June 13, 2017

Weekly Rundown – Leadville Silver Rush 50 Peak Week 2

I will admit that last week felt really difficult and it seemed really challenging to get the miles in that I wanted. As much as I would like to always be consistent and effortlessly bang out 70 mile weeks, getting in 60 miles took all of my will power.

Cannon came down with a virus on Wednesday and was fighting a fever through Sunday. I can’t complain since Cannon is normally such a good sleeper but he was really not feeling well and woke up about every two hours. I think I averaged between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Poor little guy had such a sore throat it would wake him up and made him miserable. I tried to keep up on my running but on Thursday all I wanted to do was be with and try to comfort him. There definitely are priorities in life and Cannon comes WAY above running or any race.

Cannon’s fever broke on Sunday and is feeling much better, so now just two more big weeks before taper!

———–

Monday: Unplanned rest day. I had hoped to get a few miles in after the 50k over the weekend but life got in the way, I had a lot to do for work.

Sweet Boy

Tuesday: 4 miles in the morning, up with the sun, then 4 more miles on the treadmill in the evening after Cannon went to sleep.

Wednesday: 5 miles that felt like garbage, lack of sleep was already starting to get to me. Strength training in the evening.

Thursday: Nothing, just cuddles with Cannon after a particularly difficult night.

Friday: Cory had Friday off so I had more time to get out on a run. I didn’t want to lose much time with Cannon so I got up early and drove to Heil Ranch to get some trail time for 19 miles. Even starting early it was HOT. Summer comes on fast here in Colorado.

Saturday: We spent the morning taking Cannon into the doctor since he had a fever for over three days, he was diagnosed with a virus. We ruled out Strep so there wasn’t much to do other than try to keep him comfortable and hydrated. Both Cory and I wanted to get runs in so after Cannon went to bed for the evening Cory headed out for 21 miles around the neighborhood while I took the monitor down to the basement treadmill. I finished my run around 9:45. I grabbed a cheese stick for dinner and passed out.

Sunday: Again I wanted to get my run done early so I could have more family time. When my alarm went off at 4am I wasn’t feeling very enthusiastic. I got some coffee in my system and forced myself out of the door. The first mile was a death march but after getting warmed up I settled into the run. I am so lucky to have nice trails very close to my house that make these runs easier to get done. I got in 20 miles to top off the week, then spent the rest of the day with my family.

Totals:

Running: 60.2 miles, the goal was 65 but I feel good about what I was able to fit in while still caring for Cannon as best I could. Now that Cannon is feeling better I am hoping for 70+ miles this week, again there will be challenges since Cannon’s birthday is on Saturday (How is he going to be 1 already?!?!?!?!?) and Father’s Day on Sunday. Wish me luck!

August 28, 2016

Breck Crest 10K Trail Race Report

On Saturday I was super excited to run at Breck Crest again! The last two years I have run the half marathon and loved it. Knowing that this is a difficult course all above 9000 feet there was no way I would be ready to run the half marathon 4 weeks after starting to run again. The 10K was still a bit of a stretch but I love this race so much I wanted to give it a go. I won’t go too much in this post on how I did and focus more on just the race and how it was run.

The race starts and ends on the River Walk in Breckenridge. This is an ideal place as it is scenic and also has many clean, flushing(!!!) toilets and free parking. Because the race is small the start is low key and relaxed. The marathon, half and 10k all have separate starts with bike lead outs to wind racers out of town, to the ski hills and finally onto single track. The trails are smooth and wind through forested mountain hillside.

[Source]

Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the course because I decided to not carry my phone. As I was running I really wished I had grabbed our GoPro. Both the half and full marathons run around the back and over the top of the Ten Mile Range. The 10K runs about half way up then cuts around front and then rejoins the half marathon course.

THe first half of the course is mainly up hill on single track in the forest. After about two and a half miles you end up running out onto the ski runs and follow some jeep roads. This part has amazing views of the surrounding peaks and the town of Breckenridge.

[Source]

There is one aid station for the 10K well stocked with water, Gatorade and Honey Stinger products. Just when you reach the aid station you are back on single track to wind your way down the mountain. Most of the trails were smooth but there was a couple sections that were on very technical terrain covered in loose rocks. I believe in the past years we ran on the jeep roads instead of the trail but this year the Spartan Race was on the road.

