Conundrum Hot Springs Hiking Vacation

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures.  One of those places in the world where pictures don't do it enough justice.

We arrived into Aspen on Wednesday night in order to get a good night's sleep before our early wake-up time to start the hike.  The drive from downtown Aspen is no more than 15 minutes (if you don't miss the turns) as you take the first roundabout on 82 to Castle Creek Road for approximately 5 miles until Conundrum Creek Creek appears on your right.  It's a disguised turn on the forested road so keep your eyes peeled if you want to give this hike a try.  Just stay on the road, which narrows to a wide single lane dirt passage up to a dirt parking lot where hopefully you will find a spot!

Our GPS information on the hike up from Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/352795676 , expect 8.3-8.75 miles one-way based on any side excursions you may take.  We hiked 17.5 miles total on the day, which is no joke especially if you don't live at altitude, and it took us about 3:45 up and 3 hours down with some periods of jogging and lots of stops for photos.  Pack a lunch and plenty of fluids (or a water pump/water purifying options) and plan to spend some time soaking your legs half way through in nature's hot tub if you do it as a day hike like us.  Most people spend the night at one of the multiple camp sites near the hot springs which requires a heavier pack, but half the hiking per day.  There are both campfire and non-campfire legal sites off the trail near the hot springs and depending on the weather, there are sites out of and under tree cover.

Take a look at some of the route below with some more information on the hike!

You'll enter the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness - if this is your first trip to Aspen you can't miss Maroon Bells, some of the most photographed peaks in the world.  There are also great hikes in that valley if you don't have your heart set on bathing in the natural hot springs reward of this hike.

We spotted a moose early on while looking right off of the trail about 0.5 miles into the hike.  He was a big active bull moose feeding voraciously.  Just like bears, I was happy to be far away while we spectated.

Pack an extra pair of socks for the hike, some river crossings are simple wide balance beams like below, while others aren't so easy including a river ford crossing about 6 miles up.  

You can't hike in Aspen without a picture of the famous trees of course.  This grove was leaning with the hill and would be absolutely stunning in the fall when your path would be lined with gold.

We didn't get fall foliage colors, but all of the wildflowers were in full bloom.  The variety of flowers (and bugs) was terrific.  If you haul a quality camera for the hike you won't be disappointed with your photo haul.

As you hike you will see the 14'ers in the distance, that is where you are heading!  It's a long ways but you'll be happy when you're in the hot water taking in your majestic Rocky Mountain surroundings.

Be fleet of foot to keep your shoes dry!

Check out the views from Conundrum Hot Springs - and you get to be relaxed and warm as you take them in.

 The large and warmer pool

 Taking it in with a GoPro selfie in the big spring

 The small, cooler spring.  Also muddier and buggier - we were big social pool fans

Jess with an incredible balance performance - she kept her shoes dry and I'm going to credit her gymnastics history.  This is the river ford but you can try to stay dry like Jess on the log crossings.  There are multiple water crossings during this hike.

And Celebration!  We took a stop in a nice part of Buena Vista on South Main at Eddyline Brewery.  It's a nice little spot if you need a stop outside of Aspen (assuming you took Independence Pass!)

Rocky Mountain State Games - First Overall Triathlon Win!

This morning I competed for the second year in the Rocky Mountain State Games Triathlon in Colorado Springs at Memorial Park/Prospect Lake.  The sprint distance triathlon is a USAT National Talent ID race for junior elites and qualifies athletes for other elite developmental races.   However, for an old hat like me, it is a chance to race close to home and also a lot shorter than I'm used to.  There was great talent at the race but my two friends who took 1st and 2nd last year (to my 3rd place) are focusing on upcoming Pro races which definitely heightened my chances.  This year the support of sponsors was extensive and I hope it can continue to grow for this important local event.  Thanks to Pikes Peak Acura, Colorado Running Company, Peak Multisport, Marriott, COS Racing, Rudy Project, Road ID, SL3S, Criterium Bicycles, the volunteers, and to everyone else who was out there today to support the event. 

