Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Sun Is Out…. Finally


I haven't been on a trail run all week because of the wet stuff. Not a big fan of the treadmill but it does the job. And I enjoy watching how many people come and go while I do my thing for an hour and half. Another trend I have noticed is that people will now stand on the rim of the treadmill and text while the belt adds up their miles. That so cracks me up. Glad I am not that busy that I cant workout w/o my phone.

Huge weekend ahead……. Infrastructure on Friday….. Marshall on Saturday….. Pro Racers on Sunday…. Clients on Monday…… Mr Jim fly's in on Wednesday….. Time can sure fly this time of year…. Stay Strong & Be Safe



9 Years Ago This November… Love You Boy

Monday, August 25, 2014

Do I or Do I Pass…. My Race Is Next Month



So this drives me crazy!! The photo above was taken back in Feb/March and the photo on the right was just from this past Sunday. Backing up some, like Thursday night, the Grand Valley started receiving rain on an already saturated ground. You see, we only average 9 inches of rain a year, we are a high desert, 2.36 inches of rain had already fallen during the month of August. Our soil just can't handle that kind of impact. Now, knowing the alarm was set for 4:56am, I was off to bed Friday night, still reading Monkey Wrench Gang, I drifted off into the unknown, wakened by the Boy Dog shivering like a crazy dog. THEN, the whole room lite up and before I could even react, BOOM, the thunder was there. The next bolt was crackling down from the clouds of darkness and the clash of lightning rumbled away. Normally, we see lightning, we count until thunder, we guess at the miles, we think nothing of it. Not this time!!! Lightning and thunder were simultaneous and the sound echoed away rather than came to. It WAS Pretty Radical!!! But it had been raining off and on for two full days and it was raining at 3:30am before a trail run.

 This means that I would have done what I usually do: MAKE EXCUSES!!! No, Not Really. A number of reasons crossed my mind of why I should go and more strengths of why I should pass on the Search & Rescue 8 mile trail run came to the forefront. I was already up and Shadow Boy wasn't allowing anything but worry to consume our day. With the Lead King 25K just around the corner, I passed on the race. Seeing the gutters flow like Niagara Falls during off season, slopping around in the mud, falling on my sacrum, breaking a wrist, or just tearing up the trail didn't turn me on.

So Shadow Boy and I did the only sensible thing that we could do. Watch the FXX Simpsons Marathon and wait out the rain. And we did it well!! Later in the afternoon, we did our no excuse loop, I continued on over to Stoker Stadium, the miles flew on by. Its becoming much easier to find my sub 14min mile pace. I can remember struggling w/a 16min mile this past Spring when I started w/my coach. I powered along in Lane 7 and had the time of my life. The air was clean, the clouds rolled in and out, birds danced from tree to tree, and I simply motored on mile after mile. About the time Mr Sun showed its shape of the evening, I headed for the house, called it a day, and was quite pleased w/my progress. Turns out, I crushed it, in my model of the world. 9.06 mile in 2 hours at a 13:45 min mile pace. Hell Yes!!!!!

Sunday was beautiful and after watching an embarrassing NBC coverage of the Colorado Pro Tour, Shadow & I headed for 27 1/4 RD. What a rush!!!
 I hadn't been in that part of the desert for many moons. You see, when Shadow was a puppy and Sadie Girl was still fancy footing it around, the three of us would go out 27 1/4 road everyday. RIP Sadie Girl 06-12-13. After Sadie Girl passed, the desert just wasn't the same.





The few times Shadow Boy & I went out to the desert, it was depressing. I would see more trash, glass, furniture, Trojans, and new trails created by Red Neck Phuc Ups driving around as if they DONT own the place. So Shadow Boy & I started exploring new surroundings and happy places for him to drop a Duce.









 My hips were open, my movement was free, and I am INJURY FREE!!! I made the right decision by not running Saturday morning in the rain. Shadow was as happy as pig in sh*t. The photo on the left has a Fighter Jet leaving the tar mac. The jet is almost centered and just below the horizon of the National Monument. Maybe you will see it if you go big, maybe????


Our miles clipped on by again. Just him and Me. I Love This Guy













Shadow My Shadow






First Shot and Shooting From Right to Left




Second Shot

Third Shot Towards TheNorth





The Boy Dog Sniffing His Roots





I still carry Sadie Girls tags in my pocket. Everyday, Everywhere, and she will be w/me forever. Her collar and tags are always in my front left pocket. We use to park here, the dogs would run, I would watch planes fly, and throw back a few beers. The photo above is looking West towards the boarder of Utah and the photo on the left is looking South over the airport. Hard to believe that Sadie Girl isn't running w/us right now and that Shadow Boy is 9 years old.









