats to fellow Colorado Springs runner Alex Nichols for winning the 55k.

b/st5/111

Air Force Academy

7 miles 50:05 7;09 average per mile
4:00 pm) low 50's sunny & windy
734 ft. elevation gain
Still fighting this cold. I feel a little better but not great.

b/a14/258

Treadmill

6 miles 44:45
5:30 pm)
Took Monday off. Then Tuesday I took off again. I finally ran tonight. I have been
sick since Monday morning. I feel better tonight but not near 100%. Not surprised
I got sick. Girl friend started to feel sick on Friday. Glad I got the long run
in on Sunday without a problem. I'm in the taper phase so I guess if I'm going
to miss workouts this week is as good as time as any.

South Platte Trail - Littleton, Colorado

20 miles 2:13:16 6:40 average per mile
9:30 am) low 20's 93% humidity
Drove up to Denver to find some trails that weren't snow covered and icy. First
stop was at the High Line Canal trail. Got out checked it out but is was not
plowed and it was icy. Plan B drive around and find another trail. Drove to
the South Platte trail. It was plowed. Yes it was all concrete but it was
clear and not much ice to deal with.
Had some specific paces planned for today.
First 5 miles 7:00-7:30 pace
1- 7:12
2- 6:55
3- 6:47
4- 6:51
5- 6:55
Miles 6-10 6:40 pace
6- 6:36
7- 6:41
8- 6:36
9- 6:33
10- 6:28
Miles 11-15 6:25 pace
11- 6:10
12- 6:23
13- 6:32
14- 6:41 uphill
15- 6:18 downhill
Miles 16-17 as fast as I wanted to run
16- 5:56
17- 6:03
Miles 18-20 cool down
18- 7:12
19- 7:16
20- 7:10

Last long run! Was a good run today. Legs didn't feel super but not bad either.
60 miles for the week. Taper time!

b/st5/105

Pikes Peak Greenway

9.5 miles 7:16 average per mile
10:30 am) 40's sunny!
Ok run feeling a bit tired from the night before run.

b/a14/251

Centennial - Rockrimmon

8.5 miles 59:57 7:03 average per mile
4:40 pm) 30's sunny! Nice day finally.
560 elevation gain 544 elevation loss
Legs pretty tired but doing okay. This was a pretty hilly run.
Warmer temps sure felt good. Long run Sunday.

b/a14/241

Centennial - Flying W Ranch

6 miles 43:55 7:19 average per mile
4:45 pm) cold 5 degrees
After 2 days of treadmill running needed to get outside. It was above 0 so I bundled
up and got a few miles in.

b/a14/232

3x2 mile repeats

8 miles 51:50
5:45 pm)
warm up 1 mile
2 miles @ 10.0
2 minutes rest
2 miles @ 10.0
2 minute rest
2 miles @ 10.2
cool down 1 mile

Speed work is hard to do on snow and -5 degrees temps so again I ran on the
treadmill. Haven't done any speed work on the treadmill in a while. Was not
sure what pace I could do this at. I think I found the right pace. Workout
was hard but not too bad.
Ready for a warm up. This cold snap makes marathon training difficult.

Treadmill

8 miles 56:55 7:07 average per mile
5:00 pm)
Roads slippery and snow covered so opted for the treadmill.

Super Half Marathon

18 miles total
13.1 miles Super Half Marathon 1:25:45
7th overall 1st master
10 degrees and sunny! Cold but no wind.
Today's race was slow but the conditions were not favorable for a fast time.
I raced more by effort than pace. I feel I gave a very hard effort. I started
out in about 15th place after 1 mile. I slowly worked my way up to 7th and
held on to that.
Splits for today: 6:18, 6:45, 6:35, 6:43, 6:35, 6:42, 6:58, 6:26, 6:25, 6:21,
6:26, 6:13, 6:10
40 miles for the week. Was a down week. Had a hard tempo run and this race.

b/st5y/85

Treadmill

Thursday 1/30/2014
6 miles 44:00

Saturday 2/1/2014
3 miles 23:10

Easy few days of running. Half marathon in the morning. Weather will be a huge
factor. We have had snow past 2 days. Trail will be clear hopefully but snow
covered and probably slippery. Will race more by effort than time as the
course will be slow.

