Magnolia Road

Today we ran on the legendary Magnolia road. Bobbie had 60 min, and Wally and I both did a solid 80. Max was feeling pretty sore today so he decided to ride on the bike along with us. The road was actually really close to where we live but this was the first time we had run it. After driving to the 8,000 ft that Mags sits on we begin our run. The first 1200 meters is all down hill but after that it is all pretty much an uphill run with steep inclines thrown in. The effort was what Jeff Bolle told us on one of our first runs out here would be. You just kind of get used to hurting. This has definitely been the case for many of our runs out here. Your legs burn and you breath harder than the body wants to, but you just kind of get used to the fatigue and keep rolling. At 30 min into Mags Wally and I pushed up a hill and Bobbie turned around to finish his run. Finally after a long climb and a small but welcomed downhill Wally and I turned back for home. The way back was still pretty tough, but there were a lot more subtle downhills for us to recover on. We pushed up the final hill and finished the run feeling good and tired. 

Long Run

Jim and Lorin came out to visit us this weekend and thus far it has been ballin. Today we all packed in the cars and drove to the Boulder Rez for our long run. Wally and I had been assigned 2 hours for the first time ever, and both of us were pretty intimidated by this. Max and Jim had 105 and Bobbie had 95 min. We stared the run nice and chill and soon we were clipping right at a smooth 650ish pace. Jim and I talked a lot, but for the most part everyone else was pretty quite. Each loop around the Rez takes about 36 mins so after the first 2 loops you start to know if it is going to be a good and fresh long run for you, or one of those ones when you still have 40 min left and you are already sucking wind. Today I felt like the former. At the start of the 3rd lap Wally and I started to pull the trigger a little bit and brought down the pace to the 640 range. Both of us seemed very comfortable and clicked off some really nice miles. at 100 min we stopped at the drinking fountain for a quick drink and took off for out last 20 min. These last min seemed to just drag on forever. The miles before this all went so quick, but the last 3 miles just took forever. We both were still feeling pretty good and even ran our fastest split of the run (6:33) but the last 20 just seemed to last forever. Soon we hit the final hill until the parking lot and we costed in to finish the 2 hour run with  milage of 17.6 mi. But the really cool thing about today was Jim's run. He is has been in Boulder for one day and woke up this morning at did about 15 miles in 105 min. He has been training at sea level this entire time and I am throughly impressed. He also made it look easy, the kid is nuts.   

Wonderland Lake

Today I did a run by myself before class. I headed up 4th street and to Wonderland Lake Park. Just getting to the park is pretty tough because 4th street littered with steep hills for about the 2 miles you are on it. But once I got to the park I was really pleasantly surprised. The park is really pretty and has a crushed path that goes all around the lake and further into the mountains. I did two loops at a pretty steady pace and finished up the 80 min run feeling fresh and quick. Just getting the miles in now is the important thing, and this nice hilly route was a great place just to zone out and get the minutes  in. Good run, only about 2 weeks left in this beautiful place.  

First Workout

Sorry it has been such a long time since our last blog.... but I feel like none of you are too broken up about it. Today was the first workout of the summer: 25 min warm up, 2x ten min tempo, and 25 min cool down. Wally and I left from the house and started warming up down stream. We fell into a nice quick 6:35 clip during the warmup. We both felt pretty fresh from the easy day yesterday and were ready to do work on the tempo. We started off hammering right way. Our first mile was right in the range of 5:20-5:25 uphill and we felt it. We never really slowed or settled in the entire first interval, and when we finished the first ten min were were feeling it. The next one started in the same way and I told Wally after 3 min that I was going to settle into my tempo rythem and slow down a bit. Wally pressed on. Soon with 4 min to go I saw Wal again but he was walking at look pretty flushed. As soon as I was in ear shot he croaked desperately, "Where is the water?!". It turned out that a bug had flown into his throat and since it was so dry out and his mouth was so dry that the bug stuck to his throat and He was choking on it. He ended up having to take a drink out of a gross-ass pond off of the trail just to get it out. I finished out the tempo feeling pretty strong and surprisingly finding a second gear. We finished the run by cooling down through CU's campus, pretty tired but still hitting a nice steady pace. 

