The Delps Trail stone steps repeats crushed my calves. They never get sore any more, but they've been that way now for two days. I guess it was an amazing workout. I felt like running again today though. I figured I'd stick to flatter stuff.
It was a nice and cool day. Shorts and a short sleeve shirt were great. Still, I was sweating some of course and huffing an puffing a bit.
I decided that I wouldn't run on a true trail. Instead, I'd hit the D&L at Cove Road. With the cliffs and river, it almost feels like a nature trail. The plan was for 6 miles.
They have added more parking there and the trailhead has become crazy busy. There are tons of rafters using the water and parking in the lot. I found a space and took off for my 6 mile run though. The plan was 3 miles out and back.
The cutest thing happened in the beginning. A kid of maybe 5 or 6 years of age saw me running. He was starting his walk with his family. He started running along side me. It was funny and I tried to encourage him a little and said "good job" after our brief encounter.
The trail is certainly never busy, but there were quite a few bikers on it and walkers as well. I did see some runs after I was done, but I'm often surprised I don't see more people running on it.
I took it nice and easy. I cruised along. It was a gradual uphill to start. The trail is pretty and it was a great day. However, I just still can't take easy trails. I think the issue is my mind doesn't have to focus on rocks and such, so it wanders.
The first 15 minutes took forever. It felt like 45 minutes. I didn't even look at my watch that much. I'm sure being heavy isn't helping me feel good while running either.
It was good to get to 1.5 miles, but I was still moving slow. I noticed the Mountain Laurel starting to bloom. They should be great in a week or so. Maybe I can head up to Jim Thorpe then.
Getting to mile 2 was good as well, but still seemed to take longer than it should. I was glad I only committed myself to 6 miles. I figured that point would be near where the horses are. I didn't notice them today, but I did end up turning around near that spot.
There was a cute woman biking with her kid just before the turn around. I realized the run would take less than 55 minutes. Now, I would be doing a little more downhill, although the trail is generally flat.
I just focused on mile 4. I got there and was feeling okay. I was keeping a pretty consistent pace. I then got past that and on to mile 5. I couldn't believe how busy the river was. A jet ski provided a distraction.
The final mile was basically downhill. My pace got a little faster and I cruised on in. Since the run is a curve, it is actually longer on the way back, so I went a little over 6 miles. I was happy to be done.
I was going to give this run a standard name. Then, I looked at the map of it and it was almost a perfect curve. It reminded me of a smile, which was perfect since it was a good day and a good run.
I'll see if my calves feel better tomorrow. They didn't hurt during the run, but they remain sore at other times. I'm meeting up with Sue and some other people. We are running Jacobsburg at night. I figure I'll probably do 10 miles. It is cool that we got permission from the park and I guess the police. I'm always up for a night run and haven't done one in some time.
6.08 miles - 53:48 (8:51 pace) 169 feet of elevation gain
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Up and Down the Rock Steps
I wanted to get some crazy repeats in today. I know Angie could use some too. We decided to head to the Delps Trail, for the toughest climbing around. The plan was to go up and down maybe 4 or 5 times. I haven't been there in like two months.
It was super hot. I wore a sleeveless shirt and was soaked very early on. Toward the end, my shorts got wet too. I'm definitely not used to the humidity at this point in the year.
My biggest concern was realized when we got to the trailhead. It was starting to get a little overgrown 2 months ago. However, I never expected it to be as crazy as it was. It is clear that almost no one uses the trail from the bottom. It was a haven for ticks. I don't think we came across any thankfully.
I had to lead, as Angie was concerned about ticks and the potential for rattlesnakes. I was less concerned about snakes, mainly because I've still never seen one. It would be a decent place for them to be at though.
I ran through the high grass leading the way. I knew the running wouldn't last very long and it didn't. Eventually, we were hiking. Then, we got to the steepest part, the stone steps. My legs were burning and so were my lungs. I wasn't ready for this.
Angie came prepared with water, a vest and poles. I brought nothing. My plan was to drink from the spring. We got to the spring and it was completely dry. I was screwed, as I didn't want to go back down through the high grass until we were done. Angie did offer some water, but I turned it down.
We mostly hiked up and up. Around 3/4 of a mile, we hit the AT. We had over 700 feet of gain already. This was a solid first climb. I ran down where I could and Angie fell behind. That wouldn't last though.
We decided that we would shorten the course and use just the stone steps. It is the steepest part. It is so tough to run, so it would mostly be a hike up and down. Still, a great workout though.
I let Angie lead now, since I was holding her back on the first one. I was still breathing like crazy. At some point, I fell on some slippery dirt above the spring. I was okay though.
We stuck together for a few repeats. Then, she dropped her pack and poles and left me in the dust. She tries to tell me she isn't good on hills, but I know she's better than me. I was tired and lost ground quickly.
