Monday, January 13, 2025

January 6th- January 12th

"Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done." - W.E.B. Du Bois

Monday:   

7 AM: 50mins at VASA

Warmup: Incline walking and mobility

DB Seated Shoulder Press- neutral grip
12 @ 40lbs
10 @ 45lbs
8 @ 45lbs
6 @ 50lbs

Single Arm Cable Lateral Raise
3x12 @ 15lbs

3 Rounds
10 incline bench DB front raises @ 15lbs
10 incline bench DB Reverse Flies @ 15lbs

3 Rounds
30sec Commandos
30sec Shoulder Taps
30sec High Plank Toe Taps
30sec High Plank Knee to Elbow
60sec recovery

Flutter Kicks
3x30

Torso Rotation
10@ 100lbs
10@ 115lbs
10@ 115lbs

Plank Side to Side
3x10 each way

11 AM: 5.2 miles averaging 7:45pace.  Easy dog jog with Venus knocking out 9 more laps of the open space by the house. Only 971 more laps to go this year. LOL.

---  Went to drive the van around the hood since it has been a bit and the battery was drained enough that it would not start.  In order to get to the battery in the van to jump it you have to take out the floor on the driver side, such a pain in the ass.  Got it jumped and drove it around for 30mins to recharge the battery.  Guess I will be taking it out every 2-3 days instead of every 7-10 days.  Seems the colder it is outside the quicker the battery drains.  Will need to ask 5280 Sprinter people about this in a few weeks when I take it in to get the new suspension installed.

Tuesday:  
7 AM:  55mins in the garage gym
Warmup: Rowing, Crossover, and Mobility

7 Rounds
7 Deadlifts @ 185lbs
7 Burpee over bar lateral
7 Toes to Bar
7 Strict Pullups
7 Pushups
7 DB Situps w/ 35lbs
7 DB Thrusters w/ 25lbs each hand

-then-

3 Rounds
20sec calf raises
10sec hold up
20sec calf raises
10sec hold up
30sec recovery

---  Pulled the trigger on doing The Rut Trifecta which includes a VK on Friday, 28K on Saturday, and a 50K on Sunday in September in Big Sky, MT.  I have been wanting to do this for the past 10 years but it has never really worked out timing wise.  This year we have nothing planned in September yet so it is game on!

3 PM:  8 miles averaging 7:30pace.  Opted for the treadmill due to the 5-7 inches of snow we got, slick roads and deeper snow on the trails. Easy with 8x1 min w/ 3min recoveries @ 6min pace. Always get weird looks when I am going fast on a treadmill at the global gym.  Followed this up with 20mins in the sauna while there

Wednesday:
3 PM:  10.4 miles averaging 7:15pace.  On the mill again for the speedwork this week. Did not feel like slogging through snow or risk slipping during the harder intervals. Easy for 15 mins then 3 x 10mins @ 6:18pace w/ 3min recoveries followed by 20mins steady state. Great workout and flinging sweat all over the treadmill.

Thursday:  
  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  171.4 and 8.7% bodyfat.  Gain about 1.5lbs but not unexpected with all the lifting and eating I have been doing.

5:30 AM:  1 hour at VASA lifting legs.  Increased the weight some from last leg workout.

Warmup: Treadmill walking on incline and mobility

Hack Squat
5 @ 140 plus sled
5 @ 160 plus sled
5 @ 160 plus sled
5 @ 180 plus sled
5 @ 180 plus sled

Leg Curls
10@ 105
10@ 105
10@ 105
10@ 105

Single Leg Extensions
5x10 @40lbs

3 Rounds
20 DB B-Stance RDL @ 25 each hand
20 DB Split Squat @ 25 each hand
20 DB Goblet Squat @ 25

Suitcase Farmers Carry
3x50m @ 70lbs each side

Barbell Hip Thrust
16@ 110
14@ 110
12@ 140
10@ 140
8@ 160

Standing Calf Raises
3x20 @ 130

10:30 AM: 8 miles w/ 700ft of vert averaging 7:45 pace.  Wind was blowing hard with gust up to 40mph so said fuck it and did a third day in a row on the treadmill which I hate doing. Once a week is fine but more than that bugs me. Set it on the rolling hills program and just cruised.

-- Spent 20 mins in the sauna right afterwards since I was already at VASA.

