PPM Recap

Sorry, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow for the recap. The computer screen is looking a little blurry to me right now, so I'll take a crack at it tomorrow.

The very short recap is this. The race was amazing, incredible & awesome all wrapped into one. The whole experience was a privilege to participate in. I ran it much faster than I was expecting. I finished in 122nd place with a time 5:47:49. My legs are hurtin' good, but no injuries (well, I did need to see the medic after the race).

More to come tomorrow...

The PPM is here!

This Sunday at 7am MDT, the shotgun will sound and I'll be joining 841 other marathoners who are crazy enough to try to run up and down Pikes Peak. After about 10 miles, I'll come out of the trees and make my way up the eastern face you see above. If all goes well, I'll have enough left in the legs to turnaround and begin the 13 mile descent back to Manitou. I guess I don't really have a choice!

In preparing for Pikes, it's been fun for me to learn some interesting facts about the peak & race. Some of those tidbits are below.

* This year the PPM is celebrating 50 years of women competing in marathons. Not that long ago, women were banned from marathoning. I read once that race directors thought that if a woman ran a marathon, her uterus might fall out! Well in 1959, Arlene Pieper ran the entire PPM and became the first woman to complete a marathon in the United States. Glad she picked an easy one! Click on this link to read more about her stroll up the peak.

* The PPM (54 years) is the 3rd oldest marathon in the US. Boston (114 years) is on top, but can you guess #2? The Yonkers Marathon (84 years) in New York. Bet you never saw that one coming, but you probably never thought Pikes was #3.

* The lyrics for the song "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates were started as she stood atop Pikes in 1893.

* Matt Carpenter, whom I wrote about when I ran in the Mt. Evans Ascent, will be defending his title. He's won the PPM nine times and is the current course record holder. Do you know what the course record is?? 3:16:39. Incredible.

* The air on the summit contains only 60% of the oxygen available at sea level. Race rules state that you are disqualified if you're caught taking oxygen during the race!

* 48% of the runners are from Colorado. The next largest percentages comes from Texas (9%) & California (4%). 43 other states are represented.

* Most "flatlanders" will arrive in CO the day before the race. The preferred method of avoiding altitude sickness is to arrive and begin your journey up as soon as possible.

* The average age of the runners in the PPM is 43. The oldest registered runner is 80. He's a "doubler" as he's running in the marathon AND the Ascent the day before.

* Only 34% of marathoners are attempting the PPM for the first time. That means 551 runners have done this at least once before. One runner is going for his 44th PPM!

* The average marathon finishing time for males in 2008 was 7hr10min. I'm hoping to finish somewhere in the 6hr to 6hr30min range.

* Taken from Wikipedia - Some have pursued oddball feats on the Barr trail (12 miles one way), such as dribbling a soccer ball or walking backwards to the top. In 1929 Bill Williams of Rio Hondo, Texas, pushed a peanut to the summit with his nose over the course of three weeks.

Some may think I'm crazy for wanting to run this race, but clearly there are those with much grander aspiration on the peak than I. Check back Monday for a race report.

Please pinch me...

...was last Saturday really August 1st??

I went on my final training run down at Pikes. My plan was to drive up the auto road to the summit and complete a "3-2-1" run. In this run, you start at the top and run 3 miles down & up, 2 miles down & up, and then 1 mile down & up. The total run is 12 miles...all above 12K feet.

My plan was foiled when I got stopped 3 miles from the summit. They got a little snow on the peak overnight and the road had too much ice on it. They told me it would reopen in about 2 hours. Well, that wouldn't work, so I pulled into a parking area above treeline and found a different trail up.

I had a feeling it was going to be an interesting day when a sign at the bottom read, "Summit Temp = 28 Windchill = 18". Thankfully, I was prepared with a headband to cover my ears, gloves, and a warm fleece. The run up went well, but once it got more rocky, the trail was very difficult to follow. Fortunately, there was a hiker much further ahead that left me his footprints in the snow to follow.

When I caught up with the hiker, I found a 56 year old guy who was climbing is 51st 14er! He's only got two more until he's climbed them all! Well, we walked the final 75 feet to the summit and chatted. He was very encouraging & inspiring!

When I ran down the Barr Trail on the eastern face, I bumped into another runner. We talked about the PPM and he told me that he ran it last year and finished in 4:15! That's insane! I looked him up when I got home and sure enough, he finished in 5th place. I also recognized his name. Come to find out he won the Colorado Colfax Marathon back in 2007. That was my first marathon.