Each repeat was getting us between 200 to 250 feet of elevation gain and barely any miles. My legs and lungs continued to burn. Around 1200 feet of elevation gain, I wondered how I could even do much more.
Luckily, I do have some toughness. Eventually, Angie did lap me with how slow I was going. She's definitely ready to go for her race. Me, I'm surely in worse shape than last year. I took another fall on the dirt part of the trail. This was a little worse than the first one. We did wear the dirt out with repeats.
I hit 2,000 feet of gain and my watch wasn't even at 3 miles yet. That was quite crazy. I've never done so much repeating of steep stuff like this without some rest or easier parts. This was all tough. I decided this repeat to continue up to the AT. That would add more gain.
There is a somewhat flat part, so that was a nice break. I really couldn't run back down though. By now, I got over 2300 feet of gain though. I was feeling a crash coming on, with no water or food, but I knew I could keep going.
I was determined now to get to 3000 feet of gain. I went up for another regular repeat. I told Angie I'd be done after this one. I almost was, but I kept at it.
I needed about 250 feet for 3000 feet when I got to bottom. I decided I would go up farther and keep at it. I climbed and climbed and climbed. I was so tired. This was perfect end of race fatigue simulation for me.
My watch got me over 3K, but of course it was corrected to be short of that. Still, I was happy with this workout. I think Angie was hoping to run more, but she still got a good workout. It would be hard not to. So few miles, but so much gain.
It was great to show her the course. However, we won't be back this summer. That is for sure, as it is just too overgrown. We blew through the high grass again at the end. I was so beat and thirsty when we got back to the car. I was glad she drove, as I didn't want to move.
Tomorrow, I'll probably take the day off. I may run on Saturday, possibly with Angie again. If not, I'm not sure I'll run on my own. There is a night group run on Sunday night that I'm looking forward to. It should be fun and we got permission from the park.
5.23 miles - 2:35:39 (29:45 pace) 2953 feet of elevation gain
It was super hot. I wore a sleeveless shirt and was soaked very early on. Toward the end, my shorts got wet too. I'm definitely not used to the humidity at this point in the year.
My biggest concern was realized when we got to the trailhead. It was starting to get a little overgrown 2 months ago. However, I never expected it to be as crazy as it was. It is clear that almost no one uses the trail from the bottom. It was a haven for ticks. I don't think we came across any thankfully.
I had to lead, as Angie was concerned about ticks and the potential for rattlesnakes. I was less concerned about snakes, mainly because I've still never seen one. It would be a decent place for them to be at though.
I ran through the high grass leading the way. I knew the running wouldn't last very long and it didn't. Eventually, we were hiking. Then, we got to the steepest part, the stone steps. My legs were burning and so were my lungs. I wasn't ready for this.
Angie came prepared with water, a vest and poles. I brought nothing. My plan was to drink from the spring. We got to the spring and it was completely dry. I was screwed, as I didn't want to go back down through the high grass until we were done. Angie did offer some water, but I turned it down.
We mostly hiked up and up. Around 3/4 of a mile, we hit the AT. We had over 700 feet of gain already. This was a solid first climb. I ran down where I could and Angie fell behind. That wouldn't last though.
We decided that we would shorten the course and use just the stone steps. It is the steepest part. It is so tough to run, so it would mostly be a hike up and down. Still, a great workout though.
I let Angie lead now, since I was holding her back on the first one. I was still breathing like crazy. At some point, I fell on some slippery dirt above the spring. I was okay though.
We stuck together for a few repeats. Then, she dropped her pack and poles and left me in the dust. She tries to tell me she isn't good on hills, but I know she's better than me. I was tired and lost ground quickly.
Each repeat was getting us between 200 to 250 feet of elevation gain and barely any miles. My legs and lungs continued to burn. Around 1200 feet of elevation gain, I wondered how I could even do much more.
Luckily, I do have some toughness. Eventually, Angie did lap me with how slow I was going. She's definitely ready to go for her race. Me, I'm surely in worse shape than last year. I took another fall on the dirt part of the trail. This was a little worse than the first one. We did wear the dirt out with repeats.
I hit 2,000 feet of gain and my watch wasn't even at 3 miles yet. That was quite crazy. I've never done so much repeating of steep stuff like this without some rest or easier parts. This was all tough. I decided this repeat to continue up to the AT. That would add more gain.
There is a somewhat flat part, so that was a nice break. I really couldn't run back down though. By now, I got over 2300 feet of gain though. I was feeling a crash coming on, with no water or food, but I knew I could keep going.
I was determined now to get to 3000 feet of gain. I went up for another regular repeat. I told Angie I'd be done after this one. I almost was, but I kept at it.
I needed about 250 feet for 3000 feet when I got to bottom. I decided I would go up farther and keep at it. I climbed and climbed and climbed. I was so tired. This was perfect end of race fatigue simulation for me.