Long Run and Recovery Run

Yesterday Wally and I decided to do our long run because both of us would have a difficult time doing it on Saturday. We drove out to the Rez and decided to do some loops around the water. I drank a little too much water before the run, so I had a nice sloshy package of water in my stomach for the first half of the run. We both ran at a nice and controlled pace and kept rolling off some good miles. We went around the reservoir once and then again about 3/4's of the way and turned back to make it an even 100 min. It was a nice smooth effort and we both felt good. 

Today all of us packed into the car to meet up with Jeff Boele and to do an easy 70 min recovery run. Jeff took us on a cool new route I had never been on in the Rez. We all talked and just let our legs roll off the easy milage. Before I knew it Max, Bobbie, and Sam all were turning back for their respective assigned times. Jeff, Wally, and I kepted up on the loop and it turned out to be 55 min. Wally and I then added on the last 15 min down a side street. 

  

Working smart the Jeff Boele way

6/26/10

5:30 AM and I here the front door close. Wally and Max have left to do their long run because they have work at 7:45. Sam, T.J. and I get an hour and a half more sleep and then get up to run. As we leave for the cars an exhausted Wally and Max walk in the door. Their run was a success as they both averaged sub 7 minute pace for the 90 minute run.

Run

I drive Sam and T.J. to Bobolink trail head where we meet Jeff Boele for our long run. Our first mile is slow, real slow but no one complains. We go through the mile in over 8 but the pace quickly drops to 7:10. The whole way out we talk with Boele and the run is controlled. At the 25 minute mark we reach the place where I turned around the last time we ran Bobo. The next 15 minutes are on uncharted territory and takes us on a hidden path that Jeff knows about. For the entire run we have been climbing at a very low grade however, now we are climbing quick. After the run Sammy shows me the elevation chart off of his Garmin and it shows a steady ascent over 6 miles eventually hitting a peak at 5700 feet. From miles 4 to 5.5 we are in a valley, which overlooks the marshal mesa where we ran on Thursday. The view is breathtaking and so is the climb. Coupled with the wind the run is starting to take its toll on me and we are only 40 minutes in… wait 40 minutes in time to run around!! Sam, Jeff and I turn around and begin running downhill. T.J. keeps going on the ever increasing climb and later tells us that it got real steep real quick. The way back is faster than the way out as we run downhill the whole way. On the way back Jeff offers some good advise about work ethic.

“I would tell my kids (athletes at Greenville College), ‘Id rather have you work smart than work hard,’ where working smart is knowing when to work hard and when to recover. Recovering can sometimes be the hardest thing to do when your competition is out there doing a run and your inside taking a nap. In the long run that 40 minute run will not make you that much better, but saving your legs and letting your body rebuild itself will help you prepare and run better at the next workout or race.”

He also ads his thought on runners who compete during workouts:

“A lot of guys at CU are real bad about it, one stepping that it is. They are always sitting 5 meters ahead of you and then when you get back on their shoulder they pull ahead again and this only ads onto an increasing pace that wont slow down. That’s definitely not the way to keep a team together and it’s definitely not the way to train. If you gave me the choice of winning a workout or getting to travel with the team because I race well, I’m picking to travel every time. Its just not worth racing every run and trying to prove that your better than everyone.”

All of this is paraphrased of course but it sums up Jeff’s main points of the run. Jeff and I end our run at 80 minutes while Sammy and T.J. go for 90 minutes. We say goodbye to Jeff and head back to the creek for some ice bathing.

For the rest of the day we watch USA blow it in extra minutes and head over to Costco in a rainstorm to bye a civic load of food, literally it didn’t fit in my car. For dinner we go to a pizza place that Wally and T.J. saw on T.V. The restaurant is famous for its monster 14 pound pizza challenge. Yes that’s right Wally is not satisfied with his wing king title and now wants to conquer this monster. The challenge is two people one hour 14 pounds of pizza. Its 75 dollars if you fail and you get 100 dollars if you complete it. You have to make reservations one day in advance to attempt this challenge so we wont be doing any food challenges tonight. On the wall there is the record board of the 14 teams who have attempted this monster challenge… none have succeeded the closest still had 2 pounds to eat. Even with this Wally still says that he can do it, he just needs a good partner who can match his seven pounds. I tell Wally that this challenge is literally impossible and that no human can do this, to which T.J. corrects me saying that, “Dude if kobiashai and Chestnut teamed up they would fuck this shit up.” There is no arguing there. Wally will keep his options open and begin his training for this monster. Another day in boulder and we are still feeling fly… like a G6.

