Another One Bites the Dust

I remember my first day of cross country practice AGES ago, Coach Pingel said, "always log your miles." So, of course, I did. I have ever since. Today, I put away the 2025 log. 2018 miles logged for the year. That ranks 33rd of the 61 loggable (?) years. 

As has been mentioned mucho times in this blog, I have always considered 2000 miles to be the mark of a serious running year. This year might be the end of that. Not necessarily the end of 2000 mile years, but surely the end of that as a measuring stick.

SO.... that puts us at 125,961 for my career, that's 202,714 kilometers for my kilo peeps.

Frankly, I do not see another major milestone in the near future. 150,000 miles? Maybe if I keep running till I'm like 85-90 (unlikely, but you never know). I did have a dream once that I was 87 years old and crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon, keeled over after a heart attack. As they were putting me on a stretcher, my sons were yelling, "Put the medal around his neck, put the medal around his neck" Good call fellas.

The 2025 race report is simple: zero. 

So another one bites the dust. Next year? Don't know, but barring the unforeseen, I'll go for a run tomorrow to kick off the New Year.

Happy New Year. Run on.

Kipling Knew.....

In "IF", Kipling wrote,"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same."

That's it. Right there. He was right. When Disaster strikes, we need to chill.... not take it so seriously or so personally. When Triumph hits, we need to do the same. It's the steady, even keel that counts. We're never as awesome as we're hyped up to be, and never as terrible as we sometimes think (or are told).

And so it is with MY life.

I ran over 2000 miles this year. That, according to me, is the measure of serious running. So, is that a Triumph? I'm unsure because there was nothing serious or triumphant about my running in 2025.

In my professional life, I had 57 invoiceable gigs. That's my worst year in the last five. Does that make it a Disaster? I had connected better and had more fun this year than I can remember.

What does this mean?

It means that Kipling was right. If we understand both Triumph and Disaster as "imposters" we'll be okay. It's never as good or bad as we think.

Runners know this instinctively. We don't run, necessarily, for the medal, we run because we're runners.

This year reminded me of that the same is true professionally.

I don't teach because the calendar is full,

I teach because it's who I am.

Triumph and Disaster are just mile markers.

The real work is staying on your feet - and moving forward.

Run on.

The End of Seriousness

Not much left in 2025. In fact, as of this writing 24 days. If I play my cards right, I will slightly, ever so slightly, pass 2000 miles for the year. In fact, at a very reasonable 5 miles a day, the total will be 2002. 

I suppose I could be greedy and up it to 6 miles a day so that I could do that "Run The Year You're In" thing. The whole run the year you're in thing is kind of a stupid goal because,  let's see, I get older every year, but I'm supposed to run further every year. Nah, not interested.

For years now, I have maintained that my running was measured to be serious or not by the 2000 mile mark. In the 59 years I have engaged in this running thing, I have surpassed the magic number 30 times. This, barring the unforeseen, will obviously be the 31st.

And maybe the last.

You see, what I've discovered in 2025 is that I AM not longer serious. Not complaining, whining, feeling like a victim, just acknowledging that while I still enjoy the run, there is nothing motivating me to do it in any particular way, for any particular distance. I'd like to think that this means I am passed it all and have moved on to a more zen-like state. Actually I'm tired.

And tired is okay.

Run on.

You Can't Be on a Roll With a Square Wheel

Taking some time off. Rough runs in Idaho. Irresponsible eating (meaning almost none)  and a complete lack of water. Result: Severe dehydration (or as the EMT called it - Severe Stupidity) followed by urinary tract infection. 

Enough said.

When You're on a Roll.....

 

Weird guy in Greenland

Keep rolling, right?

Just wrapped up a 52 mile week with an excellent trail run yesterday down in the Greenland Open Space. It was originally supposed to be an 8 miler, but with a wrong turn and a detour plus a bit of an add-on, it became 11. It went really well while I was in-run, but sure sucked last night and today. Sore. But sore means...... what? Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I suppose.

I guess I can't complain. Since the week of June 8, every one has been 40 miles minimum, with the exception of two where I backed off and used them as recovery weeks. My knee, while far from perfect, is for the most part, pain free. Yeah, I get little jolts every now and then, and tightness and stability can be challenging, but gone are the day of pops and buckles. If you're unsure about a pop OR a buckle, go here: https://runspittle.blogspot.com/2020/09/pops-and-buckles-what-happens-to-my-knee.html.

At this point 70-80% of all running is on trail/dirt. It's obviously much softer, but mostly everywhere that has trail/dirt as a surface is nicer, prettier, and less stressful that the concrete. The best "local" spots for these ventures is the singletrack from Tagawa down to Cottonwood and all of the side trips, the East West Trail either side of I-25, Hidden Mesa, and one of my favorites Bayou Gulch. 