My watch got me over 3K, but of course it was corrected to be short of that. Still, I was happy with this workout. I think Angie was hoping to run more, but she still got a good workout. It would be hard not to. So few miles, but so much gain.
It was great to show her the course. However, we won't be back this summer. That is for sure, as it is just too overgrown. We blew through the high grass again at the end. I was so beat and thirsty when we got back to the car. I was glad she drove, as I didn't want to move.
Tomorrow, I'll probably take the day off. I may run on Saturday, possibly with Angie again. If not, I'm not sure I'll run on my own. There is a night group run on Sunday night that I'm looking forward to. It should be fun and we got permission from the park.
5.23 miles - 2:35:39 (29:45 pace) 2953 feet of elevation gain
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Smith Gap AT Run
I didn't get around to running over the weekend. Plans with Kelley fell through. Since I'm not motivated, it took until Tuesday to run again. I had a job interview at LL Bean and got a run in after that.
I was planning a short run, so I took no water or anything like that. I had on shorts and short sleeves. I wore a Buff too. It was super humid, but not too warm, so I managed to make it through.
I didn't want any elevation, but I wanted to get on the AT. I decided to start from Smith Gap Road. I've hiked through the whole section around here now, but I had never run this part. I drove up the rough gravel road and parked at the trail.
The plan was to head southbound 2 miles and turn and head back. I remember this area being pretty smooth. It sort of was, but still the rocks were plentiful early on. I cruised along on the very runnable section. It was great to get back on the AT.
The trees are now full as is the understory. It was a cloudy and stormy type of day, so it was actually almost like a dark tunnel. I passed the first campsite and no one was using it. I then came upon the site I used in April. Someone had setup their tent and was hanging clothes out to dry. I didn't see the person as I cruised by.
I kept going, past the nearby spring. This trail was pretty smooth and curved a bit. I saw no people on the route. I love that the AT is well traveled, yet areas like this still have almost no people. That is especially true during the week and on a bad weather day.
I didn't make it out the 2 miles that I had hoped. Some big rocks began to show up around 1.75 miles. I then had to do some hiking, so I decided to simply turn around.
I headed back and started running when the trail cleared again. I was really enjoying myself. Some times, I don't enjoy trail running enough. Today wasn't one of those days though. The sun actually peeked through the trees for a bit. That wouldn't last though.
Since I needed more distance, I took the spur trail to the spring. I didn't want to drop down too much though, so I didn't find the spring. I turned and headed back.
I could start to feel a few drops. It was fine where I was at, but I heard thunder in the distance. At least I wasn't far from the car and I was heading back.
I ran past the tent again. This time, the clothes were off the line. I never saw the person take them off though. I never saw the person at all. I was all alone all run. Just the way I like it.
In no time, I was back at the car. I needed some more distance, so I briefly ran out in the other direction. I didn't go far though. I still needed more when I returned to the car. Therefore, I ran very briefly on a private road.
This wasn't a long run, but it was fun. I need more nice and simple runs like this. This part of the AT is pretty, even if there is nothing special about it. I'm lucky it is so close.
I'm not sure about tomorrow, but I might go to a dirt track race in Maryland. If I do, I'll probably run the AT there too. Annapolis Rock is nearby and I've been wanting to go there for some time. It is almost a three hour drive, so we shall see.
4 miles - 50:29 (12:38 pace) 68 feet of elevation gain
I was planning a short run, so I took no water or anything like that. I had on shorts and short sleeves. I wore a Buff too. It was super humid, but not too warm, so I managed to make it through.
I didn't want any elevation, but I wanted to get on the AT. I decided to start from Smith Gap Road. I've hiked through the whole section around here now, but I had never run this part. I drove up the rough gravel road and parked at the trail.
The plan was to head southbound 2 miles and turn and head back. I remember this area being pretty smooth. It sort of was, but still the rocks were plentiful early on. I cruised along on the very runnable section. It was great to get back on the AT.
The trees are now full as is the understory. It was a cloudy and stormy type of day, so it was actually almost like a dark tunnel. I passed the first campsite and no one was using it. I then came upon the site I used in April. Someone had setup their tent and was hanging clothes out to dry. I didn't see the person as I cruised by.
I kept going, past the nearby spring. This trail was pretty smooth and curved a bit. I saw no people on the route. I love that the AT is well traveled, yet areas like this still have almost no people. That is especially true during the week and on a bad weather day.
I didn't make it out the 2 miles that I had hoped. Some big rocks began to show up around 1.75 miles. I then had to do some hiking, so I decided to simply turn around.
I headed back and started running when the trail cleared again. I was really enjoying myself. Some times, I don't enjoy trail running enough. Today wasn't one of those days though. The sun actually peeked through the trees for a bit. That wouldn't last though.
Since I needed more distance, I took the spur trail to the spring. I didn't want to drop down too much though, so I didn't find the spring. I turned and headed back.
