Wednesday, January 7, 2015

On 2014 And Looking At 2015


Looking back through my logs I see some things I knew to be true.  First, I was fitter and more dedicated in 2011 and 2012.  I also wasn't as well balanced both in terms of taking care of myself and with in regards to my family life.  While 2011 and 2012 delivered perhaps some of my best running moments (Bighorn 50K, Leadville 50/100, and Jemez), I also suffered the consequences of riding the fine line of over-training.  After Leadville in 2011, the stress of the race and my (too low) weight took a big toll on me and I essentially was forced to shut it down until late January 2012.  I rebounded to gain perhaps my highest level of fitness which translated into the Jemez run.  However, I struggled mightily just 4 weeks later at Bighorn which ultimately ended in a DNF and then a stress fracture at Run Rabbit Run which ended in another DNF.





Since then I've simply not trained at the intensity that I did in the past while continuing to race about as much.  The results were to be as expected, which were OK, but certainly not to my potential.  This past year in particular I did pretty much what I wanted and didn't stick to any specific training plan.  The biggest pro to this was that I ended up doing a bunch of stuff I otherwise wouldn't have done.  Todd and I sketched out a Front Range Traverse from his house to Cannonball Creek and Patrick joined along for the ride.  I got to do some scouting for the Pfiffner traverse, and check out large sections of the San Juans with Scott and Brendan.  I also managed to confirm the fact that while I like the idea of the desert, I just don't like the desert.  Zion was beautiful, but brutal, glad to have done the traverse, but glad to have it done.

 
The cons of that schedule and preparation is that I simply ran poorly at basically every race.  Despite that fact, I had a really great time just being in the mountains and hanging out in cool places with my family.  Perhaps tops on the list was Crested Butte, which was a big hit with the kids thanks to their public dirt tracks.  This year I'm taking a very different approach and have cleared out the schedule to do two races: Collegiate Peaks 50 and Angeles Crest 100.  I also have a very clear plan as to how to achieve the results I'd like and maximize my time at home as well.  Unlike last year I have every day planned out between today and August 2nd.  I'll be out for long training/adventure runs with Ring the Peak in June and hopefully Pfiffner in July (weather permitting).













On the non running front, I'm continuing my goal of 12 books a year.  Last year I managed 19 books (list at the bottom of this post) and have a great stash from Christmas that should get me though the first half of the year at least.  Also, I managed my goal of 365 different beers in 2014 and made it to 372 (again, list at the bottom).  While it was fun, and it forced me to try things I otherwise wouldn't have thought of, I'm very much looking forward to simply buying a normal six-pack of whatever I'm in the mood of.  Replacing that goal for 2015 is my new goal of excess: pie.  I love pie, and decided early in 2014 that I wanted to learn to make pies after listening to an Enormocast episode with James Lucas.  Santa was kind to me and I now have a number of useful tools for pie making.  As with all things, practice makes perfect, so my goal for 2015 is 52 pies.  I've done 4 pies so far, and only one of them was a disaster.  There's no way I can eat 52 pies this year and remain fit, so if you'd like a handmade pie, feel free to give me the ingredients of your choosing and I'll make you a pie.  Really enjoying the simplicity of making the dough with just my hands; it's a more rewarding process than making beer.  So, until next year, enjoy the photos from 2014.




























