Running in the Rockies

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Happy winter running to all of you who are out in the weather this
morning...

Oh, I am... 🙂

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High of 8ºF (-13ºC) here in Denver today.

15-20 mph winds with blowing snow conditions gives a windchill of:
-17ºF (-27ºC).

Go for the 3 miles (officially - now as a co-worker clocked it with an
electronic map reader) this morning. The local Rec District had
already plowed the asphalt portions of the Highline as I hit the trail
at 6am.

Now what fun is that? A nice coat of snow makes
for a good cross train and betetr form (gotta
keep those knees high when in snow..)

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The run was lovely! Snowy, blowing bitterly in some places that gave
me the experience of being in the wild...the same rush I get when I'm
up skiing/boarding. But I'm a mile from my house in the middle of the
city. Silent and serene surrounded by evergreens and cottonwoods, the
sky a beautiful pink and purple dome in the cloudy early morning.

Really, what made it all doable was the excellent boarder jacket (long
enough to cover me to my upper thighs) from Oberlin I bought 2 years
ago and cheap ski gloves. Underneath, I layered my collection
affordable, workable gear - old nylons, 100 poly clearance tights from
Lowe Alpine & 50/50 poly/wool men's long johns from Army Surplus,
running shorts to cover up the "men's" part + patagonia wicking top,
50/50 poly/wool clearance top and wool/cotton earband.

The trail, which is usually popular at 6 am was virtually empty. I saw
one other group of runners - also decked out in ski gear, including a
crazy snowboarder style hat with spikes of colored felt standing up all
over. They looked like they were enjoying themselves as much as I was.

The bad:
Should have worn ski goggles for the blowing snow
Request another pair of Smartwool socks for Christmas
Turns out the poly Lowe Alpine tights are slick and the 50/50 long
johns slid down. When I got home I realized my long johns were only
being held up by the crotch of the running shorts - giving them a
strange harem pant appearance.

The good:
Serenity
Wildness
Early morning sky
Way to shake up the routine
The coolness factor
The fact that it's supposed to be 45-55 all the rest of the week, which
keeps mornings like this unique and special - definitely one of the
best parts of running in Denver.
Turns out the coat is long enough that I don't have to wear running
shorts to cover the "men's issue".
Happy running in the snow.

Happy running in the cold.

Quoted message said:

Now what fun is that? A nice coat of snow makes
for a good cross train and betetr form (gotta
keep those knees high when in snow..)

I think they scrape it so you can have an idea of where the trail is -
it's not scraped clean...

Even better, the dirt trail I run on around the park (about 1 mi. round
trip or so) was not plowed at all so I got a chance to do some
high-stepping as well.

Generally I appreciate the plowing, which helps the trail melt off
fairly quickly in the bright Colorado sunshine.

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Happy running in the snow.

Happy running in the cold.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Now what fun is that? A nice coat of snow makes
for a good cross train and betetr form (gotta
keep those knees high when in snow..)

I think they scrape it so you can have an idea of where the trail is -

And where potholes are? 🙂

Quoted message said:

it's not scraped clean...

Even better, the dirt trail I run on around the park (about 1 mi. round
trip or so) was not plowed at all so I got a chance to do some
high-stepping as well.

Generally I appreciate the plowing, which helps the trail melt off
fairly quickly in the bright Colorado sunshine.

Want a good dirt trail to run on head south
along the high line 36 miles to Waterton. Watch
for foxes, coyotes, deer, and occasional mountain
lions.

In aurora idiots paved with concrete. Typical..

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Happy running in the snow.

Happy running in the cold.

Tom Phillips said:

[email hidden] wrote:

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Go for the 3 miles (officially - now as a co-worker clocked it with an
electronic map reader) this morning. The local Rec District had
already plowed the asphalt portions of the Highline as I hit the trail
at 6am.

Now what fun is that? A nice coat of snow makes
for a good cross train and betetr form (gotta
keep those knees high when in snow..)

Yea, really. I thought the idea was to beat the plows or groomers 😉
Also gotta train for those late fall races with 3 inches of slush.

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Happy running in the snow.

Happy running in the cold.

Please send some, esp. the snow.

Dot

--
"Dream Big, and dare to fail." --- Norman Vaughn
who was with Byrd in Antarctica and whose 99th birthday was Dec 19

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In aurora idiots paved with concrete. Typical..

So all the runners have beaten down a dirt trail about 4-6 inches from
the side of the concrete. Far worse IMO is the fact that the Cherry
Creek Trail is almost all concrete. The stretch along Speer is so
narrow in spots that you can not run along a "side trail".

My 'rents live down by Waterton...too fricking steep for my ass first
thing in the morning. I'd much rather run along the trails to/from
Chatfield - flatter and actually less roadlike.

Quoted message said:

In aurora idiots paved with concrete. Typical..

So all the runners have beaten down a dirt trail about 4-6 inches from
the side of the concrete. Far worse IMO is the fact that the Cherry
Creek Trail is almost all concrete. The stretch along Speer is so
narrow in spots that you can not run along a "side trail".

My 'rents live down by Waterton...too fricking steep for my ass first
thing in the morning. I'd much rather run along the trails to/from
Chatfield - flatter and actually less roadlike.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In aurora idiots paved with concrete. Typical..

So all the runners have beaten down a dirt trail about 4-6 inches from
the side of the concrete.

Yeah, so I hear. I _still_ wouldn't go to
Aurora 🙂

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Far worse IMO is the fact that the Cherry
Creek Trail is almost all concrete. The stretch along Speer is so
narrow in spots that you can not run along a "side trail".

And far too many roller skaters...

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My 'rents live down by Waterton...too fricking steep for my ass first
thing in the morning. I'd much rather run along the trails to/from
Chatfield - flatter and actually less roadlike.

Ah, just what I was thinking about! If you get a
hankering for a mountain trail (not steep but the
surroundings are) head for the Mesa in Boulder.
From where you are probably not too much farther
than Chatfield..

Dot said:

Tom Phillips said:

[email hidden] wrote:

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Quoted message said:

Go for the 3 miles (officially - now as a co-worker clocked it with an
electronic map reader) this morning. The local Rec District had
already plowed the asphalt portions of the Highline as I hit the trail
at 6am.

Now what fun is that? A nice coat of snow makes
for a good cross train and betetr form (gotta
keep those knees high when in snow..)

Yea, really. I thought the idea was to beat the plows or groomers 😉
Also gotta train for those late fall races with 3 inches of slush.

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Happy running in the snow.

Happy running in the cold.

Please send some, esp. the snow.

You just keep thinking "Juneau" 🙂

Had some relative call here and wish us a merry christmas from there.
ask how I was. and said I would love it there. all the outside stuff I
do.

numberus years painting. by the hour or job, you buy the paint and
supplies. Local of Ortonville Michigan. phone not in the book. e mail
only please. for work only or contact. ( a nature person. most likely be
outside.)
e-mail. [email hidden]

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[email hidden]

Me got werk, you got hands, you paint my howse?