Time for some double-doubles
In an effort to find balance between training and the rest of life, it has become clear that I’ll need to run twice a day pretty often to get in the necessary miles and time on my feet. There’s definitely a strong argument for longer, single run days but I can only get up so early and still be helpfully upright during the rest of the day. I’ve actually enjoyed the balancing act lately, where I’ll get in some miles solo before or after (or before AND after) meeting up with others for a run.
[An unrelated photo of me from a trip to Asheville, N.C., fully mustached, with a tray of incinerated human waste.]
And then there are times when I just have to grind it out however and whenever I can. Yesterday, for example, that meant heading out in to the crazy wind and ominous skies over Boulder Valley Ranch, where I pounded out a love-less 8.4 miles in Wizard of Oz-like conditions. I actually had to run some of it with my eyes closed since, even with sunglasses on, the debris in the air was flying around so hard that eyelids were the only protection I could trust. Today, however, I got out for a double, sort of. Out the door at 6:45am, I ran as much as I could fit in (7.25mi with about 1500′ of climb) around the foothills close to home, including Hogback Ridge loop, which my tired legs and body struggled to get up and over. Back at 8:15am for a shake and out the door by 8:30am to carpool Sagan and friends across town for yoga camp. Back at the South Mesa Trail Head by 9:15am for another 75 minutes, 6 miles, and roughly 1200′ more climbing.
So, another sorta double run, though the sections were separated by only about an hour of relative rest. Tomorrow I’m looking for a more traditional double run, with a morning run then a night run up Green Mountain starting at 8pm. This stuff is draining but, aside from the heavy legs I’m holding up. My average per-mile pace on some of these runs is borderline depressing but I am getting marginally better at slowly running some of the longer, less-steep climbs.
I think that I’ll try to limit the double runs to just once or twice a week. But, it is nice to just head out for an errand and hop onto whatever trail happens to be nearby, as I did today. This sort of schedule-free training is a nice change from the heavily regimented route I’ve followed in the past. I just run as much as I can, whenever it makes sense, wherever is most convenient and inspiring, and with whomever is around. And then I eat and sleep. Kind of like fun for a guy like me.
Kind of Like Fun 