Jason Finch Running

New Blog

2010-02-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

I'm going to create a new blog. I will most likely just redesign this blog, but it will incorporate more than just good ol' running. Running is still a large part of my life, but there are many other aspects that are much more entertaining to banter about. Life, business, books, music, politics, religion. So, I will need to get going on a design. I am looking forward to the challenge and am excited to share some more thoughts. Until then, I will be running and working (and skiing of course).

Training is alright. I must admit that I am a little nervous as I committed to the SuperFrog again. I am doing the run leg of the relay with some guys from Multisport Ministries. Skiing has not helped my fitness, but I am still running well, and excited to race. I have set some high goals, but will keep those to myself for now.

Hopefully I will have this blog redesigned by April. We will see.

Finch

Good 'ol Running

2010-01-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, running feels fun again. I am not sure why...

Maybe I have a lot on my mind and it is my time away. We are busy getting the non-profit we work with started here in CO, contemplating options concerning job opportunities, buying land, raising a puppy, and blancing the quality time Adrienne and I get to spend together. It is easy to lose that quality time when you have so many good things taking up your time, but we both appreciate the time we have together and know how important it is to maintain that time. Running is a time I can go and think in fast-forward. I have time to contemplate different options and solve problems I otherwise don't have time to think about. It is nice to get out for 10 miles at lunch and come back feeling better and with less on my mind. I think this is how I got into running. That, and I love competing!

So, I will continue to enjoy what I am doing. Add some speed work and get rolling in some races. It is time to face the fact that I might not win every race I enter, but that is not a good reason not to race. I have had some trouble absorbing that thought.

So, I had 50 miles last week, and will have somewhere around there this week. All the miles have been easy and just cruising along getting my legs under me. We are going skiing for the weekend, so I will have to throw on the snowshoes and get in some good climbing. That is alwasy a lot of fun as well. If we get fresh snow I will strap the skis to my back and head to the top of the mountain early in the morning for some first tracks. That is one of the most beautiful things in the world!!! :)

Finch

CO Trail

2010-01-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide where to run come Sunday afternoon. I was lacking some motivation, and didn't want to drive too far. The problem is that I am sick of running away from park rangers when Guinness is off-leash (which is the entire run). I already have recieved one ticket for such an offense, and I have some very serious opinions about this law. I understand the problem if everyone's ill-behaved dogs were running around the town off-leash, but Guinness is a great dog, he has very good obedience, and I mainly run out in the middle of nowhere. Not a problem. Anyway, that is the main factor in having a hard time deciding where to run.

I decided, the heck with it, I am heading out to the South Platte and get some miles in on section 2 of the CO Trail. I love this trail, and I would love to run it from Denver to Durango (maybe someday). I did not know how much snow and ice would be on the trail, so I brought my Yak-Trax and snowshoes up with me. I put the Yak-Trax on because the bottom of the trail was looking pretty icy. It was nice to have them on for the first mile of climbing, but most of the remainder of the run was dirt!!! Pretty surprising for a mid-January run at that altitude. As I got started I realized I had no way of telling how long I was running. I ran back to the truck and looked at the clock, just for a reference. Then, off Guinness and I went. The river looked great, and it was tempting just to stay and fish. Very beautiful with a good flow for this time of year. But, I came for a run, and that is what I was going to do. Up the switchbacks I went with Guinness running ahead and exploring. He is great to run with since it is so easy to get lost in "his world". He is in heaven running out in the forest! As we crested the first climb, there is a monument looking rock that overlooks the Hayman fire burn area. Most of the run goes through the burn area, and I found it, strangely enough, beautiful. There was very little vegetation, with the remains of burnt trees and large rock outcroppings for most the run. It is rare to be in an area that is so desolate, but I have an appreciation for the budding plants and the regrowth that will eventually take over the landscape and develop into a lush forest once again. I ran out, not wanting to turn back, but 4-5 miles in, I decided to call it a good day, and turn around. It is still early in my training and I have been taking it easy building up the miles so as not to get injured. It was a short run, but one I needed. I have been spending so much time running at lunch downtown, and not having much appreciation for my running or the places I am treading. It was very refreshing to get back out into nature and experience the sights and sounds of the wild. I will make this one of my key runs as I train this year for the longer races. I can get as many miles as I want on the CO trail, and there are lots every 10-15 miles where I can drop supplies if needed. It is a graet place to train, and a rare trail that Guinness and I can enjoy together, ticket free!

Finch.

I Love to Ski, But...

2010-01-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up skiing. I have boarded most of my life, and decided I wanted a change. The change has been good and I have enjoyed the season a graet deal. The only problem is that I don't tend to run when I am up skiing. Seeing as how I will not give up skiing, I better get my sleepless butt up out of bed before hitting the slopes.
Adrienne and I met up with some good friends at Beaver Creek and spent two weeks skiing over Christmas and New Years. Oh how I wish I ran some while I was there! Yes there was a fair amount of alcohol consumed each night, and yes I probably did not sleep more than 5-6 hours each night, but now my legs are screaming at me. It was just today that I felt some bit of normalcy back in my legs. No pop yet, but at least I wasn't counting the steps back to my office during my lunch break. I left for the mountains in pretty good shape and came back hurtin'. Lesson learned, I hope...

Finch

A New Puppy

2010-01-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

Adrienne and I got a new Vizsla about a week ago. He name is Haile and she is qutie cute. Puppies are a lot of work, but it has been fun doing socialization, foundation training, and just hanging out. She and Guinness are getting along great and are having fun playing together. It did throw a small wrench in my training for the past few days, but that is easy to get back.

Back to running today. I will do 6-8 easy. I am building up a bit for the next few weeks, and then adding in some light speed and short hill repeats. I committed to doing the half marathon for the SuperFrog triathlon relay. Hopefully it goes better for the team this year than it did last year. That run is HARD. A lot of soft sand and the rest is on spongy hard packed sand along the shore. It is slow and hard. I went 1:19 or something like that last year, but it was about the same time as a 1:10 half marathoner. Ouch! I have a much better base this year heading into the training, and can hopefully drop a good amount of time off. I want to hit up a mile on Westmont's new track, but I will have to see how that works out. I will need to be FAST for that one, so I will have to see if the training is in the cards. It is hard to get good speed training in here in CO during the winter. It is just dangerous. I plan on hitting up a few 50Ks and maybe a 50miler this year. I am enjoying the distance training, and I am not minding running 7:30 pace. I feel like I can go forever, and that will be the challenge in these longer races. Hopefully in a few months, 7:00 pace feels like 7:30 pace does now. That would be a formidable pace for those races. If not, then I guess that is just the way it goes. I'm looking forward to getting in some fun runs with Guinness, and coming out of the ski season with some good fitness. It is always harder to run when the snow is falling and the slopes are calling!!!

Til next time,
Finch

Where's Winter?

2009-12-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

I have had a good time getting back after the sickness. I started lifting again to build some strength, which I think will pay off in some of the longer stuff. Multisport Ministries asked me to run again at the SuperFrog Triathlon in San Diego, so I will be training for that in April. I will be racing prior to that time, but who knows when and in what race. I will add some speed to the training soon, which should be a welcome change from the post-sickness base building. It has been rather dry winter here in CO. There is very little snow in the mountains, and there is not a lot in the forecast. That is a little sad, since I love to get up and snowboard. I started skiing this year, and it has been a blast. I bought some skis from http://www.powder7.com/. Jordan and Amy have a great business selling skis, and Adrienne and I have had a great time so far this year. We have been out about 8 times, and are looking forward to some good snow.

I will throw some updates out sooner than later on the training and race schedule. It should be fun to get back out there this year and do some races. We have been gearing up for a big year with the non-profit we work with. http://www.hands4others.org/ It is a great organization providing clean water to villages around the world. Check it out! We are starting a CO chapter and are looking forward to raising funds to provide the first taste of clean, parasite-free water these villages have ever tasted. H4O is Santa Barbara had a great 1st year in 2009, and we are looking for greater things in 2010.

Merry Christmas!

Finch

Sickness and Soreness

2009-12-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Man. Running is going well, but there was a bit of a glich. I rarely get sick. I came down with something that I thought was going to be a head cold. Then I figured it was going to be a sinus problem. I don't really know anything about these things. It ended up being awful. I was racked out for a couple of day, but still have the crap in my lungs over two weeks later. I have been trying to run it out, which I believe is the greatest cure for most illnesses, but it just hurts when I am done running. I know it will leave, but it took its tole on my training over the past couple of weeks. I started back this week and was sore! I have not been sore like that for a long time, but it was fun to feel it again. I thought I was going easy on the first run back, but it ended up being six minute pace. That might have something to do with the soreness. I think that two weeks of easy running will get me back in the swing of things and I can reintroduce the speed and hills. It should be a quick recovery, if I can just quit coughing up green stuff. Ugh!

I did try skiing the other day. It was surprisingly easy. I have boarded most of my life and this was a nice addition to the mix. I am looking forward to getting into it this year, mixing it up a bit. I will give my friend Jordan Jones a call over at www.powder7.com and get some skis. They run a great business and it has been way too long since I have seen them.

Back to it!

Ready to Race

2009-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to racing soon. It has been a long and sometimes frustrating road to get fit again. I have had quite a few good training sessions and am looking forward to testing the fitness out as well as getting some races in to get the legs ready to go fast. I had a nice tempo this week at 5:30 pace. It was a low-tempo effort and I was surprised at how well I felt. The speed work is paying off and the short hill repeats have given me more speed than I expected to have at this point in the training. There is a winter series coming up here in Denver, and I will register for those races to get a feel of how I am doing before next year's track season starts up.
Right now it is all about consistency and a gradual build. I feel strong, the legs are healthy, and the hardest thing I am going to have to battle in the near future is the weather. We got over 2' of fresh snow yesterday. I'm going to throw the snowshoes on today and take Guinness out for a run. Should be fun!

Finch

Good Times

2009-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I continue to find it amazing that I am able to run reasonably fast after some training. I know that is how it works, but I had been dealing with injuries, lack of motivation, etc, for quite awhile, and now it has been nice to train, and train hard. Tuesday I did 11miles at lunch, out to Wash park, around, and back. I was cruising under 6:30 pace for the entire run. Real easy, and smooth. I hit 8 yesterday in the freezing rain at around 7 min pace. Today was on the treadmill where I did 4x400 at 72, 1xmile at 5:30, 2x400 at 72. Got in 7 miles. The legs are tired, but the workout was pretty relaxed. The treadmill only goes 72/400 pace so that is what I have to deal with right now. I have been adding in some strides and that is making 72/400 feel very very easy. I still don't have a lot of endurance to hold a fast pace like that for over 1 mile, but the 5:30 in the middle of the workout was reasonably comfortable. My legs were tired, and it was good to get some more work in. I have been feeling fasater and more comfortable each week. The training is paying off. :)

Finch

San Diego

2009-10-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

I had a good run down in San Diego when I was there this weekend. Ran up the Bernardo Mountain Summit Trail. It was a beautiful view from the top and had a little sign-in book. Left a small note, appreciated the view, and was off down the mountain. It was 90 something degrees, so that was a bit difference, but I was surprised to find out that I could climb well. I have not been climbing at all, but I have been puting in a good amount of speedwork . It was nice to have good fitness and be able to hit a long hill hard and finish strong. That has been missing for quite a while. I tried to find a race while I was out there, but no luck. Just walking events over the weekend.

Back up to altitude, and back to training. Should be nice. I had a problem in my hamstring last week while doing some short hill repeats and I can still feel it. I will make sure I am watching that while building back up in the speed. I have felt good doing repeats under 5 min pace, tempos around 530 and some solid long runs. It is feeling like the fitness is coming back! Finally!

