Aug 22 to Aug 28

An easy week of running is in order. There have been three weeks of 50+  miles, so it is time to cut back for a week; plus with work, my mom coming to visit and attending a dog show  this weekend, it will be busy enough.

Monday; Aug 22:  Still in Dallas this early morning and with 85 degrees at 5am, it was to the treadmill and the associated airconditioning. (Plus it was dark and the neighborhood at the hotel is not all the "nice.") A simple 5 miler was in order and even being in the A/C, it was still hot.

Tuesday; Aug 23:  To say that ole Sarah is ready for winter is an understatement!!!! It  was 70 degrees at 5am in Salt Lake!!!! But out the door I went for a 5 miler.....that was all the time I had in order to make the 8am departure.

Wednesday; Aug 24:  Waking up in Jackson Hole, WY this morning but unfortunately, it was too early to get a run in .....maybe next visit. Arriving in Denver late, meeting my mom and the long drive home all produced a day off from running.



This view never gets old! The airport is located in the valley next to the Tetons and we get an amazing view on the approach and departure. (The two jets most likely belong to some rich individual who can afford their own wheels!!!)

Thursday; Aug 25:  Waking up slowly at home this morning, Traysen and I went out for an easy 6 miler. A beautiful day to enjoy at home with my mom while we groom dogs for the upcoming show this weekend.

Friday; Aug 26: Sleepyhead..that would be Traysen...missed the whole outing of 10 miles in the early cool morning air. Towards the end of the run, the sweatshirt had long since been tossed as well as the t shirt. (Yes, I wear  cotton t-shirts for running!) This time of year (as well as the spring) is always a challenge in terms of what to wear when heading out the door. When waking up, a cool chill is in the house, so I typically overdress and then start tossing clothes along the neighborhood, only to have to pick them up on the return trip home.

Saturday; Aug 27: A second day off this week!!!! Oh, it happens sometimes.....Mom, the 4 dogs and I are in Loveland, CO at a dog show. With an 8am start , much dog grooming to be done, and a rough night of no sleep, I opted to bag the run and focus on dogs. (This is part of the effort to focus on one or two things at a time instead of taking on 14 things at one time.)
How did we do? Savanna the mini dachshund did very well...made it to Best in Show but did not win the title. She was given the highest rating possible for a 12-15 month old puppy. Traysen, made  it to a second place finish in Working Group and took Best of Breed for two shows. Both of the judges today also gave him the highest ratings possible for a dog over 18 months. (he is three  years old) He hates the show ring and it shows!

Sunday; Aug 28: With a bit of sleep and an 830am ring time at the dog show, Traysen and I were out the door for a quick 6 miler at 5am. Still dark we appreciated the lighted streets of Loveland and were surprised to see and hear an owl. The run went well but it was easy to feel the early morning heat of 67 degrees with plenty of humidity in the air. The high temps for the last week in the Front Range/Denver area had been in the upper 90s and the forecast for Sunday was the same.
As for the dog show: Both Savanna and Traysen finished their respective titles we were attempting to earn and both received the highest ratings possible from all the judges. Very proud of the kids!

Summary:  A nice and easy week of running. As I have mentioned before, allowing/undertaking/relishing/enjoying an easy week of running  can do wonders for tired legs, bones and mind; however, even having said that, I always miss the high miles of most weeks and am often reminded that long distance running is my favorite passion in life. Spending time with the dogs is great at the shows, but the actual showing is secondary to the dogs themselves and to very secondary to running.  .

Aug 15 to Aug 21

Off we go with another week of summer and plenty of running....With most of the week off from work, I hope to get  a good trail run in with some distance and one session of hill repeats.

Monday; Aug 15:  Out the door with Traysen for a slog fest of 6 miles with a tired draggin' behind. Some days are like that. As I have mentioned in the past, you have to take the "lively" days with the "draggin' my behind" days.

Tuesday; Aug 16: Still opting to save time and driving, Traysen and I ran a nice 9 miler from the house. We are noticing these mornings are getting a bit cooler and fall is on the way! Personally, as August drags on, thoughts of fall mornings come to mind. Cooler temps with a slight breeze adds a new spring (oopps, wrong season) to the step. One of the highlights of the run below: There is a section of coreopsis flowers that line the roadside and spread across the field.



