Activity Summary - April 2012

The running is humming along nicely, and I did some more riding this month. I also figured out how to get my UST tires to pop into the rims, that helps :\

I've only had one other month with more mileage (10/2010 - 197 miles), and that was with almost twice as many runs. I feel like I'm getting more of an endurance workout with 10 miles per outing.

Still no accumulating pain in the patellar tendons or anywhere else. All systems go.

Runs: 15

• Distance: 182 miles
• Time: 41:52
• Elevation Gain: 21,066 feet

Rides: 5

• Distance: 64 miles
• Time: 9:19
• Elevation Gain: 4,499 feet

Walks: 12

• Distance: 11 miles
• Time: 5:45
• Elevation Gain: 211 feet

Hikes: 5

• Distance: 11 miles
• Time: 4:55
• Elevation Gain: 2,094 feet

Chatfield x 2

I ran two laps around Chatfield Reservoir on Sunday. Running around a body of water (or mountain) does a good job of keeping me from short-cutting if I wimp out, and the distance is almost exactly 50k, so that was the plan and it went off without a hitch. It was a new distance PR for for me.

Distance was 31.27 miles, time 6:16 (moving 5:27), elevation gain/loss 1,588 feet, avg. pace 12:02 (moving 10:28).

I hadn't had much luck running long recently, so I was careful to pick a good day and bring a ton of water and enough food. It was sunny all day and pushing 70 at times, but I drank like a fish and there was a nice breeze.

Past photos have emphasized the woods, so this time here's some water. The beach in the photo above was a dead-end running-wise; there was an inlet around to the left and I had to backtrack. The photo below is from the dam on the east side, which has sweeping views:

Below I'm looking back over the seemingly interminable dam. By "interminable" I mean just under two miles:

The second time around a freight train passed with -- had to be -- 150 cars of coal. Long. And only 3 engines were pushing all that; mind-boggling power.

This view is from over near the heron nesting area. The Great White Herons are so big at first I though they were boats, then my mind adjusted once they moved. This little overlook had an empty wine bottle last time I was here. Not a bad idea (except for leaving it there):

Some clouds just don't want to stay in line with the other clouds:

The woods are starting to fill in, yet there are still not a lot of flying insects. Very nice time of year here at the reservoir.

The camping areas in the middle -- and perhaps elsewhere in the park -- now have water flowing (most parks lock the pumps in the winter) so you can fill up. Going clockwise from the south lot, I hit this about mile 11. On the first lap I was able to do 16 miles on two bottles (I drank a lot at the car in between laps), but on the second, warmer, lap I was glad to fill up at the pump.

I filled the water bottles with Succeed! Ultra mix rather than pop a bunch of gels, and it worked well. I ate a PB&J sandwich and drank a bunch in between laps, knowing I'd be out in the hottest sun of the day. I was running easy, so digestion on-the-fly was not a problem.

No gear issues or physical issues other than being really tired and a bit achy.

I managed to keep the same slow but constant pace the entire 30 miles, which I was pretty happy with.

Practice Makes Perfect

Saturday Chill

I opted for another rest day on Saturday, and moved my long run to Sunday.

Accordingly, I didn't really plan anything other than stopping by the Boulder farmer's market for the first time this season (bag Silver Canyon Guatemalan coffee, spring rolls by the creek), bumming around and maybe going for an easy bike ride that wouldn't tax the legs. Nice view from a parking garage:

The cows were grazing and creating obstacles of themselves on the South Boulder Creek path as I cruised on the MTB:

Below is where I totally passed a group of 5-year-old Mexican kids on bikes with their elderly chaperones. That is, after I held the gate for them, and rode along with the kids, until one of the old guys yells in Spanish what I can only assume was: "Move over to the right so this super-fast guy can pass, he's probably training for the Olympics":

After an out-and-back to the Bobolink lot, I cut over on Marshall Road for a brief tour of Marshall Mesa. The trails are actually pretty fun, I can see why so many bikers of all ability levels ride there. Decent buffed singletrack with nice slabs of rock and other interesting features.

