I am one month away from my first ultramarathon trail race. It will be only the second official race I've ever done. The first being a 5k obstacle race.

I admit, I haven't been training or eating as well as I should for this race. I've been averaging about 20-25 miles a week, for a month or so, mostly in one long run. Lately my right hip has taken to hurting off an on. Usually the day after a long run, but recently during a run, turning it into a very short run. My web-search of the symptoms turns up that it's likely bursitis from over training. I've gone from doing about 10 miles once a week or so, to 20+ and apparently that's bad.

It's also really discouraging. Running trails is something I need. Something I love. It is one of very few things that clears my mind and puts me almost completely at ease. It is my time for introspection. It is my time to clear my mind of all thoughts.

I'm worried that training for this race, and possibly becoming injured is going to rob me of that clarity that I seek.

I'm going to stop running for a week. Tonight I'll try yoga for the first time (officially). I will work on strength training and stretching. I will try to make this better.

Trail(less) Tuesday

My Trail Tuesday turned out to be partly trail-less. I ran/hiked a nice little 13er called Square Top Mountain just across the valley from Mt. Bierstadt. As is apparently the case with most 13ers, this did not have a clearly defined trail to the summit. Thus it was a bit gruelling, tromping up the tundra flanked mountain. It was partly cloudy, but not at all in the scary sort of way, just in the way that kept the temperatures low enough to be bearable. I had the trail to myself for the entire ascent. Only on my careful run down the ridge did I start seeing a few hikers. The parking lot was, of course, full of people hiking Bierstadt.

This was my first alpine run. All of the others have been foothills and whatnot. I've saved the space above timberline for 14er hiking. But this was a nice introduction. Even though I could not run to the top, and had to be super careful running down, the trail along the valley floor was quite nice. I will be looking for more runs/hikes like this in the future.

Mt. Bierstadt across the valley

Square Top among the wildflowers

Square Top Lakes and Bierstadt in the background. 

Panorama from the summit. 

Grays and Torreys to the left and Argentine Peak in the center. 

Obligatory summit selfie. 

And the shoes, of course. 

Elephant Heads, my favorite flower.  

So 2.5 hours, 7.5 miles and ended at 13,795 ft above sea level. A satisfying day. 

Trail Tuesday

Today would have been a prefect day to climb a mountain. It was clear, cloudless blue skies until well after noon. Just a smudge of haze from the not-so-distant fires. I'm sure the cloudlessness and the heat and the steady wind isn't helping those much.

I did not climb a mountain today. Instead I ran. Apparently the furthest I've ever run. Just over 16 miles along the High Line Canal. I ran nearly that far on the Beaver Brook trail a couple of weeks back, but did this run much quicker because I actually ran about 95% instead of having to power hike up hills.

Still like trails better.

I am really considering signing up for a trail race. It's daunting. I know I'm not fast. I'm also not very competitive. It's also never cheap. But I think it would be fun. Too bad I now work on Saturdays. I'd have to take PTO. There's also a 5k obstacle race I've had my eye on. The Rugged Maniac. I could sign up to be a volunteer and could get free race registration. I have to make that decision soon, as the volunteer slots are going to fill up soon.

Trail Tuesday

Due to the wet weather this last week, today I ran on the High Line Canal Trail again. I went westward, to a new section I've never been on before. The first bit was obnoxious, as it ran along Colorado Boulevard, but after I met up with the canal again, it was beautiful. The trail was all dirt/gravel and wound among massive houses (Cherry Hills). It was really very pleasant. The temperature was perfect for running, mostly sunny, but with a nice breeze to keep the sweat from accumulating. I didn't pass many other trail users, only several maintenance vehicles. It was a nice 7 miles and I'll definitely have that segment as a backup when/if the foothills are inaccessible.

Tomorrow I am getting up a bit early to run with a friend. A good way to keep both of us motivated and accountable. It will be invaluable to get into the habit of running in the morning, as it will soon be too hot to run on my lunch breaks.

Trail Tuesday.

I sort of hate myself for posting this everywhere, but it's something of an accomplishment. Today I ran a half marathon distance on the High Line Canal Trail. This is the longest run I've done to date.

