4-5 miles – John and I landed at noon in Denver for a week in the mountains. He is finishing up his track season, with a few meets ahead that lead to local champoinships. I have the Boston Marathon in four weeks. We can’t blank-out for a whole week of running.
Mike, our host for the week is coaching a kids hockey team with his two sons as players. We are visiting the tournament they have qualified for in Denver. Winner of this next round will play in a championship game in the Pepsi Center tomorrow. We are 2+ hours early, I suggest we run to get that started and use up somne of the idle time.
It’s cool, in the 40s and a breeze from the north. We select clothes that should keep us good and warm in temps 15 degrees warmer. We see many roling hills in all directions, we choose to run south. The rink is on a hill, we should be able to run out and back and not get lost! Our first half mile is downhill, and I feel the breathing is different. There are not many cars around, we are sometimes in the street, other times on the white sidewalks. I have big ski gloves on (whimpy hands!) and John has lightweight lululemon finger gloves. Halfway, we switch because his hands are cold and surprisingly, mine are warm. I realize I forgot my lightweight goves at home. It’s a long stay in cold to have to rely on big ski mittens. That’s me.
John and I go at whatever pace is comfortable. I have a water bottle, but I gasp for air when we challenge the uphills at altitude. I like thinking that I’ll be getting a tad better at exercising in the next few days. I don’t know how long it really takes to adjust, but I can believe knowing how it is when I ski that it will be better for me in a few days. I realy like getting to talk to John about running, the vacation ahead, the hills and training. It’s not a far or long duration workout, but it’s worth is symbolic. We both like doing this and it will be fun to look back and say, “Rememebr when…”
Our final miles are spent on the curvy cart paths of a local golf course. Some time also was run on a road under construction. We didn’t bring extra shoes, so these runners cannot get all detroyed muddy! I feel nerves pinched in my left foot, out by the toes 3 & 4. Same thing I felt when I got these Nike Pegasus and I wore them at the Expo prior to Miami Marathon. We finish uphill, with a small cooldown walk, I have sweat under the clothes I’ve worn. The moment I stop running, the wind chills the sweat – eeek! It starts to snow and it’s hockey time in half an hour. We both go back in the car, make clothes changes, and head inside. Unlike the crab and shrimp Benedict breakfast I had, this is a healthy approach to starting a great week away!
drun4fun 