I was a little worried when I heard that a Spartan race was running on the same day on some of the same trails. The Spartan Race has over 10,000 participants! I am all for people getting out and doing whatever activity makes them happy and keeps them moving but I worried how it might impact my little race. I was happily surprise that there was very little impact. There was plenty of parking when we arrived and we got a spot close the the race start. Our race had to be rerouted a little to not be on the same trails as the Spartan competitors. The only tricky bit was where we had to cross the road the Spartan races were running up. There were SO MANY people it looked like a big city marathon! Luckily I didn’t have to wait too long before darting across and continuing on my way back into town.

The race ends back at the river walk in town, it’s a little short of 10K at about 5.8ish miles in true trail race fashion. The finish area is a great low-key party atmosphere at the finish. There is a large grassy area and access to a small creek so it is a nice area for families to wait for their racers. There is also a Starbucks about a hundred yards away for a convenient caffeine fix. The tech t-shirt is nice and I like the design but it is the same design every year so I have one in three colors. The half and full marathon finishers received medals that looked really nice.

Overall I think this is a great race and I was really impressed at how the dealt with the challenge of the conflicting time of the Spartan race.

July 30, 2014

50k Ultramarathon Training – Week 4

Whew this last week was a great training week but the increase in miles did make Sunday’s run feel long and challenging. It probably didn’t help that I had a LONG busy day at work on Saturday but that just means that it’s great ultra training….right?

CT1

Monday: Easy 2 mile jog with my pup
Tuesday: 7 mile trail run at Bear Creek Lake Park
Wednesday: 5.2 mile run around the neighborhood.
Thursday: 5.9 mile run with mile repeats
Friday: 10 mile trail run at Teller farms in Boulder
Saturday: 2 mile easy shake out run
Sunday: 18 mile trail run from Roxborough State Park to Colorado Trail

Total miles ran or hiked: 50.5 miles
Total hours training: 13:51

This week was a jump in miles from the past few. I did put in a 50 mile week last year in preparation for Ironman Lake Tahoe but that was mainly because I had two long runs in one week (one pushed to Monday from the previous week). While my legs are heavy and tired I feel like I am recovering more quickly and feeling ready to run again each morning. It was a hot week so I am looking forward to a cooler week this week.

July 29, 2014

Running in Leadville

It’s been a long time coming but I wanted to share my adventures in Leadville from last month. In June Cory and I decided we wanted to get out of town for the weekend and hit some trails.

We found a cabin in Twin Lakes (right outside of Leadville) where we could stay and easily hit up some fantastic trails. We left Denver on Friday and drove the two and a half hours to Twin Lakes. We were very excited by how beautiful and quiet the area was. After unpacking a little we jogged up the road until we hit the Colorado Trail for a few miles before heading back to our cabin for dinner, much needed ice cream and bed.

Colo trail

Even though the temperature was very comfortable in the low 70s it felt MUCH hotter, something to note when running in the high country.

On Saturday morning we drove into Leadville where we found a great coffee shop for breakfast before wandering into the Leadville Race headquarters where we got a map of the Leadville 100 Trail Race to find trails. We decided that it would be fun to climb up to Hope Pass (Rising above 12,400 ft).

After talking to some locals we were convinced it was best to climb up the south side with less snow (good advice). By the time we got out to the trail head it was later than we had hoped so the plan was to hike to the top then jog down. Sections were so steep it was hard moving in either direction and oxygen is really in short supply at this elevation. But the views were worth it.

The one not so fun part of the trip was the slippery trail. Towards the bottom of the trail there are leaves still decaying from the fall that are slick as ice. I was fine on the way up but on the way down I slipped and landed hard on both elbows. Luckily it wasn’t a leg so I was able to get myself off the mountain but had some pretty bad bruising on both arms.

I must learn to stay upright on trails! The plan had been to run again on Sunday but after staying up much of the night with a sick pup we scrapped the run in favor for sleeping in a little then driving out around turquoise lake and heading home. We both really loved Leadville, Twin Lakes and the surrounding trails, we can’t wait to get back up and explore some more of the area.

July 23, 2014

50k Ultramarathon Training – Week 3

As I have started week 4 of my 16 week ultra-marathon training plan I thought I would share my plan and how it’s going so far.

