Week in review 10/2 - 10/8. Changing Seasons.

As the week progressed, the season changed.  6+ inches of snow near my house on Saturday was evidence enough for that.   Photo above is Pikes Peak this morning.

This past week I achieved the 3rd week in a row of 30+ miles.  I initially was thinking of trying to maybe get up to 40.  Sunday I had planned a 12 miler near home but after really struggling, I cut it short, taking a short cut to end it at 8 1/4 miles.

Monday evening I hit the Santa Fe Trail at Woodmen Rd and went North.  Seemed to be a popular place to be running at that time of day - not sure which one, but seemed like a local High School Cross Country team was on their way back as I was heading out.

Did a total of 6 miles with the even numbered miles being up-tempo (for me), odd number miles were warm up / recovery.  I've mentioned already that since surgery I really have struggled to get any kind of speed.  So, Monday I was hoping some mile repeats would both help me and show me where I was - and / or where I wasn't.

First one - slightly uphill was 7:45.  The next recovery mile I was exhausted - slightly above walking pace for some of it.  At mile 3 overall I turned back and started tempo mile #2.  Pushed hard and was aided by the slight downhill and managed 7:30 for the mile.  Recovered again on a very slow mile and then for the last mile which has some rollers I managed to do another 7:30.

So, tempo speed is iffy at best.  Probably should be doing more repeats if I wanted to get faster.

Took Tuesday and Wednesday off as I set my sights on Barr Trail Thursday.  13 miles and a good, healthy dose of satisfaction later - was my best run since The Ascent.

Friday evening as the cold front was coming through I jumped on the treadmill and did 3 3/4 miles to take the weekly total up to 31.  A good week, with that nicely familiar feeling of "worked" legs.

Barr Trail Mtn Race revisted

A couple of weeks ago I ran the Summer Roundup Trail Run course.  Kind of a revenge run as I did it earlier in the year at a hobble due to the torn meniscus.

Late yesterday I set my sights on Barr Trail - the race earlier this Summer happened 4 days after my knee surgery, so I could not do it.   Weather conditions yesterday were a little dicey so I didn't know if I would or should try go all the way up to Barr Camp.

Starting off at the Cog Depot in 54 degrees, light rain and gusty winds - I began, with a woolly hat and gloves just in case - that proved to be a smart choice later.  It was never hazardous - but was snowy and windy at times up higher.

I did not do well at all up through the W's.  Both calves were squawking - a lot - to the point where I was walking a lot and stopped several times to try stretch them out.   Not sure if it was the cold weather, more likely the climbing uphill was more of a factor.

Near the rock arch where it is more exposed, the wind was kicking up and a few snow flurries were hurtling around.  Hat, gloves were now on but the calves were starting to feel better - so I was able to run more.  And then there was the scenary, was probably a week or so after the peak of the leaves turning - but still was nice to look at.  I stopped several times for pictures.

Some of those were just before and after the No Name creek aid station.  About 3 1/2 miles into the run as it "flattens out" a little was when the snow flurries started to become a little more thicker.  But by this time I was feeling and running better - plus it is not as steep, so I was moving at a decent speed.  I kept going.

Between the top of the W's to Barr Camp (and back) I saw only 1 other person.  It was like I had the whole Mountain to myself - and I liked it.

Stopped / slowed a few more times for photos.....

Finally made it up the 6 1/2 miles to Barr camp in 1:47:30 and stopped inside for a couple of minutes to empty the shoes.  Not the greatest time - but still not too bad.  Was almost 6pm when I left there - knew I needed to push fairly hard to get back down to avoid darkness.  The good thing was that skies had begun to clear and the wind was dying down.

So off I went - and to my pleasant surprise my knees did not give me any grief for most, if not all, of the way down.   I didn't see anyone else till about 3 switchbacks into the W's and I was cruising, feeling good.  Made it all the way down and decided to even go up Hydro Street to the finish line of the race course.  52 1/2 minutes down - only 5 minutes slower than when I had done it in the race last year.

Total time was 2:40.  Very happy with that.  I might see if I can do it again in the upcoming weeks - mostly to see if I can get up to Barr Camp quicker.  I should be able to as I was not having much luck with the calves for the first 3 miles - they are a little tender today.

Corn maze antics, New Zealand style

It seems like the time of year where getting lost in a corn maze is amongst other Fall activities.  There is one not too far from my house and seeing the signs for it brings back memories of growing up in New Zealand.

I noted before in earlier posts how I grew up on a farm.  My Uncle is 9 years older than me and I don't know how he did it - but he would get people to give him their old, junky cars - to do whatever he liked with them.

I was a co-conspirator in these activities which included seeing how many times we could get them to roll down a hill, not on the wheels - but end over end.

We would use them as target practice - driving golf balls at them.

Of course, graffiti / painting them and just mercilessly beating them with anything and everything we could: hammers, shovels, pick axes, other cars - was all in a days work.

Then there was the corn field "incident"..... Lots of rural, rolling farmland nearby us.  One day we had a car, no engine in it, or glass.  We towed it up a hill and went to work.  Painting it, beating it up and having a great time destroying it.  Who needs a Wii or Xbox when you can do these things.

Not sure who had the idea but we decided to see if we could blow it up.  Gallons of gas all over the seats, floors and in the trunk later - complete with a bedsheet as a wick - we set the thing on fire and pushed it down the hill - towards the open field below.

About half way down the hill, the car was fully ablaze - it turned when it shouldn't have.  Ooops.  Right into the neighboring corn field - which of course belonged to a neighbor.  While I am somewhat of a fan of fires, and popcorn for that matter, what resulted was a little more than we had figured.  Hmmm - how we avoided prison time for that one I am not quite sure.

9/25/11 - 10/1/11 Week in review

Managed to do back to back weeks of 30+ miles.  Quite happy with that in my mind, but my body is revolting.  (Let that breathe for a while).  This is not really a post on my body - old, tired and surgically enhanced repaired that it is. 

I will mention that since surgery, I've lost anything close to the speed I used to have.  I used to be able to do 8 minute miles for my long runs fairly easily.  Now, 9 minute miles are more likely.   I'm not sure if I'm okay with that, but I'm quite sure that I was never fast anyway - so, while it may take me longer to get from point "A" to point "B" - I'm enjoying the journey more.

The past week I ran 4 times - totalling 31+ miles.  Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then Saturday for the District 38 fun run.   Was the inaugural event - 5K and 10K started at the same time and the 10K followed the 5K course to start -so I ran w/ my oldest daughter for the 5K and then I continued on to finish the 10K.  She did really good - finished strong and beat 28 minutes.  My second 5K I managed to do about 4 1/2 minutes faster - was really quite warm (mid 70's) throughout - it is October right?

Side note on #12 - he also ran the 10K.  The kid has been up to his armpits with Soccer for the past couple of months - that has been his only running.  On race day he was actually leading after the 1st 5K - just behind a 13 year old who won the 5K.  He faded somewhat on the second, hillier 5K but still managed to come in 4th overall.  Proud of him as always.  Amazed that he, as well as my daughter can run - and do well - with absolutely no training. 

Jealous: Yes.  Proud: Yes.  I think - with me training for something and them not training - I could still beat them.  But I'm not sure - especially in #12's case.  Age differences are catching up and impacting us.  Oh well.