Well not really, although we have hit the reset button on Towers-related statistical accumulations for 2011...but it's still the same old grunt. In 2010, we had a total of 104 different runners attend at least one of the 20 sessions on the big hill, which ain't bad considering the gruntworthiness of the course. Our biggest turnout of 32 runners was on July 15, and the smallest turnout of 8 runners was the inaugural April 8 session.

I handed out a few Pearl Izumi goodies last week at the Thursday night social gathering for those who showed the greatest dedication to the hill.

On the men's side, Pete Stevenson managed to make more appearances than your humble run-director in 2010 with a total of 18 Thursday summits, followed by me (17), Brian Walter (15), Alex May and Scott Slusher (14). For the women, Mary Boyts (absent last night) was a model of consistency with 16 appearance, followed by Celeste (Slusher?) (15) and Cat Speights (14).

Top times were as follows:

Sam Malmberg: 28:50
Nick Clark: 29:26
Eric Bergman: 29:37
Steve Folkerts: 30:36
Dakota Jones: 31:26

Women

Jenn Malmberg: 35:09
Sarah Hansen: 36:10
Cherilyn Sackel: 37:07
Amy Hartley: 38:14
Karina HS XC: 38:20

This year got off to a good start with a solid 20-runner turnout. The conditions were predictably slow given the recent white fluffy dump from the heavens, but they could have been much worse. The half-mile connector to Towers was decently packed down, and then most of the actual road had been plowed, with the exception of the toughest part of the route - the half mile from Westridge - which was a slippery white mess. Results further down.

So we'll continue the bi-weekly schedule through the winter and on through the year, hopefully with a full 26 sessions in 2011. Once we revert forward to longer days in the spring, I am hopeful that we'll find the opportunity to switch locations a couple of times to include time trials on Horsetooth, Round Mountain, Greyrock (?) and maybe even Crosier. Other suggestions welcome.

Times:

...............PR.....1/13.....1/27

Alex A....38:07..43:00...46:00
Alex M....37:49..42:34..38:27
Brent......40:44.............40:44
Brian K...37:12.............37:12
Brian S...40:30..42:20..40:30
Brian W...44:55..51:10..49:04
Cat........44:13..45:40.....44:54
Celeste...45:37..47:59....46:06
Cherilyn..38:19...42:ish.40:34
Dakota....30:30..............30:30
Dan B......41:21..............41:21
Dan Bla..50:20..............50:20
Dan J......37:18...............37:30
Diana H..46:28..46:28
Don.........44:06.............49:13
Eric........40:30..40:30
Eric B......29:37.............29:37
Glenn......40:35.............43:00
Jeff K......39:08..43:00..39:08
Jenn M...35:09..37:47....35:09
Joselyne.52:40..............*****
Kyle........34:42.............34:42
Marie......44:33.............44:33
Mary B...42:03..............44:31
Mindy.....54:44..54:44
Mike L....43:50..47:50..43:50
Mike T....45:06..47:31
Mike M...42:34.............43:00
Nick C....29:26..32:01..29:26
Nick M...35:42..38:56..35:42
Pete......32:41..39:40....35:40
Ryan B...31:32..33:45..31:32
Sam M...28:50..32:59
Sarah H..36:10.............36:10
Slush.....32:56..34:54...32:56
Stephanie.41:21............41:21
Woody..44:30..............44:30
.20....................20........32

Rob had emailed a couple of days ago about bringing around some of his wife's homemade goodness and getting out for a run at Horsetooth, or more specifically for a hard effort to the top of Horsetooth. I, of course, agreed (to both the food and the run), and so at noon today it was off to the races.

Rob is convinced that the fastest way to the top is to go hiking trail as far as the second Southridge merge, then Southridge to its end where it merges back with the hiking trail. My fastest two times have both come by taking Southridge the whole way, which of course has led me to believe that despite being 0.2 longer, it is in fact quicker because of the more predictable footing and lack of switchbacks. Today, I decided to take another go at the (2.34 mile) hiking trail route, as that was what Rob was doing and, well, it's a more engaging route.

