woohooo!

Monday AM

Easy hour in the Garden, 6.1 miles. Plan on doing a run in Durango this evening, that'll take me over 250 miles for the month.

IC run

135 peeps at the Incline Club run this morning, a new record. I went out along Ute Pass to I-24 and back. Felt like I was going super slow, but made it out in under 48 minutes. When I was in Hardrock shape last summer I'd do it in 45, so I'm starting the season in decent shape.

45.3 miles for the week, 2854 for 2009.

next A wave attempt...

...will be at the Stocking Shuffle 5K on December 12th. Katie did this last year and got a sweet long sleeve shirt for the $20 entry fee. If any of you Denver/Boulder readers want to race, we could hit King's Chef afterwards and then do the Incline to make it worth the drive.

King's Chef

Cool documentary on the King's Chef Diner, the guys who give me the bacon cheeseburgers to fuel me through Hardrock, can be seen here. Includes the best description I've ever heard about the place - "It's like a social club for alcoholics."

Incline happy hour

Good turnout at the turkey day edition of Incline happy hour.

Cottonwood Creek 5K

Won the Cottonwood Creek 5K this morning. Not the finest field ever assembled in the Springs. I ran with two guys in high top basketball sneakers and one guy in jean shorts for about 200 meters before dropping them. Hit the first mile in 6:15 and the race was over. Just worked on turnover and form for the rest of the run. Mile two in 12:39 and then I really slowed things down as I could feel the effects of Route 66 and yesterdays CRUD hill climb and Incline workout. Crossed the finish line in 20:17, at least three minutes ahead of second place. About 50 people total for the race. The shirts were cool, they had a turkey running across Africa on the front.

Route 66 marathon

The idea for this race was hatched a few months ago when I realized I could cross off Oklahoma on my hash/highpoint/marathon list during the off season. No expectations going in, other than the fact that I had to finish so I would never have to go back to Oklahoma again.

To my surprise a few other people signed up, including BLOS. So my race plan became to pace him to a Boston qualifying 3:09, as the race didn't have a 3:10 pace group. I figured I'd be able to keep that pace for 20 miles or so, suffer horribly over the last 10K, finish in 3:30, and use the race as a good training run.

Even that bright plan was called into question on Saturday, as BLOS, $100, Nacheaux, and I attempted to visit every dive bar in Tulsa. My saving grace was that I stuck to beer, ignoring my thirst for gin, and drank one glass of water for every beer I consumed. But by midnight I was good and drunk, and figured just breaking four hours would be alright.

The alarm clock went off way too early and I fell out of bed and began my frantic attempt to rehydrate. Lots of gatorade. The others in the group weren't feeling much better, but I don't think any of us were quite as bad as BLOS, who had not been able to hold off the call for gin.

Hopped on the hotel shuttle and headed to the start line. Lines for the port-o-shitters were too long so I had to skip 'em. I told BLOS I thought we should start with the 3:20 pace group and stay with them for two miles to warm up before breaking off in search of his 3:10.

The gun started and that plan went right out the window. BLOS took off and I couldn't keep up. I got a little behind the 3:20 pace group and hung in there. The pace felt good, though I still had a ton of gatorade sloshing around in my gut. Felt like my body was just letting it sit in my stomach.

For two miles I sat with the 3:20 group, which we passed in 16 minutes. Then, despite still feeling like shit, I decided to pick up the pace a bit. I dropped that group quickly, but just after three miles I had to duck into a shitter to take a leak, and when I came out I was once again behind. Didn't take too long to catch up and pass the crew, and soon I was clicking off sub seven miles and passing lots of people.

Lots of interesting stuff to see on the course, and the miles clicked away quickly. Caught up to BLOS at six miles, and he seemed settled into a big group of people running 3:10 pace, so I kept going. Hit 10K in 42:04. Lots of bands and lots of other runners (the half marathon peeps were still with us) to take my mind off things. 15K in 1:06:50 and 10 miles at 70 flat. Hit the half marathon at 1:31:52, feeling great.

