Longs Peak Repeats

Yesterday,  I went up to Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park for a run up to the Boulder Field.  I'd done this same run just last month in early June, but back then there was still enough snow covering most of the trail to make the run a bit dicey.  I spent a good bit of that run post-holing up to my thighs, unintentionally butt-sledding down slushy traverses and otherwise wandering lost around the mountain where the trail disappeared under the snow fields.

Apparently, one month makes all the difference because this weekend the trail conditions were fantastic, and it turned out to be one of those perfect Colorado days.  

Perfect Colorado Day

The weather was absolutely beautiful, and I was feeling recovered from last weekend's 50-miler.  Compared to my run in June, this trip up to the Boulder Field was relatively quick and easy.  I was up and down in under three and a half hours without pushing it too hard at all.  When I got back to trail head, I was still feeling good, and there was no sign of the typical afternoon thunderstorms.  So, as occassionally happens, exhuberance overtook my better judgment, and I decided to turn around and head back up for a double.  On the second lap, the weather was still holding out nicely, so I decided to run past the Boulder Field and climb up to the Key Hole, just for fun.



Longs Peak, the Boulder Field and the Key Hole

 Here's a closer look at the Key Hole:

 

The Key Hole
(gateway to the western route up to Longs Peak)

Key Hole up close

The Agnes Vaille memorial rock hut at 13,100'

Even though the last mile or so up to the Key Hole is unrunnable (as you can see in the pictures -- it's boulder scrambling and climbing with no real trail), it was well worth the time and energy spent.  Once you reach the Key Hole, the view to the west will take away whatever breath you have left.

Glacier Gorge from the Key Hole

 

I don't know how far I went because my GPS died after seven hours, but I was out there for about nine and a half hours.  I think I got in about 8,000 feet of climbing.  

Nearing the top of my second climb up, I was starting to feel the thinness of the air around 13,000'.  In fact, I was getting so winded that I had to pull that classic catch-your-breath move -- pretending to be deeply and urgently interesed in whatever flora or fauna is nearby.  I've found that my hands-on-knees-gasping-for-air pose is far less pathetic looking if I simply add the phrase, "Hey, look at this interesting flower/rock/animal down here..."  Pretending to want to get a better look or snap a picture is usually the perfect excuse to pause and covertly catch my breath.  I've found that I don't even have to know what it is I'm looking at as long as I act fascinated by it. 

Normally, obviously, I reserve this classic maneuver for times when I'm running/hiking with someone else, and I don't want that person to know how out of shape I am.  But occassionally, as on Saturday, I pull the move on myself because a little self-delusion goes a long way, I've found.

Here are some pics of the fascinating wildlife I happened upon coincidentally just as I was getting winded:

The gopher from Caddy Shack or that evil staring squirrel

This Lagopus muta danced for me --
it was trying either to court me or kill me,
not sure which (as is often the case)

Dasher, Dancer, Comet, etc.

This guy tried to sell me car insurance

The next day, Sunday, I stayed in Fort Collins and did a more relaxing run along Blue Sky trail. Overall, it was a solid training weekend, and I'm feeling pretty good considering the Silver Rush 50 was just a week ago.  I taped both achilles for the Sunday run (I forgot to tape on Saturday), and my feet felt great (I didn't take any NSAIDs or pain meds).  I was far more systematic and disciplined about water, electrolytes and eating on both runs, and I had no issues with my stomach or swelling or anything.  Also, no blisters at all.  So, with less than four weeks to go until the LT100, I think things are starting to come together at the right time.

Next weekend will be my last hard workout; after that I'll start a slow taper. 

Yes, it makes me a little anxious to say that.