September 23rd- September 29th

"There is no way around hard work.  Embrace it." - Roger Federer

Monday:   

6:30 AM:  5.6 miles w/ 500ft of vert averaging 7:50pace. Easy cruise from the Coalton Trailhead west up the hill and back. More of a mini progression run with every mile being a little quicker ending at 6:35pace. Felt better than expected after yesterday's slog-fest.  

--25mins in the sauna when I got home.

12:30 PM:  Biked 10 miles w/ 500ft of vert in 45mins. Easy cruise around the neighborhood from the house. Super chill but still averaging a little quicker than normal. Such a great day out there!

Tuesday:  

7 AM:  8.8 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:30pace.  Another lap of Springbrook and Gashawk from Dowdy Draw this morning. Felt so good and moving so well that I got through the loops quicker than normal that I added on a mile of out and back just to fill in the time that I was supposed to be out running. Super pleased on how things are coming along right now.

4 PM:  40mins Lifting in the garage.

Warmup: Rowing and Mobility

Superset 1
Dumbbell chest press 3x10
Dumbbell Row 3x10

Superset 2
Goblet Squat 3x15
Romanian Deadlifts 3x12

Superset 3
Dumbbell bicep curls 3x10
Dumbbell tricep extend 3x10

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

3x15 GHD Situps

-- 25 mins in the sauna right afterwards.

Wednesday:

6:45 AM:  8 miles averaging 7:30pace.  Easy 2 plus laps of Davidson Mesa after dropping Paula off at the airport super early this morning. She is heading out to help at USA Adventure Racing Championships on the East Coast. Felt good today, just cruised keeping the HR under 130 for the most part. 

10:30 AM:  40mins lifting in the garage.  Shoulder focused with 3 sets of pull and 3 sets of push lifts. Then a small core afterwards. Just needed to get something in but did not want to get sore with the 50K this weekend.

-- Followed this up with a 2 mile dog walk and 20mins in the sauna.

--  Planned on racing Cyclocross again this evening but between work blowing up and the fact I have a 50K training race this weekend I pulled the plug on it.  Guess I am starting to grow up which I don't like.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Forgot when I got up this morning.  All good and probably don't want to know anyways.  Had a binge episode yesterday for the first time in about a month.  Not sure what triggered it but it happened.  Back on the wagon today.

7 AM:  21 miles w/ 1100ft of vert in 1:28.  Easy spin on the gravel bike around the normal hood loop I ride all the time. Awesome morning out there! Started out cold but was perfect by the middle of the ride.  Almost got hit by a car only once so it was a great morning!  

Followed this up with a 2 mile dog walk and 20mins in the hot tub.

--  Heading to Fairplay late this afternoon to hang out tomorrow and run a 50K in Buena Vista on Saturday.  Should be interesting, have not gone that far since April.  Should be a good training race for Javelina in 4 weeks.

Friday:

7 AM:  6 miles w/ 500ft of vert averaging 8:15pace.  Shakeout jog from Java Moose in Fairplay up Beaver Creek Rd and back. Little bit of a climb heading out and downhill coming back. Tried to keep the HR under 135. Ended at Java Moose to work until about noon. The leaves are popping up here right now!  Not a bad Friday...  

-- Heading to Buena Vista (30mins away) mid-day to check in for the 50K run tomorrow and find a place to park the van.  Spent the afternoon working from another coffee shop in BV. 

--Finished book number 22 on the year, yeah I was bored in BV and read pretty much all evening knocking out the last 100 or so pages.  Interesting read...  Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.

Saturday: 

7 AM:  30 miles w/ 3800ft of vert averaging 9:50pace.  West Line Winder 50K in BV.  Really well put on race by Calab but that is expected. Just look at his other race Highlonesome 100, that has turned into one of the best 100s in the state and think his 2 50Ks he held this weekend will be the same. I have done a lot of racing and running in BV and saw some new to me trails which is cool.  Anyways a good day until the wheels fell off around mile 26-27 but that was expected since I have not gone that far since last Spring. The whole goal was to treat it like a training run for Javelina and keep the HR under 140 most of the time which I did with an average of 133. The wheels fell off in the way that my stomach was not to happy the last few miles, no puking but could have.  Stomach just was not processing the liquids for a bit.

Sunday:  

7:30 AM: 11.25 miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 8:40pace.  Easy cruise with Don from his house as an out and back on some dirt roads. Sore and legs somewhat shot of course but that was expected. Was not as bad has I had built up in my head, thought the body would have been worse. At least the weather and views were on point!

