And from the ashes...the Phoenix Rises (Part 2)

Monday, August 20
The trip out west and back left me very tired.  I arrived home around 3:30 AM and went to an early breakfast with my wife.  Then home to sleep til well past noon before heading out to NIACC XC practice.

Tuesday, August 21
This was a field trip to some trails in Cedar Falls followed by a team visit to Scott and Sarah Gall's "The Runner's Flat" for shoe and running gear shopping.

Thursday, August 23
Another NIACC field trip day to Pilot Knob.

Hill repeats after the 9 mile trail run

Saturday, August 25
The first XC meet of the season...pre-season at Marshalltown.  A good start for the teams even though there was no taper nor racing emphasis.
Men    Women

I ran easy morning runs and evening hikes to total another 40 mile week.


Week of August 27 through September 2
I continued my morning/evening routine for another easy 40 mile week.

The highlight of the week was the NIACC XC meet in Cedar Rapids on Friday evening   The men won and women were 2nd.  Again racing was not being emphasized during the week leading into the race.

Men     Women


I'm slowly catching up...more weeks to come in the next couple days until I finally reach the present!

And from the ashes...the Phoenix Rises (Part 1)

I guess that taking a 6 week break from the blog is enough.

Perhaps I was a bit burnt out from the Black Hills and Leadville, but also this fall has become extremely more busy with work at Plymouth water/wastewater and NIACC Cross Country.  but I'm anxious to try to keep this record going and to post some the major events of the last month and a half.  So I'll see what I can do with the generous use of photos and a sort-of Cliff notes approach!

Tuesday, August 14
This was an off-campus cross country workout at Pilot Knob again.  A lot of good miles with hills.

Wednesday, August 15
This was a travel day with a long drive to Colorado.  No miles running or walking but tiring non-the-less.  14 hours in the car.

Thursday, August 16
This was a great day.  Morning run near Divide, Co. Then drove to Leadville.  Attended the pasta feed at the gym in Leadville then headed out to Brandon Fuller's  BBQ party where I met a lot of runners that I had previously only known via the internet!

Kevin Osborn (pacer and travel companion), Fred McCurnin, and Jeanne McCurnin  (Leadville 100 runner whom Kevin and I intend to help pace through the race Saturday)

We ran portions of the Elden-Fehn and the Vayhinger Trails

The haze, we learned, was due to forest fires south of Colorado

Couldn't believe how long it may of taken for this rock to be grown into the crotch of the tree!

Here I am just after meeting Tony Krupicka, , Dakota Jones,and Nick Clark  
(borrowed photo)

Nick Clark (back to camera) visiting with Tony Krupicka , Brandon Fuller (host), and Nick Pedatella  (blue shirt)  (borrowed photo)

Tim Long (Footfeathers) talking with Frank Bozanich
(borrowed photo)

Friday, August 17
Caught some of the check-in excitement downtown then went on a recon run out at Turquoise Lake.  Met Lucho (Tim Waggoner) near the race headquarters.

Powerline visible from across the lake.

Haze is still due to forest fires.

And the Black Hills 100 thought they had a crooked tree!

I so love rock cairns.

Saturday, August 18 to Sunday, August 19
Photos from the Leadville 100 where I helped by pacing Jeanne over Hope Pass on the return.  Quite the day with little sleep then Kevin and I headed home shortly after lunch.

Krupicka

Lucho

Jeanne McCurnin with Fred McCurnin and Kevin Osborn

Lucho and Footfeathers

Aerial photography via remote control.

Winfield

Lucho and Footfeathers

Remains of some structures of the Winfield ghost-town

Brandon Fuller and pacer Nick Pedatella

Coming in to the aid station at Hopeless.

borrowed photo

Kevin and Jeanne bringing it home!

I ended up with 40 miles for the week and a ton of memories.  I intended to write more about the event but seems too late this long after.

More short summaries of the weeks to come.