A sure sign of fall is the acres of coreopsis along the roadsides and throughout the fields.



Wednesday; Aug 17:  Down to the gym at 5am for abs, chest, and triceps and then out for a basic 6 miler. The plan was for a 9 miler but it just didn't happen. This is one of the downfalls of not having a specific race planned ahead. It is hard to maintain the focus without a goal to aim toward. It's all too easy to give in to "oh, I am feeling a bit tired today" or "I am not training for anything so I can cut the miles short or just take it easy." On the other hand, allowing the mind to rest is just as important as allowing the body to rest. For those of us who a bit "over the top Type A" it is actually a good thing to relax the focus, the drive, the determination every now and then. Luckily, the comforting factor that exists is the confidence/knowledge/trust in yourself that you will return to the focus and determination when (because there will be a "when" verses "if") you pick a new goal, then the "no slacking off" approach will return.

Thursday; Aug 18:  A quick drive over to Mueller State Park for a basic 12 miler. Was hoping for a longer outing of about 17 miles, but the ole bones wanted no part of that!  One of the highlights; however, was that I  ran some trails I had not  been on in a long time and was able to climb the steep ascent on the Chesman Trail. (I usually run this section on the downhill). A good effort and the final pitch was rewarded with a greeting from 4 elk, 2 Moms and 2 babies. With the recent rains, the park was very green with lush fields of grasses and several types of wildflowers.



Wild Harebell flowers lined the trails and spread across the grasses.


Even though late in the summer season now, paintbrush are still abundant in several locations.

Friday; Aug 19: With a busy day ahead, it was up n at 'em at 4am and down to the gym by 5am. A good session of abs, back, and biceps (no wobbly guns here!!!) and then out solo for a wonderful 14 miles. (The doberman, Traysen, was being lazy boy this morning.) This run went very well and did wonders to restore the spirit to run long again. It always fun to be able to cruise along on a run with very little effort  and end the run knowing you pushed the pace easily and could have continued with more miles. This is one of the reasons for running....enjoying those easy outings without having to put too much into it.

Saturday; Aug 20:  Traysen joined for a nice 7 miler and then was done. Ole Hard Head here went back for some hill repeats of 4x3/10ths of a mile and a cool down to round out the day at 10 miles. A decent effort on the hills.
The motivation this morning was all of those runners who were tackling the Pikes Peak Ascent (and Marathon on Sunday) and those animals who were tackling the Leadville 100. As I trotted through my own meager efforts this morning, I reflected on how hard others were working on Pikes Peak and throughout the Leadville area. Mary, Wyatt, Rebekka, and many others (sorry, I am not remembering all of those who ran this ran weekend) were putting all of those training miles to good use and enjoying our beautiful mountains.

Sunday; Aug 21:  A day off since it's been about 10 days worth of solid running. An odd afternoon after a short workday: I spent the afternoon in my hotel room in Dallas, TX!!! It was the 55th day of over 100 degrees and no rain in the area and even the hotel was hot. It was only in the hotel room with the AC running full blast that the temp was comfortable for this ole mountain girl!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903885604576488503338385680.html

The above report describes that this is the worst heat wave/drought in a 100 years!

Summary: A good week of running but nothing overwhelming to jump up and down about. Or could it be that I should hop around due to the fact that I can do this kind of running in the environment of Colorado? And not  in the environment of Dallas, TX?
It is most easy to find someone...or someones?...or can find anything to complain about. It is most likely safe to say that these individuals would not find good in any situation/environment/venue. Sometimes we often have to dig deep to find the good in something. So, if I had to live and run in Dallas, I suppose that summer time would be the "slack" time of year and most of the running would be done on a treadmill. Possibly the good side of this would that I would have a wider musical library on my mp3 player? Or the good would be that I might learn to run outside in the hot n sweaty air? Or maybe I would even take up swimming? ....Well, no..probably not swimming....I float like a big rock!
Total miles: 57.0

Aug 8 to Aug 14

Off on another week of running; this one will be challenging with work on the horizon.

Monday; Aug 8: A nice outing with Traysen around the neighborhood. We are noticing the mornings are a bit cooler and the daylight starts a bit later. Mileage today: 8 at an easy pace.