I could start to feel a few drops. It was fine where I was at, but I heard thunder in the distance. At least I wasn't far from the car and I was heading back.
I ran past the tent again. This time, the clothes were off the line. I never saw the person take them off though. I never saw the person at all. I was all alone all run. Just the way I like it.
In no time, I was back at the car. I needed some more distance, so I briefly ran out in the other direction. I didn't go far though. I still needed more when I returned to the car. Therefore, I ran very briefly on a private road.
This wasn't a long run, but it was fun. I need more nice and simple runs like this. This part of the AT is pretty, even if there is nothing special about it. I'm lucky it is so close.
I'm not sure about tomorrow, but I might go to a dirt track race in Maryland. If I do, I'll probably run the AT there too. Annapolis Rock is nearby and I've been wanting to go there for some time. It is almost a three hour drive, so we shall see.
4 miles - 50:29 (12:38 pace) 68 feet of elevation gain
Friday, June 24, 2016
Back in PA
I got back home on Tuesday. I haven't had a desire to run since then. My lack of interest in running is continuing I guess. All I want to do is run new trails. However, the weather was nice, so I thought I'd head out today.
It was super comfortable sitting around, but a little hot running. Mostly, that was because I worked a bit hard at the end. I wore shorts and a tank top. At least I can still run with some type of shirt on. That won't last much longer.
I headed to Mauck Chunk Lake in Jim Thorpe. I wanted to run and also check to see if any of the flowers were in bloom (they weren't). I started at the lake and headed down the Switchback Trail. Even without flowers, it is green tunnel of beauty. It is one flat, stone trail I can enjoy. If it was closer, I'd put in more miles there.
It was a bit over a mile until the Fireline Trail. Eventually, I got to that and the fun started. I ran for a bit, but didn't want to force it. Once my breathing was quite labored, I hiked uphill. This seemed a little tough. Maybe it was steeper than some of Colorado. I find that hard to believe. Perhaps the rocks gave me some trouble. I'm not sure.
I continued on and after about 500 feet, I came to the top. Some of the trail had high grass, but now I had the wider doubletrack to work with. Last time, I took the trail to the east. This time, I went west to explore more.
I continued to run along, since it was mostly flat. It was slightly uphill I guess. At 2.65 miles, I decided I would run to 3.65 miles and turn around. This was a fairly flat mile. I thought I heard an animal, but it turned out to be the wind.
It wasn't long and I was ready to turn around. Instead, I went out farther. I turned back at mile 4. This would be a productive day. I had been just trying to go under a 12 minute per mile pace, but now knew I'd do that.
I continued on. I was going to just go back to the Shoreline Trail and head down. I'd go around the lake and that would be good enough. I pushed a bit and my pace was getting better. I thought maybe I could even run a sub 11 pace.
I got to the Shoreline Trail. This was a descent, but it was quite rocky and technical. I stopped gaining ground on the clock. Instead, I was breaking even. It wasn't long to the bottom.
I then came out on the dam. I had to be careful not to get stung, with all the flowers on the dam. I cruised along, pushing things a bit. I just wanted to cross the dam and get out of the sun.
I did that and followed the trail back. I was along the lake and then up into the woods. I was now on the Switchback Trail. I was well over 6 miles and not sure if I'd get to 7 miles. I did some calculations in my head and figured I was under an 11 minute pace now.
I passed a family walking. I could see the end of the path. I ran and finished at the end of it, before mile 7. I had pushed a bit and finished with a nice time. Most of this run was easy. That was interesting, since I don't run for long stretches much any more. It is usually run, hike, run, hike.
It was a solid workout and nice to be back running. I feel like I want to run again on Sunday. We shall see. I'd love to get to the Pinnacle. I haven't been there in awhile. It might be better suited for a weekday though.
6.87 miles - 1:14:53 (10:54 pace) 816 feet of gain
It was super comfortable sitting around, but a little hot running. Mostly, that was because I worked a bit hard at the end. I wore shorts and a tank top. At least I can still run with some type of shirt on. That won't last much longer.
I headed to Mauck Chunk Lake in Jim Thorpe. I wanted to run and also check to see if any of the flowers were in bloom (they weren't). I started at the lake and headed down the Switchback Trail. Even without flowers, it is green tunnel of beauty. It is one flat, stone trail I can enjoy. If it was closer, I'd put in more miles there.
It was a bit over a mile until the Fireline Trail. Eventually, I got to that and the fun started. I ran for a bit, but didn't want to force it. Once my breathing was quite labored, I hiked uphill. This seemed a little tough. Maybe it was steeper than some of Colorado. I find that hard to believe. Perhaps the rocks gave me some trouble. I'm not sure.
I continued on and after about 500 feet, I came to the top. Some of the trail had high grass, but now I had the wider doubletrack to work with. Last time, I took the trail to the east. This time, I went west to explore more.
