Boulder Sports Hall of Fame induction event for 2015

I went to the Boulder Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last night.  The inducted class included climber Lynn Hill (who I had never really heard of before last night and is an incredible story), cyclist Dale Stetina, triathlete Tim Deboom, and runner Benji Durden.

It was a cool event.  Like many of these sort of gatherings in Boulder it is a bit overwhelming to see so much talent and success in one room.  There of course the “normal” guys like Peter J (climbed Grays and Torres every week for a year) and Greg W, and guys I raced with like Todd S and Peter H.
There are guys that were damn good runners in their own right but are even better people like Marty K and Sandrock.  And many handfuls more.

But then you look around the room and there is Jonesy and Troop and Moller and Mackey and Sinclair and Shorter and … it just goes on and on.  And those are runners.  There are also cyclists and climbers and tri folk in the room.  And so when Rock takes the opportunity to introduce you with a laugh to one of them as “the World Champion of Pack Burro Racing” it does make you dance a bit.


It was great to see Benji inducted.  His performances in the marathon often get overlooked as he ended up making the 80 Olympic squad that could no go to Moscow.  Most people these days who know Benji probably don’t know that about his past … or that he has done 114 marathons including one in every state … or that he beat prostate cancer … but probably run by his finish line as he times racing events all over the front range.  In fact, he was timing the Pat Patten XC event that very morning and was off to time another Sunday morning with his wife Amie.  I don’t tend to realize how good his timing services are until I have to deal with another race … and then I recall how easy and flawless things are with Benji’s races.

The event also served as a charitable event for One World Running – a great place to donate your shoes locally.

Sunday 121415

Met up with MK, Sandrock, Peter H and a few of the other old dogs and ran out of Eldorado on Fowler.  Snowing lightly, and a bit wet.  
The snow got a bit thicker as we got higher.
The Bastille in the background.
MK taking up the top of Goshawk (I think that is the name of it)
The old sea bed with ripples and all. Great to get out with this group.  They have PRs that blow away nearly everyone I know, but they don’t wear them.  Their times at that time were humble.  They run now to share the some strides together, a laugh, and to crack wise.

Once the group finished, I elected to tack on and ran back to Boulder along the Mesa – looking to get some miles on the somewhat compromised legs (from the 20 yesterday).  17.2 miles on the day.

79.6 on the week.  I guess I would have got 80 but I thought I had it (I miscalculated going into today’s run).  With the travel, a decent week. Not a lot of speed as I struggled to get going in the dark of the AM or the evening, but I managed some fartlek stuff there in Philly.  No strides – I need to get better at that.  And then this weekend was a nice set of back to back longer runs.  I wanted to get a bit of running on tired legs and I got that today … and a bit of vertical.  A few close compadres have thrown at me that my vert this year has been woefully inadequate – and they are right.  I need to pick at that a bit and while today was not epic, it was a step in the right direction.

This afternoon I did something I can say I have never really done … some yoga.  TZ talked me through a few poses and I have to say a.)  I suck at it b.) I can see the benefit it would provide to me c.) it illustrates how weak or inflexible I am in certain areas d.) it was feeling the tightness from the run today (or this week or this life) e.) I am going to see if I can continue at it with her for a bit.

Some other recent pix.
At the HS choir concert.
This was the weather yesterday.
This was post run yesterday


News stuff – Israel does a pretty good breakdown on the Desert Solstice. 
-Megan weighs in with a good post on the inequality in mountain running related to funding.
-Lize is offering her book for free!

Friday 092812

Yesterday’s post reminded me of one the more popular posts from this blog – where Footfeathers tells me to figure out what the hell I want to do.  Almost 2 years later, and it is still the same story really.  I play around with all of it.  Simply, I love it all of it.  Road, trail, track, long, short.  If anything has changed, it might be that I realize that in being a jack of all trades, I am a master of none.  Admittedly, I am not completely reconciled on that, but after a year of “exercise” versus “training” – I might a bit more “okay” with it (it might help that the year I have been least focused on competition is the year I have had the most win success and the most win $).  I guess I also see some guys like Max King who are all over the map (3k OT, marathon OT, and ultras) and I see that some people can be successful at it all.  I am not sure that I can do that, but I am going to be pretty damn happy in trying.

Spent a good part of the afternoon over at the Pat Patten XC meet.  Saw loads of folks over there including Kraig.  Got a bunch of miles in with MK before KZ had to run, and then ran around a bunch more catching various parts of the meet.  Got a little excited with the cow bell yelling for Broomfield Eagle Ethan G as he took home the individual win in a battle that went back and forth until about 3 miles.

   

15+ miles.