Category: boulder

Well that went poorly…

I don’t feel the sickness yet, but it’s in the post. That’s for sure. I’m in the junkie limbo at the moment. Too ill to sleep. Too tired to stay awake, but the sickness is on its way. Sweat, chills, nausea. Pain and craving. A need like nothing else I’ve ever known will soon take hold of me. It’s on its way. ~ Mark Renton

Headed down to Boulder early this morning to join Bob, Thomas and Zack for a 12-mile circumnavigation of South Boulder and Bear Peaks. This was supposed to be about a 3 hour adventure but ended up being more like 5 hours (for me). Yuck. Not even sure how long we were out or how far we went but I do know I ran out of water and ended up with heat exhaustion or something. Not the best run of my career.

From the onset, I was sweating profusely (as I am known to do) but felt I had packed enough food and water to make the full loop. We bushwhacked up to the Bastille trail then down into Eldorado Canyon. If you have never been to Eldo, it is worth the trip. Lots of spectacular cliffs and people climbing and whatnot.

Once we reached the canyon floor, we headed up, up, up to Walker Ranch then up some more to the north trailhead. From there we started up a “private” road (thinking this would lead us to our ultimate destination more quickly given our experience the last time we tried this route) and were about a half mile from where we needed to be when confronted by homeowners who explained that we needed to head back the way we came. Ugh. So back we went.

Surprisingly, a few minutes later we were offered a ride by the same person who had turned us back. We gladly accepted and were driven to the top of Flagstaff to jump on a trail that would eventually lead us to near where we intended to go in the first place.

By this point, I was rationing water fairly aggressively and started not feeling particularly well but soldiered on down Bear Canyon to Mesa Trail. Once we hit Mesa, all hell broke loose with my body and its ability to keep anything resembling a steady pace. I told the other guys to go on and quickly feel behind as I walked the majority of the way back down to the trailhead.

In a word, I felt pretty shitty and quickly grabbed some spare water from my truck and then plopped down in the creek to try to cool off and soak. I wasn’t particularly hungry (not a good sign) but thought a Jamba Juice might do the trick so I drove to Superior (the nearest Jamba location) and checked movie times since that was going to be my next goal. The closer I got to the store, the less I felt going to a movie was going to be a good idea so I decided to head straight home after getting my fix.

While placing my order, I started feeling REALLY sick and woozy so rushed over to some seats they have in the store to sit down. I put my had down on the counter and tried to not get sick. The woman who took my order brought my card over to me (I had abandoned it in my rush to sit down) and I suspect she thought I was wickedly hungover or a junkie or something then just a short time later, one of the other staff members came over to bring me my order, ask if I was okay and offer to bring me a damp towel. Super cool. I had broken out in a crazy sweat and had goosebumps at this point. Then my hands went numb. Oh joy.

After drinking some of the cold, tasty beverage, I started to feel a bit better and decided it was time to hit the road. I asked for some water then started driving back home up Coal Creek Canyon. After awhile, I decided that I probably should pull over because I was just feeling worse and worse. Once I started seeing double, I immediately pulled over to take a nap. I rolled down the windows and climbed into the back seat to see if a little rest would help things out. Then I started puking.

So I threw up a little, then a lot, then rested for at least an hour. Not even sure. I didn’t call Rach to tell her what was going on because I didn’t have a signal when I pulled over but she called after awhile to see if everything was okay. She had offered to come get me when I was down in Superior but at that point I was feeling okay so I didn’t take her up on it. In retrospect, that would have been prudent.

I rested for a bit longer and was feeling better so I headed on up the hill. After about a mile, I started feeling sick again but there wasn’t anywhere to pull over. So I fought it for as long as I could and then fortunately a pull out appeared and I took it. I threw up a few more times and then called Rach to meet me in Pinecliffe which was only a couple of miles up the road. By the time I made it to Pinecliffe, I was feeling much better and so I just kept driving. I passed Rach going the other way at the end of our road and she turned around to see if I needed help. At this point, I felt well enough to make it the remaining 3 miles to our house. Rach is so awesome to come help me out.