At the halfway point I decided to give it everything I had and run sub three. Felt I could nail a second half 1:28. Even thought I'd go under 1:27:47, just so I could talk some smack on Fast Eddy.

I ran mile 13-14 in 6:40, and followed that up with a few sub 6:45 miles. Had to work hard here though, as the course was filled with half marathon runners. Soon we were on the big out and back portion of the course, which runs along the Arkansas River. There was a headwind here and it was starting to take it's toll. But I was still running hard and lots of other marathoners were starting to drop off the pace.

Around mile 17 I saw the lead runner on his way back (he would have been at 23 miles). He seemed to have an insurmountable lead - I didn't check my watch but it was a good two or three minutes before the next guy came by. And that next guy was pushing a stroller! Maybe another 60 seconds or so and I watched another guy pushing a stroller pass someone and move into third place. Something would eventually happen to the leader, as at the end of the day the top two finishers were the stroller guys.

Around mile 18 I felt the start of some cramps sneaking into my quads and hamstrings. I knew this was the end of my sub three pipe dreams. I realized that if I kept pushing this hard I would cramp up and have to walk in. I tried to find that perfect spot where I could run as fast as possible and yet not trash myself.

Just after 19 miles I caught the second place female. I passed her but she latched on right behind me. We hit 20 miles in 2:19. I was really struggling now, just taking it mile by mile, not worrying about the finish. Felt like complete ass, but got a huge confidence boost by maintaining a sub seven minute pace for so long.

Right before 21 miles we caught the first place female. We passed her right at the 21 mile mark. The gal who had been running behind me dropped the hammer. I'm pretty sure she ran her next two miles in under 12 minutes. It was the only time in the race I got passed.

I had to stop at the 22 mile medical tent to grab some vaseoline. I had developed a fat chick rash over the course of the day, and it was burning like hell. My legs were hurting so bad at this point I figured I'd be walking in, so I didn't see any point in continuing to rub my thighs raw.

The last couple of miles were uneventful other than how bad my legs were feeling. They're just not used to turning over like that anymore. I felt like I was struggling to keep 15 minute miles, though I managed to pass a few people and the computer would tell me that I was still maintaining 7:15 pace.

Before long I was making the final turn of the race and I finally saw the finish line. I had to sprint to sneak under 3:04 on the clock, and my final chip time was 3:03:07. 21st overall. I would end up 2nd in the clydesdale division, despite beating the "winner" by 14 minutes (they use some age graded calculator).

Overall a fantastic race. Despite not devoting any specific training to this race, I came away with my third fastest marathon ever. It really gave me some new ideas as to what I'm gonna shoot for at Boston...

Beaver, OK

Early on Saturday morning we drove 30 miles out of our way to visit the town of Beaver, OK, the cow chip throwing capital of the world. We were greated by a giant statue of a beaver holding a cow patty. Totally worth the trip!

CRUD hill climb

Great day over at Cheyenne Canon! Beautiful weather and legs that are starting to feel normal again. Up in 43:43, crushing Rich M with my Usain Bolt-esque finishing sprint. Then Steve B and I ran the chutes and columbine trail for some extra mileage. 10 miles, 1:45.

Just got some new live stuff from Umphrey's and John Butler Trio, so looking forward to tonight's Incline happy hour. May hafta do it twice to listen to all that music.

journey to the center of the universe...

Our hotel in Tulsa was less than a quarter mile from the center of the universe, so of course we had to visit and drink a few beers there. Really cool place. If you stand in the middle, you can hear yourself echo but nobody else can. My recovery run on Monday morning was to place a Clean Plate Club sticker on the exact center, and I'll post those pics once I get ahold of Katie's camera.

Black Mesa

Proof of our summit of Oklahoma's state highpoint, somewhere in the Black Mesa. A whopping 4,975 feet above sea level. A very easy hike, 4.2 miles each way with not much elevation gain. At the marker you're only 1200 feet from the New Mexico border and less than 13 miles from Colorado. On the Colorado side of the monument we placed a Clean Plate Club sticker...

go pens!