Long Run

Today was our long run day, however I only ran with Sam, Bobbie, and Jeff because Wally and Max had to work at 7:45 so they were up at a hellish hour to do their run. We meet up with Jeff at the Bobolink Trail head and set off. The pace is very relaxed and feels great for the first portion of the run. We continue to talk and take in the scenic views as we eventually roll to about a 7:05 pace. Eventually we get to the South Boulder Creek Trail and head into a valley. But what goes down must come up and we begin to run into a head wind and climb a hill. It is here that the rest of the group turns back and I decided to continue on and hit the Mesa Trail for a bit. It is a steep up hill climb and and I felt really good doing it. On the way back I really picked up my clip and had a fast run back by myself. It was a great way to finish up a smooth 90 min run. 

summer shudder

June 24 2010

…. Yeah I got lazy. Anyway I figured that sitting here listening to Brooks and Dunn play something country was a great time to blog about what we have been doing in Boulder, CO.

Run

6:59 and Sam’s alarm goes off before mine… oh well. I jump up from my spot on the floor and run for the bathroom. There is no way in hell I’m getting there after everyone else. I pop my contacts in and go back out into our living room. Max is still on his couch and Sam is just getting off of his. Max and Sam were forced to give up their bed last night because Ashlee and her sister came into town yesterday for her sisters orientation at Colorado state. With Sam and Max out of a bed Wally and I ended up on the floor. As I survey the room further I find Wally sleeping underneath the kitchen table… whatever Sam wakes him up and we are all in the car by 7:10. We drive fifteen minutes south to Marshall Mesa trail head to meet Jeff Boele. We have already run with Jeff once already however it was during my lazy spell and I didn’t write about it. To get you caught up Jeffery Boele ran against Huff in college and now they are friends and Huff gave us Boele’s number. So Wally Called up Jeff and we met for a run on Monday. The run went great and Jeff showed us new trails and the pace was very controlled. Jeff told us, “the faster I get the slower I run” a lesson I will not forget. Anyway at 7:30 Jeff pulls up next to us and tells us about todays run. It will be close to a 70 minute loop where we climb for the first 15 and the middle 30 -45. Sounds good for us and we are off. Boele quickly surrenders the lead as we are forced to go single file on the rocky trail. Wally leads followed by T.J. Max, Sam, Jeff and I. The trail climbs quickly and I am quickly in oxygen debt. One thing I have learned from being out here is how to climb hills. Even though I am in oxygen debt at the moment I know that I will be able to recover on the downhill. So even though I still have 65 minutes to run I am not nervous. Sure enough we crest a hill and then start a decent and cross the major road that runs through boulder. We are currently heading west straight into the mountains which means only one thing, climb. The narrow trail is littered with small loose rocks but this does not hinder our pace as we push up the foot hills. The scenery is unbelievable we are running on a dirt path a little more than 2 feet wide, on either side is short grass. We have been winding through the foot hills next to a creek and eventually we make a sharp left to head south and cross the creek. As soon as we head south we are hit with a steep climb. So far the entire run Jeff and I have been talking about various topics but now that our climb increases our talking seems to be left at the bass. We finally level out and emerge in a valley. To our left 400 meters (east) is a ridge where Broadway (boulders main north south roadway) sits. To our right lie the flatirons as magnificent as ever in the morning sun. Another 400 meters heading south and our path begins to climb again. Boele tells us that this is the steepest climb we will do and that it is, “short and steep, or Colorado flat.” I think to myself… Colorado flat sucks as we have climbed over 100 feet in less than a minute. Wally has also increased the pace but no one complains, the faster this thing is over the better. Our trail has slowly shied away from the mountains and we have begin to ride up the ridge towards Broadway. We pull an abrupt switch back and begin heading north as we continue to climb the wall. Our climb finally flattens enough for us to catch our breath and regain the feeling in our legs, however we our still climbing. Wally and I comment on how the uphill doesn’t feel like an uphill at all… maybe we our getting used to Colorado flat. We cross back over Broadway and begin heading east. The path is now wide enough to fit 3 across, Wally, Sam and Max take point while T.J. and I flank Boele. We continue our conversation as we regain our breathing and it doesn’t even feel like we have already run 45 minutes. The sun is continuing its climb and it seems like we are destined to do the same as our path rolls up and down like a roller coaster. Remarkably it seems like no one notices as we all remain relaxed and in control. Our path takes us north now and we begin a climb that is not steep but very long. It is here that Wally, T.J. and I break away from the group and push the pace up the hill. The pace is still comfortable as we all talk about how we don’t know where we are going. Sure enough T.J., Wally and I over shoot a turn off and are called back by Sam and Jeff. Max has turned off at an earlier path which should lead him to a 60 minute loop. Reunited with Sam and Boele we head down a hill on many switch backs until we reach the parking lot. Jeff stops by the cars at 66 while the four of us continue on the round the run off at 70. We finish our run at the cars and realize that Max is still not back… uh oh. Luckily he comes up the trail one minute later and everyone is accounted for. Another great run is complete and now it is time for some summer living.

