Random Thoughts

Half-Marathons

2010-10-17T13:38:00.001-06:00

I have completed four half-marathons this year: Salt Lake, Eugene, Maui and Denver. Here is how I rank them.

1. Eugene

It was a close call between Eugene and Denver. I favor Eugene for two reasons. It finishes on the track at Hayward Field, and the post-race food selection is better than Denver.

Pros:

A. Finish at Hayward Field.

B. Great post-race food selection.

C. Good street closure.

D. Start and end at the same location.

Cons:

A. Likely will need to go to waves if it gets any larger. Streets and trails were a bit crowded during the race.

B. Didn't like the shirt. It was a Nike shirt, which may have been designed by them. To get an idea of how it looks, think about some of the hideous uniforms worn by the Oregon Ducks football team. Yes, it was that bad.

2. Denver

This may be second favorite because I set a PR at it. Also, it is close to where I live and work so it is easy to get there and park. Actually, even without these two things, it is far better than Salt Lake or Maui.

Pros

A. It is a very nice course. Considering it is Denver, it is relatively flat. They do a good job of closing the roads, and the course goes through two decent sized parks.

B. It has a downhill/flat finish.

C. Decent post-race food selection.

D. Runners start in waves, which helps keep the course from being too crowded. For the most part, you can run at your own pace.

E. Mile markers at every mile. Also, there were clocks at the majority of the mile markers.

F. Start and end at same location.

G. Shirt was okay. Not sure why they elected to use a tree to represent Denver. Don't love it but don't hate it.

H. Rock-n-Roll now runs it. I've done a Rock-n-Roll marathon and half-marathon. These have been two of the better organized races.

Cons

A. Altitude. This doesn't bother me too much since I live in Denver. For someone traveling from sea level, I imagine it is not a good thing.

B. The weather can be iffy in October in Denver. The last two years, the weather has been perfect. Not too hot or cold at the start and sunny. In previous years, though, there has been cold rain and/or snow.

3. Salt Lake

I am surprised this is third. The race is notorious for being poorly organized. I mainly ran it because it gave me an opportunity to visit my parents. The fact that it comes in third is an indication of how much I disliked Maui rather than Salt Lake being great.

Pros

A. Beautiful scenery at the start. For the first part, the view is of the Wasatch mountains.

B. Great street closures. Salt Lake also has some wide streets so can run at our pace for the majority of the race.

C. Decent post-race food selection.

Cons

A. Brutal uphill in the last mile or so. At least it felt brutal to me.

B. Altitude. See Denver.

C. Didn't like the shirt.

D. No pacers. Probably not a big deal if you have a Garmin, a good sense of pace, or are not running at one of the provided paces. However, I like races with pacers.

4. Maui

Maybe my impression of Maui is colored because I had a nasty cold two days before the race. However, I doubt that I would do this race again. I can't say that about any of the other races, not even Salt Lake. The best part of Maui was staying another week on the island.

Pros

A. Great location. Duh, it is Maui.

B. Starts and ends at the same place. This is not true for the marathoners since they start 26.2 miles away.

Cons

A. No timing chip. Even the small local races in Highlands Ranch, CO use timing chips.

B. Almost no mile markers. The only one I remember seeing was a mile 25 marker for the marathon. I suppose if you own a Garmin, you may not care.

C. Awful road closures. For a good portion of the race, you are running next to cars. The cars are only separated by orange traffic cones. The only thing that makes this somewhat acceptable is the cars are not moving very fast because of gridlock.

D. The course is too crowded. For most of the course, it is congested Unless you are fast, which I am not, you cannot run at your own pace. This race needs to organize into waves or close down more of the road. Closing down more of the road is unlikely since a good portion of the course is on the only major road between Ma'alea and Ka'anapali.

E. No pacers. See Salt Lake above.

F. Too hot and humid, at least for me.

G. Terrible post-race food selection. The only thing that I remember being offered was apple and orange slices. Maybe I missed the smorgasbord, but if it existed, it wasn't readily apparent where it was located.

Maui Observations: Ten Things That We Learned

2010-10-04T21:39:00.003-06:00

Brenda and I recently returned from nine days in Maui. Here are some things that we learned.

1. Don't let the rental car company upgrade you to a larger car. Smaller is better in Maui.

2. Two lane bridges are nice. We discovered an appreciation for them during the drive on the road to Hana.

3. Next time, our first stop for groceries is Mana Foods in Paia.

4. Many newlyweds attend the Old Lahaina Luau.

5. The Old Lahaina Luau is also popular for people celebrating birthdays.

6. Chukars like fresh horse dung. They act like it is a gourmet meal.

7. Don't forget to put sunscreen on top of your hands when horseback riding in Haleakala National Park.

8. The banana bread sold by Julia in Kahakuloa Village makes driving the scary one-lane road into the village worthwhile.

9. If you carry a tripod, people will ask you to take their picture. They often seem disappointed when you take a bad picture of them.

10. It is hard getting on the plane to go back home.

Maui Observations: Things To Do

2010-09-27T20:26:00.004-06:00

During our trip to Maui, Brenda and I tried to do as many activities as we could pack into a week. Here are a couple of the activities that we particularly enjoyed.

1. Haleakala Sunrise

Brenda and I arose at 3:00 am to drive to Haleakala for the sunrise. Aren't we on vacation? We arrived at the summit about an hour before sunrise. We were almost too late. We parked in the last available parking space in the summit lot. The car behind us returned to the lower parking lot.

We got out of the car and were greeted by a cold wind. Fortunately, we were forewarned about the morning cold, and thus prepared. We each wore long pants, sweatshirts with hoods, and gloves.

While prepared for the weather, we didn't bring a flashlight. We stumbled in the dark on a trail to a lookout point. We were the only two people on the trail. Most of the other observers watched from an area next to an enclosed viewing structure.

As I looked East, I saw the sky turning red as the sun rose. With the clouds surrounding the lower portion of the mountains, it was an amazing view. I took pictures that failed to capture the beauty of the changing sky. I was mesmerized by the view. When the sun finally appeared above the clouds, it didn't seem like we had been watching for almost forty-five minutes.

As the sun appeared, a couple was seated on chairs near the parking lot. Brenda noticed the man kneeling before the woman, followed by a hug and champagne. He had proposed, and she accepted. What a great idea.

After the sun was fully visible, the parking lot quickly emptied. We stuck around as the views from the summit were gorgeous. Eventually Brenda convinced me that we needed to leave to check in for horseback riding.

Was it worth getting up at 3:00 am? Absolutely.

Haleakala Summit

Haleakala Summit - View to the West

Tips:

A. Arrive at least an hour before sunrise to park in the summit lot.
B. Wear cold weather clothes. We were both thankful that we also had gloves.
C. Bring a flashlight.
D. Do this early on the trip to take advantage of being on mainland time.

2. Haleakala Horseback Ride

I am surprised this is second on the list. I do not like riding horses. I've ridden a horse once as an adult. I did not enjoy the experience. I agreed to this adventure because Brenda had it high on her list of things to do.

Because the check-in was outside the park, we drove 45 minutes down the volcano to sign the legal waiver and then 45 minutes back up to the summit for the ride. We saw many downhill bikers go down the road. They were all wearing motorcycle helmets and silly jackets. I was glad that we passed on this activity.

At the lower summit parking lot, we used the restroom facilities and applied sunscreen. We then meet our guide Ra.

Once all the riders showed up, Ra loaded us onto horses. My horse was Rocky. After I mounted Rocky, Ra instructed me on the basics for handling the reins. He also warned me to lean back when the horse navigated steeper sections to avoid falling off the front of Rocky. Oh, I now see why we signed the waiver for bodily injury or death. Great, I thought this was safer than bike riding down the mountain.

Our group headed off. As we entered the volcano crater, the views were fantastic. It wasn't long, however, before the trail got steep. I quickly realized Ra was not kidding about the possibility of falling falling over the front of the horse. I spent the next two hours amazed at the views and terrified of falling off the horse every time the terrain steepened. Finally, we arrived at our lunch location. I was grateful to dismount from Rocky.

Lunch should have been pleasant. However, as soon as the food was brought out, the bees appeared. Bees scare me because I have an allergic reaction when stung. I tried to eat lunch as fast as possible while standing - not exactly an idyllic situation.

View at Lunch

Once lunch was finished, the bees left. This allowed me to take in the views and take some pictures. Far too soon, it was time to get back on the horse. Ra promised that the ride out would be easier. Ra also took a picture of Brenda and me on own horses.

Another Lunch View

At this point, you may be wondering how bad were the other activities if this was the second best. Despite the tough first two hours, the ride improved heading out. Ra was correct that going up was easier than going down. This helped me relax on than horse.

As then ride, my horse started to fall behind the group. I tried to urge him to keep up to little avail. Then unexpectedly he started to trot. After getting over the surprise, I realized this was fun. He trotted until he got close to Brenda's horse, then he went back to his slow walk. When the distance opened up again, he would trot until he almost caught with Brenda's horse. This continued for the rest of the ride, and I enjoyed every minute that Rocky trotted. By the time we arrived at the horse trailer, I was almost disappointed that the ride was over. Further, Brenda may have an easier time convincing to ride with her in the future.

Brenda and Me (Yes, we are both wearing sweatshirts.)

Tips:

A. Apply sunscreen to the top of your hands. Brenda and I both got forgot and got sunburned there.

B. Take your camera, there are many photo opportunities.

C. Wear warmer clothing and dress in layers.

Patents - Bicycle "Air Conditioning" for Those Hot Summer Days

2009-08-07T12:23:00.015-06:00

U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,474 - Pressurized Cyclist Water Spraying Apparatus

Abstract

A pressurized cycling water spraying apparatus adapted to be mounted on a cycling device having at least one rotating wheel. The apparatus includes a reservoir having an interior adapted to contain a fluid, an electric generator adapted to generate electric power from the rotation of the wheel, and an electric pump powered by the electric generator and adapted to pressurize the interior of the reservoir by a flow of air from the pump through an air tube and into the reservoir. Pressurized fluid is conveyed from the reservoir through a first tube to a fluid valve adapted to block or pass the pressurized fluid. With the valve in an open position, fluid is further conveyed through a second fluid tube to a spray nozzle adapted to provide a stream of fluid to the rider of the cycling device.

Comment: You can blow water droplets into your face.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,339 - Bicycle Water Pump

Abstract

A liquid dispensing apparatus, suitable for mounting on a bicycle safely provides the rider of the bicycle a way to refresh himself without having to stop and dismount the bicycle. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus generally includes a cylindrical housing containing a supply of liquid. The liquid is dispensed through an unrestricted length of flexible tubing, leading from the housing to a nozzle which is disposed on the handle bars of the bicycle. A pleated bellows is disposed at the bottom of the housing and forms a chamber for holding compressed air. Each inward stroke of the bellows forces air into the chamber so as to hold the contents under pressure. Adjacent the nozzle, and integrally connected thereto is a hand operated valve which, in its normal state is closed. Depressing the valve forces the liquid out of the container, through the tubing and nozzle, to the rider.