2014 Book Goal :: 19/12
2014 Beer Goal :: 372/365
10 Barrel: OG Wheat IPA
Alameda Brewing: Black Bear XX Stout
Alaskan: Hopothermia
Alaskan: Icy Bay IPA
Alaskan: Pumpkin Porter
Alaskan: White
Anchor: Anchor Steam Beer
Anchor: California Lager
Anchor: IPA
Anderson Valley: Keebarlin' Pale Ale
Aspen: 10th Mountain Imperial Stout Nitro
Aspen: Independence Pass Ale
Aspen: This Season's Blonde
Avalanche: Pride of the West Porter
Avalanche: Sultan IPA
Avery: Ellie's Brown Ale
Avery: IPA
Avery: Karma
Avery: Out of Bounds Stout
Avery: The Reverend
Backcountry: Pale Ale
Backcountry: Pilsner
Barrels and Bottles: Cin-Ful Porter
Barrels and Bottles: Obess Much? Stout 
Basecamp: Ripstop Rye
Batch 19 Lager
Beck's: Lager
Belhaven: Scottish Stout
Black Raven: Beaktweaker Citrus IPA
Black Shirt: Red Ale
Black Tooth: Indian Paintbrush
Blue Moon: Caramel Apple Spiced Ale
Blue Moon: Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Blue Moon: Summer Honey Wheat
Boddingtons: Pub Ale
Boulder: Hazed and Infused
Boulder: Mojo
Boulder: Shake Porter
Boulevard: Double-Wide IPA
Boulevard: Unfiltered Wheat
Breakside: Liquid Sunshine Pilsner
Breakside: Wanderlust IPA
Breckenridge: 471 Small Batch IPA
Breckenridge: After Rakin' Autumn Ale
Breckenridge: Avalanche Amber Ale
Breckenridge: Fresh Hop Pale Ale
Breckenridge: Oatmeal Stout
Breckenridge: Summerbright Ale
Breckenridge: Vanilla Porter
Bridgeport: Kingpin Double Red Ale
Bristol: Laughing Lab
Bristol: Red Rocket Pale Ale
Bristol: Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout
Bud Light
Bud Light Lime
Budweiser: Diesel
Buffalo Bill's: Pumpkin Ale
Burnside Brewing: Burnside IPA
Busch Beer
Cannonball Creek: Amarillo Single Hop IPA
Cannonball Creek: Battlecat Stout
Cannonball Creek: Black IPA
Cannonball Creek: Brickyard Porter
Cannonball Creek: F.O.A.M. ESB
Cannonball Creek: Featherweight Pale Ale
Cannonball Creek: Fresh Hop Rye
Cannonball Creek: Lil' Vic Red Ale
Cannonball Creek: Mindbender IPA
Cannonball Creek: Nitro Almond Chocolate Stout
Cannonball Creek: Nitro Chocolate Pumpkin Porter
Cannonball Creek: Not Mindbender Double IPA
Cannonball Creek: Oatmeal Brown Ale
Cannonball Creek: Pére Noël
Cannonball Creek: Project Alpha #1 IPA
Cannonball Creek: Saison Nu
Cannonball Creek: Solid Gold Belgian
Cannonball Creek: Victorville Red
Caution: Hippity Hops IPA
Caution: Wild Blonde
Coors: Banquet
Coors: Colorado Native Lager
Coors: Light Lager
Corona: Extra
Coronado Brewing: Islander IPA
Coronado: Blue Bridge Coffee Stout
Coronado: Idiot IPA
Crazy Mountain: Amber Ale
Crazy Mountain: Hoseshoes & Hand Grenades
Crazy Mountain: Mountain Livin' Pale Ale
Crazy Mountain: Snow Cat Coffee Stout
Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma: Dos Equis
Dad & Dude's: Dank IPA
Day of the Dead: Amber Ale
Day of the Dead: DOA IPA
Denver Beer Co: Graham Cracker Porter
Deschutes: Chasin' Freshies IPA
Deschutes: Hop In The Dark IPA
Deschutes: Jubelale
Deschutes: Red Chair NWPA
Diamond Knot: Storm Surge Winter Ale
Dos Equis: Amber
Dry Dock: Apricot Blonde
Dry Dock: Hefeweizen
Dry Dock: Hop Abomination
Dry Dock: Vanilla Porter
Durango: Derail Ale
Durango: Golden Ale
Durango: Hop Hugger IPA
Durango: Pale Ale
Eddyline: Boater Pilsner
Eddyline: Crank Yanker IPA
Elevation: 8 Second Kolsch
Elevation: Downpour Imperial IPA
Elysian: Punkiccino
English Ales: Dragon Slayer IPA
Epic: Element 29
Epic: Escape to Colorado IPA
Epic: Hop Syndrome Lager
Epic: RiNo Pale Ale
Firestone Walker: 805 Ale
Firestone Walker: DBA
Firestone Walker: Pale 31
Firestone Walker: Pivo Hoppy Pils
Firestone Walker: Union Jack IPA
Former Future: Nitro Salted Caramel Prim & Porter
Fremont: Bonfire Ale
Fremont: Summer Ale
Full Sail: Amber Ale
Full Sail: Big Daddy J's Imperial Lager
Full Sail: Cascade Pilsner
Full Sail: IPA
Full Sail: Pale
Full Sail: Wassail Winter Ale
Genesee Beer
Gigantic Brewing: The Future Is now
Golden City: Sason Belay
Goose Island: Honkers ESB
Goose Island: Rambler IPA
Grand Lake: Stumpjumper IPA
Grand Teton: Sweetgrass APA
Great Divide: 20th Anniversary Belgian Ale