Fast forward to 6/25/10. We have all slept in and wait for T.J. to get back from his class. Sam elects to run alone and is out the door earlier to beat the heat… 101 F. We definetly feel the heat as we end our 30 minute run so we head down to the creek to cool down. We swim against the current to get to a rope swing located on the south banks. The rope swing is empty as we all make our first swings. When my head emerges form the freezing water I am surrounded by people. Apparently everyone gets out of class around noon. We stay at the rope swing all day until our skin turns red. Another day down in boulder. Long run tomorrow with Boele should be a good one!

Easy Friday

Today we slept in, as is tradition on fridays and after I got back from class we did our run. It was a really hot day today and it made things even hotter as we headed east on the Boulder Creek Trail. We held a nice steady pace and went on for 30 min. The other guys then stopped and I continued on to do 40 min. I picked up the pace a little bit as I add on and end up finishing at a smooth 6 flat pace. It felt really good, and after the run we took a dip in the creek and jumped off the rope swing.   

Bobolink Trail

Today we woke up bright and early to drive to a local trail head and meet runner Jeff Bowelee. It is a very nice and relaxed run and we casually talk the entire time. Jeff is very knowledgeable about anything that has to do with running and it is great to hear his insight. He is also a very good runner. We did not know this but he ran about a 14.37 5k which is legit as all get out. He explains how easy days are important and we hold a comfortable pace the entire time. Bobbie does 50 today, max does 65, and Wally, Sam, and I all do 70. The 70 min could not have gone by faster. The pace was great, conversation was really interesting, and the trail was beautiful. This was for sure the best run I have had since we came to Boulder. 

Friday and Saturday 6/18 and 6/19/10

Day 13/June 18/10 Friday

Wally and I are the last to wake up after our shenanigans last night. We wake up to find T.J. off at class and Max and Sam reading in their room. We wait for T.J. to get back to class and then do our run.

Run

The run is over before I can even blink. We all kept a decent pace while we ran through downtown Boulder and down pearl street. The run ends at the boulder creek where all of us dip our legs into the ice cold creek. It really is cold and we get a decent ice bath in. After the ice bath we go back and make lunch while we watch some T.V. afterwards Sam T.J. and I go to CU’s massive quad to read and lounge about in the sun. When we get back to home base Sam Max and I cook dinner while Wally and T.J. go to the Boulder Running Co. to get new shoes. Dinner is a success and we quickly take showers and put on our finest as we head off to Amanda Goods 19^th birthday party. The party is on the other side of town at Shannon’s house. It is a fun Party and we stay late into the night. Another day gone bye in the blink of an eye. Something is bound to slow us down… hahah yeah right!

Day 14/June 19/10 Saturday

10 AM and Wally and I are woken up by Sam leaving through the front door. I lapse back into sleep, last night was rough. I wake up at eleven and poor myself some lucky charms and write some more of my blog while I wait for Wally to get up. Sam has left to go to the farmers market in town, T.J. is reading in his room and Max is on his computer eating breakfast as well. Wally wakes up and we all talk about our night. We had previously discussed running at one around the boulder res. So when the clock strikes one we all pile into the car and drive to our long run.