Bayou Gulch is a nice constantly rolling trail South of Parker. It's pretty much up to you how far
you go as there are trail offshoots and loops all over the place. Last Saturday, it was good for 10 miles, which was nothing compared to the young woman who was logging multiple versions of the big loop (3+ miles). I'm guessing she was in the 13-16 range.

Tubbs Hill

Also made up for a terrible run on Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene with a great one a few weeks ago. I love approaching the Hill with some miles along the Spokane River to make sure everything is working. Then it up we go. Most of Tubbs Hill (which is a 2+ mile loop) is surrounded by Lake Coeur d'Alene. Most of it is fairly easy trail, but there are some pockets of moderately technical rock/root stuff to make it interesting. For more interest, at any given time it's going either up or down. One of my favorite spots.

As far as the "racing" scene goes, I have the Boulderthon (either the 5 or 10K) at the end of September and the Mt Tam Trail Race in early November. Might be a Turkey Trot in there somewhere and who knows, maybe a Jingle run.

SOOOO, that's my story. Just rolling along.

Run on.

Another Year Bites the Dust

My Birthday? NO. It’s my 59th runnerversary.

I began this fabulous journey as a runner back on this day in 1966. Also on that day, the Beatles kicked off their last US tour AND….. the Pirates beat the Reds 14-11. 115 years earlier Singer patented the sewing machine. Seems like my launching this love of running was considerably more important than any of these events.

Interestingly, the last 3-4 months have been pretty good. Outside of a major fall and some occasional flareups, I'm in a decent space: slow and happy.

Since my 58th, I’ve covered 2104 miles. Here’s to another year down. Next comes 60!

Not much else to say this morning, gotta go run. 

If you'd like more, try https://runspittle.blogspot.com/2015/08/49-years-running-its-who-i-am.html

OR: https://runspittle.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-anniversary-to-me-45-years-of.html

All Is Well....... Really.....

Four days ago they held the Mont Blanc 23k race without me. How dare they!!!! Well, I fixed them, I watched the livestream of the Western States 100 instead.

In the meantime, my body is serving me well, my wife and dog are still loving and loyal, and my garden is growing like crazy. I suppose I can't complain. So where do I start (reviewing, not complaining)?

I've been stringing together weeks of mileage in the low 40's. This week I hope to jump to around 47-48 and next week reset the bar to upper 40's / lower 50's. For the sheer joy of it, I've sprinkled in a dash of road cycling, 3 days a week, 14-20 miles per session.

On June 30, I ran 6 miles in my neighborhood marking the end of the half year. I have often said, in this blog offering, I really have only two rules in my running: 1) if it isn't at least 3 miles, it isn't a run, and 2) 2000 miles in a year is the measurement gauging whether I've had a serious year. After logging 2508 in 2021, that year was followed by 1730, 1613, 1657. Unsatisfactory. Well after that halfway run, I was at 1036 for the year and on pace for 2000. AND, of equal note, currently sitting at 124,895 career miles, closing in on 125,000. Nice.

All in all, my knee had a pretty good month. The problem? Working in the yard. Up, down, squat, sit, OH MAN it sucks. There must be a way to robot this stuff (especially the weeding). If we can vacuum with the irobot, where is the iweeder? Maybe that's my next invention. Next..... hahahahaha, what was my first invention?

Racing? I have no real racing goals for the summer (and by racing I mean participating in an event where other people are racing). I wouldn't mind returning to the Boulderthon in the fall (it was fun), maybe a couple of trail runs in the hills, and maybe the Mt Tam Trail run in NORCAL in November. We'll see. And maybe, just maybe, a sprint triathlon in Coeur d'Alene in August (will have to go for a swim at some point, I suppose). Jury still out on that one.

So, there it is. It's summer and no matter where you might be, it's a great time to be out and about. So, have fun and be safe.

Run on.

Well, That Wasn't Good Part 2. AKA Mont Blanc Episode NO

No bloody picture to view, no bruises across my chest, nothing physical left over from the fall of April 2025. The after effects, however, remain. 

Tomorrow marks seven weeks since I fell on a trail in Oceanside, CA. As mentioned, physically I'm fine. My running volume has dropped considerably, my enthusiasm even more, and I'm not sure why. Except that I do know why: I'm scared and feeling very vulnerable.

As much as I would like to say that the falling trail was rocky, craggy, rooty, and highly technical, it was none of those. I just hit an uneven spot and my old age/too fat lack of response and/or lack of flexibility couldn't keep me up. I tried, couldn't get the job done. THAT was checkbox number one.