 You would never guess that this was the desert in August. We have had so much rain and the vegetation is so lush right now. The single tack trails were soft and the "roads" were manageable to say the least. I was able to add up 14 miles over the weekend and NO INJURIES as well. Shadow Boy is happy, the desert is alive, and trail running is still so damn fun. Thanx Legs




                                                                         

And even this photo captures the lush vegetation in the desert. By this time of year, its brown as brown can be. Nothing grows after the first bloom of the cacti. And look at that rut from the run off.

BEST DAY EVER!!! 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Radio Show Tonight

Life Is Awesome….. I have been having some of the best damn days…… We should all have these days….. Everyday….. Every Summer….. Every Week……… I send off gratitude


A few high lights and recaps:

My training pace has picked up for the better. Thank You Legs
New Clients. Thank You Ortho-Bionomy
The video from above is a sample of what goes on just before the KOM. Thanx Colorado Race Fans
And the socializing. Thank so much boo cycles ( check out their site http://boobicycles.com )
Camping w/friends, family, & the Boy Dog. Thanx San Juan Mts
Outdoor concert series. Thanx Hugh & Kelly & The Rock-a-Strua at CMU


On Tap 

Easy walk w/the Shadow Boy in the morning.
Another New Client
Catching the debacled coverage on NBC Sports at 1:30pm
Working the Farmer's Market at 4pm.
Board Meeting at 5:30pm
Hosting the Magic Carpet Ride at 6:30pm www dot kafmradio dot org A Classic Rock Show Tonight
Friday will have some tile work involved it it some how, easy walk w/Shadow Boy, and grain filled dinner BECAUSE……

…….Saturday is the Search And Rescue 8 Mile Trail Run!!!! Cant Wait!!!




Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Stage 2 of the Pro Tour


My day started at 2:47am, I just woke up, Shadow Boy next to me, my eyes were open w/excitement to look forward to. I had set my alarm for 3:03am but I was up and going. Started the coffee and loaded up the car as I was packed up from the night before. Out the door, after dog treats were handed out, heading for the beautiful foothills of the Rockies. My plan was driving up and over Kebler Pass and breakfast in Crested Butte. Driving along Kebler, best shape the road has ever been in, I was stopped by C-Dot and told to turn around. Kebler Pass was closed at 5am for the bike race. I showed the guy my phone and it read 5:07am. Told him," Oh come on man. I will drive slow." He didn't give two damn sh*ts about me or my day. So I returned to the little town of Paonia  for coffee and a breadstick from the Flyin' Fork Bakery & Cafe. What a place!!! I regrouped and headed up McClure Pass ( 8,653ft ) at just about 8:50am.




When I first arrived, surprised by how little race fans were around, I set my self up near the 200km from the King Of The Mt banner. And at about this time of surveying my location, the place filled up w/cars. The guy above w/the chalk was a pretty cool dude. He knew everything about bikes, racing, & cycling in general. The guy on the right was a classic. He drives around to each stage and camps out in his car until the race. I don't know if he was loaded or just not used to a person like me asking questions and making small talk. It didn't take long for the " tour folks" to come along. Because the pass was closed to traffic, club riders ride the pass. I mean all day long, old riders, young kids, mt bikers, a guy on a unicycle, and who knows what else. We all cheered as they climbed on by and when I would see a high end bike w/an average rider, my comment was, COME ON LADIES, STAND UP A GRIND!! Well that took off like wild fire.

How he rode back down I will never know



Oh, and costumes?!?!? Classic!!! I saw the dog before the Hulk guy and Chicken Kid and asked for a photo op. They were happy and posed before I could even ask. The lady below had the polka dotted dress was pleased I engaged w/her. She was a weeeee bit tippseee as well. It was all about soaking up the atmosphere indeed. Everyone had ice chest full of beer and never used their lawn chairs they brought along.

And the swag started coming. Team Jelly Belly support vehicle passed by and threw out mini bags of jelly beans. A company named Champion Systems threw out racer hats, empty food bags, & socks. Garmin flipped out empty water bottles. The electrified crowd became more like a Great White Sharks scouring for freebies. Totally fun!!! Happy To Be A Small Part Of A Circus Of True Race Fans






I have videos of the racers and will post ( editing needed ) more on that soon. After the racers flew on by ( up hill ) the real party started. I found myself in this camp and was totally stoked for sure. The boo bicycles were on their game!!! Their bamboo bikes were unreal and will be featured in Outdoor Mag next issue. They had everything, keg, TV Coverage, BBQ, chairs, maps, & much much more. I met a kid from Washington that took his vacation just to come to Colorado for the tour. The more we talked, the more I liked him. He shared our Kebler Pass stories and we both came to the conclusion that this was were we were supposed to be. Up and over in Crested Butte, it was hammering rain, we were dry w/food and beer. I knew I would be driving at some point so I was the ONLY one not drinking off the keg. No shortage of chips, hot dogs, and beer for the group. And everyone was so damn cool. No egos!! Just bike fans and race fans. The best kind. And what totally blew me away, after the NBC Sh*t coverage, the owner of boo cycles handed out trash bags and said, " We Clean The KOM now," Thats what we did. We picked that place clean from old discarded Natural Light beer cans, candy wrappers, & one old tire. What a feeling!!! Giving Back!!! Smokey The Bear would have been so happy & proud of us.

