Weekly Summary: 7/19-7/25

7-19-2010
Monday:
AM: 5 miles (44:38)

7-20-2010
Tuesday:
AM: 9.8 (1:19:13) 600' vertical

PM: 5.8 (46:49)

7-21-2010
Wednesday:
PM: 10.1 miles (1:22:06) 1200' vertical

7-22-2010
Thursday:
AM: 11.23 miles (1:32:11) 600' vertical

PM: 5.1 miles (39:50)

7-23-2010
Friday:

PM: 14 miles (2:34:10) 3000' vertical Devil's Thumb Pass

7-24-2010
Saturday:
AM: 16.5 miles (3:03:00) 3400' vertical High Lonesome Loop clockwise

7-25-2010
Sunday:
PM: 16.5 miles (3:23:00) 3400' vertical High Lonesome Loop counter-clockwise. I had planned on doing 2 loops so I took the first loop easy. Both of my knees were bugging me quite a bit at the end of the first lap so I decided to call it a day.
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Totals:
Miles: 94
Time: 15h 25min
Vertical: 12 200'

Bike Totals:
Miles: 43
Time: 2h 54min

I still have some trepidation regarding my training. This week I got 94 miles and about 9 hours of time above 9000'. So I feel like my training so far has the right volume, the right vertical, and a decent amount of time at elevation. It is lacking a 'long' run (30-40 miles). This week I did a decent job of getting 3 runs in a row around 3 hours. I've been thinking about what will be the best plan from here on out to Leadville. I really want to make it to the starting line un-injured and the issue with my knees from Sunday has me a bit nervous. I might take this week a bit easy at the start so I can feel healthy for a long run Saturday.

July Totals:
Miles: 310.25
Time: 51h 47min
Vertical: 47 450'

Weekly Summary: 7/12-7/18

7-12-2010
Monday:
Rest: 0 miles

7-13-2010
Tuesday:
AM: 8.6 (1:13:08) 400' vertical

7-14-2010
Wednesday:
AM: 10.1 miles (1:20:02) 1200' vertical

PM: 5.2 miles (40:15)

7-15-2010
Thursday:
AM: 6 miles (52:00)

7-16-2010
Friday:

AM: 14.2 miles (2:20:25) 3300' vertical Green via Gregory, Ranger (42:20)

7-17-2010
Saturday:
AM: 22.5 miles (4:45:25) 6400' vertical Double crossing of Hope Pass

7-18-2010
Sunday:
PM: 14.2 miles (2:27:50) 3300' vertical
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Totals:
Miles: 80.8
Hours: 13h 39min
Vertical: 14 600'

Bike Totals:
Miles: 51
Hours: 3h 30min

Didn't really increase the mileage from last week, but I did add about 3000' vertical. Also got to check out the double crossing of Hope Pass that I'll be doing at the end of August...while out for a 100 mile jog in the mountains.

Saturday, July 17, Hope Pass Double

Met some friends near Winfield to go camping so when I got up Saturday morning I decided to do a double crossing of Hope pass as this will be the crux of the race in August. From our campsite at 9600' it was a 3.1 mile ~500' vertical warmup West to the the Sheep Gulch trailhead. I don't know too much about the course (trail names) so luckily I had assumed this was probably the trail up to Hope Pass and took it. So 32 minutes into my run I started towards Hope Pass. I was supposed to find Jenna and Jenny in Twin Lakes in about 2 hours so I wanted to make good time going up. My split from the Sheep Gulch trailhead to Hope was about 53 minutes although I could be wrong as I wasn't really paying too close attention to splits.

Upon descending there is a point where the trail forks and you can either continue straight or go west across a small bridge. I opted to go straight and I think this is the route for the Leadville course?? Crossed the stream that feeds the lakes which felt great since it was pretty warm. Then I bush whacked my way through marshes and bogs as I couldn't discern any trail until I made it to Hwy 82. I ran down the road about a half mile and found Jenna and Jenny at the Twin Lakes visitor center. I was glad I made it there in time, and actually I was only 10 minutes off what I had estimated having never seen any of the trails or knowing exactly where I was going.

I spent about 20 minutes chatting with them. I was happy they were generous enough to meet me so I could fill my water bottles and get some food. Not wanting to stop for too long I started back (my first split was ~2:17). I marched through the marshes and crossed the stream again. My energy levels weren't there at the start of the climb and I settle into a solid power hike. I ran some when the trail flattened, then power hiked the last switch backs to the top. Not sure of my split here (I'm thinking somewhere near 1:40 plus or minus 5 minutes). Made quick work of the descent and ran the gradual downhill back to my campsite. Total running time 4:45:25 not including the stops on top of Hope to enjoy the view and my stop in Twin Lakes (and maybe a couple minutes more that I stopped my watch while I was fiddling with my water bottles).

I estimate the mileage to be around 22.5 miles with 6400' vertical in 4:45:25 which I think is in line with where I want my fitness to be.