Tuesday; Aug 9:  With the commute ahead, it was up n at 'em early with a weight lifting session of abs, back, and biceps and then out the door for a good 9 miler. I have decided I hate "squirrels." In particular, the fuzzy cotton tail ones! They wait on the side of the road til Traysen and I are right beside them and then they bolt across the road....which sends Traysen into a barking tizzy.

Wednesday; Aug 10: With an early start to the work day, it was a day off from running.

Thursday; Aug 11:  Another early start today, but down to the hotel gym in Salt Lake for a good 6 miler on the treadmill.

Friday; Aug 12: An unexpected schedule change landed me at Mom and Dad's in Atlanta Thursday night. Good to see them if only briefly. I managed to get a quick 5 miler in the early morning not so hot part of the day.
A short work day allowed for another 6 miles on the treadmill. A good effort of 5 x 400 repeats with 1/10 recovery in between each interval. Also, managed to get a weight lifting session of abs and shoulders into the mix.

Saturday; Aug 13:  With an 830am departure out of Charlotte, it was to the gym for a quick treadmill 5 miler this morning. These gym workouts can be a challenge on the mental outlook. They are typically a drab location with few or no windows, are often way too hot and the equipment can be "well used." I always look at the experience as it is better to get some type of run/workout in than nothing at all. Considering we pilots sit on our fannies all day, getting some form of exercise is really important, so putting up with lackluster gyms is not all bad. Adding some good tunes to the ears and sometimes a decent tv thingy attached to the treadmill makes the treadmill experience a bit better and the miles go by a little quicker. What I am always amazed at in these gyms with a central TV is that most folks will put CNN  on and leave it at that! Oh Honestly, to each his own, but CNN provides the same "breaking news" segment til it is bashed into brain cell which has long since left the scene!

Sunday; Aug 14:  Out the door at 6am for a 7 miler with Traysen and then another 8 miles on my own. As mentioned earlier this week,  I have decided that I hate cotton tail "squirrels." Why? Well, they are all over the place and usually sit on the side of the road until Traysen and I are about 3 feet away and then they bolt across the road....all of this excitement sends the ole boy into a tizzy of leash pulling and barking! He calms down after a few minutes..and then usually only for a few minutes til the next little furry bunny scampers across the road...You know...I am not opposed to some rabbit stew!!!



Oh yeah, he's cute, but he would also be good in a stew pot!!! It's a rabbit...they mulitply rapidly!!!

Summary: A decent week of running with nothing to exciting. Just some basic miles with one long run, one interval session and two weight lifting sessions. The highlight was that the long run felt great with plenty of pep in the step and a genuine desire to run long. Total miles for the week: 55.0

Aug 1 to Aug 7

Starting the third week after the Leadville race, it seems most of the recovery process is complete and it is time to return to some good training. The goals this week: run about 55 miles, 1 session of hill repeats, 1 long run of about 3-4 hours.

Monday; Aug 1:  Already another month has started!!! Where does the time go? Anyhow, out the door for a .....well, a basic, slow, my rear is draggin' 5 miler! Just was a slug!

Tuesday; Aug 2:  A nice 10 miler with Traysen at the house. This was the longest run since the Leadville race and it felt great to get a medium distance run under the legs. Even though we did not push the pace, it was a nice effort.

Wednesday; Aug 3: Lazy boy was still sleeping as I ventured out to enjoy the very early morning cool and post rainy evening. A very nice 8 miler where the pace was pushed on several sections of up and down hill.

Thursday; Aug 4: Having been a slacker all week in the weight lifting, it was to the gym in the basement for a good session of back, triceps and P90x abs. Out the door solo again for a good 6 miler with 4 3/10ths of a mile hill repeats on the neighbor's driveway. With all of the rain and no traffic on her driveway, it was a fun adventure trying to run very hard while jumping rivets in the road! The lungs and legs felt strong on the repeats.

Jim, Traysen and I then took for a nice hike in the Catamount Ranch/ North Catamount Res. area. Traysen really enjoyed a good swim!

North Catamount Res.

Friday; Aug 5:  A nice weight lifting of abs, chest, and shoulders and then out the door early with Traysen. A good 9 mile effort from the house. The highlight of the run was the two little spotted fawns.

Saturday; Aug 6:  Took the day off from running; however, Traysen and I went for a nice hike in the Catamount Ranch area. Very beautiful trails just to the west of Woodland Park; awesome views of Pikes Peak, North Catamount Resevoir, and the entire north slope of Pikes Peak.

