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!

Rocky Mountain and Running

Today, we woke up at 730 and ran on the path that follows the Boulder campus. Wally and me Had 65 min today, and the other guys were all in the range of 40-50 min. It was really windy out but the run was still very nice. We went out at a slow and relaxed clip, and then began to pick it up after about 10 minutes in. Before long everyone else had turned back and Wally and I continued on. We ran until we hit 32 and a half and then turned for home. The way back was up hill and into the wind to it was much harder, nonetheless we still made it back a min early. We were both pretty tired, but it was a good run and we both felt pretty good about it. 

After the run all of us packed into Wally's car and drove to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was sooo much fun. Wally drove like a champ up and down the windy and windy roads. Haha that is a great use of "windy". Anyways, we started off by going into this little valley called "Hidden Valley" and followed a creek up a path. As we walked we decided to grab a drink from the creek itself. The water was moving very fast off of rocks and was very clean and drinkable. It was probably the best water I have ever drank. It was ice cold and delicious. We then continued our quest up the mountain and stopped periodically to take in the amazing views. At the top it was freezing cold and there was lots of snow, so naturally we build a snow man in June. It was great. We then packed it in and headed back for 811 marine exhausted and ready to rest. It was a great day. 

Lets get this party started!!!! Continued!!!!

Day 6/ June 11/10 Friday

7:45 and no one is awake. We had previously agreed to wait until T.J. got back from class. Wally and I both wake up around 9:00 just in time to see T.J. leaving for class. While the couch is comfortable enough it does not promote sleeping in. Max is the next up and Sam follows suit a short time after. The morning is spent eating and lounging about. Luckily the World Cup begins today on ESPN so we all gather around and watch a couple games while we wait for T.J. When T.J. comes back from class we are all itching to do something so we lace up are shoes and head off on our run.

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

Just like every day up in Boulder there is not a cloud insight as the five of us wide are way through campus away from the mountains. Today everyone’s assignment is similar yet again I am assigned the least, 30 min. The pace is controlled but as we wind through the campus and the person on the inside of the turn gains the extra step on the outside the pace increases. I quickly decide that this pace is not advantageous for me to run on a recovery day. The ever-present thought of my first run over 45 minutes in a long time keeps me in check. As the distance between my four teammates and myself increases I cannot help but let the negative thoughts creep into my head. “Wow you haven’t gotten any better in the past year and all four of your friends are now miles ahead of you,” or “Am I just being a sally and not trying my best right now?” These thoughts are shoved out of my head as my teammates circle up to come get me and we close the run at a swift but comfortable pace that I have come to consider recovery. Running with a group is so much easier for so many reasons but today my teammates helped me to push the negative thoughts out of my head. With their help I look to be in the best shape of my life come August and then with the addition of the whole team I look to be in top notch racing shape come November. Writing this I realize that this is not so far away… Longest run yet tomorrow and I feel as nervous for that as I did for every work out freshman year.

After the run T.J. goes to lift at the CU rec center while Max, Wally and Sam come with me to One Boulder Fitness. As a member I am allowed three guests to come with me three times. Fortunate huh? Anyway Max takes on the task of my lifting partner for Back and Bi’s day while Sam lifts a little bit of everything and Wally decides that this place is not worth the time. Wally goes outside to walk around downtown Boulder while he waits for us. Max is one of the most naturally strong runners I have ever seen. I have been lifting for almost two years now and Max is lifting weights that I took a year to build up to. We go through the lift and bump into Sam every now and then. Sam looks like he is getting a good work out in and it looks like he might get a pass with Max and I. We finish our lift and both of our arms are exhausted so we decide to punish our abs. At this point Sam decides to go outside and look for Wally, and even though Wally drove the four of us to One Boulder Fitness he and Sam end up walking home since I had his keys in my pack. Max and I complete the ab work out that T.J. gave me last season and we our cashed. We shower up and leave One Boulder to find Sam and Wally.

No one answers their phones so Max and I head up Pearl Street to check out restaurants and shops. I end up buying a CU Buffs T-shirt and finding several bars and grills that look like good places to eat. After about a half hour of walking around Wally calls to inform us that he Sam and T.J. are all back at home. Max and I drive Wally’s car back to home base and we all eat lunch.