Friday:
10:30 AM:  12.4miles w/ 2000ft of vert averaging 7:45pace.  From King Soopers at Tablemesa & Broadway up to NCAR then back down to the start of the neighborhood and back up 2.5 more times for a total of 3.5 times total. Felt really good today and was moving well! Great to be back outside again today after some shitty weather this week.  Used to do this route a lot training for Hardrock in the winter and forgot about it.  Time to get back to this run about once a week.


2 PM: 2.1 mile dog walk with Venus knocking out 3 more laps around the open space.  Only 967 laps to go for the year.  LOL... followed this up with 45mins in the new air boots which are awesome.

--  Paula and I headed to Law's Whiskey House this evening for the live lottery of the Highlonesome 100.   Super hard not to drink while there, this is one of my top 5 favorite whiskey brands. No luck in the lottery for Don, Donnie, or myself.  All good and a great time was had.  First photo below is Paula deciding which belt buckle I should wear tonight.  Of course she chose my first Hardrock finish buckle since that was our first 100 she crewed for me.




Saturday: 
7 AM:  6.2 miles averaging 6:51pace.  3W Winter 5K series race #2. Warmup then 5K in 18:34 followed by a cooldown. Not my best 5K lately but woke up battling a massive head cold and almost did not go. Figured since it was from the neck up and not in the lungs I could at least jog it since I paid for it. Even with my shitty time still pulled out 2nd place, a 14 year old from Evergreen got me for 1st by 15secs.



2 PM: 1 hour at VASA lifting

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

4 Rounds
10 pushups
10 Dips

Bench Press single machine, weight is each side
5 @ 70lbs
5 @ 80lbs
5 @ 80lbs
5 @ 85lbs
5 @ 85lbs

4 Rounds
10 DB Chest Flys @ 30lbs
10 DB Narrow Chest Press @ 30lbs

Tricep Tri Set 3 Rounds
10 Left Single cable tricep extend -20
10 Left Single cable cross tricep extend -20
10 Left Single cable overhead tricep extend -20
10 Right Single cable tricep extend -20
10 Right Single cable cross tricep extend -15
10 Right Single cable overhead tricep extend -15

Straight Leg knee raises
4x10

Planks
3x1 mins

Torso Rotations
10@ 100
10@ 115
10@ 130

Sunday:  
8 AM: 14 miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 7:10 pace.  Joined the Boulder Track Club this morning. Really liked the route today. Started on Marshall Road over to Marshall Mesa, Community Ditch, Dowdy Draw, Greenbelt, then a lap of Marshall Mesa before heading back on Marshall Road. They had our bottles waiting for us at the Greenbelt Trailhead on Hwy 93 then it was on for the last 5 miles of the run hoovering around 6 min pace all the way back. Love these runs. Will miss next week because I am doing a half marathon in Louisville next Sunday.

-- Walk 2 miles with Venus in the afternoon because I got tired of watching the Broncos get their asses kicked.  3 more laps of the open space to the total.


Total Weekly Numbers
Almost the perfect week I think between the different activities and pushing hard a few times this week.  The only thing missing was a few hours on bike which I plan to test this week to see if it still affects my knee or not.  Got a bike fit and a tune up on it this week so hopefully that helps a bunch.  























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Monday, January 6, 2025

December 30th- January 5th

"You don't need any expert's permission to write your story, your way." - Brian Koppelman

Monday:   

8:30 AM:  48mins at VASA.  Studio Red class at VASA with Paula. Airbike, Running, and a bunch of DB and TRX movements. Really starting to like these classes, really like the running intervals on the manual treadmills.

-- Walked about a mile.  Paula was out walking Venus and shot me a photo of a stray dog in the open space. Went over and caught him and found where he is from.  Sweet old boy.


3:30 PM: Walk 2.6 miles w/ 1250ft of vert in 40mins. Walk on the treadmill at VASA at 9% incline. Just to move the legs and do some work.  Followed this up with about 20mins lifting on the machines at VASA while Paula finished up her spin class.

Tuesday:  
7 AM:  1 hour lifting at VASA. 

Warmup: Treadmill walking on incline and mobility

Hack Squat
10@ 90 plus sled
10@ 140 plus sled
10@ 140 plus sled
10@ 140 plus sled

Leg Curls
10@ 100
10@ 100
10@ 105
10@ 105

Single Leg Extensions
4x10 @40lbs
10@ 45lbs

3 Rounds
20 DB B-Stance RDL @ 25 each hand
20 DB Split Squat @ 25 each hand
20 DB Goblet Squat @ 25

Suitcase Farmers Carry
3x50m @ 70lbs each side

Barbell Hip Thrust
10@ 105
10@ 105
10@ 110
10@ 110

Standing Calf Raises
3x20 @ 120

11 AM:  6.3 miles averaging 11min pace.  Donkey jog put on by Brad and Amber. Took Paula and a couple of her friends down to Waterton Canyon for their first run with a donkey. Everyone had a blast!