The north slope of Pikes Peak as viewed from the Vayhinger Trail.

Sunday; Aug 7: Met up with good friend, Lynne and two new running friends, Lon and Shannon, we ventured to the Dome Rock Wildlife Area, just south of Divide. Shannon and Lon took off up the hill while Lynne and I enjoyed a more leisurely paced effort. The highlight was a detour onto a new trail we had not run, the Dome Rock View Trail. As expected, it climbed wonderfully through huge aspen groves and finally topped out with a perfect view of Dome Rock. An about face and it was back to the main Dome Rock trail, complete with several creek crossings and a long steady climb back to the finish. About 14 miles rounded out the warm day.


Dome Rock.


Several crossings of the creek provided for cooler but wet feet!

Summary: A good week of running, maybe a bit shy on the mileage goals for the week, but a good effort on the hills. Lynne asked if I was recovered from Leadville.....the answer is "yes, physically, but mentally I am not ready to take on 6 hour runs again for awhile.
Total for the week: 52.0 with two weight lifting sessions.

July 25 to July 31

Still feeling the effects of a 50 mile race, this will be a "more lively" week than last but still not back up to full speed ...or distance! The good news is that the foot has healed well enough that it is not an issue.

Monday; July 25:  A quick...well, maybe not so quick...8 miler with Traysen. Sluggish on the uphills but not a bad outing.

Tuesday; July 26:  Down to the gym with two dogs in tow...a good session of chest, back and then easy abs. Traysen and I then headed out for a very nice 7 miler. While not a hard effort, it was a solid run.
Each day the ole bones are recovering from the race and soon the training will be back in full swing.
Not 100% sure I can make the outing, but good friend Lynne has proposed a girl's weekend out in September to run the Lead King Loop 25K in Marble, CO. This would be an excellent goal to pick up the speed training and run a shorter race.

A highlight of this run:



These two guys were bouncing around, most likely driving Mom insane!!!

Wednesday; July 27: Late night into San. Fran.; finally down to the sauna/gym around 8am. Despite messing with the thermostat in the small gym room, it was like a sauna! Way too hot!!! But still a good weight lifting session of biceps, shoulders and abs and then to the treadmill. (luckily, there was a fan in the room that was directed right at the treadmill). A nice 7 miler that included 5 hill repeats of 3% grade for 2/10s of a mile at 6.0 mph pace. Still not ready to really push the limits on the hill or interval training.

Thursday; July 28: Into Cincinnati after an ugly redeye; luckily, a descent amount of sleep and then down to the gym for a quick 5 miler on the treadmill. This was a "git 'er done" kind of day.

Friday; July 29:  Waking up in SFO with very limited time, out the door for a basic 7 miler; although I was able to push the pace for several short sections. Running on the Bay Front trail just south of the airport is always a  mix of beauty and buildings/pavement/people/trash, etc....I try to admire the flowers and shore birds and ignore the rest.

http://www.baytrail.org/Maps/SF_Peninsula.pdf

In the map above, the trail goes quite a ways. I usually run from the airport area to the Coyote Point Park area back....



Greenery!! Even with recent rains at home, we don't have this lush green!

Saturday; July 30:  To say that I am ready for this trip to end is an understatement! A long 5 day saga with a redeye and short overnights along with 4 almost transcon flights...Yuck....With the early departure and long flying day with the commute at the end, it was a day off. Needed all the rest I could get in 10 hours off duty!

Sunday; July 31: A slow start but down to the gym for abs and legs and then out the door for a good 8 miler. While not able to push the pace, the effort was solid.

Summary: Nothing very exciting happening at the moment with the running. Which is ok....it is time to pull the focus back and just enjoy the running.  A few thoughts have been going through the one brain cell: a. when ready for some intense training and a future race goal, pick something shorter and aim to run it faster than able in the past. (by short, a 25K or possibly a half marathon would be options) b. forcast the rest of the year to run more miles in one year than ever before (2780.0 was last year and was the highest year so far), c. find another 50 miler and focus the training there...this goal would fit nicely into the long term plans of wanting to run a 100K next year. All of these goals are easily accomplished concurrently; just a matter of making the commitment.
Total miles for the week: 42.0
Total miles for the year: 1822.0..which is about 100 miles ahead of this time last year.