First of many pics to come. This was taken just outside the race expo.

splits

For going into this race not expecting much, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I'll post a race report soon, but here are my splits.

10K - 42:04 (53rd place)
15K - 1:06:50 (39th place)
Half - 1:31:52 (33rd place)
27K - 1:56:48 (30th place)
32K - 2:17:48
Finish - 3:03:37

Finished 21st overall. 20th out of 752 men. 5th out of 80 in the 30-34 age group. Hit the second half in 1:32:05, not too shabby. I'm now listed as second place in the clydesdale division, though the guy their listing in first place ran 3:17:08.

I'd also like to note that I had to hit the port-o-shitter at the 5K mark to take a piss. I would say this stop cost me exactly 32 seconds, so that woulda put me across the line at 3:03:05.

You can see the race pics of me here. Ladies, feel free to order a life size poster for your bedroom, but an autograph is gonna cost extra.

don't drink and drive

I believe this is the Denver Post account of the crash that killed my friend.

ouch!

Planned on a decent run this morning but my quads are still sore as hell. Every time my foot struck the ground I could feel a shot of pain shoot up through the front of my legs. So I bagged the run after 22 minutes and 2.2 miles. I see lots of yoga in my future this week.

For the year, I'm at 2813 miles.

great weekend!

Wow, who woulda expected this from a trip to Tulsa? Checked off the OK state highpoint (my fourth state HP), a marathon in OK (my 6th state), and a great hash with the Tulsa H3. Long drive ahead, but we'll be stopping to see the world's biggest hairball and grabbing lunch at the Purgatory brewpub.

3:03

Just threw down a 3:03 at the Tulsa marathon. Had dreams of a sub three, but fell apart after mile 19. Not bad for being with the 3:20 group at the 5K mark. Oh yeah, I'm undefeated in clydesdale competition, as I won that division!

More good news on the running front: I was voted in as a board member at large with the Pikes Peak Road Runners last night!

Currently relaxing with some 180 orange energy drink (it was free after the race) mixed with sweat tea vodka. In a few minutes I'm off to hash with the Tulsa H3. Good times!

El Guapo!

McNellie's!

1232

Beaver, OK

PARAB

Not too much interesting at tonight's meeting. Big thing worth mentioning is the thumbs up to a community garden at Higginbotham Flats. Read about the issue here. The board (all two of us) gave our approval for PARAB to back the rezoning of the flats to parks and rec, instead of the current commercial zone the flats have. I'm not a big fan of vegetables, but I thought a garden would be a lot nicer for Manitou than more storage units or another gas station. Plus, there would be some new trails built up there...

Route 66 tracking

Since the marathon will cause me to be away from my beloved new G1 phone for a few hours, peeps wondering how I'm running can sign up to track me here. I'll post my race number when I pick it up on Saturday.

vote for me!

Forgot to mention here that I'm running for a board member at large position with the Pikes Peak Road Runners. I'd beg for votes, but I think there only six people running for six positions, and I'm sure I'll get at least one vote. I can't be there to vote, as I'll be running Route 66. Should be a great year for the club, gonna be some super cool peeps on the board. And look for the newsletter to improve drastically.

G1

Recently entered the smartphone world with the purchase of a G1. Pretty friggin' awesome. Katie is super jealous, so much so that she immediately went out and bought a cliq phone in a lame attempt to one up me.

drinking with the buffaloes

Went to the local American Legion meeting last night. What a blast! Lots of beer, lots of shots, lots of BS-ing.

The guy chain smoking and drinking hard sitting next to me noticed I had a running shirt on. So he started telling me old stories of his running days. Turns out he was the former school record holder for the mile at the University of Colorado. He ran 4:00.04 way back in 1959, only five years after Roger Bannister first broke the four minute barrier. He said that during that race he had outkicked Wes Santee. He joined the Marines once he graduated and headed up the physical fitness department at Quantico. But once Vietnam kicked off, he gave up running and went over to do what jarheads do. And the guy never gives up, as someone at the meeting told me he had punched someone in the mouth at the last meeting who called him a "chickenshit Marine." The punchee required stitches.

fear the 'stache!

