2013: The Plan and the Beginnings

This past week has seen me significantly amp up my training. Not just my mileage, but my intensity as well. Despite a significant pain in my toe at the end of my Sunday Long(ish) Run last week, after a day off on Monday I took off on Tuesday for a tempo run (you can see that on my other blog: the Thirteen Project).  This was my first time up the new Chapman trail in Boulder. It's an excellent tempo run trail up an old dirt road built by the CCC in the 30s. It is decidedly non-technical.

After an easy day Wednesday, Thursday saw my first workout with the Boulder Track Club's new Mountain/Ultra/Trail team. Somewhat disappointingly, it was 1/3 mile hill repeats up Iris in Boulder: not a trail at all. I could tell that it had been some time since I had done an intense workout, and fell a bit behind the lead guys in the group. Give it a little time, and I am sure I will get back into it again.

Friday was another treck up the Chapman trail with a few friends, this time taking the Tenderfoot trail when it branched off instead of following the road the whole way up. For an average run, I much prefer this route to the road. 

Sunday I took my first run up Green of the year. When I started, the temperature was in the single digits, but the weather rewarded those of us out there with a rather stunning vista of the Flatirons emerging from the clouds.

After the intense week, my legs felt a little sluggish on the ascent of Green. I had also just screwed my shoes for the  year (the latest I've ever done that) and realized that the screw under my toe didn't quite have enough shoe between it and my foot. Over the course of the run, this would become more and more of a problem, until I would finally rip it out back on the Mesa Trail. 

Despite my sluggish legs, and a trip that spilled the bottles from my vest, I made it to Saddle Rock in 21 minutes, and hit the top in 43. That's a bit slow for me, lately, but would have been one of my better times this time last year. Says something about my fitness, I think, as well as the prospects for the next year. 

It was a bit cold, but not that bad.

Speaking of this year, beyond the Thirteen Project, which involves a lot of running, I decided on two major races, with the possibility of a third later in the year. 

First, I'll be attempting (well, finishing, because unless I severely injure myself I'll get through it) my first ultra, the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty, on June 1. This is a 50k just down the road in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and comes recommended. 

Second, assuming it happens, is the Telluride Mountain Run. This one is a bit out there: it's a 55 mile run with 20,000 feet of vertical, put on by Dakota Jones. It is set to be a true mountain run, with few aid stations and lots of single track (and a little no-track). I have no idea if I can do this, but then, what's the fun if you do?

Assuming I recover from that, I'd really like to try the Moab Marathon again.

It looks to be a good year.