Looking to the Future

With 2011 getting ready to sneak out the back and 2012 shoving its nose through the crack in the door, it's that time when I reflect on the past year and look toward the upcoming one. I don't really make resolutions so to speak, but I do like to make plans and set expectations. These are my 'sporting' aspirations.

In 2011 I learned a new 'sport'; swimming. Although I officially started swim lessons in December of 2010, my progression in swimming really took off in 2011. Learning something new is a theme for me and I try to do it every couple years; it works my brain, engages different muscle groups and produces a steep learning curve that reaps huge quantities of satisfaction. I went from barely being able to swim two lengths to being able to complete a hard, hour-long swim workout of up to 3000 meters. Pretty satisfying! I am proficient in freestyle and the back stroke and finally getting decent at the breast stroke. I still struggle with the fly, but who doesn't?

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

More important than being good at it, I simply LOVE swimming. I am a little surprised how much I love it. I'm not really an indoor sport person, but being in the pool is different. I enjoy working hard in my Tuesday/Thursday Masters Classes, 'competing' with the other swimmers and pushing myself through the sets. I enjoy quiet swims by myself, often in the morning before work, where I work on my technique or endurance without feeling the need to compare myself to others. Regardless of the type of swim workout I do, I am usually WORKED afterward! That being said, swimming is a nice compliment to all the hard running and biking I do; it is not pounding on my joints and it stretches me out. Finally, I feel like I have added an activity to my 'quiver' that I will be able to do long into my old age. I plan to continue my swimming in 2012 and to add open water swimming and triathlons into the mix (more on that below).

2011 was also a year to learn of limitations; MY limitations to be specific. I got sick this June with pneumonia. It happened while I was training for an ultramarathon; a trail run of 50km (31 miles). I developed a chest cold that would not go away and I stupidly jumped back into training before fully recovering. It took two rounds of antibiotics, a round of steroids and an inhaler to get the illness under control. But even once the pneumonia was under control, I was less than 100% all through the summer and fall (I am almost there now).

At first it was frustrating to get winded doing things I had previously taken for granted. But after talking with my doctor and other people who've had pneumonia, I realized I was lucky things were not worse. I began to feel a deeper appreciation for my previous good health. I vowed NOT to make my condition worse or allow myself to get pneumonia again (as several friends did) by pushing things too hard while my lungs healed.

So, I stepped back and took things easy. When I ran, I did not push it. When I rode my bike, I dialed it back. I put swimming with my class on hold for a while, since its difficult to do the class without pushing hard. All to keep myself from irritating my lungs and coughing. I wanted my lungs to HEAL.

I'm almost back to 100% now and able to push myself hard again without gasping for breath. Although I am still competitive (I doubt THAT will ever change), over the summer and fall I learned that it's OK and even fun to take it easy some of the time.

Because of my pneumonia, I was unable to compete in the ultramarathon and in what was to have been my first triathlon. I was disappointed, but at least I got to cheer Jesper on to his first, very successful ultramarathon!



Now, with my healthy lungs back, I have signed up for two XTERRA triathlons for the summer of 2012! XTERRA triathlons are held off road, so the biking is with a mountain bike and on trails and the run is a trail run. Since I am pretty decent at trail running and mountain biking, XTERRA's seem like a good entry into triathlons.

The first race is in late June up in Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming. The XTERRA Curt Gowdy Triathlon features a 1200m swim (~3/4 mile) in Granite Reservoir. Then it's on to a 14 mile singletrack mountain bike over every type of terrain imaginable; aspen groves, open meadows, narrow evergreen trees, and even slick rock. I've ridden there before and it is fantastic and beautiful! To finish the race, the 5.5 mile run will cover many of the same singletrack trails.

The second race, held at the end of August, is just up the road at Horsetooth Reservoir. This event, called the XTERRA Lory Triathlon, features a 1/2 mile swim (~800 meters) in Horsetooth Reservoir; it's reportedly one of the most scenic swims in the state with canyon walls on both sides. Then it's on to a 12 mile singletrack mountain bike over rolling terrain. I'll get to finish things off with a fun and challenging 5 mile run on a steep and rocky singletrack trail, finishing the race on a Slip-N-Slide!

