I'm Bad At This: Weeks Ending Aug. 28, Sept. 4, and Sept. 11

Needless to say (though I am saying it regardless), it has been quite the past three weeks.  I moved into a new house at the beginning of the month, and have had scant free time anywhere to do simple things like update blogs.  But they have been some good weeks.  I have run a couple of shorter, faster races that I have been pretty happy with and I feel like I am getting prepared for the upcoming big races, Jelm and Silent Trails.  Here is what I have been up to the last three weeks.

Tues. Aug. 23 - 9 miles in 63 min (7:00 pace).  I ran the old Capital Loop in Cheyenne before heading over to Laramie for work.  Pace was pretty fast and felt fluid.

Thurs. Aug. 25 - A.M. 3.5 mile equivalent aqua-jog workout.  I met Coach Bishop and the Central High XC team in the morning for a low-stress pool workout.  I remember these workouts from when I was running for Central 10+ years ago.  Great way to get in some extra work without beating the hell out of yourself.

P.M. - 8 miles in 56 min (7:00 pace).  I stopped at Happy Jack on my way back to Cheyenne after work.  Went out Upper UW, Headquarters/Overlook, Summit, down Super Secret, Forest, Aspen, and up Pole Creek.  Chest was a little tight thanks to the massive allergy issues I've been having this fall.

Sat. Aug. 27 - 11 miles in 104 min (9:27 pace).  Chris Schabron and I took one Natalie Kean up to the trails for the Silent Trails loop.  She was in Cheyenne briefly before heading to Manila (yes, the Philippines) for a two-year Fidesco mission.  She has also been in Georgia the last three years and was not a fan of the elevation.  Coming down Browns, she rolled her ankle pretty good so we took it easy coming in from there.  Good morning run with good company.

Chris, me, Nat at Tie City Trailhead, post run.

Week's Miles: 32
Running Time: 4:18
Year to Date: 984

Tues. Aug. 30 - A.M. 4 miles in 40 min.  Another morning aqua-jog workout with the Central team.

P.M. - 7 miles in 52 min (7:25 pace).  I met the HPH crew for some Tuesday Night Trails.  Ethan, Daniel, and I bombed down Pole Creek, up Aspen, Forest, Super Secret, and in on Summit and Upper UW.  Felt pretty good to run that fast down Pole Creek.  Good conversation as well.

Wed. Aug. 31 - 5 miles in 37 min.  MILE TIME-TRIAL!  As previously stated, one of my goals for the summer was to run a sub-five mile.  While not really all that fast (at least not by actual miler standards), I haven't run under five in over three years.  I ran to the Central High track at 6:30 in the morning, warmed-up and went for it, solo.  Hit the first quarter in 73, went through the half at 2:28, hit 1200 in 3:44 and came home in 4:57.9.  Didn't break it by much, but I did it.  I'm pretty happy with that.

Fri. Sept. 2 - 8 miles in 58 min.  Wyoming Invite 4.25M.  Had a four-member team of Hungry Dogs for Wyoming's annual XC home opener.  I was pretty distraught with this race last year (27:45, third to last overall); so much so that I actually thought I wouldn't ever run this race again.  However, after getting back on the horse this year, as well as shedding the 20-25 extra pounds I hauled around the course last year, I came back and ran well, I thought.  I went out conservatively (first mile in 5:45) and then gradually turned it on through the rest of the race.  I felt comfortable the whole time.  It's nice to have some kind of running form again.  I came home in 40th place in a time of 24:52.  While that is nowhere near my best time on this course, a nearly three minute improvement over last year is something I am happy with.  I also can honestly say that I had fun.  It was FUN to be out there.  We had a great crowd this year. 

Hungry Dogs.  Me, Chris, Jason.