---  Of course we went out for New Years Eve to dinner and to meet some friends.  Acreage for dinner and Nora's Speakeasy for drinks.  Yes, I only drank soda water while everyone else was having cocktails.  When I break my no drinking, Nora's Speakeasy will be a place that I will be coming back to.  That was a cool place, in the basement under another business on Main Street in Louisville.  You access it from the alley.


Wednesday:

Happy New Years!!!!

9 AM:  8.9 miles averaging 7min miles.  Resolute Run 5K this morning. This mileage includes the 4 mile warmup, the race, and then the cooldown jog. Ran the race in 17:58 or 5:47 average pace, about 20sec slower overall than last time but I paced it much better and there was a lot of turns on this course that you have slow down for. Did not go out and blow up like last time but was pretty much even splits the whole way. Just ran it by HR trying to stay around 155. Of course I went higher at times. Finished 3rd overall.



3 PM:  1 hour at VASA

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

4 Rounds
10 pushups
10 Dips

Bench Press
5 @ 140lbs
5 @ 145lbs
5 @ 155lbs
5 @ 165lbs
5 @ 145lbs

4 Rounds
10 DB Chest Flys @ 25lbs
10 DB Narrow Chest Press @ 25lbs

Tricep Tri Set 3 Rounds
10 Left Single cable tricep extend
10 Left Single cable cross tricep extend
10 Left Single cable overhead tricep extend
10 Right Single cable tricep extend
10 Right Single cable cross tricep extend
10 Right Single cable overhead tricep extend

Straight Leg knee raises
4x10

Planks
3x1 mins

-- Followed this up with 45mins in the airboots

Thursday:  
  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Nope, forgot this morning when I got up.

7 AM:  50mins in the garage gym

Warmup: Rowing, Crossover and mobility

5 Rounds
1 min Ball Slams w/ 40lbs
1 min Sumo Deadlift High Pulls w/ 75lbs
1 min Box Jumps
1 min Push Press w/ 75lbs
1 min Row for Calories
1 min Rest

3 PM:  8.5miles averaging 7min pace.  Easy laps around the open space with 6x30sec strides in the middle. Started working on my 1000 laps of the 0.54 loop next to the house. Knocked out 15 of them on this run. Strides were right about 5min pace.  Good start to the 1000 lap challenge.  Will use the airboots again tonight as well for 30-45mins.

Friday:
7 AM:  56mins at the gym.  Went to VASA since I don't have a cable system in the garage gym.

Warmup: Walking and mobility

50 pull-ups broken up as needed.

V-Bar Lat Pulldowns
10@ 105lbs
10@ 110lbs
10@ 110lbs
10@ 115lbs

Rope Cable Curls
10@ 40lbs
10@ 40lbs
10@ 42.5lbs
10@ 42.5lbs

DB Single Arm Rows
4X10 @ 55lbs

Ez-Bar 21s
3 sets w/ 50lbs

Ez-Bar Bent Over Rows
10@ 80lbs
10@ 80lbs
10@ 90lbs
10@ 90lbs

Superset x3
8 Chinups
8 Hanging Knee Tuck to Extend

3 Rounds
10 Single leg calf raises with 25lbs each leg

2 PM:  7.7 miles w/ 1400ft of vert averaging 9min pace.  Hilly steady state run as an out and back on the Mesa Trail from the Southside. Was surprised on my overall average pace. Felt much slower than that.



4 PM: 1.5 mile dog walk around the hood.


Saturday: 
Total day off today.  Went up to Fairplay early this morning to help Don move the cold plunge and his barrel sauna onto the truck and trailer.  Yes he is moving out of Fairplay which sucks.


Sunday:  
8 AM: 11 miles w/ 2600ft of vert averaging 10min pace.  Moderate run joining the Denver Trailrunners Sunday Jog at Mount Falcon. Been years since I have been here as well and forgot how much I like these trails. Good vert that is can be ran which can be hard in Boulder where the trails are shorter and steeper. Anyways a balmy 17 degrees at the start but did warm up some. Hit the uphills somewhat hard and was careful coming down due to the ice.