Run

Instead of running around the res like we had planned we discover the eagle trailhead which runs west back towards the mountains. The path quickly narrows and Wally jumps to the lead with me T.J., Max and Sam in pursuit. The pace is Wally quick and the trail is not flat. Surprisingly I feel great and stay right on Wally’s heels. Unfortunately the whole way out has been mostly downhill with only a few exceptions of short bunny hills. At 25 min we all stop at a pavilion that is in the middle of the prairie to look for water. Unfortunately there is none and we can tell that the mid days heat is getting to us. We take a team vote and decide to head back so that way we are not to far away from water. We make it back only a minute slower even though we have increased our pace. Back at the cars Wally decides to stop his run short because he is feeling dehydrated, a smart choice as it is only June and there are plenty of long runs to be had later in the season. Back on the larger dirt road I run stride for stride with T.J.

This is the feeling that I had missed the most during my year of injury. I missed running with my best friends going stride for stride down some back road with nothing but the wind in your hair and the crunch of the dirt beneath your feet. We increase our pace only slightly as the road curves up hill and before I know it I have reached my turn around point. I finish my 65 minute run averaging 6:55 pace and I feel great. Even though it is hot and my legs burn of lactic acid I still feel great about today’s run. Max is the next to finish 5 minutes after me and then Sammy and T.J. round out the days run at 85 minutes. Everyone is quite and tired on the way home, we have pushed our bodies hard and we have earned a break. Back in Boulder Max, Sammy, T.J. and I head down to the boulder creek to ice our legs. The creek is so cold we have compared it to being colder than the ice bath back at IWU.

With the ice bath complete Max, Sam and I head off to target to get this weeks food from Target and Safeway. We pick up chicken, ground beef, shrimp and pasta and some snacks for our house and then head back to cook dinner. When we get through the door with the groceries Wally and T.J. inform us of a wing eating competition they had just watched on T.V. the challenge is at a local tavern only 3 minutes from our house and of course Wally cant pass up a challenge so we decide to not cook tonight. The only sign of nervousness that Wally shows us is in his speech. He tells us he has butterflies in his stomach however he remains visibly calm as we wait for the bucket of 50 wings to come out. The rules are that Wally has 30 minutes to clean 50 wings with out puking until he leaves the tavern. One rule that also creeps up is that Wally only has to have all of the meat in his mouth by 30 minutes and then he has unlimited time to finish that with out voming and he will have completed the challenge. The timer starts and the whole restaurant cheers Wally on as he sets a demanding pace. T.J. calls out the first split, 20 seconds for his first wing. At this pace Wally will have time to spare!! Wally continues this record setting pace until he reaches 30 wings. Wally still has 20 minutes left and has 20 wings left!! That’s only a minute per wing and he has been averaging 20 seconds there is no way he can lose!! At least that’s what we though going in to wing number 31 when T.J. calls out the split 36 seconds. Still under pace however slowing down is not good for the stomach. 36, 36, 40, 40, 45, 45, 45, 56 Wally is slowing down dramatically. With 12 wings to go time has finally caught up 12 minutes left. 9 minutes left and Wally has only put down two wings. The pain has become visible on his face, however we are all there cheering him on and he has yet to put in his kick. 6 minutes left and 7 wings completely doable. We had talked about our strategy to use the rule about only having all of the wings in your mouth at the buzzer and with 3 minutes to go Wally peels away all of the meat off of the last 4 wings. With a pile of meat in front of him and less than a minute to go Wally starts swallowing his last bits. With his mouth clear he pushes the last peace of meat into his mouth as the timer goes off. The room is silent as everyone waits to see if Wally will be able to swallow the massive amount that currently lies between his cheeks. 22 agonizing minutes go by and Wally still has some meat left in his mouth. Suddenly Wally opens his eyes and comes out of his food coma to swallow the last bite. He has done it!! The crowd literally goes wild. Wally beat the wing king challenge and now gets his picture on the wall of fame. It is an impressive feat and one that has taken its toll on Wally. While we wait for his t-shirt, Sam walks Wally back to the apartment. While waiting for Wally’s t-shirt our boss Tommy comes in to the tavern. We tell him about what he just missed and we joke around for a little bit until Wally’s shirt arrives. We say bye to Tommy who tells us to stay safe and head back home. Another successful day in Boulder that flew bye, I wonder what's next?