Community Ditch; if I were a ditch, I'd want to live here:

Right away there a couple of stretches of more or less solid, bumpy rock over little rises, I had fun going over those without pausing, the shocks just sucking it up. I'm pretty sure I would not have ridden it that way last fall.

That's why I'm trying to put in time on the bike. I did that on skis: lots of hours, and before I knew it... I didn't suck.

Ride distance was 12.63 miles, time 1:31 (moving 1:13), elevation gain/loss 356 feet, avg. speed 8.3 mph, and max speed 23.5 mph. I felt like this was about the equivalent of a 7 or 8-mile run.

Laundry

It's the best I can do regarding photography Friday.

This probably is up there with the grocery store flowers that footfeathers mocked. But hey, not every day is a peak summit, and sometimes I just need some down time. Please don't bring up ultra running moms or other running parents, because I don't know how they cope.

As you can see, I buy lots of shirts in "don't shoot me!" colors so I'm not mistaken for a prey animal, either by other humans or by our local feline predators, when I'm out running in the middle of nowhere. The brown color is something I wear casually in town or on bike trails.

Wednesday, Thursday Stuff

Wednesday lunch - Stroll on Clear Creek. Right next to busy streets and surrounded by houses but you'd never know it.

Something about being near water is innately soothing... maybe it's as simple as the sound, or the fact that it's distracting and takes your mind off anything that's stressing you out. I can't get enough of it.

Wednesday evening - Short hike on South Table Mountain. Storm-torn clouds everywhere, but it never rained.

Thursday lunch - Lunch on bench shut down due to wind at Sloan Lake. Note the wind patterns on the water. That was coming right at me. With rain.

Thursday evening - Escaped ugly rain clouds by heading south to Bear Creek Path where it was sunny -- for the time being. I avoided storms for almost two hours then was doused with wind-whipped rain on the drive home after grabbing a bite at Moe's. Glad it held off until then.

Distance was 10.41 miles, time 1:44, elevation gain/loss 384 feet.

Skiing looks poor for the weekend, with big patches of dirt on ski trails. Running is more likely; the usual long run. It's supposed to be in the 60s, which will be good.

147 miles so far for April by running every other day, with probably two runs left in the month. I'm happy the body -- i.e. knees and feet -- are holding up fine after coming back up to the level I was at a year ago when it started to fall apart -- and I became acutely aware that I am not invincible. Right now I feel like I'm getting good workouts, yet not overdoing it.

Tuesday Bear Creek Run

Outstanding sunny day Tuesday with temps in the low 80s. I had to spend a few minutes on Clear Creek before heading back to the office at lunch.

Amazingly there were only minimal showers in the evening for my run, and the sunlight was still beaming. From near Bear Creek in Lakewood:

Same spot, other direction:

The singletrack trail on the way to Bear Creek Lake Park and the foothills:

As soon as the blackbirds get settled in along the drainage ditch above, one or two will start dive-bombing me as I go by. This is in the park near my turnaround point:

Distance was 10.67 miles, time 1:56, and elevation gain/loss 418 feet.

The legs felt pretty sluggish again Tuesday, maybe because instead of taking rest days lately I've been getting out, for example on the bike (hikes are OK because they're pretty relaxing). But I didn't even feel warmed up until mile 3, and didn't have much in the legs.

Monday Lakewood Ride

My legs were still fatigued on Monday so I opted for a relatively mellow ride, which in my neighborhood just means picking a way with fewer hills.

Just over the hill in the photo above I rode past this coyote hunting in the grass, diving and then listening, and only casually concerned about me as I stopped for a quick photo:

There's a park on the south of the mountain called Ravines Open Space that I noticed a couple of years ago and had not set foot or tire in. I decided to play around there. It's a huge open ravine (surprise) with a mix of singletrack, odd mechanical relics, concrete foot bridges over ravines, and wooden bridges over the tiny "creek" in the bottom.

This was a bit too narrow and lined with thorns:

Steep dirt walls in the bottom of the ravine:

I tried riding some of this, but the bridges were at sharp right angles and I had to keep dismounting. I walked the bike up the steep sides to get back out, and followed various other greenbelts back to the mountain and home. A fun tour of both preserved and neglected open spaces between suburban homes.