I had to take my car in for a recall repair, and I have made a habit of using my legs to get me home when I take my car to the shop. The dealership is about 6 miles from my house on the roads. However, the canal snakes its way through the city for pretty much exactly 13 miles between here and there. And crosses those roads no less than 6 times. I didn't really start out with the intention to run the whole trail. I figured I could take a straight road at any of the crossing points. But I kept not doing it.

I was pretty strong and didn't stop running at all for the first five or so miles. Then alternated running a mile or so and walking for a few minutes. Around mile 9 (and after a small snack) I got a second wind and ran for most of the remainder. It wasn't fast by any means, but it was under 3 hours, so that's cool. Now I have something to work at. And I need to get back to the real trails. The mountain trails. Next week, perhaps.

I'm finally getting back to running. It's been too long. It's amazing to me how tied my diet and my workouts are. I tend not to eat well when I'm not working out, so after taking several weeks to heal up after surgery, getting back to it is difficult. I've again decided to cut added sugars out of my diet. I have no self-control, so moderation is out the window. I will work on sweets, then work on the few other snack foods I tend to overdo it on.

It's amazing to run again. I went for a couple miles at lunch yesterday and had a slightly sore back because those stabilizer muscles became weak. Today I did about three miles and my calves are tight. It really sucks to have to basically start over. But here's to a good year. It's nearly light enough in the morning to run before work. Or perhaps I'll start running to and from work. Also watch this space for the return of Trail Tuesday.

Trail Tuesday

This week is a two-for-one since I neglected to post last week.

Last week I decided to check out Sand Creek Regional Greenway, as it's about 15 minutes north of my house. It was a nice trail for the most part, but there was a lot of construction and other hazards that required me to make several detours. It also switches back and forth between gravel and cement, which made it slightly unpleasant to run on. I also got a killer sunburn. I don't think I'll return. Not for awhile anyway. But it was nice to find a new place and I got a pretty great photo.

Today I returned to North Table Mountain. I had the idea of doing a figure eight to stretch the length a bit more, since the longest loop is about 7.5 miles. Well, I was able to successfully stretch it to 12. But it was super hot and not very pleasant. I walked a good 30% of the time. And about 3/4 of the way through I found a creek and sat in the shade with water running over me for about ten minutes.

I need to find some places to run that aren't front range. And/or I need to get up much earlier. ugh.

a nice big root to trip over.

pretty day, just way too hot.

cactus blooms!

and paintbrush.

Trailrun Tuesday (again, finally!)

I had a really nice run today. It was rough for many reasons though. One is that I'm not in shape, so like several before it, it was half hike half run. Another was that it was wet and muddy in a lot of places and that caused some complications. Also it was very humid today. Ew. This was the longest "run" I've ever done and I really started to peter out after mile 8 or so of the 10.

The good news was that it was beautiful, even if the day was cloudy and smoggy. Also, I ran/hiked 10 miles in two and a half hours. Not so bad at all.

I went to someplace new today, Green Mountain aka William F. Hayden Park. I don't know why I've never been, it's actually closer than the ones I generally go to. It's also huge, with many interconnecting trails. There weren't many  people for about 3/4ths of the run. Toward the end, I came upon more trail heads and quite a few people. But there was plenty of room to spread out.

see what I mean about the water on the trail?

You might- might- be able to make out Denver's skyline under the smog.

bumble be doin' his thing. 

pretty, no?

There's a prairie dog yelling at me in this one.

beautiful single track for miles.

this one was result/solution to the muddy trails. It was nice to train barefoot.

of course.

I have been trying desperately to write more. But I've been doing it on paper, so this blog seems a bit neglected. This year I set goals (resolutions?) to write more, read more and run more. So far I've been doing well with all of them.

Running has been especially good lately. I have learned to really enjoy running in the cold weather. The only thing that's hurt me is the long run I did (8.5 miles) was mostly on concrete and my foot hurt a bit afterwords. I need to do at least my long runs on trails. So my next goal is to find some good trails nearby. I moved further from the foothills, so it takes heaps longer to get to some of my favorite ones. I need to find some on this side of town.