Race Report:

I started in the second wave of the sprint race due to my age group and had a lot of fast younger athletes starting 3 minutes ahead of me to provide some inspiration to keep up my speed.  Since swimming is my weakest discipline I enjoyed being in less traffic than usual as I was out of the water in 3rd place from my start wave.  With a short bike ride, I knew it was guns blazing the whole way and went for it from the start.  Unfortunately, that caused a large increase in heart rate and breathing which led to some pain occurring in my anterior chest in the lower right.  I knew the pain from last year's short sprint races as my intercostals and obliques locking up and I could only hope for the best from there.  The fun up/down/left/right criterium-like course for the bike took away some speed regularly due to the room available around other athletes on the 3 loop short course but I came out of the bike strong and ready to run.  The run, usually my strongest discipline, couldn't be covered after the checks I cashed on the bike overdrew my account.  I had immediate chest tightening/spasming making even the shortest breath painful and impossible feeling.  I struggled to run at all and my heart sunk as my 5:30 pace expectation went out the window.  I struggled for about 10 minutes, then, luckily, I was able to get a quick on-ground adjustment to my thoracic spine from Jess about a mile in and the slight release allowed me to breath again as my split times went from 10:20 per mile to 6:10 per mile, both below my normal capability but enough to hold onto the overall win in the end.  It was a fun competition and the course is different than my normal race which made it exciting as you passed the homestretch crowd 9 times total during all of the legs.  

Jess provided me with some action shots!:

Thanks!  See you in Milwaukee for Age Group National Championships!

Perfect Summer Training and Three Weeks Till Milwaukee

The countdown continues until USAT Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee and while the training is ramping up in intensity and specificity for shorter races it doesn't mean you can't throw some fun days into the mix.  This past week I hit the bike for an extended day in the saddle, Jess and I got some beach time, and new trails were explored.

With sport, you have to love the process, otherwise motivation will come and go and so will improvements.  I told myself day 1 that I wouldn't stop the little things I love even when I decided to commit my focus to road triathlon.

This past week I joined my buddy, Marcus, for his Ironman Boulder training ride including a backloaded 2,500 feet of climbing from miles 40 through 70.  We took the eastern Colorado Springs roads where the only cars seen are the ranchers trucks and you pray it's not a windy day.   I found I need more practice shooting with the GoPro on the bike as this was the only real quality shot I managed.  This next week I'll promise to do better as I've seen impressive shots on Instagram from other riders.

Growing up on the east coast, one of the things we constantly discuss missing is the beach.  So, Jess and I spent some time on the beach in Boulder at the Reservoir.  Who said you can't spend some time shoreside on the sand in landlocked Colorado?  The surprising part is how wicked hot it can get when you don't have an ocean breeze at the beach.  We are pretty sure our Colorado beach dates hit the heat index harder than our previous home in Virginia.  Colorado Springs doesn't have the beaches like Boulder but they are well worth the drive north for the variety.

This summer we have taken on seeing a bunch of new places, whether by bike or foot, and trail running is fantastic cross training for the legs and the brain.  When the snow finally melts by the end of June the high elevation running and hiking goes a lot faster and requires less equipment, which is a runner's dream on technical terrain as safety becomes less of an issue.  I like trails all year long and I'm not sure when the scars on my back from Crags Trail will go away, but at least in the summer we don't have to worry about the hidden ice!

Boulder Peak Triathlon Race Report

We were back in Boulder, Colorado for another race this past weekend finalizing my 5 races in 5 weeks streak and firmly earning a nap.  As always, I had the best support in the world from Jess which makes the early mornings easy.  This week the Life Time Fitness/Ironman event - Boulder Peak Triathlon - went off without a hitch.  The course support was excellent and the climb up Olde Stage Road left many legs screaming after only 6 miles into the bike course.

It was a nice sunny warm day and the competition was fast including one of my past teammates Tyler Evans who finished 3rd in the Pro race.  He showed up strong a couple weeks after an unfortunate bike wreck and really earned it out there - check him out!  For my race, I started about 10 minutes after the pro group in the age group race and, like usual, despite it feeling fine during the swim I had a poor swim time and was surprised with just how behind I was on the start of the bike.  Luckily, I had the legs to crank out the fastest bike split of my age group and come home with the fastest run split as well.  Despite the land sport efforts, with my swim time those two "sport wins" didn't result in the overall three sport win.  I'll be hitting the pool and the upper extremity strengthening hard this next month hoping to make up as much as possible for my long term lack of arm sports!  We will see in Milwaukee how that has all gone.

The reason this race is special is beyond the beautiful venue that Boulder always provides.  The long steady climb including a mile averaging 15% grade up Olde Stage Road added a new element to the triathlon.  A lot of triathletes, like yours truly, can sit in aero position and hammer out a steady flow of watts for hours on end; this race required each athlete to work hard just to keep moving with most athletes spending time around 5-7 mph for a long period of time where aero position won't do you much good!  The first half of the bike course was advantage to the cyclist, the second half was advantage to the time-trialist.  I was hoping to have a shot at the "Reach the Peak Challenge" which was a separate timed portion from T1 to the top of Old Stage Rd.  After the race I found out that the Pros were included in the challenge and that my legs aren't quite up to that level yet.  Instead, I was happy with a respectable 6th in that competition.  If you want a triathlon with fast competition, beautiful scenery, and great support, this top-10 triathlon in the country a must-do.