I continued to run along, since it was mostly flat. It was slightly uphill I guess. At 2.65 miles, I decided I would run to 3.65 miles and turn around. This was a fairly flat mile. I thought I heard an animal, but it turned out to be the wind.
It wasn't long and I was ready to turn around. Instead, I went out farther. I turned back at mile 4. This would be a productive day. I had been just trying to go under a 12 minute per mile pace, but now knew I'd do that.
I continued on. I was going to just go back to the Shoreline Trail and head down. I'd go around the lake and that would be good enough. I pushed a bit and my pace was getting better. I thought maybe I could even run a sub 11 pace.
I got to the Shoreline Trail. This was a descent, but it was quite rocky and technical. I stopped gaining ground on the clock. Instead, I was breaking even. It wasn't long to the bottom.
I then came out on the dam. I had to be careful not to get stung, with all the flowers on the dam. I cruised along, pushing things a bit. I just wanted to cross the dam and get out of the sun.
I did that and followed the trail back. I was along the lake and then up into the woods. I was now on the Switchback Trail. I was well over 6 miles and not sure if I'd get to 7 miles. I did some calculations in my head and figured I was under an 11 minute pace now.
I passed a family walking. I could see the end of the path. I ran and finished at the end of it, before mile 7. I had pushed a bit and finished with a nice time. Most of this run was easy. That was interesting, since I don't run for long stretches much any more. It is usually run, hike, run, hike.
It was a solid workout and nice to be back running. I feel like I want to run again on Sunday. We shall see. I'd love to get to the Pinnacle. I haven't been there in awhile. It might be better suited for a weekday though.
6.87 miles - 1:14:53 (10:54 pace) 816 feet of gain
Manitou Incline Run - June 19th
Today was my final interesting Colorado adventure run. I got up early again, which was very good because I was doing the Manitou Incline. It is an old cog railway up the side of the mountain, near Colorado Springs. I knew it would be packed too.
I started early and it still was crazy hot by the end. I was sweating a lot and used most of my water. I wore shorts and short sleeves of course.
Because I knew parking would be crazy, I started in town. The plan was to use that as a warmup. The road running was boring and it had a bit of uphill too. It got my lungs going. I began to actually walk near the trailhead.
This trail is just crazy. You can see a lot of the way up and straight up it is. It is nearly 2,000 feet of gain in not much over a mile. It is quite the challenge. In the beginning, the wooden steps seemed too high and difficult to go up.
I continued up. For the most part, I was passing people. It was steep and tough for sure. However, I've been on steeper stuff or at least as steep as some of the worst parks. I've never been on something so steep for so long though.
What I thought would really get me would be the elevation, but I guess I've now adapted. My breathing was labored, but not nearly as bad as most people. I passed one black guy that was struggling.
I was in no rush myself, so I tried to be smart. I rested every so often to recover. I saw a big boulder way up and I focused on getting to it. It seemed to take forever. I didn't look up much, but when I did it was crazy. People were so much higher than me. It did help to look back too and see my progress.
The legs were burning a little early, but adapted. The elevation didn't bother me. The heat and the sun beating down on me were the one thing getting to me. I didn't really get passed, but I did pass this one woman who eventually passed me back.
Some very old guy came down at one point. I think he said he did it several thousand times. That was awesome. I got to the rock and achieved one goal, but still had a long trip up. At one point I joked, "are we doing this a second time?" No one around me laughed.
I had heard about a false summit, so I was worried as I neared the top. I thought maybe there was more top. However, when were finally near the top, another guy egged me on to run up it with him. We had hiked a lot of the way together, so I ran up with him.
I rested briefly and took in the view. Now, it was time to run down the Barr Trail. This is a singletrack on the side of the incline. It keeps going up to Pikes Peak. Some hikers were on it. I was running down it though.
It was a pretty trail. There were a lot of flowers along it. I enjoyed it for a bit. However, it was just too gradual. It switchbacked a ton and seemed like it was never going down. I passed a guy running with his dog and a lot of hikers. Somehow I missed an obvious turn at one point and went nowhere.
Eventually, I was back on trail. I continued to cruise down. These miles seemed to go on and on. I was happy when I finally made it down. The sun was blazing now.
I ran back through town. I said "hi" to everyone coming up. I was glad to be nearly done. I stopped at my car pretty tired. I did recover on the downhill, so if it wasn't so hot, I could've done it a second time.
I've enjoyed all the unique adventures in Colorado. It was a fun trip for sure. Now, I'll be back to running in good, old Pennsylvania. At least I got to explore more trails, ones I may never see again.
6.55 miles - 1:48:29 (16:33 pace) 2213 feet of elevation gain
I started early and it still was crazy hot by the end. I was sweating a lot and used most of my water. I wore shorts and short sleeves of course.
Because I knew parking would be crazy, I started in town. The plan was to use that as a warmup. The road running was boring and it had a bit of uphill too. It got my lungs going. I began to actually walk near the trailhead.