12 days and counting...

Pikes Peak

Last weekend, I had a slight change of plans and decided to go for a training run/hike up Pikes to the summit. Previously, my plan was to wait until the race in order to make hitting the peak that much more memorable. The reasons for making a summit attempt before the race began piling up over the last few weeks.

* On my previous training run to Barr Camp, I chatted with a guy who had run several PPM's. He strongly recommended hiking the entire trail once so I would be familiar with it on race day.

* I needed at least one training run that involved me being on my feet for 5-6 hours. That would help me get used to how long I'll be on my feet on race day. Who am I kidding? It would be a miracle if I broke 6 hours during the PPM.

* I found out the marathon turnaround point is actually about 50 feet from the summit. There's no way I was going to run up this mountain and head back down without standing on the true top. I suppose I could have run past the turnaround and gone up the last 50 feet, but then I'd have issues detailed in my next point.

* On previous 14er climbs, one of my favorite parts is enjoying a nice, long rest on top. I love taking in the views from every direction and soaking in the reward of the climb. I know that wouldn't have happened during the race. I'd be too concerned with the ticking clock and be anxious to start the descent.

* And my last reason...there's a restaurant/gift shop on the summit for those that choose to drive up or take the Cog railway. I keep hearing about these "world famous" high altitude donuts they make up there. I wanted to have a chance to try one. See more on this below...

I started at 5:00 am and needed a headlamp for the first mile or so. I was not alone on the trail. I had to pass about 5 groups of hikers in that mile. I later bumped into a couple that had started hiking at 2:30 am! The ascent was fun and about as difficult as I had expected. I arrived at the summit around 8:30 am.

Let's get back to those donuts. I entered the Summit House restaurant and bought my two treats. What a tremendous disappointment! I could only choke down one and what a grease bomb it was. I tossed the second. I wish I had read this FAQ from some guy's website who regularly climbs the peak (before I ate):

Q. What's up with the donuts?
A. I wish I knew. People always told me that if I ever go to the top of Pikes Peak, I absolutely MUST eat the donuts. After eating (part of) one, I was convinced that these people were playing a cruel, practical joke. When I tried a Peak donut, I noticed a distinct trace of bratwurst flavor which, incidentally, they also sell at the Summit House. I couldn't get that experience out of my head for weeks afterwards.

With a slight stomach ache, I made my way outside for the descent. It was brutal. About a mile in, my legs were hurtin' and I was discouraged by how much further I had to go. I tried to jog as much as I could, but eventually that became impossible during that last couple miles. It also got very hot on the descent and of course I ran out of Gatorade in my pack with two miles to go. Two long miles! Despite being very dehydrated and having to walk down the final hill backwards (yes, my legs refused to walk the normal way), I was glad I made it all the way up and down experiencing every step of the Barr Trail.

The race is in 23 days. I'll need to be ready to go a few more miles than I went on Saturday. I think I'm as nervous & excited as I've ever been for a race. Pikes is an amazing mountain. I've been staring at it for almost 4 years...wondering what it must be like to stand on top. Now I know. What a treat it was to climb.

Leadville Heavy Half Marathon Recap

On Saturday morning, I ran in the Leadville Heavy Half Marathon as a part of my training for the PPM. What is a "heavy" half marathon you ask?? Here's how they describe it on their website, "13.1 (plus a couple more) miles of breathtaking, Leadville Rocky Mountain trails." In total it was about 15.5 miles. Most importantly, it was at high altitude. The race began at 10,200' and the turnaround was on top of Mosquito Pass at about 13,200'.

This was my first race on trails. Wow, what a difference from a road race. With trail running, there is no "locking into" a pace. No, your pace is constantly changing due to varying factors of trail conditions, elevation gain, not being able to pass on narrow sections, etc. This race was almost entirely on a 4WD only road. It was rugged and steep. Almost all of us were relegated to hiking the last two miles to the top of the pass.

Trail races are fairly bare bones when it comes to frills. Let me tell you where they don't skimp. The aid stations. Boy, what a sight it was to approach the first aid station after a grueling 3.5 mile climb. Cold watermelon slices, jelly beans, M&Ms, Coke, Sprite, Gatorade, PB&J sandwiches, pretzels, energy bars...I could go on. I had to remind myself I was in a race and not to linger too long! I went for the watermelon slices and slurped them down with delight!

