Last Blast of 2010

What a year! Or not. At least I've been recovering from previous injuries. Life has been good, right through the so-called hard times. I've kept my job, my general health, even if not always my structural health.

I could have worked harder, on the running, but I honestly don't care that I placed it at a lower priority. I'm still looking forward to next year running ALL of the usual races, like I haven't done in two years.
One problem is that I signed up for the Barstow, CA, Calico Canyon 50k (2 wks away), and on the drive out there, the San Juan Solstice 50M registration will open. If I'm not registered within the first seconds after registration opens, I won't get in. The plan was to camp, but I don't think the San Rafael Swell has WiFi, so I'll have to get a motel, and get myself up in time. Both could be challenging.

I'm in Leadville, like has become a New Years tradition for me. I don't really party-in the new year. Instead, I tend to have maybe one or two beers after dinner, and then drive up to find a camp site. Usually asleep by 10pm. How's that for boring? But I've really enjoyed spending my New Years this way, so that's why I keep doing it. Besides, I haven't been invited to a New Years party since about 2007/2008. That business is usually for young people who are looking to get laid, not old guys who are retired from the whole boy-girl thang. So the choice has actually been easy.
My Leadville New Years tends to be peaceful, with lots of reading and staring at the wind, trying to clear my mind and soul and clear out the bytes, hertz, and C# code, and get back to nature. Surrounding myself with the most bitter cold and harsh winds have been an important ingredient. What better way to remind myself how mortal I am, and how simple real survival is? Returning to what it takes to stay alive reminds me that there isn't much about modern life that seems to have anything to do with anything.
I like to end the bitter cold with a luxurious soak in the hot springs followed quickly by a hot-stone massage to melt me into the new year. It's like closing the door on whatever was last year, and opening a completely new door on the next.

Namaste to last year, namaste to next, and namaste to all m friends out there!

El Chubbo Grande Fat Ass

Got together with friends and ran. This was supposed to be a low-key event, and I was one of the FNG's, so I didn't feel like it would be kosher for me to invite any of my friends. Fat ass races tend to skirt some regulations, so pardon the lack of written details.

El Chubbo turds.








JT taking a photo of me taking a photo of him. We almost caused a singularity event.






El Stone Grande Del Arthur





The rest of the run was nice - and very runnable, but not so photogenic.
I haven't been doing my long runs. My feet are currently soaking in ice-water. My plantar didn't screw with me today, so I'll take regular sore feet over that old nonsense any time.

Sunset

I shopped last weekend, instead of running. The only outdoors experience I got was a beautiful sunset from Cherry Creek mall.

This weekend is in doubt. Big plans, but I have a cold, so the plans might fizzle.

Rock Canyon Half

I ran the Rock Canyon Half Marathon a couple of years ago. It was lots of fun: near home, quick, simple, fast, cheap, and I could sign up at the last second. Not this year.
I talked to JT, and he was told it was "closed" two weeks before. Other sources said it was closed a week before. Still others didn't report it was closed until a few days before the race.
At the race, an hour before start, one of the club members and race volunteers was surprised to find out registration had closed and that there was no race-day registration.
The RD is a good guy, and this is a great race, but it has always been a small-local event, and this year it kind of exploded into a very big thing. Bigger than expected. So communication and organization in some areas kind of went out the window. Those who got registered were well-organized, and once the race started, it was business as usual: a very good time.
But I did not get registered in time. Dave Black and his son Joe did. Anita F also didn't get registered. This was FUBAR - the plan had been for Dave, Joe, and I to drive down to Colorado Springs to camp on Anita's floor, then all four of us carpooled down to Pueblo Saturday morning. But only half of us ran the official race.



Anita and I ran the whole course starting 40 minutes before everyone else, so we had a roving ring-side seat.



The forecast was for colder, windier, and even some wetness. It was dry and (almost) nice.



I ran the whole course for free, but without the extra oompf from competition, and $40 cheaper.