This trail is just crazy. You can see a lot of the way up and straight up it is. It is nearly 2,000 feet of gain in not much over a mile. It is quite the challenge. In the beginning, the wooden steps seemed too high and difficult to go up.
I continued up. For the most part, I was passing people. It was steep and tough for sure. However, I've been on steeper stuff or at least as steep as some of the worst parks. I've never been on something so steep for so long though.
What I thought would really get me would be the elevation, but I guess I've now adapted. My breathing was labored, but not nearly as bad as most people. I passed one black guy that was struggling.
I was in no rush myself, so I tried to be smart. I rested every so often to recover. I saw a big boulder way up and I focused on getting to it. It seemed to take forever. I didn't look up much, but when I did it was crazy. People were so much higher than me. It did help to look back too and see my progress.
The legs were burning a little early, but adapted. The elevation didn't bother me. The heat and the sun beating down on me were the one thing getting to me. I didn't really get passed, but I did pass this one woman who eventually passed me back.
Some very old guy came down at one point. I think he said he did it several thousand times. That was awesome. I got to the rock and achieved one goal, but still had a long trip up. At one point I joked, "are we doing this a second time?" No one around me laughed.
I had heard about a false summit, so I was worried as I neared the top. I thought maybe there was more top. However, when were finally near the top, another guy egged me on to run up it with him. We had hiked a lot of the way together, so I ran up with him.
I rested briefly and took in the view. Now, it was time to run down the Barr Trail. This is a singletrack on the side of the incline. It keeps going up to Pikes Peak. Some hikers were on it. I was running down it though.
It was a pretty trail. There were a lot of flowers along it. I enjoyed it for a bit. However, it was just too gradual. It switchbacked a ton and seemed like it was never going down. I passed a guy running with his dog and a lot of hikers. Somehow I missed an obvious turn at one point and went nowhere.
Eventually, I was back on trail. I continued to cruise down. These miles seemed to go on and on. I was happy when I finally made it down. The sun was blazing now.
I ran back through town. I said "hi" to everyone coming up. I was glad to be nearly done. I stopped at my car pretty tired. I did recover on the downhill, so if it wasn't so hot, I could've done it a second time.
I've enjoyed all the unique adventures in Colorado. It was a fun trip for sure. Now, I'll be back to running in good, old Pennsylvania. At least I got to explore more trails, ones I may never see again.
6.55 miles - 1:48:29 (16:33 pace) 2213 feet of elevation gain
Great Sand Dunes NP Run - June 18th
One thing I didn't do on this trip was come up with dull runs.. I didn't run in Telluride. However, I now was going to run at Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is a park with the largest sand dunes in the United States. I've certainly never run on sand dunes before.
Again, I was up super early. That was good, as I knew the dunes would get hot. They weren't bad, but I was out there longer than I thought I'd be. Shorts and short sleeves worked. I was just lacking water a bit.
I decided to just run straight through the creek with my shoes on. I began running up the dunes, knowing it wouldn't last. It was so hard and there was so much resistance. I began hiking and even that was a challenge.
Eventually, I learned that it was easiest to follow others footprints. It was early, but plenty of people were already on the dunes. A young girl led me for a bit, before her parents called her back.
I got to a fairly high dune. A group of guys were there. Then, I looked at the path and made my way toward the highest dune I could see. It was fun trying to find the best route. Luckily, some others already made that route.
The scenery of the dunes was amazing. It was like something out of a movie. These women were at the high dune. It seemed so far away. They were my target.
It took some time, but I made it to them. I told them I had focused on them from way down. They were super nice and opted to take my picture. I told them I'd stick with the scenery. Then, one pointed out a higher dune in the distance.
I didn't plan to go any farther, but I was up for the challenge. I headed off for it. This part became very interesting and fun. No one had gone past this point on the day yet. I was an explorer of sorts, making my own tracks.
I tried to read the dunes. I was hoping not to lose much elevation. I wanted to stay on the ridges. This did work for a bit, but I was getting nowhere. I was zigzagging and not getting any closer.
My shoes were started to get full of sand and I'd have to take them off and empty them. I did this steep climb where I was basically climbing. I could look back and see people watching me. They probably thought I was stupid and were probably laughing. I sort of was laughing at myself anyway. Some of the freshly blown sand was quite deep.
Finally after the climb, I bailed on the route and opted to head back down. The sand was soft in spots and so compact in others than you could run on it like pavement. Still, I couldn't run as much as I thought I would going down. It was often too loose or too steep.
I thought getting down would be easy. It was crazy though. I was so far out. I tried to aim for the best and smoothest route. I would often fail though. I'd get to a dune that seemed high and think it was the end. Then when I arrived, there would be at least 5 more rows of dunes. This seemed to repeat itself.
