Getting into the Long Runs

Now that I’m home and hopefully going back to a civilized work schedule, its time to start focusing on a real training schedule to get ready for Leadman. Up to this point all I’ve been doing is a lot of running and riding with no real plan or purpose other than having fun. Maybe that’s the way training should be, who knows? I need to focus more on running though. I believe that's my weak area, and running 100 miles in the Rocky Mountains is no picnic. The mountain bike races, I know I can finish. It’s the run that has me worried. Time to get serious!

Today Max and I ran a hilly 19 miles. Average elevation > 7,000 feet with total climb, 3,980'. We started off with a steep climb that had me walking right off the bat. I felt terrible the first few climbs and had to walk much of them. This was the case for pretty much all the climbs up Ute Trail. That trail amazes me because it seems it is uphill no matter which direction you run it. After about an hour, somewhere in Waldo Canyon, I started feeling better, and just continued to feel better the rest of the run. Ran a loop around Wald Canyon, then up Longs Ranch. Longs Ranch is very steep in places and I had to walk those sections. Ran about 1 ½ miles up Longs Ranch and realized I needed to get home as I have three months worth of chores to catch up on, so I turned around (really!). Of course anyone that knows Longs Ranch knows it gets REALLY steep at about 1 ½ miles. But really it was the chores. Finished feeling very strong in Manitou via Ute Trail.

Run: 4 hrs, 19 miles