Blogging: Now with more photos and links! (And fewer words! and more !!!)
I’m considering following in George Zack’s blogging footsteps, opting for more frequent, quick, varied posts without an obsessive focus on prose. More a diary of what’s shaking in my life and elsewhere, less an attempt to create the next great running novel, one tediously long essay about myself at a time. Not to say I won’t blather on in depth when the topic warrants blathering but there are so many little tidbits of interest out there that I’ll try to keep things moving along instead of a race-report-like manuscript of every training run.
Starting now…
The last week has been another full one of running and hiking, having recovered well from the Leadville adventure. If the next couple days go as planned I’ll be pushing beyond 90 miles for the week, perhaps within striking distance of 100 if I stupidly go too far today.
Harry Hamilton, who I paced at Leadville this year, posted his race report. Despite immediate post-race comments along the lines of “I’m done with Leadville” and “Never again” it now looks like he will be back in 2013 to erase the ~8 minute of demons that kept him from getting the “big buckle” (awarded for sub-25 hour finishers; Harry crossed the line in 25:08:19). I hope to again be by his side for some of that race, though this time as a racer rather than a pacer.
The Randall household has weathered the storm of back-to-back-to-back-to-back house guests, with little recovery time, over the last month. It was great to have all 9 – Ceci, Cara, Louis, Jacques, Emile, Rosie, Farrah, Robby, and Sabine – rotate through in 4 shifts and I think September will feel a bit quiet around here. But, we’re looking forward to the fall and winter shifts so book soon to secure your spot!
Mom/Rosie/Ro-Ro and the grandkids:
People live in Boulder, in large part, for the natural surroundings and ever-present wildlife. But with bears and mountain lions making their way well into town, including some of my regular running spots, I’m thinking group and/or day-time training is the way to go if not being eaten is one of my short-term goals.
I have had a chance to rub elbows with some ultra-running greats over the last couple of weeks, including crossing paths with Scott Jurek out on the trail and brief chats with Geoff Roes at the Boulder farmer’s market and Dakota Jones at a breakfast spot in Leadville.
I have many accomplished running friends but a couple of them are in leagues of their own. Semi-buddy David Roche beat some of the fastest in the country last weekend when he won the U.S. Trail 10k National Championship!
Credit: Shannon Johnston
And new running friend, Silke Koester, went out to Aspen’s Backcountry Marathon for a training run and went ahead and won it just for fun. Huge congrats to Silke – now when I run with her I can now be proud to be dropped by a marathon winner.
Tomorrow morning I’m heading back out for another go at the Pawnee-Buchanan Pass loop. If all goes well, the 27-miler will take around 7.5 hours. Then Sunday Al and I are taking on the Devil Dash 5k obstacle course race in Lyons to showcase our mad skills.
My baby can crawl now. It is super cute. And my boy can climb doorways if they aren’t too slippery.
Kind of Like Fun 
David Roche is a very fast man. And funny.
You have quite a set of guns.
Leadville 2013, eh? Don’t you have Texas race first?
GZ – Roche may be fast but I hear he’s no good driving a donkey. As for Leadville 2013, it’s a long way off and I have my hands full with my debut 100-miler in 8 weeks. But if this running thing sticks, I think I’ll have a hard time letting another year go by without giving “that one” a shot.
Love the new format of your blog! Pithy, yet informative. WTG!