Training Runs and Baseball

Day 3 (More Colorado)

I awoke at 5:30 from my restless slumber on Willie’s air mattress to find Willie brewing a fresh pot of coffee and cooking oatmeal. We were heading over to Pine, CO for a 19 mile training run with our friend Chris and 20+ others. Chris and Willie are running the North Fork 50 mile race in July, and this organized run would take us over the last 19 miles of the course. After the hour drive over from Willie’s house, we started the run and headed up, up, up. I could feel some soreness in my quads from my downhill running the previous day, and the lack of oxygen (we were “only” at 7,000’) made the climb tough. This initial climb took us through a larger burn area with very little shade. Once we topped out at 8,000’+, we were treated to a fun 4 mile downhill on smooth, groomed forest trails. I settled into a nice downhill rhythm, chatting with a guy from Denver. We saw tons of mountain bikers, as the day was sunny and clear, and these trails were great for biking. As I was running with the guy from Denver (never caught his name), a biker came riding towards us, his black lab following close by. The Denver guy didn’t move, nor did the dog. It was kind of funny (for me at least) to watch the dog plow into the guy, sending him head over heels onto the side of the trail. After a barrage of expletives and a rant about leash laws, Denver guy was on his feet again, and we were heading to the one and only “aid station”. The RD had driven her car out with some water and snacks for the runners, just before our last climb of the day. We were close to 11 miles in, and I felt great. The next climb was tough, as it took us up another 1,000’ through another burn area. I did find it comical to hear other runners complain about the heat (it might have been in the 70s). I just laughed and tried not to shiver in the cool mountain air. I finished the run feeling good, having taken roughly 4 hours to cover 19 mountainous miles. For my second day at altitude, I was pleased.

(Willie making last minute preparations)

(Our First Climb)

(Chris and Willie after the run)

We hopped back in the car and made the return trip to Big Willie’s place. I showered, ate some lunch, and was on the road again, headed to Longmont (just outside Boulder). My plan was to find a hotel, drop my stuff, and catch the shuttle bus that would take me to the Leftover Salmon concert outside Ft. Collins. I checked in at 6, and the bus left at 6:30. As much as I wanted to go, I was exhausted from the past few days and called my first audible of the trip. Instead of going to the concert, I grabbed a bite to eat and crawled into bed for a decent night’s sleep.

Day 4 (Baseball in Denver)

The next day I headed to Denver to meet a good friend that worked with me in San Antonio. Nate was our PA announcer for Rampage games and had recently moved to Denver. When I told him I would be in town, he suggested we catch a Rockies baseball game. Having never been to a game at Coors Field, I was excited to go and enjoy the beautiful weather (it was again in the 70s with crystal blue skies). I met Nate at a rooftop restaurant across from the stadium. After catching up, we headed over to our seats, which turned out to be perfect. We were in the first row of the upper deck in right field, meaning we had spectacular views of the snow capped Rocky Mountains in the distance. The game itself was entertaining, with the teams (Colorado and the L.A. Dodgers) combining for 6 home runs. We left in the 8 inning and headed to a local bar that had an 80s theme. In fact, all the walls were lined with arcade games from the 80s. Nate and I spent an hour playing Double Dragon, Track and Field, and Tron. What a great place!

(View From Our Seats)

The nice part about my trip is that, while I have a loose itinerary with some definitive plans, I have lots of room to go with the flow and change plans along the way. I had originally thought I might drive halfway to Lake City and find a place, but then Willie mentioned running part of Pikes Peak on Monday. That got my attention, so I decided to stay close by and run Pikes. Nate and I met a couple of his friends after the game for dinner, and then I headed to Colorado Springs.

Trip Totals (Through Day 4)

Driving Mileage – 1500

Running Mileage and Vertical Change (est.) – 2 runs/32 miles/12,500’