Splits for those interested:
Swim: 29:04, 17th/47 Age Group
Bike:   1:06:47, 1st/47 Age Group
Run:    37:46, 1st/47 Age Group
Total:  2:16:10, 2nd/47 Age Group

Thanks as always for your support!  Till next time, train hard and enjoy the process!

USA Triathlon National Championships on the Horizon

It's here and it came quick!  We are in the heart of summer and that means that USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships are right around the corner.  Jess and I will be traveling to Milwaukee with a lot of gear to spend the weekend with family in a new city.  I will be racing in both the Olympic and Sprint USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.  My training has been going well but now is the time to start building the shorter course speed I am lacking coming off of the Boston Marathon in April and Boulder Half Ironman in June.  They both did a good job of beating my aging body up.  Being a physical therapist is certainly helpful in understanding what I need to do to stay healthy but, like all triathletes, the quantity of time spent training can be a difficult undertaking.

Luckily, living in Colorado Springs blesses triathletes in certain ways which is why I am continuing to build confidence in my chances for a great race in Milwaukee.  Pikes Peak Athletics runs the masters program at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center Pool (below) which will be a place I need to pitch a tent at for the next month as I prep for National Championships.  Gaining fitness in the pool is hard for an old runner like me in terms of pacing and speed.  It feels like my heart is fine but my poor arms want to sink to the bottom of the pool like lead.  I imagine the triathletes with pure swimming backgrounds can often feel the same way when running at times.  I have fallen more in love with swimming lately in what it provides, and the people involved in the PPA program are fantastic.  Thank goodness they make it easier for me to show up for a break to my work days, even if it means lunch in my car.

A new piece of my training for the last few months has been an improved indoor cycling experience with Zwift (pictured below).  When it's late in the evening or thunderstorms are rolling in over Pikes Peak, I can simply set up the trainer and plan my workout on a virtual island with a group of similar riders.  Going for the overall lap, mountain, or sprint jerseys is a great way to mix up the type of energy systems you want to tax during a hard ride as they each require very different measured efforts.  While Zwift has been a great tool in increasing my steady state power, we have also been enjoying the great outdoor rides of Colorado this summer despite all the potholes.

A recent ride picture below from the White River National Forest where we found a nice flat bike-way at a comfortable 5,400 feet elevation.  We are hoping the altitude training from Colorado will benefit us greatly as we drop down to a much lower and flatter Milwaukee for the races in August.  Personally, I wouldn't mind a few large hills in the Championships Courses as you can't avoid them for long when riding in Colorado.  

Of course, our original and favorite sport of the triathlon group is running.  Breaking up the triathlons so far this year have been two running races, Sailin' Shoes 10K and Half on the 4th, which have replaced some tempo runs during the week.  We always found running is a great sport to race into shape with as long as we are consistent during the rest of the week.  We also enjoy stopping during our travels to new places (like pictured below at Lake Dillon) where we can explore and break up our drive with a nice 5 miles or so.  It also doesn't hurt to find a few local spots such as Dillon Dam Brewing which we'd highly recommend for the workout re-fueler who loves craft beer that finds themselves out there.

We are looking forward to our trip to Milwaukee and we are excited to meet all of the racers and spectators from across the country who will be convening there.  In the meantime, I promise that I will train hard, and I hope you all do as well.  Let's Race!  

Strength Training? A fun run up Pikes Peak to Barr Camp

Every once in a while you remember that you live in Colorado and that despite your triathlons being road races you still must pay homage to some of the incredible runs which Colorado trails provide.  Today was unseasonably cool, foggy, and rainy for Colorado Springs and also a great opportunity to hit a very popular trail with weather-reduced crowding.

We started up the Manitou Incline from Manitou Springs - less than a mile of sore leg creation that climbs to over 8,000 feet.  Don't underestimate this "short" trail, it's a steep climb that often takes an Olympic athlete longer than 20 minutes to climb for less than a mile!  There have been many rescues by El Paso Search and Rescue this year due to the strenuous nature of this climb - keep your heart healthy.  The foggy day limited the ability to well document progress as each step just revealed another step ahead.  After summiting the Incline we connected onto the famous Barr Trail which, if you are feeling good and have planned for it, allows you to climb to Pikes Peak's Summit at 14,110 feet.  Our goal today was Barr Camp located in the trees over 10,000 feet and a part of about a 14 mile round trip.