Tues/Wed

Hit Red Rock Canyon for a few miles last night. Just the rabbits, the deer, and me. Lots of snow and ice on the trails. Contemplative trail, Round Up trail, and the Quarry. 5 miles, 65 minutes.

Hit the Red Rock Lounge afterwards. Lots of entertainment. Thought I was gonna get to see a bar fight until the bartender threw a few people out.

This morning was a brisk 22F at 5:30AM for my easy run through the Garden. 5 miles, just under 49 minutes. Woulda been a little faster but I had to stop to drop a deuce. No sharting for this runner.

RIP

A very good friend of mine was killed in a car crash last night. Kinda stunned right now.

Mon/Tues

Taking it somewhat easy this week so I'll feel good for Route 66. Very easy 4.6 miles with the Soul Runners last night, 41 minutes. Then another five this morning in 45 flat. Out the door before 5AM this morning to catch the leonoid meteor shower, but despite the darkness of the Garden and the clear skies, I only saw two shooting stars.

After basically taking October off (I took 15 rest days that month), I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I've run 15 of the 17 days of November.

fall series 4

I think that's Dathan Ritzenhein behind me...

Hooker

Gonna drive through Hooker on the upcoming road trip. Here's the write up. I'll definitely be stopping at the Legion for a brew!

Hooker is tiny, but their civic good sense is big. Signs welcoming you at the town borders feature paintings of 19th century prostitutes. The town's American Legion baseball team is named the Horny Toads. Bumper stickers and T-shirts for sale boast slogans such as "Not your typical Hooker" and "I could've been a prince, but it's more fun being a Horny Toad." And as you leave, a sign encourages "Why don't you come back and see us sometime?" Well done Hooker! Our only suggestion: add the word "Kwikee" to the sign in front of the "Klean Kar Wash."

Oklahoma

Looking at the info for Saturday's hike to Black Mesa, the state highpoint of Oklahoma. Turns out the Mesa is located in Cimarron County, which, as everyone knows, is the only county in the USA to touch four different states (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas). Can't wait to drink some PBR there!

fall series #4

Despite the crappy weather I had a real good race in Palmer Park. Lots of snow, lots of mud, lots of fun. Made a tactical error in the final half mile that allowed a few guys to pass me (I thought we had another 1.5 miles left), but other than that not a bad effort following Saturday's hard 20 miler. 5 miles, 39:43. 28th overall. My team, the Big Hairy Mammals, ended up in second place.

Pretty decent week, got in 73.1 miles. Sitting at 2749 miles for the year, probably hit 2800 at some point during the Route 66 marathon.

HAIL TO PITT!

How 'bout them 9-1 Pitt Panthers!

a witness to running history?

Looks like those of us running the Route 66 marathon next weekend might get to see a world record. Read about it here.

Boston is closed!

Holy crap, no more worrying about nabbing a BQ this year, as rego for the 2010 Boston marathon has filled! I believe it's the earliest ever. Sure glad I didn't wait 'till after Tulsa to sign up.

20

Awesome run in crappy weather. 20 miles in 2:39:40. Hit the half marathon mark in 1:39 flat then slowed down to save something for Route 66. Good company with Charlie and BLOS actually getting up before noon on a weekend for once.

rocky

Cool pic I stole off facebook. Tony is on the right, shortly after running 13:32 for 100 miles at Rocky Raccoon! Joe P, the Austin trail runner who played a huge part in my switch from roads to trails, is in the middle. On the left is the second hottest chick in running. Notice the blood, she actually had to wrestle an alligator during the run, and she still won in 14:57.

Incline happy hour

One of our biggest groups ever! Good times! 5.5 miles in 1:29:14, though that doesn't count the time chillin' on the top with a PBR.

name that beer

Trinity employees are being asked to help name Jason's newest brew, thought I'd throw it out here for some help. Reminds me of some of my ex-girlfriends, since the description includes the words "huge," "gigantic," and "enormous."

