Jonathan's Run

Here are some Pictures from Gunner's big run at the Denver Marathon. He finished strong in 3:45ish if I recall correctly and looked as if he'd just gone for a training run. Talking with him post race there was a great line where I asked him if he could have gone faster/further. His response? "Oh, I think I could have gone at least 6 more, no problem..." Uh oh, ultra world here we come ;)

Actually, this was just prior to the first Gunner sighting, Dazbog Coffee, and PBR(s)

Dude, he totally beat Headband Guy with the sweet deep V-neck

Striding out to the line!

Pre-Steamboat Update

Thought I'd write up a bit about how I feel physically before driving up to Steamboat tomorrow. I feel better, not running this week has been tough mentally, but the deadness in my legs is starting to subside a bit and I'm hoping that I'll have the natural spring back in my legs before 6 AM on Saturday morning.

Otherwise I feel good, physically I've got no aches or pains. Nothing that I'm worrying about, which is good, I can wait to deal with that until mile 30!

Mentally I'm sort of in the place I was at before Silver Rush, but with one minor difference. I'm not scared about the distance. Funny, I know. But really, 50 miles is 50 miles is 50 miles. Now with the good potential of 100 hanging over my head in February and June, the point seems as Joey would say, "moo." Like moot, but different. Better. I've read Karl Meltzer saying "100 miles isn't really that far." I think that's a good way to look at things; not a disrespect, but a different perspective. If you're always looking at a certain distance or challenge as unbelievably hard, it will be. If, however, you convince yourself that you are hard core, and that anything is possible. It is.

Weather for race day looks to be ideal (but this is Colorado right?) with 40's in the am rising to the mid to lower 70's. Good day to pound some trail... For Gunner - My selected mantra will be out of a prior post, "gotta stay strong, gotta be tough." It's 50 miles through the Rocky Mountains, and it shall be as Denny Green has said "what we thought they were." Hopefully...

Until Sunday evening or Monday morning, I'm signing out.

PJ

The Stars Align

What a great week of running! Saturday I went out with the Evergreen Runner's Circle at Flying J and brought the wife and little man. It was a good run, with a decent turnout. Mary was back for the first time in a while, Joanne, John, and Norm all joined in as well. John's gearing up for Leadville next weekend, good luck man! It was a fun run, did a couple loops with Xavier in the jogging stroller and capped it off with a run by myself in the opposite direction.

Sunday saw Gunner and I heading off to do Evergreen Mtn. from the Dedisse lot. It was a great 16 mile loop run with some great climbing and moderately technical descent. Weather was perfect, nice and cool with a slight breeze and we didn't have to use the headlamps too much because of all the stars. On the way down we decided to take a loop around the lake because we'd cut the trail up in Alderfer by a few miles and it was a wonderful decision.

Coming around the south side of Evergreen Lake, just past the boarwalk, it was starting to get pretty dark but as we passed this man I just caught a glimpse of a man and I knew it had to be. It was Rusty, a great member of the ERC who's been gone for quite a while. He'd had some trouble landing a teaching during the end of last school year, but went up to direct his summer camp, so no one had seen him for a few months.

Turns out, he had just gotten back into town and landed a sweet teaching job in Golden, CO. This makes me super happy for a number of reasons, mostly because Rusty is one of those guys who just GETS IT. Running, life, and everything else. He's bursting with passion and is as nice a person as you'll ever meet. We ended up catching up and talking for about half an hour before we decided to head back home.

On a side note: Rusty makes the best pancakes ever. EVER. Seriously. If you told me there were better pancakes, I would tell you that you were a liar. Because that's what you would be.

My week in full:
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 7 mi @ Cherry Creek Res
Wednesday: 8.5 mi @ Matthew Winters Park
Thursday: 7.5 mi @ Green Mountain
Friday: Off
Saturday: 9 mi @ Flying J Ranch
Sunday: 16 mi @ Dedisse/Alderfer

Total: 48 (all on trail!)

Purity Week

Let me explain.

A normal week has me running trails once, perhaps twice if the goods come around and I can manage to get out.

However, this week has seen a shift, as ALL of my runs have been and will be on trails. Wonderful. I ran at Cherry Creek Res on Tuesday, Matthew Winters (see pic) on Wednesday, and again last night at Green Mountain.

Both the C.C. and GM runs were quick, pushing the pace sub 8ish minus the real climbs at GM which were right around 10:30ish pace. However, the MW run was awful. Not in the fact that it was on trail or hard, just how I felt. I mistakenly drank a protein shake prior to running in the heat (90ish) and was miserable. I pushed the pace hard up Zorro (1 mile/900 feet) and was zapped at the top. I trudged through the top of the hogback, was humbled up Red Rocks trail and was just grinding through the Morrison Slide uphill.

I had the awful bloating sensation. It was bad. Yet funny in retrospect. I chatted with Jon as we were heading out to GM last night about the ill affects protein shakes can have if you drink them pre activity. I was laughing so hard I almost choked.

In any case. Life is OK now, a bit busy with birthdays, weddings, batchelor parties, and the like. Otherwise, it's life, enjoy it.

And run trails.