Distance was 10.18 miles, time 1:21, and elevation gain/loss 899 feet.

Sunday Meyer Ranch

After the zipline tour in Conifer, I grabbed a sandwich platter at Hog Heaven and 15 minutes later started jogging at Meyer Ranch, because that's how I do it: test the stomach as often as possible. Truthfully I wasn't running hard enough to upset anything.

Aside from a couple of sections, the lower trails run along the front of hill, rather than up it, so they make a couple of a pleasant loops on a light or recovery day.

I made use of the neighborhood access section to get another couple of tenths out of the laps, and saw what I thought was a bobcat, but it was just a pale house cat with tufted ears. I tried to get a picture of the false bobcat to keep with my false bear photo (chocolate lab) and false lion photos (tree stumps) but it got away.

Run distance was 5.38 miles, time 1:08, and elevation gain/loss 709 feet.

Sunday Zipline Tour

Courtesy of my sister, I got a six-zipline tour in Conifer on Sunday, something I'd never done before, and might never have tried. Bottom line: good time.

I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to find it (mapping in the countryside can be a bit sketchy), but there were signs for Denver Zipline Tours, so it was not a problem.

Waiting for things to get rolling at Conifer Community Park:

There was a wide range of folks, mostly tourists, and from what I could tell only a few locals. There were 21 guests in all. Here we are on a little test cable trying out our gear beforehand:

The first zipline was a rush; something I'd never done, surrendering in trust to forces beyond my control and technology I'd never used. It got the adrenaline pumping.

Immediately after that baptism came the hike to the highest point of the day, the second longest zipline in CO -- and the fastest. Denver Zipline also has the longest line in the state, which we'd ride later.

This zipline started near the top of the high point you see here:

The line is 1,500 feet long and they've clocked speeds of 50 mph on it. My GPS read 42 mph. It was definitely beyond my comfort level at first. I've recorded 35-40 mph on skis, but this had the added factor of being way above the ground.

One might think of this as a passive endeavor where the participant is carried along with nothing to do, but it quickly became apparent that we were actors that had an effect on the outcome.

If you don't have sufficient momentum, you may not reach the end and have to be retrieved by a guide after you roll back out to the bottom of the line. Heavier individuals tended to come in "hot" and require slowing down via an arrest line. A tiny waif of a girl in our group was at risk for not making it far enough, and had to be given an extra push each time. Whether your legs and arms are tucked, for example, has a significant impact on your rate of travel.

The type of pulley setup used allowed the participants to rotate as they traveled. This was perhaps bad for photos and video (it was tough to limit the rotation with one hand), but has the advantage of putting less lateral friction on the pulleys, causing less wear and drag. The sideways torque of trying to remain straight also puts drag on the pulleys which may not be what you want if you are small and you're trying to make it to the other side. And I'm OK with less wear when I'm 100 feet above the valley floor. Here's "Tiny" being reeled in:

I got a very short (20-second) video clip of the first part of a zipline traverse where I'm rotating freely as I zip across. I stopped shooting before the end so I could prepare to "land" on the other side and not be a flailing goof that required special assistance.


It would have been nice to get longer video, but I just wanted to stay focused. Here's a video from the tour company of the longest line, which was the most interesting because it was like a tunnel of trees.

By coincidence, a South Park episode aired recently based -- I'm guessing -- on the zipline place in Conifer. I realized after the fact that some of the guides had referenced things in the episode, like "Shaka, bra!" and a "45-minute" shuttle ride to the ziplines (in reality, it was only about 5 minutes uphill). I was laughing pretty hard having just been on a tour. Although all the details were different, some things -- like waiting for the other tour participants -- are certainly true, although everyone in our group was cool. I'd say there was about 2 1/4 hours of waiting in the 3 hour total. But there are many worse things than hiking and waiting on a peaceful mountainside in Colorado. Seriously.