Pikes Peak Greenway Tempo

7 miles 45:50 6:33 average per mile
4:30 pm) upper 30's
5 mile tempo run
1, 6:11, 2, 6:10, 3, 6:05, 4, 6:00, 5, 5:58 (30:24 total 6:05 average)
Good workout. Felt a little heavy legged starting out. After a
couple miles I felt the turnover getting quicker.

b/st5y/67

Centennial - Woodmen

6 miles 42:33 7:05 average per mile
4:30 pm) teens

b/a14/226

Pikes Peak Greenway

14 miles 1:40:53 7:12 average per mile
8:00 am) 30's sunny!
Tired legs but felt pretty good otherwise. Ran first 7 with the HART group.
Last 7 on my own.

b/a14/220
60.73 miles for the week.
#147

Winter Series II

13.58 miles total
10:00 am) 48 sunny! Beautiful day.
7.8 mile race 49:17 6:19 average per mile
9th place overall top master.
Okay race at best. Legs felt sluggish. Around mile 4 I really started to run
out of gas. It's okay today was meant to be a hard workout and not really a
race. My big picture focus is for March 2 in Arkansas.

b/st5y/60

Falcon Trail

5 miles
3:45 pm) 50' sunny!
Pretty tired. Legs felt heavy. Was nice to get some trail running though.

Treadmill

6 miles 43:40
4:30 pm)
Easy run. Had a nice evening with Bethany. Today was her birthday. I took her
out for a nice dinner.
Cold day here in Colorado. Tomorrow is suppose to be back in the 50's got
to love Colorado!

Centennial - Woodmen

8.15 miles 58:50 7:13 average per mile
797 elevation gain
6:00 pm) mid 30's
Pretty tired at the start of this run. Felt better as it went on. Probably
tired from yesterday's hard workout.

b/a14/205

Pikes Peak Greenway 3x2 Repeats

8 miles 56:00
4:10) 60 degrees! Crazy nice weather for January.
Hard workout tonight!
3x2 mile repeats with 2 minutes rest between.
Goal was 6:00 miles.
Did these on a out and back course. Slightly uphill on the out and slightly
downhill on the back.
6:16, 5:58 (12:14) 6:07 average per mile
2 minute rest
6:04, 5:52 (11:56) 5:58 average per mile
2 minute rest
6:05, 5:50 (11:55) 5:57.5 average per mile
36:05 total 6:01 average per mile

I think I did well other than that first mile on the first repeat. I tend to
run poorly until I get good and warmed up at altitude.

#146
b/st5y/50

Treadmill - Racing plans

6 miles 44:28
5:45 pm)
Not too sore or tired from yesterdays long run. Easy run tonight.
Tomorrow looks to be a hard workout.
Looking at just focusing on marathons this year. I have no plans on doing
any ultras this year. Why the change in focus you might ask? The answer
is I want to focus on my 50 marathon states goal. I'm far away from
achieving this goal (13). So it's time to work on it. Plan is to get 3 new
states this year and try to get 4-5 per year for the foreseeable future.
I love visiting new places and what better way to see the country.
This year I'm looking at New Mexico, Vermont and Illinois. Chicago will
be my fall marathon and I will get to visit family which makes it pretty
special.

Pikes Peak Greenway

22 miles 2:46:14 7:33 average per mile
8:00 am) 50's beautiful!!!
Ran with the HART group for 12 miles then ran last 10 on my own.
Today was about getting the miles in and not trying to run too fast.
I ran pretty easy although the last few miles got harder as fatigue
set in. Overall happy with the run. Tired legs!
45 miles for the week.

b/a14/196
#146

Centennial

5 miles 35:40 7:08 average per mile
5:30 pm) 40's
Moderate effort paced run. Felt good.

b/a14/174
#145
RHR 48

Pikes Peak Greenway 2x2 Repeats

6 miles 40:50
4:10 pm) 40 degrees no wind!
Tonight's workout was 2 miles hard with 2 minutes rest then repeat.
First 2 miles were 6:11, 5:50 (12:01) 6:00 average
Second 2 miles were 6:03, 5:45 (11:48) 5:54 average
These were run as out and backs. I went north on trail then south.
Felt better than expected. Today my energy levels felt more like normal
than they have in over a week. Cutting back on the mileage is definitely
the main reason.

b/st5y/41
RHR 48
#146

Treadmill

4 miles 30:00
5:30 pm)
Had a headache tonight so only 4 miles. Felt okay otherwise.