I might squeak in a trail half marathon in early June; the 12 mile version of the Dirty Thirty. In 2011, this was the only race I was able to complete, since it was before I got sick. I thoroughly enjoyed it and did pretty well, even though I did it as a training run. I like this distance, since it is easy to get enough miles in to be well prepared without dedicating my life to running.

To 'train' for these races, I will continue to take the twice weekly Masters Swim Classes at my club and then I will get my butt into Boulder Reservoir as soon as I can in the spring to practice open water swimming. I have a wetsuit and will be hitting up all my triathlon friends to give me pointers! I have been running and will continue through the winter to maintain a solid base. Then in the spring, when the snow goes away, I'll ramp up the running to incorporate hills, intervals and speed work. Finally, I'll throw biking into the mix, maybe even do some spin classes over the winter. As you can see, I don't really have a 'formal' training plan and may not ever develop one beyond what I've described, with the foremost goal to have fun! And the great thing about 'training' for multi-sport events is that I get to do a whole bunch of things, things I love to do anyway!

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

I'm curious to see if I will like triathlons. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a new phase for me. Or, I may decide to try something else completely different in 2013.

Argentine Pass

It's 8:35 on Friday night; Jesper and I are in bed, ready to tun the lights out. Yes - we are party animals! The alarm beeps at 5:00 am the next morning. Gotta get to bed early if you wanna play in the mountains.

We load the bikes on the Durango and leave the sad-faced dog, promising to take her for a hike the next day. We are headed to Silver Plume to ride up through the glowing yellow aspens of autumn. Our goal, other than to see amazing fall foliage, is to reach 13,200 foot Argentine Pass, the highest pass on the Continental Divide in North America.

Way back in the summer of 2005, we first attempted to reach Argentine Pass on our bikes, but were denied by afternoon hail and thunderstorms; we turned around less than half a mile from the pass, disappointed but confident we were making the prudent choice. We knew we would be back.

This time around, it is October and we are not especially worried about the weather building up. Nevertheless, we arrive at the trail head early just in case. Besides, the early morning lighting is magical and certain to light up the aspens, which should be about at their peak. Starting at 9,200 feet, we ride up an old railroad grade used during Silver Plume's mining heyday. The road, reverted to single track in some wooded sections, climbs steadily and gradually for about 10 miles.

Jesper climbing in the early morning light

Other than the consistent ascent and the thin air, the riding is not challenging. This is good, since Jesper and I are both gawking at the brilliantly lit up trees, framed by a stunningly blue sky.

Jesper under clear blue skies

We stop a ridiculous number of times for Jesper to snap pictures. He has brought one of his big cameras and tries out all kinds of photographic techniques. The trees and I are willing subjects.

Surrounded by golden aspens (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We stop at a historic building site, the old dance hall used by the miners to let off some steam. There, underneath the still standing chimney, we set up the timer on the camera and snap a few pics of us dancing.

Waltzing away in the old Dance Hall (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

It takes about two hours of riding for us to see any other people; a family on ATVs (it is a 'road' after all). On the way up, we will eventually see a few motos, a couple other bikers, several 4-wheel drive cars (most of which do not go to the top) and two hikers. Still, considering the brilliance of the aspens in this area, we are surprised not to see more people.

Fantastic fall foliage

At about the same time, we notice a buildup of clouds. WTF?!?!? According to the forecast, there is only a 20% chance of rain, but is is rapidly looking like the forecast was optimistic. Although we have brought extra layers, jackets, leg warmers and skull caps, we are not expecting cloud cover, let alone rain. However, as they often do, the mountains have other plans for the weather. It begins to rain; just a drizzle that doesn't dampen us too much. Clouds obscure the sun and we arrive at the old Waldorf Mine site, surrounded by the stark beauty of the alpine tundra.

Up above tree line near the Waldorf Mine site (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We are at about 11,600 feet and have over 1,500 feet to climb in less than 2 miles to reach the pass. As we set off up the incredibly steep and loose trail to the top, it begins to snow a fine dry graupel. However, other than it being cloudy and snowing, the weather seems fine; it's October and we are not overly concerned about storms.

