Never Summer training week ten recap

• 9 hours, 23 minutes

• 49 miles

• 7402 feet D+

I ran 5 days, once less than last week, but my long runs were longer. Like last week, all of my runs had some hills. The Never Summer 100k course averages more than 200 feet D+ (this is the French abbreviation for dénivelé cumulé positif, the cumulative elevation gain) per mile. My runs this week were relatively flat, averaging 150 feet D+ per mile.

On the 8th I went back to Stadium Hill for a pyramid workout: 10-8-6-3-2-1 minutes going up with half time recovery intervals going down. I think I'm beginning to appreciate hill workouts on pavement. The grade is more regular and there's nothing to trip over or dodge. I can focus on my breath and effort level as I go up and I can work on spinning my legs while going down. I'm certainly putting in enough trail miles on other days. If Stadium Hill has a fault, it's lack of height. I did run out of steep hill in the last two intervals of my workout. From the top there are some iconic views of the reservoir, Horsetooth Mountain, and Longs Peak. It's worth the trip.

Saturday I went for a proper hilly run on the 5th and 6th climbs of the Quad Rock course. I avoided descending all the way to the Horsetooth Rock trailhead in the middle of the route and added some D+ by taking a sidetrip to the Horsetooth Rock summit and going all the way up to the radio towers twice. Just under 16 miles and just over 3500 feet D+.

The weather was perfect. Dry and warm but not too warm. 45 °F when I left the Arthur's Rock trailhead at 7:30 a.m. and 60 °F when I returned at 11:15. I saw some friends near Horsetooth Rock, a flock of red crossbills on Spring Creek trail, and some ball cactus I'd never noticed before near the radio towers.

Twenty-four hours later I went back out in completely different conditions, a snowstorm and 15 °F instead of 15 °C. The Pineridge and Maxwell Natural Areas were empty. It was just me and the deer.

Outside of running, I practiced yoga once during week ten and went for an hour long bike ride with Beatrice. She turned 11 in December and this spring graduated to an adult size bike, 21 speeds and 26" wheels. Next week, I intend to practice yoga at least twice and resume weight training, somehow, while also running one more day, and supervising my kids' remote learning, and making the geo-doughnuts at work.