This week was killer, I’m glad it’s over.  Work was crazy and it was all I could do to hold things together.  Everything felt a little off for the most part, like I was fighting off a cold the whole time.  I cut 4 of the 5 runs shorter than planned.  Thankfully, no serious symptoms developed.

It took me two months, but I finally got my Leadville report written.  Glad to get that one out of the way – it is such a hot topic that I could never really nail down what I wanted to say, so I just ignored it for a long time.  Now I’m working on reports for a great night-time 10k trail race in IL, a do-it-yourself 50 mile trail race, and my very first gravel grinder.  Fun mix of events!

Monday – 7.6 run

Attempting to get 1,000′ of climbing on a lunch run in the Tech Center.  No easy task.  Did laps on ~100′ hill and ended up with about 730′.  Cut the run a little short due to some strange but intense quad pain.

Tuesday – 0

Slammed with work all day/night.

Wednesday – 11.6 run, 3 run

Sort of a decent run.  Heart rate was jacked (from being a little sick, I think).  Maxed out at 181, usually have a hard time seeing low 170 range.  Super nice fall day, though.  Love the blue sky and yellow leaves.

Got out in the evening for a small lap around the neighborhood.

Thursday – 33.1 bike

Steady ride around Cherry Creek.  I like riding the knobby-tires/MTB on the roads for this kind of stuff, makes for a good workout.

Friday – 7.1 run

Another hill run in the Tech Center.  700′.

Saturday – 12.2 run

Up early, out the door in the cold and dark. I usually feel pretty rough for the first few miles of an early run like this, but didn’t have much of a problem today. I was mostly happy just to get up and get out at all after such a tough week. Planned to do some climbing up Goat Peak and did a small loop through Chatfield while I was waiting for the sky to lighten up a little.

This is just a scrubby, often nasty ridge above Waterton Canyon.  Most of the time it is ugly, but capture it in the right light and it becomes postcard material.

Got about 1/3 of the way up the climb and (even though I was going for a Strava segment CR) stopped for a quick photo of the alpenglow lighting up the peak.  As I did, I noticed a hunter dressed in blaze orange up on the ridge – directly in my path.

I didn’t want to cause any grief, so I just turned around.  I did another half-hearted attempt at a repeat climb to my high point, but didn’t even make it that far before bagging the run and heading home.  Wanting more, but happy with what I was able to do.

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Meanwhile, 50 yards from the parking lot…

Sunday – 0

Worked the AM then made RT to Leadville.

Total – 42 run, 33 bike, 8:36