The Knuckledragger with Knobbly Knees

Saw a childrens book titled The Gnome with Knobbly Knees - have never read it but I am thinking it could be about me?
Did 6.5 miles on Santa Fe Trail from Nth Woodmen up into the United States Air Force Academy last night.  Wanted to take it easy.  First 6 miles gradually worked pace from 9 min avg mile to 8:40.  With a 1/2 mile to go and the knees feeling quite creaky I decided to push in the hopes that faster turnover rate would blow out some "creakiness".  It didn't.  Nevertheless did 6:15 pace for the last 1/2 mile.  50 miles for the week.  Saturday is a rest day - from running at least - is much needed.  Next Saturday is Greenland Trail 25K.  2 weeks after that is Ogden Marathon. About 120 miles to run before then.  Would really like to get these knees to a place where running on them doesn't hurt, or even cause discomfort.  Running 201 miles in April probably doesn't help.  Turning 43 on Thursday likely has something to do with it also.  I just don't want to end up like this guy.....

Objects in Mirror are.......

* ...... closer than they appear.
* 14,115 ft elevation
* The site of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, where this year an Electric Car will be doing the Race (June 26th).
* The place where the Cog Railway climbs from Manitou Springs to the Summit.  Weather permitting of course - as todays live photo proves that it is not running.


Live Pikes Peak Cam

 And.......
* The site of Pikes Peak Ascent (and Marathon) of which I am doing this year (August 20th). 
So I ate my lunch yesterday at the Mesa Rd overlook and took the top photo - was made to wonder (regarding the Ascent) - Am I nuts?
Ran last night a Threshold type Run.  First 2.5 miles at 9 min easy pace.  Then 15 mins at 7 pace.  3 minutes walking recovery.  Then 15 minutes at 7:15 pace.  1 minute recovery.  Then 2.6 miles at 8:45 pace.  Total 9.5 miles, 1 hr 19 mins.

Greenland Trail 8 miles

Last night did the 2nd 1/2 of the 25K course.  Last lap I'll likely get in before the race in 1 1/2 weeks.  First 2 miles a comfortable 9 pace, next 2 miles pushed a bit of a tough 8 min pace.  Next 2 miles 9:00 again.  Finished the last 2 miles at 8 pace.  1 hr, 8 1/2 mins overall at 8:30 pace avg.  Without to much TMI - good thing there was one of these in the parking lot after......

(Thirty) Six degrees of (Kevin) Frozen Bacon

So Tuesday was an adventurous Spring weather day in Colorado Springs.  Snow, Rain, Sun and of course - wind.
Soccer practice for the first born was relocated to El Pomar - started at 6:30.  So, I had time to get 6 miles in - off I went and experienced the following 6 degrees or 6 somethings.
1) 6 Soccer Moms doing double takes as I ran through the parking lot wearing a hat, gloves, layers on top - but wearing shorts in....
2) 36 degrees
3) Ran the first 3 miles at 8:26 pace - into wind / rain / sleet / snow.
4) Ran the last 3 miles at 8:06 pace - so, avg for 6 miles was 8:16.  Total time = 59:36.  Felt good considering the 20 miler on Sunday.
5) Ran by 6 (okay 4) well bundled Kenyans (The elite athlete group from Ft. Carson?) on the way back - they were heading the other way.
6) Got back to the car and the rain / snow / wind had died down and I could see the top of the Peak - which lead to Pikes Peak Bacon

What happened to being 12?

So - the first born turned 12 on Sunday.  Somewhere along the journey I have missed being 12 years old.  Sure, there is the gangly baby giraffe thing, not being sure if you are supposed to be liking girls or not, moving out of the dinosaur loving stage to sports loving stage.  Then there is the mindset that I am old enough now to not have to listen to my parents, be able to go to bed later, procrastinate even longer on homework assignments and be incredibly loud and obnoxious to my sisters.  Was that me when I was 12?  Or is that just my son? 

We're both running the Greenland Trail Races in 1 1/2 weeks.  He's doing the 8 mile, me the 25K.  He'll do little to no training, I'm running 5 days a week doing 40 - 50 miles.  He'll wake up that morning, run it - do well & recover by lunch time.  I'll wake up that morning, probably after not sleeping well the night before & although I have decided to not hammer it - due to the Ogden Marathon being 2 weeks after it - will complete it, then be sore for days & questioning my ability to walk without looking like the gangly baby giraffe.  Getting old sucks.



What can be done in 3 hours?

The night before (Sat) it was 3 hrs in the elements watching Sky Sox Baseball while waiting for the 7th inning stretch for Kilmer Coyotes Choir to sing "America the Beautiful" and "Take me out to the Ballgame".  Snow Flurries throughout, left straight after they sang as the snow then really came down.  Game was called.  Sunday morning it was 20 miles on the Santa Fe Trail.  3 hours long.  9 min miles avg throughout.  From Woodmen Nth 10 miles and back.  Was wanting to do the last 4 miles at 7:45 pace but body was not cooperating.   Ran out of gas - probably didn't eat right the day / night before.  Then there was a 3 hour section for a kids Easter Egg hunt and the first born's (12th) birthday party. 

Then there was the 3 hours of cooking Razzleberry Pie, taking a nap while waiting for it to cool and then being the only one in the house who will eat it.  Should last a few days.

End of my running week

Last night did 7 miles on the Santa Fe Trail, from Woodmen Rd up past Ice Lake into the USAFA.  3 1/2 miles up and back w/ 10 x 8 second Hill Sprints on that nice hill about 1/2 way between the trailhead at Woodmen and Ice Lake.  Overall time was 1:02:15 for 7 miles.  Saw a sign posted that a section of the Santa Fe Trail has weekday closures till October.  Is open on weekends - looks like the next 2 weekends my 20 mile long runs won't be affected.

