How Do You Like Your Ass Served?

Pikes Peak lurks over the hill

The question tonight is How do you like your ass? The context for the question is that in the last four + months, I have lost a LOT of weight, I'm consistently running 70-80 miles a week and tonight, on a simple 9 mile run: I got my ass handed to me! The Barr Trail, Manitou Springs: 4 1/2 miles up, 4 1/2 down. Roughly 2800 feet of elevation gain on the way up. I repeat: I got my ass handed to me. So much for Rich Sands, badass runner dude.

On the upside, two things: 1) I've wondered what my max heart rate is. Answer: around 175 which is not bad for a fella my age. How do I know this, cuz I spent a bunch of time trying to run uphill, dying, sucking air at 173 ish, Upside 2): Salomon makes some awesome trail shoes and my Speedcross 3's were considerably more up to the task than their wearer. 

A sort of flat section 3 miles up

Valuable lessons: 1) the Cherry Creek State Park trails are nice, but they're not real mountain trails; 2) steep uphills hurt your back if your core is weak; 3) you might think you're a pretty good downhill runner until everyone and their dog flies past you.

By the way, side note, Kilian Jornet calls the Barr Trail a "fast track." Rotten kid!

In 1979 I ran the Pikes Peak Marathon and upon completion was heard to say, "I'll NEVER do that again." Now I remember why. 

Run on