Week Ending April 26

Monday - 8 miles (1,600 feet). 1:23. Horsetooth/Audra route. Waded through some deep stuff up top, but a great run with moderate soreness from Fruita. Out for a 3-mile hike to Horsetooth Falls with Alistair in the pm.

Tuesday - 9 miles easy (1,200 feet). 1:26. Horsetooth - Spring Creek - Stout - Sawmill - Loggers - Carey Springs - Towers - Herrington - Spring Creek - Soderburg - Horsetooth - home. Went out for another 3-mile hike to Horestooth Falls with Alistair and Dana in late afternoon.

Weds - 12 miles (2,500 feet). 1:53. Mill Creek route. Was pushing a little harder than maybe should have. Legs began feeling pretty heavy towards the end. Mill Creek was a disaster zone with hundreds of downed trees that must have buckled under the weight of the very heavy, wet snow from the weekend. Had to negotiate 30 or 40 trees and tree limbs across Mill Creek. It's going to take a fair bit of time to clean up this mess to the point where the trail is runnable again. There was less damage on Spring Creek, and it looked like maintenance crews had already been up with chainsaws to clear away the worst of it. The upside is that HMP is a very healthy park and there is tons of new pine growth everywhere.

Thurs - 8 miles easy. 60:30. Couple of laps of Pineridge. Did something to my calf/tendons towards the end of the run. Pretty painful.

Fri - Off to rest leg.

Sat - 3 mile warm up, 5k race (17:32), leg very sore. Hobbling after the race. Got some zeros coming up in the log.

Sun - off

Total: 43 miles (5,300 vertical).

Wanted to build some big mileage on the back of the Fruita 50, but probably jumped back in too quickly with three hilly runs Mon, Tues and Weds. It seems we (runners) never learn the simple lessons. When we're feeling good we think we're invincible, but a twist, sprain, pull or fracture always seems to be lurking around the corner. Anyway, another lesson to take to the bank. I just hope this one won't cost me too many days. Feels like it just needs time, but you never know.