Comment: You can either drink the water or splash it onto your face, your option.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,635 - Cyclist Water Supply Apparatus

Abstract

A water supply apparatus is utilized in conjunction with a bicycle to enable a rider to receive either a spray of cooling water or a stream for drinking purposes. A diaphragm-type pump supplies the water. Plural reservoirs enable a plurality of liquids to be transported and utilized, such as water for cooling the rider and a sucrose solution for energy.

Comment: Again, you can either drink the water or splash it onto your face.

Courage Classic 2009 - Day 1

2009-07-28T21:12:00.019-06:00

I very much enjoyed the Courage Classic. I liked the social aspect of the ride. You could ride as fast or slow as you wanted. It was a nice change from competitive events. I also liked riding for cause, specifically to raise money for Children's Hospital. While donations are typically made before the ride, donations can be given until August 31st. If you would like to make a donation to my ride, you can do so at the following site: http://www.couragetours.com/2009/rdh

The Courage Classic involved three days of riding. On the first day, I rode with a group that include three other Dorsey attorneys: Charlene, Steve and Matt. We were joined by Charlene's fiance Dave and their friends Carlos Sr. and Carlos Jr. We started at Leadville and headed towards Copper Mountain via Vail.

The ride started out with a slight downhill, which was a nice warm up. Soon we were climbing the first pass of the day, Tennessee Pass. This was not too bad as the elevation change is relatively small when riding from Leadville towards Vail. We stopped at the first aid station, which was at the top of Tennessee Pass. The aid stations throughout the ride were superb. Not only did each one have water and Gatorade, they also had bananas, oranges, mini bagels, peanut butter, fig newtons, trail mix, granola bars, and cookies.

After refueling, we descended towards Battle Mountain. Steve, Charlene and Dave quickly dropped me on the descent. They also dropped Matt when he pulled over to put on a jacket. As we approached the bottom of the descent, Matt caught up with me. He raced ahead to catch up with Steve, Charlene, and Dave. I jumped onto his wheel. I was soon regretting that decision since Matt is a strong rider. I was barely staying with him and thinking so much for a comfortable ride. It seemed like forever before we caught up with others just before the climb to Battle Mountain. I was thankful to see them since I couldn't have stayed with Matt much longer.

We started as a group climbing Battle Mountain. In a pattern that would repeat itself, Steve and Matt, who are both very good climbers, soon dropped Dave, Charlene and me. The three of us climbed together to the top of Battle Mountain. At the top, Steve and Matt were waiting. We joined them to take a short break and enjoy the view.

Group Picture at Top of Battle Mountain

After a brief rest at Battle Mountain, we descended towards Vail. Steve and Charlene led the descent. I tried to stay close to them but lost some distance when I had some trouble passing some riders around a tight corner. As the route flattened out, I rode hard to catch up. I eventually rejoined them. Soon Matt caught up with us. Dave also caught up with us as we turned onto the bike path from Minturn to Vail. We rode at a social pace to the aid station at Vail, where we stopped for lunch.

The lunch at Vail was also superb. There was sandwiches (turkey, roast beef or veggie), fruit, potato chips, soup, cookies, candy, ice cream, water, gatorade, and soda. I tried not to eat too much since Vail Pass was still ahead. After taking about a forty-five minute break, we got back on the bikes and headed towards Vail Pass. This part of the ride was hot as the sun was out. We got a good pace line going and steadily passed other riders until I lost my jacket and had to turn around to get it. The rest of group slowed down so that I could catch up with them. Dave told me that I owed the group a round of beers, which I still need to make good on.

As we approached the aid station at the "bottom of Vail Pass," the road began to get noticeably steeper. Steve and Matt again took off. I tried staying with them. As we went through the aid station, I was thankful that we decided to stop. As I got off the bike, I realized that I would probably bonk very badly if I tried to stay with Matt and Steve on the climb to Vail Pass as both were much stronger climbers than me.

At the aid station, we regrouped and headed off again. Soon, Matt and Steve had dropped Charlene, Dave and me. They slowed down to let us catch-up but soon had left us again. We would not see them again until we reached the aid station at Vail Pass. As we rode, Charlene warned me about this crazy uphill that came after a short descend. She was not kidding as I almost did not have a gear that I could turn to get up the hill. Thankfully, the steep part of this section was short.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I could see the aid station. At the entrance to the aid station, they had hung a banner which read "King of the Mountains." There were also volunteers ringing cowbells. This was a nice touch. At the rest stop, we regrouped and headed out towards Copper Mountain. There was a short climb followed by a welcomed downhill on a bike path that ended at Copper Mountain.

Coming into the Finish Line

Brenda was waiting at the finish line. I was happy to see her. We stuck around at the finish and had an adult beverage with the group, which was a great ending to a fun day of riding.

Matt and Steve relaxing after the ride

Charlene and Steve

Oregon Pictures

2009-07-21T22:51:00.008-06:00

Pictures from Oregon:

Sluggish

2009-07-05T18:50:00.006-06:00

Sluggish: averse to activity or exertion. This is how I felt over the last week about workouts as my motivation to do them has been low. The result, I've skipped about half of them this last week.

Why such low enthusiasm to workout? Not sure but it may have something to do with knowing that I'm not planning to race again this year. Since Milkman, I've kind of thought that the race season may be over for me. I was on the fence about Loveland. I ended up doing it because I had already paid the entry fee and needed a workout for the day. Loveland only confirmed in my mind that I have little interest in participating in another race this year.

Another potential issue, the sports medicine doctor who I am seeing has instructed me to avoid high intensity workouts until I see her again. This is most likely precautionary but I plan to follow these orders. So, I will not be doing any speed or other high effort workouts for two weeks.

Despite my recent general adverseness to workouts, Saturday was a good day. Although scheduled to ride for two hours after swimming, I ended up riding for four hours. The extra two hours came when I ran into the 17 hour training group towards the end of my two hour ride. When I saw them in the midst of their 17 hour training day, I made a quick decision to ride up Deer Creek with them. This turned out to be a good decision as riding with group boosted my morale. Even though I was dropped by the main group, I enjoyed going up the canyon at a slow, relaxed pace with Andrea.

Today, I rode an hour with Brenda. This was a fun ride as we took it easy on the Ralston Creek trail. Even better than the ride being relaxing, I got to do it with Brenda. It was nice to ride on two consecutive days with no agenda or plan other than just riding. I could get comfortable with this training with no intensity.

100

2009-06-28T18:02:00.007-06:00

Today was another first: a 100 mile bike ride. One hundred miles does not seem like much compared to what others did this week but it was more than enough for me. At Steve's suggestion, I started at about Tower and Colfax and rode East, first on Colfax and then old US 40 to just beyond Deer Trail.

The ride started out well. The route has gently rolling hills that trend downward from Tower to Deer Trail. There was also a slight tailwind, which I knew that I would pay for when I headed back. Best of all, the traffic was light.

I wasn't sure what to expect on the ride so I kept out an eye for gas stations and other potential places to stop to get more water and other supplies. About an hour into the ride, I saw, to my surprise, a rest area. I decided to stop there, use the restrooms, refill my water bottles, and eat some food.

After the brief stop, I continued towards Deer Trail. The scenery was not much to look at, just either flat ground or rolling hills with an occasional tree. Every 12 miles or so, there seemed to be a small town. After I passed though Byers, there was a sign indicating that it was only 12 miles to Deer Trail. I looked at my watch and saw that I was only 30 miles into the ride. This was not good since Brenda was planning to meet me in Deer Trail, which we thought was about the 1/2 point of the ride based on checking the route on Map My Ride. Oops, so much for accuracy.

At Deer Trail, I called Brenda to let her know that I planned to ride another 7 miles up the road to get to 50 and then turn around and meet her in Deer Trail. This turned out to me good since I was more than 1/2 done when I meet Brenda. As I approached Deer Trail, I saw Brenda's car. As I neared the car, Stella, her dog, started to bark. Stella does not like cyclists. She stopped barking when I pulled off my helmet and wanted to be petted, which I did. Brenda gave me more water and some food to eat. While doing this, Stella took advantage of the situation and ate the remaining half of a cinnamon roll that Brenda had purchased. At times, she is too clever for her own good.

For a brief moment, I thought about packing my bike in Brenda's car and catching a ride back to my car. However, I felt good and wanted to ride the full 100. So we parted ways. I promised Brenda that I would call when I got back to my car. Like Loveland, Brenda did not approve of this ride. She was hoping that Mother Nature would bring stormy weather to cut the ride short. Unfortunately for her, it was still sunny with few clouds in the sky so the ride continued.

Shortly after leaving Deer Trail, I found the headwind. It slowed my progress. By about 70 miles, I was ready to be done with the ride. My car, though, was still thirty miles away so I had to keep on riding. Slowly, the miles passed by. Finally, I reached the rest area. Again, I stopped to use the restroom and take in some more water and food. I decided not to refill the water bottles on my bike.

For 80 miles, I had been carrying a third water bottle in my bike jersey. I had not needed to use it since I had been able to refill the bottles on my bike. The weight of the bottle was starting to bother my back. I decided that I would rather carry an empty bottle than a full back up bottle. There was only another 20 miles to ride, and I knew there was a gas station about 10 miles up the road if I needed water.

Off I went. The brief rest seemed to help as I felt better for the first few miles. After about seven miles, the headwind and the generally uphill nature of the route was beating me down again. The next seven or so miles were tough. However, as I approached the end of the ride, I saw in the distance the interchange for I-70 and E470. This seemed to revitalize me as I knew I was close to the end. The last five miles seemed to fly by. When I finished, my watch showed 100.2 miles of riding. I had done it. Not only that, I felt better after the ride than I did yesterday after the swim/run brick, which took about half the time but physically drained me.

While the scenery left a little to be desired and miles 70 to 95 were tough, today was a good training day. I would definitely like more of these and less swim/run sessions. And, before I forget, thanks Brenda for driving out the Deer Trail to bring me food and water and to make sure I was okay.

Milkman II

2009-06-26T21:19:00.003-06:00

I received an unexpected package from the organizers of the Milkman Triathlon this week. The package contained a coffee cup with the Milkman Triathlon logo and a ceramic medal. The package also had a handwritten note hoping that I was doing better. This was a very nice surprise.

