It's been almost 2 months since my last post. A lot has happened since running Chicago. Mainly, I took a new job. It's with a division of the company I used to be with back in Jersey. It was a good opportunity, but I do a lot of travel now. My running has kinda sloughed off since October. Between job, travel, winding down from the marathon and just plain old I hate the cold and lack of light, its easy to understand why the running went south....
Although there was an incident that might of put me on this road to negativity!
As I mentioned, I am with my old company again; corporate headquarters is in Denver. So being a runner, and one that has gotten into trail running, I figured, what better place and time to get some cool trail running in than on my first week of training in the Rockies! So - first day on the job, I head over to the office with my running gear in tow, just in case I get out a little early. (As one typically, does on the 1st day of the job) 3:30 I get the nod... "head on out, that's it for the day... I race to the rental car, and pull out my mapquest to Morrison, Colorado, Home of Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater. If you have ever heard of it, it is the site of many famous concerts, I am sure you have seen it once on TV if never in person. Well, there is also some nice trails around there and of course some mountainous climbs. Twenty minutes later I am in the parking lot, throwing off the work garb for my running gear, and cool new Brooks Cascadia Trail shoes. (More on that later)I leave behind my clothes and stuff in the car and hop on the trails, mostly going straight up. Mind you, I am in "month after marathon shape", so of course I feel super human.... the thin air burning my lungs; I set my site on the highest peak looking down upon the theater. I climb straight up, trying my best to keep good traction in the soft red soil. I keep digging, saying to myself, "You can do anything you put your mind to... this run/hike is a metaphor for life, keep chopping away, step by step, till you get to the top! I look down, my car is getting smaller and smaller in the parking lot, as I am one of the only ones left in the park! "Must be somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 feet up.", I think to myself.
In the far distance, I hear the sound of an alarm. I don't pay it much mind. I look out upon Denver, acknowledging my accomplishment, and decide to start heading down, it's November and its starting to get cold, dressed in only shorts and a t-shirt. I hustle down the mountain, trying to use good form like they tell you in "TrailRunner", dip your butt a little, keep you hands out and ready, just in case you "flip over your handlebars". I do take a spill on my rear but grab a rock before I skid too far. "Damn Brooks are a half size too big, and the traction isn't too good... probably should have kept the Nike's", I tell myself. I finally come charging down to the end of the trail... 3 large deer standing right there. I take off after them like pre-historic man, too fast for me, but fun for 15 seconds, I hit a couple more trail loops, bounding around like a kid at a playground.... but the air keeps getting a little cooler. I go back to the car and quickly see who's alarm it was that went off.... passenger side window smashed in, my bag gone, my pants and shirt gone.... my wallet (yes, left in my pants pocket) gone!
I frantically dial my cell phone, which of course has a dying battery and reception up in the Rockies isn't always that great... trying to get anyone... Rose, voicemail... Dad, thank god, OK follow these instructions, call the Morrison Police --- YES - IN COLORADO!!
To Wrap up a long story, the bandits raced down the mountain and wracked up over $1000 at the Home Depot -- then luckily my Visa security kicked in when it seemed the card was on a wild spending spree at Wal-mart and then finally PepBoys. The police tried to get a good look at the surveillance video. It seems there was a suspect who had just been released from prison for hitting almost 100 cars at the park over 2 years.... you'd think they'd catch him after 50 times... but anyway, he had been out of jail for a few days and they were trying to track him down... I got my money back after a few days, Home Depot was on the hook for that one... but alas.... I found out how to get onto planes with out a license. Did you know that there is no rule stipulating that you must have photo ID when getting onto a plane? You may need to be strip searched, but you don't need a photo. So I ended up having to get onto 8 flights without a license.
Since that week, the world is whizzing by... I had a week in Arizona, quick trip to NJ for Turkey Day... (Sorry I did not get out to any events) then to Houston for a week, Michigan the next and finally this past week I drove though Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois... then back to Indy. I finally was daring enough to go to a park and leave my stuff behind (everything safely in the trunk) with my wallet in my back pocket. I stopped at Buck Horn State Park in Wisconsin... 27 degrees, several inches of snow packed down on trail, just me in the forest... pretty magical!
As for the Brooks... I decided that they brought me bad karma and have switched back to my beloved Nike's... Just cause you get a new job doesn't mean you have to treat yourself to new shoes! Stick with what works. Familiarity, breeds security!