With the weather as perfect as can reasonably be asked for in late December (sunny, still and in the 40s) there would be no excuses.

From the get go, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go full on, so eased into things at a strong, but controlled effort. Half way to the Soderberg bench, I decided that I felt good enough that I would give it a proper go. Went past the bench in 4:43 (12 second PR) and rejoined the Rock trail in 7:43 (17 second PR) feeling like things were nicely under control.

The crux of this particular route is the .8 mile stretch of singletrack before the second merge with Southridge. I used to time myself on occasion during longer runs on this stretch and had an 8:22 PR from last year, so figured today that if I could get to the Southridge intersection in anything under 16 minutes I'd be well on my way to a summit PR. Again, feeling largely in control and comfortably under the blow-up zone, I went past the intersection in 15:53 (for a 10 second PR on that .8 stretch alone). From there it was the loose grind up Southridge, a quick sprint across the flat section past the Wathen turn and then the last .5 effort up the rockiest and hardest part of the ascent.

Last time I TT'd The Rock I imploded on this section and dropped to a walk near the top after running the 'wall' entirely too hard, but this time I got through the rocky wall at a controlled effort and was able to keep the torque on my wheels such that I could grind a steady run the whole way to the base of the rock. After dodging a few kids on the summit scramble, I topped out in 23:50 for a huge 1:36 PR.

I am now convinced that I was wrong about the Southridge route, and that in fact it is quicker to take the more technical, but shorter route up the hiking trail. But I'm also going to give myself some credit and say that the PR is part route and part fitness. My PR for the hiking trail all the way is 26:17 from last year, but that is most assuredly slower than today's route (not 2:27 slower, but definitely slower).

Any which way, 23:50 is now the new trailhead-to-summit standard.

Undeterred by the dark and somewhat icy conditions, we had a solid turnout 11/18 for the scamper up Towers. Sam and Jenn Malmberg once again proved their short-course hill climbing prowess by registering the fastest times of the evening. However the intermittent ice and snow underfoot ensured that nobody PR'd except a couple of folk who were out losing their virginity on the hill.

Better conditions for the 12/2 run. Not a breath of wind, temps in the low 40s, and just a few scrapes of ice allowed for some PRs and an FKT. Jenn M continues to lower the standard for the women, while Mike T was first up the hill and was crowned King in an impressive PR. Joselyne also PR'd, as did Slush who continues to get better almost every time he runs the hill - and he runs it often.

Recent times as follows:

..........11/4 (12)...11/18 (19)..12/2 (21)..12/16 (20)..12/30 (12)

Alex ......38:58............42:00.........39:43...........38:40..........Beer
Aaron ....36:55 (K)
Brent...........................................42:10 (V)
Kyle.............................................36:03
Brian K.........................................39:00 (V).....37:50
Nick M..........................................36:09
Tina.............................................45:00
Dave .....44:50.............47:00
Mary .....42:03 (Q, PR)..43:24........42:19...........51:38.........Beer
Angie ....49:23 (V)
Olivia ....48:01 (V)
Ben .......35:00 (V)
Cherilyn .40:00.............................41:40
Laura .....41:00.............................40:00...........39:37
Lindsay . 51:00 (V)
Brian ......50:14.............................49:15..........48:12...........Beer
Pete .......36:03 ...........35:35 (K)....35:48..........35:02........Beer
Joselyne.......................53:00........52:40(PR).....54:10
Mike T..........................50:00 (V)...45:40(K, PR).45:06
Ramon.........................50:16........48:25...........47:32
Cat.............................45:40.........44:40...........44:52..........Drive
Celeste........................50:00.........46:50..........46:30.........Beer
Pablo...........................45:20.........44:10
Matt............................37:27
Eric.............................41:00 (V)
John W.........................36:00 (V)
Slush...........................35:05.........34:30(PR)....36:10.........Beer
Jenn.............................36:20........35:11(!)
Sam.............................29:57........32:01
Nick C...........................31:17.........31:02.........31:10............Beer
Kharah.........................55:00
Molly............................75:00
Mike M.............................................................49:30
Frank...............................................................48:05
Chris................................................................45:00
Dan.................................................................38:14
Eddie...............................................................38:33
Jennifer.............................................................53:20.........Beer
John (Sr).............................................................?
Marie.................................................................................Beer
Ean.....................................................................................Beer
Mindy................................................................................Camera