I failed to mention in my race report that the organizers of the Milkman Triathlon run a very nice and well organized race. They are also very nice and went well beyond what I would have expected them to do. While I was in the hospital, they found my equipment and drove my car from Dexter to Roswell. The next day, they called to see how I was doing. Although the race didn't go well, I still had a positive experience because of the organizers.

Milkman Triathlon

2009-06-11T18:56:00.004-06:00

Milkman was not good. Not only did I not achieve the goals that Steve and I discussed, I was a DNF. I do not recall what happened. I've been told that I collapsed about 100 yds from the finish from heat exhaustion. I can only assume it is true since I don't remember the last 1/2 mile of the run. I remember running past the 2.5 mile marker. My next memory is waking up in a hospital bed. I stayed in the hospital for over 24 hours so that I could be re-hydrated. I do not recommend spending a weekend this way. The only good part was I got to see my sister since she flew down to drive me home. Thanks sis.

What happened at this race worries me. This was a sprint distance race. In less than 75 minutes, I went from feeling fine to being in the ER at a hospital. I had a similar, although not as bad, experience at Rage as I needed to hold onto Brenda to steady myself at the end of the race. Two triathlon races, and two bad loss of fluid experiences. While the weather was hot at both races, it was not excessively hot. I raced last year in races in Colorado as hot as these races without experiencing these issues. What has happened in one year that I can't seem to tolerate heat?

I'm not sure that I want to do Loveland. If I had to make the decision today, I would not race. Maybe I will feel different next week. I wonder, though, what happens if I take in water, Gatorade, and other nutrition, and I still end up in a dehydrated state? Is it really worth doing a race where I may, even if I do things 100% right, potentially collapse and end up in an ER? On the other hand, maybe this is will not be an issue if I actually take in the proper amount of fluids (both water and Gatorade) during a race. I learned the hard way that I need to be much better at taking in nutrition during a race.

It was been a strange year so far. While I've had two bad race experiences, I've also had many great experiences. Some of the great experiences include:

1. Hiring Steve as a coach - I've done things that I likely would not have done if Steve was not coaching me.

2. Meeting lots of great people through Practical Coaching.

3. Running/walking 15+ miles on the Colorado trail and talking with James during the last 3 or so miles of the run as IT band issues forced both of us walk to the end.

4. Running up High Grade with Sarah. Other than the Colorado trail, it was my longest run ever (almost 13 miles) and mostly uphill.

5. Riding Shadow Mountain with Andrea, Michele B., Anne, and Sarah. For Michele, Anne, Sarah, and me, it was our first time.

6. Running Sharp Tail Ridge with Andrea. I didn't feel like running that day but Andrea pulled me the first few miles until I found my legs.

7. Running with Tyler after swimming two laps in the Gravel Pond. Before I ran into Tyler, I did not feel like running. Running into Tyler (figuratively, not literally) lifted my spirits, and somehow the run seemed to go quickly as he pulled me through the loop.

8. Riding City View with Michelle F. It was my first time up City View, and Michelle was awesome in providing guidance on how to approach the ride.

9. Swimming 5K not once, but twice. Less than one year earlier, I was worried about completing 500 yds in a pool triathlon.

10. Running with Beth during a group run from Waterton Canyon to the Gravel Pond parking lot. We had a great talk for the first part, and Beth made me work hard on the second part as she lifted the speed but always pulled back when I was about to be dropped.

11. Running with Steve, Anthony and Sonja for a portion of their 50 mile Highlands Ranch to Boulder run.

12. Seeing the group at track each week. Highlights include running at various times with Barry, Jewels, Andrea, Sarah, Michele B., Jenna and Doreen.

Overall, the good has far outweighed the bad. And in the end, maybe it was good that I did not cross the finish line before collapsing. If I had crossed, I probably would have qualified for Nationals as I was in the top third of my age group at mile 2.5. Given how I've struggled in heat, I probably should not be racing in heat and humidity. By collapsing just before the finish, I immediately got help that kept a bad situation from getting worse while not facing a decision of whether to risk racing at Nationals. This was probably a blessing in disguise.

Bolder Boulder

2009-05-25T21:04:00.004-06:00

This is the third time that I've done Bolder Boulder. However, it is the first time that I have run it. I first did Bolder Boulder in 1999 and walked it. I probably could not have run the whole distance if I tried. Last year, I also walked it. I could have run it but walked it with my sister and her kids. This year, it was a training run so no walking.

As usual, a warm-up run was scheduled before the race. This time, the warm-up was four miles, which meant getting to the race early. Other than getting up very early, this worked out well since it was easy to drive to Boulder and find parking. After arriving in Boulder, I ran from the stadium area towards the start line.

I did not feel good during the warm-up. It took about 3 miles to start feeling okay, and even then my running still felt off. I was a bit worried about the sluggishness but tried to be positive. I also recalled Andrea commenting that the warm up before a track workout does not always provide a good indication of how the track workout will go so I hoped the same would apply to this race.

I finished a little early so I walked around the start area and watched other runners warming up. After walking around for about twenty minutes, I found my wave, which was heading towards the start line. Because I wanted to try to start slow, I stayed towards the back of the my wave. I did not want to get caught up in the surge that seems to happen at the start of running races.

For the first mile, I tried to take it easy. The race starts downhill so it is a bit hard to hold back. As I crossed the first mile marker, my time seemed a bit fast. So I tried to ease up a little for the next mile. The course starts to go slightly uphill for the second mile. Easing up seemed to help as I felt good at mile marker 2. The only downside was my split for the second mile was slower than the first mile.

For the third mile, the course continues uphill. This may be the toughest mile on the course, and my split time reflected it as it was the slowest of all of my mile splits. As I passed the 5 km banner, I was still feeling pretty good. Since the race was half over and still feeling good, I decided that I could pick up the effort a little. The increased effort lead to the fastest split of the race at the 4 mile marker. Even better, the course is primarily downhill from mile 4 to 5. This downhill section combined with a little more effort resulted in my fastest split for the entire race at mile 5. Unfortunately, just after mile 5, the course again starts to go uphill.

The unfavorable change in slope lead to a slower last mile. However, the time for this last mile was almost exactly the same as the time for the fourth mile. In fact, it was a little faster. It also meant that I easily negative split the race, which was a goal heading into the race. The icing on the cake was I set a PR for a 10K race with a time of 49:21.

Here are some things that I took away from the race:

1) It was good getting to the race very early. Parking was easy to find, which reduced a lot of stress. I had plenty of time to do a warm-up without feeling rushed.

2) If you are going to run the Bolder Boulder and can do it in less than 62 minutes, then sign up for a qualified wave. Having started in non-qualified waves in the past and seeing how hard it is to get around people, it is much easier running with a group of people who run at about your same speed.

3) I still need to figure out the right level of effort for 10K races. I am not sure whether I can go a little harder at the start and still have enough left at the end to pick up the pace.

Sunday Fun in the Mountains

2009-05-17T16:28:00.005-06:00

For the third consecutive week, a ride in the mountains was scheduled for Sunday, specifically the City View ride. Unlike the last two weekends, the weather was beautiful today. So nice, I wore just bike shorts and a short-sleeved bike jersey. The nice weather also brought out the cyclists today. Last week, I could have counted the number of riders that I saw riding in Deer Creek Canyon using two hands. Today, I needed a calculator to keep track of the number of riders. Maybe bad weather has its advantages.

Before the ride, I was a little nervous about how my legs would respond. I ran my track workout rather later yesterday so I wasn't sure my legs would be recovered. However, my legs actually felt pretty good. Surprisingly, they seemed to have some power in them. Maybe it was because I slept great last night. I don't know why, but it was the best sleep that I can remember having in the last month or so. It was such a good, deep sleep that I didn't even know that Brenda's dog was barking at the back door at 4:00 am because the cat wanted in the house.

The ride itself was rather uneventful. I practiced riding in the time trial position for some of the climb and descent. I passed some riders on the way up and got passed by two guys. Ugh, I hate getting passed on climbs but both guys were obviously much stronger than me. However, I feel like the bike might be coming around. As evidence, today's ride was the fastest that I've done City View this year. I'm sensing, although I can't explain it, that some breakthroughs may be coming later this year if I continue to trust and execute (as best as I can) the workouts put together by Steve.

Terrible Track

2009-05-16T20:15:00.003-06:00

Today's track workout, not so good. The workout was a 2 mile warm up, followed by 6x1 mile repeats with full recovery and a 1 mile cool down. Although the workout didn't say anything, I know Steve wants the times to decrease for each successive mile. I did just the opposite today.

The workout started out well. The two mile warm went fine. At the end, I was ready to do the track portion. In fact, I probably felt too good. I ran the first mile. I thought that I was going slow. However, for my typical pace, I was not. When I finished the first mile, I stopped my watch and checked the time: 7:15. Uh, oh, I knew this was bad. My fastest mile at track this year is 7:33, This was 18 seconds faster than my fastest mile to date, and there were still five more miles to go.

I tried to go a bit easier on the second one. The time was slower than the first one: 7:25. This was still too fast, though. Already, I had done two mile splits faster than any previous mile split this year, and I was only 1/3 done with the workout.

The third mile was tough. Surprisingly, I did it at 7:27, which was almost the same as the second mile. However, I was really beginning to notice the headwind through a portion of each 400. It seemed to be getting stronger but it probably only felt this way because I was getting tired.

My times starting falling apart on mile 4. I seemed to be going much slower, and it was getting more difficult to maintain the pace earlier in the repeat. The watch confirmed what I was experiencing: 7:47. This was going in the wrong direction. Mile 5 was a little better: 7:43. By this point, I felt mentally done. I was just hoping to survive the final lap.

The last lap, I didn't have much left. I felt like I was plodding. And who turned up the wind? Actually, I don't think the wind was any different, it was probably me being tired. Again, the stopwatch confirmed my feeling: 7:53. In short, a total disaster since this lap should have been the fastest and not the slowest. After the last lap, I did the one mile cool down. It felt good to go slow.

As I was doing the cool down, I wondered if I had fought hard enough on that last mile. When I got home, however, I was somewhat surprised by the data from my heart rate monitor. At the end of the first lap, my heart rate was 185. At the end of the sixth lap, my heart rate was 192. So, maybe I was trying hard but I just don't have the stamina to do six of these repeats yet. Also, I made a huge mistake by going too fast in the beginning that I paid for at the end. I need to work on starting off easier when I am running alone. This seems to be less of this problem when I am running at track with others. Well, hopefully I will learn from this experience and do better next time.

