Ironman Boulder Tri Series Volunteer Party

This morning I went out for my very first morning run of the year. Lets face it, its hard to get up early, its cold and you dont always have time to make your lunch and take a shower. Mainly its been the cold keeping me away, oh and the darkness, but im off the wagon now (or is that on the wagon? People miss use the term so often im even confused now). To set it straight, you are on the wagon if you arnt drinking, or arnt running and you are off the wagon when you are on a bender of running, got it?

I tried to do one of my staple runs I call the Airport loop since it goes right past the airport runway and is on "Airport Rd" ha the only non science in my training is my naming conventions for run routes. Anyway, half way through the loop a bridge was out and I had to deviate, I back tracked for a mile and then ducked onto a dirt path detour. One of the greatest things about living and training in Boulder is that there is never a shortage of paths and routes to run and bike on and to be honest, after a year of training I still have not exhusted my run options within 6 miles from me. Its a difficult route in that it starts out flat then has a slight uphill and then a slight downhill, then a major downhill with a major uphill, followed by a slight uphill for 2.5 miles, a slight downhill (rest) for 400m, slight uphill for 1 mile and a down hill final mile stretch. I was talking about this route with Pro Triathlete Joanna Zeiger in a conversation about evenly paced runs and I had the arguement that this route and many others in Boulder make it impossible to run even pace. Instead I like to run this as percieved effort slow on the up, and faster on the down.

At mile 4 my enemy revisited, blistering. I've actually switched running shoes because I noticed my newest shoes have collapsed at the ball of the toe (im talking with the manufacturer about it and ill keep you posted). I wear running socks, my feet are dry and they are a heavy training shoe, why does this keep happening?... recommendations?? I think for my Half Mary this weekend im going to wear thick smartwool socks, tape my feet, use body glide and baby powder... all that should cover my basis right?

5.5 mile Pace=7:24



After work I attended the Boulder Triathlon Series Volunteer party put on by WTC hosted at the Energy lab of D3. I thought it was great for WTC to put on a party for all the people who volunteered last year for one of their local events, I was in the food tent for the Boulder 70.3, and will be there again this year! Props to Jessica the volunteer coordinator at WTC for setting this long awaited event. They went all out with free food, beer provided locally and tons of raffle prizes (see picture above). My ticket landed me a winning entry into the Boulder Running Series (formerly the Pearl St. Series) which includes a 2k, 3k, and 1mi race in Boulder on or near the Pearl St. Mall. Could be a great opportunity for me to break 5:25 again for the first time in 3 years (see postings about the Wagner Mile annual trial).