Running on Hot Concrete - Ouch!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

I posted on my status yesterday that I was burning alive because the temperature was 75 degrees. Some of my SparkFriends from warmer climates were amused at my heat wimpiness. I live at 9,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. The temperature should not get so high here!

Here is what I am used to.

I took this photo on February 6th. The temperature was a comfortable 20 degrees F. I run in shorts at any temperature down to 20 degrees F.

I had to go to Denver yesterday. I took my running stuff. After my appointment, I decided I was tough enough to run on the High Line Canal trail during the heat of the day. Temperature was 97 degrees F when I stepped on the "trail". I figured that the low elevation of 5,876 feet would make up for the blast furnace heat.

Bad idea!

First, I had forgotten to bring any means of hydration. I have a great hydration belt and a hydration vest.


This is a Nathan Trail Mix Waistpack. This hydration belt holds two 10 ounce bottles.


This is my hydration vest. I use this vest on long runs and bike rides. This is an Ultimate Direction Wasp that holds 64 ounces of fluid. So I had a total capacity of 84 fluid ounces that was all at home 45 miles away.

I warmed-up, slugged down some Gatorade, made a pit stop and started running. Dang it was hot! I also found that most of the trail was concrete. I almost exclusively run on dirt. Concrete is a very hard surface.


Even though it was hot, I was a little faster than a few days ago. I did 5K in 30:28. Afterwards my feet were sore and my left knee hurt. I suspected my shoes were toast. While running on dirt I had no issue with my shoes. My log showed I had 436.82 miles on my shoes. I took my shoes over to the Boulder Running Company and had them checked. My shoes were totally wiped-out! Nike Zoom Vomeros are not long-lived shoes.



The shoe fitter at the Boulder Running Company told me that Nike Vomeros are made to be as soft as "Marshmallows". I knew the shoes would break-down quickly.

The Boulder Running Company in Littleton had to get the new Vomeros sent from the Boulder Store. I am leaving to pick up my new shoes now. Even with my new shoes I am going to avoid concrete. I admit I am a heat wimp and concrete wimp!



Thanks for reading my blog.

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Trail Running, Bikes and Squirrels

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

As most of you know, I live in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Last Saturday I wanted to go to Mount Evans and run the Chicago Lakes trail. I can see Mount Evans (14,260 feet) from my house. There were serious storm clouds on the peak. Not good!

I decided to go for an easy run at Flying J Ranch nearby. I have been trying to rehab a bad knee by doing the C25K training program. I had been running on the local high school track, which has a beautiful resilient surface. Running in a circle is boring. The Flying J trails are well maintained. I have included some photos of the Flying J.

This sign tells a little bit about the Flying J Ranch. This is not raw wilderness any longer.


I think it is always good to know where you are and where you are going.


Bears and lions live in the Rocky Mountains - well duh! I didn't think this sign was referring to Chicago or Detroit!


I personally prefer Squirrels to lions and bears. Squirrels are my favorite animals. Some people around here call Squirrels "Tree Rats". I think Squirrels are hilarious!

The Squirrel pictured above is an Abert's Squirrel. They live around here and are pretty rare elsewhere.

This is a Pine Squirrel. Predictably, these little guys live in pine trees.

Pine Squirrels are very noisy and chatter like crazy. They also bombard you with pine cones. I told you Squirrels are funny little animals.

Rocket J. Squirrel in action! I think if Squirrels were just half the size of bears they would be invincible!



This is a pretty trail at the Flying Ranch Park where I ran on Saturday.

People ride their mountain bikes on this trail. A few roots and an occasional rock make this a nice trail for a bike. Everybody you meet on these trails are friendly.

I think this trail looks inviting. You can see it disappear into the distance. Although this trail is quite smooth, I can still fall down.


Near the parking lot are picnic pavilions. It was raining when I finished my run. I did my post-cardio stretching on a picnic table. Rain in Colorado is about one degree above freezing.


There is even a great outhouse that is heated and has flushing toilets. I would rather to go to places where Daniel Boone would go to get away from it all. Although I have to admit that the Flying J has all the comforts of home.


So how did I do running? I didn't wound myself! I ran 3 miles in 33 minutes, which is not setting the World on fire. But I felt pretty good after this short run. I am also riding my bike on days when I am not running. Sunday I took my "safe" bike for a ride.

I have names for my bikes. Stumpy is my Specialized Stumpjumper. Big Red is my Giant Boulder Se. Big Red has 21-speeds, aluminum frame, solid components, and adjustable forks. This bike is pretty good on dirt roads and easy trails. At $380 this is a lot of bike for the money.


I always wear a helmet. A few scrapes and bruises on a leg is nothing compared to a whack on the head.

Thanks for reading my blog!

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I fell off my Bike - So what else is new?

Saturday, July 16, 2011

I am pretty banged-up. My wife told me that if I were a horse I would have to put down! My latest adventure was about a week ago. I fell off my bike. I have a Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike I call "Stumpy". This is a pretty fast bike, which is not what I really need.

I bought some new cleats for my bike shoes. Although I am pretty sure it is a bad idea to use pedal clips where I ride, I like the little bit of extra "umph" the clips give me. The cleats are Shimano SH56 SPD that are supposed to release in multiple directions. I had just been using the single direction-release cleats.



Armed with my new cool cleats, I headed to Slaughter House trail. I have found there are are certain places to avoid based on the name. Any ski slope nick- named the "Jaws of Death" is likely to be a unique experience. Trails named after fighter planes, outlaws or train wrecks may also tend to be difficult. Certainly a trail with the word "Slaughter" in the title should be avoided like the plague!

Of course, I am attracted to such places like a moth to a flame! With much the same results - crash and burn!

I tried the new cleats in the garage on Stumpy. Everything was great. I didn't even take any tools to adjust the pedal tension. Rookie mistake! I think the new cleats were just a tad bigger than my old cleats. at a critical juncture, there was a slight delay as I tried to kickout of my right cleat. Here is a photo essay.

This is Stumpy. Stumpy is a Plain-Jane bike that has subtle silver graphics. Bikes from discount stores are prettier.



Slaughter House trail is actually in very pretty country. I tad steep but very scenic.



Trail conditions on Slaughter House go to mildly rocky.


To insanely rocky. My Garmin shows that Stumpy and me hit 36.5 mph over some of this terrain.


Here are the predictable results. My right foot needed to come out of the pedal clip. The right foot did not come out of the pedal clip because the clip spring tension was too tight. By the time I kicked my heel out of the pedal, it was too late.


Here is another photo of my leg. This sorta hurt! The bruises are not quite visible.


I came home and adjusted the spring tension on the pedal. The spring tension was way too tight. Me and Stumpy are having fun. Today, I need to do some high-altitude running. I plan to run to Chicago Lakes on Mount Evans. The trailhead starts at 10,650 feet and tops out at 12,000 feet. I am pretty well healed. I few stumbles on the rocky Chicago Lake Trail will take care of my recovery.

Moth to a flame! Thanks for reading my Blog.

Bruce

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Skinny Colorado and Bicycles

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Part 1: We Are Getting Fatter

I recently read that Colorado has the lowest obesity rate all the states at 19.8%. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate at 34.4%. The study defined "obesity" as a BMI over 30. The bad news is that Colorado's obesity rate has doubled since 1995! The study also stated that 20 years ago no state had an obesity rate greater than 15%.

The United States is getting fatter. No surprise there! Colorado has a mild climate. People tend to move here to Colorado that enjoy the outdoors. Skiing, biking and hiking are big here. The population of Colorado is urban, affluent and educated. Mississippi's population tends to be poor and rural. The study says there is a correlation between income and obesity. Less affluent people have higher obesity rates.

I think that we here in Colorado have nothing to brag about. Colorado is getting fatter just like every other state.

Part 2: Bicycles Are Expensive (Maybe Not)

There is a joke here in Colorado that most bikers spend more on their bicycles that they spend on their cars! We have four good mountain bikes. Added up all the money we have spent on Bicycles and accessories. The total is $4,505. I know that a single bicycle can cost more. I was shocked to find our expenditure total to be so high.

This is a Specialized HardRock. The HardRock is considered to be an entry level bike at $420. This bike has an aluminum alloy frame, 21-speeds and good components. This bike belongs to my 19 year-old son, Andy.