Less that a week later I was in Coeur d'Alene, one of my favorite places to be, and to run. On my arrival, I stayed safe and ran the Spokane River trail: asphalt, well maintained. On day 2, I took the River trail into town and up onto Tubbs Hill, a 2 1/2 mile trail loop around the Hill. Five minutes in, I turned back. Chickened out. THAT was checkbox number two.

The final box was checked this past weekend near Westcliffe. The plan was to head up the road from the cabin in which we were staying and head to Rainbow Something trail, expecting it would be beautiful. The hill from the cabin up the road was moderately short, but fairly steep. Less than an 1/8th of a mile up, I turned around. THAT was checkbox number three.

Monday, after returning home, Vulnerable, chicken me, officially withdrew from the Mont Blanc 23k. Too much. Maybe there'll be another time.

Run on.

Well, THAT Wasn't Good! Part 1

With the last episode being called "The More Things Stay the Same," this last 11 days was NOT what we had in mind. 

Let's begin on Wednesday April 2. I'm teaching a ZOOM Fair Housing class for the Boulder Realtor Association, I finish at 2 pm right on the dot. Knowing my wife, Linda doesn't get off work until 5, I decide to check her on Find My Phone anyway just on some weird hunch. "What are you doing at the Parker Hospital?" I ask. The answer ends up being excruciating pain, a hospital ride from work,  and the discovery of two blood clots.

Thursday, I teach a Pricing class all day and my wife stays home from work to rest.

Friday morning, we are both supposed to leave for Oceanside CA to watch my Son-in-Law, Brian, compete in Oceanside Ironman 70.3. After a long discussion, we decide, I'll go alone. Linda has her youngest daughter at home to keep on eye on her, we don't want all of our tickets to go to waste (she was supposed to leave the triathlon and fly up to NorCal to spend time with her Mom), and Southwest Airlines is very nice when it comes to crediting cancelled flights.

I arrive in San Diego, grab a car, and arrive in Oceanside by 9:30 am. Brian is headed to an athlete briefing at 10, Angela (his wife - my oldest Step-Daughter) has already run, so I decide to get one in myself. I find a trail (bike path, actually) near the harbor and I'm off.

I have a fabulous run. Sea level loves me, and I feel the same. Usually a 13 min/mile guy, I'm knocking off stuff in the low to mid 11's. The trail is semi-crowded with tri-folk on their shakeout runs, and I even got a wave from eventual Ironman winner, Lionel Sanders. Then, it happened.....

The trail was VERY worn. Holes, cracks, and bumpy going were the norm once you were just a little bit from the entrance. I guess I didn't see it, but I hit an uneven section and BOOM, down I went. I've tripped before. In fact, I'm fairly good at it. Usually it's all just a few cuts, scrapes, and a bruise or two. This time, I went down HARD: chest first, head follows. OUCH!

The first person on the scene was a man on a bike who yelled, "Are you alright?" Immediately, out of the blue came another guy yelling, "Are you okay?"

"Don't move," was the command. "No I just need help getting up. I just want to stand up" I said. Then one of them gasped, with a high level of concern/shock and gave me a, "OH MAN!"

It was at that moment I felt the rush of warm liquid streaming down my face, onto my shirt (which ended up saturated - and even came clean three days later - thank you Tide), and in my hands as I checked the damage. Long story short, it just so happened that my two passerby's were both nurses.

After consultation I decided I could walk back to the house (1 1/2 miles, give or take). Within 50 yards, I figure I can jog back..... so i did. I have to tell you, if I had a dollar for every person who asked if I was "okay," I'd have made a boatload. I'm sure I looked frightful

Having been briefed by my nurses, I proceeded to head online to check the symptoms of punctured lungs and the like (as well as determining if stitches were needed). Just banged up, I decided.

I notified Brian I would be late for the Pro panel we were going to attend at 11 (made it at 11:30). It looked pretty ugly, but I figured if that was the worst thing, it would be good.

I slept decently, watched Brian participate in the Half Ironman the next day and even got in a few miles before departing Sunday early. My trip home was uneventful, except for the, "Are you okay?" comments (when asked "what happened," I told the flight attendant that I'd gotten mouthy on my last flight). 

Friday, however, somewhere between the fall and the run, I received a call telling me that my lovely bride was back in the hospital and they would be running tests and keeping her for at least one night At this point stress levels are rising. In the end, she was released Saturday and when I arrived home the next day, we were a sorry looking pair.

She's back on blood thinners after 15 years off them, and I feel like a beat up Monday morning football player, relying heavily on ibuprofen for my face and chest. Linda would no be heading to NorCal. I would be leaving, however, for three days in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

How was that going to go?

Mont Blanc 23k Episode 2: The More Things Stay the Same

Garden of the Gods

The road (trail) to Mont Blanc moves on.

