Green Mountain, somehow getting better!

This overcast Wednesday I went to Green Mountain and tried out my new Forerunner 305. I wanted to take it a bit easier the first part, and it did feel that way. But I managed to make it in 10 min to Saddle which I think was a pretty decent time. The rest of the way was pretty arduous, though I trudged through it @ 21:14. I didn't feel like I had a ton of energy, kinda the opposite of last time where that didn't hit me til the end. But I managed to comfortably make it to the top in 55. Going down was effortless and felt fast, only a little knee joint pain the last 5 min. Total distance 4:11 in 1:32 with 2,297 elev gain. GPS

The full Hall's Ranch tour

Guess I have been a bit slacking on writing! Monday I went on a run through Hall's Ranch near Lyons which I really enjoyed. The air started out cooler than usual but it heated up fast. It's amazing to run all the way to some abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. There were some nice views of different perspectives of the Blue Mountain area and Apple Valley which I haven't seen before. I think it's tedious enough just going up our 4 mile dirt road, let alone a 5 mile drive-way! Saw deer prints on the path and then much later, saw mountain lion tracks. Wonder if the deer was getting chased? Total run 10.1 miles in 2 hours exactly and 1829 elev gain. Google map

Old Fall River Road (Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park)

I have always wanted to drive up this road but every time I went, it was closed (it's only open in the summer Thurs-Sun). So I decided that I would run it. It was quite possibly the most enjoyable run I have done. I balked a bit at the RT length of 18 miles, but it was one of the most gradual inclines and an easy road well-kept road (no rocks, steps or roots!) so I just kept going and going up to the visitor center. For some reason I was thinking it was going to be closed and I would have it all to myself, but it wasn't and there were hundreds of cars crawling up it. Some very nice people saying hi and asking if I needed a lift back I could ride with them. Chatted a bit with a guy driving with a LV100 sticker on the back of his truck. The funniest thing someone asked when I was almost at the top was if I wanted a fag (cigarette...they were British). That really made me laugh the rest of the way. I stopped for a few minutes just to take a picture from the visitor center then went back. Going down, as always, was a nice break and up until the last 3-4 miles, felt effortless, though by the end I just wanted to get back to the car! Heard an Elk bugling too which I was hoping to hear. My timer was just hitting 4:19 minutes when I got back after running 18.6 miles, climbing and then descending 4798 feet (max elev. 11768 feet above sea level). GPS map

Here are some more photos I snapped from my Android phone.

A few of the 16 switch-backs

Heading towards the visitor center

Green Mountain, Boulder

First time...didn't know it was such a steep climb! This photo's pretty much shows what one climbs for about 1 mile (interspersed with log steps). My legs will thank me in 3 days, but for now, it was a LOT of work! So funny to see mountains beyond Boulder...one sometimes can forget that they are there. Seeing the flatirons was pretty cool from behind as well. Was tempted to hike over and see how much I can freeclimb one. Will I do it again? Probably! But not this week. My times are all messed up because I hung out on the top exploring a bit. Total distance 5.2 mi, 1:52 total time with 2633 elev gain. GPS map

Boulderfield - Longs Peak

Ran up to the boulderfield at Longs Peak and I had pretty much the exact time that I ran my first time there. Not sure how that works, felt a lot better and springy than I have ever felt and thought I walked a lot less up those annoying big steps, but it came out to be pretty much the same. Also, the elevation gain was completely different (4449 vs. 3833). Makes me wonder if I shouldn't have returned that Garmin Forerunner and stop using My Tracks on my google phone. Total distance 11.3 miles up a questionable 3833 feet in 3:32. GPS map

Which brings me to the quote by Einstein that I love so much: "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Quick and flat - Sand Creek Trail

I was staying out in West Denver and realized that I had access to a pretty decent long trail I could pound out 12 miles on. It is a relatively new trail created where Stapleton Airport use to be and runs generally along I-70. The sound of traffic was with me pretty much the whole way which is something I had gotten used to NOT having. But having a nice flat gravel trail and crossing only 2 other people, I kept going and going and was able to keep a fairly consistent 6 mph pace. I was welcomed to Aurora as well as an annoying change of trail to cement which I wasn't really excited about since I just had my trail running shoes. I was hoping to make my turn-around at 6 miles, but the cement was annoying me and so I figured I would make up for it and go in the other direction. By the time I made it back, I went past my starting point and in that direction, it was pretty much all cement as well. So I eventually turned around when I thought I was close to 12 miles and headed in, feeling really good.