Finch

Coming Together

2009-10-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have been running more consistently. I need be more consistent on the weekends and then I think that I will be going pretty well! I have been running every Monday with Peter Vail, and we talk about life and running. He was right in what he said a couple weeks ago. Just keep running, going to the fast Niketown run, and getting in some workouts. The motivation will most likely follow the effort. I am excited to be more motivated than I have felt in a long time. I have been doing a longer tempo run each week (6ish) and then hitting the 400m repeats. They have come along nicely as well. I do 8-12 at 72secs. That is as fast as the treadmill will go and that is what I have to work with at lunch. Probably putting in 50-60 miles in a good week and take 10 or so off when I suck on the weekends (more often than not). All in all, it has been fun. 6 min pace was easy the other day, and that has been a long time coming. I will do some racing this winter, and then get ready for Westmont's new track facility opening. I would like to race a mile and then maybe a steeple or 5k. So, I will be running. It is nice to have some fitness back!

Finch

Enjoying Running

2009-09-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying my runs lately. I started up with the running group at the downtown Nike Town, and they are quite fast. We have run 10miles in an hour, and then 5.5 last week in under 30. That was really moving for me right now, but shows that there is some speed/endurance in the legs despite not focussing on training. I would like to say it is easy to get out there each day and make the necessary sacrifices to become "fast" again, but it is not. I still am lacking motivation and some commitment. The biggest difference since I joined the running group has been that I have enjoyed my runs a lot more. I have something to work for and I think that may lead to wanting to sacrifice some things to run faster. I think the cooler weather has helped out a lot and I am actually looking forward to the winter. Weird!

We have been out hunting with Guinness a lot this year, and I am looking forward to phaesant season. He should learn a lot this year on wild birds and the goal is to have him steady on his point by the end of winter. I will go home today and run with him after work. I love running with him, but he has gotten so confident and just takes off. I think he knows where I am at all times, but I have no clue where he is. That does not usually work out here in suburbia. Adrienne and I have really been thinking about building a log home in the hills. It better suits our passions and lifestyle, so we will see how that turns out.

There is a cross country race in Lakewood next Tuesday that I might jump in. I don't have too much speed yet, but why not go out and race. I am sure a good butt kicking will get me more motivated. I still do not like losing. That will probably never change. It should be a good time.

Finch

Too Long

2009-08-18T10:34:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile since I have posted. It is not that I have been lazy, or not running; just that there has been nothing noteworty to write about. I started training some speed again, and will just jump in some races here in a few weeks. I have never been one to be bored running, and I still am not bored, but it would be nice to have some goals and some test of my current ability. Amazingly I have not lost a lot of speed, just the ability to hold it for a prolonged period of time. I have no problem running 4:40 pace, just a problem holing it for more than a mile. So, I will do some tempos and repeats. Probably get in two good stress workouts a week, and supplement that with long runs and easy runs at lunch. I averaged around 30-40 miles a week over the past couple months. No focus, no ambitions, just good 'ol running.

I will look at what races are around in the next month or so, and sign on up. To the pain!

Finch

Golden Gate Dirty Thirty

2009-06-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

The race went well. I was a bit surprised how well it went, but then again, I didn't know what to expect.

Adrienne and I got up at 4:30 in the morning, ate a bit and made some coffee. Got our stuff together, loaded up Guinness, and headed out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The drive was nice, and we arrived at around 6:00. My race took off at 7 and Adrienne's at 8, so we had some time to get our stuff together, drop off my drop bag, and mill around for a short time. Come race time, I lined up and took off. I wore a Nathan backpack, and it was a good idea. It had all the nutrition I needed for the race packed in it, including, a Cliffbar (I will not bring this again), 12 Gu's, and 2 liters of Gatorade. The race started out and I thought, "What the hell, I'm going for broke." I decided then and there that I would do my best to win the thing, knowing that I would probably have to deal with a good amount of suffering. There were about 4 of us that took off up front, and we started climbing. We crossed this beautiful little creek about 10-11 times and each time was over a little log, or a quasi-bridge made out of fallen trees and branches. It was pretty neat. I was feeling the climbing already! I have noticed that I do not do well racing over 7000' and this race shot up above 8000'-8500' right away. I wore my HR monitor so that I had some accountability, but it didn't really matter. I was at 165 HR the whole first climb and I walked most of it. I let a few people go, and tried to keep the HR below 165. We finally crested the first climb and I took off down the hill. I looked down one time and was going 5:15 pace :) Needless to say, I caught the group quickly and decided to keep up the pace down the hills and pulled a little gap. We hit the next climb (around 2 miles long) and I walked/jogged most of it trying to keep the HR down. Two people caught me at the top of the hill, but then I pulled some distance on the next downhill. This was the strategy that I would keep for the rest of the day. There were many hills that I was walking up with a HR over 170!!!! Geeze! I was good on the nutrition taking a Gu about every 30-40 mins and keeping the hydration going. I was passed going up a hill around mile 8, and just kept true to my new strategy. We hit a very technical trail at about mile 10-12 and I went off trail many times. Interestingly enough, I came out of the trail in the lead. I guess the guy that passed me leading into the trail got lost worse than I did. I came to the drop bag check point (mile 17) in the lead and was feeling pretty good. I did not take anything from my drop back and just kept on going. There was an 1100' climb out of this aid station and I felt this hill. I started cramping a good amount while going up. First my quads, then my calves, and finally my hamstrings. I downed a Gu, and it took care of the cramping. I decided to slow my walking down up the hills and maintain a good pace on the flats and downs. I was passed at the top of the hill after the aid station and wished the guy good luck. He was climbing strong and I did not think that I could keep up for the remaining 10 miles. Surprisingly, around mile 22 I started feeling pretty good again. I was cruising at 7min pace on the flats and downs, running at around 160HR, and just walking the hills. I got to the final aid station somewhere around mile 25 and they said I was a few minutes behind. I thought, what the heck, I will keep the strategy and hit the downhills a little harder. You never know, right!?! I actually climbed the next hill fairly efficiently and started a screaming downhill!!! I was moving well and feeling smooth. Next thing I knew there was the finish line. The only problem, I had only run about 28 miles :( I missed a turnoff at the top of the last hill and missed the final climb. I headed back up the last mile I descended (around 800' gain)! and saw the trail I missed. I was hurting at this point. I decided to call it a day, disappointed, but also very pleased. It was a great learning experience, and a beautiful day. I was told that I was about 1 minute back right around the trail head that I missed. Either way I would have been happy with the finish. This was the first time I have run over 20 miles in as long as I can remember, and it was a pretty comfortable run. I think I will train specifically for the distance for awhile and see what I can do. If my aerobic fitness was a bit better, I think that I could have held a much more efficient pace up the hills. I still got in 30 good miles of running and over 12,000' of climbing with the addition of my detour. I have to look at my watch readout, but I was on pace for around 5:30. That is a long time running, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The hills took up most of that time, and the elevation was another nice challenge. I think I averaged 164HR! That was the biggest surprise of the day. I am on the edge of aerobic at this HR and probably a bit over the line, but it did not seem to have too much of a negative effect. I felt really good from mile 22 on, and with a bit different nutrition, I think I could have minimized or negated the cramping. I think the hills were the biggest culprit of the cramping, but some more electrolytes could have made the difference.

It was a great experience with a bummer of an ending. I was not too disappointed, but it would have been nice to see how the day would have ended had I taken the right path. I think I will have fun training for this distance and I think it is a good fit physiologically.

Adrienne ran a great 12 mile race with 5,000' of climbing! She took it out conservative, and ended up passing a lot of people over the second half of the race. She has only been training for 4-6 week consistently, and has come a long way. I have not seen her result yet, but she had a great time and is really loving the new challenge. She is training for a 50k in December, but we may find one before that. It is great to be able to train and race these races "together". It is fun to be able to relate to the highs and lows together as well. We are enjoying it quite a bit. I think it is great for Adrienne because she was a very competitive sprinter, jumper, and soccer player. It is great for her to have something new to be competitive in, set goals for, and to have fun doing. I am excited to see how far she is going to come and I know she is going to enjoy the journey!

Until next time...

~Finch

50k-12,000' gain, Why Not?

2009-06-02T14:02:00.001-07:00

So, I am going to jump in the Golden Gate Dirty Thrity this weekend. It is a 50k race out here in CO that I came across last Thursday. I don't think I have ever run 31 miles before, but I think I can get through it alright. I will take it easy and see what happens. There is 12000' of climbing and 12000' of descending. I am not a big fan of downhills, but I will have to deal in this race. I assume I will just go out with whoever is willing to lead and see how I feel at 20. I know I can run 20 and fell alright, so that should be a good place to take stock. Then we will see what happens. Until then, I will be thinking about the race and figuring out what I am going to eat. I assume I need to eat, and I saw something that said I have to carry 40oz of water. That sounds heavy, but I will make it work. I'm going to have to wear one of those silly belts :( I am sure that thing will be of great importance during the race. I will probably eat gels, Cliff Bars, and gummy worms (if they sound good)! They sound good right now and I assume they will sound good 25 miles into the race :) I love climbing and I love Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It is very pretty!!! I'll let you know how it goes!

Racers or trainers? Hmmmmm...

Finch

Miles and Pools in my Basement

2009-05-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend was alright. Had a nice 14 miler at Bear Creek on Saturday, took Sunday off from running and planted the garden with Adrienne, and then got in 20 on Monday. The 20 was a nice loop. Mt. Falcon parking lot, Morrison, up the highway to Lair O' the Bear, up to Parmalee Gulch Rd., climb up to Mt. Falcon, and then down the hill to finish up. Lots of up, and a long down at the end. I felt good and all that I felt this morning were my knees. I think they just need to get used to the pounding for that distance. I had a nice 5.5 miler at lunch today and will take it easy for the rest of the day.

On another note, our basement flooded last night! Damn! As far as I can tell, the water came up from under the foundation, and found whatever cracks it could between the foundation and the walls to come up into our house :( We are so close to finishing up our house and this is such a bummer! If insurance does not cover it, I will have to tear out the drywall in the room downstairs, and all the wood flooring that we installed. I am rather depressed about the whole situation! Well, that is part of owning an old house, I guess?!

Ugh!!!

Finch

A New Challenge?

2009-05-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, I am still a bit bummed about 9 Trails, but I know it is not happening, and I have to consider what I want to focus on. I have a hard time getting amped about running 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, etc... I know I can run well, but not fast enough to be pleased with the sacrifice it takes to get there. Talking with Adrienne and others, it seems I can go fast, but a bit slower than many of the elite and pro racers. This lack of desire to run for second will most likely change as I continue to get older and slower, but it has not yet changed. So, what's the answer?

A New Challenge!

I am curious how I will do over 50 miles. Once upon a time I ran 30 at about 6:10 pace. I would not have made it one more mile, but I did not have food or water on that run. I crawled into my bed and slept for 14 hours. It seems that I am genetically predisposed to handle a good pace for a long long distance, but I am not sure my body will hold up to the miles. I think it is time to find out! I am going to build from now until August and get my miles up up up! Then I will jump into a 50k (I am thinking about doing the 50k championships in San Francisco). After that, if I am healthy, racing well, and not back on the mile train :), I will enter The North Face 50 Mile Championship race in San Francisco in December. I will race throughout this time, but focus on the miles, and training that will support fat burning and energy conservation over that distance.

I had a nice run today with Peter Vail, and we were discussing the difference in a 50k and a 50 mile race. It is clear in the results that they are far from the same thing (much much slower)!, but I think a new challenge is in order, and it is something that feels a bit over my head. There are few things in life that I love more than running! I am looking forward to slowing the pace down, and running a lot more. I think Adrienne is in as well! I believe she will handle the distance better than I will, and it will be a fun challenge to embark upon together.

Finch

Bummer!