Caught up!!... kind of

Day 10/ June 15/10 Tuesday

Run (Skip to here if all you want to read about is our runs)

7:45 and all five of us are running through campus. The pace is quick but controlled as we weave through the traffic of CU students. The run is not flat but the hills are gradual and last a long time. The good thing about out and backs is that no matter how high you climb you will always come back to your original starting elevation. I follow Wally as our pace settles into a steady 6:50 clip. Wally runs upright and his steps are much shorter than mine however his feet flash upward and outward much quicker. Running with Wally has always been something that I really enjoy. He is a great runner and an even better racer. When it comes down to it in a race we all know we can always count on him to give it his all and practice is no different. A student of running, Wally has read several books on different philosophies of running and has learned the ins and outs of our sport. What ever Wally does during practice I am sure it is well researched and has an important purpose. We are all looking forward to the racing season in November, however I think it is Wally who is the most anxious for his last chance to qualify for Nationals.

Max and I peel off from the group at a split in the path and run two more minutes out before turning back for home. Overall the run is a success for everyone and we all feel good. Our quads take a beating everyday out here but today we feel as though we were able to give them a break. Max and I lift our back muscles along with our biceps. The lift is great and our arms are dead after the effort. We close out our workout with some abs and bike home to enjoy the sun for the first time in three days!!

We wait for T.J. to get out of class and then we all eat lunch and go for an afternoon hike. We head up the trails that Wally, Max, Sam and I found the first day we got out to boulder. The trail we choose goes straight north and over a ridge we see the mountain we want to climb. We cross Canyon road and start heading up. The climb is extremely steep, much steeper than the other mountain we climbed last week. Wally leads and I am on his heels until we reach some rocks that overhang from the mountainside. It looks like a great place to read and chill so we ask if this will work for Sam as he is the one who just wanted to read on top of a mountain. Sam does not reply which means it is obvious that he would like to go higher. Furious Wally and I decide to punish Sam by running up the hill. T.J. is not happy with our decision and sprints ahead of Wally and I. This does nothing to stop Wally and I as we are determined to let Sammy know that we are not happy we are still climbing. Eventually we realize that no one is following us so Wally and I slow to a walking pace.

The summit is not as high as the mountain we climbed a week ago however it is still very high about 6500 ft in elevation. There are several dogs and people at the summit so seating is limited. We stay up at the top admiring the view for a long enough time where everyone else leaves (it also could have been our smell but whatever). We each find a spot to read and lay down. Only a few words in I fall asleep on top of the mountain only to be woken up by a hawk swooping down the mountain screaming its war call. To the south Denver can be seen and stretching out to the east is Boulder. Directly below us in the valley we spot a gravel trail that looks like it would be great to do a run on. We all pack up our things and start the climb down on the other side of the mountain to try and reach the trail. This side of the mountain is even steeper than the way we came up and T.J. slides several time because his Nike Frees lack the traction of our shoes. Also T.J. is just straight up crazy and loves jumping from rock to rock. Eventually we reach the trail located in the valley and realize (luckily) that the trail is on a steep grade which slopes downward in the direction we need to go (south). From here the walk takes no time at all and we arrive back at lovely 811 marine st. apt. 8.

Once we are back at home I call Comcast again because we have all decided that we are fed up with the unreliability of stealing internet from our neighbors. We order the internet and Wally, Sam, Max and I pile into my car and we drive to pick up the router. Max and Sam come along because they need to be dropped off at Chautauqau for work. Tommy has called dumb and dumber to help him set up cones for an hour. Once we drop Sam and Max off Wally starts setting up the internet while I fire the grill up. Wally has decided to take a break from cooking today so I will be grilling steaks. Sam and Max come back with in an hour and we begin cooking. The steaks take a little longer to grill then excepted however they turn out alright. After dinner we all fool around with our new internet and I decide to start filling out this blog which takes all night. It felt good to be in the sun again and I feel accomplished about the day.

