Weekly Summary: July 19-25

07-19-2010
Mon-AM: 15 miles (2:29) Devil's Thumb, 3000'
PM: 7 miles (:55) Creek Path+2mi barefoot at Kitt
Acupuncture with Allison Suddard immediately afterwards.

07-20-2010
Tue-AM: 17 miles (2:36) Green Mt. & Bear Peak, 4200'
Fog layer at 8200' made for incredible views from Bear this morning. A very snappy 31:46 (6:45, 18:50, 29:20) up the front side of Green left me a bit wobbly-legged on the descents, but it was an awesome run overall. Hamstring felt the best it has since WS...very little trouble with it.
PM: 5 miles (:41) Creek Path

07-21-2010
Wed-AM: 35 miles (5:35) Granite Pass-Flattop Mt &back, 8500'
Great first long run back after WS. Scott and I started at the East Longs Peak TH at 9400' in RMNP, ran up to Granite Pass (12k'), all the way down to Glacier Gorge (9200') and Bear Lake, up to the summit of Flattop Mt (12,324') and then exactly back the way we came. I did the full 34mi out and back in 5:28 after charging over the final pass and down the last descent with more than a little fear of lightning strike. I felt good on the first climb, but the rest of the day had a hard time finding a good rhythm, except for the last descent. Jogged around at the end to shake out the legs after running fast downhill.

07-22-2010
Thu-AM: 16 miles (2:20) Green Mt. up back down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Easy effort after yesterday's long run. Running in Boulder in the summer is pretty great, if hot. Jumped in the creek afterwards.
PM: 8 miles (1:04) Creek Path with Jocelyn
Got completely soaked in a raging downpour.

07-23-2010
Fri-AM: 16 miles (2:22) Green Mt. up SR-GM down Bear Cyn, 3000'
I've never run the full Saddle Rock trail from the bottom, so Scott and I checked that out. It's nice. Legs felt good. Legs are definitely finally fully back post-WS.

07-24-2010
Sat-AM: 50-ish miles (8:10) Epic Indian Peaks Loop, 10,000'
Started from Brainard Lake/Long Lake with Scott and went up Pawnee Pass, down to Monarch Lake, High Lonesome Trail to Junco TH, Caribou Pass, Arapahoe Pass, Arapahoe Glacier Trail down to Rainbow Lakes Campground/Rd to CU Mountain Research Station, up and over Niwot Ridge and back down to the Long Lake lot. One of the best days I've ever had in the mountains. I was blown away by the magnificent beauty right from the start--I had no idea the stuff that was back there in that wilderness. Those mountains are on par with anything else I've seen in North America, stuff like the Tetons, San Juans, Elks, North Cascades, and high Sierras. After making the fifth and final 2000' climb of the day up to the Niwot Ridge Tundra Lab, we lost the trail (we'd gone too far west) and couldn't find the final three mile descent back down to Long Lake so Scott and I ended up dropping straight down an absurdly steep tundra and talus slope (at least 60 degrees) to intersect the well-traveled trail around the lake.

07-25-2010
Sun-AM: 16 miles (2:25) Green Mt. up G-G down Bear Cyn, 3000'
Hot, but legs felt surprisingly good after yesterday.
PM: 8 miles (1:12) Golf Course Loop w/ Jocelyn
Very slow easy jog because Joc was dragging a bit.

Total
-Miles: 193
-Hours: 29h 49min
-Vertical: 34,700'

2010 Summits (Day 206)
-Green: 186
-Bear: 12
-SoBo: 4

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This was a great first real week back to training post-WS.  The two long runs were definitely highlights and sort of showcase why I tend toward ultras when it comes to racing: in the summertime (or anytime) it's just really hard for me to not want to get out there and enjoy all-day runs in the mountains and this obviously better prepares me for all-day races in the mountains.  The Saturday run was an epic almost paradigm-shifting event for me (at least in terms of my sense-of-place), so it definitely deserves a forthcoming blog post all its own.

I was also pleasantly surprised by my uphilling legs on the frontside of Green Mt. on Tuesday.  That time is only 17 seconds off of my PR and came after not pressing until the top half of the mountain.  I think I've held onto my fitness well since Western States.

With regards to racing plans in August, I'm still fairly squarely on the fence betwixt Pikes Peak and Leadville, but right now my attitude is resonating slightly more with the acronym title of the stellar Yeasayer tune O.N.E: One's Not Enough.