This photo was taken for many reasons. #1 The dress up group on the left. #2 The Garmin water bottle. #3 The hot dog wrap. #4 The happiness of just being on the face of the guy standing. #5 The Colorado Blue Sky #6 And just the epic vernal feeling shared by all. Lots of hugs as we went our separate ways.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Are You Kidding Me???? Oh, I Mean, In A Good Way!

The Boy Dog Was So Stoked About Water IN Camp
Let the amazing weekend Get-A-Way begin. Shadow Boy & I jumped in Toyota w/ The Blue Z and Arwen, next stop, besides for the piss breaks for Baby A, 8700ft. Just a mere 2 + hour drive away, absolute paradise in the forest awaits are arrival. We veered off 550  and onto County RD 7. The dusty dirt road continued bumping along for about 8 miles. What we found was pure bliss. May the photos below paint the picture of 1,000 words!!!!

Imagine if you will, OK, No More Cheesy Twilight Monolog, upon arriving, the dogs flew out of the car, smelled faint scents from long ago, and ran like crazed animals. Shadow took me over to the fire pit and showed me were we would be cooking his 3inch thick T-Bone steak to perfection over an open flame of course.









All of these photos were shot w/a GoPro 3 Silver at 11MP. In the background of this photo is the 14er Mt Snuffles. Have have climbed that monster but have no interest in reliving that accomplishment. The bouldering of that beast isn't all that fun and takes a sh*t load of time.


Another sweet camp, which was quickly found, occupied by two gals, way exposed to the main road though, is a pretty cool site. Notice the puffy white pillows floating our way.













Whats a blog w/o a Boy Dog marking the territory?????


Again, so stoked to have this stream, creek, sound bed of napping to. I can so appreciate clear snow melt off, the ripples from a smooth rocked stream bed, a seen of clear bliss.






And running Arwen was top priority  for me!! Throwing a disc was rather easy at this altitude and watching her chase the shadows from above was a joy. I don't know if she could see the disc but never lost sight of the shadows on the ground. She was just happy to run circles and hang w/the boys.





True Summer Storm Colorado Style

Thankfully, my brother showed up, set up the pop up, cracked a beer, all before Mother Nature rolled in. Hail, heavy rain, and rumbling thunder AT the time of lightning strikes. The amount of water that added up was exciting. Will it ever end?????






Calm after the storm!!!








We walked a weeeeee bit lower down valley and checked out multiple camp sites that were super impressive for camping.


Most sited had fire pits and the mighty little creek wasn't far from a treasured site. Even in this photo of Shadow, check out the beauty behind him or the cool water between his toes. All of these sites rocked.













I do like this photo above. Mt Sneffels captured in the most postcard perfect moment in time. This little meadow that we walked through was lush, rich w/a verity of greens, and wildflowers dotted the open spaces. What a peaceful walk by all. The dogs were happy that the lightning was past.
And The Boy Dog Ate











The Birthday MONTH Boy Dog



Great shot of the San Juan Range. And this is just a small portion of the range in Southwestern Colorado. I was also pleased by how few trees are dead compared to Summit County.











 These last three photos were basically a sweep from my brothers point of view were Shadow & I were posing for our Christmas 2014 Holiday Greeting Card. Up until this photo, we had hiked though a rain forest type of atmosphere. We were soaked w/sweat but the temp was perfect. On a side note here, my training for the Lead King has paid off. While training w/just the Boy Dog, having nothing to compare to, I was able to hold a conversation w/ my brother while hiking along the trail. Shadow & I waited a few times for my brother to catch up and catch his breath. Our hike started early in the morning at an elevation of 8,716ft & we still had approximately 1,700ft of climbing in about 3.9miles. My legs felt strong and my hips were fine until about this photo. I stretched my hip flexors and psoas while I waited for my brother to take this photo and catch up. My body was feeling great, consumed plenty of water, and ate well before and during. Most chomped on a few handfuls of my own mixed trail mix.