Once I got home, I took a shower, drank a bunch of water and rested for a bit. I am feeling a lot better now but am pretty sure my temp is still up a bit. I have been whacking down popsicles and water and am now starting to feel a bit hungry. May try some actual food in a bit.

So the moral of this story (or lesson anyway) is to always bring more than you think you will need and start your runs that have the potential to get warm early, early in the morning. Especially if you are a Stu who is inclined toward excessive temperatures and requiring way more water than your average bear.

I think I’ll take tomorrow off. And probably Tuesday as well.

~stubert.

[edit]: And my back is killing me after moving 2-tons of pellets twice on Thursday.

Back on the bike…

Pain and suffering are often the catalysts for life’s most profound lessons. – Dean Karnazes

Yesterday: Night Run – Mesa Trail, 1 hour
Today: Ride – Neighborhood trails, 1 hour
Tomorrow: Ride – Leadville course (maybe), 3 hours

I guess I am going to get back on the bike for a bit to let my shin heal. I ran last night with Pete and it really gave me some troubles. Hurt from the very beginning and afterwards it was really painful. So I’ll be giving it some rest to see if I can get it back in shape.

Yesterday I worked in the morning on a project for Quintess. Luke is in Mt. Hood skiing so I am covering for him for the next few days. I then jammed down to Boulder to run a few quick errands and see Shirley for a massage and some ultrasound on my leg.

I then went over to Pete’s to hang out and wait for the sun to go down. Jess and Brad were going to join us but weren’t feeling up to it so just Pete and I set out at sunset to run a small portion of the Mesa Trail.

It was warm last night – calm and clear. Good running weather. Running at night is a different experience than daytime jaunts and I am growing quite fond of it. We didn’t see any other people during our hour out on the trail and it was a peaceful run through the Boulder Foothills. I am planning to do one of these a week until the race so jump on the train if you feel like getting out during cooler temperatures to experience running in a whole new way.

Pete mentioned that upon moving to Boulder, he was out late one night and encountered two night runners. At the time, he thought these people were quintessential Boulder weirdos. Running at night? Jackasses. Welcome to the fold, Pete.

Today I have a bunch of work to do and a couple of conference calls. I may try to scoot out for a ride in the early afternoon but that may need to wait until this evening. I am considering jamming up to Leadville tomorrow to ride the course from Fish Hatchery to Twin Lakes and back but work may get in the way of that little adventure and it may need to wait until the weekend.

And on a final note, check out Kiva.org. This is a cool site that let’s individuals participate in microloan programs around the world. Pretty cool to be able to make a difference in people’s lives from afar.

See you out there.

~stubert.

Front Range Five…


The person who doesn’t scatter the morning dew will not comb gray hairs. ~ Hunter S. Thompson

Yesterday: Run – Front Range Five, 5 hours
Today: Ride – Casa del Critters, 1 hour
Tomorrow: Run

Yesterday was a blast. My alarm went off at 3:45, rousing me to start what would be a long but fruitful day. Luke and I met at the Sanitas trailhead at 5, gathered our things and headed up what would be the first of five summits that day. Our goal had more to do with refining technique and honing our endurance than setting any speed records and we moved at a modest pace through the Sanitas Valley in the early daybreak. Mule deer dotted both sides of the well-traveled path as we moved up above Dakota Ridge and watched the sun rise over the eastern plains. We summited roughly on schedule and quickly descended via the western trail back to our cars where we grabbed our packs and headed south toward Flagstaff, peak two. (Sanitas summit was not documented with photos.)

As the sun began its rise higher in the east, we moved past the red rock formations that make up Boulder’s west side and down into Eben G. Fine park. We were moving smoothly, though it was not even 6:00 and quickly made our way up the Flagstaff trail. After a brief stop at the Filthiest Bathroom in Scotland (what is wrong with people?), we continued our climb upward and summited Flagstaff Mountain shortly thereafter. Peak two down, three to go.

We traveled around the western side of Flagstaff and to the Ranger Trail trailhead where we began our ascent of Green Mountain. Green features an interesting, steady climb interspersed with steeper staircase sections that can really test your fitness. Fortunately, our goal today was not to push the fitness levels per se but to keep a steady pace throughout our effort so we hiked most of Green. We started to see heavier traffic on our ascent and were met by several short-range runners who were clearly very fit. It is not uncommon to see World class athletes training on the trails and roads around Boulder county. There are some really strong athletes in this area but we were also greeted by several groups of people who were not elite competitors out for an early morning hike. Some people’s commitment to the outdoors makes up for the neglect of others (see paragraph 2). We summited Green on schedule, stayed a few minutes to enjoy the view, then started back down to the saddle where we would tackle Bear Peak. Two more to go.

To get to the Bear Peak trail, one descends from the saddle of Green to the south for about 15 minutes (max). This is one of my favorite places in the Flatirons. This portion of the trail system doesn’t see a lot of traffic and features rolling trails through pine forests that then dump out to beautiful green meadows and a small stream across which the trail meanders. Luke and I ran quickly down this section to the Bear peak trail where we turned back south and headed uphill for the toughest climb of the day. The top third of Bear features a more exposed, alpine-style summit than any of the other peaks we would stand atop this day. We met a few other hiker/runners at the top of Bear and enjoyed the views of both the front and back ranges from the top of Bear. If you have not made the effort to summit this peak, I highly recommend it. And then there was one.

South Boulder peak is the tallest of the peaks we would climb on this day though its summit is less interesting than Bear. We wound our way down the west side of Bear to the saddle between the two peaks. From this junction (where Shadow Canyon trail meets the one on which we traveled), we continued upward to the South Boulder Peak summit. Mission accomplished. We returned to Shadow Canyon trail and quickly descended past a surprisingly large number of hikers to Mesa Trail, headed north briefly to Big Blue Stem and down to the South Mesa Trail trailhead where we were met by Megan to shuttle us back to our cars at Sanitas. Five hours on the nose.

View the full album here.

The remainder of the day was spent working and napping then I met up with a good chunk of the crew at Megan’s parents’ house in Gold Hill for a bar-b-que. When I got home, I helped Rach scrape wax out of Rock Shot’s ears. Good times.

Today I plan to go for a short ride (better get on that) and tomorrow, it looks like I have scheduled the day off. I was planning to do some back-to-back long runs but may just stick with alternating running and riding from here on out to avoid any injuries. I think I will be bagging the super-long run as well and will opt for a 40-miler as my longest run prior to Leadville.

Movie time: Last night I actually watched a movie as well. Go figure. The Yes Men is a documentary that follows the exploits of a group of satirists who find themselves in the unlikely position of representing the WTO at a number of conferences and news events. I found the most interesting piece of the film to be the reactions (or lack thereof) they received from those entrenched in the business world. Only the college students to whom they lectured in one scene called them on any of their bs. Very interesting how people conform and accept that which is clearly wrong when their livelihood is on the line. I can’t say that I haven’t been guilty of this as well and this film was a clear illustration of the corruptive effect the desire to keep one’s job/please one’s boss/not look stupid in front of one’s contemporaries can be. It would benefit us all to retain some of that college-age mentality from time to time.

Fight the good fight.