Annoying Email

2009-05-14T12:16:00.003-06:00

I occasionally receive annoying email at work. Some of the most annoying are the self-congratulatory email distributed by the litigation attorneys in my firm when they achieve a victory at a trial, such as the following (names redacted to protect the innocent and not so innocent):

"As many of you know, Partner and Associate won an impressive and quick victory in a Title VII discrimination jury trial in federal court yesterday. We represented Company X who according to the 63 year old male plaintiff engaged in gender discrimination by firing him and then replaced him with a 38 year old male employee. Plaintiff attempted to convince the jury that the reasons for firing him were pretextual and despite the fact the company hired a male to replace him, it historically had preferred to hired females for the position and thus engaged in gender discrimination. Partner and Associate (who handled the Associate's first witnesses) sliced up that defense in short order and the twelve person jury was back in 45 minutes with a defense verdict. As always, this was a team effort with Paralegal and Administrative Assistant providing valuable assistance. Please join me in congratulating the whole team. We have a very happy client as well."

This got me to thinking about what kind of self-congratulatory email could a patent attorney send out to stroke the patent attorney's ego. Maybe it would be something like this:

Yesterday, the patent office issued a Notice of Allowance for our client's super duper new product. After a hard fought prosecution, we successfully convinced the Examiner about the errors of his ways resulting in the Examiner reversing ground on all rejections. Upon issuance of the patent, our client can send threatening letters to its arch-nemesis and any other company that attempts to knock-off its fantastic product. As always, this was a team effort with the Partner providing oversight, the associate (who handled the Office action responses with brilliance) doing the grunt work, and the paralegal providing invaluable assistance. Please join me in congratulating myself and my teammates. Go team!!!! Of course, the client is ecstatic about this victory and the future possibility of giving us more money when it seeks to enforce its rights.

Cinco de Mayo 10K

2009-05-02T15:39:00.007-06:00

Earlier this week, Steve asked whether I was interested in doing the Bolder Boulder 10K. I'm glad he asked because I had been thinking about asking him whether I could do this race. There was only one problem. I wanted to start in one of the qualifying time waves but did not have a 10K qualifying time since I had no results from Rage in the Sage (more on that in a future post). I could have used one of my 5K times from the previous year. However, I wanted a more accurate 10K time to reflect what I am currently running since I am not running as fast as I was in July 2008 when I ran the Highlands Ranch July 4th 5K but I seem to be running faster than in November and December 2008 when I ran the Turkey Trot 5K and the Jingle Bells 5K. The solution: Steve wrote the Highlands Ranch Cinco de Mayo 10K into my training schedule.

Steve and I did not talk did about goals before this race. However, I am beginning to develop a feel for how Steve wants me to approach races. So, I set the following goals:

1) Finish in less than 62 minutes (okay, probably not a goal Steve would approve but the whole point of doing this race was to get a qualifying time for Bolder Boulder);

2) Start slow and build through the race; and

3) Have enough left at the end to pick up the pace.

As has been the case for the last month, the weather turned bad again this weekend. Last night, it rained. This morning, it was overcast and a cool 40 or so degrees. The poor weather may have kept some people away as something like 65 runners were listed as finishing this race. I am kind of surpised since the weather was nice running weather.

Despite the nasty looking conditions, Brenda and I headed up to the race site early so that I could join Laura for a 2 mile warm-up run. Brenda decided to walk the 5K since she plans to walk Bolder Boulder with her friends. After she has signed up for the 5K earlier this week, she was informed by a friend in Highlands Ranch that no one walks the Highlands Ranch races. I immediately received an email asking me why I didn't give her this information because she did not want to finish last. I didn't tell her because I didn't know this information. When I told her that I didn't know, she informed me that she should've known better because I'm a terrible observer. Later, she told me that I must buy her an expensive dinner if she finished last. Fortunately, she did not finish last as she kicked butt and walked the course in sub-15 minute miles.

After arriving at the race site, I picked up my race number and timing chip. Laura and I then went on a slow two mile run to warm up. Andrea wanted me to run with Laura to keep me from going to hard during warm-up. We ended with some striders and headed back to the race start. After jogging for a few minutes with Brenda and using the restroom in the Southridge recreation, I got to the start line about one minute before the 10K race. There were so few people running the race that I did not have a hard time finding a start position. I try to position myself more towards the back of the small pack so that I would not start too fast.

The gun sounded and we were off. As is typical in Highlands Ranch races, the first portion of the course (maybe first 1/2 mile) was downhill. This seemed to spur people to go out fast, which resulted in me being towards the back 1/3 of the group. It was difficult to hold back but I was pretty sure the course would eventually go uphill so I tried to conserve energy. I settled into was seemed to be a comfortable pace for me. As the road began to go slightly uphill after about the first 1/2 mile, I started catching and passing people ahead of me on the course. The uphill was short and turned back into a downhill. However, I continued to pass people who seemed to be struggling as we approached the first mile.

At mile one, I caught up with a guy running in an orange race shirt. There was also a water station at mile 1. As we passed it, the volunteers asked if we wanted water. The guy said no but he would take a beer if they had one. I commented that a beer sounded good but would probably be better after the race. He agreed, and we exchanged small talk for the next 1/4 mile. At this point, the course was still downhill. I was feeling good and started to pull away from him. However, he picked up the pace and stayed just behind me. As we continued towards mile 2, we passed a few more people.

After mile 2, the course continued to be slightly downhill. I started to open up a gap between me and the orange shirt guy. About half-way to mile 3, however, the course began to go uphill again. The orange shirt guy caught and passed me. It is not for long, however, as the course just as quickly turned back downhill which allowed me to catch and pass him. Of course, this being Highlands Ranch the course once again started to go uphill as we approach mile 3. The orange shirt guy passed me again and opened up a gap on me. Meanwhile, we were both catching up with and passing about two or three other people ahead of us on the course.

As we continued climbing uphill, I thought that it strange I had seen no one running back the other way since the I knew the turn-around was coming up. Finally, there was one guy running back. Then, just behind him a pack of three people. There was a couple of more and then I started to lose count. I need to do better job of counting the number of people ahead of me. In my defense, usually there are so many that I can't keep track. As I crested the top of the hill, I thought I could see the turn-around. I was kind of surprised since not much time had passed since I had seen the first runner heading back (at the end, not really surprising since I think his pace was around 7:12 min/miles - where were all of the fast runners?). Anyway, the turn-around came pretty quick. At that point, I would guess there were about 20 or so people (maybe 25) ahead of me on the course.

As I headed back, the course again went downhill. I quickly caught the guy in the orange shirt. He was clearly a bit stronger than me on uphills but I was faster on the more flat and downhill sections. As I caught him, I told him that he was strong on the hills. He agreed but pointed out that it wasn't doing him any good since I was catching and passing him on the downhills. I laughed and told him not to worry because there were plenty of uphill portions left for him to catch me on. In truth, I was thinking that I had been holding back a little on the downhill and uphill portions and that I had no intent of letting him pass me again on an uphill portion since the race was more than half over.

I slowly started to pull away from him on the downhill. I could tell since I could no longer hear his footsteps or his breathing. After opening up a gap on him. I began focusing on trying to catch people ahead of me on the course. When I passed a person, I would then focus on the next person that I could see.

As I passed mile 4, the course again turned uphill. This actually proved to be helpful as I would slowly but steadily closed the gap between me and the person just ahead of me as the course went uphill. Just before mile 5, the course reached a peak. I could see the 5k and 10K course below. From this vantage point, I observed the course went downhill for a short distance and the headed uphill again. I also thought that I saw Brenda walking on the 5K course. I was excited to see her since I knew that I would pass her as we headed towards the finish.

Once I past mile 5, the course again started uphill again. I saw two woman and a man just ahead of me. One by one, I caught each one of them and passed them. Then I saw Brenda just ahead. As I went past her, I said hi. There were two guys ahead of me but they had a fairly large gap on me. As we neared mile 6, the uphill got fairly steep. While I was making up ground, it wasn't fast enough. Once we got to the top of the hill, the last 0.2 miles was pretty much downhill. Although I picked up the pace, they also picked up the pace. In the end, they finished about fifteen seconds ahead of me. As for the orange shirt guy, he never caught me again once I passed him for good on the downhill section just after the turn-around.

After finishing the race, I got some water and waited for Brenda to finish. She came through at around 45 minutes. She actually walked faster than some of the people who jogged/walked the 5K. I was very proud of her. Plus, since she was not last, I was off the hook for buying her an expensive dinner.

Overall, I was pleased with this race. I felt strong enough at the end of the race to run another mile. Also, other than the early back and forth with the orange shirt guy, I was never passed in the race. I also was continually improving my place as the race progressed. The results showed that I finished 12th out of 66 participants. Best of all, I got my wave qualifying time as I finished in well under 72 minutes with a time of 51:36. In short, it was a very fun and successful training race.

Vegas

2009-04-26T20:12:00.005-06:00

Last week, Brenda and I went to Las Vegas. The primary purpose was for me to race in Rage in the Sage with other Practical Coaching teammates. However, since we were in Las Vegas, it was also a short vacation.

On Thursday morning, we flew into Las Vegas. It was surprisingly cloudy and a bit chilly as the storm that was about to hit Colorado was leaving the Vegas area. Not to worry, though, as the weather would soon change to sunny and hot for the rest of our time in Vegas.

We took a taxi to the Venetian and checked in. Since our room was not ready, we checked out the hotel and ate at one of the restaurants. Being huge gamblers (not), we then picked up our $25 slot credit and proceeded to lose it over an hour of playing video blackjack and video poker on the $0.25 machines.

After blowing through our slot credit, our room was finally ready. The room was almost as large as Brenda's house - just kidding. It was nice though with a remote control window blind that it took us what seemed like ten minutes to figure out and three TVs: one in the living room area, one in the bedroom area, and one in the bathroom. We had a very nice view of the Venetian pools and Treasure Island. I changed into running clothes and went jogging for 45 minutes on a treadmill in the fitness room (thanks Steve) while Brenda went to the hot tub.

After the jog, Brenda and I dined at an Italian restaurant in the Venetian. We then got some gelato at the gelato stand in the fake St. Mark's Square and took a ride on the indoor gondola. After the gondola ride, we headed out to check out other attractions as hotels on the Strip. Our first stop was the pirate show in front of Treasure Island - what a waste of time. The show was super cheesy with the directing you to go into the casino to "get the treasure" at the end of the show making it not only cheesy but also tacky.

We next headed to the Mirage to check out the volcanoes. However, the volacano show was still a half-hour from starting so we continued down the Strip until we reached the Bellagio. At the Bellagio, we watched the fountain show, which was awesome. By the time the show was over, however, it was too late to catch the volcano show at the Mirage. So, we headed back up the other side of the Strip towards the Venetian. As we walked past the Flamingo, I found it hilarous that the hotel that advertised Donny & Marie as its headline show also had pole dancers above its slots. After walking for what seemed like forever, we arrived back at the Venetian and went to bed.