The steep slog up to the pass- (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

This last push up to the top is mostly hike-a-bike; super steep and loose rock, all between 11,600 and 13,200 feet. There is not much air. Jesper and I both 'try' to ride as much as we can; however, we manage only to travel short distances on wheels. So, we push our bikes most of the way, sweating in the increasing cold and wind. I am pleased that the last 50 feet or so to the top is rideable; it seems more gratifying to reach the top of the pass on the bike rather than pushing the bike.

Riding the last little bit to the top under ominous skies (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

I arrive at the top shortly after Jesper. The views are amazing! An immense valley falls beneath our feet on the other side of the pass. Grays and Torreys stand tall to the northwest. I can see sheets of snow coming at us from the north and west. We both begin to get very cold and start putting on more clothes. Then something weird happens; Jesper's helmet starts buzzing (WTF?); I pick my bike up for a summit photo op, Grays and Torreys in the background, and my bike is sizzling.

Jesper - my bike is sizzling!!! (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

BOOOM! We hear the thunder. Holy shit! We are at 13,200 feet, the highest point around and completely exposed in an emerging LIGHTENING STORM! We high-tail it off the pass as fast as we can safely ride on the loose steep rocks, ignoring our frozen hands that can barely hold onto the bars.

Hauling ass down from the top (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

Back down at the Waldorf Mine site, I am super duper cold, despite the fact that I'm wearing everything I have: short sleeved jersey, arm warmers, long sleeved jersey, jacket, skull cap, shorts, knee warmers and full fingered gloves. I wish my socks were taller so the 2 inches of skin between my knee warmers and the top of my socks was covered. But I am essentially completely covered from head to toe in one or more layers.

At this point, it looks a little bit like the weather is clearing. We have a secondary goal for this ride to go up another road that would take us to more impressive views of Grays and Torreys Peaks. We decide to give it a go; however, we don't make it very far before I hear thunder again. We decide not to push our luck and turn around for the bomber descent.

Usually, we don't stop often on the downhills to take pictures; we don't want to slow down and spoil the fun. But this time, we are interested in taking more photos of the amazing aspens. I'm still wearing all my clothes and must look odd to the hikers and cyclists coming up wearing shorts! We make it to the car just as another storm comes in.

Coming back down the way we came, it's still beautiful, just not as warm (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We end up riding almost 25 miles and climbing over 4,000 feet.



Once again, the mountains have shown us their might; being caught up high in an electrical storm is serious. We are super happy to have made it to the top of the pass, six years after being denied, and especially happy to have made it safely, albeit just barely. Had we not started so early, we would have been compelled to turn around before the top a second time!

Later that night after dinner and a beer, we soak in the hot tub and crawl into bed. It's 9:05 on a Saturday night. Yes - we are party animals!


Post Script: We did take the dog for a hike the next day.

The Waiting Game

Diagnosis - PNEUMONIA. Not good.

My condition is relatively "mild", if pneumonia can ever be mild. It's sometimes referred to as Walking Pneumonia, or maybe in my case, Running Pneumonia.

My Doctor prescribed antibiotics, which I dislike taking, an inhaler and a narcotic cough syrup that knocks me out like a rock at night. I've been on the meds for three days and feel a little better, especially in the mornings. But by mid-day I am super tired again and prone to fits of coughing. I still cannot take a full breath without coughing. Not the stellar improvement I was hoping for. However, my Doctor said I should not expect to know if the meds are going to take this down until tomorrow or the next day - five days of meds.

So, I am on hold for knowing if I will be able to race next Saturday. My Doctor said it is not out of the question if the meds get at what ails me. I give it a 50% 50% chance at this point.

I am not going to get worked up over this though. My goal in doing this race was the training part. The joy of running with Jesper. The pleasure in running long distances, getting far from the trail head on my own two feet. Seeing my fitness improve as I pushed my body further and further. Gaining satisfaction from sticking to a plan, even when that entailed getting up early and running in the rain.

I hope I am able to race, but if not, I will be there to cheer Jesper on, knowing that I have already succeeded!

Think I spoke too soon...

I thought I was OK, but I was wrong. I wasn't just tired from hard training. I was sick and all that high mileage running was preventing my immune system from bouncing back.

