Trading altitude for mugginess

I have passed the last two weeks at our place in Colorado. The daily routine has almost invariably included a morning hike with Mrs. Mac, carrying Baby Mac on my back, then a 4-6 mile trail run in the evening before supper. Though the bike did not make the trip west this year (Baby Mac won the coin toss), and I still have done no speed work since mid-May, I am logging a lot of base miles on foot. That should give me something to build on when I start interval training again in a month or so.

This trip also included a visit with CGB, who joined me in an ascent up Quandary Peak:

CGB did the hike after having been in Colorado for only 36 hours. He was nowhere near acclimated, and he handled the challenge with aplomb. He didn't throw up and he refrained from cursing at me on the 40% grade on the last mile below the summit.

I now go from 9300 feet above sea level to zero; I will spend next week at a conference in Palm Beach. But I am trading altitude and dry air for heat and humidity. As between the two, I feel a lot better at altitude. So I won't be setting any land speed records any time soon.

17.5 Hours and Counting...

In 17.5 hours, I will be on a plane toward Colorado. I am currently packing and getting ready to go. I have a good backpack, some proper gear and clothes, my journal and John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" in my head. This is going to be great. Now, I know that this is a running blog, so to accommodate the purpose - this week I have biked in to work all but one day and have done some running. AJMac ensures that we will be doing some trail running in Colorado - how exciting is that! Well, back to work. I will be in bed late tonight and I have to wake up early to run and get to work before my flight. I will post all about Colorado - if I return, that is (even though my wife doesn't think so, that was meant to be funny).

9000 Feet in my Mind...

AJMac is at 9000 feet. I am at 100 feet (or somewhere around there); but, I am at 9000 feet in my mind. I am so excited to see AJMac, Mrs. AJMac, little AJMac and NotsoFlashGordon in Colorado. I know that the altitude is going to kill me, but I am so freaking psyched - it isn't even funny - WOOO HOOO!!!! I fly in four days. I have laundry to do, packing to organize, sleep to catch and more miles to run prior to my flight. AJMac guarantees we will do several trail runs and see God's country from above. So, in preparation, I have put in a solid week of running and will strive to continue. My legs need to be strong, my lungs and heart need to be efficient and I need to not embarass myself on the trails. With that, let me chronicle what I have done this past week:

Tuesday: 6.5 miles of medium running
Wednesday: 6.5 miles (1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 1 x 200, 6 x 100S)
Thursday: 4.5 miles of medium running
Friday: 4.5 miles (6 LS, 4 x 100S)
Saturday: 10 miles (pushing a double stroller - yes, there were some stops involved)
Sunday: Rest (did you read about the double stroller?)

I also started up the floor workout again late in the week, with two days of pushups (3 sets) and situps (2 sets).

I have been trying to get to bed earlier this past week so that I can have a more productive day. I am used to crashing at the end of a day and struggling through the night only to get to bed later than I would like and wake up tired. This week, it is about getting to bed early in order to be more productive in the morning. That means... good night...

P.S. I have been reading over previous blogs and am utterly embarassed and deeply apologetic for my poor grammar, sentence structure and general use of punctuation. George W. and I are jump starting a new dialect, apparently.

9000 Feet

I am here in Summit County, waiting for CGB and Notsoflash to arrive. Ran one of my favorite trails today, feeling the altitude and the exhileration. Life is good... and dry.

And a Trip to the Rockies?

As you know, if you have been reading the blog, I have been very sporadic in my running over the last several weeks since the first weekend in June. Now it is hot and humid and the last two days, I went out for a run. My legs are very heavy, my breathing is very limited and labored and next week, I am supposed to go hiking in the Rockies - over two miles above sea level? Perhaps my wife's fear of me dying on a mountain is more founded than I thought.

Happy 4th of July...

I just wanted to check in on a couple of things, including wishing everyone a happy 4th of July! In fact, just tonight, I dropped off a BBQ grill to some friends to celebrate the 4th. The lady of that house is new to America and it is her first independance day. Gotta have a BBQ for that!

As you all know, I have been having a devil of a time keeping some consistency in my running schedule. This week has been better than previous, but I still need to finish it out. By my projections, I should be able to put in ~40 miles and two good speed days. The key, though, is getting up early enough to do it - we are travelling to Philly this weekend and so I am not certain I will have the ability to get up and hit the roads before the "morning" birds (the kids) start their ignitions.

I am still trying to bike into work and home. It is only 5 miles each way, but it keeps my aerobic activity going and still works the legs (at least I am convinced it does). The small seat hurts my tush, though, and I am not a fan of that.

I am glad to have seen AJMac submit a new post, but sad to have heard that his (and his family's) vacation has been "shortened" by sickness. I am glad they are feeling better and look forward to seeing them in Colorado in 2 weeks.

So, it was 232 years ago that the revolutionary's demonstrated why this land would later become the greatest nation in the history of the world. They had shown backbone in their fight and vision in their actions. It is my sincerest prayer that we have the same backbone and vision in our daily lives. God Bless America, land of the free and home of the brave! Happy Independance Day and may God bless you!

Amen!

At the end of the earth

I am currently at my in-laws' summer house, which does not have internet access. That's my excuse for my silence. Though I have not been as diligent about running as CGB, I have some activities to report.

The first half of the month began with a drive (with Mrs. AJMac and Baby Mac) from Alabama to Maine to see family, which preceded the Mother of All Head Colds. The MoAHC then turned into a sinus infection, ear infection, and bronchitis (the trifecta!) and kept me from anything marginally strenuous for more than two weeks.

For the last two and a half weeks, I have been focusing on the bike, riding about 120 miles each week and running 8-12. I am looking forward, however, to running with CGB and Notsoflash on the trails behind our place in Colorado in two weeks. 9000 feet is a long way above sea level.