2009-05-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

9 Trails is cancelled for this year :( I completely understand! Due to the fires in Santa Barbara, the trails are wrecked and they are going to have some serious errosion issues this Winter. Hopefully the trail crews can set up some structure to help prevent some of this. Two years and no 9 Trails is a bit of a bummer, but it forces me to find something else to look forward to. I do not know what that will be yet, but I will find some race that is way over my head.

Enjoying the miles lately. Took a bit of a break last week because we completely redid our yard. Tore out over 30 tons of stuff and put in new sod after grading both the back and front yards. It was a lot of work. I am currently building a walk-in closet in our master bedroom, and should have that done this weekend. I will get in a long run this weekend and I have a couple of nice runs with Peter Vail and Steve Cavalli today and tomorrow.

What to race?

Finch

Very Nice!

2009-05-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

The running has been going great. The leg seems much stronger after an easy week, and I am now dealing with tird legs. It is interesting how fast you can get used to miles, but it does not mean that the legs will not be heavy. Last week was a nice week with three days in a row with 14, 16, and 13. That was a good amount of miles considering what I have been doing, and most of them were under 6:30 pace. So, I am trying to take it easier on the normal runs, but my HR is very low cruising around 6:45. I will have to see if my legs can handle that pace, and then go from there. I have been enjoying the miles, and am looking forward to getting used to the hot weather. It was about 80 out today when I was running, and it felt HOT. It takes a few runs to get used to the heat. The key right now is to not let the speed work slip away. That is the difference maker in my running, and what makes me smooth and fast. So, this week has been two 7 milers so far, and I have been feeling a bit heavy. I am sure it is from the long week last week, but I felt better today than yesterday. It is a busy week, and will be difficult to get in 2x days, but we will see. Guinness has his first hunt test this weekend, and he is being a bit weird in the field right now. So, we will see how he competes :)

Finch

Enjoying the Miles

2009-05-06T15:55:00.001-07:00

I have learned many lessons through my time running, and that does not appear to be stopping any time soon. I think I bumped my miles too quickly. My soleus started cramping on runs and it was difficult to run. It was fine until about 6-8 miles in, and it would just say, "enough is enough." So, I backed off the miles for a week logging somewhere around 35, and am upped it 10-15 the following week. I decided to run twice a day, most days, and get in runs ranging from 5-8 miles each run. This allows me to keep up speed a bit better and get in great miles that will pay off later!!! I think the main problem is accepting the altitue. I can run around 6:15 -6:30 pace right now and (last time I checked) be running around 145HR. That is a very easy, reasonable effort, but it does not seem that my muscles recover as well as I would hope. So, I can go 5-6 miles at lunch now, run 5:45-6:00 pace and hold a more honest effort while not needing as much recovery. I don't yet know if it equates to cheating the system, but I'll take it! The bummer for me is that I HAVE to slow down on the long runs. I love getting out there and just going how I feel. 6min pace, 6:30 pace, whatever. Now, if I am going over 10 or so, it seems I need to slow it down a bit and just get the distance in the legs. This is a bummer!!! I can run 20 right now at that pace and feel like I was just out for a casual jaunt. The hope is that I will continue to get stronger and the pace can come down for the longer runs.

Adrienne is training well and will be upping her long run here in a couple weeks. It is nice that we have a lot of time before our long race, and I think it will benefit her body to be on this longer slower training schedule. She is enjoying the running and we have already been on some fun adventures together. Crossing Bear Creek on the 3 creek run in the middle of run-off season can get a bit crazy!!! :)

I feel it is easier to take the lessons I have learned in running and apply them to other people's schedules. That is probably where pride comes into the equation for me. I have learned that lesson quite a few times, it just never sticks :/

Finch

Aw yeah!

2009-04-24T14:26:00.001-07:00

The miles are fun. I miss running this much and I am feeling pretty good. I needed to take a bit of a break yesterday due to overuse, but I feel great today and will get in a nice run after work with my dog. It is amazing to me how fast the miles help and how smooth the runs start to feel. I need to continue to be careful and a bit conservative for my calves, but other than that, I feel great. I think that after a couple of months in this routine, there will be a noticeable difference in my fitness and racing ability. I will get in a long run this weekend and then a moderate run on the following day. I will have a weekly total around 70 and that will be good for the first week of "mileage focused running". I will up the mileage about 10% each week and stay consistent with the speed-work and tempos. I considered jumping in the California 100 mile race, but I am not sure I would even make it (I would make it, but it could and would most likely be very very ugly!!!). It is in my old stomping grounds and has something like 14,600' elevation gain throughout the run. I will stay away from this one for now, and think about something more reasonable (like a 5k)! I know, big difference, but so what. Racing is racing, and I miss it! I have noticed that the competitive edge comes back pretty naturally when the training gets more serious. I use to dislike losing to Adrienne at Cribbage, but now it is all I can do to not tip the board over :) I don't, but I think about it.

I am looking forward to getting up into the mountains and finding lost lakes and seeing all the wild animals soon. I still have a few months before the snow clears, but until then, I will continue on with what I have been doing.

Adrienne is running great as well. She did 10.5 last weekend, and that was her longest run by quite a bit for quite a while. I think she will hit somewhere around 10-13 this weekend as well, and that will be where she stays for another week or so. She is working up to doing a comfortable 20miler, and then we will take a weekend and both go LONG! Everything else is moderate and just a little speed added in. The training is reminicent of Marty Liquori's trainiing back in the day (save the fact that he was fast as a cheetah, and did consistent 30 milers after races). But if the body can take it, and there are good results coming from it all, then more power to the system. I do not see any need to go over 70-80 considering the goals that I have, but if I can, I will. I love being out there running!

Finch

Miles and Miles

2009-04-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

The return of the Trials of Miles. I really do enjoy running good miles and a good pace. I have been very healthy and, although it may be a tactical error in getting race-ready, I think the potential benefits outweigh the potential costs. I am going to put in a slew of miles here in the next few months and see how my body reacts. I have had some of the best racing of my life off 80-100 miles per week. I do believe that I can run strong and fast at 50 miles a week, and race very competitively, but if I want to race a a top-level, I need to put in some big miles to compliment and help with the speed. I will take it easy and make sure that my legs are responding well. So far, so good. I did a 16.5 miler, and I do 10 most days at lunch, and then go home and run with my dog. The hope is to keep the 400 repeats going once a week, and pick a day that I feel good and get some good tempo work in. I will write more in a bit about it all and the progress, but for now, I must go run.

Finch

Dreadmill

2009-04-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it is pretty crappy weather out today, and I brought running shorts and a microfiber short-sleeve shirt to work with me. Time to hit the treadmill. I did 10 on the damn thing. Hit a 2 mile warm-up and then went into a nice session of 14x400 @ 5min pace with an easy 9min pace recovery. 1 mile cool down and I was done. Just boring!!! It is nice to feel very very easy at 5min pace and get through the workout very relaxed. It will be nice to get out on the track and get some work in at 4:40 pace and see how that works. It should be fine, and I like this gradual progression. My legs are healthy and I have some decent speed.

I still need to figure out what I want to race next, but I am looking forward to jumping into something. I have a bit to go before I have the ability to hold 5min pace over a 5k at altitude, but it is on its way.

I think it will be useful to up my miles a bit, but I am going to go at it slowly and see how everything responds. I am not able to get the rest I need to do the stress work and hold 100 miles a week, and I am not sure that is necessary, but I want to find somewhere near an optimal accumulation, and speed work mix. Heck, it may be 60miles a week. Who know!?

Finch

Back to It

2009-04-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what I am going to do next, but I will pick something out soon. I have had a good week and I find myself running around 6:20 quite comfortably on my 6-8 mile runs. That is a good improvement from what I was doing, and it shows some pretty good progress. It would nice to have that down at 6:00, but that is probably still some time away. I will probably get going on some workouts again this week, and see how my body responds. I am sure it won't be a problem, and it should be fun to stretch the legs out. I was snowboarding this past weekend from Thursday to Sunday. There was 20" of new snow!!! It was pretty awesome. I spent some time on the rails in the terrain park, and got them down pretty well and even developed a bit of style on them. Scary though! I am looking forward to consistently warmer weather and getting some color on this white boy body! Once I decide what I am racing, I will be sure to let you know! Until then, I will be running :)

Finch

Oh Yeah...

2009-04-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

Adrienne has been itching to get back into some running and I think I have her convinced that Santa Barbara 9 Trails is the way to go. It is a 35 mile race that has somewhere around 11000' - 12000' of climbing in it. I know it sounds crazy to some, but in many ways training for this race is much easier than training for a fast 5k. The race is not until November and (assuming that we can get in this year), she will have plenty of time to build a base, race some fun races, do some long long runs and get ready. I am excited for her. I will do the race as well, and it will be fun to test some limits. I will continue training the same way, but getting that long run up there come summer time. My goal is to be able to build that 7min pace running efficiency while I increase the long run. Hopefully I can race a long race at that training pace. Who knows. It is really a side goal, but one that I will put some attention toward come late summer. Adrienne should love the experience. :)

Finch

The Race

2009-04-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a nice day out in San Diego. Heat was not an issue as it was overcast and windy. I felt good going into the race and had some nice runs the previous two days. On race day, our relay team was just outclassed. There were some very good teams racing and we did not have a shot at winning. It was a great day for the group that flew me out there, Multisport Ministries. There was a lot of interest in the group, and the group will grow from the exposure. Cutting to the chase...

I did not get the chip, formerly a baton in track relays:), until around 36 minutes after the leaders left. We were in 9th or 11th at that time, and the run was almost all on sand! Bummer! I took off well and was holding 5:20s on the hard packed/mushy sand. It was at the peak of high tide, and the hard packed sand was mostly covered in ocean. I felt good and smooth at 5:20s and figured I could hold it and maybe pick it up in the last few miles. Little did I know that when we reached the SEAL base, we had to run on very very soft sand for a good distance (over a mile). This was easily the worst part of the run. Especially the second time around! I got through the soft sand and had a bit on dirt road and gravel road. That was a nice time to attempt and make some time back. I felt good throughout the run, and even coming in, I was feeling strong and relaxed. I ended up with the second fastest run time on the day with a good group of runners out there. Two of the guys are about 1:10 guys and both have gone under to hit 68 minutes on road courses. I assume that with a bit more work, I will have that ability back in my legs. Save the sand, I was comfortable at 5:20s on the hard packed, and that would be a good time given I have really only put in 4 good weeks of training. I am looking forward to training more and seeing how it all turns out. Our team ended up in 3rd or 4th, as most people were running 1:25-1:30 something out there. I came in with a 1:19, a minute behind a pro Kenyan runner. I'll take it!

The real surprise of the trip was the following day. I went out to my old high school and did a 7 mile run. When I came back, the team was doing 400m repeats, and I decided to join in. I was only there in time to do 6 with them, but I was comfortable at 63-66. I don't know where the speed came from, but I could jog out of a 63 and hardley felt anything. That was a good feeling and gets me curious to know what I could do in a mile with a bit more work. We'll see...

Anyway. It was fun to race again, and I am looking forward to getting on a more reasonable course and see what I can run. My legs feel great and as healthy as ever. I will stick to the good ol' Lydiard way, and just keep on truckin'. I am going to start adding some more miles to the mix, but that will be the only change for now.

Back again soon!

Finch

Man...

2009-03-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

I miss Santa Barbara.

High Tides and Soft Sands

2009-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like 7 miles of the half is on the sand. Leave it to the SEALS! I usually love running on the hard packed sand along the beach, and it is one of the things I miss most about living in Santa Barbara. So, initially I thought, GREAT! Then, I looked up the tide chart and saw that right around 9:45am is the peak of the high tide at +4.85ft. That may cause some complications. Usually when the tide is that high, there is not very much hard packed sand left. Just spongey, soft sand. So, time might not be the priority in this race. It is a bit disappointing because my training has gone so well, and I think I am capable of a fast time. On the other hand, it will be a great challenge and I think, although it may be frustrating, it will be fun to run wet. It is good to know these things going in because you can prepare yourself for a different kind of suffering.