Week in review: 46 1/4 miles (including Horsetooth Half Marathon).  Running time 6 hrs, 27 mins.  1 wobbly knee.  1 tasty cupcake.

The Cupcake Ladder

Had to drive through Old Colorado City yesterday and somehow the car got on auto pilot to.......


This Awesome Place



This was waiting for me.

Not wanting to avoid the opportunity to research "The influence of Cupcakes on Marathon Training" - I (re)discovered the yummy goodness that is equal parts cupcake and frosting.  

Later that evening while waiting for soccer practice to get out - I did 10 miles on the Santa Fe Trail.  3 miles warm-up at 9 min pace and then tempo ladders.  3 different lengths of distance, at 3 different speeds - w/ equal recovery times in between.  The ladder: 1 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 1.  For the 1 mins = 6:00 pace.  2 mins = 6:15 pace.  3 mins = 6:30 pace.  None were easy, most had near cupcake revisiting experiences.  Finished w/ 2 3/4 miles at 8:30 pace.  Summary: 10 miles for 1 hr 25 mins, avg 8:30 pace

Friday is National Jelly Bean Day  Sounds like a winner to me.  When is National Cupcake day?  One has to ask.  Upon further review......that just opened a Can of worms as you will see every day has something to offer.  It is also Good Friday today.

Trains, Rain and Trail

Ran the Greenland Trail last night.  8 mile loop.  Earlier that day a Train started leaking acid causing evacuations in Monument.  Interesting as I was driving throughout the day and running that evening to see trains parked in the middle of nowhere.

Makes one wonder what the train driver(s) do while they wait.

Anyways...... Started running about 6 pm into a steady, annoying wind - probably about 25 mph, gusting more - 40 degrees and light rain.  Makes one wonder if the train drivers were looking out their windows at me thinking what is that guy doing?  Thanks for asking - I am training.  Wanted to keep a 9 min pace to the top of the saddle and was able to do that, including into the wind and uphill and actually felt wet, cold, miserable, heavy legged, okay despite the conditions.  After 5 miles was at exactly 9 min per mile, next mile bought the avg down to 8:55.  The quads are still barking a little from Horsetooth.  Then the last 2 miles did 7:45 avg (wind assisted).  Still tossing up how to approach the Greenland Trail 25K in 2 1/2 weeks.  I should really be tapering for the Marathon 2 weeks after that.  That would be the smart thing to do.  Summary 8 miles, 1 hr 9 mins. 

Horsetooth Half Marathon 2011

About a 2 1/4 hr drive to Ft Collins, so an early start to get to a long line of traffic and then a long line to pick up race number.  They ran out of shirts.  Put my name on the mailing list - will wait and see if that ever comes.  No more than 5 minutes to warm up - would have liked more.  Started and went uphill at good grade (9% or so) for first 2 miles.  Averaged a 9 min mile pace - wasn't easy, could have gone harder but didn't want to spend all I had then.  The wind picked up, swirling at times and quite strong also - I really don't like running in the wind - some thoughts on that for another time.  After the first set of hills, reached the high point of the course - wasn't all down hill from there but a lot easier.  Bingham Hill, Heartbreak hill - amongst them - but with the ups came the downs - I held back on those, not wanting to squeeze the quads.  Avg pace bounced around 7:15 to 7:45 avg the next 6 miles.  Felt good, pushed (and puffed) on the uphills, passing quite a few people - some of whom passed me on the steep downhills - but I passed them again later.  Had a Shot block at each of the first 3 water stations - I'm starting to think those things help.  Maybe that is part mental.  The last 5 miles was a slight grade downhill on a bike path - a little bland in the scenary dept and felt the feet starting to increase in temp and with that a little discomfort.  Average 7:22 for those 5 miles, couldn't really go much faster but I didn't have the wheels fall of either.  For at least a couple of those miles I hooked up w/ a group of 3 others - we kind of took turns leading and drafting off each other.  W/ about 2 miles to go I felt the guy in the front at that time running out of gas a bit so I took the lead and no-one came with me.   Pushed on to the end, passing more people towards the end of a race is always a good ego thing.  13.1 miles came on the watch, at the same time the sign for 13 miles came up.  The mind and body didn't like the concept of another .1 miles - sucked wind till the end.  Final results = 1:40:37.  135 overall (1443 finishers) 14 / 75 for age group.  Took 3 days to find the official results - what's up with that?  Would have liked to be under 1:40 but considering the hills (especially the first set) and the wind - I'll take it. 2011 Horsetooth Half marathon results

Lets get started

Hmmm.... where to begin.....
I don't do facebook, Twitter or Linked In.  I do e-mail, text and even sometimes talk on the phone.  I like to run, don't really like sitting still - although a Sunday afternoon nap is a good option every now and then.  I read a fair amount - seems like the cool kids are blogging.  Thought I would give it a shot as I don't really have anything great to say - but think I could say enough most days to be interesting.  (At least to my Mother). 
Living in the State of Colorado is awesome.  I consider myself as a runner who is just a little bit quicker than the middle of the pack.  Usually finish in about the top 10 to 20% in races.  Not a fan of running on roads.  More of a fan of trails.  I get more of a thrill to see my (3) kids do well in Sports than me, but also enjoy the challenge of me trying to do well.
So, lets go running, rambling, writing without scratching up too many knuckles.