--  The drive home from Fairplay over Kenosha Pass was nuts... took me 3 hours to drive home and looking at Google Maps throughout the afternoon I could see that it just kept getting worse and worse.  Glad I passed over it about 11am verses 3pm.  https://youtube.com/shorts/Ldl1NmVohyc

Total Weekly Numbers

Awesome week of building... 2 more peak volume weeks then the taper.  Almost there but I can feel my running coming around which is nice.  Have another 50K planned this coming Saturday at Staunton State Park, approaching the same way as BV,  just a long supported training run.  This 50K has the same amount of vertical in 30 miles that Javelina has in the whole 100.   https://raceroster.com/events/2024/88453/suffer-better-8th-annual-fall-trail-runs

September 16th- September 22nd

"Celebrate the life you had, not the life you could've had." - Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Monday:   

6:30 AM:  5.5 miles w/ 400ft of vert averaging 7:30pace. Easy cruise from the Coalton Trailhead west up the hill and back. Was not planning on running today but got home from Steamboat and had a pair of the Agravic Speed Ultra's waiting on the front porch. Had to take them out and those are some fast shoes! Might be using these for Javelina, or at least for some of it.

4 PM: 1 hour at Crossfit

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

Row 250 m TT : 43.3 secs
Intervals
Row, 250 m | 0:43.3

then

FT: 19 mins 46 secs
Row, 200 m
Plank Hold, 30 secs
Row, 400 m
Plank Hold, 1 min
Row, 600 m
Plank Hold, 1:30
Row, 800 m
Plank Hold, 2 mins
Row, 1000 m
Plank Hold, 2:30

Tuesday:  

6:30 AM:  8 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:45pace.  Mostly easy lap of Springbrook and Gashawk trails from Dowdy Draw trailhead. Did go a little harder in the uphill on both trails with a HR between 145-150 then below 140 for everything else. Good little uphill tempo in there. Great morning out there.

Wednesday:

6:45 AM:  8 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:50pace.  Same route as yesterday in almost the exact same time. The difference is yesterday I felt like I was pushing in the middle part and today at the same pace I did not feel that way. So weird but that is running, the body is different day to day. Saw about 20 turkeys and a huge elk on Gashawk. I have never seen an elk down here this close to Boulder, usually they are more in the high country.

10 AM:  1 hour at Crossfit

Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills

Deadlift : 5-3-3-1-1-1 : 4230 lbs
Sets
5 Deadlifts | 255 lbs
3 Deadlifts | 285 lbs
3 Deadlifts | 325 lbs
1 Deadlift | 365 lbs
1 Deadlift | 375 lbs
1 Deadlift | 385 lbs -- Post back injury PR...  Have not put up this weight since before I herniated my disk 2 years ago.  Super pleased!

-then-

21-15-9: 5 mins 57 secs
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift, 50% 1RM | 195 lbs
Push-up
Lateral Burpee Over Bar

5 PM:  Biked 8.5 miles in less than an hour.  First 4 miles were the warmup so I knew what I was getting into.  The last 4.5 miles were Back 2 Basic Cyclocross #4. One of my worse races in a while. First lap went well even though I had dead legs from the other workouts today. Second lap I wiped out around a corner that made me slow way down to finish the lap. On the third lap I was getting my confidence back and was picking it back up when I threw my chain and it got jammed in the hub of my back wheel. I could not pull it out, spent 3-5 mins trying. Finally called it quits and walked over to the bike mechanic where he had to take apart my whole rear hub to get the chain out, so I made the right call. Still got in some training I guess and still had fun. Next week is the last one of the Wednesday night races which sucks. Hard to do the weekend races when training for Javelina.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  169.4 lbs w/ 8.5% bodyfat.  Down 3 more pounds or so.  I have not been under 170 since before Hardrock last year.  Super pleased and feeling really good overall.  Thinking it has to do with not eating any of the crap I normally eat while I am doing this 75 Hard challenge again.  If I get down to 167 or lower I will consider upping my daily calorie intake.

6:45 AM:  8.3miles averaging 7:15pace.  2 and a half laps of Davidson Mesa. Did this run as sort of a mini progression run with each mile being a little bit quicker than the previous with the last mile being under 7min pace. Did it as a test for my hip and calf. Last month every time I went faster than 8min pace one of the two would act up. That did not happen today, all was good. Think we are all systems go for the last 3 weeks of hard training before the taper of Javelina.