Yesterday was a good day and the legs are feeling strong. I ran an easy 5 miles, with 3 of them at 6min pace. The pace felt so easy and relaxed. I thought I was running 7min pace. So, I am ready for a good race, and looking forward to setting something up after this race. I am still a bit away from being able to race at 5min pace here in Denver, but it is around the corner. I think that if I keep on the same plan, that a couple of months from now, I should be pretty solid at 5min pace. Right now, I can run that pace at threshhold for a mile at a time. That means a 5k is probable at 15ish, but nothing farther yet.

This will be a good test. I leave for San Diego Friday and hang with the family for a couple of days prior to the race. It should be nice!

Finch

The Time is Near

2009-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I went out with the intention of running a broken tempo to shake the legs out and get a bit of work in. I ended up doing 8 at 6min pace. I was comfortable throughout an was never near pushing. That is a good thing with a race a little more than a week away. I would not want to run every day at that pace, but it was fairly reasonable, and I could have gone awhile at that effort. So, I will get in a speed session this week, and maybe a more focussed tempo this weekend. That will lead me into a nice easy week with mostly 5-6 milers and some pick-ups. Then off to race with the Multisport Ministries group. Hopefully everyone has been training. I think I should have a pretty good run. I will know soon enough!

Finch

Cold Hills!

2009-03-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I headed out to Chatfield Res to do some hill repeats with the Practical Coaching and Elite Coaching groups. I did a nice easy run a lunch at about 7min pace. Decided I would head on down and get some anaerobic work in. The speed has been coming along, so I thouhgt hills would be a nice change. I ran in a couple of miles and then met up with the group. We headed to the hills, which is .6mi long. We started the first one really easily, and I picked it up a bit at the end. After that, I ran alone and hit the hills in 3:30 each time. I felt good through the seven I decided to do. I was feeling the downhill recovery a bit and decided it was a good long day with the earlier miles and the tempo the day before still sitting in the legs. With the hill being .6, I was at about 5:50 pace and that is fine for now. I was pushing near the top each time, but never too hard. Always more there, and it is a good place to be right now. Everyone was looking pretty good up the hills, and it was a good workout. I was having stomach issues as well, so I found a bathroom, and then headed back to my car. I was tired last night, but feel strong today. The legs are feeling another long week, but are healthy and ready to go. I did a Pilates class today that was pretty weak. I like Pilates, and it is a constant in my training. The class was just a bit soft. I will get in a few tonight for an easy day, and then a long run tomorrow. I will see how I feel on Sunday and do whatever suits my fancy. Anyway, the race is here soon, and it is nice to feel like I have some fitness behind me. It has been a long time since I have been able to run with this efficiency. There is a long way to go, but it is nice to know that I can go out and race well!

Finch

To the Pain!

2009-03-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

The training is continuing to come along nicely. I do not run with a HR monitor, but it would have been interesting to see the effort today. I have been logging between 60-70 miles and feeling great. No pains, no problems, and I feel smooth on most runs. Today was 10 probably a nice shake-out later, but 10 for now. In the 10 was a 7 mile tempo. I ran just that, tempo, nice hard effort without too much exertion. I felt it most in the first 3 miles, but the remaining four were smooth and a nice effort. I ran a bit under 6 min pace (5:50ish), and did the 10 miles in 63 minutes. It was a good day because I am confident that I can hold that pace, at altitude, for a half. That should transfer nicely to sea-level, and I still have a couple of good weeks of work. I am not sure if I will get at it tomorrow or the following day, but I have 16 or 20 400's at 75 with a brisk 200 recover (1:00 or so). It is nice to feel better, not fast yet, but better. It is coming around and this race has been a great motivator. I will find something after this and keep it up. It has been fun to mix up the running again and to start to feel fast again. Other than that, I swam an easy 2 miles yesterday. I did 1500 straight and relaxed in 25:00. So, nothing fast, but good enough just cruising. I really don't have any goals in the pool, and I just get in when I want to get off the legs.

This week looks like it will be around 65-70 miles with a day off. Not too bad, and it feels pretty good. I'm not a zombie at work anymore!

Finch

Miles...

2009-03-04T07:15:00.001-08:00

Well, the miles are coming along. If I continue to feel good this week, and all goes according to plan, I will hit 60-65 miles. A pretty big jump, but done with a good amount of easy days, and some longer days with hard work. Yesterday's workout went well. Ended up doing 6x400 2x800 6x400. I did the 400s in 75 with a brisk 200 recovery (around 1 minute). That is pretty close to my anaerobic threshold right now. I did the 800s in 2:36, which is not that much slower, but I felt fine at that pace. So, I think I can develop 75s and get them to 72s or so before the race, and hopefully feel good at 5:30. I felt great yesterday at 5:12 pace, but not great enough to hold it for 13 miles. Maybe 6... It is nice to be getting in consistent miles, and to feel fluid out the door. It has been awhile, and I have awhile to go before I feel "fast", but I can tell it is coming along. It has been a patient journey thus far, and I will continue on with the same philosophy.

A couple of easy days totaling 8miles, and then 11 miles. Followed by either a day off or an easy 6. Then a nice 14 miler with a tempo in the middle at 6ish pace. Should be a nice week. Next week will be similar with a back to back day tempo-repeats. Less than four weeks to the race. Nothing like a crash course in quick fitness!

Finch

Maybe, Just Maybe

2009-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well, training is going well, and I am healthy. The legs feel great and I have had some nice workouts, without pushing too hard and taking the appropriate rest. Last week I got in a tempo, I felt like total crap during the whole thing! Then two days later I hit 12x400 at 75 with full recovery. It was nice to be able to hold the pace (even though it is pretty slow). It is not slow right now, and that has me a bit nervous. It is some of the first speed work I have done, but at least I am feeling a lot more comfortable at 5:00 pace. This last weekend was a nice 12 with Guinness, and a lot of work on the house. I think I got in somewhere around 50 last week, and I am going to put in a few more miles this week and next (60something). Tomorrow is going to be 4x400, 4x800, 4x400 all at around 5min pace. We'll see how everything feels at that pace. I hit a nice 8 today out along the river during my lunch break at a comfortable 6:45 pace. It was nice and easy and even, so I think that bodes well for the training, and some improvement. I think that I should have a good race in me if I stay healthy and follow the schedule leading into March 29. I would like to feel good at 5:30pace, but I am not sure if I can make it in three more weeks or not. Time will tell. It is fun to train again, and I can remember the feelings of getting fast. I remember it used to come along in a few weeks, so here's to hoping!

Finch

Ugh!

2009-02-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

I just got back from an awesome long weekend in Beaver Creek snowboarding in beautiful snow (over knee deep in the trees)!!! It was awesome! We met the Dusebout's and the Schurmer's up there and hung out for the weekend. It is always great seeing them and having fun.

Today was WINDY!!! Rafael, a good runner I met through Steve Cavalli, called me and asked if I wanted to do a track workout with him. Of course I said yes, and I ran over and met him on an old dirt track at a ghetto high school. He asked what I wanted to do when I arrived, and I decided upon 2x400, 2x800, 1600, 2x800, 2x400. 200 rest except for the rest before and after the 1600.

The wind caused a much slower average, but I ran 75-80 on the 400's, 2:40-2:50 on the 800s, and 5:50 on the mile. It was more of a fartlek with the lack of recovery. Under a minute on most the 200's and under 3 for the 400s. Being one of the first harder workouts, I was happy with the outcome. It is slow as heck, but that is okay for now. I have not worked the system very much and I feel comfortable at 6:00 min pace for a long while. The wind was unbelievable on the back straight! I felt like I wasn't moving at all! I am looking forward to progressing through this and I don't want to run much faster before this half. I want healthy legs and a lot of efficiency at 5:30 or so.

I will hit a nice tempo later in the week at around 6:00 pace, and that will be a nice stretch out from this run. The miles are coming easily, and I think the race will be fun once I get a bit more efficiency. It is hard to do these workouts at lunch and then come back and work another 4-5 hours. Blah!

Back soon!
Finch

Back to Training For Real

2009-02-12T08:26:00.001-08:00

I am loving it. I am just excited to be healthy again!!! I did my first tempo on my lunch break the other day. I warmed up a couple of miles, and then just set the pace at 6:00/mi and cruised. It felt fine, and I was rather surprised. It used to be (in CA), that I would leave the door at 6:00/mi pace and come back the same way 10-20 miles later. It is a bit different up here at 5280 feet above sea level. If you train that way all the time, it seems that injuries come around more often (at least for me). So, a first tempo there is alright. I was cruising yesterday at 6:30-6:40 and could have run forever. So, there is efficiency building already, and I feel strong and smooth. I am looking forward to getting some 400's in and getting the legs used to turning over more quickly. I think goals are important, and I will have a better grasp on what I am capable of once I get a few weeks under my belt, but it would be nice to run 5:30s for the race. That leaves me somewhere around 71mins. I hear there is some deep sand running on the beach, so that may put a few minutes on the time. We will see.

Swim went well the other day. I was waiting for a friend and swam 1200 straight through at 1:30/100m pace. So, that is quick improvement seeing as how I was doing that for repeats last week. I will be running more now, but swimming when the legs are aching.

Finch

Snow Shoe Race?

2009-02-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Man, I should have learned my lesson at last year's Teva Mountain Games 10k. I don't know why I think I should be good at high altitude races, because I am clearly not! Adrienne and I were up in Beaver Creek for the weekend and we decided to enter the snowshoe race they put on. This was our first snowshoe race, and I think it just about lived up to our expectations. Completely anaerobic for most the race, and definitely up every hill. To say the least, I did not really enjoy it. I kept hitting my ankles with my snowshoes, and they are now all cut up, swollen, and bruised like crazy! Well, it was an experience. One I do not really want to relive, but an experience.

I have set out a schedule for my upcoming race. I feel pretty good about my fitness on the road, and I think I will be in pretty good shape heading into the race. I will be doing about 50-70 miles a week leading up to the race. The next three weeks are around 55miles, and then I have a bit longer week, and we will see from there. I need to get some efficiency in the legs at about 5:30 pace, and then just take it easy going into the event. I am going old school on the training: Lydiard style! I have 400s and tempos. I have a pretty good base behind me, and it is time to get those legs turning over nicely. Granted it is a half marathon, so I will not be doing anything very fast (around 5min pace max), but I would like to be efficient in that range. There are a couple of good groups that I will hook up with to get some tempos in. Jordan Jones has been doing a good, moderate tempo on the weekend, and that would be a perfect fit for me.

Anyway, today is the first tempo and I expect it will be rough. :)

Jason

An Upcoming Race

2009-02-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess the time has come to jump into something again. I received a call from a Non-profit group called Multisport Ministries. I have known about the group for awhile because they asked me to race on their pro team right when I stopped doing triathlons. They have grown a good deal and it is great to see how they are developing as a company. They called and asked if I would do the run leg on a half ironman distance relay. I thought about it for a night and said what the heck. I have been running a lot better lately since my achilles has not hurt, and I really need to get back out there and do something. I ran a sub 1:20 13 mile training run nice and relaxed last time I was in San Diego, so I assume I can run an alright time. There is some soft sand and hard pack sand on the course, so that will be a bit slower. I have always loved the hard packed sand, but despise the soft beach sand. I have started doing some repeats and a couple of tempos out here. I am surprised how fast stuff comes back when I am not limping along with a hurt achilles. I still have a ways to go to get to the half distance, but I feel comfortable with it. We should have a strong team and the winning prize is $1k. That is a nice incentive. It is always fun to win something. The race is put on by the Navy SEALS and it is called the SuperFrog triathlon. I know a good number of SEALS, and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing some of them out there! So, I will keep an update on how the training is going, and how things are progressing.

On a side note, I had a nice swim session today: 12x100m coming in on the 1:30 and leaving on the 1:45. It is progress, and I am alright with that. It actually felt pretty comforable; I just don't have an extra gear yet. Maybe with time (if I keep in the water). It is good cross training!

Until next time!
Finch

Crazy Winter

2009-01-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

This winter has actually been alright. The past two winters here in Denver have sucked. I think it snowed every damn day! Slipping on ice while both riding and running, and freezing for three months is not my idea of enjoyable training. Last week I ran in shorts. Yep, that's it, just shorts. AND, I was hot the whole time! I loved it. Those are the weeks that get me through until summer spings into action.

I have been running well. I get in around 40-50 a week, and even feel pretty comfortable on my repeats. The speed is still a month or so out, but I can run pretty comfortably at 5:20 pace for awhlie. Not in race shape yet, but it is closer than I have been in some time. I have been taking it easy, the achilles is feeling strong, and I am as patient as I have ever been; not rushing anything and actually holding back many days.

I started lifting and have been doing so for about three weeks now. I don't enjoy lifting, but I also do not think it is a coincidence that my achilles is better and I am running stronger since I have been hitting the weights. I am not surprised, but I have always avoided the weight room like the flu, and I can readily admit that it was probably not the right way to go about things. I have only lost weight since I have been lifting (which I am surprised about), and it gets me away from work during the day! All good things!

Still swimming a bit. I did not swim from Thanksgiving until the New Year, but jumped back in the pool and hit an alright set the first day back. 10x100 on the 1:50, coming in around 1:35. That is alright for no swimming and a short course meters pool. It brings me in around 1:25 yards, which don't get me wrong, is far from fast, but also a good ways from poking. I was about 5 seconds faster yesterday, but only did 5. I have no speed and little motivation, but it is fun to get in and have some good cross training.

I don't really have any race plans. I would like to beat the Practical Coaching group in an Ultra, but I don't run them. I might jump in one and see if I survive (if they are racing another one this year). I promise one thing: No 17 hour training day for me:) I will run 30 or 40 one day to prove to myself I can hold a good pace for a long ways, and then go for it! I better give Steve a call and start talking some serious trash! I might jump in a 12 hour Adventure race. If I can stay achilles pain-free, I will get on the track and see what I can do. Other than that, I am going to shoot birds with my dog, and fish all summer:) Not bad. My personal agreement with fishing is that I have to run first. There are some beautiful lakes and streams up in the mountains here that are hard to get to, unless you are running. Then it is just another day of training with a nice bonus: Rainbow Trout!

Until next time!

Um, Ouch!

2009-01-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

I am sore. I decided to start lifting and see how it is different than not lifting for my entire life. I am so sore right now, but I think it will be a good thing. A bit more support for the joints and smaller muscles. Time will tell! I have been pretty consistent over the past few months, and am starting to get into some alright shape. Took a small break over the holidays and snowboarded and did some snowshoeing (mostly running). It is nice out here in Denver this winter. It is around 60 both today and tomorrow, and I can deal with that. Adrienne, Guinness, and I had a graet Chrstmas and a wonderful New Year up in Beaver Creek with the Dusebouts. It is always great to see them. We took Guinness out to St. Mary's Glacier on Christmas day and it was a bit too windy and cold for him. We cut the hike short. He had some great snowshoe adventures up in Beaver Creek. We are still taking it very easy on him since his growth plates do not close for another half a year or so. I started some short repeats running yesterday, and I am a long way aways from being able to go fast. I think I have a good strong base under me, and my achilles is feeling much better due to the slow consistency. We have been training Guinness on birds lately as well. It is fun and he is doing a great job for his age. He has a beautiful point and even stays steady if he doesn't get too excited. It was fun to shoot again, and I am looking forward to doing more of that! Well, hopefully I will jump in a race here soon and get my butt handed to me, but it will be a fun experience. There's a jumbled post for you:)

Snowy running

2008-12-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

I have been having a great time running. It has been freezing here!!! I get an hour or so in a day, with one to two longer runs each week. I get in about 50 miles a week right now, mostly easy base miles. I have been enjoying it and am beginning to feel some fitness under me. The runs are faster at the same effort, and the time on the legs gets easier each week. My achilles is still bothering me, and I cannot understand why. I am going to have to get that looked at prior to starting any speedwork. Work is going well, and the holidays are already upon us. Adrienne and I have hardly done anything for Xmas, but we are looking forward to spending it together! We are planning a nice rack of lamb dinner and then a nice breakfast for Xmas morning. We will spend New Year's with our good friends, the Dusebouts, up in the mountains. It is always fun hanging out with their family and snowboarding the day away. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I am looking forward to racing again next year.

So, I'm Lame

2008-11-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have not posted in forever. I did not even look at the date, but it is close to forever. I have been rather busy! New job, promotion, and now working and looking forward to what is to come. I get up with my dog at 5:30 and go to Bear Creek and run with him in the freezing (below freezing) cold, while he looks back at me and scoffs because I am so so slow compared to his lean four-legged frame. Talk about motivation! My running has consisted of this and running at lunch 3-4 times a week. A lot of 30-45 min runs, pretty hard. I have had to back off the intensity a bit due to a rather sore achilles. I am not sure why it hurts, but it does not go away very easily. 20 miles tomorrow. Don't ask me why! The answer would most likely be, "I'm stupid!" I have been swimming around 3 times a week. There is a 25meter pool at my gym, and I was surprised to be swimming 1:25 100's a week in. I haven't swam for the better part of two years, so that was a nice surprise. Not blazing, but a good starting point! I am think I will do the Beaver Creek snow shoe series this winter and get on the track a few times next year. I am curious if I can bring back any of that old speed. It seems reasonable, but I know that I need to ease into more than I have in the past. We'll see! I will be better about posting, hopefully!

Cheers!

Goodness!

2008-09-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well, a new job, a nice promotion about 3 weeks into it, and now settling in. I did get some running in throughout this transition, but not what I would have liked. I can still run a nice pace for 10miles, but decided to reform the schedule and see what I can do in 6miles. I am now doing around 6milers every day and running them how I feel. If I feel fast, I run fast. If I feel lazy, I run lazy. It reminds me of the beginnings of summer base miles, preparing for the upcoming cross country seasons. By the end of those times I could hold around 5:15-5:30 pace for 6miles. Throw in an occasional long run with some builds (but overall a slow pace), and I think that I can get back into it by winter. Do some snow shoe races, and then get on the track a couple times next year. I think it would be fun, but who knows. I will put the work in and see what comes out as a byproduct.

Other news:
The house is almost done!!! We put the floor down in the basement and the house is painted. I have to put some base down in the basement, and then finish the bar and bathroom down there. Upstairs is just about finished. It looks great!!! My wife and dog are awesome and I love them both very much. Other than that, just keeping things simple. I like it that way.

Back again soon!
Jason

Mr. Guinness says he love the birds!

2008-07-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Another great day out working on the birds. It was hot, but the pups were happy. Here are a couple pics.

A great point! He held his point so well for just using pigeons. We were proud parents.

Just another rough day for the mister. Hot but having a great time!

It's All Good

2008-07-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well, a few changes in the past week or so. I have been teaching spin more than I would like, but I think I could hold some serious power out on the road now. Those classes are hard as hell! I recommend them to any cyclist or triathletes over the miserable CO winter months ;) Yesterday was an hour spin class and an hour run. The run was hard and my legs are still a bit out of sync. That is my own fault. I have been fully consumed by accounting. I take two full-term classes over a six week period. It is great to get through this accelerated program so quickly, but it is gnarly. Always reading, doing problems, HW and tests. It is a full-time job on its own. I was offered a new job as well. I have been trying to get my foot in the door at an oil and gas co. here in Denver. I finally have an opportunity, and I am taking it. I will be working at Anadarko in the Production department. I will let you know how that goes. Hopefully it will let me get some morning runs in (since I will no longer have to get up at 4:20am). That is one of the greatest parts of the whole deal. Damn 4:20am! We took Guinness out to work on birds this past weekend. I will post a couple of pics when I get home. He did great! It is amazing to watch the pups work and love what they are doing!

Hopefully more runs here this week. I have a brief respite from the grueling accounting schedule.

Guinness Says

2008-07-24T06:57:00.001-07:00

Go Running. And get this hat off of me:)

Can we go yet, Dad? It almost fits.

Spinning, ponds, and adventures

2008-07-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

I have started teaching spinning over here at the gym. I filled in one day for a guy that could not make it. Then, another instructor has a bum calf, so I got suckered into teaching four classes this week. I have not cycled for the better part of the last year. Spin is hard. We lay down some good work for an hour. I would recommend it to any cyclist or triathlete for a very good power workout. If it is hard to get on the trainer and put in some serious power, the spin class is a good place to get it. Running has been slow, but maintaining. In the past two weeks I have had two midterms, 7 quizzes, and a final. My accounting classes are edging on being overwhelming, but I have done fine with them. I am learning a lot and the accounting requirements for the CPA exam will be completed at the end of next semester.

Our basement was just textured and is now ready to paint. We bought the flooring to go in and will be finishing that over the next couple weeks. I will paint it all and then lay the flooring. It will be a nice place to hang out. I installed a pond this weekend. I will post some pics. It is complete with waterfall, and now FISH!!!! We love it! The little patches of Scottish moss will grow into a carpet of beautiful green. :) A little oasis after a long day of studying and work. I really want to try an adventure race, so I am contemplating jumping into the xstream adventure race in Vail. Hopefully I don't get long. It is a 12 hour race with Mt. biking, running, kayaking, and orienteering. I will give you an update on that soon!

Until then...

Steps?

2008-07-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay. I guess I did not find much to write about at 30-40 miles/week. Joe and I decided that a proper build is the right decision, and I am enjoying short easy runs. I do not feel like I am doing a whole lot, but I know that with a proper build, I can get into training that I have not done in quite awhile. So, until then, it is easy runs and steps...

Steps?

Yep. Steps. Adrienne's office is having a competition and I was invited to play. There are teams of five and the team at the end of six weeks with the most amount of steps wins:) So, we thought that I was going to be on my own team, but I am not. And gratefully so. With this new build and the lack of miles, it would have been tough work to get in enough steps to beat five person teams. I will let you know how the competition goes. I just take the total from the podometer each day and enter them in. I love a good friendly competition.

I will update soon.

Time Off? I Still Don't Care For It

2008-07-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Well, after feeling a bit run-down, and my legs having constant aches and pains, I decided to take a bit of time. Something like two weeks, but I am not sure how long exactly. I have rarely taken time off in all my time competing (some 13 years), and I am still not a fan of it. BUT, it was nice to just relax, get more done on the house, and have a bit of extra energy for all the accounting I am taking. Yesterday was a six miler. The thing I dislike about time off is the way you feel when you return. I was so out of touch with running yesterday. Just not smooth and hurting a bit (for an easy run). The run was a flat 38min nice and easy. I know that by the end of the week I should be feeling back to normal, and my legs and body thanking me for the much needed rest. I really do miss the track, the speed, and the intensity of the mile or steeple. I am excited for the Olympics (probably the topic of many future blogs), and I look forward to building back up and getting going again. So, a blog of fairly unrelated thoughts for today. Back soon with the progress, and some fun races.

