Neighborhood Tour

We left for our run this morning with light snow falling and decent temps for a snow day. So we mixed it up a little and got in some trail miles mixed in with some multi-use path miles. It was off to Ute Valley Park first so we could get in some trails before the clay got too wet. As soon as it soaks up some water, it is shoe swallowing goop - no fun. Of course, there is no mud to worry about when you get on a nice granite slab like the one Kathleen is on.
There was a quiet hush on the valley as the gentle snowfall muffled the air. With the weather conditions, it was pretty peaceful on the trails - not much traffic on these days!
Steve dodges boulders on his way down into the valley from the west rim. This is a fresh cut section of trail, so we knew it was a matter of time before it was turned to fudge and not much enjoyment for running.

Kathleen makes her way along as well - with nice wet snowflakes filling the air.

Nice and quiet, but no views of the mountains today - the clouds shrouded the views all day!

We had a brief moment when we thought the clouds were breaking, but it was only a momentary tease. We took advantage of the photo op in front of our favorite arch. Within minutes, we were back to snow. It is all right by us - we need moisture because the last 8 weeks have been REALLY dry. The tread started to get a wee bit sticky in Ute valley, so we headed out and ran a loop around Flying W. This is mostly wide, multi-use dirt trail but works well in wet conditions. There is a moderate climb that is over a mile and then a crest atop Flying W road overlooking Ute Valley and much of town. Photos didn't work today, though, as the clouds would not give us a view from on top. Oh well. It was a good run and gave us a little variety from our normal routes. You have to diversify when the weather dictates and now we have a potential new combo to add to the regular route selections. We logged 10.5 miles, mostly on dirt and all from the front door - sweet. Happy Trails and hope for some of that clear Colorado blue sky tomorrow. Also looking forward to the time change - post-work runs are around the corner - woo hoo!!!

Shoes - Asics Gel Trabuco

"Soaring" on the Falcon Trail

We were hoping to get in a good long run today, so we hopped on to the US Air Force Academy to run the Falcon Trail. We have hopefully pulled out of our little bit of winter lethargy we've been feeling for the past six weeks or so, and today would be a good litmus test to see if we have maintained our fitness well and can start building again.

We run by this cabin every time we are on the Falcon Trail but it is early on the run, so we have not stopped by in quite a while. I also just realized that I did not photograph the second side of the sign - oops! Guess you'll have to wait until next time to "see other side".
It was quite gray early in the run but we were still feeling good and running well. Kathleen is running through one of the sections of cushioned, pine-needle covered trail - aaaah! We saw some folks training their gaited horses on this section - maybe getting ready for an endurance event. There are quite a few horse events held at the Aacdemy.

Kathleen cruises down a nice rocky section of trail - watch your step!

As is common at many locations we go for our trail fix, there are a number of cool rock formations along the Falcon Trail. This particular passage is a tight squeeze on the bike but no problem on foot! And we saw a lot of bikes on trail today - the mountain bikers are emerging from hibernation as well!!

Ah, sunshine! Finally the sun broke out after about 7 miles on trail - awesome!
Enjoying the rays coming through the pines and soaking up the Vitamin D!!!
Finished and satisfied after a great 13 mile run on the Falcon Trail - our pastor has been teaching about living "AMAZED-TWENTYFOURSEVEN" and we definitely are feeling that today. We had a fantastic day and made good time on the trail - probably better than we would expect on the first of March! Now we need to build our base and increase our strength and speed a bit so we are ready for our next target "event" - the Sageburner 25K in Gunnison, Colorado on May 23. Should be a great event - we've ridden the trails at Hartman Rocks but never run them! We might try a quick jaunt over there one of these weekends to preview the course on foot. Hope everyone has a great week - Happy Trails!!!

Shoes - K Montrail Odyssey
S - Asics Gel Trabuco

Solo Run

It was an odd morning - for some reason we slept in, which we rarely ever do. That meant no time for Kathleen to run before she had to head off for work :-( So I headed over to Ute Valley Park to get some turnover in the legs on great trails. Though crisp, the sun was out strong today and felt really good on the run.
Cresting the hill on the western rim of the park and enjoying the sun's rays to the fullest. I often wonder what people think when you stop running to take some pictures? I guess before we even started a blog we still took photos while out riding or running but we know others who have no pictures of themselves out doing what they love. I guess we like to have some "documentation" for our hard work!!!
From the southern rim of UVP, this photo is looking northwest toward the Air Force Academy which sits at the base of the mountain on the far right. We might run there tomorrow on their fantastic Falcon Trail system.

Looking up the trail, ready to crest the hill and drop into the valley.

If you live here and get tired of looking at this massive mountain, you need to have your pulse checked. Pikes Peak is awe inspiring and if you would like to be humbled, come run up the face of it via Barr Trail - we'll even cheer you on!
It was a long week and I needed a good run today - UVP served up just what I was looking for! The family I have worked with for 18 years lost another member of the family Monday - second funeral in 6 weeks and that is a drag. So it was good to get out and enjoy the fact that we are healthy, we can run the trails, and life is good! When you think about it that way, every day is a good day! Happy Trails!

Shoes - Montrail Odyssey