Riddle Runs: Mile High

Now that I'm finally getting a chance to breathe a little, I thought I should update my training and share some pictures from a fun run yesterday. But first, let me explain how I got the chance to run in Boulder.

Everything has been going well since I last wrote my Mountain Mist race report, but this week has been really busy. I'm in Colorado as I write this post, which is the reason I have been so busy this week, but that's also why I can finally relax a little now. My wife interviewed for a fellowship position at Children's Hospital Colorado today. I know, exciting isn't it? But, don't get too excited just yet. The possible move is still a long way off, and to be honest, I think the odds are pretty low that we leave Cincinnati this go round. It's a complicated situation that I won't go into detail about here, but I will keep everyone posted as decisions get made.

But, this is a running blog, so let's talk some shop. Being an unusual week with travel and time out of the office significantly impacts my running routine. I've gotten relatively comfortable working 40 hr weeks while running 100 mpw. It's tough to maintain that level of training though when the schedule is thrown off due to travel. I started adjusting last week switching my back-to-back long runs to Friday and Saturday instead of the normal Saturday-Sunday. Then I front-loaded this week with more mileage than usual because I know my mileage will suffer this weekend (because I'll be skiing). On top of the additional mileage, I was also spending extra hours at my day job trying to get in some comp time and save as much vacation time as I could. Plus I still had to pack for the trip. That all makes David a pretty stressed out guy. But, now I can breath.

Don't feel too sorry for me though. Listen to what my wife had to do. She got up at 5:30am on Wednesday and went in to work a 30 hour call shift at the hospital. She only got a 45 minute teaser nap Wednesday night. She goes home Thursday morning, packs her stuff, picks me up from work at noon, then we drive to the airport and fly out. We figured that she'd been up for basically 40 hours straight before she was finally able to fall asleep in the hotel room in Denver. And this is the day before one of the biggest interviews of her life! After a full day at the hospital tomorrow, we'll head out to the slopes and ski hard this weekend. Fly home Sunday night, and Monday morning she goes back in for another 30 hour call shift! See, I told you that you shouldn't feel sorry for me.

The shifted schedule has definitely taken it's toll on my legs though. I ran a hard 24 mile progression run last Saturday and didn't get my usual short and very easy Monday run this week. Tuesday I hammered some hill repeats with the local track workout group. Then came back Wednesday with an 18 mile run. The legs are definitely toast, but the story isn't over. I'm still attempting to get to 100 miles again this week. It won't be on singles though. One time I actually like to do two runs in a day is when I travel. I like to run before I travel just to make sure I get something in just in case I were to get stranded at the airport or something. But I also like to run in the evening, after I have reached my destination to shake out the stiffness that inevitably results from a long day of travel. So, I hit the hotel treadmill after we got settled into our room.

Her Friday interview basically left me with a free day, so I made a beeline up to Boulder to find some fun trails to run. I went fishing for some running buddies since Krupicka, Mackey, and Jurek are all in the Boulder area right now. Unfortunately Krupicka is still nursing a sore leg, and Jurek's schedule didn't allow us to hook up. But, Mackey and his friend Jeff Valliere were up for giving me a guided tour of Green Mt.

It was an eye-opening experience for me. I expected the climbing to be tough, since I don't have access to mountains like these to train on. But the snow made things extra tough. A set of microspikes would have been nice, but I don't think it would have been a game changer. I struggled with the variability of the snow conditions. Sometimes the snow was packed and smooth but the next second we'd be postholing. The trail was also icy at times, or packed irregularly which made turning an ankle really easy. Never knowing what to expect for the next step was tough. My words can't do it justice though. You'd just have to try it yourself.

I had so much fun though, after and hour and half with Dave and Jeff, I headed back out alone to explore Flagstaff Mountain. Check out the pictures from my adventure below.