Map of Sand Creek Trail Run

Battle Mountain, Hot Springs, SD

I only had one time to run when I went to SD for the weekend to attend a family reunion. I had hoped to be able to run a part of the Mickelson trail, but I was pretty much in a car for the whole weekend being tour guide and so ended up doing the next best (and convenient) run up Battle Mountain which was just across the street from the old Hot Springs cabin we were staying in. This is somewhat nostalgic for me because I remember driving up there with my grandma and at that time it was quite impressive with the fire lookout tower at the top and a nice view of Hot Springs. Nothing else too eventful... a short 3.4 miles, 976' elevation gain, in a slow 40 minutes. Google map.

I wanted to test out this video upload, so here I am up in the look-out tower:

Just short of Chasm Lake up Longs Peak

I wanted to run up Longs before it started to get too cold but only had 2.5 hours of running time before I had to pick up one of my clients from school. So I set my goal to Chasm Lake or as far as I could in 1.5 hours. As expected, I tried to keep a decent pace but I felt sluggish after a while. My RT speed this time was 3.6 mph whereas the first time (though a longer run) was 3.2 mph. This being my third run up, it seemed as if I was getting slower! Though it was more of me being hard of myself. At about 1.30 I made it to just after the Chasm Lake sign where one has to climb up the rocks to see the lake. (photo is from a previous trip showing the general direction towards the lake) I didn't have enough time to make it up and down so I was a good boy and resisted temptation and turned around right there and made it down in 1 hour...exactly how I planned it out. Totaling 8.9 miles, 3849 elevation gain in 2:29. GPS map.

Tour around San Francisco

Went on a longer than planned run around a quarter of San Francisco (see map). The run up Divisadero was annoying because there were traffic lights on every single intersection...and it was a LONG street! But it was great to be able to run at sea level and not have any oxygen issues one would have at 12,000 feet higher in the air. While mountain running has its benefits and never-ending fantastic views, it was a nice treat to run along the cliffs of the Bay and Pacific Ocean. It was also great to be able to run along a dirt path (except for the expected street runs) almost most of the way. SFers are pretty darn lucky! I made it back after 16.7 miles with a surprising elevation gain of 2876 feet (aside from Divisidero, I didn't feel like I went up a hill) in a total time of 3:10 (including buying a gatorade at a store and snapping pictures). Google Map of route

Lyons to Longmont and back

This is a route I drive quite often and often wonder aloud why on earth all bikers choose to bike this boring, asphalt car/SUV highway? Well, despite all my previous wonderment, I wanted a nice and easy 14 mile run so I thought I would give it a go: Longmont or bust! It was a pretty flat and easy run for the most part (was nice wearing my Newtons instead of trail shoes) so by the time I got to the 7 mile mark, which is approx Hover St., I decided I would continue to Main St, just so I could say I made it to something a bit more concrete than the outer limits of Longmont. My knees were getting pretty sore the last 5 miles but it was workable. My speed was considerably lower, something I blame my lazy pace. While I had a very long run which made me think a marathon is quite possible, I now want to change my focus to increasing my pace a bit so I can make a 4 hour marathon. When I finished, I had a voracious appetite after burning through a flat (1033 ft gain) 17.6 miles in 3:17 run. Map

Running around the neighborhood

For some reason I have a huge resistance to running by my house. It might have something to do with the fact I have to drive up and down the 4 mile gravel road a lot, or the chance of running into a mountain lion are pretty high. But when push comes to shove and I can't get away to go somewhere else, it is really a decent hilly run. Entire loop 10.1 miles with 2033 elevation gain (highest 6582) in 2:05. GPS map

Lyons St. Vrain Road Hall Ranch Apple Vally Loop

As much as I said I didn't like Hall Ranch, after my first run there in the hot baking sun, it warmed up to me this time (thanks to the shade along the Old St. Vrain roads. I left the parking lot at the Lyons access to the St Vrain River and made my way along the old South river road, had great shade and scenery of the river and bluffs. When I got off the road and onto Hwy 7, I took a wrong turn thinking Hall Ranch was to my left so I eventually turned around and got back on track. Hall Ranch was much easier, probably just because I knew what I was getting into. I then  went down the antelope trail which hooked up to Apple Valley Road. It was a pretty  run, a nice combination of easy flat roads and rocky hilly trails and a great way to run around my neighboring town of Lyons. Total distance 9.3 miles, gaining 1703 in elevation in 1:49. GPS map