Great Divide: Colette
Great Divide: Denver Pale Ale
Great Divide: Fresh Hop IPA
Great Divide: Hoss
Great Divide: Nomad
Great Divide: Titan IPA
Green Flash: Hop Odyssey Black IPA
Green Flash: West Coast IPA
Grist: Berliner Weisse
Grist: Staple English IPA
Grist: Transition State Kolsch
Guinness: Extra Stout
Heineken
Ironworks: Alameda Amber
Ironworks: Chocolate Milk Stout
Ironworks: Free Leg Red
Ironworks: Krausen Kolsch
Ironworks: No Doubt Stout
Ironworks: Rhapsody Rye IPA
Jagged Mountain: Dream Weaver IPA
Jagged Mountain: Imlay American IPA
Jagged Mountain: Keyhole IPA
Jagged Mountain: Peak Bagger Imperial IPA
Kannah Creek: Lands End Amber
Kirin Ichiban
Kirkland Signature: German Lager
Kirkland Signature: Pale Ale
Lagunitas: Censored Rich Copper Ale
Lagunitas: Day Time Ale
Lagunitas: Hop Stoopid IPA
Lagunitas: IPA
Lagunitas: Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
Lagunitas: Sucks Brown Shugga' Substitute Ale
Lakefront: Chris' Maple Vanilla Dobblebock Lager
Lakefront: Eastside Dark Lager
Lakefront: IPA
Lakefront: Pumpkin Lager
Laughing Dog: Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
Leffe: Blond
Left Hand: 400lb Monkey
Left Hand: Black Jack Porter
Left Hand: Milk Stout
Left Hand: Nitro Milk Stout
Left Hand: Nitro Sawtooth
Left Hand: Oktoberfest Marzen Lager
Left Hand: Stranger Pale Ale
Left Hand: Warrior IPA
Leinenkugels's: Big Eddy Uber Oktoberfest
Lone Tree: Mountain Mama Helles
Lumberyard: IPA
Magic Hat: Circus Boy
Manitou: Common Ale
Manitou: Session Red Ale
Michelob Ultra
Mike's: Shandy Lager
Modelo: Especial
Mountain Sun: Nitro Chocolate Dip Stout
Mountain Sun: Nitro Korova Cream Stout
Mountain Toad: Lemongrass Saison
Mountain Toad: Missle Toad Winter Ale
Mountain Toad: Mt. Zion IPA
Mountain Toad: Pedal On Pale Ale
Mountain Toad: Uller IPA
Mountain Toad: Yule Tide IPA
New Belgium: 1554
New Belgium: Accumulation White IPA
New Belgium: Blue Paddle
New Belgium: Fat Tire
New Belgium: Hop The Pond Double IPA
New Belgium: Pumpkick
New Belgium: Ranger IPA
New Belgium: Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout
New Belgium: Snapshot
New Belgium: Summer Helles
New Belgium: Sunshine Wheat
New Belgium: Tour De Fall
New Belgium: Trippel
New Glarus: Uff-da
Ninkasi: Believer Double Red Ale
Ninkasi: Total Domination IPA
Ninkasi: Tricerahops Double IPA
No-Li: Spin Cycle Red Ale
North Coast: Le Merle Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale
Northwest Brewing: Hoppy Bitch IPA
Oakshire Brewing: Ill Tempered Gnome
Oakshire: Espresso Stout
Oakshire: Watershed IPA
Odell: 180 Shilling
Odell: 5 Barrel Pale Ale
Odell: 90 Shilling Ale
Odell: Double Pilsner
Odell: IPA
Odell: Levity Amber Ale
Odell: Loose Leaf American Session Ale
Odell: Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout
Odell: Runoff Red IPA
Odell: St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale
Odell: Tree Shake Imperial Peach IPA
Odell: Wolf Picker Pale Ale
Odyssey: Ghost Drifter Pale Ale
Osborne Family Jewels: Happy Holiday
Osborne Family Jewels: IPA
Osborne Family Jewels: Milk Stout
Osborne Family Jewels: Pumpkin
Osborne Family Jewels: Summer Saison
Osborne Family Jewels: Vanilla Porter
Osborne Family Jewels: Wheat
Oskar Blues: Centennial State Pale Ale
Oskar Blues: Dale's Pale Ale
Oskar Blues: Mama's Little Yella Pils
Oskar Blues: Old Chub
Oskar Blues: OSKAr The G'Rauch Smoked IPA
Oskar Blues: Tequila Barrel-Aged Gubna Imperial IPA
Our Mutual Friend: Chinook Red Ale
Our Mutual Friend: Dark Sour
Our Mutual Friend: Fresh Hop Ale
Our Mutual Friend: Novo Coffee Stout Nitro
Our Mutual Friend: Proletariat Session Ale
Ouray: 550 Red Ale
Ouray: San Juan IPA
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pacifico
Pelican: Red Lantern IPA
Phantom Canyon: Sriracha Toasted Pecan Scotch Ale
Phantom Canyon: Streamliner IPA
Pike: Monk's Uncle
Pikes Peak: Podwajny Pro Am Double IPA
Platt Park: Astronaut Amber
Platt Park: Drop It Like It's Hop
Platt Park: Gump's Lager
Platt Park: Phaded Pale Ale
Platt Park: Porter
Platt Park: Wheat
Port: Wipeout IPA
Prairie Artisan Ales: Christmas Bomb!