Later in the day we all decide that it is time to visit the infamous Boulder Running Co. I drive in the rain the three-mile drive to get to the store and we all head inside. Max is the only one to buy shoes however we are in the store for a long time. T.J’s Love of shoes compels him to try two different shoes on while Wally talks to a store worker who knows Huff. The Store is very big, much bigger than the Dick Ponds in Carol Stream. The store is divided in half, women on the right (west) and men on the left (east) with miscellaneous running gear in the middle surrounding the cash registers. Max ends up buying some pair of mizunos, straying from his usual DS trainers. After the store we drop Max off on some corner for a drug deal… just kidding we dropped him off so he could buy some bike that Sam found for him. It is raining heavily now but the corner is on a main road so we cannot wait with Max for the bike. The rest of us drive home and start preparing dinner while we wait for Max. About a half an hour after we dropped Max off Sam gets a call. It is Max and he has successfully purchased the bike however on the ride home the chain had slipped off the big gear and was inoperable. Max walks the bike home and we all eat another delicious dinner. Wally is a very good cook and I feel like I am eating very well. This was a big concern for me in coming out here however I have no complaints. I wash the dishes and then we are off to meet Amanda and Shannon for an improve show hosted by some CU students.

The show is very funny and lasts a little more than an hour. After the show we say goodbye to the girls and head home. It is a little after ten and everyone only stays up for about an hour more. Tomorrow is our first long run out here together and we have agreed to get up at 8 and drive out to the Boulder Reservoir. Another successful day in Boulder!!

Day 7/June 12/10 Saturday

Run (skip to hear if all you want to read about is our run)

8:00 in the morning and Wally is driving us to the Boulder Reservoir for our morning’s long run. It takes about 15 min. to get there and when we pull in the man in the toll booth tells us that it is six dollars each person. Pardon my French but fuck that. We all decide to go park on the other side of the road in a neighborhood that consists of only two roads and a sheep farm… whatever. We all get out and start our run. T.J. and I lead past the same kid in the booth who told us to pay, but we are moving to fast for him to say or do anything. Again I have the lowest assignment and am only doing 50 minutes while Max has 60, T.J and Wally have 70 and Sam rounds the group out with a 80. Right from the get go the pace is very quick and Sam does not want to do the long run at this pace. He is off the back but still runs a great workout only a couple of seconds behind us. I find Sam’s running courage to be the biggest out of anyone I have ever met. It truly is a testament to our team that we have this many hard working people and the hardest worker award would split votes in so many ways. Sam works harder than anyone I have ever met and pushes himself everyday, today is no exception as he goes hard even though he runs essentially the whole workout by himself.

The pace is so quick because the hunt is on. Not an actual hunt but a hunt for other runners on the trail. There is a triathlon today in the res. And they are currently on the running portion of the race. The path is made out of gravel and is very soft today giving very little return because it has been raining all night and into the morning. The path is as wide as the prairie path back home and we run counter clockwise around the 5 mile loop. T.J. and Wally have once again established themselves in front of max and I respectively and we continue to pick the struggling athletes off group by group. Everyone in the group wears a shirt except for me because it is cold, however it is raining so the shirts gain weight with time, I am satisfied with my decision. We clip off miles in the 6:45 range and the path is the flattest we have run on all week. With this said it is not completely flat but no one is breathing as badly as we do back in the foothills of boulder. This is the first time that my legs feel good and I have yet to begin searching for breath. My form finally feels good and I feel my stride start to elongate. I quickly correct this as I do not want to put to much stress on my shins. I make my stride only a little bigger than Max’s and settle in to the pack. When I was injured and spent all that time on the bike I watched peoples forms and how they stuck the ground and then kicked back up. Max has a flawless form and I strive to run in the smooth fluid motion that he does. His feet are on the ground for a very short amount of time before they flash back up.

As the run continues Wally and T.J. get into an argument about the pace and Max and I decide that we can settle their argument quite easily. We make are move around the 35 minute mark and stay in front of our teammates until I peel off as we pass our car. Running the last 5 min. by myself I feel accomplished about today’s run and truly feel that I can get back into shape quickly as I still have a lot of energy left. I stretch for 10 min. and Max comes back to the car. It is very cold out and my hair which is now extremely long is sticking in front of my eyes. I decide to wait inside the car for the others to finish as it is so cold outside. Everyone finishes the run and says how good they felt, a great run for everyone. We all decide to skip out on a gate analysis we have been invited to by Newton running. Apparently every Saturday they have free gate analysis for everyone and we will try again next weekend. Instead we all head back to the apartment to watch the Europe USA world cup match and to eat breakfast.

