Never Summer training week three recap

I'm training in earnest again. During week three I ran six times, including a speed workout and back-to-back long runs.

• 11 hours, 33 minutes

• 60.8 miles

• 7,858 ft D+

I did 5 minute repeats (with 1 minute recovery) on the Spring Creek trail for the first time since January. After weeks of walking and easy running only while I was rec from injury, I was only up for four repeats. The goal of this workout is to increase my lactate threshold, my capacity for harder running, and work on my form while fatigued. My standard workout comes from Krissy Moehl's book. The 5:1 work/rest ratio makes it more steady than a 2:1 cruise workout, while faster and less grueling than 25-35 minutes of steady hard running. I'm going to do this workout again next week, which will be a little lighter in anticipation of three very hard weeks to come.

Saturday I ran 19 miles at Lory and Horsetooth, a route similar to the second half of Quad Rock with two and a half of its three climbs. I hit the trail before 7 a.m. and had beautiful running weather all morning long. I didn't see many runners, mostly bikers, deer, turkeys, and wildflowers. Horsetooth Open Space is trying out a new one-way loop system and it did help make the Horsetooth Falls Trail feel less crowded.

Sunday's weather was very wet. I had intended to run up and down Towers Trail twice, but arrived at the Soderberg trailhead at 9 a.m. in torrential rain, water running off in every gully and gulch along Shoreline Drive. I waited in my car for an hour and then gave up. Around 5 p.m. the rain tapered off into a drizzle, so I went out for a long run from my house, up the Spring Creek bike path to Pineridge Open Space and beyond. The rain stopped within a mile and I enjoyed a cool, quiet, and peaceful run. I haven't run at the very end of a day since last year's Never Summer race and the dimming light and wet smells brought up a lot of strong, good memories.