I want to register for some races. Probably had better start with a 5k. I can manage that on pavement. I should probably volunteer at one to get the feel as well. My ultimate goal is to be able to do a Spartan Sprint this year. I was sorely tempted last year, but I couldn't justify the cost. Someone mentioned that I could likely get a waived fee if I volunteered for the morning race and ran in the afternoon. So that's a possibility. Then I can combine my two favorite activities - parkour and running.

All of this depends on if/when I get surgery and how long recovery takes. I need to train smart and I don't want to mess up my scars.

This year is going to be great.

Space tights.

I got some running tights. It's vaguely embarrassing, but I really like tights, especially now that I'm very visibly male. I stayed as far away from them as possible until a couple years ago. But these are spectacular and I figured I can force myself to run in cold weather if I feel fantastic. Mostly I have been enjoying this trend of "galaxy" print clothing, especially tights. I saw a video of a guy doing parkour in some, so I decided I could do it too. I like the general oranges and reds that seem most common, but I wanted something unique. And I found the Carina Nebula. The $8 plus a month for shipping from China was just fine.

When I was in college I used this fantastic image as my laptop wallpaper for months at a time (I usually changed the wallpaper every other day or so.) Even now it's in the photo folder that gets rotated through for my current wallpaper.

Here's a more manageable size, but seriously, click the link.

I think what I like about this nebula image is that it's not just colorful, but also bright. It has a lot of white and essentially no black. Most other space images are dominated by black. It's my favorite and someday I hope to have a huge print/poster of it for my wall. 

And here are my tights.

Trail Run Tuesday

This morning I went for a trailrun/hike at Matthews/Winters Open Space Park. Mostly a hike because I’m not so good and running uphill. Downhill is another story. It was a great day for it. About 60 degrees when I started and not quite 70 when I got back. I went for about an hour and a half. I think it was upwards of 7 or 8 miles, but I’m not so sure because the maps stop mapping at a certain point and my stupid phone tracker app never gets it right.

I learned (by not wearing one) that a hat is essential not just to keep the sun out of one’s eyes, but most especially the sweat. My eyes were burning throughout.

I think I am going to get a hydration vest. I was using my boyfriend’s small hydration backpack, but it’s sort of awful. The nozzle leaks, but is also really hard to suck water from. It also jostles around a lot and I don’t need to carry so much. I found a nice vest that is really on sale, It just doesn’t come with the water bottles/flasks.

My New Balance MT10s are amazing. I really love how well they handle all the changing terrain without slipping.

Back to my phone tracker app being a jerk: I am looking into Fitbit and comparing it to similar products. I just want a mileage and pace tracker that won't die after several hours of use.

The Long-Awaited Shoe Review

So a couple years back I discovered that companies were making minimal/barefoot shoes. I like the idea and since then, I haven't purchased any other shoes.

Here's the rundown on the ones I own.

I'm a big fan of Vivobarefoot shoes. They are extremely minimal and have a nice, wide toe box. I've owned many pairs, but right now I'm down to three.

Vivobarefoot Neo

My first pair was the Neo. I basically destroyed them. I wore a hole in the sole, ripped a chunk of the sole near the toe and grew out of them. I don't know if I grew out of them because of my feet being freed from constricting shoes or if it was a product of taking testosterone. Or perhaps they were small to begin with, and I didn't really notice until I realized how shoes were meant to fit. Anyhow, I really like the sole on the Neo, it's called amphibious I believe. It's quite thin, but still has nice grippy nubs. The Neos worked quite well for parkour and hiking. They're terribly ugly though.

Vivobarefoot Off Road Mid complete with off road mud.

I use the off-road mid for my winter/wet weather hiking. They are (were, now) waterproof, so I'd just wear them with gators and keep the wet out. They aren't insulated though, so if I'm snowshoeing or hiking on snow and I stop moving, my feet get cold. I do keep the insoles in to help a bit with that. The lugs on the bottom distract a bit from the ground feel, but they do help to keep from slipping in snowy or muddy conditions. After two winters, some of the seams let in a bit of moisture and a few of the lugs are coming off. I need to find a waterproof and insulated minimal boot for next winter.