Friday started early as I needed to drive to Hoover Dam to meet Gary, Laura, Steve and Andrea for a 9:00 am tour of the dam. Meanwhile, Brenda stayed at the Venetian to get a massage. After some confusion, Gary found a work colleague, who gave us a private tour of the dam. I wish that I had taken a camera to take pictures of some of the places that we visited, such as walking down a ventilation tunnel to the face of the dam and looking up at the dam from river level. After the dam tour, I headed over to Lake Mead national park to drive the bike course. Then back to Vegas to pick up Brenda, over to Henderson to pick up my race packet, and finally to Boulder City to check into the Boulder Dam Hotel.

The Boulder Dam Hotel was a nice surprise. To get into our room, we had a real key rather than one of those magnetic cards. The room itself had hardwood floors and was done in an art deco style. Even better, there were multiple restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. If I ever do this race again, I would stay there again. After grabbing a quick bite at one of the local restaurants, I got my gear ready for the race and we headed to bed.

4:00 a.m. came way to early. After a quick breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed over to Lake Mead for the race. While I raced, Brenda took pictures. This was Brenda's first triathlon. She was a real trooper waiting in the heat for me to finish. I was super happy to see her at the finish line. She was also very funny. She told me that the guy who won the Olypmic distance finished before I got off the bike. Like that was information that I needed!!! We stayed around and watched other Practical Coaching teammates finish the half-Ironman distance and then headed back to Vegas to return our rental car and check into Mandalay Bay.

At Mandalay Bay, we were informed that we had been upgraded to the Four Seasons. I asked Brenda if that was good, and she said "uh yes." We had to go check in at the Four Seasons registration desk. We must have been some sight. Both of us were sweaty and dirty, and I was carrying a trash bag filled with dirty clothes. I'm surprised that they let us check in. We immediately went to the room. While the room didn't look like much (especially compared to the Venetian), the bed was soooo comfortable. It was very difficult to get off it to get ready for a night on the town with other Practical Coaching teammates.

Despite the temptation of just going to bed, we headed out to New York-New York to meet the Practical Coaching gang for a Cirque du Soleil show, Zumanity. Zumanity is described as "a seductive twist on reality, making the provocative playful and the forbidden electrifying! Leave all inhibitions at the door and let loose as this adult-themed production takes you on a sexy thrill ride full of sensational acrobatics and naughty fun." It was definitely not for the under 18 crowd. The acrobatics were amazing, and the show was very entertaining.

After the show, we wandered up to Bellagio to watch the fountains. Interestingly, the music that accompanied the fountain show was the same music for the fountain show that we saw on Thursday. We then headed into the Bellagio to get something to eat. After missing getting into the buffet restaurant by about ten minutes, we headed over to Noodles where there was a long line to get into the restaurant. After waiting for a table for well over twenty minutes, the rest of the group decided to leave and go find ice cream, leaving only Brenda and me to get dinner at the overpriced Noodles.

When I told the hostess that our group was down to two, she told me that was a problem because while the table for ten was ready, we would have to wait at least another 5 minutes to be seated for two. We almost left at that news but Brenda was too hungry to try to find another restaurant. We finally got seated and had a very so-so meal. It would have been okay if it was not so expensive. After dinner, we headed back to New York-New York to get some ice cream. Unfortunately, Ben & Jerry's was closed so we took it as a sign to give up on trying to find ice cream and instead headed back the Four Seasons. At the Four Seasons, we both crashed on the comfortable bed.

The next morning, I headed to the Four Seasons' fitness room to spin on an exericse bike for 1 hour. While spinning, a Four Seasons' staff member constantly came over to bring me water. It was the first time that I have ever had water brought to me while working out. It was nice. Brenda and I then went to brunch at Verandah restaurant in the Four Seasons. We did the buffet breakfast. The food at the buffet was wonderful, maybe the best that I have ever had at a buffet. The fruit was so fresh, the pancakes were fluffly, the potatoes were delicously seasoned, and the dougnuts were freshly made at the doughnut station. Although expensive for breakfast, it was well worth the cost.

After breakfast, we sadly checked out of the Four Seasons, got a locker in the Four Seasons spa to store the clothes that we would change into for out flight home later in the day, and spent the afternoon at the pools in Mandalay Bay. The locker at the Four Seasons included a robe and sandals, again a nice touch. We mostly just hung out on lounge chairs by one of the pools and read the New York Times, which had been left outside our room in the Four Seasons. We also floated in the lazy river. The lazy river went under a couple of waterfalls. Each time we went past the waterfalls, Brenda and I tried to push each other under them. Neither of us succeeded, but we both had fun trying to get the other soaked.

Sadly, the evening came too quickly. We ate dinner at an expensive Mexican restaurant in Mandalay Bay. We spend well over a $100 for two, which was kind of shocking considering that we often eat out at Mexican restaurants in Denver for well under $30. Who knew you could spend that much money in a Mexican restaurant? We then headed to the airport and flew back to Denver, ending our short but fun Vegas vacation.

Rain, Rain Go Away (and Take the Wind with You)

2009-04-12T21:21:00.003-06:00

What happened to Spring? Okay, Spring is the time for rain. But why on the weekend, especially when a two hour bike ride followed by a 30 minute run is on the training schedule? Yes, today's workout involved riding and running in the rain. Even better, it was also windy with the temperature in the low 40s. Despite the less than ideal conditions, the workout was kind of fun. However, if given a choice, I would prefer working out in the sunny sixty degree weather predicted for tomorrow.

The fun part of the workout was testing out the new aero bars. This was the first time I have used aero bars when riding. Initially, I was a little shaky but became more comfortable as I rode longer. I wish that I had them installed earlier so that I could have practiced more with them before the race this Saturday. However, I will have another chance to try them out on Wednesday.

As for the race, hopefully the weather will be better in Vegas. If not, then at least today was good practice for dealing with poor weather conditions.

New Blog Feature

2009-04-08T12:45:00.003-06:00

Since I've finally have started to sign up for races and events this year, I decided to add a new feature to the blog: races and events that I am doing in 2009. So far, there are three: Rage in the Sage, Loveland Lake to Lake, and the Courage Classic.

At Rage in the Sage, I'm doing the Olympic distance, which will be a first for me. It will also be the first time that I have done 10K run race. Not sure it is entirely smart to do a step up in run race distance by first swimming and biking. Regardless, I am both excited and nervous about this race, which is just a little over a week away.

I've done Loveland before but only as the bike leg of a relay team. This time, it will be an individual effort. I'm interested in how the bike compares from last year now that I also must swim first and run afterwards.

The Courage Classic is a bike event rather than a race. It involves riding for three days in the Copper Mtn/Vail area. I thought about doing it last year but wasn't sure whether I would be able to handle riding three days in the mountains. This year, I'm more confident that I can do it. I'm also doing it because it raises money for Children's Hospital, which means that I need to raise at least $300. The link for the Courage Classic takes you to my rider page where you can make a donation. Any donations, no matter how much, would be much appreciated.

I am still looking for an early July and an August or September triathlon. I know Steve would like me to do Lifetime Fitness in Minneapolis (early July) but I not sure that I want spend money to travel to Minneapolis to do a race. I not a big fan of Minneapolis, and I already must travel there too often (about once every two years) for work. Yes, once every two years is too much for me. If you have any suggestions for races in July, August or September, let me know.

Lots of Running

2009-04-02T21:27:00.003-06:00

It seems like there has been quite a bit of running on my schedule recently. It started last Saturday with a 12+ mile run up Deer Creek Canyon. This was not the original plan. The Saturday workout should have been a bike City View/run 8 mile brick. However, a blizzard on Thursday resulted in a last minute change of plans.

Because of the last minute nature of the workout, I didn't have time to think too much about what I had agreed to do. It turned out to be a great run. Steve paired me with Sarah and started us up the canyon ahead of the rest of the group. We ran at a constant pace up High Grade towards the school. I kept expecting to see Troy, Sonja's awesome husband who provided support for our run, pass us in the truck, which would indicate that Steve's group was not too far behind us. It didn't happen. We actually had to wait for Troy for about 5 or so minutes at the school to replenish our water.

After getting more water from Troy, we then continued on from the school toward City View. Again, I was expecting Troy to pass us before we reached City View but it didn't happen. It turns out that Steve had given us too much of a head start. Since Troy was not there, Sarah and I decided to keep on running. We continued running along the road until we could see Denver from City View. We then turned around and headed back to the meeting point to see if Troy was there. He still wasn't there, so for some unexplained reason we decided to run back from where we had just come to see Denver again.

After seeing Denver again, we again headed back to the meeting point. Just as we started back, we saw Troy driving towards us. We gladly accepted a ride from Troy back to the meeting point, where we waited for Steve and the others to arrive. We ended up running 12.75 miles. When I realized that we were just short of 13.1 miles, I was kind of disappointed since it would have been cool to have run a half-marathon uphill. However, I was happy about the run because I felt that I could have gone farther. Plus, it was the second farthest distance that I have ever run with most of the run being uphill.

On Tuesday, I had an 8 mile, no speed run on the schedule. After the long run on Saturday, it actually seemed easy. I felt especially strong the last 5 miles.

Today was a 10+ mile run around Chatfield. This was the same run that I had done earlier in March. The run seemed much easier today. In early March, I was barely hanging on for the last two miles. Today, I could have kept on going at the end of the run even though the time it took me to do the run was almost 14 minutes faster than the same run in March.

What surprises me is how good the last three runs have felt even though this is by far the most running that I have ever done in one week. I am kind of interested in how my body will respond to the scheduled 12 mile, no speed run scheduled for this Saturday.

Zero Training

2009-03-06T19:43:00.007-07:00

Yes, I'm trying a new approach to triathlon training: zero training. Since the 5K swim on Sunday, I've done absolutely zero workouts. Yes, you read correctly, no workouts. This plan should make for a splendid race in April.

This is not entirely voluntary. Since Sunday night, I've been suffering from the cold, flu, or something else. I think it started Saturday night. I was starting not to feel good Saturday night but felt good enough to do the early morning Sunday swim. After the swim, I felt okay but later in the day I started to feel rundown.

Monday came with a runny nose. That was okay since it was a scheduled rest day. Then Tuesday morning hit with a cough to join the runny nose. I decided to skip the scheduled swim workout. Good decision, because by Tuesday evening I had a fever and chills to go with the runny nose and coughing. I felt slightly better Wednesday morning and hoped the worst had passed. Not quite, by the end of the day I was feeling achy in my back and legs.

Thursday morning, once again I had renewed hope since I was feeling better. It was a mirage. I came home from work feeling the worse than I had all week. Not only did I have the chills back, but now I was feeling nauseous and had a headache. Even worse, I had a terrible night of sleep, which included being up from three to five in the morning because I felt better surfing the Internet than trying to sleep.