Weekly Summary: 7/5-7/11

7-5-2010
Monday:
AM: 8.6 miles (1:15:40) 400' vertical

7-6-2010
Tuesday:
PM: 7.8 (1:00:00)

7-7-2010
Wednesday:
AM: 8.6 miles (1:11:27) 400' vertical

7-8-2010
Thursday:
AM: 6.4 miles (54:20)

7-9-2010
Friday:

AM: 14.2 miles (2:20:00) 3300' vertical Green via Gregory, Ranger (41:36)
PM: 5.1 miles (41:28)

7-10-2010
Saturday:
AM: 18 miles (3:35:27) 3750' vertical Rogers Pass to Rollins Pass

7-11-2010
Sunday:
AM: 14.2 miles (2:24:26) 3300' vertical Green via Gregory, Ranger (40:40)
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Totals:
Miles: 82.9
Hours: 13h 23min
Vertical: 11 150'

Bike Totals:
Miles: 47.6
Hours: 3h 19min

No days off this week which was good. Got up high in the mountains which is another essential training piece for Leadville. I didn't have a really long run this week, but the three days in a row over two hours was good. I'm also pleased with my backside times on Green this week.

Rogers Pass to Rollins Pass Saturday, July 10

Got up early on Saturday to make my way to the Moffat Tunnel East Portal Trailhead. Started out at about 7:3o am climbing towards Rogers Pass. The trail climbs steadily and before you know it you're running along Rogers Pass Lake and then you're above the tree line.

Heart Lake from the final climb up Rogers Pass

Rogers Pass Lake from the final climb up to Rogers Pass

It was a gorgeous morning and I really enjoyed the climb up to the pass. Once you reach the Continental Divide, you run along the divide over to Rollins Pass. This part of the run started off enjoyable enough, but after about a half an hour I was ready to be on some single track again. There really isn't a trail and the footing is fairly technical so it was slow going. I was also ready to be out of the wind which was trying to blow me back down the east side of the divide.

Once you reach Rollins Pass you just run east down the road that is closed due to rock slides.... sounded safe enough to me. This is a nice easy decent with great views, however, my camera was no longer working so I don't have any photos to post. After about a half hour the road makes a big U turn and this is where the Forest Lakes trail intersects. From there it is a gorgeous single track run back to the Moffat Tunnel East Portal trailhead. I had originally planned to fuel up back at my car and make another trip up to Rogers Pass. After passing about 15 hikers just making their way up the trail I decided otherwise. It was tough enough for them to get out of my way while I was descending, and I didn't feel like spending another 45 minutes asking confused hikers to let me pass (this is why I get up early). A far contrast from the morning where I saw about 4 people on my way up to Rogers Pass, and no one on the divide. Anyways this was a great trail run. I got the idea (and the mileage and vertical numbers) from Rocky Mountain Raider.

Miles: ~18

Vertical Gain: 3 750'

Elevation Range: 9 200' to 12 200'

Running Time: 3:35

More photos from the divide:

Weekly Summary: 6/28-7/4

6-28-2010
Monday:
PM: 6.05 miles (49:00)

6-29-2010
Tuesday:
Rest: Busy day. Picked up Jenna from the airport.

6-30-2010
Wednesday:
AM: 6.2 miles (49:00)

PM:12.9 miles (1:41:22) 900' vertical Ran from my place over to Karissa's in Broomfield via the High Plains trail, Coalition, then ran on McCaslin. Left quad was bothering me after the run.

7-1-2010
Thursday:
AM: 5.3 miles (47:52)

PM: 5.7 miles (47:30)

7-2-2010
Friday:

PM: 14 miles (2:29:39) 3300' vertical Green via Amphitheater

7-3-2010
Saturday:
AM: 27.6 miles (5:14:40) 6200' vertical Double Mesa crossing followed by a lap up Green.

7-4-2010
Sunday:
Rest My left quad was killing me today so I decided to take it easy.
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Totals:
Miles: 77.7
Hours: 12h 39min
Vertical: 10 400'

Bike Totals:
Miles: 47.6
Hours: 3h 15min

The weekly mileage this week wasn't too big because of the 2 rest days, but the important thing was the 5+ hour run on Saturday.

Double Mesa and Green

Met up with J.P. at Chautauqua this morning. We started off with a Mesa trail double crossing. Filled our water bottles and put in a "cool" down lap up Green. I made it up Amphitheater somewhere around 45:15 after about 18 miles and over 3 hours of running so this is encouraging in terms of endurance. Saw Scott Jurek on the top of Green and chatted with him a bit, he was out for a run with his girlfriend. Ran down Gregory and it was starting to get really hot! Filled up my bottles at the Chautauqua ranger station and ran home.

27.6 miles 5:14:40 and 6200' vertical (Different than J.P's totals as I ran from my place to Chat. and back)

June by the numbers

Totals:
Miles: 312.1
Hours: 48h 33min
Vertical: 40 350'

Biking Totals:
Miles: 176
Hours: 12h 26min

Liking the way things are going as the high mountain running season is shaping up. I definitely need to start getting up higher but I think I have a good base of miles and vertical going. The addition of biking to work and running errands on the bike I think will help with my total endurance even though the pace is very easy.