I first ran the Wyoming Invite as a pseudo-redshirt in 2003.  It was my performance in that race that got me on the UW team.  This race is pretty important to me.  Here is my career at the Wyoming Invite:

2003- 22:42, 14th. This is the old course under Coach Sanchez. No one really  knows how long it was.  ~4 miles.
2004- 26:10, 55th.  I came into the season with a knee injury.  This race aggravated it and put me in the training room the next two weeks.
2005- 23:17, 24th.  True 4.25 mile course.  My senior year at Wyoming.
2006- 23:51, 37th.  My first year as a Hungry Dog.
2007- 23:05, 19th.  I still have no idea where this came from.  I hadn't been training, and ran my best invite to date.
2008- 24:24, 27th.
2009- 25:04, 40th. 
2010- 27:45, 45th.  One of the worst races of my life.
2011- 24:52, 40th.  Feeling better.  Looking forward to next year.

Sat. Sept. 3 - 15 miles in 1:51 (7:24 pace).  Jason and I got up early for some trail miles.  I fell hard about 12 min into the run on Pole Creek.  Scraped up the right side of my body pretty good.  My shoulder was sore a couple of days after.  Other than that, it was a good run.  We went down Pole Creek out to Headquarters road, up Headquarters trail, all the way around to Summit, then down Super Secret, Forest, Aspen, and up Pole Creek.

Week's Miles: 39
Running Time: 4:58
Year to Date: 1023

Mon. Sept. 5 - 11 miles in 89 min (8:04 pace).  Jelm Mountain pre-race.  I finally made it up Jelm.  Climb took me 52 min; I had to stop a couple of times because my heart-rate went through the roof.  I took it easy coming down (38 min) and called it good.  Hopefully things go a little better on race day.

Wed. Sept. 7 - 2.5 miles in 20 min.  Some time after I got back from Jelm, my foot got tweaked.  I took Tuesday off and thought I'd hit some easy trail miles, but my foot said no way.  I packed it in and went home.

Thurs. Sept. 8 - 9 miles in 68 min (7:33 pace).  Lunch run with Patrick and El Jefe (Jeff).  Went out the single track and did the big loop in the inner-prairie.  Felt pretty relaxed.  We knocked the pace down a bit over the last half mile or so.  Felt good to open up.  Beautiful fall day in Laramie, WY.

Fri. Sept. 9 - 6.5 miles in 46 min (7:04 pace).  Nice, relaxed run after work.  The Laramie Greenbelt is right out the door of my new place; I did a loop on it.  I will probably be running it often in the winter.

Sat. Sept. 10 - 10 miles in 67 min.  Always A Cowboy 8K in Laramie.  I did a 20 min warm-up over to Undine Park for the race.  The actual race went well.  I felt pretty good the whole way.  Didn't struggle and finished 3rd overall in 27:02.  My previous best at this race was a 27:04, so I'll take the 2 second course pr.  Would have been nice to get under 27, but oh well.  Jason brought home the win for the Hungry Dogs in 25:44.  A Hungry Dog has won this race every year since it moved to the 8K course in 2005. 

This year was the 10th annual Always A Cowboy.  Hard to believe it's been 10 years since we lost the guys.  Time has a funny way of simultaneously flying and crawling by.  We had a great turnout of alumni, friends, and families.  What struck me most was the ever-expanding next generation.  I spent a good part of the day with Jason's two girls, Morgan and Quinn.  I also got to meet Katy Salverson's new girl, Payton, for the first time.  Chris Jons has a little girl now, Jen Titus just had her second, and Bruner had his little one there as well.  It's amazing how life can continue.  And all I know is that in about 18 years or so, we are going to have one hell of a women's XC team.

Having a good time with little Quinn Delaney.

Always A Cowboy winners, 2005-2011
2005- Me
2006- Jason Delaney
2007- Brian Knight
2008- Me
2009- Michael Huntington
2010- Nick Cramer
2011- Jason Delaney (CR, 25:44)

Sun. Sept. 11 - 11 miles in 80 min (7:16 pace).  I hit the trails in the morning on my way over to Cheyenne.  I ran the big Headquaters loop.  I went down all the big hills because I was being a bit of a sissy-la-la.  Calves were pretty sore from the race the day before.  But it was another beautiful day and another good run.

Week's Miles: 50
Running Time: 6:10
Year to Date: 1073

Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (103 miles), Asics HyperSpeed 3 (74 miles), New Balance Trail 101 (146 miles)