Awful start to the week, got a bit better towards the end.  My training has been very hit-and-miss lately, but I’m still at it.  I am in this for the long haul, so while I don’t enjoy weeks like this one and sometimes get very frustrated, I still remember the big picture.  It’s all about making the deposits in the training bank.  No matter how small.

I posted this before, but I still reflect on it during weeks like this:

Everyone loves the idea of success but few love the work it takes to get there. Passionately pursue the process and fall in love with the grind, success will follow.  Josh Cox

I’m not hung up on the success part, but I do like the idea of falling in love with the grind.  Taking the bad with the good.  Every damn day.

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Monday
6.7 miles

Had the day off work today.  The weather was outstanding.  Big plans were hatching in my brain…

I dropped the kids off at school and went in search of a sunrise shot.  The location I had in mind didn’t work out, so I went for plan B.  Shoot away from the sunrise.  I hit the overlook in Daniels Park just in time to catch about 2 minutes of alpenglow on Pikes Peak.  It was a very cool pink/purple color with a faint orange sky as the sun lit up the hazy air.  This is from 44 miles away.  It’s a big mountain…

After spending the morning taking care of things to do with real life, I got the green light to head out just after noon.  What to do on such a beautiful day?  I didn’t want to spend a lot of it driving, so opted to head to Red Rocks.  I really like the loop there and wanted to get in a long steady run on that terrain.  4 laps would give me a perfect marathon distance.

I didn’t necessarily want to work too hard, but I did want to go at a consistent pace from start to finish.  I also planned on not making any stops, and even went so far as to fill up four bottles in advance so I would have one for each lap and be able to grab one off the car as I ran by.

Guess how long it was before I stopped?

.7 miles

What a disaster.

My calves were so angry it just became impossible to run anymore.  They get so pumped and tight I couldn’t even let my heels touch the ground.  How long have I been doing this??  Sometimes it seems like I just started running last week.

I sat on a rock and contemplated how badly I suck at this stupid sport.

Then I reminded myself to take the good with the bad, remember that it is a process, a lifestyle, and that I loved simply being outside and moving.

I gave it one more serious attempt that lasted all of 1/2 mile before the calves shut me down for good.  I jogged and walked the remainder of the loop, ending up with a grand total of 6.6 miles in 1:20.  Not quite what I had in mind.

I happened to still have all of my camera gear in the car from the weekend, so I thought maybe I could salvage the day by heading up to Golden Gate State Park and shooting some of the fall color.  That was a bust, too.  Leaves were gone, everything was brown and barren.  Ugh.

Coming back through Golden, I decided to hike up to the band of cliffs on North Table Mountain and check out the climbing possibilities.  It’s a fun looking little crag with a lot of short 3-5 bolt routes.  I still have a brand new pair of climbing shoes that are two years old and have never been worn…

I got off a few nice shots with the camera as well, and that helped my mood improve a great deal.  Something about finding a subject and firing that shutter just feels good.

I thought this was a cool composition with the city in the background.  The climbers look like they are miniature people because I was actually quite a distance away and the closeness of the rock on the left exagerrates the perspective.

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Tuesday
6.8 miles

Good rebound after yesterday. Worked the calves over on the foam roller last night and that helped a little. Still extremely blown out, but I was able to manage better today.

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Wednesday
6 miles

Just a jog.  Bleh.

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Thursday
5.1 miles

Wanted double that, cut short.  Still feeling like garbage.

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Friday
10.3 miles

A little better.  Seem to be finally crawling out from under whatever has been holding me down.

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Saturday
10 miles

I would love to go out for a 20+ mile run today, but 10 is probably all I have in me.  If even that much.  Just don’t know what to expect after this up and down week.  My calves continue to be a huge problem.

Did some yard work in the morning and then headed for Green Mountain (Lakewood).  I was itching for some dirt, rocks, and hills – without anything too extreme.

When I pulled up it was cold, windy, grey, and just starting to spit rain.  Perfect.  Sometimes I enjoy things more when there is a little adverse weather element.

Surprisingly, I felt decent as I rolled up and down the hills and even made it all the way up the biggest climb at a steady jog.  My calves were definitely limiting me, but at least they weren’t shutting me down.

The skies let loose when I topped out and I was soaked and loving it.  I had the whole place all to myself and imagined I was running through the Scottish Highlands (land of my ancestors).

Ended up with satisfied with a very nice 10 miles on the trails.  Just what I needed.

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Sunday
0 miles

Day off.  Spent the afternoon driving around doing a bit of hiking with the camera.  Beautiful day!

Found a good spot for the tripod…  Tune in Friday to see the results.

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Total: 45 miles / 7:04