It's a matter of time, a matter of miles. One foot in front of the other, slowly (in my case), but surely. That's exactly where we are 14 weeks out from my trip through the Alps.

Seriously..... almost nothing to report. This last week (ending today) was a back off a bit week after three build weeks in a row. We've run 47, 52, and 54 miles in the last three weeks. This one, then, backed off to 45. 

Had a few semi eventful jaunts. The first was in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

Originally I was going to run in the Garden of the Gods on Wednesday after teaching the Military Relocation Professional class at the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors in Colorado Springs. It was 65 degrees and beautiful. Turns out I got to the visitors center and had left my bag back at my classroom. BOO. Came back Friday to retrieve the bag and head for the Garden. Well, the Gods weren’t smiling too much that morning. HIGH winds, snow and cold. Had to run anyway!

Wasn't terrible, it was just difficult to see many of the fabulous views as the snow/wind/clouds made for lousy visibility. Next time, maybe.

The next almost cool runs were to be in Nashville (speaking at a conference). Nashville is essentially, sea level (597 feet). I live at 6100. This should have been three days of oxygen heaven. Turns out, not so much. I went on three runs in Music City and none of them were eventful in any way whatsoever.

Thank God I'm a Country Boy

The highly recommended "fantastic" trail along the Cumberland River was run down and seemed somewhat unsafe. My runs to the other side of the Cumberland were equally uninspiring.

Now, let me be fair, I Ubered my way from the airport to my hotel and was unable to run anywhere, any distance from downtown unless I wanted to pay the ride share world to get there. This probably got in the way of running in some better locations. Nonetheless, that was Nashville.

Upon returning home, my late week runs were the norm: Cherry Creek State Park, my hilly neighborhood, the East West Trail near the Rueter-Hess incline. Today, however, to add a twist, I expanded my 30-60 second "hill pushes" to hill semi sprints, or maybe we'll call them "big hill pushes." 6 x 30 seconds at about 12-15% incline knocked my heart rate to 162 (and according to the experts, that's higher than my max - ha, experts.....). All in all good fun.

So, with a week left in the month, I am at 505 miles. 50 next week will push my first quarter mileage to have my on track for about 2200. That would be fabulous.

Entertained two other thoughts on todays run (before the hill repeats left me delirious). I'm thinking maybe a trail 50k and/or a Rim to Rim Grand Canyon crossing. Eh..... just thinking.

Run on.

Mont Blanc 23k Episode 1: The Countdown Begins!

Here we go..... T-Minus 16 weeks. Yep, a mere 16 x 7 days (that's 112 days, right?) until a race I've wanted to be in for a LOOOONG time.

So I figure I'll document this little journey and this is the best place to do it (cannot imagine anyone watching a video doc). Like my journey to Italy a few years ago, I'm mostly doing this for me. The eight real live people and the couple of hundred bot views I get are incidental (sorry if you're one of the eight - you're not incidental). 

Today, to kick off the countdown to Mont Blanc, I had a stellar day to close a good week.

First, I ran 7 miles in and near Washington Park in Denver. The run brought me to 52 miles for the week. It was a nice, easy jaunt, and one I would have done near home if it hadn't been for event #2: Mason's 7k race.

Mason, (in the first picture) for anyone who doesn't know, is my Grandson. He was an All State runner at Eaglecrest High School and catapulted that to a great career at Colorado State University. He was All Conference several times and the Mountain West 10k track Champion in 2023.

Long story, short, he won the Runnin' of the Green 7k today in what someone said was a course record (not sure as they just moved the course from Lower Down town to Wash Park). He looked strong and ran well especially considering he'd put in a repeated 60 hours a week as a first year accountant (it IS tax season).

Next cool thing was meeting 50 mile world record holder Charlie Lawrence. Charlie had placed fourth in the race (4.2 miles isn't exactly in the wheelhouse for an ultra guy). I've been following his career for a few years and it was a pleasure meeting him (even though he called me SIR).

On the physical front, my knee is still doing pretty well, and many of the items I track are on the upswing. My Garmin sleep score, by the way, would have had an average of about 88 for the week, but then was killed by the time change. 71 last night. Boooo! I realize that most of that wrist extracted data from my watch is, at best, un reliable. What I like is that the unreliability is most likely consistent. Maybe, then, improvement while not accurate, is real. Hmmmmmmm.....

This week the goal is 56-58 miles with a double digit run thrown in for the fun of it. I'm trying to carve out some consistency, get serious about my nutrition and up my strength work to where I am actually getting in my three days a week.

Getting close to making all the appropriate reservations. Probably flying in to Geneva and taking the train to Chamonix. We (my wife Linda and I) will either spend another few days in Switzerland or maybe down in Nice. Not sure yet.

Getting mildly excited.

Run on!