Well sorry for my descriptive rant, but I just wanted to say hello.
I hope everyone has a joyous holiday and a happy and fit New Year!
Go SJAC!
Kevin
Although there was an incident that might of put me on this road to negativity!
As I mentioned, I am with my old company again; corporate headquarters is in Denver. So being a runner, and one that has gotten into trail running, I figured, what better place and time to get some cool trail running in than on my first week of training in the Rockies! So - first day on the job, I head over to the office with my running gear in tow, just in case I get out a little early. (As one typically, does on the 1st day of the job) 3:30 I get the nod... "head on out, that's it for the day... I race to the rental car, and pull out my mapquest to Morrison, Colorado, Home of Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater. If you have ever heard of it, it is the site of many famous concerts, I am sure you have seen it once on TV if never in person. Well, there is also some nice trails around there and of course some mountainous climbs. Twenty minutes later I am in the parking lot, throwing off the work garb for my running gear, and cool new Brooks Cascadia Trail shoes. (More on that later)I leave behind my clothes and stuff in the car and hop on the trails, mostly going straight up. Mind you, I am in "month after marathon shape", so of course I feel super human.... the thin air burning my lungs; I set my site on the highest peak looking down upon the theater. I climb straight up, trying my best to keep good traction in the soft red soil. I keep digging, saying to myself, "You can do anything you put your mind to... this run/hike is a metaphor for life, keep chopping away, step by step, till you get to the top! I look down, my car is getting smaller and smaller in the parking lot, as I am one of the only ones left in the park! "Must be somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 feet up.", I think to myself.
In the far distance, I hear the sound of an alarm. I don't pay it much mind. I look out upon Denver, acknowledging my accomplishment, and decide to start heading down, it's November and its starting to get cold, dressed in only shorts and a t-shirt. I hustle down the mountain, trying to use good form like they tell you in "TrailRunner", dip your butt a little, keep you hands out and ready, just in case you "flip over your handlebars". I do take a spill on my rear but grab a rock before I skid too far. "Damn Brooks are a half size too big, and the traction isn't too good... probably should have kept the Nike's", I tell myself. I finally come charging down to the end of the trail... 3 large deer standing right there. I take off after them like pre-historic man, too fast for me, but fun for 15 seconds, I hit a couple more trail loops, bounding around like a kid at a playground.... but the air keeps getting a little cooler. I go back to the car and quickly see who's alarm it was that went off.... passenger side window smashed in, my bag gone, my pants and shirt gone.... my wallet (yes, left in my pants pocket) gone!
I frantically dial my cell phone, which of course has a dying battery and reception up in the Rockies isn't always that great... trying to get anyone... Rose, voicemail... Dad, thank god, OK follow these instructions, call the Morrison Police --- YES - IN COLORADO!!
To Wrap up a long story, the bandits raced down the mountain and wracked up over $1000 at the Home Depot -- then luckily my Visa security kicked in when it seemed the card was on a wild spending spree at Wal-mart and then finally PepBoys. The police tried to get a good look at the surveillance video. It seems there was a suspect who had just been released from prison for hitting almost 100 cars at the park over 2 years.... you'd think they'd catch him after 50 times... but anyway, he had been out of jail for a few days and they were trying to track him down... I got my money back after a few days, Home Depot was on the hook for that one... but alas.... I found out how to get onto planes with out a license. Did you know that there is no rule stipulating that you must have photo ID when getting onto a plane? You may need to be strip searched, but you don't need a photo. So I ended up having to get onto 8 flights without a license.
Since that week, the world is whizzing by... I had a week in Arizona, quick trip to NJ for Turkey Day... (Sorry I did not get out to any events) then to Houston for a week, Michigan the next and finally this past week I drove though Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois... then back to Indy. I finally was daring enough to go to a park and leave my stuff behind (everything safely in the trunk) with my wallet in my back pocket. I stopped at Buck Horn State Park in Wisconsin... 27 degrees, several inches of snow packed down on trail, just me in the forest... pretty magical!
As for the Brooks... I decided that they brought me bad karma and have switched back to my beloved Nike's... Just cause you get a new job doesn't mean you have to treat yourself to new shoes! Stick with what works. Familiarity, breeds security!
Well sorry for my descriptive rant, but I just wanted to say hello.
I hope everyone has a joyous holiday and a happy and fit New Year!
Go SJAC!
Kevin