Here's a description of the beer:

XXXXX. Imperial Stout. Just in time to keep you warm during the colder
months of winter! It’s body is huge, it’s dark malt character is huge, it’s hop
profile is gigantic, and it’s ABV is enormous. It’s basically everything that you
would expect from a noteworthy Imperial Stout, and more! We age this beer
on fresh Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Dagoba Cacao Nibbs, and French Oak. 10.5% ABV

Any suggestions I get from the peanut gallery may receive a sweet Soul Runners t-shirt.

Hardrock!

Hardrock applications are now available here. Mine is already filled out...

CRUD hill climb

Had visions of not only a sub 40 but also an all time PR on the climb today, but I guess staying out at the Legion way past my bedtime put an end to those pipe dreams. Up in 42:57, barely holding off a hard charging Rich M for the win.

canya canon results

Results from the 6K can be seen here. I finished 9th overall. Please note that Rick H was not only crushed by myself, but by a chick as well. Already shaping up to be a great year for Tier II, you Tier I guys better watch your back...

Wednesday AM

Nice, easy run through the Garden this morning. 60 minutes, 6.4 miles. Bit sore from those 200's last night, but nothing too serious.

Over 2700 miles for the year. 50 days to do 300 miles, no problem there. Starting to wonder what number I should go for next year?

sprinting

Got to the CC track tonight only to find the soccer team using the back stretch. So, inspired by this article showing me that Usain Bolt is getting lazy, I decided to blast through some 200 meter repeats. Mile warm up, 8 x 200m with 200m recovery, mile cool down. Didn't bother timing the intervals, but I'm guessing I was probably around 36 to 37 seconds each. 4.3 miles total, 38:57. I'll pass 2700 miles tomorrow morning.

A warning to Mr. Bolt. I'm less than 17 seconds away from your 200 meter world record. I don't know much about sprinting, but seeing as as I took over seven hours off my Hardrock time in one year I don't see why taking a measley 17 seconds off a time would be that hard. You better get your ass back on the track!

I have the same problem!

hiking

Been following the adventures of Andy Skurka ever since he gave a talk at the Desert RATS 50 miler. Check out his latest hike! Holy shit!

I love "The Purpose" section of the description, and will be amending it into something I can send to all the team-in-training types who hit me up for money so they can go run the Sydney marathon or whatever vacation they want me to fund under the disguise of curing some disease.

However, it should be pointed out that Katie and I once discovered PBR Light in the back of Mr. Skurka's truck while parked in Leadville (I swear we weren't stalking him). What the hell is up with that? The guy hikes thousands of miles all over the globe and still prefers light beer?

GO STEELERS!

Wow, what an ass thumpin'! Can't believe bronco fans were excited about Kyle Orton.

Tues AM

Nice fartlek workout with the PPRR Sunrise Striders. Warm up to Bear Creek Park, then a good paced run, hammering all the hills. 58:18, 7.4 miles.

mark your calendars

Was having a few pints with Gordo the other day, and he suggested running the New Orleans Mardi Gras marathon in 2011. I couldn't think of any reason not to, so I threw my hat in. Does anyone know the world record for highest BAC to complete a marathon?

and then there were three...

Made the cut to the final three people for the free rego into TransRockies! I'd be running with an active duty green beret, which would be super cool. Haven't been told much about it, but I believe it's to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. In fact, after some super sleuthy internet research, I believe my partner would be this guy.

I volunteered only using my Army background, but a few days ago I finally received my honorable discharge from the Air Force. Few years late, but better late than never I guess.

anthrax!

Careful, that homeless looking guy slugging PBR and throwing white powder all over the place could be a terrorist!

See the story here.

HAIL TO PITT!

Pitt has moved up to #9 in the coaches poll and #8 in the AP poll! Woohooo!