It rains all day and we end up staying inside for the whole day because of the rain. It is a great soccer match even though I would rather watch hockey. To pass the day I look up information on housing and teaching in the southwest and also read more stories from my short sci fi collection. I have yet to find a story that is truly mind blowing however there have been a couple which have made me think. The others pass the time in there own ways. Max can be heard laughing to himself as he watches seasons one through three of How I Met Your Mother. Wally, T.J. and Sam have unlocked the secret powers of some computer game which they play with Musty online. Apparently they are making quick work of this game as I can here Wally saying that he and musty are “Doing work!!!”

The day continues the same way and we end up passing out rather early. One more day in paradise.

Day 8/June 13/10 Sunday

Everyone wakes up surprisingly early even though only Sam is running. Sam logs a quick thirty and then he and T.J. head off to church with Amanda. Wally continues to play his game with Musty while Max and I enjoy a couple matches of the world cup. The rain again forces us to stay inside all day. We do take a break and go to target to get some more food for our house. The day ends the same way that it started and we all go to bed early. Cant win them all!!

Day 9/June 14/10 Monday

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

7:45 and we are heading west on the Boulder creek. The pace is comparable to Saturday’s long run. Sam again elects to run slower at the beginning but matches our pace for the whole run by increasing his pace throughout. Again it is Max and I following Wally and T.J. as our group of four winds its way through the mountains. The creek west is a hard run because it is all uphill on the way out and never once flattens out. No one complains about the pace today and no one really talks, we are all working hard today there is no denying that. I reach my turn around point and run the 22:30 back to home base by myself. My pace back increases even though I am by myself simply because of the downhill. Sam and I wave hello as we pass and that is that last sole I see on my run. Apparently even the supper athletes of Boulder can get held back by the rain. Everyone else finishes their runs ten to twenty minutes after I have and we all stretch inside.

T.J. is off to class while Max and I drive to One Boulder to lift. Again I am amazed at Max’s natural strength. On bench he is only lifting 20 pounds less than me and I have been lifting for almost two years now. We close out chest and tri’s day with some abs and drive back home to find everyone doing the same thing they have been doing for the past two days. We settle into our normal routines and pass the rainy day away. Forecast calls for no rain tomorrow!!!

Days 10, 11, 12 tomorrow!!

Lets get this party started!!!!

Hey all!!

After another day of sitting in the rain here in Boulder, CO I decided to get productive with my life!! I know crazy right, anyway one of the steps in my grand master plan to get productive is to contribute to this blog so here I go

1 week in, hard to believe and hard to remember everything we have done so far, good thing Sammy and T.J. both contributed to this thing so I can remember! This first week went by crazy fast and we have done so much so here is my recap on the week and how things went down according to me… sorry if its long! Ill go day by day from here on out.

Day 1/June 6/10 Sunday

Wally and Max in the Maxima and Sam and I in the Civic leave from my house at 8:30 in the morning. Both cars are riding low due to the amount of stuff we are taking. We go through until Iowa where we get gas and Max takes over the Maxima we continue on and just before Nebraska stop again where Sam takes over the Civic and Max stays on to pilot the Maxima. Sam is the first and only person to ever drive my car. I Will not lie I was very nervous at first and a little anxious to drive again. With this said however I don’t think I would have rather had anyone else behind the wheel. Sam proved to be an excellent driver and I was able to actually close my eyes for a minute or two. Near Lincoln we pull over for a thirty minute run. The pace is quick and I seriously start to remember what it is like to run with such great runners as Sam Wally and Max. The pace is quick and the run is not flat. My breathing stays in control however I can tell that I am laboring the most of the group. How well will I do at elevation?

Back on the road with Wally and I at the wheels we race the sun across the sky until both cars need more fuel. Pulling over in a town that is literally in the middle of Nebraska we get some chow for both our bellys and the cars and then continue on our way (we are little more than halfway and it is nine at night). While in the diner we saw the not so promising weather report about the storms headed straight towards us. The storm is so bad we miss the sign that probably said something like Welcome to Colorado! Or something. The wipers are on full speed as Wally increases his following distance and his headlights fade. Lightning lights the way as both cars increase the pace. Once through the storm Wally takes the lead for the first time in the drive. Sam plays good music the entire trip while both cars banter back and forth about miscellaneous topics over the wallkie talkies. Stoping to get gas one last time we our close now signs for Denver begin to have 100’s next to them instead of 200’s and 300’s. The remainder of the drive is easy as there are no longer cars on the road. We increase the pace again as the sense of adventure ending grows near.