Looking back was worth it as this photo displays wildflowers, a majestic mountain range, and deep into the valley near Ridgeway Colorado. Just after this photo, an army of mosquitoes assaulted us from above, sideways, from below, an all out war for flesh. Shadow Boy & I took off. A quick glance at my Garmin to see the pace at 12min mile. We climbed and didn't look back at for my poor brother. We didn't leave him in any kind of danger, but I knew he would never even try to match my pace. The Boy Dog and I popped out on this ridge line that was gorgeous as all get out.
One of the best points of view thats unmarked by man. Soon, my brother rejoined and we were near the next memorable photo op.














Shadow & I On Pace

He Can Smell The Lake

 Shadow Boy had a few sips off some little stream crossings but decided that laying down is the only way to lap up this snowy run off. He would only drink for about 10 seconds and then quickly up and off to mark, smell, and back to rehydrate before starting this routine all over. Talk About Happiness!!!!!! Around this lake  ( 10,317ft ) is were we ate our pre made wraps of hummus, brie, spinach, yellow bell, & dried salami. We soaked up the sun and reminisced about childhood adventures, old girlfriends, and setting new goals. You know, We Bullsh*tted like brothers do. We relaxed and I stretched for about a half hour or so and began packing up for our decent back to camp. I was still mesmerized by the colors that the wildflowers offered. I mean, flowers are flowers, but alpine flowers and cacti in bloom are totally different. They scream to the pollinators to come pollenate me because we don't have long.

And The Colors


You just can't imagine how loud this raging water fall was and a little fuchsia from the plant named Indian Paint Brush in the foreground. Looking back, I wish we would have hiked down to the three smaller pools inside the this powerful waterfall. Those little eddy outs would have been nice to dip in.









The Boy Dog was heading for a little drink and a cool soak. I could have easily hung out an extra hour here and absorbed the sheer beauty this place had to offer. But when my brother caught up and rested, away we went around the next bend of breath taking beauty.












He was giving me that look like, "Must You Keep Doing That", "How Many More Photos Of Me Do You Need", "Shouldn't You Be Doing Something"??? Those kinds of photos crack me up. They are County Fair worthy.



















More Water, More Wildflowers, More Awesomeness, & More To Come

















This guy's shirt cracked me up!!! I missed his name but he said that he was from Provo Utah and hadn't been up this high before. I checked me for water, made small talk, photo, & he was on his way. Wonder what he thought of me????














Straight down a few thousand feet. One slip & Oh Boy


I love this shot!!! I don't even remember taking it. Wish this was taken w/a sweet Cannon D90 or something high end. Shadow Boy was a trooper for a 9 year old and clearly enjoyed celebrating his birthday month w/us.















Moss, Shrooms, & A Pine Tree Growing IN This Fallen Tree

My brother found all kinds of mushrooms and quickly became like a little boy in a moist forest of goodness. Everyone he found, gave me the name, how to dry it, how to cut it, what it complements, funny we never ate any at camp. I finally had to go as I wasn't ready to cool down. Shadow was TOTALLY pissed by the waiting around.


So The Boy Dog and I took Off. This stretch of the trail is were my confidence grew as I reflexed on the day. I have posted before about feeling slow or an ache or pain would show up after mile 5. Today, I was very comfortable w/my sub 10min mile pace at this point and focused on my lower half. I noticed how my toes spread during push off, how my knees were lined up over my feet, and how centered my low gravity hugged the trail of switch backs. My arms were relaxed and fully engaged w/synced steps.

We made the last of the trail a blur. I still stopped, acknowledged the on coming hiker that Shadow is very friendly, moved to the side as so they could pass, and fell forward w/speed.



Sure wished for a better photo of this trail head marker. At this point, I hit stop on the Garmin, also stopped during "lunch" at the lake, for data from the days hike. Shadow Boy & I began drinking water and I slowly stretched and reflected on my present body. I really am feeling better and recovering much quicker. We hiked the 7.68 mile up and back in 3 hrs 38 min 26 seconds. We climbed 1,738ft in just under 1 hr 30 min and I forget the milage at that point. Mt brother was worked when we hit the lake but seemed better when he rejoined Shadow & I near the trail head. Shadow & I took a COLD and rejuvenating plunge in the creek. Oh, it felt so good on my knees and feet. A party of tent campers made some comments about how we looked just sitting in the water. Nothing bad, just small talk, where we were from, how long was the hike, stuff I couldn't careless about because my hearing is so bad and the water was flowing.
More To Discover















The photo of all photos!!! After climbing out of the creek, we headed back towards the road, as only to rejoin my brother, Shadow & I found this camper's stuff. A vintage KAFM water bottle!!! Our little 300 watt community radio satiation is represented at about 8,500ft!!! And The Boy Dogs Face!!! This photo captures how amazing this day, area, lifestyle has become.

How was your weekend??? When have you camped last??? Whats for dinner when you are camping??