50k Ultramarathon Training – Week 3

This was a bit of a step back week. After my race on Sunday I was feeling a twinge in my hamstring so I took it fairly easy during the week. My weekend miles were also a little short because of race spectating, all worth it. Here is how week 3 went down:

Monday: Easy 1 mile walk/jog with my puppies

Tuesday: Short 3.6 mile run around the neighborhood
Wednesday: 4 mile run with repeats
Thursday: 5.25 mile Hilly run
Friday: 2.18 easy shake out run
Saturday: 16.6 mile trail run Devil’s thumb – King’s loop

Sunday: Easy two miles // 0.5 mile swim race

2014-07-20 07.30.14
Total miles ran or hiked: 35.24 miles
Total hours training: 13:19

Sunday was supposed to have 8 mile medium run to back up to Saturdays 16 miles. Instead I raced the swim portion of a triathlon for my dad then cheered while he completed the bike and run portion and my mom did the full tri. They both did great on a tough course at over 11,000 ft elevation. After driving back from Steam Boat and picking up the pups there was no time for a longer run.

Overall it’s an adjustment to running every day, now the challenge is to build in strength training (week 4 I swear!) and then bring back cross training. I do miss my bike and the pool.

Quick recap of the first two weeks:

50k Ultramarathon Training – Week 1

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 4.76 miles with mile repeats
Wednesday: 2 mile run with the pug
Thursday: 6 mile neighborhood loop
Friday: 1 mile run/walk with Bailey
Saturday: 6 mile trail run at Dowdy Draw
Sunday: 10 mile trail run at Sourdough Trail + one twisted ankle

Total miles ran or hiked: 30.1 miles
Total hours training: 7:40

50k Ultramarathon Training – Week 2

Monday: Easy 1 mile walk/jog with my puppies
Tuesday: 4.1 mile run with mile repeats
Wednesday: 6.24 mile neighborhood loop
Thursday: 4.14 easy jog
Friday: 1.43 walk with the pups
Saturday: 1 mile shake out jog
Sunday: 13(ish) mile Copper Mountain Trail Half Marathon

Total miles ran or hiked: 31.02 miles
Total hours training: 7:15

May 22, 2013

Matthew Winters Trail

I really love trail running, and finding a new trail to run on is one of my favorite things in the world. I find trail running in Colorado very different than running on streets or paths with all the hills and technical sections. So I don’t always get to spend time on the trails like I would like. If I have 20 miles on my schedule it my be too difficult for ME to do so on a trail (I know ultra runners do it all the time but I can’t on top of Ironman training) but I do find anything less than 10 miles works and is a good hill workout. This past weekend, I had a shorter run on my schedule so I hopped on the internet and found a new trail not too far from our house. Matthew Winters Trail seemed like a good choice.

Everything is SO green right now!

The trail started out rolling and very runnabel

There were some deer along the trail

As we ran into the south parking lot we could have turned around and headed back the way we came or along the Dakota Ridge trail. We opted for Dakota Ridge, but if I could go back I would backtrack. Dakota Ridge trail is beautiful but not runnable for me, it was steep uphill on rocky terrain that often had stairs cut in. I really did enjoy the views, unfortunately our camera died halfway through so no pictures of the second part.

Do you enjoy trail running? Do you find it difficult to run as far?

April 11, 2011

Hall Ranch 14 Mile Trail Run

Do you ever have a night that is just perfect? Cory and I fell into bed Saturday night with one of our bedroom windows open, it’s still pretty chilly overnight but we both like a cold room to sleep in. I woke up sometime during the night to hear rain and probably hail, it was so peaceful to lay in bed and listen to the rain, it reminded me of being a kid in Oregon. When we got up later in the morning it was blue skies and sunny, perfect, we get the much needed moisture but I don’t have to run through it!

Cory quickly whipped up a batch up whole-wheat blackberry pancakes and eggs while I searched for a fun new trail for us to run. I wanted to run anywhere between 10 and 16 miles. I came across Hall Ranch Trail in Lyons with this description:

It does not get any better than the first half of this route, which is on the Nighthawk Trail – really one of the finest runs in the Colorado Front Range, especially near its western end where spectacular views of Longs Peak appear. Grade: An average six degree angle of ascent seems easy on the excellent Nighthawk Trail. The route becomes more rocky and uncertain during its second half, primarily on the Bitterbrush Trail, which is somewhat more eroded.

Sounded perfect so I packed up everything I needed and headed up to Lyons.