Another first for me? Breaking the tape as I crossed the finish line. Sorry to get you excited, but I didn't win the race. Since most runners were spaced out, they had several young girls hold a tape for every finisher to break as they cross the line. Despite my 25th place finish, it was a nice touch that I'm sure I'll never experience again.

I finished the race with a time of 2:53. It's hard for me to think about going another 11 miles, 4000' of elevation gain, and 3 hours on my feet...in about a month. But I was also encouraged that I felt pretty good after this race.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to James, who just completed his "26point2" video masterpiece. It's awesome! Check it out at the link below or on our Videos page.

26point2 - My First Marathon

Mt. Cardigan Run

I decided to go for a training run up Mt. Cardigan during our visit to New Hampshire. In training for Pikes, I need to find ways to get in long runs up and downhill. Mt. Cardigan fit the bill except I needed to start about five miles away from the trailhead in order to get in more time on my feet.

I began my early morning by parking in downtown Alexandria. The village square probably hasn't changed in 100 years. I proceeded on paved & dirt roads until I hit the AMC Cardigan Lodge. From there the 2.5 mile trail to the summit began.

The first half mile was uneventful. Then all the rain NH had received that week reared its ugly head. The trail was a mess. The rest of the way was pretty much what you see above in the sloppy trail photo.

As I got closer to the granite face summit, I entered the clouds. The temperature dropped & the wind picked up dramatically. They mark the trail on granite with small spray paint marks. If I didn't have those, I surely would have gotten disoriented and lost. It was a very weird feeling to be surrounded by thick fog on top of mountain. Visibility was about 50 feet. I contemplated turning around, but wanted to find the fire tower, which marked the summit. Slowly, it came into view. It was so spooky up there, that the fire tower took on a "haunted house" look and I no longer cared to hang around!

The run back was nice once I got out of the fog & wind. So in total, I got in about 15 miles and 3000 feet of elevation gain. It was a good run for conditioning my legs. I need to be up at higher altitudes in order to prepare for that piece of the Pikes equation.

Barr Camp Run

If you can't tell, I love documenting these runs. As I type, I just picture myself 40 years from now reading about these adventures and reliving the experience all over again.

So the PPM course I talked about on Monday follows the Barr Trail up the peak. I've been reading a 12 page course description for a few weeks now. The course features many distinct parts that are separated by landmarks. The guide talks about these parts and how you should plan on running them. Quite honestly, it's a little overwhelming to read and try to visualize what you're going to do on marathon day.

The lightbulb went off and I decided to head down to Manitou Springs early last Saturday morning and attempt running the first half of the trail. I was on the road at 3:30am, drove through a herd of elk, and arrived at the trailhead an hour later. I got there a little too early as I had to wait about 20 minutes for the sky to lighten up a bit.

Once I started, the words I had been reading seemed to come alive as I came across The W's, The Rock Arch, No Name Creek, 7.8 to summit sign, and finally Barr Camp. Barr Camp is the halfway point of ascent portion of the marathon after climbing 3900' from Manitou. I felt great getting up there, but the thought of going another 3900' over six miles to reach the summit was daunting.

The day was overcast, cool & windy. I stopped and talked with several hikers that were heading to the summit. I sure hope they made it, but I have my doubts. The summit shot above was the only time I saw it the whole morning. As you can see, there is still quite a bit of snow, and I can only imagine how much more nasty the wind was up there.

Waterton Canyon to Roxborough State Park

Two Saturdays ago, I went on my first longer trail run. It was a 14 mile loop from Waterton Canyon over to Roxborough State Park. I like to get up and out early so I can get most of my run in while the ladies of the house are sleeping.

Despite living only 20 minutes away from Waterton Canyon, I had never been up the 6 mile dirt road to the Strontia Springs Dam. Wow, what a sight that was. It's 234' high! The water was gushing out the top and thundering as it exploded on the riverbed below.

The five miles of trail over to Roxborough were serene. It had rained the night before so everything glistened as the sun came up. Every twist and turn in the trail brought something new and beautiful to take in. I'm not kidding when I say I almost ran right into my friend in the photo above.

I really enjoyed this first foray into trail running. Leaving the pavement, people, cars, and intersections behind and finding forests, meadows, rivers, wildlife & wildflowers is a gift. Running is a gift and I'm grateful for the opportunity to use my legs this way.

Up next...the PPM!