Topping out today at Barr Camp where a chilly 40 degree rain welcomed us to 10,000 feet. 

Barr Camp hosts hikers year-round and is a nice stop to pick up a drink, hit the necessary room, or just rest your increasingly fit legs.

We weren't gifted with the views of America's Mountain today due to our location inside of clouds but for a 10 minute drive we didn't do so bad!

The Runner's Tea: Athlete Review

After discovering The Runner's Tea from a friend a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be accepted as a member of "The Runner's Tea(m)" and I have been trying it out on a regular basis the last few weeks to see how my now frequent coffee replacement holds up in terms of energy, performance, and to other teas I have tried.

The Runner's Tea makes three distinctly different teas with two matcha based teas (powdered ceremonial grade green tea) - Ginger Berry and Citrus Mint - and one oolong based tea - Recovery Tea.  The teas contain additional flavoring from combinations of mint, cinnamon, ginger, tumeric, ginseng, orange peel, cayenne, lemon balm, hibiscus, and lemon grass.  Matcha Tea, at least in the athletic circles I am in, is one of the hottest health crazes out there, giving the other craze for beet juice good competition.  A quick internet search will tell you that Matcha, or powdered green tea leaves, provides a much higher level of antioxidants than traditional green tea, as well as specific properties that improve memory, concentration, and endurance.  Personally, I have spent enough time in healthcare that I have seen and heard of a lot of different products and methods.  I look for items that are sustainable health habits as I have no love for terrible tasting cleanse items and the like.  Tea is a well established way to achieve health benefits of antioxidants, hydration (nutrition tidbit -caffeine does not dehydrate you but they may make you run to the bathroom sooner), and a caffeine boost.

My Runner's Tea Review:

All three flavors are different and can meet an individual's needs at different times; however, my favorite is the Citrus Mint.  The Berry flavor was a bit strong for me before running, especially 30 minutes before, where I found it was a flavor I would taste at times during a run, so it didn't settle with me quite as well.  In the teas, I love the light heat from the Cayenne and feel it augments the flavor of the mellow smooth minty tea.  The recovery blend contains oolong tea, so I still go elsewhere for a pre-bed tea but the recovery blend does include one of favorite ingredients to add to any personal recovery tea: turmeric.  I add additional turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon to the recovery blend which I find augments a relaxing flavor and a little extra anti-inflammatory punch.  That said, I don't partake in any caffeinated tea after 3 pm - so it is not a tea I drink before my occasional recovery naps in the afternoon.

Performance-wise, I feel good after drinking The Runner's Tea, I have energy and no difficulty keeping it down when running soon after.  I found indigestion to be a problem with coffee too soon before a run, while this tea settles well.  The mint may be the primary reason it is smooth and calm in the stomach once it goes down.  Overall, my race performances haven't changed, and I wouldn't expect replacing my caffeine source to lead me to immediate PRs, but a healthy alternative that is easy on the stomach puts me at ease that I won't be holding onto my gut in regret mid-race.  The peace of mind that you aren't overdoing it with caffeine or chemically energy drinks is nice to have.

All-in-all the price is fantastic for a premium tea and especially with the continually rising matcha prices.  If you are looking for something that tastes good, has additonal health benefits, can help stave off inflammation and upset stomach, and will also provide a caffeine and performance boost then I'd definitely recommend giving it a try at www.therunnerstea.com where you can get 10% off with the code: RTNIC2015

Happy Tea Drinking and Happy Running!  Cheers!

Happy 4th of July! Half Marathon Race Recap

We started off Independence Day in Colorado Springs with an early morning half marathon - HuHot Half on the 4th - on the Pikes Peak Greenway.  Deep in our closets Jess found her Team Aquaphor Red White and Blue and I pulled out some classic Saucony Red and White.  If you can't get in the patriotic mood on July 4th you might as well not show up!  The massive American flag and Air Force fly-overs added to the show and of course Colorado Springs showed up heavily on the trails as would be expected.  I was able to pull off 2nd overall in 1:20 and Jess pulled out a 1:53 in her longest race - and run!- since the Denver Marathon last October.  Now we are off to celebrate with the best American staples that exist - beer, BBQ, and fireworks.  We hope you have a fantastic 4th!

Jess - 1:53:27

Nick - 1:20:22