Golden Gate Park and UD Blaze Plus

Golden Gate Park and UD Blaze Plus

All last year I ran with the UD Blaze Plus belt, along with either one or two handhelds depending on the length of the run. I was always satisfied, but often wished that the pockets on the Blaze were a tad bit bigger/roomier. The belt contains a nice size pocket on the back, and then a smaller one built into the belt itself. The back pocket can carry a camera and a couple gels, while the side pocket can carry a couple gels or a bar. I ran two ultras and a mountain trail marathon - as well as several big days in the mountains - wearing the Blaze Plus belt and was always happy. However, like I said above, I always found myself wishing that the pockets were a tad bigger so I could go a bit longer. I was not worried about the water (it holds 20oz) because I carry some water purifier tablets, just the ability to carry fuel. So, this year I've been looking for something like the Blaze Plus but with bigger pockets. I tried the Nathan Elite 2V Plus recently, and although I liked it on my recent slow run up at Elk Meadow, I knew it was not the solution - especially for races.

Therefore, today I want out with the Blaze Plus again to see how it stacked up to the Nathan. With the Nathan you don't have to carry a handheld, while with the Blaze I need to carry at least one handheld. After some fun running along the amazing trails of Golden Gate State Park, the Blaze with one handheld is superior in my mind to the Nathan. The Blaze is much, much lighter. You hardly know it is there. To overcome the limited pockets, I've started to carry some gels in my running shorts, along with making some modifications to my handheld. As a result, I was able to carry plenty of fuel, 42oz of water, a camera, and a light windbreaker/rain jacket using the Blaze and one handheld. The two belts are fundamentally different in their approach, but until I find something else, I think I'll continue to use the Blaze for races and long runs, only resorting to the Nathan for really long days (6+ hours) where you need lots and lots of fuel. For me, the Blaze works because:

• It is very light and is hardly noticeable around the waist
• Form fitting, doesn't ride up, and seems to breathe well
• Has enough pocket space for races or medium long days

I've been looking at the new Jurek Endure, as it seems to be a modified Blaze with hopefully slightly bigger pockets. If so, then I think it might be the winner. I'll have to pick one up when they are released.

 

 Endless meadows to run through...

 Still a few snow bridges on creek crossings....

 Classic rocky trail...

This is "Dude's Fishing Hole"...

Bergen Peak Double and Nathan Elite 2V Plus Pack

Bergen Peak Double and Nathan Elite 2V Plus Pack


I've been on the hunt for a good waist pack to take on long runs. Last year I used the UD Blaze Plus along with handhelds for long runs and although it worked out pretty well, there were a lot of things that I was not happy with. Like the UD Fastdraw bottle, the pockets on the Blaze are a bit small, and it is really hard to fit even a bar or two into them (although the UD bottle nipple is far superior to the Nathan bottle top - luckily they are interchangeable). This is no problem on shorter runs or aid supported runs, but for big solo days in the mountains (20+ miles) I found it difficult to carry everything. So this past week I picked up the Nathan Elite 2V Plus, which has two benefits over the UD Blaze - it carries more water so I don't also have to have a handheld, and the pockets are much bigger and removable. So yesterday I went out to demo the Nathan pack up at Elk Meadow Park on Bergen Peak (9,708'). I was a little nervous about potential bouncing as you carry (or can carry) up to 44oz around your waist, as well as a substantial amount of food, gear, camera, etc. Since I tend to the minimal side, I did not use the pack to capacity for this short run (I took the two pockets off), but rather wanted to see about fit, whether there was any bounce, and how the pockets and other features worked out.

I ran two laps covering the trails in the park and tagging Bergen Peak twice for a total car to car time of 4:03 with 4,689' of gain over the course of 22 miles. I carried two bars, one gu, and one fruit strip, along with two full 22oz bottles in the pack. I also had a very light wind/rain jacket along as it looked like it could rain at any moment and a camera. There is no way I could have carried this much with the UD Blaze without also carrying a handheld. Although I was not going super fast, the Nathan pack worked out very well.

• Very little bounce, even running on the downhills
• Easy to access water, although it took a bit getting used to putting them back in their slots
• Felt small and comfortable on the back, with no excess sweat or heat buildup
• Plenty of room - enough for three times as much food
• Removable pockets - the pack comes with two extra side pockets that you can remove when not in use

I'll have to see how the pack works out on longer days this summer, but so far I am very happy, especially when considering the price (around $50 depending on where you shop). The pack has a ton of material, and not all of it seems necessary - I'm sure I will take a knife to it and get rid of any excess here shortly to try and lighten it up a tad.

 The resident elk herd...

 Looking east from the summit...

 Looking west from the summit at Evans and beyond

 Hard to see, but that is Pikes way off to the south....

Fear the Deer Race

Fear the Deer Race

On Saturday I ran the Fear the Deer race, which was held on the trails of Deer Creek Canyon park. This was my second race of the season, and I was looking forward to running the course. I felt pretty good going into the race, and although I didn't taper too much, I was hoping for a good result. However, I also knew that this would be a fast race, as it seems trail half marathons are here on the Front Range. Tara and I got there early and had a nice warm up, and although my legs didn't feel snappy, they didn't feel bad either. After waiting at the start line for the last bus of runners to show up (most runners were bussed in from a distant parking lot), the RD went over the course and then we were off. The race course goes up Plymouth trail, which starts out mellow but quickly gets fairly steep and climbs over 1,600 feet in 2+ miles. I went out in the front, but quickly hit a redline and had to slow down a bit. Although I had warmed up, I neglected to stay warm and after standing around at the start for an extra 10-15 minutes waiting for the gun (the race started late because of the busing), I had cooled down. So when we really started, I was no longer warmed up and my HR skyrocketed. This was a big mistake on my part.

After struggling through the initial climb and re-warm up, I started to get my groove and began to finally race. I was in 21 place at this point based on how many people I caught and passed over the rest of the race. The rest of the race was uneventful, as I was able to keep my pace along most of the other climbs and descents (although I took a nice fall towards the end and have a good bruise and some scrapes on my elbow). I was able to reel in 3 other runners over the next 9 miles, and if the race had been 1 or 2 miles longer, I could have caught 3 more as they were only a few hundred feet in front and clearly fading fast. I crossed the line in 1:55:05 which was good for 18th place overall.

This race demonstrated to me again that I do not have the raw speed that many people do for these shorter races. Half marathons are brutally fast, and to be competitive one has to do a substantial amount of speed work. I also learned the true importance of warming up and being warm when the gun goes off. Although I had warmed up, the 10-15 minutes of waiting at the start line for the RD to get things together was not smart. I should have kept active so that I didn't redline so quickly. This may not be as true in longer races, as the one's I've done don't seem to go out nearly as fast as this race did. Despite this, I'm happy with the result, and glad I did the race. I learned more valuable mental and physical lessons for future races.

Nearing the top of the final climb (around mile 9)

Trail Runners Nightmare - Spring Storm

Trail Runners Nightmare - Spring Storm

On the night of May 1, a massive snow storm rolled into the area and caused untold havoc for many of the local trail runners. To grasp the size of the storm and the number of runners cursing and hurling hate upon Mother Nature, one can turn to NASA’s Terra satellite, which captured the snowfall on May 2 after clouds had mostly cleared out of the Denver region. I've pasted together images from the same satellite for a good before and after. Almost the entire state was blanketed in a layer of snow as a result of the storm!

Apex Loop

Apex Loop

Nice morning on the Apex Loop. Spring is really starting to show her colors. 9.5 miles, 1:18, 2,200'