** V=1st time up; K,Q = first to the top; != FKT

For the route and a full listing of times from this year, in addition to other random Towers stuff, follow this link and then the subsequent links from that page. It's a tangled web, but it's all there ... somewhere.

Area Fastest Known Times

I have been accused in the past of making up completely arbitrary FKT routes and putting my name to them. While this may be true, there are actually some reasonably well-established routes in and around town, largely of the hill climbing variety, that have been tested and tracked in recent years. What follows is an attempt to document top times for three of those routes, starting with:

Towers

Dudes

Sam Malmberg: 28:50
Nick Clark: 29:27
Eric Bergman: 29:37
Steve Folkerts: 30:36
Dakota Jones: 31:26

Ladies

Jenn Malmberg: 35:11
Cherilyn Sackel: 37:07
Amy Hartley: 38:14
Karina HS XC: 38:20
Laura B: 39:43

Horsetooth North Summit

Dudes

Nick Clark: 23:50
Sam Malmberg: 26:04
Scott Slusher: 27:25
Pete Stevenson: 28:54
Nick M: 28:58

Ladies

Jenn Malmberg: 29:40
Mary Boyts: 33:44
Maire-Helene: 35:03
Kate: 35:06
Kharah: 36:02

Round Mountain

Dudes

Lucho: 47:58
Nick Clark: 50:24
Eric Bergman: 51:low
Bob Sweeney: 53:30
George Zack: 55:47

Ladies

Cherilyn S 60-61

Yeah, a little incomplete for Round, which means, I believe, that we'll have to organize a TT out there some time soon.

We (Fort Collins Trail Runners) have been time-trialing Towers Road all year, so for a change of pace tonight we took on the landmark that commands the local Front Range skyline, Horsetooth Rock (7,255').

The ascent from the main parking lot to the summit varies from 2.4 miles to 2.6 miles, depending on the route taken, with close to 1,500' of vertical gain. The final 100 feet of vertical gain requires a good amount of scrambling, but the views from the top are well worth the effort.


We had 25 turn out for what was being dubbed 'The Assault on the Rock,' with runners choosing their own route from a range of possible options. The service drive option is a little longer, but way less technical than the singletrack route. With the service drive and trail intersecting each other in four separate places along the route, there are multiple route combinations to choose from, and the jury is still out on which combination is quickest.

From the trailhead map, I went trail up to the bench then Southridge service drive as far as it goes before hooking back into the trail for the last half mile to the north summit. The route is exactly 2.5 miles and I think probably the fastest, despite being longer than the more direct trail option. The Audra trail cut-off from Southridge might be a little quicker given that it is a little less technical near the top, but I think it's probably much of a muchness.


Anyway, the short and the long of it is that I managed to shave a half minute off my PR, despite pre-run sandbagginess about a hamstring strain from an overzealous return to the track two days prior. Jenn Malmberg set yet another area FKT with her 29:40 ascent, while most everyone else established or set PRs on what was a perfect evening for running.


