Pineridge - 31:10
A scorching hot day -- 99 degrees. (just brutal) Ran easy at first, but picked up the pace towards the end as I was more than ready to hit the air condition in my truck and down some water. Was planning on running 2 laps, but with zero shade in these temps -- 1 lap was just right!
- Maxwell lot was still closed, so parked at the West lot.
--- Tuesday - 06/19/12 ---
Neighborhood run in the PM - 27 minutes
Easy paced run around the neighborhood. Busy day at work and another scorcher -- 96 degrees. Decided to wait until the sun went down for a balmy 83 degree easy evening run.
Started at about 9:30pm
- Running up in RMNP (Rocky Mountain National Park) in the morning so a super easy trot through some back streets tonight felt good.
--- Wednesday - 06/20/12 ---
(RMNP) - Flattop Mountain > Hallett Peak > Emerald Lake - 2hrs 45 minutes
The last few days have been just brutally hot in town, not to mention I have been yearning for some high altitude running action the last several weeks... and so when I got a message from Phil K asking me if I would be interested in a run up in RMNP mid-week -- It was a no brainer! YES!
Myself, Phil K, Steve S, and Mathew F -- all carpooled together. Myself, Steve and Mathew met up with Phil at the K-mart parking lot in Loveland and from there we drove up together in one car.
Got to the Bear Lake trailhead at about 6:45am, with clear blue skies overhead, cool temps, and a mostly empty parking lot --- Perfect!
The last time I ran up Flattop Mountain was August 1 of last year. I remember it well because I was trying to set a kamikaze downhill land speed record down the technical jagged rocky trail -- when I somehow landed wrong and tore up my right ankle pretty bad! A severe sprain that blew up like a balloon within minutes. Ughh! I can still think back and remember how that felt. --- I became a couch potato the entire month of August last year. Not fun.
Thankfully I was with Steve and with his help, I hopped up and over rocks on one leg for the final 2 mile descent back to our car. Took about 45 (painful) minutes to cover the final 2 miles. Ouch!
....So this time out I was more than happy to get in a solid run without trying to break the downhill sound barrier.
The climb up to Flattop was nice. Only had to jump over 3 downed trees on the trail and had zero snow pack the entire way up. We passed only a couple of people on the way up -- it felt like we had the mountain to ourselves. Ever since Quad Rock 50 last month my uphill climbing has been off. And today was no different. My legs really had no kick on the way up. So I settled into a pedestrian like groove and took my time to the summit. Made it to the summit of Flattop in a slow 1:05:50 . I have gone sub 1 hour to the summit in previous runs -- but today I was content with just getting in a solid run without paying too much attention to the clock.
As usual, temps were chilly and wind was brutal. So we quickly made our way over to the summit of Hallett peak -- a sketchy rock-hopping traverse that takes about 10 minutes or so.
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| from L to R - Phil, Mathew and Steve |
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| Phil, Mathew and Myself |
It was super cold at the summit and wind was blowing pretty good. I didnt pack any gloves and so my hands and other parts were frozen solid. I had 2 hand held H2O bottles that I had to tuck under my armpits until we reached warmer temps down below -- all dexterity and grip in my fingers were gone....not too mention freezing cold!
After hanging out for a bit and snacking we made our way back down. I almost always let er' rip on the way down, as the downhill generally awakens my legs and I can get rolling pretty good. But I decided to pull back the reigns and take in the views on the way back down. Was not wanting to have a repeat of last years Flattop descent. Steve made it down first, then myself...then Phil and then Mathew.
After quickly filling up our bottles at the car, I decided to drop off everything for the short 2.0 'ish miles over to Emerald Lake. Left the pack, camera, water bottles and took off my shirt as well. Temps down here were in the mid 50's...and by now the parking lot was packed. And so was the more popular trail leading up to Emerald Lake. I think I must have said "on your left" about 100 times in only a few short miles. I dont know why people dont pay attention on the trail --but they dont. (apparently staring at your shoes while hiking is more interesting than lifting your head and looking up at the trail ahead.)
Emerald Lake is beautiful and it was nice to hang out there for a few minutes and take in the views before making our way back down. I dont know what it was, but my legs started to feel much better on the climb up to Emerald Lake and they felt even more "fresh" then when we first started our run up Flattop. I felt good -- I opened it up and weaved and bobbed around the hundred or so hikers going up to Emerald Lake. This trail has a bunch of step-ups but the trail itself is nice and smooth and it felt great to get the legs moving. Finished back at the Bear Lake trailhead --- then Mathew came rolling down about 30 seconds back and a minute or so later both Phil and Steve.
