Hang Nine

Slept horribly last night and not sure why.  I sort of fell asleep, but then was back up at midnight.  Maybe I was broke up over the MW let down.  Ah, whatever.  Out in the AM for some easy miles (five).

PM – felt like crud.  Just the lack of a good night sleep.  Kept it easy for 8 miles.

Podcasts I listened to included the Endurance Planet hour, with an entertaining interview with Gordy Ainsleigh. 

Thoughtful post on balance in life as a parent, employed person and endurance athlete.

End of month totals … March at 338 miles, 993 on the year. 

Happy Birthday TZ (we celebrated last night).

AM – easy 8 miles.  Put a cap on specifically not allowing HR to rise above 150.  Just curious. 


Beautiful morning.  Started before dawn, so saw the moon set.  When I get up this early, I often run in the middle of the road – as traffic is not moving yet. 


IPOD-less, and enjoyed hearing all the birds waking up, and rummaging over various dust bunnies in my head.  I have been specifically trying to not think about running, and more specifically any sort of desired results … other than just getting out for training and enjoying it.  I have the tendency to get amped up early, and feel some sort of crazy need to get after it like yesterday.  I can’t say that this not thinking about it has not been without some effort … weird.  For example, I found that I was not compelled to go hit the entry lists for Pikes … in fact, I was not thinking about Pikes much at all.  No count down timers.  No trolling the entry lists to see who is in or out.  Not circling weekends as days I expect to get down to the mountain.  Not sweating that I am hanging out in Moab.  

Of course, there are sparks thrown that potentially light my fire a bit.  33 mile runs. Lots of run up Green.   And Justin dropped me a note that MC had entered the marathon, and we started to speculate a bit as to a showdown between him and Timmy.  So that got me itchy a bit … but I let it go.  So, then I let it go.  I decide to just go and be boring, lay low.

So I am out being mindless this morning, but then I get a little freaked about going to Grand Canyon in a few weeks.  Grand Canyon beta.  “Holy crap.  Grand Canyon.  Shit.  I have not done crap for vertical.”  (Side note – I have avoided playing on the big verticals … simply because I am not interested in hip deep wades in the snow at 20 m/m … well, that and the calf).

So … the fire is ready to go.  Just keeping the dampers down for now.  I think.  Or at least trying to.

Still no Mount Washington Lottery results.  Really?  Post script 03302010 … lottery results are now up and it appears that I did not make the cut.  Hmmm … Mount Evans?  Go and watch San Juan Solstice?  Or some other epic fun run that I make up?  A few notes of those who made it from the dominant state of COLORADO: Alex Nichols, Andy Ames, Brandy Erholtz, Rickey Gates, Lisa Goldsmith, Simon Guiterrez, Ryan Hafer, Megan Lund, Tim Parr, John Tribbia,

PM – down right warm.  And breezy.  8 miles easy.

Evening – winds died down a bit.  KZ at soccer so I did drills and core off the field edge for about 25 minutes, and then did 2 miles super easy, but with 8 (I think) strides at max effort, 10 sec each.  Full slow recovery between.  Lake nearby, so I was also getting some protein via the bugs.

Good post:  Our performances decline when we are no longer willing to do the work required for success, and that happens a lot earlier than the ravages of time.

AM – 7 miles very easy.  Windy.

PM – easy miles with TC.  8 miles easy but all sub 8s.  Winds died down, so the weather was quite nice.

AM – 20 miles.  Met up with Bob over at the Davidson Mesa.  Saw team JK out there too.

Five traits of successful runners.

A better week than I expected actually.  Week was 60+ miles on six run.  March at 292 miles, 947 on the year.  About 7.5 hours on the week (I have gotten less exact in this measure) so about 132.75 hours on the year.  No major put aways on the week, but good maintenance in the midst of spring break and a good down week with the bigger one last week.  Fair tempo in Moab, and good to get back to a longer run (versus gluing together several runs together in an attempt to not over stress anything).

JV sent me this link today.  Looks like there is snow on the north side of the Canyon, at least.  No sweat.  For the trip down there in (umm) three weeks, I am just looking for some fun – no gut busting efforts (although that might be the case just by definition of doing it). 

370 miles or so.  Driving.  We got back early afternoon.

12 miles on the mill easy.

Chopped off the ‘hawk.

AM – got a window in which to run, so I headed up 191 out of Moab, towards Arches Park.  Felt good after the initial mile and so opened it up a bit.  8.5 miles, with middle 7 as a tempo.

Initial plans for GC … will head down April 15 (Thursday) – travelling the day to get there.  Will chill out and take in some sights on Friday, and generally prep everything.  Saturday we make the trek, and then Sunday drive home.  Heading down with JV, FF, and Homie at current.  Current plan for me is to just chill and enjoy this 43 mile run. 

Forgot to mention this the other day.   When we pulled into Arches, JZ was coming unglued at the atomic seam level to get out of the car and climb rocks.  Just too much time in a car for a nine year old, with too much cool stuff outside of the car.  We told him we’d look for some rocks he could climb.  Our first pull off into the park, and he bolts out of the car, towards some ridiculously high pillar that is waaay off trail.  We tell him he can’t climb that one.  He begins to lose it and on the verge of tears, he screams, “WHAT?!! WHAT?!! THIS PARK IS SO DUMB!!!”

Did not run today.  Spent the day in Canyonlands NP.

Still debating if Spring Training in Tuscon would have been his choice instead, but he is stoked.
You can see the White Rim trail in this shot.
Upheaval dome, and KZ chats with a ranger.
TZ’s ‘rents came out to hang with us.
Hey kids, stay away from the edge.
Lots of this.  More than I could take pictures of.
The Highgear /4implus watch holds the altitude measure well when compared to the map.

AM – 10 miles, easy, before dawn.  Explored various areas of Moab.

We started the day by hiking out to some of the lower view points of Delicate Arch, and the old Powell Holmstead there.  We then came back to the Windows area, and participated in a guided hike there.  The kids dug this, because they like to do the Junior Ranger programs in the park.  After some time back at the Visitor’s Center, we headed back out to Delicate Arch, and took the hike that brings you right to it.  On the way we took in some petroglyphs.  Dinner, much to the delight of the kids was pizza for a second night in a row.  Hit the pool afterwards.  I probably took a hundred photos today, here are a few.

 

 

 
  
Weather here was great.  I got word that my office was closed back in CO due to the weather.

Got word that I was appointed to my town / county’s Open Space and Trails Advisory Committee.

AM – along the Colorado, easy 3 miles.  Heading to the desert.  
We travelled a chunk of the day from Glenwood to Moab, got settled here and then started into Arches.

"Leaving Colorful Colorado” with the Utah entry sign just in the distance.  Compression socks are on.
 
JZ on a hill top when we pulled over.

Jedi knight in Utah

Park entrance

Warmer than CO, but still pretty chilly.

More tomorrow.