Day 11/June 16/10 Wednesday

Run (Skip to here if you only want to read about our runs)

Usually Wednesday’s are my off days however today I have decided to run 45 min. because my shins have been pain free for four weeks straight. Heading east on the boulder creek the pace feels slow. Yes you heard me correctly the pace feels slow. I usually consider myself a pretty good pacer and it feels like we are running 7:15 pace, then Sam’s Garmin beeps and gives us a 6:44 reading. Huh I guess I’m just getting into better shape, oh and also the way out is down hill but I’m going to attribute this to the fact that I am actually getting into shape. Again my run home is by myself as my assignment is the least out of everyone. The way home is definitely harder but I manage to keep the same pace and finish my 45 min feeling fine. I wait for the others while I stretch outside in our alleyway. It not the most comfortable surface its essentially just a concrete slab but it will do. The others come back and max and I head off to One Boulder Fitness. Today’s lift is chest and tri’s and we both do well. While it is very hard to complete the same number of reps that I am used to back at sea level it is still a great lift as I feel drained after we are done. Max is a great partner because he pushes me to get the last rep instead of just helping me right away; this is a rare thing in the weightlifters community. After weightlifting I say bye to Max and go run some errands. First on my list is to purchase stamps from the post office. While at the post office I mail our first Comcast bill (scary stuff to actually be paying bills now). After the post office it is a quick hop to Chase Bank where I get a statement on my checking’s balance and make sure that my checks are going through. I then ask about my student loans. I have been applying for student loans recently and have been getting piss poor rates and Chase wont even give me a rate because they say I am entering invalid information… whatever. So I ask about the information and the lady says that I can do it over the phone with them and I will just need to tell her the information over the phone.

After Chase I head back home and take a quick nap. After the nap it’s a quick hope to the Safeway on my bike about a mile away. I pick up paper plates for everyone and more cereal for myself. After the store it is time for work, which we haven’t had in a long time. We go to Chautauqau at 4:30 to drop Sam and Max off who are helping the food people move stuff up to the auditorium. While Max and Sam work T.J. Wally and I play Frisbee on the giant grass field which is kind of like Chautauqau’s quad. Once 5:00 rolls around though it is time for work. Michael, a new kid who just got out of school is here today and we are supposed to show him the ropes on what we do. Wally and I take Michael to our stations and show him what we do until Sam comes by in the mule to take him to the east side of the park. The show tonight is almost sold out so there are a lot of cars to direct but Wally and I handle them accordingly and the night goes smoothly. Wally and I both brought the walkie talkies that we used for the car ride up to Boulder so the night is much more enjoyable. Half way through the evening the gentlemen who lives in the cabin next to my station comes out to talk to me about geophysics and what the profession entails. He is very kind and I really enjoy talking to him. His name is earl and he has been coming up to Boulder every summer since 1939. He tells me of how the place used to look and how it has changed over the years. Once Earl leaves me to my duties I notice that Wally is talking to three runners who are stretching by where he is stationed. After the runners leave I use the walkie talkie to ask Wally about who they are. Wally tells me that they are runners from a division one school out in PA.

Wally and I joke around a bit more on the walkies and then before we know it, is time to go. Before I leave Earl comes back and gives me a magazine about geophysics and says that if I’m at all interested that I should come back and talk with him. I may actually take him up on that offer. With the night closed for Max, Wally and I, we head home and wait for T.J. and Sam to be done. At home I write this blog while Max plays around on his computer and Wally hooks up with Musty for some online gaming. An hour later Sam calls and I go to pick him up. The night went just as smoothly for him and he is happy with the day. I wait until 11:30 and then get a call from T.J. He has worked a lot tonight and is very hungry however he says that the nigh went well for him also. With everyone accounted for we call it a night and hit the hay. Get money money get money monay!!!!

Day 12/June 17/10 Thursday

Run

7:45 and I am at the turnaround point of my run, by myself, on a gravel trail that has only been going up from the first minute. Insert lost flashback noise here.

