Last hard run

Here is my last hilly hard run before my tri next weekend. It was a good confidence builder just with not having to stop had take a breath. The hills were long and steep as you can tell.

Elevation (ft.)

Pace (min/mile)

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Elevation Gain
	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg
1	8' 11	-0' 25	7.3	+0.3	+43 ft
2	8' 12	-0' 24	7.3	+0.3	-78 ft
3	8' 48	+0' 12	6.8	-0.2	+39 ft
4	8' 41	+0' 05	6.9	-0.1	-56 ft
5	8' 55	+0' 19	6.7	-0.3	+102 ft
6	8' 40	+0' 04	6.9	-0.1	-63 ft
end	10' 00	+1' 24	6.0	-1.0	0 ft
Versus average of 8' 36 min/mile: Slower Faster Now I just need to do a few more easy runs this week with two more swims and three rides and I hope I'm will be good enough to finish this this thing next weekend.

First race since injury

The day after we returned from our Colorado get a way even after the long close to 15 hour drive back my dad and I decided to test out how were with our 5K times. He recently set a PR at a race last month. I have been just getting back into running after my three month lay off. I have actually been spending more time focusing on my swimming due to my first tri next weekend and I'm not a strong swimmer.

I was a little over a minutes slower then where my 5K time was before I got injured. DANG! That is over 20 sec/mile slower! I guess what do I really expect due to not running for three months and since I have started in again not really done any speed work. Here is a picture of me finishing. I was able to take 5th overall in the race and second in my age group. The winner of my age group won the race.This is my dad finishing. It was a twilight run at 6pm (hot) and it was a hilly course so he was a little off of his PR pace. However he was able to come in at 9th overall and second also in his age group.
This my little guy who so badly wanted to "run the race with daddy and grandpa". So we waited until the walkers were coming in and let had him run the last two blocks or so. He LOVED it as you can tell by the smile on his face. Priceless!

Now my focus is turning to breaking my tri cherry. I believe as long as I do not drown I think I will have a good time.

High all week = no posts

Not the high that gives me the munches. I was in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. I had a great time with family and don't worry I was able to get in some good running. I went for a few runs by myself on the trails and also ran once with my dad.

I will get a post up of my race that I put on sometime this week. I left for CO the day after the race so I did not get a chance to post much. I WILL get a review up soon however! I know there were strong talks of opening up the course to the public this fall. So all of you Iowa and Neb. runs can come test it out if that happens

The views one the runs were unbelievable. I will share some with you in this post. My dad and I were also able to climb to the Keyhole of Longs Peak. It's the highest peak in the park just over 14,000 ft. It was a great half of a day climb.


Here are a few pics of some of the trails that I ran on.

I gave a name to this section the nickname "the Devils stairway" I used stopping to take a picture as an excuse to rest. It just went on forever!
These are some of the amazing views that I was able to enjoy while I stopped to try and breath in the thin high altitude air.
Taking this picture was a little scary. I made sure I kept my distance and did not make eye contact. I was not in any shape for a speed session.

Here is a short video that my dad was able to get of me running a section of the trail.

A few race pics.

Here are a few race pictures from my 5K. I did not get many due to directing the race I was pretty busy. I did have our photographer out there on the course for both the student and staff run so I will post more when I get his digital copies.
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The run went very well. All the kids and staff had a great time. It is looking good for the possibility of opening it up to the public in the fall. So any of you that want to come and test out your hill climbing legs you just might be able to.

The punishing finish

Here are a couple pictures of the end of my 5K run I'm directing. You ht the base of this hill right around the 2.9 mile mark. The picture does not really do it justice for you realize how steep of a climb this hill is. It is a climb up hill. It has been named Iorn Man.You can't run up it at all. If you look close you can see a rope in the middle of the hill tied at the top that goes about 3/4th of the way down. It is needed now and will really be needed on race day when the volunteer firefighters from town come to hose down the hill the night before the race. Shhhhhh.....

I think I have everything set in place and am ready for a great race day. If all goes well I will market it and hopefully some of you can come and test your trail running on my course.

Nervous

Okay I'm starting to get a little nervous about my 5K this week. I'm pretty sure I have the trials in the woods and the creek crossings ready to go and looking good. I had about 20 co-workers test out the course with me last Friday over the lunch hour. They all had a great time. Except maybe for the nurse who claims she saw a "big" snake.

I'm really nervous about the possibility of forgetting some detail about race that would make it not go off smooth. I have been to countless races as a runner and have volunteered at a few. But putting it on as the director for an inaugural one is a little more work then I thought about when I was approached with the idea of doing it.

I'm praying I have thought of everything and that everyone will have a blat and be muddy as can be afterwords. I hope to have pictures for you after the race. Maybe even a little video if I can get someone to stand by the one big creek crossing. Wish me luck please.

Spectator race report

My dad starting the race at the far right. It was pouring at this time.

Here he is finishing off his PR effort. That lady sped up at the last moment to block my picture and ruin my dad's PR finishing pic.

My dad ran the 5K this past weekend in the Council Bluffs half-marathon/5K. My dad did GREAT! He set a 5K PR by more then a min. and won his age group. And all that was done in a heavy down pour at times.

It was an inaugural event so I will have to look past the unorganized aspects of the race. I will harp on that next year if I participate and some of the things are not changed. The biggest over site that I can not get past is the lack of bathrooms at the race start. There were NO portta johns! There was just a restroom that was at the local park to use and it just had two stalls for each gender. The TP was gone by 6am and the race did not start until 7am for the half and 7:15am for the 5k. Not good.

However I have heard from others that the race course was flat and fast. My of course thinks this due to the PR. But I'm sure he was set for a PR no matter what due to him being in great running shape.

I was able to meet and talk to Adventure Seeker after the race. Great job on the PR also! I have not idea how you can PR at a half and then plan to complete a 70.3 the next weekend. More power to her. She did GREAT!

I also was able to, at the last moment, see Cross Country Squared sprint to the finish line for a PR. I however was unable to meet her due to my son was busy watching the kids come in from the fun run. There must have been some magic in the air due to all three people I was cheering for ended up with PR's.

Am I back?

I'm so scared that typing this will jinx me into being injured again. I just wanted to let everyone know that I have been running (well a lot of jogging I guess) and have not had any pain in my calf. It only took three months. The longest three months of my running life.

I'm still on track to compete in my first triathlon next month. Before then I will also run my own 5K course in a few weeks and then later in the month I plan to run another 5K. I don't think that I will push the pace to much for either race just to be safe. I really just want the feeling of racing again. I miss the atmosphere.

I'm so excited to get my own personal racing season started after reading about all of the good times you all have been having.

Cool find

This is that baby deer that we found when we were out clearing part of the trail for my 5K adventure run. I almost stepped right on it. Of course we went around it and will clear out that section another day. It was a great find.

Course pics

Here is one of the creek crossings that the runners will contend with.
The rest of the pictures are just of random trail breaking that we worked on today. There will be more to come.