~stubert

Must. Fight. Urge. To. Sleep. In…

I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death. ~ Nas

Friday: Run – Boulder Res, ~ 1 hour
Yesterday: Bunnies, ~4 hours
Today: Run – GGCSP, ~ 2 hours
Tomorrow: Massage – InMotion, 1 hour

I guess I missed a day there. Friday was good. I finished up work and went for a lunch run around the Res. I warmed up around Coot Lake and then ran around Boulder Res in 40:52. That isn’t blazingly fast but is a personal best for me on this route. It is an average of sub-8-minute miles so that is WAY faster than I will ever run at Leadville. I just tried to keep a fairly steady pace the whole time and to keep from maxxing out my heartrate. Mission accomplished. I did experience some stomach cramps for a portion of the run but was able to just run through them. So that is encouraging. Overall, I felt okay for a change.

Several of us got together after work for Happy Hour. It was a lot of fun to have some of my co-workers get together for a send-off. I will really miss the people with whom I have worked for the past several years and really hope to stay in touch with them.

Yesterday (catching up), Rach and I spent the day at the Colorado House Rabbit Society’s Spring Fling. There was a great turn-out and people seemed to have a good time. It was a little warm for the bunnies so we put ours in the shade and gave them a frozen bottle of water to huddle around. They seemed to have a decent time overall. I think it worked well as a fundraiser with lots of people participating in the silent auction, buying items from the gift shop and whatnot. Fun times.

Today, I am trying to get out the door for a run over in the State Park near our house. I’ll probably head out from here and then do a big loop through the park and back home. I have a TON of contract/freelance work to accomplish this weekend so I need to get back in time to bang out some design work and code for a couple of clients. I am actually hoping to switch my schedule to work more weekends and take off days mid-week and I am guessing it will take a little while to get that sorted out. Right now my worst problem is rolling out of the sack at a decent time. I typically have been getting up very early each morning to go to work but the past few days I have felt the need to sleep in. I have to get back in the mode of getting up early so that I can be sure to get everything accomplished.

Tomorrow, I have some errands to run in Boulder and will be seeing Shirley for a massage. Right now, I don’t really have any soreness so I must be doing something right. I bet Shirley will find something to work over, however. She seems to have a knack for that.

Ok kiddies. I should have some photos coming soon since I did get my camera the other day. Hoping to be able to spice things up with some shots for you guys.

See you out there.

~stubert

Back on my own two feets…

Time is an abstract concept created by carbon-based life forms to monitor their ongoing decay. ~ Thunderclese

Hmmm…. I seem to have misplaced a day there.

Rach and I spent Sunday morning volunteering at the Colorado House Rabbit Society cleaning bunny cages. For those unfamiliar with the wonderful world of bunnies, this is an organization that connects long-eared critters with new owners. Hilarity usually ensues.

The Broomfiled chapter is currently home to approximately 150 little guys and girls looking for good homes. Rach spends quite a lot of her time working with COHRS: Linking up prospective families with critters, caring for and feeding the little munchkins, cleaning cages, coordinating volunteers and educating the public about how to care for their critters. The little guys seem to appreciate it.

Post bunny-excitement, the rest of the day was spent procrastinating my ride which was then cut short by a standard afternoon thunderstorm. I should know better than to wait so long to get out on the bike but somehow the day slipped away. Luke and Nichole then hosted a kickass bar-b-que which featured great company and a mean game of horseshoes. Luke still throws like a girl in case you were wondering.

Monday, I took the day off as I had meetings galore scheduled and today I am just about to head out for a lunchtime run. Bob and I are planning a Cirque de Bear Mountain run with Luke tomorrow post-work and I am hoping to hook up with the Boulder Trail Runners on Thursday for a night run. I have been really itching to get back out there and feel like this is the week to do it. The ankle is feeling better (so far), I haven’t really been running for a couple of weeks now and Leadville is looming.

See you out there.

~stubert

Edit: Just got back from a short run and man, my heartrate was up there. Not sure what was going on but even on the downhills I was clocking about 170bpm. Yikes. Plus it is friggin hot outside. How can 80 degrees feel so boiling?

Edit2: So I just found out that my cousin, Tyler, is doing a 2500 mile bike tour this summer. He and a couple of buddies are starting in Montana and riding to the Mexico border on trails along the continental divide. Read all about it.