New Legs

2008-06-26T10:12:00.001-07:00

Well, sorry for the delay. I have taken it easy since Mt. Falcon. Resting is nice sometimes (I have not rested much in all of my running career). I have been taking a crazy amount of accounting classes, and they take a lot of time. My legs just had some aches and pains, and I thought why not take a break. Now my legs feel brand new. I am sure it will all come back very qiuckly. I am going to start a slow build back up to the miles and keep the legs nice and healthy. With all the accounting and the CPA exam looming overhead, my coach and I thought, "let's just take it easy and pick out a couple races I can focus on." So, I am sure I will jump in a lot of the races on the schedule, but there will be a focus on some future race.

Anyway. More to come soon.

Mt. Falcon

2008-06-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to do the Mt. Falcon race and see how it went. After a couple too many beers on Friday night, I woke up with the puppy at 5:45 on Saturday morning and said what the heck. I went and registered about an hour before the race and did a little warm-up. I was still a little bitter about the Teva Mt. Games and was looking to go out hard. So, that is what I did. I went out pretty hard, and had a nice little lead heading into the climb. There is about a quarter mile prior to starting the 2.5 mile steep climb. The race is 4 miles up and then back on down. So, I was a bit anaerobic heading into the climb after going out so hard. I settled into a nice pace and got ready for what was ahead of me. I hit the Turkey Trot junction in just under 13min and got to the top (gazebo) in just under 25min. I have run comparable times in training, but the race is non-stop, and there will be no recovery at the top. I reached the parking lot in just under 35min and it was time to prepare for the descent. I think the downhill in this race is more demanding than the uphill. It is steep and really takes a toll on the quads. I made the descent in about 22min and ran 57:12. They said it is a course record. That was a nice change from the previous week, but again I did not feel great. I will have to talk to Joe (my coach) and see what he thinks we should do. I have a nice base and obviously need some speed mixed into this whole thing. It is still very early in the season though.

On a different note, Adrienne and I tilled and planted our garden. Everyone out here plants on Mother's Day, but not us. We waited a month. I hope it all goes well. The garden in about 500 sq. ft. and has about 30 plants in it!!! I am very excited to see everything mature and eat from our own garden. We build a cute picket fence around it to keep the Guinness Monster out. I have been watering it everyday and there are already some peppers showing up. We planted some herbs in a half whiskey barrel, and those will be delicious as well. We are very excited!!! I am sure there will be more yard work this weekend, and some house cleaning. But the garden is delightful!

Kenya is Fast

2008-06-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

I received a call from Andrea with Practical Coaching, an old triathlon sponsor, and she said that they had a Kenyan showing up to their track group on Tuesdays. She said he was fast and looking for someone to train with. So, with all my base work, no speed, and a good butt whoopin' behind me, I decided it was time to incorporate some speed. I went out to run on the track with Joseph Keino. The workout, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 800, 400, 200. 200 recovery for the 2 and 4, and 400 recovery for the 8's and 12. As it turns out, Keino has been training for the mile and 800. Great decision for a first track day:) So, off we go. 32 first 200 and my hamstrings felt like they were going to cramp immediately after I stopped. I have not done speed since somewhere around college. Next the 400 in the same pace, 64. Then I realized that not doing speed, and not working on the anaerobic threshold is not a good thing when it comes to hard 800's. The first came by in 2:25 and it was miserable (mostly because we came through the 400 in 65). I could not even make the 1200 because I was in so much oxygen debt and ran another 800 in 2:30. Finally, the last 800 in 2:28, and it hurt. I never knew that 5:00 pace could be so painful, but when you hit that anaerobic system, it can go quick. I feel great at 5:20 pace for a long time, but then just under 5:00 and it gets ugly quick. Well, we finished it up with a 400 in 65 and then a 200 in 28. That last one was a sprint right now, but I am sure that will come down quickly. Keino was a few seconds ahead from about half way on. I think that if I can focus on a little anaerobic, it will come back fast. It does make me miss the mile a lot.

It is a small world. Keino went to a college that was in my college's conference. He came in the year that I graduated and proceeded to break any records that I set. It was great to meet up with a guy that I wish came to school a couple years earlier. He is a strong runner and it will be fun to see how training with him progresses. Another crazy part about the workout is that the pain in my achilles and knee completely disappeared. I am not confident that it is going to stay that way, but it has been two days with no pain, and that is a nice thing right now. Hopefully I can stay pain free, and get some speed in my legs. That would be nice!

One Word...Humbling

2008-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

That's right, humbling. I got my butt handed to me out there on Vail Mountain. I am not sure if I was just not feeling it, or if the altitude and hill actually killed me. I got off to a bad start, which is very rare. Coming from a mile background, starting has always been fast and easy. We hit the first hill and the whole field was slowed to a walk. OUCH! The walk hurt! Then down we go after about a mile climbing. A mile descending, and then almost 2 more miles up. I was just slow! I don't know why, but I could not get going. At the top of the hill I just said the heck with it and enjoyed the downhill and the remainder of the race. So, a bad race, but I did learn a lot. McGurk had a rough day as well, and he said they just happen in mountain racing. I am just not used to that happening running. I think it is time to add a bit of speed and some tempo runs. The flatness could be due to two easy weeks with no hills (due to the knee and achilles hurting). But, still.

So, back to training and I will see how I do over 14.5 miles up to 14,200'. That should be another interesting experience.

It is nice to have these humbling experiences, and I tend to embrace them a bit. They are a clear reminder of what is important and what needs to be done. So, until the next race. I am sure there are many better times to come.

Here Comes Teva

2008-06-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Teva games are on there way and the race course has been released. I think all the runs up Mt. Falcon are going to pay off in a big way, but time will tell. I feel strong and I hope that is the way I feel on race day. I am confident and that is the greatest thing. I was never too confident in triathlons, always growing but never seeing great results. I do love to run, I love to run UP, and I love to suffer. There is $1000 to the winner and then $750, $500, and $250 down in the other positions. I think I will go out with the leaders and then hopefully push the long second hill. I am hoping I can be competitive on the downhills. They are steep! I am sure it is going to be a great time. I will update after the race. My fitness is good though. Ran to the track yesterdays and hit five laps as: 95, 90, 85, 80, 75. It was nice and easy, and then I ran home. The legs are still a bit sore in the knee and achilles, but they are definitely raceable. Looking forward to Teva!!!

I Love My Dog

2008-06-03T09:28:00.001-07:00

Well, Adrienne and I took Guinness out to Lake Cobb with some of the other dogs from his litter. They had a great time! Mel and Aaron (hunt trainers) brought Chuckar and the pups got to find and point them out in the field. Our little man did such a great job! He caught the scent of the first one and turned and pointed. It was awesome to see and such a great experience. Here are some pics of our little hunter. He is going to be a great running partner next year!

Pretty Colorado

2008-06-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

Although CO is not CA, and there is not an ocean, it is quite beautiful here right now. Everything is green and it is in the 70s-80s. The creeks are getting high from the runoff, and it is pretty much a training paradise (save the missing ocean). I was able to get in 13 on Saturday with Steve Cavalli. I hit the hills harder on the way back and then took the downs and flats easy. We ran on Mesa Trail up in Boulder, and that trail is beautiful. Nice ups and downs, and through all the trees. Sunday I went out with McGurk and we did 14 in Roxborough State Park. It is beautiful there as well. We did a big loop that took us to a peak on the Colorado Trail, and then came back and did a small loop where we saw a fox and a herd of deer. Just after starting the run we came across a coiled up rattle snake. We threw sticks at it and it slithered off into the bushes quite angry. An easy week is ahead of me since it ends with the Teva Mountain Games (10k). I hear it is hard and I hope that I am ready to run well there. I feel good climbing and I hope that means I can race up the hills well. We will see. I do feel confident though. The race goes up and down different parts of Vail Mountain.

Adrienne and I took Guinness out to Cobb Lake this weekend and he got to point some birds (chuckar). He was great and made us so proud! He has been wonderful and it is great to have him in the house. I can not wait for him to grow up and become a great running partner. I still have a good amount of time prior to that, but it will be fun!

An easy week is just what the doctor ordered. Still some pain in the lower left leg, so hopefully that disappears. The base behind me is good, and I think it is time to remind myself of what suffering really is. To the pain!!!!

Ugh...

2008-05-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Adrienne and I ordered the UFC fight this weekend and it was awesome. We love the fighting! I would love to train for and fight in MMA. It is not going to happen, but I know that I would just love it.

Sometimes the miles gang up and basically ground and pound you! I feel so little motivation right now, and I assume I am just tired. I took an easy week and am back on it this week. Sticking with the analogy, I guess it is time to get to my feet and fight back, bloodied and all. Perseverance is the key to training! Perseverance through the tough times begets consistency, and it is consistency that begets great results. This is why running and training is such a great builder of character. You must not give up during the tough times. You must not answer when death comes knocking on the door. You must be resilient, hardened by the miles, the thoughts that fill your mind out on those long runs, the love of the sport, the disgust in failing. This hardening build character, and this character is shown under a bright light when the racing starts.

So, although I feel it would be more fun to go home and have a couple beers while watching the Lakers hopefully win game 4 tonight, I will run instead. After the run, of course, I will have a couple beers and watch the Lakers win. I think a couple flat runs will start the week off well, and then it is back to the hills so I can go and race up in Vail on June 8. I hear the race is quite difficult, so that should be a fun one. I don't mind suffering. I do think that is what brought me back to running. The suffering! The quiet pain that builds throughout the race, that turns into a scream, and a roar by the end. The silencing of it after a good race, and the haunting of it after a poor race. That might be all the motivation I need!

I guess sometimes you just need to write thoughts down to remind yourself of what you love the most about what you do. For me it is suffering. For you?

So, when you find yourself in that pergatorious place, jot down a few thoughts, stir hope and rejuvenation, and get back on that horse. I think the nice part is that everyone goes through it over and over again, it is just a thing that we like to go through alone. I don't know why!?

Santa Barbara

2008-05-21T10:37:00.001-07:00

I love Santa Barbara! I think that Adrienne and I will end up there eventually. Hopefully sooner than later, but that will depend on what we can get together financially over the next bunch of years. Well, I was there for a wedding, which is not too conducive to racing great, but I think I did alright. We drove out and arrived on Wednesday after 10 hours from Green River, UT. We arrived at about 5:30 and I knew there was a race series down along the beach. We drove in, parked, and I registered for the Nite Moves 5k. Warmed up for a bit and was off. The first half of the race is uphill and I went out hard. The incline varies from about 3%-5% and I have been running my fair share of hills. Hit the mile in 5:00 and then finished up to the turn-around at 7:22. I decided to take it easy from then on. I came down nice and easy, thinking about Saturday's 10k, and ended up running right around 16:00. I will have to look up the exact time, but was happy to win.

Next up, after the bachelor's party and a nice rehearsal lunch, came the 10k. Nice warm-up and I was off. Took off and separated from the other guys. I was hoping to run around 30ish, but I did not have the speed for it. I have not done anything faster than 5:00/mi, and it showed up today. The race itself was not too difficult, but I found that I could not turn over any faster than I was. I ran even the whole race and that was a nice thing. I ran 33:28, which was a bit disappointing, but happy again to win. There have been some pretty good runners on this course before that ran around 33 and change, so that was encouraging. I am sure with speed work the time would have been dramatically faster, but I had to remind myself that I am not focusing on flat fast races. I ran fast uphill in the 5k and that is what I have been training for, UPHILL! So, a good week of racing and a great way to start the season. 33:23 off base is not great, but not bad. I am looking forward to racing the hills and seeing what I can hold out there.

Adrienne ran great as well. Her hamstring has been hurting her a bit (she tore it back in her soccer days), and it was really sore on race day. She ran awesome for her FIRST ever road race!!! 23:32! I was very proud of her. She got her first taste of the suffering that settles in toward the end of a race and I think she liked it (after it was over):) I thought it would be great if she ran under 23, and I am sure she would have if her hamstring was feeling better. She lost about 30sec on the way back. So, a great start to the season for her, and off no speed work. Very nice!