North Summit TT details

Fastest Known Times

Nick Clark: 23:50 (12/29)
Jenn Malmberg: 29:40 (10/7)

Full 10/7 TT times .............................10/21

Aaron ........ 29:30 (to plateau).........N/A
Alex A ........ 35:15.............................34:20
Alex M ....... 33:16..............................??
Bard.............???................................34:00
Brian ......... Lost (!)..........................40:03
Cat ............. 38:20 (to plateau)........Ran home
Celeste ....... 43:00 (plateau)............43:00
Dan B ........ 34:10.............................33:41
Dan J ......... 34:10 (to plateau)........N/A
Don ............ 39:14..............................42:00
Don ..............N/A...............................37:00
Jennifer ..... 44:31..............................43:20
Jenn M ....... 29:40(!).......................N/A
Jocelyn...........N/A............................45:08
Kate ............ 35:06............................35:41
Kharah ....... 36:02.............................N/A
Laura .......... 36:38............................N/A
Laura ............N/A.............................42:00
Lindsay..........N/A.............................43:00
Marie .......... 37:45............................35:03
Mark...............??................................34:00
Mary ........... 34:37............................33:44
Matt...............N/A.............................30:00
Mike T.............N/A...........................39:40
Nick M ........ 28:58...........................29:30
Nick C ......... 25:26(!).......................25:38
Pablo .......... 37:32............................Ran Home
Pete ............. 28:54...........................30:23
Rob .............. 32:05...........................N/A
Ross.................N/A............................30:30
Sam ............. 26:04...........................N/A
Slush ........... 27:25............................27:31
Tracy ........... 53:00...........................N/A
Travis .......... 36:37...........................N/A

Total............... 27 .............................. 25

I think we'll have enough light for one more Assault in two weeks, before heading back to the Towers routine as winter darkness sets in.

Nebraska natives, Sam and Jen Malmberg both had disappointing days on Pikes Peak in August, but since then they've been leaving a trail of hill climbing destruction in their wake.

After destroying both the men's and women's fields at Jelm Mountain in Wyoming last weekend, with Jen setting a new women's course record (1:29:19) in the process, the Eaton-based couple continued their dominating ways last night at the bi-weekly Towers Time Trial here in Fort Collins.

Jen, already the holder of the fastest known time (FKT) on the hill, sliced almost a minute off her best time by storming up the 1,750' hill in 35:14. Her husband Sam, after a 30:34 fact-finding mission two weeks ago, became only the third guy to go under 30 minutes and the first to go under 29, putting the hurt on my previous FKT by a convincing 37 seconds.

Next weekend, both Jen and Sam will be running the Bluesky Trail Marathon, which features half of the Towers climb as part of the course. Given their current form, they have to be considered red-hot favorites for a third sweep in as many weeks. All hail the king and queen.


Records (Fastest Known Times):

Sam Malmberg: 28:50 (9/24)
Jen Malmberg: 35:14 (9/24)

Bike: Dwight Hall: 26:07 (6/23)