Today, every time that I thought about food I just felt sick to the stomach. On the plus side, the nose has stopped running and there are no chills yet tonight. On the negative side, I've cancelled my planned ski day tomorrow and definitely will not be snowshoe racing on Sunday.

For some reason, something always seems to happen that prevents me from snowshoe racing. For the January race, it was getting back late the night before from Mexico. For the February race, it was a leg injury. Now, it is being too sick for it to be a good idea to do the race. This must be a sign that I am not meant to snowshoe race this year.

Despite being frustrated by being unable to train, at least my leg is getting some additional rest. Hopefully by the time that I am healthy enough to resume training, it will be fully healed.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can just rest. Yes, despite being sick, I was compelled to go to work everyday this week. Perhaps I'll elaborate on that situation when I'm in a better frame of mind. Otherwise, I might write something unwise. Besides, the Jazz-Nuggets is starting. Go Jazz!!!

Glenwood Springs

2009-02-18T22:10:00.004-07:00

Once again, Brenda and I are testing our relationship with a trip, a working vacation to Glenwood Springs and Silverthorne. Well, in theory, it is a working vacation. Brenda worked today, I didn't. I tried but the password given to me for the laptop computer was wrong. I finally received the right password at 5:00 p.m. today. Hopefully, I will get some work done tomorrow.

On the plus side, I did get in some good workouts today. I did 50 good minutes on the elliptical. I also did weights for a little over an hour. Additionally, I played Brenda's Wii Fit for over three hours while waiting to receive the correct password. Maybe not a workout, but a lot of fun. I also found out that you stop getting workout credits on Wii Fit after three hours. Finally, I spent almost an hour in the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pool and not one minute of the time involved swimming laps!!!!

Why Tri?

2009-02-12T20:39:00.003-07:00

At some point, someone asks the question: why do you do triathlons (or how did you get started doing triathlons)? The short answer: I started doing them because I wanted to see if I could do one, and I keep doing them because I enjoy doing them (although during the run I sometimes wonder). The long answer is a bit more complicated.

The long answer begins in June 2006. At this time, I was overweight and unhappily married. How overweight? I weighed between 215 and 220 pounds and it was not muscle. How unhappily married? I filed for divorce at the end of June.

Beginning the divorce process was the turning point for me. To deal with the stress, I began walking my dog. I also was not eating as much. As I started walking and not eating as much, I began losing weight. By December 2006, I was just under 200 pounds.

Between December and March 2007, my weight loss had leveled off. I wanted to lose more weight and recognized that I needed to do something different. I decided to start weight training. Because I had never weight trained, I hired a trainer. I first met with the trainer in April 2007.

Before the training began, the trainer made me do a fitness test, which involved running a mile, push ups, sit ups, and a flexibility test. My results were pathetic. I still remember the mile run. It took me about 12 minutes to run the mile, and I was exhausted at the end. I can even remember my heart rate at the end of the run: 199. The other tests were not much better.

When I hired the trainer, I did not realize there would be a cardiovascular component. After the fitness test, the trainer wanted me to walk briskly at least every other day. By briskly, she meant keep my heart rate above a certain number. At first, I was so out of shape that it was easy. After a month or so, it became harder to reach the number from just walking. Thus, I started to run a portion of the walk. Gradually, the walks became more running and less walking.

By June 2007, I wanted to have a running goal. For the goal, I decided to do something that I had never done before, a 5K run. Having decided to do a 5K run, I needed to find a run. I knew Highlands Ranch offered 5K races so I went to the HRCA website to see if there were any upcoming races. I found one. I also saw that HRCA offered triathlon races.

When I looked at the distances for the swim, bike and run, they seemed doable: 500 yd swim, 12 mile bike, and 5K run. Until then, I had not known there were different distances for triathlons; I only knew about the Ironman distance, which just seemed crazy to me. Thus, I had never thought about doing a triathlon. When I learned there were much shorter distances for triathlons, completing a triathlon seemed like a goal that was possible to accomplish.

I would have signed up to do a triathlon that year except there was one problem: I didn't know how to swim. Although 500 yards didn't seem very far (ha, ha, ha ... little did I know), I was fairly sure that I needed to learn at least the basics of swimming before trying to do a triathlon. So I decided that I would set a goal of doing the HRCA Tune Up Triathlon in June 2008.

My first swim lesson was towards the end of September 2007. It was awful. When I signed up for swim lessons, I thought a half-hour wasn't a very long lesson. After the the first lesson, it was about 25 minutes too long. Swimming was so hard for me that I would have given it up after the first lesson if not for the fact that I needed to be able to swim (or at least be able to have some forward motion in the water) to accomplish my goal of completing the Tune Up Triathlon.

Until May 2008, I was still unsure about whether I would be able to do the swim. It was only a couple of weeks before the Tune Up Triathlon that I finally believed that I would complete the swim.

June finally came, and I raced in my triathlon. When I finished, I had completed something that I had set out to do almost a year earlier. It felt great. At that point, I guess I was hooked.

Since then, I have done things that I never would have contemplated a year ago. For example, I had planned to only do triathlons with pool swims in 2008. Somehow, I got talked into doing an open water swim triathlon in 2008 and found that I enjoyed swimming in open water. I liked it so much that I did a second open water swim triathlon in 2008.

This year, I'm looking forward to stepping up in distance. I'm a little nervous about the longer distances but I'm sure it will be fine. And when the race is over, I know that I will have a smile on my face.

Getting Better?

2009-02-11T20:58:00.004-07:00

Last week, not so good. This week seems to be going better.

I was scheduled to do a snowshoe race at Beaver Creek on Sunday. I decided not to do it. It was a tough decision. In the end, I couldn't mentally handle spending hours in a car to maybe race 1 mile or less if my leg kept me from being able to run. Instead, I did the swim that was scheduled for Monday.

Swimming on Sunday rather than Monday was a good call. When I saw the swim, I knew it would take a long time for me to do it. As expected, it was long. If I had done it on Monday, I would have felt rushed. Doing it on Sunday allowed me to focus on swimming rather than worrying about how long it was taking to do the swim. The swim itself went well. At the end, my back muscles were sore, but it was the good kind of sore after a quality workout.

On Monday, I ended up taking an unscheduled rest day. I had planned to do an hour elliptical workout to make up for the missed BC race. However, I was unable to find time to make it to the gym so it didn't happen.

I had an option on Tuesday: 30 minute run or 30 minutes on an elliptical. I elected to do 30 minutes on the elliptical. My leg was a little sore after the elliptical workout but much better than if I would have run. Further, I was able to walk without limping. It was nice to get in a good cardio workout and be able to walk normal after it.

Today was 2 hours on the trainer. It was a great workout. In fact, it was the best trainer workout that I have had in a few months. Even better, my calf felt the best that it has in the last few weeks.

Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day. I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and taking it easy. This has been a good week so far.

Ugh

2009-02-06T19:05:00.005-07:00

This week has not been a good week training or otherwise. It started great on Monday and has gone downhill since then.

On Monday, I swam. Although it was a long swim, it was probably one of the best swim workouts ever for me. I felt strong and relaxed in the water. The swim was going so well that I was kind of disappointed when the workout ended. This is unusual as typically I am glad when the swim workout is done. If it is possible, I may have been on a swimmer's high. Despite the great swim, work quickly killed my motivation for the day. It was such a struggle that I barely billed six hours for the day, which was not a good start to the month.

On Tuesday, I was scheduled to run six miles. I say scheduled to run because the run did not actually happen. The day before, I had discussed this run with Steve. I was concerned about it because of my left calf. For the last month or so, every time I have run, there is a dull pain in my left calf. After a run, I typically limp around for a day or two. Because of this injury, I've not been running much lately. Thus, for this run, Steve wanted me start off very slowly to see if I could avoid the calf pain. If not, we agreed that I should stop the run.

As discussed with Steve, I started slowly. It didn't matter. Less than a few minutes into the run, the dull ache was back. I tried to give it a go for about a mile but the pain didn't go away. At that point, I just ended the run. I'm probably could have done the run but it wasn't worth it. I knew that I would just end up limping around. Later in the day I talked to Steve about the run. Steve suggested that I do a workout on an elliptical to see if there was still pain. That evening, I did exercised on an elliptical. The ache was still there although it was not as bad as it is during running.

Work was not much better than the run. Once again I didn't come close to billing the number of hours that I need to bill each day.

Wednesday was another swim. The swim was 50 continuous minutes of pulling. During this swim, I tried doing flip turns at both ends of the pool. Other than trying something new, the swim was uneventful. Work, from a billing standpoint, was a bit better than Monday and Tuesday as I least I hit the target number of billable hours.

On Thursday, Andrea once again worked on my calf. At times, it was painful as my left calf lit up each time she worked the inside of it. Afterwards, the leg felt better. Because I didn't feel like going to work, I talked with Andrea after the massage much longer than I should have. The end result was that I got into work after noon. While talking to Andrea, I also found that I was scheduled to ride 1.5 hours on the trainer. Knowing that I had to ride the trainer after work, I left work early even though I had billed less than five hours. This was the worst billing day of the week. Even worse, I already need to make up like five hours just for this month.

When I got home, Brenda wanted to go out to eat. So instead of getting on the trainer, we went to dinner. By the time we got back, it was almost nine. I really didn't feel like riding the training but did it anyway. I'm pretty sure the workout was not that great. Even though I had the bike on low resistance, I had no motivation to spin at a high cadence. After an hour, I just wanted off the bike. However, I struggled through another 30 minutes of riding.

Today was another long swim. This swim was not so good. During the swim, I felt anything but strong and smooth. In fact, I felt like a lead weight in the water, and flip turns were not going much better. It started with coming up short once at the wall. I then started to over think the flip turns and had numerous other almost not reaching the wall turns. At one point, it got so bad that I didn't do a flip. Instead, I ended up diving to the bottom of the pool, which I am sure was very funny to the watching lifeguards. Needless to say, the swim couldn't end fast enough. After the swim, I was very tired and my back muscles were fatigued.

Fortunately, I decided to work from home today. It was a good decision since I didn't get home from the swim until around 11;00. Despite the late start, I actually had a good work day. I completed a new project and got my required hours in for the day. Unfortunately, I will probably have to work either tomorrow and/or Sunday just to catch up on the other hours that I missed this week.

Riding Deer Creek

2009-02-01T21:46:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, I rode Deer Creek Canyon with Michelle. I would never have thought about riding a bike up a canyon the last day of January. Living in Denver is amazing. During the winter, one day it is below freezing and snowing. A few days later, it is sunny and sixty degrees. Yesterday was one of the sixty degree days.

Michelle showed me the High Grade/City View loop. Last year, I rode up the High Grade side of Deer Creek once but only to just beyond the switchbacks. So after the switchbacks, it was an entirely new ride for me.