1 PM: 2.2mile dog walk around the open space by the house to add a few more laps.


Total Weekly Numbers
Not a bad week overall but also not a great week either.  I say that it was not great because I fell off over the weekend.  Helping Don move that barrel sauna on Saturday morning I tweaked my lower back a little bit so took the rest of the day off and cut short my run on Sunday just to let it heal and settle down some so I missed about 10 miles over those 2 days.  It is all good, back is good to go this morning so back to it.














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Thursday, January 2, 2025

2024 Year in Review

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Edison

Really love this quote.  Guess it is time to put together some sort of year in review just for my record to look back on in the years to come.  So here we go again.

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Figured we needed another quote for the New Years as well.  

So-so year overall.  Was supposed to be a big year with Hardrock and Javelina but that did not happen of course due to the hip injury all summer and having to drop from starting Hardrock and went into Javelina with less than ideal training.  Did get a couple of wins this year so that is always positive.  Those get harder and harder to come by every year as I get older and the field gets younger and faster.

Training: Less overall hours spent but lots more mileage than last year due adding the bike back in.  Spent a lot of time on the bike this year when I was injured this summer since I could not run without pain.  Just over 2600 miles covered by foot (running, walking, skimo, ect.) with the rest on the bike.  Next year we need to be well north of 800 hours total which is the goal.


How does that compare to the past years?  Well this is an interesting view of the last 17 years.  Somewhat a normal year hourly-wise even with the injury.  Could have been a huge year if I would have been doing my normal Hardrock training in there as well.  The colors below match up with the colors for the activities above.


Here is the total ski days for this year.  Bad year on the sticks.  Hopefully will be better next year.



Races:
A somewhat more normal year for me as far as races are concerned.  Not quite the 30 plus events that I normally partake but close.  Missed a lot of summer due to the hip injury or otherwise would have had a lot more races this year including Hardrock.

Here is an interesting view of my race mileage this year from my spreadsheet.  Lots of running races for sure compared to others.  And yes I track my nights in the van.  Goal was 40 on the year, keep in mind we did not get the van until mid-March.



2024 Races/Events

Books:  
24 books this year which was the goal.  To be totally honest I have barely cracked open a book in the last month so there is that.   All over the place on my books with no real theme which is normal for me. I just read whatever catches my eye.  Kept the same goal this year with a goal of 24 or 2 per month.  Best book of the year???  Everest, Inc. * and of course any of the Jack Carr books.

2024 Books Read 
2. Outlive *
3. Tough
24. Stable*


Review of Goals for 2024:  

Another hit or miss year on my loose top 10 goals that I laid out last year....  

  1.  Improve my time at Hardrock over last year.  - Nope, DNS due to injury
  2. Read at least 24 books - Yep, 28 books
  3. Run Coaching Certification - Did not see a reason to do so
  4. Travel somewhere new for a race - Quite a few new places in the van
  5. Sky Dive - Some day, still waiting on Avery to do it with.
  6. Keep the blog going weekly -Yep and sure I annoyed people with it.
  7. Start more than 100 mile race this year - Nope, injury.  Wanted to do at least 2 100 races.
  8. Average a Peak a week in 2024 - First time I have failed at this, only had 38 this year
  9. Backpacking on the Colorado Trail for 3-7 days Nope, actually forgot about this goal unless you count all the miles I did with Jeff Browning during his FKT attempt (about 90 miles)
  10. Work on my lack of mobility at least 3-4 times a week. - Yes, my injury this summer required this

Goals for 2024: 

Of course there is some rollover from last year but they can be repeated year over year, especially the travel ones.  This of course does not include any work, family, or relationship goals... this is just strictly goals as they relate to this blog.

  1. Go all in on Western States 100
  2. Read 24 Books
  3. 40 nights in the van
  4. Weekly Blog post again, might change the formatting
  5. Sky Dive-- someday.
  6. 2 or more races over 100 miles
  7. Average one summit a week
  8. Backpacking on the Colorado Trail for 3-7 days 
  9. Run the 0.6 mile loop by the house 1000 times in 2025
  10. At least 1-2 Gravel Races

2024  in Pictures  (Chose at least 1 photo per month which was super challenging and did not happen.  Most of the months have 2 or more photos below.  Just to hard to decide. And yes, I tried to have that at least one other person is in the photo with me.  You can go through the weekly posts to see a lot of photos from the year)










































Have a Happy and Safe 2025!!!!!


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