Please note that we are currently ahead of the following teams:

Ohio State
USC
Penn State
Wisconsin
West Virginia

Canya Canon 6K

Had one of my better races in a while at the Canon hill climb on Sunday. People said your finish time is typically whatever your current 10K race fitness is, so I was expecting around 42 minutes. Nailed it in 37:44. Beat fellow CRUD runner Rick H for the first time ever. Think I might have finished in the top ten, but I haven't seen results posted. I managed to run the whole thing (no small feat considering how drunk I got at the Kimchi hash on Saturday) despite some comically steep sections. What a beautiful trail!

Great time afterwards, we killed two kegs of Bristol and then headed to the brewery until they kicked us out at 6PM. Awesome way to spend a Sunday!

quote of the day

"I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it."

-Rodney Dangerfield

boner time...

I am currently in the running for a free entry into the TransRockies race!

done

Decided to give up my Friday night DD gig. Had some more issues with the douchebag dispatch guy and it just wasn't worth the trouble. I'll be replaced quickly, as Fort Carson now gives promotion points for soldiers helping out with the program.

incline happy hour

First time up the incline for a while for me. Dare I say I've become so lame that I haven't climbed the railroad since before Hardrock? Yikes, no wonder my vagina has been bleeding so bad lately.

Very slow night, took time to enjoy the sights. It's dark by 5:30PM now but the stars were out and the view of the Springs was awesome.

Did a fantastic job of actually staying somewhat sober, having a few beers at Kinfolk's and then showing off my will power by actually passing up the Royal Tavern! Of course, I had to celebrate that monumental occasion by having a beer at the Townhouse. Roger, the owner, was there having a West Point reunion and was buying jager all night. So much for a hangover free Friday.

5.5 miles, 1:31:44.

Meb tests positive

Very sad story. Read it here. At least he's not technically an American.

Thurs AM - CRUD hill climb

Good run up Cheyenne Canon this morning. Gorgeous conditions, a far cry from the torture these runs become once winter weather sets in. Made it to the top in 40:36, not too shabby for the first run of the year. Total run was 8.4 miles, 1:14:58.

The usual suspects skipped this workout to stay in bed. Paul D, Fast Eddy, Keith, Justin. Look for me to have a big year against those slackers!

Wednesday PM

Very easy hour run along the Sinton and Santa Fe trails. 6.5 miles. Monument creek was especially putrid tonight. Followed the run with an hour of hot yoga and followed that with some brews.

Big hill day tomorrow! CRUD hill climb in the AM and Incline happy hour in the PM! Hooray for mountains!

slow day at work...

...so I updated all four of my blogs. Even gave each and every one of 'em their own special place in the links to the right.

next A wave attempt?

Leaning towards running the Turkey Trot 5K at Cottonwood Park on November 27th for my next attempt at a Bolder Boulder A wave qualifier. I'd love to try at the Briargate Turkey Trot on the 26th, but the PPRR usually shame me into volunteering at that one.

But I'll always remember, there's only one real race on Thanksgiving day!

Meb on Letterman

fall series

Just got the latest issue of Colorado Runner, and they named the Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series as their series of the year! A lot of good people put in a lot of volunteer hours to make this series happen, nice to see them get their due.

Other good pics:

Best half marathon - Platte River
Best non-ultra trail race - Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent

Gotta question the best ultra pick of Collegiate Peaks (and Greenland 50K last year?). No problem with either of the races, I've done them both several times and will probably do both again this year. But they're hardly the highlight of the season. Though CP will improve this year due to Eddyline Brewing opening up right at the finish line. The voters aren't too out there though, Leadville and the San Juan Solstice have won this award in the past.

Carpenter wins election

From the Gazette:

In the Ward 3 race, runner Matt Carpenter was winning easily. Carpenter had 77 percent to 29 percent for his opponent, innkeeper Karen Cullen.

Carpenter credited his victory to literally running the ward.

“I thought it was a small enough ward that I could go around and talk to constituents and see what they were feeling,” Carpenter said. “I didn’t pull a list of registered voters; I wanted to talk to everyone.”