I caught a cold in early June while traveling for work. I took off from my training plan for a few days and then, feeling better but not great, jumped right back into my regularly scheduled runs. The cold dropped into my chest and then just hung out there as a low grade cough. I continued to ramp up my mileage, tipping over the 50 mile per week mark, which each Saturday comprised of a 20+ mile run. After three weeks of that, my little cough developed into shortness of breath and severe coughing.

I finally got smart this weekend when Jesper and I were at the race venue, Buffalo Creek, to do our last big run; a 25-miler. I started the run and promptly began hacking up yellow gunk. This is DUMB, I said out loud to no one but myself. My poor immune system would certainly not benefit from another long run. I stopped running at three miles and turned around for the car.

In retrospect, I think the training volume would have been OK but for my catching a cold. Because my training plan did not have a lot of wiggle room for achieving my top mileage, I stupidly jumped right back into to training. Instead, I should have allowed a week or two of "fluff" in my training. That way I could have taken a full week off from running and then eased back into my mileage and still have had time to reach my longest run distance before the race. It's all a learning process...

I am hopeful at this point that I have simply started my taper a bit earlier than planned, but within an acceptable time frame for this length of a race. However, after three days of complete rest, my cough is no better and may be worse. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.

The final push!

I am in the last couple weeks before my Ultramarathon and I am TIRED. Tired body and sleepy tired mind. This week will be the last of four 50-plus mile weeks. That's a 200 mile month - no wonder I'm tired!

I've decided to bail on all other forms of activity at least for this last big push. No swimming and no biking this week. Only running (and yoga).

Next week my running mileage will go down while I taper for the race. I am looking forward to the taper. I'm not accustomed to being so darn tired. I day dreaming about tapering! I cannot wait for the extra boost of energy I'll get from my reduced running volume. I look forward eagerly to my rest days; previously I hated them and only employed them because I'm supposed to. Friday, blissful Friday, is my next rest day.....

I think I'm OK though, and that this is exactly how I'm supposed to feel at this point in my training. My running feels pretty good - not super fast, but not too slow either. I am uninjured and amazingly un-sore. I am sleeping well (really well and a lot).

I hope to write a post soon that tells of how spaztic I am with all the energy from my taper. I have faith that my training program will deliver me rested and full of energy to my race!

Are you there Internet? It's me IttyBittyBetty.

Blogging has not been the same since Facebook and my job with Ayuda. I see it in some of my other blogging friends too; we all get busy and Facebook is so easy and quick. We post pictures and brief updates. The blog falls to the wayside.

But Facebooking is not writing and I have missed writing. So I am back to blogging, at least while work is not crazy busy. Here's what I've been up to since my last intermittent posts:

Ayuda
Work has been very good and goes through very busy periods interspersed with more sane times. I still completely love my job and have been given more responsibilities as our small company grows. I just got through a few weeks of intensive travel and fire-drill crises projects; but right now things are relatively calm and thus I have some spare time to write over lunch.

Learning to Swim Competitively
My younger sister Chris learned to swim a few years back and raved about how wonderful a work out it was. She touted its benefits as a low-impact, all-body work out that would compliment my other more punishing sports like running and mountain biking. I'd like to be an active old lady some day and swimming seemed to be a sport I could incorporate into my routine and do for many, many years. So, I decided to give it a try.

This past December I started taking swim lessons at my fitness club, Lakeshore Athletic Club, located close to my office. Lakeshore provides Masters swimming classes and the Tuesday/Thursday lunch-time sessions are heavy on coaching and geared toward adults just starting a swimming program.

I knew how to swim before, in that I could splash around in the water and not drown. But I certainly knew nothing about technique or swimming efficiently.


I've come a long way since my first lessons where I was floundering and hyperventilating in the pool, choking on mouth and nose-fulls of water. It was quite humbling at first to be unable to complete a workout when other swimmers in the class, clearly less fit than I was, were kicking my a$$.

But my learning curve has been steep and I have worked hard at my swimming. No doubt when stacked up against a serious swimmer, I am still not fast. However, I can complete the workouts right up there with the faster swimmers in my class and my stroke has some semblance of efficiency. Best of all, I really enjoy the classes and my solo pool sessions.

