Spring And May Stats

Spring and May Stats

The trails are full of flowers right now. Simply stunning! Been on a taper for this weekends race (Dirty 30), which I signed up for at the last minute due to some changes in plans for the summer (more later). Not sure if I am really ready for the race, but I wanted to make sure I got in at least one ultra this spring/summer. Overall May was a decent month, with a touch more vert. on less time and miles then April, although more of it was spent at lower altitudes then previous months (simply a fact of moving from WP to Golden).

227.1 miles
31.61 hours
48,123 feet of gain
54 summits for the year

We will see. My goals are to eat, eat, eat and to run hard from the start. Looks to be a full and competitive race, so it should be fun from the get go. Best of luck to everyone!

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!

The Titans Bouldering

The Titans Bouldering


This is a post to confirm that there is good, fun bouldering in Grand County. Although a ton of people mountain bike, hike, fish, run, ski, etc. in Grand County, climbers have tended to stay away from the area for a couple reasons. One, there is no easy access climbing anywhere in the county - there are a few roadside boulders that offer up a couple fun problems, but almost everything worth climbing involves a fairly long approach and some adventuring. Over the past four years, Tara and I put up around 50 problems in the county - most in RMNP or in the Indian Peaks - that range from V0 to V10+. There is potential for a lot more development at a couple areas, and there are a few areas that we found which we never got around to developing. For those looking for some fun stuff in the Granby, Fraser, Winter Park area, here is the low down. I'll put up more in other posts, this one is focused on The Titans.

Winter Park/Fraser

There is not much here. We put up a couple small problems on Berthoud Pass in Second Creek, but nothing worth mentioning. The only real area that we developed over the years is called The Titans. This is a fun area with several house sized granite boulders along with tons of small boulders sitting on the edge of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I'll describe the area briefly here. To get to The Titans, find your way to the west side trailhead for Devils Thumb Pass. From the trailhead, hike for about 1.5 miles, passing a couple small fun boulders with short problems right by the giant meadow. Continue around the meadow and continue on the trail as it runs along the south side of the meadow. On the far side of the meadow, in the trees, the trail will pass through a series of granite boulders. This is the first zone. Just up from the trail are a few easy problems on small boulders, but the two gems are downhill on house sized boulders - The Grand Surf V10 and The Project V11+?. In this first zone we put up around 25 problems with the project above the Grand Surf and the project on the northwest corner of the Grand Surf boulder still needing to be done. If you continue hiking, the trail drops a bit and you hit zone two, with some massive boulders and a small little cave type feature on the north side. Here again are some fun problems on the main boulders as well as on all of the smaller boulders nearby. From there you can hike back towards the meadow and you will find a couple more boulders with fun problems on them. If you keep hiking on the trail, it will cross a creek. Hiking up the trail from here another 20 minutes brings you to the third zone of boulders, which are big, highball, and fun. If you hike up the side trail that runs north along the creek, you will run into more boulders with little or no development.

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'

White Ranch Loop - April Stats

White Ranch Loop - April Stats

Went out and decided to run the White Ranch loop today. Despite feeling a bit tired from Thursday's tempo run and Friday's gym session (various leg exercises, core, etc.) I wanted to get in a nice run prior to this week's taper for Saturday's race. I thought the White Ranch loop would be fun, and since my last time was a tad slow I wanted to see if I couldn't better it. I really like this loop - lots of up and down, big climbs, rocks, open meadows, shady forests. Although it was Sunday, I only saw 1 person for the entire first half, and not until coming down Mustang and Belcher did I run into other people. I ran the loop in 2:16 (total time - car to car), and still believe I can bring this time down a bit. I warmed up really slow, and not until the backside of Rawhide did I really start to push. If I go out faster from the start, I might be able to get this close to the 2 hour mark, which would be really nice.

April Stats

This year I started to keep a running log for the first time. Although I've been running for 20 years or so, I've never kept any kind of log. Now that I am dabbling in racing a bit and taken on training in a more serious manner compared to my usual summer mountain running fun, I've kept a pretty accurate log. For April my log reads:

245.8 miles
34.29 hours
44,106 feet of gain
39 summits for the year

This includes 5 rest days, and 4 days in the gym doing legs, core, etc. Not much to say since I don't have anything from last year to compare this to, other then I started running in April last year and did a total of 15 runs that month. But if I am to do anything serious with my running I can see the importance of keeping an accurate log of some kind.