Track Workout Killed My Legs

Running is coming along great. I'm able to run 4 or 5 days consecutively without too much fatigue, and I'm beginning to do super easy jogs for recovery instead of days totally off. I don't do much running at a higher intensity that a Half Ironman run pace (about a HR of 170 bpm), but I try to mix things up as much as possible instead of doing the same runs day after day. I'm up to around 60-65 miles a week and continue to climb in volume.

Friday was a great hour or so run on Rawhide Trail in White Ranch. It's one of my favorite local trails because it's got a nice variation of up and down, as opposed to some trails that begin with 5 mile uphills and end with 5 miles downhill.

Saturday I wanted to get in a workout before watching the U of M vs. MSU football game, so I went to the local track for an hour session. The main set was 5 x 1 mile repeats getting progressively faster with a lap easy between each mile. My first mile was 6:00, and I went down to 5:40 by the last one. I never had to strain or work really hard, but I could feel some fatigue in my legs at the end. Morning total: 8.5 miles in 56 minutes, or 6:37/mile at 150 bpm average for the whole set. Despite the tired legs, I got in another 50 minutes in the evening, bringing the daily total to around 16 miles.

Today I planned a nice and easy 13-14 mile run with a detour through Civic Center Park to check out what the scene is like at Occupy in Denver. (Is it called Occupy Wall Street outside of NY?) Unfortunately, my legs had nothing, so I turned around after a few miles to recover for tomorrow. Total: 6 miles in 45 minutes, for 7:30/mile at an average HR of 136 bpm. My HR seems a bit depressed here...

While I still don't have any race plans set in stone, this video makes me want to do an Ultra trail run:


Then there's also this video, referenced in today's NY Times:


I don't think I'm crazy enough to do either an Ultra (at least the 100 mile variety) or that sort of mountaineering.

Fall in Colorado - Photo Dump

Somehow I never made it to the high country last fall, my first in Denver. I'd heard the tree coloring is spectacular for two or three weeks at the end of September and beginning of October and didn't want to miss this year's short-lived golden foliage. 

Last weekend Stacey and I made it to a trail just outside of Central City for a run, and while the scenery was great, I forgot my camera. This weekend we made it back to the mountains, but this time to Rollinsville. After parking in town, we ran west toward Rollinsville Pass. 

Photos: