Description: To head out with friends and support crew and run the first three legs of the Colorado trail in succession from point to point, a total of 41 miles.
Location: First three legs of the Colorado Trail. Waterton Canyon to Wellington Lake. Segments were 16.8, 11.5 and 12.7 miles.
Nutrition:
Leg 1: 32 oz HEED, 3 hammer gels
Between legs: Mix1 drink
Leg 2: 24 oz HEED, 8 oz water, 3 hammer gels
Between legs: Mix1 drink, trail mix
Leg 3: 16oz Gatoraid, 8oz water, trail mix, 2 hammer gels, 3 large handfuls of Skittles
Weather: Could not have asked for a better day. Leg 1 was chilly and windy going up the canyon. Leg 2 had the most exposure and was in the middle of the day so it was the warmest. I could have had more fluid on this leg. The last leg was cooler and I wore a long sleeve shirt.
Distance: 41 miles
Pace:
Pace:
Leg 1: 3:30 (13 min miles)
Leg 2: 2:40 (14 min miles)
Leg 3: 3:00 (14 min miles)
We refueled between legs, so our total time was 9 hours 53 minutes.
Heart Rate Stats: I still don't own a monitor.
Comments:
This was a pretty epic and awesome adventure. We had lots of Practical Coaching folks along for the several of the legs, so it was fun to see everyone pushing their boundaries in some sort of way. I felt quite good the entire day. I struggled during the last mile of Leg 2 and the first 6 miles of Leg 3. My knee was hurting where the quad/IT band attach. 1 hour 20 minutes into leg 3 all pain went away. Poof, just went away. The rest of the leg was much easier. I learned that it's worth it to push through some pain. That not all pain is going to get worse and worse until you stop running. There are a lot of ups and downs that you go through during a long run like that. I learned that when you are in a down, think about your nutrition, and your hydration. Most the times when I was down, I just needed a gel, and that perked me right up.
Comments:
This was a pretty epic and awesome adventure. We had lots of Practical Coaching folks along for the several of the legs, so it was fun to see everyone pushing their boundaries in some sort of way. I felt quite good the entire day. I struggled during the last mile of Leg 2 and the first 6 miles of Leg 3. My knee was hurting where the quad/IT band attach. 1 hour 20 minutes into leg 3 all pain went away. Poof, just went away. The rest of the leg was much easier. I learned that it's worth it to push through some pain. That not all pain is going to get worse and worse until you stop running. There are a lot of ups and downs that you go through during a long run like that. I learned that when you are in a down, think about your nutrition, and your hydration. Most the times when I was down, I just needed a gel, and that perked me right up.
I also learned how valuable good training partners are. I learned it's really important to keep the lines of communication open, and to help each other out. Everyone goes through their struggles, but staying together, and talking about how your feeling keeps everyone safe. These adventures are not without risks, but they sure are worth those risks.
Posts