On August 16th, I'll be heading down to Colorado Springs for what will no doubt be the most challenging running experience of my life. The Pikes Peak Marathon. The mountain is one of Colorado's most famous 14ers. It stands alone and can be seen from all along the Front Range. The race probably wouldn't be that bad if it started up high. No, the start line is in Manitou Spring at 6295' and rises another 7815' over 13 miles. The halfway point of the marathon has you standing at 14,110'...the summit. Then you turn around and head back down.

For obvious reasons, this marathon will be quite different than any other I've done. This is not a road race, nope...except for the first mile, it's all on trails. I've read that I should expect it to take the same amount of time it takes me to run a full marathon + 30 minutes...just to reach the summit. Needless to say, this is not a race that will have me running the entire time. Think power walking!

You're probably wondering why on earth I would ever want to put myself through the agony of ascending & descending 7815' over 26 miles. Well, I heard about this marathon a few years ago. I went to a trusty source for runner reviews, marathonguide.com, and found the following review titles.

"This is freaking crazy!"
"Humbling, Inspiring, Life Changing"
"Holy cow, what a great marathon!!"
"Even Tougher Than I Expected"
"tough, beautiful, exhilarating"
"Remember it Forever"
"WOW"
"A must-do for love of running"
"The consummate running high"

I was amazed that everyone who did it, seemed to be in awe of the experience. Many come back to do it year after year. The full reviews can be found by clicking on the link below.

MarathonGuide.com - PPM Reviews

In 2008, the marathon filled its 800 spots in 20 minutes. Back in March, I thought I'd try to sign up, but figured I probably wouldn't get in. Well, I did. The race sold out in 24 hours this year.

So, I'll be hitting the hills in the early mornings this summer as the shift to trail running is on. No more pounding pavement. Whatever happens on 8/16, I'm excited to bag another 14er and experience what they call "America's Ultimate Challenge"!

Ryan & Bart

When we went to the expo to pick up my packet on Saturday, I was amazed at how big the event was. It took up the entire San Diego Convention Center. After wandering around a bit, I got all giddy when I noticed some familiar faces in the Nissan booth. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get in line for an autograph from Ryan Hall and Bart Yasso.

You may not know who Ryan is. He recently placed 3rd in this years Boston Marathon. He also holds the record for the fastest debut marathon by an American runner (2007 London Marathon). On top of that, he is the US record holder in the 1/2 marathon (the only American to finish 13.1 miles in under an hour) at the 2007 Houston Half Marathon.

Bart, the older guy, is a running legend. He works for Runners World magazine, but it's his amazing running escapades which are chronicled in the book, "My Life On The Run", that have elevated him to legend status. He also invented a training workout called "Yasso 800's", which are a predictor of your marathon finish time.

I've been following Ryan Hall since last year's Olympics in which he placed 10th. The more I've gotten to know about him, the more I'm impressed with his character. I finished Bart's book a few months ago and was enthralled with all his stories. Needless to say, it was an absolute treat for me to meet BOTH of them and get their autographs on my race shirt!

The Finish

About a month or two before the race, James emailed me a link to a YouTube video. The video was of some guy at a past San Diego RnR marathon that did a flying leap across the finish line. James stated that he wanted to come up with his own version of the flying leap. This shouldn't have surprised me as James is the one who introduced me to 14er leaps.

My initial reaction was...he’s crazy!!! He has no idea just how ridiculously heavy & in pain his legs are going to be. Yet, I was supportive and encouraged him to make that decision at mile 26...when he had only .2 miles left in the race.

As we approached the finish, he indicated the jump was on. Still dumbfounded...I figured that it would be a great way to celebrate my 8th marathon by trying the unthinkable with him.

With about 50 feet to go, we moved into a pocket with no other runners in front or behind us. We gathered a bit of steam right before the line and then launch into our synchronized leaps! Amazingly we didn’t land in a pile of crumpled flesh & bones. No we landed on our feet! It was over! I now look at this picture and have no idea how James was able to grab his legs in mid-air. Incredible. My legs don't bend after running 26 miles.

San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon Recap

On Sunday, 5/31, I ran the San Diego “Rock ‘n Roll” Marathon with James. It was his first one and let me tell you…he rocked it!

The day started by hopping in a mini-van with six other runners including James & his sister Wendi (who was also running her 1st). We were dropped off at the start at 5:00am by Wendi’s gracious husband, Jeff. Right at 6:30am, all 20,000 runners got it going and crossed the start line.

The weather was ideal. 60 degrees and very cloudy with a light breeze. The course hits many of the sights in downtown San Diego before cruising north and circling Mission Bay. There were a few hills, but the last 12-14 miles were relatively flat. The bands on the course were great. My favorite was one that was playing Dave Matthews songs. They sounded great!