Stood in Bear Lake -- mid thigh deep....ice cold water! Nothing feels better after a solid run in mountains!
A good day of running --- got in about 4,000' of vertical.
--- Thursday - 06/21/12 ---
Foothills Trail (long Loop) - 53:03
Felt good. Easy effort.
--- Friday - 06/22/12 ---
Pineridge (2 laps) - 59:44
Felt good. Hot -- 95 degrees.
Started from the West lot in Pineridge.
--- Saturday - 06/23/12 ---
Round Mountain (sort of..) - 1 hr 10min
Picked up Steve at his house and we drove down to the Round Mountain trailhead together. Got there right at 6:30am.
Since Towers road is still closed due to the High Park Fire, this trail offers some good vertical gain as an alternative run. About 3,000' gain over roughly 4.5-5 miles -- a solid uphill grind.
One thing I enjoy about this trail is that in between all the switchbacks that are going up, you are given a few patches of flat and even downhill running...on the way up! A nice way to get in some short recovery.
We started the clock right at the gate near the trailhead. About .2 miles into the run the trail splits. Go left and takes you to the summit...go right and there is a 1 mile nature trail.
I felt good for the first 2 miles or so on the way up -- then my legs wanted nothing to do with anymore uphill running.
Not sure if I havent fully recovered from the 50 miler (which was over a month ago), which I think I would be since I have eased off of the hard and long training since then.
Not recovered -- burned out -- over race weight -- slacking -- or just plain tired.....whatever it is, my legs just have nothing to give on any climb of decent grade over a few miles in distance. one word - frustrating!
With the Barr Trail race just a couple of weeks out, which goes up Pikes Peak for about 6 miles and gains about 3,800' ft (and then back down again) -- I sure hope my legs get it together before then, otherwise that climb is gonna be rough.
Anyway, back to Round Mountain....Steve and I were running together when right about 40 minutes in, and roughly just over 3.5 miles -- we heard something in the forest that made us stop dead in our tracks. The sound of branches and twigs snapping about 50 ft to our left. We stood there for a few seconds trying to catch a visual -- silently, holding my breathe -- staring into the woods looking for some sort of movement. A few seconds later we heard a large and deep sounding grunt -- coming from a very large and brown animal! Steve saw a large animal with brown fur move in the thick trees...I saw nothing. But we both heard that deep grunt and heard many branches snapping along the way.
I quickly looked ahead at the trail and it looked like the trail would be turning left up ahead, directing us right into the spot of what we have come to conclude was a bear!
Armed with only a half filled hand-held water bottle in one hand and a GU packet in my pocket -- I didnt want take my chances fighting the bear by slapping the bear around with my GU packet repeatedly....and so we ever so slowly turned around and booked it back down the mountain and ran hard for about 5 minutes up and over rocks and roots, as if we were running hurdles --- high tailing it outta there!
We got down to the "summit and nature trail" sign where we decided to get in a little more running since our run up to the summit was cut short.
Starting from the sign, we ran back up the trail hard...for 1:30. Then back down. Steve did a few repeats. My legs were dead and I was done after one repeat. I stretched and waited for Steve before making our way back to my truck together.
After the run, I drove across the street and we soaked our legs in the Big Thompson river for about 20 minutes or so --- felt great, as the sun was already warming things up to about 90 degrees...ugh!
--- Sunday - 06/24/12 ---
OFF
A well needed day off. After church in the morning the temps got up to 102...and so we made it an indoor day..the ENTIRE day --- chilling in the air conditioning!
I think I might have stepped outside for about 10 seconds after dinner.
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This past week has been a scorcher! Several days over 100 degrees and looks like the high temps will be 98 degrees or hotter ALL next week as well.
It felt really good to get away mid-week for a run up at RMNP with some friends....a well needed day off from work. Wish everyday could be like that.
I have no idea what is going on with my legs when it comes to uphill running lately, but it is frustrating. Hopefully I can get it figured out soon -- preferably before the Barr Trail Race .
The encounter with the bear was pretty intense. I now understand the whole "fight or flight" principle. And I now know that when given the opportunity my body prefers flight over fight! Actually, it would be more like "stand there and pee my pants", or "flight" --- running just sounds more strategic to me.
Surprisingly with all the time I spend on the trail out here, I have never ran up on a bear. Scat, paw prints --- yes, but the animal itself -- nope.
Here is hoping I have a chance encounter with a flock of doves and a swarm of yellow butterflies on my next run to make up for the Round Mountain run!
