Both Feet Out The Door: July 22

7/22/2013

1:38, 3,250' - 1st Flatiron Trail

Monday morning I took the pace very easy and went out for pure enjoyment. I haven't spent much time exploring the Flatirons, so I decided to check out the first. Despite the 5,000+ feet of gain from Sunday, I felt pretty loose on the run. I had my faster and slower sections during the day, and I spent a good 15-20 minutes enjoying the westward views from the top of the trail. The summit of the 1st Flatiron requires some climbing experience - which I now have an itch to start acquiring. As I said in my last post, I took a bad couple of steps on a loose section of trail coming home, and strained my left calf as a result...bummer.

7/25/2013

2:25, 4,650' - Green Mountain

After two days off my calf felt much better, so I put it to the test. Decided to go up Green early in the day. I took Mesa and Bluebell over to Gregory Canyon, and the running felt fluid and comfortable the whole way. Once I hit the Gregory Canyon TH I made a solid effort to keep the pace steady and consistent trough the summit. Making my way up via Ranger, I spotted some gnarly looking cloud-cover to the west, and it was slowly heading toward the front range. I spent a few minutes chatting with someone at the top before coming back via Greenman Trail. The descent felt great and I was rolling the whole way. Took a wrong turn on the way home, extending my morning a bit. Overall, a really good day on the trails. Great weather, responsive legs, and some downhill cruising...

7/26/2013

1:20, 2,300' - Mesa Trail

The legs felt pretty tired when I woke up, and a day on my feet didn't do much to salvage them. Got myself out the door for some easier miles toward sunset. I'm finding that the sections of Mesa out my back door seem easy compared to the prospect of trips up Green, Bear, or S Boulder. That said, there is still some decent elevation concealed in the multitude of rollers that make up this winding, north-south trail. Kept the pace relaxed and the HR in control for the entirety. Sore feet and just felt a bit lethargic at points, but it was nice to blow off some steam.

7/27/2013

:55, ??' - Road Run

After getting home from work, I wanted to squeeze in some quick miles before heading to a show at Chautaqua Auditorium. It was a nice night for some flatter miles, but it felt more labored than I would like at points. Got home, stuffed my face with pasta, and then biked over to the park in the pouring rain. Well worth the effort to see one of my favorite artists - the man, the myth, the legend: John Hiatt!

As Sunday draws to a close, so do my eyes - which feel as tired and heavy as my legs. While I'm feeling a bit more settled here in Boulder after nearly a month, my energy is up and down. I know that my sleep is lacking since I've moved out here, and part of that is due to being on-the-go at all times. Likewise, I'm relying heavily on caffeine to get through the days. This week was lighter on runs than I would ideally like, but I need to take care of my legs and make sure I'm getting quality time on trail.

I'm looking to establish more consistency and get some energy back in my legs over the next two weeks. If I can get things rolling, I should be fit enough to run the NF 50K or 50M when I head back to Milwaukee in September. It's been a busy couple of weeks and a whirlwind month, but I'm really excited to be here in Boulder. It's hard to complain about being tired when that fatigue is a direct result of running the mountain trails that now comprise my back yard.