James was our pace setter and we were hitting an 8 min/mile pace for the first 10 miles or so, before settling around an 8:30 pace. What was incredible was that James never slowed down from that pace. He was still hitting it at miles 25 & 26!

With a stellar run going, James shattered his goal of a 3:45 by crossing the finish line in 3:38:48. That is an incredible time for a 1st marathon! Oh yeah…check back tomorrow for more about the crossing of the finish line!

The picture above was taken at the 10 mile mark. At the top of the biggest hill, we had a big crew of cheering fans to greet us. Tanya & the girls, as well as, Steve, Jennifer, Katie & Andrew all got up early to cheer us on.

Boston or Bust!

It finally happened! I'm going to be heading to Boston in April 2010 for the 114th running of the world's oldest and most famous marathon! The Colorado Marathon was a great experience all the way around. The course was beautiful as we ran the first 17 miles down the Poudre (sounds like "pooper") Canyon right next to the Poudre River. The final 9 miles meandered through a small town named Laporte before ending in Old Town Fort Collins.

I needed a 3:15:59 to qualify and with a little help of some downhill running, I was able to finish in 3:09:43. The downhill was nice on the lungs, but for the first time I experienced minor leg cramps from about mile 3 on. It wasn't bad, but it had me more than concerned that it was going to unleash at any moment.

The day started with my alarm going off at 3:00am. The hotel we were staying at had buses waiting outside to drive us the 26 miles to the start. Those buses left at 4:00am. Thankfully they opened the Starbucks stand in the hotel lobby at 3:45, so I was a happy guy for the 50 minute ride.

When the buses arrived at the start (a campground in the canyon), we had a good hour and fifteen minutes until the race started. It was 35 degrees outside and pitch black. Thankfully we were able to stay in the bus for about 35 minutes before we got kicked out into the cold.

Once the race started at 6:15am, I just focused on making it to mile 17 which was the first spot spectators were allowed on the course. I was very excited to see my three favorite ladies! They did not disappoint. Loud cheers, cowbells & signs! What more could I ask for in getting a needed boost.

Everything went great until mile 24. I had a little encounter with "the wall", but somehow managed to hold it together enough to only lose a few minutes due to much slower running.

It's Marathon Time...

I took this shot on a recent morning run. This barn is close to Daniels Park.

Sunday is the Colorado Marathon. I'm excited and ready. I need a 3:15 to qualify for Boston, so check back Monday to see if it happened.

Last Sunday was the London Marathon. It's one of the more popular ones. Apparently, if you want to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the marathon to run. They have officials on the scene to verify any "record breaking" accomplishments. Here are a few recent ones. Enjoy!

* Fastest marathon in superhero costume (2 hr 49 min 50 sec)
* Fastest marathon on stilts (8hr 25 min).
* Most money raised for charity by a marathon runner ($2.7 million)
* Tallest costume worn while running a marathon (14 ft)
* Most linked runners to complete a marathon (24)
* Fastest marathon in a military uniform (5 hr 11 min 42 sec)
* Fastest marathon in a fireman's uniform (5 hr 36 min 12 sec)

Platte River Half Marathon Recap

Saturday was a run in the snow, and Sunday was a tune up half marathon. Many training schedules encourage you to fit in a 10K or half marathon to help work out some of the nervous energy and practice your pre-race routines before the marathon.

The Platte River 1/2 was an excellent race. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well organized event and fun course. It began in downtown Littleton, followed the Platte River Trail, and finished at Denver's "oldest restaurant", the Buckhorn Exchange.

I ran with Scott, who is in training for the Steamboat Marathon in June. We ran together and had a great time. We hit the pace we wanted while chatting most of the way. It sure made the time go by fast.

When we reached the finish, awaiting us was the best post-race indulgences. Burgers, beer and breakfast burritos! I partook in the two latter items...I know...quite the combination. Actually, it was my first post-race beer ever. Typically, that would be the last thing I wanted after running...or at 10:45 in the morning!

No Running Style...

This winter I've been in an informal email group with three friends (Scott, James & Brian) who are all running marathons in 2009. It's been fun to throw questions out to the group, check in on how training is going, offer encouragement after crummy runs, etc.

One promise I made to the group was that I was going to wear ski goggles the next time I went for a run in the snow. My previous two experiences this winter were not pleasant. Especially when the wind is whipping the snow into your eyeballs. The only thing you can do is run with your head straight down, which gets annoying after several miles.

