Week Ending May 2 (WS - 8 Weeks)

Mon - Noon: 14 miles easy (1,500'). 2:02. From home to Indian Summer and back on Blue Sky. Long way home.
PM: 7 easy. A loop of Pineridge & Spring Canyon Park before meeting Dana and Alistair for some biking action.

Tues - Noon: 14 miles (1,500') easy. 1:57. As yesterday noon. Legs kind of flaky and tired, but pushed out a slightly harder effort than Monday.
PM: 6.5 easy (1,200'). At Reservoir Ridge with FCTR group.

Weds - Noon: 12 miles (2,700') easy. 1:44. Made this one up as I went along. Woke up with tired legs and figured I would take an easy day, then as the morning progressed I started thinking I'd do a Towers loop from home for an easy 10, then half way up Towers I decided to tack on a couple of extra miles around the base of Horsetooth and also take the long way home. That's how my running mind is working these days: every run needs padding, which is to say I am chasing the miles - a syndrome that can lead to disaster, but I guess I've just got to keep it together for another 8 weeks and then the chase stops ... abruptly.

Anyway: to Soderburg on 38e/Shoreline, up Towers at a moderate - yet decent - pace (3:42 (Towers), 11:05 (Stout), 20:20 (Herrington), 30:08 (Mill Creek), 35:38 (Summit)), then Westridge - Rock up - Audra down - Southridge back up to '2 mile' - Rock down and home the long way.
PM: 7 miles steady at Pineridge. 50:30.

Thurs - Noon: 9 miles (2,200'). 1:26. Easy lunchtime Horsetooth/Audra loop. 4-5 inches of snow overnight, nothing but mud by lunch. Wet feet.

Here in the morning, gone by noon.

PM: 14 miles easy. Seven at Pineridge (54:51) before meeting up with Alex, Alex, Pete, Kyle, J.Z. and others for a 7 mile FCTR social run at Pineridge and on the bike paths.

Fri - Noon: 8.5 miles (2,100'). Horsetooth/Audra easy.
PM: 7 miles easy on the bike paths.

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Jan: 252 (33,700')
Feb: 189 (33,500')
March: 488 (70,000')
April: 482.5 miles (72,700')

2010: 1,411 (209,900')

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Sat - AM: 14 miles (2,000'). 2:02. Bobcat Ridge with Eric. Full loop plus out and back on the Eden Valley spur. Moderate effort with some good cruising up on the ridge. Beautiful morning.

Sun - AM: 16 miles (1,500'). 3 mile warm up, then 6.5 race, followed by 6.5 cool down.

Total: 129 miles (14,700').

This week was a grind. Legs are simply heavy and not liking life too much these days, most noticeably when I'm not running. Once warmed up, they seem to function well, but otherwise I have just been feeling lazy and beaten up. Quite obviously I need to back off the miles through the first half of this week to hopefully be ready to put in a pair of strong long runs next weekend.

On an entirely different note, the first Front Range mountain time trial is set for the week after next, most likely on Friday. The idea of a cross-country-style team event was first hatched between GZ and I last year in Manitou Springs the night before the Pikes Peak Ascent, so it's great that we're finally getting our act together and making it happen. No telling how many will show up, but the basic idea is that runners will not only represent themselves but also the Front Range community they reside in, with the top three (as yet unconfirmed) scoring. Lowest scoring team takes home bragging rights and the fruits of any side bets that may or may not be placed.

Somewhat fittingly, I guess, the first TT in the series will be held on Green, the mountain that Tony K has been burning grooves into all winter. While there is still time to cast a vote for your preferred day of action, it's looking like Friday the 14th will be the day.

No telling how many will be coming down from the Fort, but I already have a car full of runners committed, and once we have a date set in stone, I'll put out the call to the rest of the trail runners in town and I'm sure we'll get at least another car full, hopefully with enough to constitute a women's team too.

All in good fun of course, except if we win, and then it's deadly serious.

Rules.