Following animal tracks didn't help much. I could see the creek, the beach and the mountains. I knew I'd never get lost, but it seemed like a never ending maze to leave the dunes. By now, I couldn't see the other people either.
I took my shoes off after awhile. They had too much sand. I ran barefoot, where I could run. It was mostly fast downhill hiking. I was running low on water.
I was so thrilled when I did finally make it to the creek and compact sand. I still couldn't run a lot. The main beach and parking area were still far off. I went and went and eventually got back to the people.
I saw a cute ranger coming up. I made sure to tell her about my adventure. Part of my reasoning is so the people watching me, didn't call search and rescue when I disappeared from their sight.
This was one of the most fun runs ever. It was so different. I enjoyed trying to navigate on my own. I did fail, but I wanted to be smart. I could've simply took a direct line to the highest dune, but that would've been a lot of work.
I'm heading to Colorado Springs before the trip is over. The plan is to run Manitou's Incline. It is a crazy steep climb up and old railway. It should be another adventure. It will be packed too.
5 miles - 2:01:06 (24:13 pace) 729 feet of elevation gain
Again, I was up super early. That was good, as I knew the dunes would get hot. They weren't bad, but I was out there longer than I thought I'd be. Shorts and short sleeves worked. I was just lacking water a bit.I decided to just run straight through the creek with my shoes on. I began running up the dunes, knowing it wouldn't last. It was so hard and there was so much resistance. I began hiking and even that was a challenge.
Eventually, I learned that it was easiest to follow others footprints. It was early, but plenty of people were already on the dunes. A young girl led me for a bit, before her parents called her back.
I got to a fairly high dune. A group of guys were there. Then, I looked at the path and made my way toward the highest dune I could see. It was fun trying to find the best route. Luckily, some others already made that route.
The scenery of the dunes was amazing. It was like something out of a movie. These women were at the high dune. It seemed so far away. They were my target.
It took some time, but I made it to them. I told them I had focused on them from way down. They were super nice and opted to take my picture. I told them I'd stick with the scenery. Then, one pointed out a higher dune in the distance.
I didn't plan to go any farther, but I was up for the challenge. I headed off for it. This part became very interesting and fun. No one had gone past this point on the day yet. I was an explorer of sorts, making my own tracks.
I tried to read the dunes. I was hoping not to lose much elevation. I wanted to stay on the ridges. This did work for a bit, but I was getting nowhere. I was zigzagging and not getting any closer.
My shoes were started to get full of sand and I'd have to take them off and empty them. I did this steep climb where I was basically climbing. I could look back and see people watching me. They probably thought I was stupid and were probably laughing. I sort of was laughing at myself anyway. Some of the freshly blown sand was quite deep.
Finally after the climb, I bailed on the route and opted to head back down. The sand was soft in spots and so compact in others than you could run on it like pavement. Still, I couldn't run as much as I thought I would going down. It was often too loose or too steep.
I thought getting down would be easy. It was crazy though. I was so far out. I tried to aim for the best and smoothest route. I would often fail though. I'd get to a dune that seemed high and think it was the end. Then when I arrived, there would be at least 5 more rows of dunes. This seemed to repeat itself.
Following animal tracks didn't help much. I could see the creek, the beach and the mountains. I knew I'd never get lost, but it seemed like a never ending maze to leave the dunes. By now, I couldn't see the other people either.
I took my shoes off after awhile. They had too much sand. I ran barefoot, where I could run. It was mostly fast downhill hiking. I was running low on water.
I was so thrilled when I did finally make it to the creek and compact sand. I still couldn't run a lot. The main beach and parking area were still far off. I went and went and eventually got back to the people.
I saw a cute ranger coming up. I made sure to tell her about my adventure. Part of my reasoning is so the people watching me, didn't call search and rescue when I disappeared from their sight.
This was one of the most fun runs ever. It was so different. I enjoyed trying to navigate on my own. I did fail, but I wanted to be smart. I could've simply took a direct line to the highest dune, but that would've been a lot of work.
I'm heading to Colorado Springs before the trip is over. The plan is to run Manitou's Incline. It is a crazy steep climb up and old railway. It should be another adventure. It will be packed too.
5 miles - 2:01:06 (24:13 pace) 729 feet of elevation gain
Ouray Perimeter Trail Run - June 15th
I'm now in the San Juan Mountains. I hope to do an awesome backcountry hike. For now, I'm sticking to running near town. I stayed in a hotel in Ouray last night. It is an amazing box canyon, surrounded by mountains. It might be my favorite town so far.
I wore shorts and short sleeves. It can get a little hot, but I'm loving the weather. There is definitely little humidity.
I started off from the visitor's center. The plan was to follow the loop around town. The signs should be good. I signed the register and began my run. It did not take long to realize how brutal this run would be. There was lots of early climbing and my breathing was labored, even as I hiked up.