I've signed up for an Xterra Triathlon in late August, so now I need to learn to swim outdoors!

Whole Lotta Running
Last year I ran my first official Ultramarathon, the Northfork 50. I completed the 50K version and had a great experience with the training and the race itself. This year, I've signed up to do the race again and will be joined by Jesper, who decided that all that running looked like fun! Having a race like this on the calendar is a serious motivator to stick to it; you cannot pull 31 miles on rocky mountainous trails at altitude out of your a$$.

My training took a slight detour in March when I began a process to resolve my long-standing piriformis syndrome. I embarked upon weeks of PT (lots of stretching and exercises), trigger point dry needling, a gate analysis and finally gait modification. It wasn't until May that my 'new' gait started to feel 'normal'. I think my new form is faster, but my real hope is that it is more sustainable.


One of the negatives from my training last year was that I ended up spending so much time without Jesper. This year has been different. During the week, we each do our own runs as they fit into our busy work schedules. But for the weekends, we synched our training plans so we would be running the same distances. On Saturday mornings we head off to a trail head and run the same course. We run at different paces and Jesper finishes a bit before me, but not so much that he's waiting bored out of his skull. We catch glimpses of each other throughout the run and get to chat when we pass each other at an out-and-back. Afterward, we hop in a cold river or lake for an ice bath together. Then we have a post-recovery meal together. We also both go to bed pretty early together! We sometimes do our shorter runs together, but just knowing we are both doing a 10-miler the day after a 22-miler engenders togetherness without us needing to be on the trail at the same time and place. Yep - we like doing things together!

We are up to 22 miles for our long runs and almost 55 miles per week total. All on trails. Lots of it very hilly and rocky. We are both amazingly injury free and feeling pretty good! The big race in in three weeks (on July 16th). Wish us luck!

New Sports
Once again, Jesper and I have added new sports to our already full bin of outdoor activities. We've taken up Stand Up Paddle Boarding, otherwise known as 'SUPping'. This is a sneaky way to get an awesome whole body workout in without you even realizing it!


The Front Range of Colorado has seen an explosion of bike parks over the last year or so. The newest, Valmont Bike Park, is very close to our house. Jesper got us both dirt jump bikes to ride the slopestyle, dirt jumps and pump track at this amazing new FREE venue right in Boulder. No pics of us yet, but stay tuned for AIR!

I hope to write more about our upcoming race and the other adventures we have planned for the summer!

Progress!

I am happy and astounded to say my butt feels so much better I can hardly believe it! In fact, I now realize how much discomfort (pain) I had become subconsciously accustomed to; all day long discomfort, not just during running and such.

I am sure the two weeks plus of diligent stretching and strengthening exercises have helped, as I could feel less tightness just by doing my assigned PT. However, the real improvement came this week after my first session of Trigger Point Dry Needling.

The procedure itself was a tad painful and my butt and low back were sore for the rest of the day. But the next morning when I awoke, my backside felt completely different and that's when I realized how bad the situation had been. I still had some tightness and discomfort, but NOTHING like before. Sitting at work and in my car was comfortable - no need for the tennis ball wedged under my right butt cheek. Walking, standing up, swimming - everything felt untight in a way I haven't felt for a long time. I even tested things this morning by going for a run long enough to have caused my piriformis to flare up in the past (said run recommended by my therapist to see how treatment was working). Six miles and all I felt was a slight sensation in my butt, whereas before my right backside would have been super tight and I would have had a deep dull pain in my ass.

The difference in my butt (and low back and hamstring) now vs. before is almost as dramatic to me as the day I had lasik and went from blurry vision to crystal clear in a moment!

I am even more motivated than before to keep up with the PT. I also can't wait for my next dry needling session! Gotta go and do my stretches!

PITA - PT

One week in and my Physical Therapy (PT) for my Piriformis Syndrome is going well. I'm supposed to do the prescribed exercises and stretches twice a day; I get a reprieve on some stretches if I do yoga that day. Twice a day is time consuming; like almost an hour a day of PT!