Carpenter noted the defeat of ballot measure 2C, which was losing by about 2 to 1 in early returns in Colorado Springs would affect Manitou as well.

Looking toward January , Carpenter said he really thought he could “hit the ground running."

"I’ve been going to council meetings forever," he said. "The only thing that will change is which side of the dais I’m sitting on. My number one thing is to get back to where everybody in Manitou has a voice again.”

And in other mountain town election news, Breckenridge has legalized marijuana!

800s

I usually get about 40 minutes between work and the 1.5 hour hot yoga on Tuesdays. I usually just go for a short jog to pass the time. Tonight I decided to hit the CC track. Was able to get in 4 x 800 meters, with a 400 meter jog in between. Hit 2:56, 2:54, 2:53, and 2:50. Not my best workout ever, but a lot better than a lame 3.5 mile 40 minute run trying to avoid the Jack Quinn's walking and water club. Plus, the CC women's soccer team was out there practicing!

fight club!

Someone asked me after the run/hike/sufferfest on Sunday if my severe hangover and poor performance in the race should indicate to me that I may have a drinking problem. I said, "you know, in a week, nobody will remember the fall series. In a decade, we'll still probably be talking about how much fun we had that Halloween weekend."

Included in that fun was this epic video I took of the heavyweight fight between BLOS and Brooks at Nacheaux's house around 3:30AM.

slowly getting better

Mon PM - 8.5 miles with the Trinity Soul Runners. Great first half but had to stop to shit FOUR times over the last four miles! Three times in the Garden and once at the Loaf-n-jug. Sheesh. Still finished the run in 1:12:33, not too shabby considering. Definitely a TSR record that will be around for a long time.

Tues AM - nice ten miler with the PPRR Sunrise Striders. 7 miles at a slight tempo pace through Bear Creek Park, then three miles cool down. 1:21:35. Still not feeling 100%, but improving with each day.

Damn, that stupid punch was rough!

fall series #3

I at least made sure to look like I was running for the cameras.

vote!

Don't forget to vote tomorrow. I've already voted early by mail, but didn't tell anyone around the office that, so now I can take our company mandated two hours of "administrative time" to go for a long run. Democracy rocks!

Lots of crap going on in Colorado Springs. But it was relatively boring in Manitou. I didn't even get to vote for Matt C, since I don't live in his ward.

HAIL TO PITT!

My Panthers keep moving up. Currently ranked 14th in both the coaches poll and AP poll, and 13th in the BCS rankings.

Big final month looming. Shouldn't have any problems with Syracuse, but then Notre Dame, Cincinnati, and WVU close out the season.

50K

Tony passed 50,000 lifetime miles over the weekend. Wish his total would be about 25 miles higher as I would have loved to see him get the record at Leadville.

No idea how far I've gone since I started running back in 1989. If I had to guess, I would think I've averaged at least 2000 miles per year since then. That's less than 40 miles a week, so that number is probably higher, but I've never kept a log until recently. So maybe just over 40,000 miles?

October

Very low month, filled with rest days. Figured I'd take a lower mileage month now since it's about time to ramp up again.

195.8 miles, 42:35:56.

mon AM

Still feeling the effects of the weekend, but slowly getting better. 6 miles through Red Rock Canyon, 64:58.

fall series #3

Horrible effort due to a weekend long drinking binge. Durango pub crawl on Thursday night, a mountain brewery crawl on Friday, and a booze filled halloween drunk-a-thon on Saturday. I'm going to slap nacheaux next time I see her for that everclear kool aid stuff. Needless to say, most of the fall series was a slow hike for me. Katie beat me, and I even had to surge at the end to beat Happy Sock and the guy with the broken femur.

6.2 miles, 1:19:28, 204th out of 217 men. Ouch!

manitou 5K

Group shot from the Manitou 5K. Can't believe I didn't win something for my traffic cone costume.

yes, it's true...

...I licked a urinal cake for a free drink.

MEB!

First American to win the NYC Marathon since 1982! Read the article here.

Kudos to John G for his 3:37:32!