1:30 AM we see the Boulder, CO highway 36 sign and take the exit. We can not see the mountains because it is pitch black however there presence is definitely felt… there is something in the darkness. The highway is very hilly never flat and no one is on it. Despite this we continue to do the speed limit. This close to our destination we leave nothing to chance. “You have reached your destination” says the GPS however it is so dark we can not tell which building is ours. T.J. comes sprinting out of the darkness and shows us where to park our cars. 2:00 AM and finally the keys are pulled from the ignition. The Civic shuts down with a sigh of relief and we start to lessen her load. Only unpacking the bags from the cars we literally throw things anywhere. The only thing that is unpacked is the air mattress, which I blow up using the motor it came with. T.J. has class in the morning and goes to sleep in his own room. Sam and Max share a bed in the same bedroom that I am using with the air mattress while Wally takes the couch. I am going to sleep all tomorrow I am exhausted. Hard part done though!

Day 2/June 7/10 Monday

The thing is an air mattress is nota all that comfortable. I wake up as T.J. heads to class and find Wally unable to sleep as well. Not being able to see the mountains on the way in I decide to go outside and walk around while I call mom dad and Connor to let them know about the drive. I have to shake my head to remind myself that I am on the phone the Flat irons are so breathtaking. Clear blue sky’s provide the backdrop for these green covered Rockies… something that should be on a postcard it looks so beautiful. I go back inside the apartment to find Sam and Max talking to Wally. We all take our cameras and decide to go for a hike around our new town before T.J. gets back from his class (Spanish 101) at CU. We quickly loose track of our original goal and start climbing up a trail. The climb is easy and does not require our hands so we start to jog. By the end Max, Wally and I are sprinting up to see the view from the top. Sam has elected to stay behind and conserve his energy for days run (A smart choice). The view is fantastic you can see all of Boulder. It is a big northern suburb of Denver. Located at 5300 ft elevation the town has no skyscrapers but does have some buildings that come close to 8 stories. With three large bodies of water that reflect the light back Boulder seriously looks like it belongs in the heavens. The way back down proves to be more difficult as our bodies just want to be flung down the path.

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

We get back to find a T.J. who is very happy to have his friends with him and to be out of class ready for a run. We leave immediately and T.J. takes us to the Boulder Creek Path. I have the shortest assignment of the group (30 min) Max and Wally go for 45 and T.J. and Sam go for 50. The pace is fast and hard and I can already feel the elevation getting to me… or can I? At the time I had no idea that the path was actually all up hill. I just assumed that I was out of breath because of the lack of air while in reality the path was actually at a steep grade the whole time. Every one turns back with me and plans to add on through the town. While we went out with five we turn back with six. Sean, a local guy who works at the Boulder Running Co has decided to run with us. He breathes heavily but continues to tell us all about running here in boulder. Wally and Max are out front while T.J Sam and I converse with Sean in the back. The way back is fifty times easier and I regain my composure perhaps I am not all out of shape after taking essentially a year off of running. The run over I stretch and wait for the others to get back.

We have work today at five so we decide to go get our groceries for the next week. We have plenty of time work is at five and it is currently 12:30 how could we not make it? First T.J. and I go to Boulder property management to pay our first months rent. When we get back we load up the car and T.J. takes us to the Wal-Mart that he and his sister used in the first week that he was here. Wally drives and I expect a 5 min car ride. Wrong… the Wal-Mart is in bufu and takes us twenty five minutes to get to. Whatever, I love Wal-mart they have everything and we need a lot of things and we still have plenty of time before work. For the first hour we decide what group foods we should get for dinner. Then for the next hour we get stuff that we will eat individually for breakfast and lunch. Then we must get miscellaneous stuff such as tape and charcoal for our grill. When it is all said and done we each have spent around $50 for food and have been at Wal-Mart for three hours. The drive back takes us west so we can see the mountains for the first time from a far instead of at their base. Wow what a view. The snow capped taller peaks can be seen way behind the Green of the Flat irons, it truly is beautiful. A moment occurs in my head, you know the moment where you are so happy for no reason, I mean just ecstatic, SO HAPPY!! Unfortunately we take two wrong turns on the way home (one my fault sorry guys) and end up spending more time than we have to in the car. When we get home we have just enough time to unpack the groceries make a sandwich and then jump in the car and speed off to Chatauqua (our jobs).

