Training Log

4/28 - 5/4 - 37 miles
M - 0 miles (off day)
T - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
W - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
T - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
F - 5 miles (Sailing Hawks)
S - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
S - 8 miles (Animas - 50:23 - PR by 1 minute)

Almost May Now...

After another long, busy week at work consumed by college graduates and their proud families, my body and mind were exhausted by late nights and early mornings. Although I was hoping to hit 50 miles this week, I backed off towards the latter part of the week and finished in the mid-40's again. I did run straight through though without any off days and had two succesful runs up Animas Mountain. On Monday I finished Animas in 53:00, and completed the descent with a nagging stomach cramp. Considering the early date, I was fairly pleased with a time that is less than a minute and half slower than my PR for the course. The fastest I've ever done Animas from my house in training has been 51:47... I ran Animas again on thursday and finished in 53:30, again feeling pretty relaxed and comfortable. For the last two weeks I have encorporated my ipod into my runs - listening to music on steep climbs makes the runs feel easier and more relaxed. Of course, it may be just that I am deaf to my own labored breathing when I'm plugged in. Regardless, my ipod has quickly become a favorite training tool of mine on the trails.

4/21 - 4/27 - 46 miles
M - 8 miles (Animas - 53:00)
T - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
W - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
T - 8 miles (Animas - 53:30)
F - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
S - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
S - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)

Happy Weekend

After a long week but busy week of work at the Cosmopolitan, my weekend is finally here, and I plan to enjoy the next three days off. Late but lucrative nights have left me exhausted, but I'm excited for an early bed time tonight. The next week culminates in Fort Lewis College graduation, so I'm working five nights through Saturday, a longer work week than usual for me. The weather has been warm but quite windy, but the trails out my backdoor are snow free and dry; the high country is another story entirely. The opening of Animas has been a welcome addition to my stable of trails. I'll be heading up Animas today and tomorrow to hopefully give me my first week above 50 miles this spring...

Saturday's run up Animas felt surprisingly good and was quick for this time of year too. Although I headed up the mountain with Sherpa, he quickly fell behind, and I didn't see him until the end of the run. After the first couple of trail intersections, maybe about 21 minutes into the climb, I realized that I was on pace to finish the climb under 38 minutes, the fastest I'd made the ascent this year. So, I pushed the pace on the climbs, really driving my arms, and tried to keep the tempo up on the flats while trying to catch a little recovery. I started the descent after the view point above the cliffs in just over 36 minutes, and then tried to push the downhill while maintaining some sort of control. However, a small stomach cramp bothered me for much of the steep roller coaster descent, but I just ran harder and exhaled harder in an effort to battle the cramp. Despite the nagging stitch, I finished the run in 54 minutes, my best time this spring by several minutes. Although I'd planned to run Animas again today, the hard effort yesterday and my semi-dead legs today convinced me to wait for tomorrow. An easy recovery day between two hard days is sometimes necessary... so, instead Sherpa and I did 6 easy but fast miles today on Sailing Hawks in about 40 minutes.

4/14 - 4/20 - 48 miles
M - 8 miles (Animas)
T - 8 miles (Animas)
W - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
T - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
F - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)
S - 8 miles (Animas - 54:00)
S - 6 miles (Sailing Hawks)

Finally, Spring Is Here

Well, it's been a long time since i've updated this blog, but with blue skies, sunshine, and the first snow free trails of the year, at least at lower elevations in the valleys, this seems like the appropriate time to get back on track with this site. Despite the amazing conditions for running in the late fall here in Southwest Colorado, early December brought winter with a vengeance to the mountains and valleys of the San Juan's. The trails at all elevations quickly were buried for the duration of the winter under an avalanche of snowfall, one of the deepest and coldest winters for some time in this part of the state. Durango was buried by a succession of blizzards, one after the other, dumping 3 to 4 feet at a time, leaving about 60 inches of snow on the ground that lasted from early December through early April. after witnessing the infancy of this winter, I decided to invest an a season ski pass at Purgatory, our local ski mountain. Good decision on my part - the amount of snow both in town and the mountains rendered trail running virtually impossible. So, instead of training through the winter, I made the best of the conditions facing me, probably skiing 45 to 50 days this winter with some of the most amazing powder days ever. The constant 3 and 4 foot dumps spoiled me, and epic powder days seemed to become the norm. January was a month abroad for me, spent traveling around Nicaragua in Central America with my little brother Mike. While I'd planned on running there, the hot temperatures and tasty rum meant I didn't run quite as much as i'd planned. My return to Durango at the end of January was a brutal encounter with winter, as more blizzards and epic powder days pounded the area. So, I continued to ski, enjoying what nature had to offer.

Now, milder temperatures have graced the area over the last month or so, and the deep blanket of snow that buried town has finally melted, leaving dirt trails for the first time since late November. last week was the first time that my runs on sailing hawks have not been disturbed by the constant presence of snow, ice, slush, and of course my personal favorite, heavy thick mud. For now, I am happy as each trail gradually dries out and opens, leaving me with longer and more varied options as each day passes. Today marks the opening of Animas City mountain for the season, and I plan to head up there with the dogs in short order. The trails on this mountain are one of my favorite training grounds, literally right out my back door, about 7.5 mile loop with about 1500 feet climbing foloowed bya steep 15oo foot descent. Fun fun... Should be interesting up top, especially the different aspects and exposures - we'll see if it's really snow free. So, for Now, one day at a time, enjoying the trails day by day as they open. based upon the 130 inch snow pack high in the San Juan's, it's going to be some time before the high peaks are accessible for running once again... maybe in July.