By the way I would recommend the outfit, Denver Zipline Tours, although admittedly I'm not really that high-maintenance. The guides were great, and I always felt like they had my interests in mind and were focused the whole time. Their concern was following protocol and getting everyone across safely. They supplied a bottle of water on a complimentary attachment with a non-load-bearing 'biner to clip on the belt or harness, and a small number of snacks. As with all mountain outings, I'd have a decent meal first. My six-line tour took 3 hours.

There are also trails in the town park, which I'll be back to see some other time.

Thanks, sis!

Mt. Falcon Hothouse Run

When people around the country run in conditions hotter than what we have here, I have little grounds for complaint about 75 degrees, sunshine and 15 percent humidity. I mean, really.

But after deciding to run instead of ski this morning when I got up (a bit too much earth showing in proportion to snow) I had in my mind to attempt 25-30 miles and maybe top my previous max of 27+. Didn't happen. Basically I shortchanged myself on water, and frankly I don't deal that well with being overheated, and my run never recovered.

This is somewhere on Parmalee (trail named after Parmalee Gulch, which is the valley below) on the west side of the park:

I finally got some macro shots of flowers that didn't suck. I made an effort to keep the camera farther than 4" which is the minimum. Then I cropped the photos.

The Mount Evans massif visible from the west side:

Pasque Flowers are next, which are a pale violet that always catches my eye. They were all over the place today, with blooms open this time (I guess they close at the end of the day when I usually run -- ha!):

After two hours, I had gone 10 miles and was on track for 30 in 6 hours (not that I ever maintain pace that long).

However, I made the mistake of heading downhill for several miles on less than 1/2 a bottle of water, in the warm sun. The downhill was OK, but the effort of the uphill quickly drained my water supply. I could have consumed an extra bottle during that section, but I did not bring extra, and it wiped me out. Live and learn.

Later on there was a brief infestation of downhill mountain bikers (3 of them, high-school?) in full-face helmets and shin guards. I saw them pedal off downhill at top speed around a disabled guy with a cane and a family with kids. No joke. Way to go, ***holes.

For those who are not familiar, that is totally not how you are supposed to ride on a multi-use trail with dogs, horses, kids and old folks (do I count myself?). These are not downhill bike courses, which are specially-designed and isolated trails (usually at ski areas) that usually don't have foot traffic and are one-way downhill.

Most other mountain bikers were supernaturally awesome today. Gives you a great feeling when the good will goes both ways on trail!

The tally after 13 miles was dehydration and a nascent blister. I filled up the bottles, this time taking two, and headed out again.

The shot below was from my second time around Parmalee. Earlier a couple on mountain bikes that I had passed two times saw me taking flower photos and mentioned there was a cactus (Prickly Pear I'm sure) with a pink bloom on this trail, but I never saw it. That was nice anyway. I've only seen yellow blooms before.

About 4 hours in I was seriously thinking "I'd rather be doing something else".

I ran out of water by the time I got to my car at 18.7 miles, and the plan was to go get water at the 25-cent per gallon water dispenser downhill in Indian Hills, but A) I didn't have a quarter and B) on closer inspection the blister on my right foot was larger than I thought, and rather irritating. And the lack of water had hammered me.

On several occasions now, I've set out intending to go longer, and bailed out at 4-5 hours. Part of it is hydration and nutrition (the latter was OK this time), but part of it is just not wanting to invest the time. But I'm going to wait until I hydrate correctly to make that call; if I can do that and keep from bonking for 6 hours, I might reconsider.

Distance was 18.85 miles, time 4:39 (moving 3:53), elevation gain/loss 3,429 feet.

P.S. - OK, it is kind of silly feeling bad about cutting a run "short" at 5 hours, 19 miles and 3,400 feet of vertical. But... athletic pursuits are relative to an athlete's abilities, aren't they?

Friday Green Lakewood iWalk

I found myself yawning Friday afternoon (lack of sleep), and wanted to take it easy after work and just relax. I walked on the edge of Green Mountain in Lakewood.

My regular camera was out of juice (I had taken video; that always does it), so these are from my iPhone 4S, which has a pretty decent camera. It did pretty well under the light conditions, even though the brightest highlights were washed out and since they are not RAW, I really had little to work with in adjusting them afterwards. Mainly I brightened the shadows a bit.