Fortnight Ending August 19

Week Ending August 12

Mon - Off 

Tues - 5.5 track. 8 x 200 @ 31-33. Yup, that's how to get ready for a 100 miler.

Weds - 5 miles easy in town on the bike paths

Thurs - 10 miles (2,000') steady. Towers in 31:01. Started out at a moderate effort, than picked it up from the halfway. Good tempo effort. 

Friday - 7 miles (1,800') easy. Horsetooth middle summit. First time I've been up the middle tooth, as it happens. There's a nice big crack in the east face, which made things a little easier than I was expecting. A couple of low fifth class moves required, but really pretty straightforward.

Saturday - 7 miles (1,800') easy. Horsetooth north summit.

Sunday - 8.5 miles (1,800') easy. Horsetooth south summit. Nice little Horsetooth trifecta over the last three days to build some mountain karma for Leadville.

Total: 43 miles (7,400')

Week Ending August 19 

Mon - 4 miles easy to two-mile fence and back on Bluesky.

Tues - 4 miles (800') easy with Torrence on roads up from Leadville house.

Weds - 4.5 miles easy around lake by Leadville house.

Thurs - 3.5 miles (1,300') hiking. West Mount Sheridan (12,952'). Alistair and I drove up to 11,600' on some old mining roads and then hiked up to the summit of West Sheridan Mountain. This was a super-fun outing and Alistair's highest climbed peak to date (he's taken the cog & also driven up to the top of Pikes but that doesn't count for anything). The log book on top was from 1980 (!), with very few entries. Alistair and I got our names in there and enjoyed the killer views of Gemini, Sherman and Sheridan right in the heart of the Mosquitoes. Sometimes it's fun to get on the less-traveled peaks, especially when you find a log book with a 32-year vintage. On the way down, we had tons of fun rummaging through a couple of old mining sites. Proud of the young man, and hoping we can tag a 13'er and then a 14'er together before the summer season is over.

Oldest log I've ever found on a summit.

Alistair running to West Sheridan summit. Sherman in the backdrop.

Putting back the log.

Fri - 2.5 miles easy around the lake with Ian, Tinder and Emily.

Sat - 102.5 miles (17,400') racin'. Leadville 100.

Sun - Off.

Total: 121 miles (19,500') 

Nice easy two week lead up to Leadville with just 60 miles of pretty leisurely running. Recovery post the race has been about the best of I have ever had after a 100 miler, and I already find myself champing at the bit to get out and make the most of the remainder of the summer, before maybe burning some longer road runs in preparation for the UROC 100k in five weeks. Pretty sure that will do it for me in terms of ultra races in 2012.