Vivobarefoot Aqua Lite

My next pair of Vivos are the Aqua Lite. They have the thinnest soles, very little grip there. I use them for casual wear and often for parkour, though I'm afraid too many climb-ups will wear through the soles quickly. I love the wide toe box. They are probably my most comfortable shoes.

I briefly owned some Breatho Trail shoes. They were inexplicably too big without the insoles (and I hate insoles). Also, I decided I didn't like the lugs for everyday use. They work well for the winter, but not so much for general hiking and trail-running. 

Vivobarefoot Freud

The canvas Freud shoes complete my Vivobarefoot collection. They are solely for casual wear. I've changed the laces to make them blend in more. The sole is similar to the Aqua Lite, but slightly thicker. I'm not as worried about wearing them out quickly.

After I wore out my Neos, I wanted to find a good hiking/trail-running shoe. I already mentioned trying Breatho Trail and deciding against them. I considered another pair of Neos or other Vivos with the same sort of sole, but either the price or the general look of the shoes turned me off. So I decided to look at other brands.

Merrell Trail Glove

First I found a pair of Merrel Trail Gloves for a very reasonable price. I found out quickly that they aren't so good for hiking/trail-running due to the narrow arch. I wore them for part of a fourteener hike (Sherman, I believe) and the scree kept poking my arch. I have rather flat feet and the shoes just don't provide enough protection. I do like them a lot though. I turned them into my work shoes once my original Neos wore out. I wear them 40 hours a week and they're quite nice. When the weather was cooler, I'd go for runs on my lunch break. These shoes work well on pavement and non-rocky paths.

New Balance MT10

So my search continued. Recently I went to a local running store to get some ideas and try some shoes on. I felt a bit bad just trying things on then leaving, but I found the New Balance Minimus Trail 10 (MT10). And I found out that I'm not actually and 8, I'm an 8.5. I don't know if it's my feet having grown, or perhaps I just don't know how to fit shoes. Anyhow, I came home and bought the MT10s online for half the price. Initially, I didn't know if I would like them. After wearing them about five minutes, the band around the forefoot started to make my foot ache and cramp. I worried that I should have purchased a wider size, which they totally have. But after some trial and error, I found that I just need to keep the shoes very loose. I actually slip them on and off without untying them. And they don't slide around when I run either. I am a huge fan. Mostly because of the color, but also the feel. After getting the lacing right, I love how much toe splay freedom I have. I love how ventilated they are. I wear socks, but I'm sure they're fine without as well. They aren't zero drop like my other shoes, but I actually don't even notice the 4mm difference from heel to toe. I've already hiked around 13 miles (half the trail up Pike's Peak) and they performed wonderfully. I can't wait to take them out again.

Inov-8 Bare XF

I also own a pair of Inov-8 Bare XF shoes. To be honest I got them mostly because of the colors, but also because of the very minimal sole. They are quite nice to look at, but they aren't very comfortable to me because they are far too narrow. This seems to be a trend for Inov-8, making very sleek and "fast" shoes. But my feet are quite wide and need a bit more room. I still use them for some of my runs around the park, and for casual wear. The soles are very thin, nearly as thin as the Aqua Lite, and much slicker.

Unshoes Pah Tempe (template B, I believe.)

My final shoes are Unshoes. I'm on my second pair and I love them. I have the Pah Tempe style which resemble Chaco sandals. I'd been a huge fan of Chacos and the foot tan I'd get each summer, but they had a painfully high arch and or course a rather tall stack height. I learned of Unshoes and fell in love with the idea. Partly because of the minimalness and the similarities to Chacos, but also because they're inspired by Tarahumara huraches. Having spent time in Mexico with the Tarahumara, I'm familiar with huraches. I often hike with the Unshoes, but for hikes with a great deal of scree, something with more foot protection is obviously preferable. On hikes I generally bring both my Unshoes and another pair- now the MT10s- since the great thing about minimal shoes is that they are super light and therefore a negligible weight to carry.

Thus concludes my footwear collection. As I mentioned, I need to add a winter hikers back to the list since my current pair is no longer suitable. But for now, I'm happy. Ready to go beat up my new MT10s.