One good thing I've learned at higher elevations is the first mile can be a struggle. I can feel lightheaded. It often passes though, especially if I drink enough water. That was beneficial to know as it was a tough start.
It wasn't long into the run that I was on a ridge overlooking the town. It was simply stunning and the trail was fun. I was heading toward Cascade Falls. I saw them just before dark yesterday. Today, they were cool from above.
After the falls, I saw a few hikers. I then dipped down and back up again. This was some fun singletrack. It was still challenging though, as I was gaining a lot. I drank more. I passed some hikers in a narrow spot.
A bit later, I was on the southern end of town. This had probably the best 360 mountain views of the road. It was an open area. I guess it was the Potato Patch. I'm not sure.
After that, I had to cross Route 550, the way into town. There were some nice views of town in this area too. I followed the trail signs, but became worried when I was on what looked like a jeep road.
This section was the least fun. It was woods type roads around a power plant. I didn't enjoy it at all. I was thrilled though to see a sign showing I was going the correct way.
It took awhile, but eventually I was on a bridge. It overlooks Box Canyon Falls and a lot of people were hiking there. Then, I was surprised by one of the coolest parts of the run. I had to go through a narrow, short tunnel. It went through rock and I'm not sure it was 6 feet high. I had to duck a bit to be comfortable.
After this, I was back on a road type area. I continued to follow this tough switchback. Then, I was back on trail, but still going up. This was quite the climb and I was beat. I was low on water too. The run seemed farther than advertised.
These views from here were higher than others. They were the best views of the city for sure. Then, the trail switchbacked some more. A bridge went over another waterfall.
I continued to be blown away by the run. So much to see in such a short loop. As far as town runs go, this would be hard to beat.
Eventually, I came down. I wasn't quite sure where to go. I think the correct way was into an RV park and then cross the creek. However, I wasn't sure you could cross down that way. I crossed on a road right in front of me. I think either way was roads to the finish.
I was done after a tough 6 miles. This was a fun and challenging run for sure. I'm so glad I did it. It was a great way to see Ouray.
I'll likely hike next, but I could run in Telluride. I would like to, but I'm not sure on the logistics yet. Time will tell what I'll decide. I will be in Telluride. Whether I run or not is the question.
6.64 miles - 1:55:41 (17:25 pace) 2597 feet of elevation gain
I wore shorts and short sleeves. It can get a little hot, but I'm loving the weather. There is definitely little humidity.
I started off from the visitor's center. The plan was to follow the loop around town. The signs should be good. I signed the register and began my run. It did not take long to realize how brutal this run would be. There was lots of early climbing and my breathing was labored, even as I hiked up.
One good thing I've learned at higher elevations is the first mile can be a struggle. I can feel lightheaded. It often passes though, especially if I drink enough water. That was beneficial to know as it was a tough start.
It wasn't long into the run that I was on a ridge overlooking the town. It was simply stunning and the trail was fun. I was heading toward Cascade Falls. I saw them just before dark yesterday. Today, they were cool from above.
After the falls, I saw a few hikers. I then dipped down and back up again. This was some fun singletrack. It was still challenging though, as I was gaining a lot. I drank more. I passed some hikers in a narrow spot.A bit later, I was on the southern end of town. This had probably the best 360 mountain views of the road. It was an open area. I guess it was the Potato Patch. I'm not sure.
After that, I had to cross Route 550, the way into town. There were some nice views of town in this area too. I followed the trail signs, but became worried when I was on what looked like a jeep road.
This section was the least fun. It was woods type roads around a power plant. I didn't enjoy it at all. I was thrilled though to see a sign showing I was going the correct way.
It took awhile, but eventually I was on a bridge. It overlooks Box Canyon Falls and a lot of people were hiking there. Then, I was surprised by one of the coolest parts of the run. I had to go through a narrow, short tunnel. It went through rock and I'm not sure it was 6 feet high. I had to duck a bit to be comfortable.
After this, I was back on a road type area. I continued to follow this tough switchback. Then, I was back on trail, but still going up. This was quite the climb and I was beat. I was low on water too. The run seemed farther than advertised.
These views from here were higher than others. They were the best views of the city for sure. Then, the trail switchbacked some more. A bridge went over another waterfall.
I continued to be blown away by the run. So much to see in such a short loop. As far as town runs go, this would be hard to beat.
Eventually, I came down. I wasn't quite sure where to go. I think the correct way was into an RV park and then cross the creek. However, I wasn't sure you could cross down that way. I crossed on a road right in front of me. I think either way was roads to the finish.
I was done after a tough 6 miles. This was a fun and challenging run for sure. I'm so glad I did it. It was a great way to see Ouray.
I'll likely hike next, but I could run in Telluride. I would like to, but I'm not sure on the logistics yet. Time will tell what I'll decide. I will be in Telluride. Whether I run or not is the question.
6.64 miles - 1:55:41 (17:25 pace) 2597 feet of elevation gain
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