Weekly Summary: Dec 27-Jan 2

12-27-2010
Mon-AM: 13 miles (2:01) Green Mt., 3000'
Up back and down 1st Flatiron with Scott after running down to the grocery store first.  Crazily mild weather morning but some significant bluster on the summit.
PM: 9 miles (1:30) Green Mt., 2700'
Up back and down 1st Flatiron again but with no flatland jogging around before or after except for getting to and from my doorstep and the trailhead.  Easy effort.

12-28-2010
Tue-AM: 14 miles (2:03) Green Mt., 3000'
Up back and down Bear Cyn.  Felt surprisingly spry.
PM: 10 miles (1:12) 4x1mile BHS track with Scott.
2.5mi warm-up, then 5:56, 5:51, 5:45, and 5:29 with a 2min/400m recovery, 2.5mi cooldown.  Overall, this was a very relaxed session designed to just be a rust-buster to test my calf and to reacquaint my legs with sub-6min pace after not running that in a sustained manner for almost two years (4th of July 5K in Leadville).  I'm objectively in pretty bad shape right now, but given today's (general lack of) effort I wouldn't be surprised to string together these miles next week as a 4 mile continuous tempo run with no recovery.  In the future, for mile repeat sessions I'll jog the 400m in 3min for recovery and will eventually be looking to get them in the sub-5:10 range.

12-29-2010
Wed-AM: 14 miles (2:07) Green Mt., 3000'
Up Gregory-Greenman and down Bear Cyn.  Ran at 5:15am in order to get it in before heading up to Frisco for an afternoon of the Jurkerman trying to teach me how to skate ski.  I was able to turn off the headlamp half-way down Bear Canyon when I was treated to one of the best sunrises I've seen in Boulder.
PM: 6 miles (:50) Creek Path+Kitt
After an afternoon of skiing I got out for a little shake-out jog that included a visit to the post office and 1.5mi of barefoot.  Skiing definitely engaged some muscles that I haven't used in a while and I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing.

Benefits of an early morning Green summit.

As seen while returning to Chautauqua via the Mesa Trail.

With Jenny, receiving instruction from Scott.

12-30-2010
Thu-AM: 14 miles (2:09) Green Mt., 3000'
Up back and down Bear Canyon with Jurker.  We started in a very very light snow at 8am that increased throughout the run until it turned into a full-blown blizzard with limited visibility coming down Bear Canyon.  Snowing very hard cutting back across on the Mesa and by the time I got back to the house my entire face was obscured in a snow beard, eyebrows and eyelashes.  Awesome winter run!  Fairly uninspired energy on the climb today with mildly sore glutes and plantars from the skiing yesterday.
PM: 8 miles (1:07) Creek Path+Kitt
Easy run in a ton of new snow with it dumping the whole way.

In Bear Canyon with Scott, just before the blizzard hit. Photo: Jenny Uehisa.

With Chief Niwot on the Boulder Creek Path in the evening.

12-31-2010
Fri-AM: 14 miles (2:12) Green Mt., 3100'
Up and down Gregory-Ranger with Scott.  Ran down to the park to meet him and jLu and then after our glorious slog-fest on the mountain (first tracks up the hill through ~6-8" of powder) I ran down to the grocery store and back for some fruit.
PM: 8 miles (1:05) Creek Path with Joe
Easy out and back cruiser in the surprisingly cold dark.  Legs felt good.

01-01-2011
Sat-AM: 16 miles (2:34) Green Mt., 3200'
Wonderful slog up Gregory-Ranger and down Bear Cyn with Jurker and Geoff.  After gaining the NW ridge we encountered innumerable wind-packed, knee-deep drifts that of course slowed our progress but certainly didn't diminish the joy of the outing.  Surprisingly windless on the summit.  Finished up with a trip to the grocery store and back.  Great first summit of the year.
PM: 9 miles (1:08) Goose Creek Loop
Great jaunt in the darkening evening; had to be wary of ice, though.

Donning Microspikes with Geoff and Jurker on New Year's morning. Photo: Jenny Uehisa

The whole crew. Photo: Jenny Uehisa.

Headed up Gregory Canyon for the first time this year. Photo: Jenny Uehisa.

01-02-2011
Sun-AM: 16 miles (2:23) Green Mt., 3200'
Same exact run as yesterday, except with marginally better snow conditions up on the NW ridge.  The wind drifted a bunch of new snow last night, so it was still slow going for sure.
PM: 8 miles (1:05) Mesa Trail out and back w/ Joe, 1500'

Total
-Miles: 159
-Hours: 23h 26min
-Vertical: 25,700'
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This week featured a decidedly successful return to running, which I was especially grateful for considering the week's snowstorm just before the end of the year.  I would've been massively disappointed to have not been able to get out on Green to experience the first real snow of the season, but thankfully, my calf is cooperating.

Tuesday featured a highly uncharacteristic visit to the track which I plan on continuing off and on through April.  While Tuesday's workout was more of a feeling-out session than anything, the calf responded well and I look forward to running at a more legitimate interval pace soon.  I have a couple of predominantly flat races during the first half of my season and while I'll be essentially sacrificing almost no vertical for them, I think the once-a-week injection of legspeed will be worthwhile and maybe even fun once I get into shape.

All in all, the injury-induced, largely low-key month of December did me a lot of good and I'm finally feeling the kind of motivation and energy in my running that I haven't really had since late summer.