Although Michelle warned me about the switchbacks at City View, I was caught a little by surprise by the steepness of them. At one point, I just wanted to get off the bike and walk. However, Michelle encouraged me to push to the top. It was amazing watching her climb. She looked strong and smooth.

The roads were surprising dry for the most part. We took the downhills easy since there was a lot of gravel on the roads. At we were descending, we saw at least three Porsches driving the canyon. It seems like everyone was out enjoying the great weather.

Overall, it was a hard but fun ride. Michelle, thank you for being patient with me and showing me the ride.

Trying New Things

2009-01-30T12:39:00.002-07:00

This has been a week of firsts. On Sunday, I swam my longest continuous time and distance. Yesterday, I received by first massage by a massage therapist. Today, I flip turned every time at the deep end of the pool while swimming.

I've already blogged about the long swim so this is old news. The massage occurred because of Steve. My left calf has been bothering me since I ran in New Orleans. It has bothered me enough that a run with Steve was cut short last Thursday, and after consulting with Steve, I did not run on Sunday or Tuesday as scheduled. Steve wanted me to see Andrea to work on my calf. Being a procrastinator, I did not immediately call Andrea. Fortunately, she called me to set up an appointment.

It didn't take long for Andrea to find the problem. It hurt, but not too bad, as she worked on the left calf. Afterwards, she had me wear the Normatec pants for fifteen minutes of additional treatment. The pants basically have a bunch of air bladders that are systematically filled with air to compress the legs, which is suppose to help circulate fluids through the legs. After the massage and Normatec treatment, my legs both felt better. The left calf was a little sore later in the day but much better today. I may need to add periodic massages to my schedule.

Finally, today was a 45 minute continuous swim. After practicing flip turns on Monday and Tuesday, I decided to do this swim with flip turns every time at the deep end and open turns at the shallow end. There were some ugly ones at the deep end but every turn was a flip turn. It is a work in progress but I am getting closer to trying flip turns at both ends.

Quick Update

2009-01-26T21:19:00.006-07:00

It's been pointed out to me that it has been some time since I've blogged. In fact, there have been no entries since last year. In the next few days, I'm going to try to do some posts about my trip to New Orleans and Mexico.

As for training, it is going okay. Yesterday, I did a 4K swim. This was the longest time and distance that I have ever done for a swim. I felt good at 3K. At 3,300 meters, I started to feel fatigue in my arm and back muscles. The last 700 meters were a struggle to complete. However, I did it, and I'm looking forward to the next long swim scheduled for March 1: a 5K.

Today was another swimming day. I was scheduled for HR Masters but I didn't go because I stayed in Arvada. Actually, I have not made it to any scheduled Masters workouts. I don't feel ready to swim in a Masters group yet and the 5:15 am start time makes it even less appealing.

With no specific swim workout, I was inspired by watching Doreen work on flip turns after the swim yesterday to work on flip turns today. It went better than I expected, and I'm looking forward to working on them again tomorrow. At the next long swim, I want to do flip turns at least every other 5o meters.

Vacation!!!

2008-12-31T22:36:00.005-07:00

Tomorrow is the start of a ten day vacation. The bags are packed, and I am ready to go.

It is the first vacation that I have taken in at least 5 years, maybe more. First stop on the trip is New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl on January 2nd. Utah is playing Alabama. Go Utes!

Then, I fly to Mexico to meet Brenda for a week of doing nothing. It will be great to spend a week in Mexico with Brenda without needing to get up and go to work.

Guitar Hero

2008-12-28T18:36:00.002-07:00

I may have made a mistake. For Christmas, I got Brenda a Wii. I also got her Guitar Hero for her new Wii. Little did I know about the addictive power of Guitar Hero.

It started innocently enough. The day after Christmas, we went shopping for a new TV for Brenda. She needed a new TV because her ancient machine had no receptacles for audio/video cords. After going to Best Buy, Circuit City, and Costco twice, we settled on a 32" Samsung from Costco. Brenda finally owned a 21st Century TV.

We took the TV back to her place and began to set it up. It took like 30 minutes to undo the cord disaster she had created for hooking up her satellite receiver, VCR, and DVD player to the TV. I'm not really sure how it worked but she had some crazy setup of the satellite receiver connected to the DVD player, the DVD player connected to the VCR player, and the VCR player connected to the TV (or maybe it was something else; after a while I gave up trying to figure it out and just started disconnecting cords from everything).

After the epic undoing of the cord morass, the ancient TV was removed from the room and the new TV was set into its former place. The satellite receiver and Wii were connected to the new TV, and the system was checked to ensure both the satellite TV and Wii were working.

Then, we tested out the Wii. We started with the sports games that came with the Wii. We tried bowling (is this really a sport?), tennis, baseball, golf and boxing. Each game was fun but not really addicting. We then pulled out Guitar Hero. Three hours later, neither of us had done anything other than play Guitar Hero. If not for the fact that it was almost 8:30 and we needed to drive from her house to my house, we might not have stopped playing. It was very, very tough to do though. If not for an early morning group run in Highlands Ranch, I would have suggested staying the night at her place so that we could keep playing Guitar Hero.

The next day, we discussed the need for "rules" about playing Guitar Hero. We both agreed that rules are needed or else neither of us will ever be productive again. We agreed to these rules:

1. No playing Guitar Hero before work;
2. No playing Guitar Hero before a workout;
3. No playing Guitar Hero before dinner;
4. No playing Guitar Hero after 9:00 pm; and
5. No playing Guitar Hero before getting dressed on a weekend.

I'm sure other rules will be needed as we continue our dangerous flirtation with Guitar Hero.

Running on Fumes

2008-12-24T12:27:00.002-07:00

Yes, today's run was not so great. When I first saw the scheduled run for today, I thought it would be easy. After all, previous runs this month were longer or scheduled on back-to-back days. On paper, this run looked easy: 6 miles with 1/2 mile tempo efforts at miles 3 and 5. Totally wrong!!!

I should have known it would be a tough day when I didn't want to get up when the alarm went off just before 6:00 am. I wanted to stay in bed, and I definitely did NOT want to run. Despite what I preferred to do, I forced myself out of bed. I tried to avoid the inevitable by checking the weather, making lunch, packing my bags since Brenda and I planned to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas at her place (she has the Christmas tree), and even shaving. I finally ran out of stall tactics. I reluctantly put on my cold weather running gear and drove to the track at the local high school. I decided to run on the track so that I could get the mileage right as I did not want to plan a run route and I do not own a Garmin GPS watch (Santa, if you are reading this, please, please, please bring me a Garmin GPS watch for Christmas - I've been good, I swear).

When I arrived at the track, one other person was running on it. The first 1/4 mile was not good. My breathing seemed labored, and I didn't want to pick up my lower legs. The second 1/4 mile was not much better. At that point, I thought about quitting. Seeing the other person running around the track, however, motivated me to keep going. Also, I did not want to have to call Steve and tell him that I was skipping the workout. I imagine he would nicely tell me to suck it up and do the workout.

I was still not feeling great for the next 1/2 mile. After the first mile, I seemed to settle in for the next 2 miles. They were definitely much better than the first mile. My breathing was much less labored. I continued to focus on lifting my lower legs. Occasionally, I checked my heart rate - it seemed high but I wasn't surprised given my breathing. Last week, Steve told me that my heart rate would probably be high for a month or so as my body adapted to the new running form.

By mile 2, the other runner left so I was running alone at the track. At mile 3, I picked up the pace for the "tempo" effort. I tried to focus on leaning forward from the hips to pick up the speed. After a 1/4 of a mile, I was ready to stop with the tempo effort. My breathing was rapid, and again I did not want to lift my lower legs. However, the workout called for 1/2 mile so I continued with the faster pace for the next 1/4 mile. I was super glad when the 1/2 mile came so that I could go back to the slower pace. As I recovered from the effort, I start thinking how I still had to do another tempo effort. I wasn't sure that I wanted to do it.

As I approached mile 4, I thought about doing the second tempo effort just to be done with it. Despite wanting to get it done, I stayed with the plan and waited until mile 5. At mile 5, I once again picked up the pace. I tried to focus on taking deep breaths. This seemed to help as the second tempo effort seemed easier than the first tempo effort. After a 1/2 mile of tempo effort, I returned to the slower pace. The last 1/2 mile seemed to go quickly, and finally I was done.

It was good that the run was only six miles as that was about my limit for today. I'm looking forward to tomorrow because it is Christmas (hooray) AND a rest day (double hooray).

Taking Off the Training Wheels

2008-12-21T11:15:00.005-07:00

Today was the 3K/5K continuous swim. I was scheduled to swim the 3K distance. I had done this distance a month ago. However, I swam the entire distance with a pull buoy. Today, I was instructed to swim the distance without the pull buoy. In other words, the training wheels were coming off.

We were instructed to meet a little before 6:00 am at Carmody Recreation Center. Steve had arranged for the pool to open early for us so that we could do the swim with a 50 meter setup. For me, this meant at least a 5:00 am wake up. This was tough as Brenda and I had gone to a holiday party Saturday night and did get back to her place until 11:00 pm. Ugh.

I was doing okay time wise until I hit a snag leaving. My car was parked in Brenda's garage, which is a detached garage. When I got to it, the garage door was locked, and I had no key. Even worse, her house was locked so I couldn't immediately get back in to get a key. I tried knocking on the door for Brenda to let me in, but she was still sleeping.

I resorted to finding the house key that she keeps in a lock box. Although I found it, I then had a new set of problems; it was so dark that I could not see the numbers on it. After fumbling around for what seemed like forever, I finally opened the lock box. I got back into the house. Brenda gave me the key to the garage, and I was off. However, I was now running late based on how long Mapquest said it would take to drive to Carmody Recreation Center. I only hoped that I would not get lost on the way there.

I arrived just at 6:00 am. I was glad to see everyone was still in their cars. We entered the pool through the back door to the recreation center and got ready to swim. The lanes were divided into 3K and 5K lanes. I picked the slowest 3K lane and started to swim.

The swim itself was not too exciting. It just seemed to be an endless going back and forth in the lane. I got passed more than once during the swim by Barry and Max. I tried to keep track of how many times I was passed by each of them so that I could double check my distance when they finished.

My goals were modest: complete the swim and finish my 3K swim before Steve finished his 5K swim. When I finished, I was happy to see that Steve was still swimming. I got him by about 4 minutes. This just shows how slow I am in the pool; Steve almost finished his 5K before I finished my 3K. I try to keep this in perspective, however. Last year at this time, I could barely swim 50 yards, and I was worried about completing 500 yards in a pool swim triathlon. Now, I am swimming 3000 meters continuously and could have kept on swimming. If you had told me a year ago that I would swim 3000 continuous meters, I would have told you are crazy.