We were supposed to get a foot of snow on Saturday, but when we awoke, we had nothing. It snowed a bit, but I think we maxed out at a half an inch. So I went running...and fulfilled my vow to wear goggles. I definitely did not get any style points, but it worked like a charm. Now I just need to invent goggles with wiper blades & defrosters on the front so the snow and ice won't build up!

The Reward

I chose REI as my runabout destination for two reasons. 1. They have cool stuff to look at. 2. They have a Starbucks.

It took me about 3 hours to get the 20.5 miles from HR to downtown. I did eat a bit before I left, but I was quite hungry when I entered Starbucks. Before I could indulge in what you see above, I had to visit the restroom to wash my face. Unfortunately, running long distances produces a lot of sweat that dries to a nice white salty powder on my face. No need to give a ghostly scare to the other patrons trying to enjoy their morning coffee!

After my snack, I walked the store a bit. I then made my way over to the 16th Street Mall and found Barnes & Nobles. Forty-five minutes later I was on the light rail beginning my trek home. Upon arriving at the Littleton light rail station, I had to take a bus to HR. The best I could do was get dropped off 2 miles from our house. After sitting for over an hour, my legs had tightened up. That 2 mile jog home was much worse than the 20 mile run downtown!

Oh yeah...I don't get Frappuccinos or any other fancy coffee drinks often, but I can say this one was the best ever!

Denver Runabout

I recently read a book called 50/50 by Dean Karnazes. It chronicles his attempt to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Dean has many other unbelievable running accomplishments that have earned him the nickname "Ultramarathon Man".

In 50/50 he offers many tidbits of advice to marathoners. One of them was an idea to break up the monotony of training by going on a "runabout". A runabout (Dean-style) is to grab a cell phone & credit card and head out the door before sunrise and not return until after sunset. Just pick a direction and go. The goal is to continue jogging/walking most of the day.

With Tanya & the girls in CA, I decided to go on a runabout (Woody-style) on Sunday morning. I packed up my Camelbak with: 60 oz of Gatorade, phone, wallet, change of shirt, granola bar, and...public transportation schedule! I've learned to be prepared! I left around 8:30am and headed north. My destination? REI in downtown Denver.

I didn't realize how much fun this adventure was going to be. It's not that anything out of the ordinary happened. No, the fun part was venturing out on a gorgeous day and just going somewhere by foot that I would never of thought going before without a car. As I got closer to downtown, I weaved my way through Washington & Cheeseman Parks, the heart of downtown, then out to Coors Field, and finally through Riverfront & Commons Parks which brought me to Confluence Park & REI.

More to come tomorrow...

Boston?

This shot is my favorite running picture of all. It was taken by the course photographer right at the end of the NH Marathon. I posted a similar picture last October, but it didn't have Zoe it in, and it didn't catch the expressions on our faces. I think I can make out a look of frustration on Zoe's face...she tried really hard to keep up.

Switching gears...this May I'm going to give trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon another shot. I'm going to run in the Colorado Marathon up in Fort Collins. I'm just over 10 weeks through a different 18 week training program that is kicking my butt....in a good way. Training can be a bit stressful at points. For an example, read on...

The other night I had a dream that my Boston qualifying race had come. For some reason it wasn't the CO Marathon, but some other race and I have no idea where it was. Anyway, for some reason I was very late getting to it. When I arrived, I absent-mindedly put the envelope containing my race bib and timing chip aside and just hopped into the race. Boy, did I run a good time. I was approaching the finish and happily looked at my watch and knew I was about to qualify. For some reason this was also the time I realized that without a timing chip, I would not receive an official time and thus my effort was worthless.

Most nights I sleep quite peacefully. This particular night, I woke up breathing heavy, panicking, heart-broken, angry for not wearing my chip...and with a light glaze of sweat covering me. You better believe that timing chip will be on securely on May 3rd!

Full Moon Jog

This past Saturday night was special. In the sky that night was a "perigee moon". This huge full moon lit up the night. Spontaneously, I got an email from James saying we ought to go for a "full moon" run. James is training for the San Diego Marathon in May. His idea was awesome.

He came over at 9:30pm and off we went into the backcountry. We hit up some nice trails and marveled at the views of the mountains and city. It was cold, but as you can see, we were dressed well and didn't feel it. In marathon training, you're supposed to do your longer runs at "conversational" pace. We did just that and 7.5 miles were completed quite easily.