The Big Weekend Is Here

In years past I would normally be sitting here at work this week sweating the Leadville 100 and trying to stay within my own head.  Not this year.  This year I signed up for a different challenge, the Pikes Peak Ascent on Saturday and the Pikes Peak Marathon on Sunday which is known as the Pikes Double.  It should be interesting to see how it all plays out, I really have not done the training that I wanted this year.  It has been a lot less structured and more of "What do I feel like doing today?" type of approach. 

Here is where I stand year to date:






What stick out to me on these numbers is the 258,594 feet of vertical so far this year.  I have been trying to make sure that I do some vertical every weekend on at least the Boulder Peaks if not going higher into the mountains.  Speaking of the Boulder Peaks here is where I stand year to date on those hills too.








Hope this will play to my advantage this weekend.  For those family members and friends who actually read this blog and don't know what the Pikes Peak races are there are some cool videos that you can watch if you click here (no I am not doing the mile race that first video shows).

Best to luck to all my buddies out there either running Leadville, pacing, crewing, and/or doing either one of the Pikes races.  GO GET THEM!!

July Numbers

Another good month in both the training and in racing this month but I do feel like I am flirting with burn out so I have to keep an eye on that.

Here is how the numbers shook out.  You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Not quite where I wanted to be mileage and vertical wise but that is ok.  I even took off  2 days of this month and a bunch of short days just to make sure that I don't go over that so called "line" which I feel like I am flirting with due to all the shorter faster races the past 2-3 months.

Positives of the month-  Got in 2 races listed below and I also got in 2 14er summits.

• Scartop 12K 7/4 (50:40 for 4th overall, 1st age group)  
• Pacing Hardrock 7/12 (Good times!)

I also got 5 new Breweries this month.

 Avalanche Brewery (Silverton)
 Ouray Brewery (Ouray)
 Ourayle House aka "Mr. Grumpy Pants" (Ouray)*
 Mountain Sun (Boulder)*
 Big Choice Brewery (Broomfield)

So overall I it was just an ok month and I seem to be stalling in my fitness a little.  Not much I can do about that now.  I am actually thinking that I might start an early taper for Pikes.  I will decided that based on how my runs go this weekend.


Next up- Pikes Peak Double.  This is going to hurt.