The Week So Far

It has been a good week getting settled in.  Still a bit of life administivia that I need to attend to.  Eventually I will have my address changed in all of the places I need it changed in. 

I think living 2000 feet higher makes a huge difference in training.  Normal day to day stuff it isn't that much of an impact but as the week has worn on with the workouts I find my recovery is less and less each day than I would expect, want or hope for.  Throw in the fact I started dieting this past week and that is probably having an impact as well.  All day today I was craving mashed potatoes and I know when I start craving things that it is time to pay attention.

But no crazy fad diet or lofty weight loss goals this time around.  Actually in the past week I have dropped about half of the weight that I want to.  Now I just need to find the balance between eating enough to stay fueled and have enough calories to recover while at the same time not gain any weight.  Of course we all know for me that just cutting out sodas and snacks will usually do the trick and that seems to be what is really working this week.

Today was my first outdoor ride here in Aspen for the year.  I got caught in a quick moving storm once I got up to Ashcroft so it got cold and wet really damned quick.  Thankfully the closer I got back down to Aspen the warmer and drier it got.  I also rode out McClain Flats Road and coming up from the river I was cursing whoever put the word "flats" in the name of the road.  But once you get down valley a bit it does open up into some nice pasture lands and it is definitely flat and fast.  Bonus, I saw a herd of elk today on my ride.  I see elk sign everywhere on my runs and stuff but never any elk.  Unfortunately I was going about 30 MPH when I passed them so I didn't have any time to really look and admire them.

Followed up today's ride with a short run.  As knocked down as I was feeling today and even after getting beat up on the bike some it was still a good run.  Actually of all of my runs up Smuggler this week this one felt the easiest for some weird reason.  Today's ride was challenge and to be honest I really don't know how I pulled the run off right after.  But I did...

Ride again tomorrow... not sure what is on tap for Sunday yet.  Melissa and I are planning a jaunt to GWS this weekend to soak at some point.  Past that I think that we are just going to hang around here and take care of things around the apartment and also move stuff into the storage unit like winter gear that we are not going to be using for awhile.

Today's Ride.  Up to Ashcroft and back first then down McClain Flats and then back up the Rio Grand Trail to home.

The Leadville Marathon is only eight weeks from tomorrow... Damn the time is flying!