At Chatauqua we meet Tommy our boss and Andrew and Max two boys our age who attend CU but oddly enough are from LA. All three are real cool and we get along well. Tommy explains to us we will be directing traffic and goes through with us all the stuff he has to tell us that we will never use… its parking cars people… cake.

Back home Wally and I set up the grill while the other cook corn inside. The meal takes a little longer to complete then originally thought however it is very good. Once we finish eating we walk the two blocks to get to Pearl Street the home of Boulders night life. Once there we meet Amanda Good and here friends. Wally knows Amanda through Kirsten who met Amanda in High school. Amanda is a year younger then T.J., Max, Sam and I and plays on CU’s ultimate Frisbee Club Team. A couple of our group gets ice cream and the girls show us around the street. The night goes very well as we all laugh at jokes that our told and put downs that our exchanges between our group. I love the group that I am with and am great full to have everyone of them here with me. This will be a great summer! We get back home and all fall asleep instantly. Big day tomorrow have to set up the house and go to work again!

Day 3/ June 8/10 Tuesday

Alarms go off at 7:45 AM and everyone is up with out a complaint. Our shoes laced up and watches synched we go for our run.

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

Today I have a very short an easy assignment only twenty minutes. Something to get me acclimated better the air here in boulder. Immediately we start heading up hill and there seems to be no break insight. In fact for the entire ten minutes out I never once run downhill or on flat ground. Wally is ahead of the group by 2 feet and runs on the sidewalk. In the street Sam and I run stride for stride behind T.J. and Max. At the turn around point I am easily laboring the hardest as my lungs search for the air that is not there. Ohhhh man only ten minutes and already I need a break. I turn around after forcing the words “see ya” out of my lungs and droped the pace back to a reasonable 7:30. Back in the parking lot I wait for Max and Wally to get back and then for T.J. and Sam. We do not have much time to chat as T.J. has class and the other four of us want to go get passes to the CU rec center, they have a hockey rink!!! After a four hour walk, just kidding but that’s what it felt like, we reached the rec center only to find that in order to get a pass you must be a CU student. Oh well we back track home and make some lunch. We have work at one so we eat quickly and then drive up the hill to Chatauqua.

Tommy greets us with a smile and we go through a walk through of what we will actually be doing tomorrow night. As the job goes on the more and more apparent it becomes that this is going to be the easiest job any of us have ever had. Tommy lets us go after a solid 2 and a half hours of paid training.

We go home and while the others prepare dinner I call Comcast and our Electric Company to get those set up. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting to be connected to an actual human I ended up getting both electricity and cable to our house. We opted out of getting internet because we are currently steeling it from our neighbors. I drove to the Comcast store to pick up our box and head home to find dinner cooked and everyone else ready to eat. We eat a delicious dinner and then head over to Amanda Good’s Frisbee game.

Her team plays well however they end up loosing the game. After the game we all through the disk around with Amanda and her friend/teammate Shannon. Both girls are ridiculously good at Frisbee and we all learn a few things. After the sun sets we all head over to Amanda’s house for some games. While at Amanda’s house I can barely keep my eyes open and almost pass out. Apparently this is the general consensus among us so we all head off to bed. This is the latest we will stay up (1 in the morning) for a long time. I decide to sleep on the couch tonight because the air mattress makes to much noise whenever I switch positions. Tomorrow is my day off and even though my shins are not hurting I still feel the need to take the day off if not to let my entire body rest. Great day… tiring though.