Nevertheless, I've been pretty good about sticking to my schedule. Even when it means getting up really early to do my PT BEFORE heading up to the mountains to ski. Even when it means getting up super early to do PT BEFORE running BEFORE work. The evening sessions are the toughest to fit in. I try to do some stretches at work to cut back on how much I need to do before or after dinner. I can see how easy it is for people to fall off the PT wagon; part of my reasons for posting this is to keep me honest about doing everything my therapist prescribes so I get better.

I am scheduled to undergo a session of Dry Trigger Point Needling this week. I'm pretty sure it's not going to feel all that great. Then I have a gait analysis scheduled for later this month to see if my running form is contributing at all to my problems.

I'm still running, swimming, biking and skiing, so all is good!

Pain in the Butt!.

I've had a pain in the butt for years. No, it's not Jesper - he's the antithesis of a pain in the butt! It's a dull ache in the middle of my right buttock, with pain sometimes extending down my leg to the back of my knee. I've had a pretty good idea what it is for some time now, but today I finally got around to having an official doctor's diagnosis.

PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME!

For a tiny little muscle, that darn piriformis sure can cause a lot of problems.

Piriformis means "pear shaped", although I think it looks more leaf shaped. There it is, highlighted in a posterior view of the right buttock and leg. It can get inflamed/irritated from activities like running and become sore. It can also press up against the nearby sciatic nerve and create shooting pain down the back of the leg. Trust me - that's no fun! In addition to the pain, the syndrome causes diminished strength and range of motion.

I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to see a doctor about this; probably because I think I should be able to fix this myself through smart training and stretching. But I haven't been smart enough to fix it and I was beginning to dread the havoc it might wreak on my training for another ultramarathon this summer. Already, a hard day of skiing, running or swimming leaves my butt hurting. Last year while training for my first ultramarathon, it bothered me most of the time (day and night), although oddly enough, it rarely impacted my mileage. However the problem is not getting any better andI fear it's only time before it causes a whole host of other imbalances that will result in injuries that limit my ability to do the things I love.

So, I finally went to the doctor. As a first step, she prescribed PT, mostly to address lack of flexibility and strength in my hips. I can't wait to get started (how many people actually look forward to PT?). The best thing is I don't have to stop or slow down on my many activities while I do therapy! I am hopeful this takes care of the pain in my butt!

Vail Weekend with L&C

Jesper and I just had one of the nicest weekends in a long time. Of course, we skied, which always makes for a good time. And we skied with Lynnette and Carmen (L&C), two very good friends who are some of the finest people I know. L&C are very talented mountain bikers from way back when I was a newbie on the bike. They live in Arizona and, although they are relegated more to dirt than snow, they ride the heck out of their snow boards whenever they come to visit us in the winter.

We met up with L&C last September to downhill mountain bike at Winter Park for a few days and decided that a ski trip to Vail was warranted in early 2011. We reserved a condo smackdab in Mid-Vail and made a three day skiing and riding trip out of it. L&C had never been to Vail, so Jesper and I showed them as much of the best we could in three days. We skied most of Saturday, ALL DAY Sunday and all day Monday.

Carmen and Lynnette getting ready for the first big run on Saturday

The snow was awesome, due to almost 50 inches of freshie in the week leading up to our trip. Best of all, Blue Sky basin was closed on Saturday (after five inches of snow on Friday and lots of wind on Saturday) and then opened on Sunday after 13 more inches on Saturday. Of course we were there when they opened Blue Sky to try out the foot and a half of untracked powder ! Dang it was GOOD! We focused on Pete's Bowl and skied the hell out of Lovers Leap, Hornsilver, Resolution, Big Rock Park, Grand Review, and the Star til Blue Sky closed that day, only stopping to grab a quick snack al fresco. Once Blue Sky Basin closed, we continued to ski until all the lifts on the front side closed.

Carmen riding through the trees in Sun Down Bowl

Lynnette in the VASTness of Vail

Monday was another great day. Although there was not much new snow, the temps were perfect for keeping the huge amount Vail had gotten in the past few days fresh. We showed L&C some more Bowl action - Game Creek Bowl, Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, China Bowl, ... We finished up with tired legs and drove L&C straight to the airport in Denver.

Jesper skiing down Ptarmigan Ridge

There's plenty more of Vail left for them to sample. More bowls and much more on the front side. I think they'll be back!

Check out my pics here!