It is 7:30 and we are heading out the door to do our run. I have the shortest assignment today with 30 while the others have 50 to 65. I have elected to do today’s run by myself so as to truly recover and rest my shins. While the rest of the group turns to head south on 9^th I run north to the trail head that we found yesterday on our hike. Our house is located at the bottom of the hill that boulder sits on, so no matter what direction we run from our house we are going up hill. I run conservative for the first couple of minutes and slowly build into a 7 flat pace. The entire run is uphill and when I hit the trailhead the grade increases. I feel like I am handling the hills well however I cannot wait for my watch to click 15. I go past 15 and turn around at 17 because the return trip will be all down hill. I reach home feeling great and my shin has minimal pain. I feel very comfortable about today’s run and look forward to pushing myself on Saturday’s long run.

I eat breakfast while I wait for the others to run. Once Max gets back from his run we go to lift at one boulder fitness. Today is shoulders (my least favorite day) and the lift goes smooth. We return home to eat lunch and wait for T.J. to get back from class. While waiting Wally sees a local commercial on T.V. for a Pizza joint that offers a free 14 pound pizza for whoever can eat it. Upon hearing this Wally makes one of his faces like really and then proclaims, “dude 7 pounds of bread… we could nut on that!!” Looks like we have found a free meal that is sure to fill us up! T.J. comes back from class and we all pile into the Maxima and drive an hour to Rocky Mountain National Park. The whole drive is up hill and we have quickly reached 8000 feet in elevation. The park is located west of St. Estes, which is this little one street town that has cable cars to take you up some of the peaks. A mile outside the St. Estes the road dead ends at some tollbooth looking buildings. The guard asks for the 20 dollar entrance fee and while Wally is talking to him, Sam who is sitting shotgun starts talking to this really hot guard in the booth to our right. It turns out that she is also from Illinois and we stay to talk to her for a little while before continuing on our journey.

While the whole ride has been up hill, the climb really begins to steepen while the road switches back up the mountainsides. We pull over for a quick break at one of the many pull offs and we go to explore the forests that line the mountains. We are already at 9000 feet elevation and are nowhere near any of the peaks. The temperature has dropped dramatically and snow can be seen in the shade here. We explore the forest for enough time that we find a log, which acts like a bridge over a small creek. Once we have all proven to ourselves that we can cross a creek on a wobbly log we head back to the car and continue our climb to the snowy peaks. Stopping a couple of more times to take some epic pictures, we eventually work our way up to 12,000 feet. It is extremely windy and as we open the car doors this fact becomes extremely apparent to us. No trees grow here and the only other color besides gray is the white of the snow. My brain cannot comprehend what I am seeing as I look out for the first time. Forever to the west are mountaintops, some much higher then where we are standing. Back to the east lies the gentle downward slope of the forest (which isn’t that gentle at all, in only 45 miles from boulder we have ascended more than 5000 feet). A little bit further down the road (literally downward as we now make our way back down the mountain) there is a log cabin, which sells food and souvenirs. Wally and T.J. both get Elk meat and comment on how good it is.

Back in the car we turn around and head back up the mountain and then back down the side we came up. Before we leave the top however we stop to build a snowman. We get the ratios wrong as each of the three parts are the same size, however it is still a decent snowman. He does not receive arms but we do find enough rocks to give him eyes and a smile. With our snowman complete there is only one thing left to do, stand back and throw rocks at him until he is destroyed. Each of us score hits, but Wally decides to take matters into his own hands and tackles the remains of our snowman. With the destruction over we make our way back down the mountain and back into St. Estes.

In the town we find a place to park and Wally stays with the car to take a nap. The four of us explore the one street town and discover it is nothing but candy shops and out door gear stores. We still manage to spend more than a half hour there and Max, T.J. and I all end up getting something from one of the candy stores. I buy Wally a cookie and we all head back to wake sleeping beauty. Back on the road T.J. asks for us to pull off at a spot he heard was good for running. The spot turns out to be just a look out point however it is not a waste of time. Here at the lookout point are a ton of little chipmunks that have no fear of humans. They climb all over us and we feed them some chips.

The rest of the way home goes uninterrupted and the day ends early for almost everyone in our group. After dinner T.J., Max and Sam only stay awake for a little while before calling it a night. Wally and I decide to go walk around down town and check out the nightlife of Boulder. We get home late but had a good time on the town. Another busy day that flew bye, I am loving Boulder!