Because of the heavy winter here in SW Colorado, several weeks ago I headed out to Canyonlands National Park in Utah for some snow free trails in the desert and some fun on the slickrock. while it was cool there with temps in the high 60's during the day and about freezing at night, it made for perfect running conditions. the trails were amazing, especially because they were DRY without any snow... what a treat. Over three days there, I ran 34 miles on various loops in the backcountry. Friday was an 8 mile run, Saturday 15 mile run, and Sunday an 11 mile run. After a winter of skiing and "snow running" I was very happy with how good that many miles felt. Of course, the scenery didn't hurt either. canyonlands is such a special place, almost otherworldly, and running in that kind of environment allows you to see so much more while getting away from the crowds that tend to populate the shorter trails. Anyways, it was a great trip, and really got me excited for the summer training and racing season. Here are some pics from the running in canyonlands... I'm off to Animas now with the dogs...

Running Log for Last Month

All Runs on Sailing Hawk Trails

3/17 - 3/23 - 35 miles

M - 5 miles

T - 5 miles

W - 5 miles

T - 5 miles

F - 5 miles

S - 5 miles

S - 5 miles

3/24 - 3/30 - 49 miles

M - 5 miles

T - 5 miles

W - 5 miles

T - Off

F - 8 miles in Canyonlands (Big Spring Canyon - Squaw Canyon)

S - 15 miles in Canyonlands (Lost Canyon - Elephant Canyon)

S - 11 miles to Confluence (Confluence Overlook)

3/31 - 4/6 - 35 miles

M - Off

T - 6 miles

W - 6 miles

T - 6 miles

F - 6 miles

S - 6 miles

S - 5 Miles

4/7 - 4/13 - 38 miles

M - 6 miles

T - 6 miles

W - 6 miles

T - 6 miles

F - 6 miles

S - 8 miles (Animas City Mountain - 1st tme this year!)

S - Off

First Snow of the Year

Training Log 11/18 - 11/25
M - 6 miles on Sailing Hawks
T - 6 miles on Sailing Hawks
W - 6 miles on Sailing Hawks
T - 6 miles on Sailing Hawks
F - 8 miles on Animas City Mountain in about 6 inches of snow
S - 9 miles on the Colorado Trail, Junction Creek Trailhead, slick with snow and ice
S - 8 miles on Animas City Mountain
Week = 49 miles ( with the last three days in the snow, I'll count it as 50)

After what seemed like months of mild temperatures, abundant sunshine, and blue skies, winter finally arrived here in the sunny South West. Thanksgiving was cool and crisp, and one of the first frosts of the year graced my windshield. Though I'd planned on doing the Turkey Trot, cooking duties forced me to reconsider me obligations - probably a wide decision on my part to choose Thansgiving dinner over racing. The next morning was quiet and white, the first snowfall of the year blanketing streets, trees, and all of the surrounding mountains. My trail runs on Animas and the Colorado Trail were profoundly different experiences, the snow forcing me to work much harder to maintain my balance, traction, and momentum while also bathing the canyons and forests with serenity and stillness. Every trail and every step, though I'd passed over them countless times before, was a new experience for me, the snow and winter changing everything. The snow certainly makes trail running both more challenging and more exciting. With several feet of snow in the mountains, it looks as though I will be relegated to the lower elevation trails for the next couple months. However, if the constant sun that has greeted us for the last four days continues to make its presence felt, the trails may soon be snow free once again. Anyways, miles in the snow are harder and worth more in physical effort than normal miles. Yesterday the dogs and I took a somewhat easy 6 miles on sailing hawks hopping around in snow, ice, and of course, ample mud.

Today's run took me from Coal Bank Pass up the Pass Creek Trail to the Engineer Mountain Trail. From the intersection I headed north heading for the white Creek Trail and the Colorado Trail. The first 3 miles were spent climbing through tall pines, occasional snow in the shade, and frquent slick ice on the trail disguised below dirt and footprints. After reaching the base of Engineer Mountain, the trail stayed entirely above treeline, about 12,000 feet, with constant undulations but nothing too drastic. This was all new trail for me, and every corner greeted me with new peaks and wilderness. Much of the trail is deeply rutted into the tundra, and the descents amd footing proved to be precarious in spots. I ran about 6 miles in about 56:00 and retraced the same 6 miles back to the truck in about 48:00. Total time = 1:44:15 for 12 miles.

21 days in a row... over 150 miles total!

M - 6 miles

T - 8 miles

W - 6 miles

T - 6 miles

F - 6 miles

S - 14 miles

S- 12 miles
Weekly Total = 58 miles - all trails

Today marks the end of my 3rd consecutive week of trails, all above 50 miles. After Animas on Tuesday, I took 3 easy days on Sailing Hawks, running 6 miles each day, running about 40 minutes total for each run. Following the pattern of the last couple weeks, I reserved the weekend for back to back long runs at altitude, laying base for next year and potentially my first ultra. The second long day has become significantly easier, though easy is a relative term for runs on trails at about 12,000 feet. On Saturday, I ran the Engineer Mountain from just past Purgatory at about 9,000 feet to the intersection with the Pass Creek Trail and the climbing trail to the summit of Engineer. This was my first run on this trail, and I certainly appreciated the many switchbacks that made the 7 mile climb to 12,000 feet a bit more moderate. My ascent took 1:09:50 and I descended in 46:00; total time about 1 hour and 56 miutes for 14 miles. The trail was very smooth single track, making for a fun roller coaster descent. Stiff breeze above timberline -without gloves and a hat I quickly chilled and beat a hasty retreat down with the dogs. Pics from Saturday's run above.