I will post some pics soon.

Jersey Pics.

2008-05-09T12:26:00.001-07:00

I was drawing these pics today and thought they might be awesome on the front and back of my jersey for the season. Nothing says mountain running better than a mt. goat.

Coffee: Nectar of the Gods and Suffering

2008-05-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

I just had a short exchanged with Judy (Guinness's Grandma/Breeder) about coffee. Man, I love the stuff. It got me thinking that I do not really write much about the stuff that I think about on my runs. I do think that one of my favorite things about running is the time you get to go out there and just contemplate. I could go 20miles and never run out of things to think about. Coffee is always a topic to ponder (especially on those days that my mouth is completely dry and gummy beacause I downed a pot or more of coffee prior to the run). The benefits, the drawbacks... I focus mostly on the benefits because it makes for a faster run:)

I guess I think more about philosophy, religion, politics, music, math (mostly calculus and lately accounting), and the vises of man. By the vises of man, I guess I mean the things that get in the way of living life to the fullest. Some would find that to be money, technology, work, etc., but I do not find that those things get in my way as much. I like to work, live comfortably, and follow the new innovations. To me, I think it is more of a mindset - the way I approach the world. I don't have to like everyone, agree with them, or fake that I do. I think that it is okay to disagree, not want to be around, or flat-out dislike some people and things. I think that the stress comes in when we try to fight this and think that the problem is within us. With all that said, I still believe that I would rather suffer than a person I dislike suffer. So, if I were on a run with a person that I dislike and a bear came to attack us, I would rather be the one getting swatted by his enormous paws than to see the person I dislike have to endure that pain and suffering. Likewise with situations more realistic (emotional suffering, physical suffering, etc.) The only suffering I would rather a person go through more than me is the kind you have to deal with in a race. Now, that is the beauty of running. Most runners like to suffer, but more than the love to suffer is the desire to make others feel that same pain in a greater amount. This is the refining pain. The kind we have all dealt with in a race that makes you realize what you are made of and what you can handle. The kind that makes the lesser things in life all but disappear. The kind that somehow finds the essense of who we are and refines it, race by race. Now, that's the kind of suffering I love. And, I would say, that is probably what I think about most often on long runs. It makes me smile:)

I will try and post my favorite topic of the week that ran through my head while running. Now that I am thinking about it, I think less when I am running uphill. It just hurts too much. Probably just thinking about suffering...

Where am I?

2008-05-08T05:05:00.001-07:00

On Monday I thought I would go for a trail run. Why? I don't know. I was tired and hurting a bit from the Saturday morning run and a nice flat run along the creek would have been pretty good for the legs. Instead, I drive myself out to APEX and head on up. The nice thing about the run is that I took it easy and ran a bit under 29min up the Enchanted Forest, which I know is slow, but it was easy. Since it was easy, I decided to go against my better judgement and head on up to Lookout Mountain. I kept looking at maps and saying, well it will only be 9 miles or so. Once I got to the top of Lookout Mountain, I decided to go down to Chimney Gulch trail instead of turning around. Now, this is where the rationalizing should have ended, and turning around should have started. Nope! Down to the bottom of Lookout and now I am practically in Golden. I did not figure it being a pretty long way (how long, I do not know) back to APEX trail. My knee was completely locked up now from the downhill and my left achilles was killing me. I decided to B-Line it toward APEX, so I cut across the bottom of Lookout, through some back yards, across a couple gullies, onto a path, and voila, there was APEX and my beloved car! I think I was out 1:55, but only ran 1:25-1:30 of it. That is not a fun experience. I never seem to learn from them though.

The rest of the week has been a bit of rest and recovery. The knee was pretty inflamed and there is something up with my calf/achilles that I cannot find. I think that I will have to call up Andrea and see if she can find it. I am way over due for a massage anyway. I feel much better today and the kneee is finally coming back to normal. I was also due for a true easy week. So, I will keep myself from going too long this weekend, and get ready to race next weekend! I will get in a short tempo early in the week and that will do the trick. I have run nothing near 4:50 pace, but I think that is the goal for the day. I would not be disappointed at 5:00, but that is probably not where I will take it out. Until then, resting and getting the legs ready for a season that looks to be rather long...

*Oh yeah. I am thinking about entering in the Nine Trails race in Santa Barbara. 35miles, 10,500' gain. Right up my alley:)

Long Runs Can Be Long

2008-05-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

Well, McGurk and I met up at Mt. Falcon parking lot at 8:30 Saturday morning. I had just run a 33:08 10k the afternoon before and was feeling it pretty bad. It was only a tempo, but at altitude, and not doing anything of the sort for a long time, my calves and quads were feeling a bit soggy. Luckily, McGurk was feeling a bit under the weather from a long week at work. We headed out, starting up Mt. Falcon and hit the pavilion at around 30min. Nice and easy, but feeling the legs much more than I did when I ran it in 25min. We just continued on to the parking lot (4 miles) where I used the bathroom and dispensed of the fatty BBQ and uncountable margaritas I had the previous night. Alright, now I can run:) We continued on and headed toward Parmalee Gulch Rd. where we started on the Lair O the Bear trail. 6.5miles along the tail and we were down to the parking lot. We were both feeling the legs a bit, but I was finally feeling a bit looser from the previous day's effort, and I knew it was mostly downhill now. I don't know why that sounds like a good thing. I hate, HATE! downhill. There is no better way to ruin a run than to add a long downhill. Down 5 or so miles, and then the final climb up to the parking lot at Mt. Falcon. I think the run is somewhere in the 19-20mile range. I will attempt to map it and put it under the post. I think the run would have been great in reverse, but it was a bit too much pounding for my liking. We were both hurtin' a bit after the run, but some stretching and a Chipotle burrito later, I was feeling alright. All in all, not too bad, but that hill down to Morrison made for a long day. Somewhere around 2:30...

Sunday was great! Adrienne and I woke up, made a German pancake, a cappuccino, cut up some strawberries, and sat out in the sun and enjoyed breakfast together. After that, we decided to go out for a run together. Adrienne had run 13 on Saturday (which was her longest run ever)!!!! and she was great. Up Waterton Canyon (up out, down back) to the dam. She averaged 9min pace for 13, which was amazing considering that she was running 10min pace for 4miles just six or so weeks ago!!! So, she was tired, and I was hurting a bit in the knee and right achilles due to the pounding from yesterday. We headed to Bear Creek with the thought that we would get in 5.5 along the creek. When we got the the turnaround, I told her that we should do 7 and do the 3 creek crossings:) She was all for it and we started trudging along the creek. Re ran 7 at about 9min pace and she did great. With soggy shoes and socks, we got our little puppy, Guinness, and iced in the creek. The legs were feeling much better after that, and we enjoyed a great day together.

This week will be pretty good. Some hard hills and maybe one tempo run. I have a race in two weeks, and I would like to have some speed for it, but I am resisting the urge to do repeats. The season is young, and being injury free is much better than the alternative. Miles and hard hills should do the trick. Finally, some beautiful days in Denver!

Just add 6.5 for the Lair O the Bear Trail. Yikes...
Mt. Falcon-Lair O The Bear Loop (+6.5mi)
Find more Runs in Denver, Colorado

Snow...In May...Brrrr

2008-05-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Geeze! The heck with this. Talk about challenging the motivation. Snow on the first day of May, and worse yet, freezing. I might sound like I am complaining, and that is because I am! 80 degrees Wednesday, 40 Thursday? I came from where it was 75 every day! I do like the weather and the challenge of training all winter here, and the ability to snowshoe, 4x4, snowboard, and the such, but May should be a barrier. Heck, March should be the end of it all. I was amazed to see that College Triathlon Nationals has already come and gone, and people can't even swim outside here yet. I never thought about that before! At least you can run all year long, and I do love the snow. I just don't love it after an 80 degree day:)

This week has been pretty light, and that has been nice. 34:30 10k earlier in the week at a very reasonable effort! That is a great sign. Hopefully at sea level, I can push under 30min. I will have a big weekend and get some distance in the legs. One hard hill day and then probably one long easy hill day. Adrienne got through a good quarter mile workout at 7min pace! That was a good start to the speed, and she has a lot of potential to really run well this year.

So, enough complaining, I guess... I just have to hope for warmer weather, and no more freezes:) I'm too skinny for this weather.

Finch

MAN!

2008-04-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hills, hills, hills. So, after coming down from the mountains and running Mt. Falcon, I headed out on Monday and took off up APEX trail. My legs were a bit spent. I climbed consistently getting to the top of the Enchanted Forest trail in around 28min. As I started descending, my legs were what I like to call, "Completely pissed off at me." After descending so hard the previous day down Mt. Falcon, all I felt were the knots that formed in my butt and IT bands. So, a nice easy descent down APEX trail, and stretching. I took it real easy Tuesday (3miles) and feel much better today. I will do a flat 6-7 today at lunch and put in some builds to keep my speed honest. Adrienne and I are going to run Mt. Falcon this afternoon, but that will be a nice trot for me and a good workout for her. Her running is really coming along and it is fun to watch her get excited about racing.

We will be heading up Mt. Evans this weekend, but I do not know how far we will be able to make it. The road will be covered in snow, but hopefully the wind has kept it hard packed and runnable. I am tempted to jump in a 5k downtown this weekend (Sunday), but I will have to see how I feel after Mt. Evans. Until next time!

Mountain Goats

2008-04-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary weekend up in the mountains was great. Just a nice time to hang out and not worry about anything (except our puppy, Guinness). We ate a lot of good food, and ran a good amount as well. It was the first time that we have cooked a live lobster! He was pretty tasty, but probably a bit angry about becoming dinner. I will have to see how the crew did out in Florida this weekend at St. Anthony's Triathlon. Steve Pye's Practical Coaching group and Jordan Jones are all racing out there. Hope they did well!

While up in Edwards, I went out to see if I could get to New York Mountain on the West Lake Creek Trail. Well, there is still a lot of snow out there! I got up the trail about three miles and decided that falling into my knees over and over again really wasn't the best way to go for the day. I turned around and flew down the hill eating it every few minutes when my flailing legs found a soft spot and sunk in. After down the trail, I decided to put in a good mile up to the East Lake Creek Trail and see if the conditions were any better. A nice 6:30 uphill mile later and there I was. The conditions were not better, but I climbed to the top of the trail and called it good. Down I came and somewhere over an hour, I was done. The following day I headed out of the house and up the Mesquite Trail. This trail is STEEP and then connects to a fire road that takes me to the other side of the neighborhood at SingleTree. I am not sure how far it was, but I ran hard and felt good. A nice couple of days at altitude in the steep hills. That should be some good training for the upcoming season.

After we got back to Denver on Sunday, I decided it was a good time to hit up the 8mile Mt. Falcon run. Initially, I figured I would take it easy on the way up and see how I felt. I was running pretty easy and hit Turkey Trot at 13:30 so I thought, "What the heck, let's see how the 8mi turns out." I picked it up a bit, but found that my legs were pretty tired from the previous day's jaunts. I hit the Gazebo in a few ticks under 25min. I was pretty winded at this point, but continued on at a bit slower a pace toward the parking lot. I got to the parking lot in 35:00 even, and was feeling much better. I have been working on my downhilling so as not to get my butt kicked in the races this summer. I came back parking lot to parking lot in 23:30. So, 58:30 for the run, and that seems reasonable for a training day. I slowed it up a bit in the last mile or so, because that kind of pounding in training is really not a good idea. I am planning on doing that race in a month or so, so I will see what I can do then. I am pretty confident the whole thing can be done under 55:00, but that is cutting a good amount of time. I am looking forward to racing and it is coming soon! I will probably do Falcon again today, but nice and easy, and a bit longer (13ish). The hills are still a bit rough, but I think I will be a lot smoother by the start of the season.