9:30 AM: 20mins in the sauna

3:45 PM: Biked 21 miles w/ 1100ft of vert in 1:27.  Easy lap of the hood per normal. I thought I was going slower than normal on this route but was surprised to look at the data afterwards just to discover I was actually a little quicker than normal at a lower RPE. Interesting...

Friday:

7 AM:  9 miles w/ 2100ft of vert averaging 9:55pace.  Fowler trailhead for a lap of Rattlesnake Gulch then a loop of Gashawk back to the truck. One of my best runs yet since coming back. Felt so good and the vert was more than I expected. Very pleased I was able to do 2k of vert being under 10min pace without pushing that hard. Shit seems to be coming around finally.

2 PM:  50mins in the garage gym

Warmup: rowing and mobility

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Dumbbell Bench Press, 40 lbs
Elevated Goblet Squat, 25 lbs
Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 25 lbs
Reverse Lunge
Push-up

3 RFT:
3 rounds of:
10 Single Leg RDLs, 25 lbs
10 Jefferson Curls, 35 lbs

3 Rounds
10 single leg calf raises 25lbs

3 Rounds
20 crunches
20 plank pikes
20 plank side to side
20 flutter kicks 4 count

-- followed this with 25mins in the sauna...  gotta get that heat training in for Javelina!

Saturday: 

7:30 AM:  20.2 miles w/ 1300ft of vert averaging 8:05pace.  Easy loops on the Rock Creek and Lake Link trails from the Kings on 287 by GZ's house. Each loop was 8 miles then added an out and back to get to 20. Went better than I expected today, have not done a real run over 20 miles since April. Yes I have covered more than 20 miles in a single shot but it was mostly hiking with Bronco Billy during his Colorado Trail FKT. This route is close to the same as a loop at Javelina which is 20 miles & 1500ft of vert.  Hopefully things are setting up nicely for Javelina.  Plan on using this loop a few more times the next few weeks.

Sunday:  

8 AM:  14.5 miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 8:30pace. Today was a slog-fest of sort... legs had no turn over at all and it was raining buckets all morning. Delayed as long as my mind would allow me too before heading out. Rain stopped about 5 miles in which meant I was then dressed to warm but all good. Ran Marshall Road from Superior to Boulder than back on the bike path doing a lap of Davidson and Harper Lake on the way back.  Had no turn over so just jogged it out until I hit over 2 hours. Been a long time since I have done back to back longer days like this as well.  Hopefully the next 2 weekends of back to back long runs feel better than today's did.

Total Weekly Numbers

Solid week of training this week.  Super pleased I made it through the week with nothing really bothering me but heavy legs and being a little tired.  Need to get in 2 more solid weeks like this then we can taper and get that Javelina finish.  Finish is what matters, I need that Western States qualifier to keep building tickets for that lottery.

September 9th- September 15th

 "There is no way around hard work.  Embrace it." - Roger Federer

Monday:   

10 AM:  45mins in the garage gym.

Warmup: Airbike and mobility

5 rounds, EMOTM
Every 1 min for 25 mins:
10 Dumbbell Deadlifts, 50 lbs
10 Dumbbell Rows, 35 lbs
20 Air Squats
8 Dumbbell Lunges, 15 lbs
10 Dumbbell Chest Press, 50 lbs


Single Leg Calf Raises : 25lbs
Sets
10 Single Leg Calf Raises
10 Single Leg Calf Raises
10 Single Leg Calf Raises

3 RFT:
3 rounds of:
15 GHD Sit-ups
15 GHD Hip Extensions

--20mins in the sauna after lifting

3 PM:  Biked 12.6 miles w/ 600ft of vert in 51mins.  Easy spin around the hood on the gravel bike again. Was supposed to be easy but went a little bit harder than normal to get out some aggression before it came out at work. 

Tuesday:  

-- Woke up super early for some reason this morning and finished book number 20 on the year.  Picked up Stronger from one of those free book kiosk you see around in front of people's houses.  This one was by one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, caught my eye. 

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  172.8lbs w/ 8% bodyfat.  Moving in the right direction finally and most importantly is that I am feeling great overall.  Joints are less sore than they have been in a while since I have cleaned up shit the past week.  Weighed in early this week due to heading to Steamboat this afternoon for the rest of the week.

7 AM:  8 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:50pace. Easy lap from Dowdy Draw trailhead for a loop of Springbrook and Gashawk. Like hitting it from this trailhead verses Flatiron Vista. Yes it is shorter but the hills are better and it is easier to get home. It can be a pain in the ass to try and turn left on HWY93 in the middle of morning rush hour.