Prost: Dunkel
Prost: Marzen
Prost: Pils
Prost: Weissbier
Pug Ryan's: Deadeye Dunkel
Pug Ryan's: Hideout Helles
Pug Ryan's: Peacemaker Pilsner
Red Hook: Fat Chance Light IPA
Red Hook: Long Hammer IPA
Red Leg: Do Little IPA
Renedade: Hypocrisy Pale Stout
Renegade Conspirator Coffee Milk Brown Ale
Renegade: 5:00 Afternoon Ale
Renegade: Consilium Milk Pale Ale
Renegade: Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout
Renegade: Hiatus
Renegade: Imperial Sunday Morning Coffee Red Ale
Renegade: Sit In Double Red Ale
River North: Hello, Darkness Belgian Black IPA
Rogue: Double Chocolate Stout
Rogue: Rogue Farms 7 Hop IPA
Rolling Rock: Extra Pale
Roslyn: Dark Lager
Russian River: Pliny the Elder
Saint Arnold: Elissa IPA
Salsburger: Stiegl
Sam Adams: Latitude 48 IPA
Sam Adams: Octoberfest
Sam Adams: Old Fezziwig Ale
Sam Adams: Rebel IPA
Sam Adams: Ruby Mild
Samuel Smith: Nut Brown Ale
Santa Fe: Black IPA
Santa Fe: Freestyle Pilsner
Santa Fe: Happy Camper IPA
Santa Fe: Imperial Java Stout
Saranac: Pumpkin Ale
Schooner Exact: Evergreen IPA
Shiner: Bock
Shiner: Premium Beer
Shiprock: Pumpkinhead
Sierra Nevada: Blindfold Black IPA
Sierra Nevada: Flipside Red IPA
Sierra Nevada: Hoptimum Imperial IPA
Sierra Nevada: Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Sierra Nevada: Nooner Session IPA
Sierra Nevada: Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada: Ruthless Rye IPA
Sierra Nevada: Snow Wit White IPA
Sierra Nevada: Torpedo Extra IPA
Silver City: Ziggy Zoggy Summer Lager
Ska: Modus Hoperandi IPA
Ska: Rudie Session IPA
Ska: Special E.S.B.
Ska: True Blonde Ale
Smithwick's Ale
Stella Artois
Stone: Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone: Coffee Milk Stout
Stone: Go To IPA
Stone: IPA
Stone: Ruination IPA
Stone: Saison
Stone: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Telluride: Bridal Veil Rye Pale Ale
Telluride: Face Down Brown
Telluride: Tempter IPA
Tivoli
Tommyknocker: IPA & 1/2
Tommyknocker: Nut Brown Ale
Trinity: Session Swing IPA
TRVE: Aura British Mild
Uinita: Punk'n
Uinta: Hop Nosh IPA
Uinta: Sum'r Summer Ale
Uinta: Wyld Extra Pale Ale
Upslope: Belgian Style Pale Ale
Upslope: Brown Ale
Upslope: Craft Lager
Upslope: Foreign Style Stout
Upslope: IPA
Upslope: Pale Ale
Victoria
Victory: Hop Ticket
Victory: Prima Pils
Widmer Brothers: Double M.A.C.
Wit's End: Green Man Ale
Wynkoop Railyard Ale
Wynkoop: B3K Black Lager
Wynkoop: Belgorado
Wynkoop: London Calling
Wynkoop: Mile High Pale Ale
Wynkoop: Nitro Cowtown Milk Stout
Wynkoop: Pumpkin Ale
Wynkoop: St. Charles ESB
Young's: Double Chocolate Stout