Steve’s Excellent Adventure

Winter cold, ugh.  Now that I am old, Arizona looks better all the time in the winter.  Time to give the treadmill a workout until it gets a little warmer.  The following picture is of me running the Boulder Bolder a couple of years ago.  Because my qualifying time was great, due to my 1/2 marathon in St Louis, they put me up in the front with all the real runners.  I hung in there though and BEAT MY AGE!  I was 51 then, and I ran under 51 minutes.  Apparently, only 3% of all the runners did that, so I guess it was a big deal. The Boulder Bolder was kind of neat, running with around 50,000 other folks and finishing in Folsum Stadium.   This picture of me running is kind of funny,  because the guy in back of me makes me look like I have a blue afro haircut going.  

Beat my Age!

And another great weather day in Colorado Springs.  In fact, it was pretty warm when running, and the pooch pooped out.  She is only good for 5-7 miles, in cold weather.  The heat just gets to her, BIG TIME.  So I ran the 10 mile route along Monument Creek, but had to walk the last mile or so, so the dog did not have a heart attack.  It was no fun, dragging her with me. So no more runs for pooch if it gets over 7 miles. The video has the usual stuff on it, but I included a little video update of my training on the end of it….

Taking a day off today, but tomorrow, back at it.  I have a nasty heel spur that has been bugging me anyway.  Actually, a heel spur is not what it sounds like.  It is irritation of a tendon that connects the calf muscle with the bottom of the foot.  My calves are big, and I will have to keep them stretched a little better.  Besides, tomorrow is supposed to be unbelievable, weather wise.  In the 70’s!

Isn’t it wierd, that when I posted the picture of the gliders at the Air Force Academy, there turns out to be a HUGE story about it.  There is a bunch of newspaper coverage of the pilot who ditched the US Air plane into the Hudson a couple of days ago.  He is an Air Force Academy grad, who flew those gliders around as a part of his training.  The story is HERE.

Excerpt …   Sullenberger graduated in 1973 from the Air Force Academy, where he flew the glider planes so familiar to El Paso County residents as they drive along Interstate 25. What he learned as a cadet and as an Air Force fighter pilot averted tragedy on the frigid waters between Manhattan and New Jersey.

Ran the 7 miler yesterday to the Air Force Academy bridge…  Lots of cadets out running, and they ALL blew right by me.  Oh well, they are a little younger than me.  Also, there were cadets in gliders all over the skys yesterday.  This picture below is a glider being pulled by a plane.  Oh, by the way, the weather has been fantastic out here so far.  If this keeps up, I will be running outside all winter…yeah!

My nephew Matt and I ran a 1/2 marathon a couple of years ago in St Louis.  It was the longest race I had ever run, and it went pretty well.  I do, however, think that training at almost 7000 feet does make a difference when running races in the midwest.  I finished right behind Matt at around 1 hour 50 minutes.

the 2 running studs

We went to visit the folks in Florida last year, and I ran the 15k Gasparilla.   I was not in very good shape, but got through it.  Wifey ran/walked the 15k too.  This is us before the race.

Ready to go!

not too bad for an old guy

Ok…this probably has nothing to do with running.  But the moon over the city, a couple of nights ago, was spectacular.  And I am kind of a “camera bug”.

Moon over Colorado Springs looking east January 2009

Ran a TOUGH 6.5 miler this afternoon.  Another BEAUTIFUL day here on the Front Range.  The route was on city streets in the foothills that went to almost 7000feet.   Took the pooch, and she did good.  Maybe she is getting in better shape.  We also saw a bunch of deer and a well dressed goose at the end of the run.  Check the elevation on the MapMyRun site…ugh!!!

Just some old pics from a couple of years ago….enjoy beautiful Colorado.  This is the scenery that I have to endure out here while running.

Another stunningly beautiful day in Colorado.  Even though we are getting epic snow in the mountains, it is in the 60’s here in Colorado Springs.  That is the way it is in the winter on the front range.  Beautful one day, and snow the next.  It is supposed to snow tomorrow.  Anyway, celebrating such an awesome day, I had to choose between golf and a long run.  The run won out.  Ran a 9.5miler along the Santa Fe trail going south.  Felt pretty good except for the last mile, I kinda trudged.   Getting there though.

Just in case I get into the marathon thing, I did some checking on qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  Looks like a qualifying run will be in less than 3 hours and 35 minutes for 2010 event.  I consider this highly unlikely, as I ran a 1/2 marathon a couple years ago and ran it in 1hr 50 minutes.  And I did consider myself in pretty good shape.  So even if the pace was the same as the 1/2 marathon, my marathon time would be 3hrs 40 minutes.  Not good enough to qualify.    

So, if by some reason I were to run in less than 3hrs and 35 minutes, then maybe I will get signed up for the Boston Marathon.   We will see.