Gear Test

I have felt very professional lately while writing this blog. I recently commissioned a desk for myself, made from reclaimed red oak to my own specifications, and I now feel both professional, and in some sense like I have to live up to the gorgeous desk on which I write these posts. Mostly, however, I just love having a giant, mostly empty desk where I can put my computer. It seems to ooze potential.

But all that and the more that I was thinking is beside the point at the moment. This is about running.

It was windy yesterday here in Boulder, enough so that I threw out any idea of a long, flat run, and headed, as I am wont to do, into the foothills and the Chautauqua area for a long, hilly run. In preparation for the Leadville Marathon this summer, I had several times run the three most prominent peaks of Boulder: South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak, and Green Mountain. I had also often run Flagstaff, since it was convenient to my office.  I opted yesterday for the previously untried (by me) combo of Flagstaff and Green, with the possibility of adding the other two as a bonus.

This was both a test of me and a test of my new gear. I had visited the GoLite sale earlier that morning, an institution here in Boulder, and picked up a few necessaries for my running adventures. Among other things, I had left my old windshirt at Leadville, and needed a new one. I also took the opportunity to grab myself a new hydration pack, since the design has definitely improved in the years since I got my trusty Mule.

To my great surprise, heading up Crown Rock to the Flagstaff trail, my legs felt strong and the, reasonably severe, slope felt easy. I quickly topped off Flagstaff and headed down Ute to hit Green. Here again, my legs felt great and, aside from slipping a few times on icy sections of trail, I made it up Green no problem.

The view to the west from the top of Green. All the little peaks on the plaque should be there somewhere in the background. The view to the east was clear and sunny.

From there, I took off down Green-Bear for the next shot to the legs. I think this is my favorite downhill in the area. It is fairly gradual, and much less crowded than most of the trails in the area, so you can bomb down it without too much worry about knees or collisions. 

Up till this point, I had entertained thoughts of hitting Bear and South Boulder, but decided that, since I had not run that far in a long time (read: other than the Leadville Marathon) I would do better to leave it at two peaks for the day. 

I took off down Bear Canyon and promptly managed to almost brain myself on a tree that had fallen across the path. This was one of only two points on the run where there was significant snow on the trail. It didn't last long, and I quickly zig-zagged my way down the series of tight switchbacks and back to Mesa trail. 

From there it was a quick couple miles back to where my car was (alas) waiting in the parking lot. 

How long was the run? I have no real idea. I rarely run with a watch, since when I do I obsessively check it and compare myself to prior runs on the same route, and I forgot to check the time in my car before I left and after I got back. I'm guessing, though, it was a bit over two hours. 

The good news: I felt great the whole time. Even when I was moving at a good clip, I never felt like I was straining. My new gear worked like a charm. The backpack, which I will admit was not really necessary for that short a run, fit like a glove and didn't bounce or bother me in the least. The windshirt did its job. And the shorts I picked up as an afterthought, well they will take some breaking in. 

I had the chance on this run to muse on what races and runs might be in store for the next year, but I'll save those for another post.