I'm glad that this swim is done. It was one of those workouts that concerned me when I saw it on my training schedule. I am sure that this will not be the last time that it is written into the schedule but now I know I can do it. It is a great feeling to complete something that you are not sure you can do.

Running with the Big Dogs

2008-12-20T18:56:00.004-07:00

Today's scheduled group run was a 46 mile trek from Highlands Ranch to Boulder. Actually, it was a 46 mile run for Steve, Anthony and Sonja. For the rest of us, we were invited to join and run with them for as much or as little as we wanted. On Thursday, Steve told me that he wanted me to run between 8 and 9 miles. So, my plan was to join the group at Kipling and run to the Conoco station in Morrison. The plan did not quite unfold as anticipated.

I estimated that the group would be at Kipling around 8:30 am. As usual, I was running late. As I drove along C-470 towards Kipling I kept an eye out for the group. Just before Kipling, I saw Steve, Anthony and Sonja. I realized that I would not have time to park the car and join them. So I changed my plan: I decided to start at Ken Caryl and run towards Kipling until I joined them.

As I drove to Ken Caryl, I start thinking about how the group was only Steve, Anthony and Sonja. I was kind of surprised because I expected at least one or two other team members to be running with them. Then I started thinking about turning around and not running with them; all three are fantastic runners and I was uncertain that I could keep pace with them. However, I knew that they planned to go at a relatively slow pace (10 min miles) because of the long distance. At worst, they would drop me, and I would just run alone to the Conoco station.

I parked my car and decided to try my new Yak Traks since there was a little snow on the C-470 trail. As I got out of the car, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not too cold. I ran on the C-470 trail towards Kipling. I tried to focus on kicking my butt. It was difficult because my leg muscles were still a little sore from the Thursday run with Steve. After about 8 minutes, I saw the group. When we met, I turned around and began running with them in the other direction on the C-470 trail. As we went past Ken Caryl, I pointed out where I had parked. I had arranged for Brenda to pick me up at the Conoco and drive me back to my car.

As I ran with the group, my legs started to warm up. We headed towards Bowles Ave. This stretch of the C-470 trail is not too fun as it primarily goes up as you head towards Bowles. As the grade increased, I started feeling it aerobically. The hill did not seem to bother Steve, Anthony or Sonja as all seemed strong as we went up. This relatively high effort for me would have been a problem if I was running the entire distance. Fortunately, I was only going around 8 miles.

As we got near Bowles, we saw two figures standing on the trail: one tall and one short. They were Troy, Sonja's husband, and Annie, her daughter. Troy was providing support to the group for the entire run. Annie was dressed in a cute pink outfit. When we got to Troy, we followed him over a fence and climbed up a wall to reach the car. Steve, Anthony, and Sonja refueled and added water to the water bottles that they were carrying. I didn't plan on taking any nutrition other than water since it would only be around an hour and half run for me.

After refueling and restocking, we got back on the trail and headed towards the next rest stop: the Conoco station. The next portion was fairly nice as it was slightly downhill. I was feeling pretty good. The weather was also great. The sun was out and the sky was a beautiful blue. As we approached Bear Creek Lake Park, the trail started back uphill. I was glad that it was gentle as I was struggling a little when the trail started to go up.

We entered Bear Creek Lake Park. Fortunately, the entry into the park was downhill so I was able to recover a little. I was still trying to kick my butt but it was getting harder. After a while, the trail started to slope up again. I was not happy about this as I was starting to struggle to keep pace with the group. However, I could see the Conoco so I knew it was not much further. As we ran under C-470 along Morrison Road, Steve asked me how I was doing. I told him that I was struggling to stay with them. Steve encouraged me by pointing out that I didn't have much further to go.

We reached the parking lot. Again, Troy and Annie were waiting for us. Tyler was also there. He planned to join the group at Alameda and run the last 26 miles with them. Way to go Tyler. I said goodbye to Steve, Anthony and Sonja and watched them run up the road. All them still seemed strong after 17+ miles. It was awesome to run with them for a portion of the distance. Maybe one day my fitness will be at a point where I can run the full distance with them. For today, however, my limit was around 8 miles. I found Brenda, and we drove back to my car.

Kicking My Butt

2008-12-19T12:28:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, I ran with Coach Steve. I picked Steve up just after 6:30 am. The night before, Steve said he had a surprise. Steve directed me where to go, which turned out to be a parking lot just outside Chatfield State Park. The surprise was a flat stretch of trail, which is highly unusual to find in the area. The trail was built on top of Chatfield dam. Thank you, Corps of Engineers.

As we ran, Steve wanted me to work on form. Specifically, he want me to kick my butt with the heels of my shoe. At first, it was fun. After a few minutes, it became tiring as I was using muscles that I typically do not use when I run. We ran towards a parking lot on top of the dam. During the run, Steve would occasionally stop and discuss form with me and why I need to work on lifting my lower leg to kick my butt. He also showed me the hill where he made the group do hill run repeats, undoubtedly foreshadowing a run workout in the future. He also spent some time discussing race strategy, including visualizing running past the finish line. To emphasize the point, he told me that we were running to the stop sign in the parking lot. However, halfway through the parking lot, we stopped and discussed how to approach doing bicycle hill repeats on a road that goes over the dam. We never did go to the stop sign.

The run was not all serious. At one point, Steve told me he would like to organize a one mile race on the trail so that he could call the event "The Dam Mile". He also volunteered to go to Mexico for me in January. He backed away from the offer when I told him that he would have to spend time with my girlfriend's mother.

On the way back to the car from the parking lot, the view was gorgeous. The lake was to the right, partially covered in ice, and the sun was coming up in front of us. It is incredible how fast the sun grows in size as it comes over the horizon. I wish that I had a camera to take a picture. It was also amazingly quiet except for the sound of my breathing and Steve occasionally talking to me - Steve was hardly breathing as the pace was easy for him.

As we retraced our steps, Steve pointed out my footprints in the snow. At first, I thought the footprints were his because of how far apart they were spaced. However, they were indeed my footprints. A little butt kicking (or at least trying to kick your butt) apparently increases the distance you travel with each stride. We ended the run by slowing down and really focusing on trying to kick our butts.

Today, I have some soreness in my leg muscles. However, it is the good type of soreness that comes from a butt kicking workout.

It's Cold Outside

2008-12-15T22:02:00.003-07:00

Today was another below freezing day - the high was two degrees Fahrenheit. The cold seemed to make everything move slowly. I definitely did not want to get up at 6:00 am to go swimming. By the time I got moving, I was already running late. Scraping ice off the car windows made me even later. I finally arrived at the pool around 7:00 am, almost a half-hour later than planned. During the drive, it was so cold that the ice that I did not remove from the windshield did not melt on the twenty minute drive to the pool.

There were fewer cars than normal parked in the recreation center parking lot. As expected, most of the swimming lanes were open. I was happy about this situation because I don't like sharing a lane. The scheduled pool workout was the longest swim that I have done in one session. Since I was already running late, I was nervous about what time I would get into work. It seems like the faster I want a workout to go the slower it goes. I tried to follow Steve's advice and not worry about how long it would take to do the swim.

The swim was uneventful other than the first 50 of the "fast" set. I actually felt that I was holding the water well. My time for this first 50 confirmed that I was swimming faster than normal. Unfortunately, the other fifties did not go as well. For a moment, I actually felt good in the water. But just as quickly, the feeling went away. I wish that I could capture how the first 50 went for more than one lap.

By the time I finished swimming. I knew that I wouldn't make it into work until around 10:00 am. On the plus side, the drive to work went much faster than expected since there was much less traffic on the road than earlier in the morning. I hate getting in around 10 because it means that I will probably need to stay until after 7:00 pm to get my billable hours in.

Early in the afternoon, I received the certificates for the online CLEs that I completed over the weekend. This was a huge relief since I now have the minimum number of required CLE hours to renew my attorney license for next year. Also, despite getting in late, I also got in all of my billable hours for today plus got home early enough to go to dinner with my awesome and understanding girlfriend. In sum, although it was cold enough today to make me want to move to a warmer city like Phoenix, it was a good day as I completed my longest swim workout, received by CLE certificates, stayed on target for making my annual billable hours, and got to spend time with my girlfriend.

Jingle Bells

2008-12-14T22:26:00.001-07:00

Today's scheduled workout was a one hour warm up run followed by running the Jingle Bell 5K. When I woke up, I first checked the weather. The reported temperature was 5 degrees fahrenheit. I thought about going back to bed but instead put on my cold weather running gear. It had snowed the night before so the roads were snowpacked and icy. This made driving to the race site a bit stressful.

I arrived safely to the race. Luckily, race registration was inside South High School. At least I wasn't cold while paying the race entry fee. I saw Steve just after I picked up my timing chip. He said the group was meeting to do a warm up run around 9:00 am. It turns out that only six of us were crazy enough to show up in below freezing weather to do the race.

For the warm-up, we ran around Washington Park. I was a little worried about how my legs would react to running after a 12 mile run yesterday. My knees, especially my left knee, have been bothering me after longer runs. I was glad that my legs felt okay - not great but I was able to run. I was happy that we stopped a few times for various team members to make restroom pit stops as I was feeling okay but not great during the warm up run. I was also glad that the pace was slow since I couldn't have keep up with the others had the pace been any faster.

As we warmed up, Steve talked to me about how to run the course. He pointed out the curves in the road and how they should be run. He also talked about starting out relaxed and not going out too fast. The primary goal for today's race was to negative split it. There were also time goals set in the traning plan of 8:30 for the first mile, 8:20 for the second mile, 8:10 for the third mile, and 45 seconds for the last .1 mile.

I tried to start the race relaxed. I probably started a little too relaxed. The first mile was slightly over 9 minutes, which was more than thirty seconds off the time goal for the first mile. The second mile was better at around 8:25 as was the third at around 8:20. The last tenth was around 45 seconds. I would have liked the first mile to be closer to the time goal. However, I was happy that I negative splitted the race, had enough left to pick up the pace at the end, had no significant leg issues, and got to experience what it is like to race in the cold. I was also happy that my teammates who raced all had great results. Sonja was the second overall female, Michelle was the fourth overall female (and a PR notwithstanding the conditions), and Tyler was 23rd overall. Of course, Steve was 5th overall. Afterwards, we went to the Handlebar Grill for a well deserved breakfast.

Tonight, my left knee is a little tender. It is a good thing that a swim is the scheduled workout tomorrow rather than a run, especially since it is once again going to be cold. Overall, this has been a good training week. Before the week started, I was concerned about how my legs would react to all of the scheduled running. The tenderness in my knees was much less than expected. I'm hopeful that maybe I've turned the corner with my leg issues.