Here is the bike my 21 year-old daughter Katie uses. She rides this bike all over her college campus. This bike is a Giant Boulder SE that goes for $380. This bike has an aluminum alloy frame and 21-speeds and is similar to the Hardrock in quality.





This bike belongs to my wife, Annette. This is a a Specialized Women's Myka Elite that lists for $940. This bike has a light-weight aluminum alloy frame, 27-speeds, disk brakes and great components.



This is my first Mountain Bike and is as reliable as a Swiss watch. This bike is a Giant Boulder SE that lists for $380. This bike has an aluminum alloy frame and 21-speeds. This bike has good components and has always shifted nicely. This was the first high-quality mountain bike I bought that started us all down the slippery slope of quality bicycles.





Now we get to the money pit. This is a Specialized Stumpjumper Comp that lists for $1,900. This particular bike is highly customized and has an extra $500 of high-end components. I got "Stumpy" for $1,600. A guy bought the bike and brought it back to the bike shop for refund. The bike was slightly used when I bought it. This bike is light and fast with 30-speeds, fork lockout and hydraulic disk brakes. It shifts like lightning even under heavy load.




Here is the advertising for Stumpy.

"The Stumpjumper makes no sacrifices in terms of weight, efficiency, agility, or ride quality. As the most technologically advanced cross-country hardtails available, they are ruthlessly built to pedal hard, climb fast and beat everyone on the World Cup circuit or local trails. Out of the box and race ready for XC, the Stumpjumper are for riders looking to climb fast and rail twisty singletrack."

Note this glowing description does not say "rocky trails". The ultra light tubes and tires went bye-bye after a few rides on rough trails. The sidewalls got destroyed. I bought Maxxis Minion tires for Stumpy.



These tires are tough!



Unfortunately, these tires weigh 8 oz more than the original tires. Total investment in tires, tubes and mounting was $123.87! Because Stumpy has odd-ball Presta valve stems, I had to drop $75 on a new tire pump. My total cost for new tires and a Presta tire pump was $199, which is more expensive than most entry-level bikes.

This is a Schwinn Sidewinder mountain bike available at Walmart for $164. This bike weighs about 36 to 40 pounds and has twist grip shifters, 21 speeds and linear pull brakes. It is rated 4 out of 5 stars on the Walmart site. Walmart sells a tire pump that would fit this bike for $21. (this bike has the standard Schrader tire valve so any tire pump will work). Total investment for bike and pump is $185 or $14 less than Stumpy's tires.

Now you cannot" ruthlessly pedal" with a Schwinn Sidewinder. Twist grip shifters are vague and the chain tends to rattle when changing gears.

If you are still with me I am trying to think up a point to all this. Inexpensive bikes may not last as long as the high-end bikes. But if you have a Schwinn Sidewinder you will not have to replace bikes as often as Stumpy needs new tires. You will be dollars ahead. Stumpy is a money pit.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Bruce

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C25K Rehab - W3D1 - A bit of Speed

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

I want to RUN! I want to really turn loose and a fly. I want to have miles melt behind me and feel free! I want the exhilaration of taking on high mountain trails where angels fear to tread!

But I can't. I am hurt.

I am working slowly to get back in running shape. I fell back on what turned me into a born-again runner - the Couch-to-5K program. I am currently on week three, which is an interval workout. I am pleased with my progress. The intervals are based on time or distance:

Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
Walk 3 minutes
(repeat)

Here is how I did:

Total distance: 2.3 miles
Total time: 20:53

Average Pace: 9:08 min/mile

Walking Pace: 13:21 min/mile
90 Second Interval Pace: 5:29 min/mile
3 Minute Interval Pace: 7:04 min/mile

Temperature: 69 Degrees F
Humidity: 34%
Elevation: 8,030 feet

Location: Resilient 400M High School Track

I feel pretty good about this pace, however, this is on a flat track under good conditions. The good news is that I didn't hurt myself.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Bruce



April 15, 2010 - This is one of my better high-altitude 5K times. This 5K was at 8,600 feet over moderately hilly terrain on dirt. I am not even close to this fast now.

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