A Slow Week...

2008-04-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to take a week a bit easier and gain some of the benefits from the work I have been putting in. My legs were getting tired all the time, and that is a good sign to just take is easy for a few days. The past couple days have only been around 3 miles each. I should get in a good double today and then something moderate for Thursday. It is Adrienne and my 3 year anniversary today. We are heading up to Edwards, CO for the weekend and we will leave tomorrow night. I am a very blessed man to be married to her! Her running is going great as well. A nice tempo the other day at around 7:45pace. Her first running race is coming up on the 17th of May.

I posted a schedule of races I expect to do this season. Hopefully I will get most of them in, and we will see how the whole trail racing scene goes for me. I am excited to get racing!!! I am sure I will still get in about 60-70 this week, but the past two days were graet for the legs! There are some other races that I would like to do, but I am not too keen on traveling very much this year for racing. Just stay local and have some fun racing all the guys here in CO and getting to know who is out there. No one knows me yet, so it is a nice way to come in. I will post after the weekend. I am excited to run up there, even though there is still a huge amount of snow.

Crazy Colorado!

2008-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

It was 80 degrees two days ago, and yesterday it was snowing like crazy and 25. Now that is a bit crazy. My achilles is feeling much better and I am grateful that it was never sore itself, just tight. The knot in my calf was the problem, and I have been rolling that out and icing in the creek quite a bit. So, 16 in yesterday. I ran a tempo at lunch along Cherry Creek and the Platte River. Six miles in about 36 min, but it really was more of a comfortable pick up run. The first and last miles were slower, so I was moving alright in the middle. I think I am capable of racing my upcoming 10k in Santa Barbara around 5min pace. But, we will see. I have not done any speed work, just hills and some faster flat runs.

Training is going well though! I will probably get in about 75-80 this week with two really easy days (6, 8), just to make sure the leg was O.K.. I will be incorporating more hills on a daily basis, and that should get me ready for the trail racing season. I am looking forward to racing in the hills and I am feeling more and more confident about racing. It really has been awhile. Zeb, McGurk and I went out last evening in the snow and did APEX trail nice and easy. I was tired from a pretty long day of running and a tempo, but it really was just running as usual. My legs are tired today, but I think that in a couple of weeks with more hills, I will not notice them quite as much.

There is one world team slot open in Vail this summer. If I can win a 5 mile uphill race, I can get the slot to Switzerland. It is a goal, but I am not going to completely focus on it. If I can grab the slot, I will train specifically for Switzerland. Who knows really:)

I will put in a hill run today, and then get in something a bit easier for Friday. Saturday will be long and in the hills again, and then something moderate for Sunday. I will keep you updated.

Finch

A long weekend run, but it's all good

2008-04-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the weekend was long, but a great run. It ended up being 19, and amazingly I felt strong and good the whole way through. It really helped with my confidence in my fitness and I feel great about where I am at with climbing. The climb was about nine miles long, and it seemed nice and easy the whole way. McGurk, Zeb, and I took the run on, and everyone did great. I think that I will be climbing quite well by the time races start up in June. My achilles was tight this morning, so I will have to watch that. Other than that, I am feeling great and am ready to put in some more miles this week. As long as the achilles stays loose, I should have a good week with some nice hills and long runs. If it is hurting, it is time to take a couple days off with some icing and massage. Time will tell. I am just happy to see that all this running is paying off big dividends and that I will most likely be ready to race at a high level.

More updates this week, but for now...SST/DST

Sleep? What for...

2008-04-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

So, we have a new puppy and he is awesome! He was really sick the first day at our home so we had to go to the emergency Vet to get some fluids put in him and give him an anti nausea shot. Since then he has been much better, and is readily finding everything he can to chew on and pull off shelves, beds, and the like. Sleep has been a bit scarce over the past couple days, but Guinness is sleeping better at night now and Adrienne and I are catching up.

This is my week back to running and the beginning of a new build. I am not sure where this build will end up over the next 3-4 weeks. I did not get almost anything in on Monday, due to the Vet visit. Since then I have put in a solid hilly 14 up in Boulder, and a nice 9 along Bear Creek yesterday. This morning I got in 8 (6 on the treadmill) with some quarters and a half at 5:20 pace. I felt good and it was nice to stretch it out a bit. I did not do much at that speed, but I will probably bring it in every once in awhile to keep the legs peppy and ready to throw down if they have to. McGurk has an 18 miler planned for Sunday morning, which should be a challenge. I am looking forward to it though, and it will be nice to get out and go long again. So, without a Monday, the schedule I have looks like 79mi. I am going to have to cut some of those out because that is just too many being only six weeks in and off a rest week. maybe 70 or so would be more reasonable.

I will post a map of the run after we get through it. It is a nice run down a hill, along a creek and then back up, up, up. I am feeling strong but tired. Tuesday's 14 was pretty difficult, but the pace was faster than it should have been. I have been running mid 6's and for altitude and long runs, that really is pushing it a bit on the legs. The cardio is great right now, and I am hardly working, but the legs are still getting used to the miles. I will be a runner again, soon.

Grapevine Highway Run
Find more Runs in Golden, Colorado

A Nice Week

2008-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

This last week was a nice easy rest week. I only did two miles on both Monday and Wednesday. I still ended up with 52 miles on the week, and that was a good thing. It was my fifth week running and I had done enough in the prior weeks to warrant an easy week and reap some of the benefits. I still feel great and I am anxious to race. I found a 10k the week Adrienne and I are in Santa Barbara, so that should be fun.

Saturday I ran with McGurk for 13 miles. We had a good run and we have similar goals for the season, so it will be fun to get together more often. He is a great climber, so we will be heading to the hills soon! There are few things I love more than climbing! I finished the week with an early nine Sunday morning, prior to going to church.

This week should be a good week! We got our dog yesterday, so I am sure sleep will harder to come by. He (Guinness), a Vizsla, was great last night. Just a short bit of barking when we put him to bed in the crate, and then he calmed down and went to sleep. He should get more comfortable over the next couple days and be all good! I think I will aim for 65-70 this week and see how it goes. I feel good and I think that is more than reasonable. Maybe a build to 85-90 over the next three weeks. I will be talking to Joe about when to race, and I will be getting in a couple of hill days each week. Most likely Mt. Falcon during the week, and a hard hill run at higher altitude on the weekend.

Adrienne did Mt. Falcon on Saturday and felt pretty good. She got in about 90min and that is pretty amazing for a former sprinter and long/triple jumper. She is doing great, and we are going to be doing the Vail Mt. series together this summer.

Updates for the good ones this week!

Going Up?

2008-03-31T05:49:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as how my longest run this year was maybe 10 miles, Saturday caught me by surprise. I had planned to head out and do 13 miles in Waterton Canyon. Waterton is a great out and back, slightly up on the way out with every half mile marked. I was feeling great on the run and started thinking about doing the extra 5 mile loop after the dam. The 5 mile loop is on a single track up in the trees (Colorado Trail). By the time that I reached the dam I realized I was averaging an easy 6:40 pace and felt as though I had just started my run. So, up I went. The trail is beautiful past the dam and it was over before I knew it. I continued on down the canyon and finished 18 miles feeling great! Sometimes these runs have a way of catching up with you later in the day, but not this time. I averaged 6:40 pace on a hilly run at altitude. Probably the best run I have had since I have been in Colorado. Finished the day doing yard work and drinking beers with the neighbors around our bonfire in the backyard. Not bad!
An easy week coming up since I have gone 50, 50, 60, 75. I will do somewhere in 55-65 this week with one long run on the weekend. Then start the build to 85 or 90 over the next month. Hopefully in a few months I will be a 100 consistently.
I have decided that I am going to do Mountain Racing this season. There are a lot of trail and mountain races here in Colorado, so I am going to take advantage of that and see what I can do. Who knows. It is just nice to be healthy and enjoying training! I really do love running.

Miles of Trials

2008-03-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

I remember this feeling - and I like it! So, although the miles are not too high yet, the build is still a struggle. I started four weeks ago with 50 and followed that week with another 50. Last week was 60miles, and this week is panning out to be 70-75 depending on how I am feeling by Sunday. Not bad. My legs are just tired! They loosen up once I get going, but getting out of bed takes a touch of concentration. I do get up at 4:30am, so that might have something to do with it as well.
I think I am going to try and run a 5k next month and see how it goes off the miles. I will talk to Joe and see what he thinks. The Bolder Boulder and Cherry Creek Sneek are popular races out here, so I should try to get into those and see how the racing goes. I will not have much speed yet, but I should be getting rather strong! I want to run the Mt. Evans Ascent. It is at the end of June and covers about 14.5 miles. You end the race at around 14,200 feet elevation. That should be a nice one:) I do love to climb!
So, probably 10 more today, 13 tomorrow, and Sunday is currently up in the air. I'll keep updates coming, and we'll see if I can handle those hundred mile weeks.

Trials of Miles

2008-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go again. I am going to try and keep up with the blog this time around. I have been taking business classes and am currently making the decision of whether I start studying for my CFP or get into the Financial Advising profession. I am leaning toward completing the CFP first, and then entering into the profession. There are many reasons, but I still have to run it by a few people that know a lot more than I do, and have lived through the experiences involved in starting a Financial Advising career.

I started building the miles back up after my last injury. For a guy that was not often injured, triathlons brought on a new meaning of patience concerning not training. Joe Mendleson (my coach), and I have decided to start up the base phase again and rebuild whatever it is that I lost throughout those triathon years. So, new shoes and the Trials of Miles begins. I started light on the first week back. Then 50 miles, and 50 again. That was the first three weeks. I do not even know what the first week was - pretty much remembering what it is like to run every day. I was ambitions last week (week 4), and put 70 on the schedule. Like any smart runner does, I listened to the body and got in what I could (58mi). This week has 70 on it again and we will see how the body handles it. I had a great run yesterday though. The second run of the day was only 5.5 miles along a beautiful creek by my house. I averaged just under six for the run (which I have decided is not bad for altitude), but ran the last three miles at 5:30 pace through a single track. I was happy about that and it felt just fine! I am thinking about building up to 100mi/wk and then bringing it down a bit to race some. Who really knows what's in store, but I am curious at the times I can still run. Right now, I would not even venture a guess. We will find out!

Running and loving it!

2007-12-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

Well, after a bit of a calf issue, I am back to feeling good. I had some great workouts in the last block, but slightly tore my calf during a 400m workout. I learned a lot through the experience! Running at altitude is not like running at sea level. Simple I know, but I did not understand the consequences of going too hard. I and been finding about a 7% difference in times between 6000ft and sea level. So, my running 4:40 pace on some of my repeats was a bit premature. I feel great now and am excited to get back to some harder workouts. Training has been going great and I feel as if I will be ready to race well come the new year!
Time will tell and the countdown to the trials oscillates between coming very soon and seeming a long time from now. I do believe I will be ready to run some good steeple times come spring and compete at a high level. I will write more often and send updates on the workouts.

Finch

Back to Running

2007-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Well.
Back to running it is. I called my old coach, Joe Mendleson, and asked if he would help me out getting ready to race next year. I do miss racing and running. Triathlon is a great sport, but not for me. I like the suffering of the track workouts and the mind games while racing. Putting in 25+ hours a week was a bit taxing, and I was not able to work and train those hours. So, now I am going to focus on the steeplechase for the spring and see what I can do. I have been training a little over a month now, and things are coming back pretty quickly. It will be an interesting adventure to say the least.
I am currently managing a gym in downtown Denver, and am looking to start graduate school soon. Adrienne, my wife, and I bought a house here in Denver, and are in the process of remodeling it. It is looking great, and we are excited to see the finished product. The miles are adding up, and I am starting to feel like a runner again. I will post periodically and update the progress.

Finch