I brought two pairs of shoes, in case my new trail shoes gave me trouble, they didn’t =). I am not a light traveler, I tend to throw in anything I think I might need, plus at least two magazines, heaven forbid I don’t have something to entertain me for two minutes.

I threw on my compression capris, long sleeve shirt and jacket thinking I would be good for a mid 40-50 degree run. As soon as I stepped outside I was cold so I ran back in to throw on my full tights. I should have grabbed gloves and ear warmers too since the wind was very cold.

We got the the trail head easily and got ready to go.

We started off with a nice gentle uphill, the trail gains 1550 ft in the first four miles so it was runnable but I was feeling the incline and feeling grateful that the Colorado marathon is mostly downhill.
If you look closely you can see the trail winding down the hill. We had some prairie dogs visitors along the way, before heading back down to the parking lot. The path back down was much steeper the way up.
We ran into a heard of deer with lots of juveniles in tow, such a cool sight, they were still fluffy with their winter coats.
When we got back to the parking lot we wanted to add a few miles so we did a quick out and back for a total of 14 miles. Over all it was a good run, but the trails kicked my butt, so much harder than roads! On our way home we stopped in Boulder at Whole Foods to grab sandwiches. We then took ice baths showered and relaxed at home.

Today is a rest day and I need to figure out what to do with our training plan since our gym canceled our normal spin class. And rethink summer race plans since two family weddings are on the same day as two races we were planning on, at least we hadn’t signed up yet.

Happy Monday Everyone!

April 4, 2011

22 miles of Mistakes

Yesterday Cory and I decided that for our 22 mile run we wanted to go somewhere new and interesting. Cory suggested that we checkout the Greenland Open Space where the Greenland Trail 50k is run. We found an 11 mile loop that was perfect to run twice with a stop in the middle at our car to refill our packs and grab more nutrition if we needed it. We checked the weather and saw there was a storm coming in late in the afternoon, so we hurried out the door to beat the weather. When we got to the trail we saw some ominous clouds in distance but decided to try to at least get one lap in since I was NOT prepared to run 22 on the treadmill.Here I am power walking to the port-o-potty, check out the gray clouds! After starting out the sun came back out and it was pleasant except for the headwind we were battling. I kept thinking that at least on the way back we would be mostly going down hill with a tail wind.Starting out I honestly didn’t know if I would make it 22 miles, I was tired my legs felt really tired and heavy, it was hard to breath, and I was getting some quad pain, same as I had last week. The thought of not finishing this run was worse than my pain so I huffed, puffed, bitched and whined for about the first five miles. After about five miles it wasn’t easy but I felt like I was at least in a groove. I guess riding 50 miles before running 22 miles for the first time might have made things difficult, brilliant!The loop was described as only having a 500 foot elevation gain, too bad you run up and down that 500 feet 20 times!We ran around Palmer lake and started our way back to the carAs we were running back we decided to take a longer loop , this was a very hilly extension, and as soon as we started climbing we got hit by a very cold head wind. WHAT?!?! We had a headwind running out, how can we have one running back as well? I guess the storm came in early and changed the wind direction, lucky us…..As we got close to the car the rain and snow started hitting us. We had started our run at 62 degrees and it was now 34, we called uncle and decided to finish our run at the gym. This was a good choice give that this was our view a few miles into the drive.
We were so cold that we stopped at Starbucks to get some hot coffee, I probably would have been ok, except I ordered a latte . Huge mistake!!! As soon as I got on the treadmill my stomach started to revolt. The gym was hot and I felt like my stomach was rolling around like a washing machine. I couldn’t stomach anything more than cold water (thanks honey for stopping to buy me cold water, you’re the best!) So the last ten miles were ran with no fuel, just water. Not the best way to finish a 22 mile run but I was happy to be done, and I count it as mental toughness training. The day ended with ice baths and dinner.

It was a difficult day but it was our longest training run before our race and we found a trail we really like. Happy Monday everyone, I am going to enjoy my rest day!

March 25, 2011

Muddy Buddy, Oregon Style

It’s been a busy week getting my parent’s house ready to go on the market, but we took some time off to go for a trail run. My mom had a six mile run on her schedule and since I decided to tag along and she thought we should make it a fun trail run. Love you mom!

We drove down to Sauvies Island in Portland. Sauvies Island is a large agricultural island in the Columbia River. We found a six mile out and back that sounded perfect. As we were driving along the island the parking lot we realized that the trail would be quite muddy, Portland has seen a lot of rain recently.