According to Strava, in March, I spent 22 hours active (walking, running, hiking, etc.), traveled 58.6 miles, and gained 8,967 feet of elevation. Over the past five weeks, I’m averaging around 12 miles and 1786 feet of elevation gain per week. My current routine is to run twice during the week for general fitness, climb twice at the gym, hike with Kellie at least once, and do one longer trail run on the weekends. I feel like I’m getting stronger and I’m down about eight pounds.

I kind of started trail running out of the blue (more on that in a future post) and I’ve been blown away by how much I’ve enjoyed it. I’m not going for any PRs or FKTs… I’m just happy to be out here running around in the mountains.

It seems like we’re finally at the tail end of winter. We had a lot of snow in March and it was fun at times but I think Kellie and I are both ready for spring.

Today, we tried an activity that I’m never experienced before: snow shoeing!

Notes:

• Snow shoeing is easy going when the trail is well trod. Not so much when you are the one breaking the trail.

Trail Details:

• Trail: AllTrails
• Distance: 3.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 334 feet

Workout Details:

• Start Time: 12:18 PM
• Workout Time: 2 hr 50 min
• Avg. Heartrate: 105 bpm

Weather:

• Temperature: 29ºF
• Humidity: —%
• Air Quality: —
• Conditions: Clear

Trail Details:

• Trail: n/a
• Distance: 3.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 129 feet

Workout Details:

• Start Time: 5:21 PM
• Workout Time: 44 min
• Avg. Heartrate: 140 bpm

Weather:

• Temperature: 44ºF
• Humidity: 56%
• Air Quality: 41
• Conditions: Cloudy

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to run this morning so I picked a route that I was excited to run! I’d been hiking on this trail before so I knew to what to expect. The views of the mountains looking west were phenominal.

The weather was threatening to rain but it held off long enough to complete my run. The trail conditions were pristine.

I even found a few friends on the way back down.

Notes:

• I ditched as much weight as possible this time. I only took my running vest, 0.5 liter of water, a headlamp, and my rain jacket (weather was threatening).
• This run was honestly too difficult for me right now. I spent most of my time in Heart Rate Zones 3 and 4. I continue to struggle with my pacing.

Trail Details:

• Trail: Mount Sanitas via Lion’s Lair Trail Run
• Distance: 4.47 miles
• Elevation Gain: 750 feet

Workout Details:

• Start Time: 6:46 AM
• Workout Time: 1 hr 8 min
• Avg. Heartrate: 155 bpm

Weather:

• Temperature: 39ºF
• Humidity: 67%
• Air Quality: —
• Conditions: Overcast / Chance of Rain

This morning, I made it up to the top of the Dakota Ridge just in time for sunrise for a fantastic view of Boulder and the Front Range.

Notes:

• Take less! I over-estimated how long the run would take me and packed too much stuff in my running vest: Phone, 1 Liter water, snack, trekking poles, head lamp, pocket knife, headphones, chapstick, etc. For less technical runs, I can ditch the poles. For shorter runs, I can bring less water. For all runs, I need to shave as much weight as possible (Do I actually need a pocket knife on a run?!). It might be interesting to weight my full running kit under various configurations.
• Be bold! Start cold! Long socks + shorts kept my legs warm enough but I was over dressed up top and got hot really fast. I need to work on my laying system so that I can be bolder and start colder.
• Pacing needs work. I spent most of the run in Heart Rate Zone 3. I need to work on my pace (especially uphill) so that I can spend more time in Heart Rate Zone 2. Uphill was difficult! I hiked as much if not more than I ran. The view was worth it at the top though and the downhill was fun! The return was a wide, smooth track all the way back to the trailhead. I ran hard the entire way down.

Trail Details:

• Trail: Sanitas Valley and Dakota Ridge Trail
• Distance: 2.47 miles
• Elevation Gain: 453 feet

Workout Details:

• Start Time: 6:48 AM
• Workout Duration: 39 min 46 sec
• Average Heartrate: 143 bpm
• Average Pace: 16'02"/mi

Weather:

• Temperature: 38ºF
• Humidity: 36%
• Air Quality: 39
• Conditions: Partly Cloudy

Update 03/14/2024: We made it through 4½ weeks before we got bored with the routine. It was too repetitive. We decided to go a different direction with our fitness routine: a combination of running, climbing, Apple Fitness+, and hiking on the weekends. We’re still going strong!

Last week, Kellie and I started a new training program geared towards getting us in better shape for climbing, hiking, and an upcoming back packing trip. I thought I’d summarize what we’re doing.

I adapted the 6 Weeks to Trail Fit program (Outside Online) to work in some climbing and an extra rest day.

The program is 6 weeks. The excercises are essentially the same each week but they get progressively more difficult due to added weight, duration, or elevation.

• Monday: Strength and Conditioning
• Tuesday: Climbing and Core
• Wednesday: Active Rest Day
• Thursday: Strength and Conditioning
• Friday: Climbing and Core
• Saturday: Adventure Day! Hiking
• Sunday: Passive Rest Day and Meal Prep

I’ll report back at the end of the program to summarize how things went (and provide a PDF). We’re off to a good start though. Week one ended with us hiking the Enchanted Mesa Trail .