RHR/48
#147

Treadmill

8 miles 57:30
4:30 pm)
Feeling tired and unmotivated lately. Coach is going to give me a day off tomorrow
and a easy day Wednesday, Hopefully I get to feeling better and motivated again.
I have a long run this weekend. I hope to be mentally ready for it. I think I will
be. I actually feel better tonight. Maybe it's coming back.


b/a14/168

Ute Valley Park

5.25 miles 44:32
11:00 am) temps quickly dropped and ran through a snow shower
Easy recovery run.
Had a down week mileage wise. I took it down even more than was scheduled.
I needed an extra rest day. I felt run down and tired most of the week.
35.5 miles for the week.

pir/66
#146

Winter Series 1 Cheyenne Mountain State Park

6.93 miles 49:52
4th overall
My place was better than last year but my time was much slower. The snow really
slowed this course down. I got beat by 2 teenagers! Some fast kids around here.
11.50 miles total for the day.


1/10/2014
4 miles treadmill easy.

Pikes Peak Greenway Tempo

7.75 miles 50:56 6:33 average per mile
4:20 pm) 32 degrees
Felt very tired today. Didn't think this workout would go well at all. Felt
better than I expected. Legs did feel tired but I was able to run at a good
pace.
6:06, 6:05, 6:10, 6:03, 6:07, 6:12 (36:43) 6:07 average per mile

b/st5y/35

Centennial-Woodmen

7 miles 50:09 7:09 average per mile
4:30 pm) upper 30's

b/a14/160
#147.5

Treadmill & Garden of the Gods

20 miles 2:28:36 7:26 average per mile
11:00 am) cold!!! 13 degrees not counting the wind chill
10 miles 1:12:00 treadmill
8.23 miles 1:04:31 outside
1.77 miles 11:55 treadmill
We had several inches of snow yesterday so I didn't want to run 20 miles in
snow. Treadmill was an option but 20 miles on a treadmill did not sound
appealing to me. Decided I would do both rather than one or the other.
I started out with 10 miles on the treadmill. Then changed my clothes quickly
and ran outside. I forgot my hand warmers and my hands ended up freezing.
I ran back to the house short 1.77 miles of my 20 mile goal. I went down
in the basement and finished off the 1.77 miles on the treadmill.
Mentally this was a very hard workout for me.

60 miles on the week.
b/a14/153

AFA

7 miles 51:32 7:22 average per mile
10:00 am) 19 degrees & snow
Ran from the hockey rink to the visitor center and back. Roads had some snow but
had been plowed. Footing was pretty good.

pir/60

Red Rock Canyon

8 miles 1:08:55 8:37 average per mile
4:30 pm) 50's
Decided I should do some trail running tonight before the snow falls
tomorrow. This weekend looks bad for my training. Somehow I will
get my 20 miler in Sunday.

Treadmill

7.2 miles 52:10 7:20 average per mile
6:30 pm)
Late start as I was recovering from my dentist visit. I had 3 old fillings taken
out and redone. Was a bit painful as the novocaine didn't quite take away the
pain as he drilled the bottom cavity out. Glad it is done.
Feeling a bit tired from the race as expected.

Rescue Run 10k

39:16 6.28 miles
9th place 2nd age group
10:00 am) mid 30's sunny & windy
Third year doing this race. Was my 2nd fastest time. My best was 39:02. This
year was very windy or I would have ran my best time.
6:54, 6:34, 6:16, 6:23, 6:02, 5:31, 5:37 (.28)
12.9 miles on the day.
Justin won the 10k today in 35:12! Very fast time for this course and the
conditions. Congratulations coach!

b/st5y/27
#146