Day 4/June 9/10 Wednesday

Alarms go off at 7:45 but I do not get up. There will be no run for me today as I am assigned off. While the other are out on their runs I catch up on some sleep and then pack my bag. Today I am going to find a place to lift, it has been four days since my last lift… far to long. Eventually I find this place that looks like it is straight out of the movie Dodge Ball. Remember Global Gym? Yeah that’s this place. As soon as I walk through the door I am greeted by three personal trainers who offer me vitamin waters, hot towels and any other crazy vita-object you can think of. I decline each of them and ask about a membership. I end up paying $46 dollars for the rest of the month and finally get a lift in. The weights are all brand new and they have every piece of equipment imaginable. It is a great chest and tri’s day and already I start to feel better. I bike home to find Max watching tv on his laptop as our cable still hasn’t been turned on. Sam and Wally went for a bike ride and T.J. is still in class. I decide to take my bike and book and head over to the creek for some reading. I am currently reading The Years Best Science Fiction 1998 edition. The book contains 16 short science fiction stories and I plan on reading them all by the time I’m done here in Boulder. At lunchtime I head home to find that Sam, T.J. and Wally have all returned home. We have work later today but to kill time Sam Wally and I decide to take my camera up one of the nearby paths. The pictures turn out great and it is a great day for a hike.

We get back just as it is time to leave for our first day of work. Tommy seems a little nervous but we help put his mind at ease as we all go to work setting up our stations with out instruction. Cars start pulling in but we all handle them accordingly and the night is a success. At the end of the night Tommy is beaming. He cant believe how smoothly everything went. He sends Max, Wally and I home first and keeps T.J. and Sam for another hour for some extra work cleaning up. It is currently 9:30 and the last time we ate was at noon so needless to say we are starving. Wally drives Max and I into town for some chipotle burritos while we wait for the others. Sam calls me at 10:30 for a pick up so I jump in the civic and run and get them. Once home T.J. and Sam devour leftover food from last night and then call it a night. Wally and Max are already asleep. Another successful day here in beautiful Boulder.

Day 5/June 10/10 Thursday

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

7:45 and we are already running. Only four pairs of shoes can be heard smacking the pavement of East bound Boulder creek this morning as today is Max’s day off. Wally and T.J. are once again up front setting a pace that for once is comfortable to me. I am becoming fit again and even though I am nowhere near my four teammates fitness levels I feel as though I can bridge the gap this summer. Wally turns back at 15 as Sam and T.J continue on with me. We reach 20 minuets and head back. My stomach is upset from the altitude and I only run 40 even though this is what I was scheduled for I was hoping to go for 45 because I was feeling good. Still no shin pain! Sam and T.J. close the day off with a 50 and all runners are accounted for.

While T.J. heads off to Spanish I bike over to One Boulder Fitness to get my lift on. Today is shoulders day. For some reason this is the day that I struggle most while lifting. My own theory for this is that while I use every mussel daily, my shoulders get the most use just because of running. Today is no exception as I struggle with every lift. It does feel good to be lifting and doing abs again though and I am contempt with having a mediocre lift.

Back at home it has been decided with our day off of work that we are going to climb one of the mountains that provides the backdrop for Boulder. With each of our packs packed with food and two water bottles we begin our climb around 1 PM. The trail starts at a gradual incline but quickly turns into a rocky trail that must be hoped and climbed to ascend the mountain face. We take several breaks and climb off the set trail several times. Each time we do this we are rewarded with a view that is more breathtaking than the next. Near the summit of one of the shorter mountains we decide to take a break and eat lunch. With our feet dangling high above Boulder we savior our break and a flood of happiness reaches all of us. I still can not believe that I am 1000 miles from home living with four of my best friends in one of the best places on earth!! Once the surreal moment passes we begin our assent again. The path steepens even more and switchbacks are sharp and often crossing over very loose rocks. After two and a half hours of climbing we are rewarded with an unbelievable view. To our left (west) there are snow-capped mountains that seem to be endless, while to our right (east) the city of Denver can be seen and the little town of Boulder sits a mile below us. At the summit we find a gold plate that lists the height of all surrounding peaks including Mount Green the mountain we are currently standing on. The plate says that we have climbed more than 3500 feet and are currently standing at 8100 feet. At the base of the plate there is a piece of paper and a pen where we all sign our names and place back into the mountain. Our names our forever saved here and we truly feel accomplished… and tired.

Boooooom!!!!!! “Huh missed that one!” The temperature has dropped significantly and dark clouds are rushing towards us. While it took us 2 and a half hours to get up the mountain it only takes us one to get back down. It rains only for the briefest time but we do not mind we are exhausted but safe and moving at a comfortable pace. Back at the car it takes me a while to realize what we have just done. We get back home cook dinner and call it early. We have agreed to wait for T.J. to come back from class tomorrow to do our run so that everyone can get more rest time in. Great day!

I will post days 6 7 8 9 and 10 tomorrow! Stay tuned