10 AM:  42mins in the garage gym

Warmup: Airbike and mobility

Heels Elevated Back Squat : 5x8 :
Sets
8 Heels Elevated Back Squats | 115 lbs
8 Heels Elevated Back Squats | 115 lbs
8 Heels Elevated Back Squats | 115 lbs
8 Heels Elevated Back Squats | 115 lbs
8 Heels Elevated Back Squats | 115 lbs

3 RF-ME: Box Step-ups and Strict Toes-to-bars
3 rounds of:
30 Box Step-ups, 12 in | 85 lbs
max rep Strict Toes-to-bars | 12, 12, and 13

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

3 Rounds
10 Single Leg RDL on each leg 25lbs
10 Jerry Curls on a slant board 35lbs

Wednesday:

6:45 AM:  8.5 miles averaging 8:10pace.  Easy run from the condo in Steamboat down to the river bike path and to town and back. Little flatter than I wanted but it will work for this week. Everything else is to hilly for Javelina training. Awesome morning, first time I have had to wear a long sleeve to run in months, it was 40 degrees out there this morning.

3 PM:  6.25 miles averaging 8:20pace.  Easy cruise from the condo along the same path that I did this morning for the most part, just not as far out before turning around. Was raining the first half of the run and okay the second half. Got soaked and a little cold.

Thursday:  

6:30 AM:  12miles w/ 3200ft of vert averaging 10min pace.  From the condo in Steamboat. The original plan was to do 3 miles up the ski hill then back for 6, get a drink then do 6 flat along the river like yesterday. What I ended up doing was going 6 miles up the hill and back instead. I was just having to much fun being up higher and honestly running the bike path next to the river is boring. Yeah, not the best training for Javelina but oh well, have to enjoy it as well.

2:15 PM: 30mins lifting in the grass with Paula outside the condo.  Fun!  Next time I would add a short 400m run or farmers carry after every round to make this a little longer but a fun workout.

Warmup: mobility

3 RFT:
3 rounds of:
20 Dumbbell Plank Rows, 25 lbs
20 Push-ups
20 Dumbbell Hammer Curls, 25 lbs
20 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows, 25 lbs
20 Dumbbell Upright Rows, 25 lbs

-- followed with a short walk and 20min in the hot tub.

Friday:

8 AM:  9 miles w/ 1600ft of vert averaging 9min pace. Run from Springcreek Trailhead in Steamboat up towards Dry Lake and back. Was really cool to see this trail in the light. Every time I have been on this trail has been in the middle of the night during Run Rabbit Run 100. Really is a beautiful trail.

2 PM:  Biked 6miles w/ 800ft of vert in 28mins.  Ride from Steamboat up to Fish Creek Falls Trailhead to crew Don. Crews are not allowed to drive up to the trailhead due to not being enough parking so took the bike up to help him. Fun coming back downhill! 20mins up and 7 mins down.

10 PM: 3.4miles averaging 10:50pace. Jogging in and out of town with Don. This is the only place they allow pacers for the Hares in Run Rabbit. Basically it is just to help tired runners not get hit by cars as they go in and out of town.

Saturday: 

Noon:   3.5 miles w/ 900ft of vert averaging 12min pace.  Ran/hiked backwards from the finish line of Run Rabbit Run to bring Don in the last few miles. Would have gone up farther if I would have known before hand that was allowed. I was not in running gear. Basically a hike up and jog down with him. He had a great time of 23:45! His goal was 21 hours but shit went sideways at night like it can but he bounced back well!

Sunday:   

7 AM:  14.5miles w/ 1700ft of vert averaging 9min pace.  Easy run from the condo to town then up the Springcreek trail towards Dry Lake and back. Wanted to go longer but had to get back to load up and check out of the condo. Such a great week up here this week and a much needed time away from the house with Paula.

Total Weekly Numbers

Solid week especially considering the trail and being in Steamboat all week.  This week as been the best running yet since coming back from the injury.  Super pumped and ready for a bigger week coming up the next 3 weeks before tapering for Javelina.  I feel like I am trying to cram it all in but that is what my body seems to be making me do.  

South Fork Burro Race

 They finally posted photos from the South Fork Burro race 2 plus weeks ago.  There was so many..... here are a bunch that I was able to find and they are not in order for they came from 5 different cameras out on the course.  Giddy up!!!