Leadville 10k: A high altitude date

We started our day driving through the high plains and mountains of Colorado to reach our run date, the Leadville 10K, in Historic Leadville, Colorado.  We spent the previous day celebrating our friends recent nuptials around Aspen and enjoyed the Aspen Brewing Company followed by the Grand Opening of the Aspen Art Museum (where they made a publicity splash with the tortoise with iPads on their backs stunt).  We climbed over 10,000 feet into the sky to compete in the 10K the next morning.  Nick is competing in the Pikes Peak Ascent next week while Jessica is training for the Denver Rock n' Roll Marathon.

.

Leadville is a beautiful mountain town which has gained more recent fame for the Leadville 100 mile Ultra-Marathon and the multiple high altitude races it hosts.  It also contains a lot of history as a mining town and still contains the rustic, blue-collar feel of such a secluded place.  Its proximity to Denver, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen make it a worthy part of any trip to Colorado.

Prior to our race, we explored the town a bit, and Nick had to complete a long easy run prior to the race to prepare himself for the altitude of Pikes Peak next week.  We shared our pre-race affections and lined up with a myriad of characters including Barefoot Alex, and the complete crew from Marvel's Avengers.  At the gun we took off for our 5K descent, only to next turn around and head back uphill to where we came from!

We both had the learning experiences of  no matter how much you try to hold back running downhill for the first 5K, that last 5K is going to hurt!!  The course is a beautiful approach in to the mountains on primarily dirt road followed by a lung-grinding escape back up and away from them.  We both demonstrated our finest survival shuffles on the final step hill up 6th street prior to the finish where we enjoyed the camaraderie of a truly unique running community.

After one short race in Leadville terms we both fell in love with the idea of returning!  I'm not sure if either of us have the 100 mile bug, but Nick may dream about it knowing how the boy's brain works.

Happy Running and don't forget to find and live your love.

Nick's 3rd Place Overall Medal!

500 mile Review: @Saucony Cortana 3

500 miles and 4 months ago, I donned my first pair of Saucony Cortana 3 for marathon training.  I rotate my shoes, up to 3 or 4 pairs at a time, so it takes a while to wear each set down.  During the time of wearing the Cortana 3 I have rotated with Mirage 3, Kinvara Trail, and Virratas.  I use each type dependent on type of run.  

The Cortana quickly became my go to long distance shoe, the ride is great, very cushy but still light.  The heel of the shoe held up well, and the toe box bend was excellent, especially with the light upper mesh which avoids a high friction surface above my toes when running up hills (I've had that problem with other shoes and brands from the bending point of the shoe).  

I don't think you can judge a shoe well on first impressions, all shoes wear differently, but first impressions and last impressions for these soon to be donated shoes were excellent.  So the pros and cons...

PROS:  

• Soft Ride, Comfortable Shoe with more support than my other shoes
• Wore slowly over 500 miles, still running worthy today
• Light shoe for the amount of support they provide (for a 150lb guy at least)

CONS:

• Always took on a lot of rocks in creases of sole, and there are a lot of them in Colorado Springs
• Laces had to be replaced a month ago (broke due to wear from weather/dirt/use)

I already have my replacement pair and these have become my go-to shoes in my line-up.  The fit was true to size and comfortable out of the box.

Happy Running!  I look forward to putting 500 on my next pair and a few different models to compare 500 mile wear to.

Snowshoeing Trip: Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday, I redeemed my gift trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado from Jess for this past Christmas.  We put our snowshoes to use and explored the deep snow around Alberta Falls, Bear Lake, and the path to the Loch Lake.  The paths were previously trekked by other hikers, but we were able to cut some fresh trail in the park.  We both wore our Saucony Razor water-proof shoes, which were perfect, both light and snug and combined well with our Atlas snowshoes.

Jess (to the right) showing our off the path exploration towards treeline.  We were lucky to see Elk grazing and a nice range of Colorado birds picking at the food available above 36 inches of soft packed snow.
Afterwards, we explored the town of Estes Park, including the Snowy Peaks Winery, and The Wild Rose Restaurant for some Elk and Bison.
It was a crowded town on Saturday as everyone got their hikes in prior to the Broncos game on Sunday.  If you plan on making the trip, get up the mountain early as parking filled up fast and their were no spots available within 10 minutes after we parked.
Happy Cross-Training!

Race Report: PPRR Winter Series #1

Today, Jess and I undertook the 1st of 4 legs in the Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series.  The course was a rolling, snowy, muddy, and difficult 5K in Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  The course was attractive with dirt/snow packed trails through the hills of the park.  Even with our studded Saucony Kinvara and Razor II trail shoes there was no stopping all the slipping through the turns and up the hills, which made it a very hard effort to keep any consistent speed.
We ran with the Peak Multisport team (below in the blue) and Jess is smiling because she knew we would use the time directly after she finished to consume hot chocolate and donuts.
Great race!  PPRR always puts on good events and is the friendliest non-profit in town.

Hope to see you out there on 1/25/14 at the 2nd leg!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a happy, healthy 2014!

It's a new year and with it comes the opportunity to reflect on the highlights, challenges, and lessons learned of the previous year as well as the hopes and goals for the year to come.  In 2013 we overcame challenges, had a lot of fun, and learned a ton along the way.  As we move into a new year, we're so excited at what 2014 has in store, especially our upcoming wedding in June :)

13 highlights of 2013 (in no particular order):

1.  Setting a date to marry my best friend and the love of my life.

2.  Moving to Colorado.

3.  Becoming an “Auntie” and Godmother.

4.  Competing as an Active Ambassador on Team Aquaphor.

5.  Sharing the awesomeness of Colorado with lots of visitors.

6.  Bidding farewell to the travel PT life and taking a permanent outpatient orthopedic position.

7.  Jersey Girl Triathlon weekend – lots of laughing, dress shopping, beach time, and a triathlon.

8.  Joining the EIM crew to add to my “PT toolbox”.

9.  Tackling marathon #4 in Cape Cod -  awesome runners, fans, and scenery.

10.  Lots of traveling with friends and family including Pittsburgh, Galveston TX, Philadelphia, Boston, Sacramento CA , Jersey Shore, Austin TX, Cape Cod, etc.

11.  Christmas time with family –  lots of food, fun, and love.

12.  Pitt homecoming 2013 – wedding planning, alumni events, and a 10K.

13.  Spending lots of time in the mountains with my other half.

Resolutions for 2014:

1.  I will manage stress better by taking time to relax daily, participating in yoga at least once per week, and keeping a journal of my goals and progress.

2.  I will improve my nutrition by eating more regularly and consuming a balanced diet with greater variety of fruits and vegetables, higher protein intake, and less empty carbs.

3.  I will go to gym at least 12 times per month.

4.  I will achieve greater balance in my life by limiting physical and emotional clutter and tackling chores in a more timely manner rather than letting tasks pile up. 

5.  I will take a more active role in giving back to my community through volunteering

6.  I will improve my professional development through increased participation in the APTA and achievement of continuing education and certifications. 

7.  I will complete an Olympic distance triathlon.

8.  I will perform proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and regular stretching and flexibility exercises before and after running.

9.  I will try a new recipe at least once a month.

10.  I will contribute to our blog more frequently.

11.  I will visit another country. 

12.  I will hike a new 14er. 

13.  I will floss my teeth daily

14.  I will reach 50 runs with Jack Quinn’s Run Club.

Cheers to a new year!