The route

Previous results and misc

7/15 Towers post with a couple pics

Bike times up Towers

Times through 9/24

....Prev best...7/15....7/29..8/12...8/26..9/9...9/24

Aaron....39:45..38:00..37:38..DNS....DNS....DNS...DNS
Adam....38:13...DNS....DNS....DNS...40:00..DNS...DNS
Adam (2).............................37:25...DNS...DNS...DNS
Alex A....43:00..44:24..41:30.39:04..39:30.38:58.38:07
Alex M...38:14...37:49..DNS....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS
Amy.......38:45...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS..DNS
Bard.......N/A.....39:29..39:40..DNS..40:00..DNS...DNS
Ben............................40:10..37:15...DNS..DNS...DNS
Brian W.44:55...45:48..DNS...47:29..46:16.47:16.47:15
Brian R...N/A.....42:50...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS..DNS
Cat........44:58..44:46..44:59.44:13..46:48.45:00.44:15
Celeste..49:00..48:30...DNS...49:10..47:52.48:17.45:37
Cherilyn.38:21...38:19!.37:07!.DNS...38:43..DNS..DNS
Claudia..58:13....DNS....DNS....DNS..DNS....DNS...DNS
Chris.....44:00...44:08...DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Corey..........................38:06..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Corrie....51:14...49:45..48:30..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Dakota...........................................31:26..DNS...DNS
Dan.......37:30...DNS.....DNS...DNS...39:10.36:14..DNS
Dan T....35:06....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Dan J...................................37:18..DNS....DNS...DNS
Danny....N/A......55:54...DNS...DNS...51:22..DNS...DNS
Don........N/A.....45:00...DNS...DNS...44:06..DNS...DNS
Doug.....55:22...DNS.....DNS....DNS..DNS....DNS...DNS
Ean.......56:48...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Eric.......29:37...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Felix......36:28...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Forrest....................................................32:30..32:21
Glenn....39:xx....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS...40:35
Greg.............................................52:00..DNS....DNS
Gus............................31:52...DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Heather..N/A...52:00....50:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
James.....N/A....51:52...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jeanne..47:20...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jeff S..........................36:02..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jen M........................37:17..37:15.36:10!.36:08!.35:14!
Jennifer.52:26....DNS....54:36..57:32..Fun...DNS....DNS
Jill.........80:00...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Jocelyn..60:00...DNS.....DNS...53:00..DNS...DNS...DNS
John......39:40...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Julie.......N/A.....62:00...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
JZ..........38:45..DNS.....DNS....DNS..44:12.42:52.41:35
Kaleb..........................35:52...DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Karen.....43:30....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Karina........................38:20....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Kate.......43:47..DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS..44:52.44:08
Ken Sr.....N/A....43:36...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Ken Jr.....N/A....35:19....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kenny....36:46...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kerry.....45:00...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kharah..52:51...DNS....45:50...DNS...DNS..44:38..45:35
Kim........N/A..Mill Creek.DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kyle.......36:50..DNS......DNS...37:26..DNS...DNS....DNS
Laura.....39:43..DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Lindsey...N/A....44:02....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Mary G...66:10..72:59..70:25..66:58..DNS...68:50..DNS
Mary B...44:58..45:28..42:23..43:41..43:58.47:25..43:16
Mary F...40:57...46:25...DNS...42:00..41:41..DNS...DNS
Matt P...................................39:30..37:10..DNS...DNS
Meagan.......................48:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Michelle.......................50:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike H...33:30..33:17...32:11...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike M..80:00...42:40....DNS...42:34..DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike M (HS).................35:26...DNS..DNS.....DNS...DNS
Molly.....62:03...65:36...DNS.....DNS...DNS..61:36...DNS
Natalie........................56:00...48:25..DNS...DNS...DNS
Nick C...29:27!.31:41..32:18...30:04..34:26..DNS..31:21
Nick M............................................37:36..36:12.35:50
Pablo.....45:00...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...42:55
Pascal....41:15...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Pete.......32:41..DNS....41:15...33:51.45:00..DNS...37:19
Peter.....32:48....DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Ramon.....................................................47:33...DNS
Rickey.........................45:00....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Sam.........................................................30:34..28:50!
Scott......36:05..35:58..35:56..35:49.34:45..DNS....DNS
Sean......47:00..DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Suzie.....H.Hill....HH+.....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Suzie Jr..N/A......HH+....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Steve.....37:40..DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Tina......44:43...43:50..42:20....DNS..44:15..41:15..41:55
TinaJ..................................................................42:20
Tony.....46:00....DNS.....DNS.....DNS..DNS....DNS.....???
Tracey...58:00...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Travis....42:37..44:27..42:03....DNS...DNS...45:17..42:43
Victoria.42:05...DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS.....DNS
Virginia..N/A.....52:01....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS

.....87......53........32......29.......20......23.......18.......20

Despite already having two races on the calendar for this week, plus a hard effort up Towers scheduled for Thursday, I was still feeling like I needed to head back up to Longs (14,215') for another stab at Kraig Koski's fastest known ascent of the popular Keyhole route. I e-mailed Aaron Marks last night asking if he was interested in going up, deciding that I would let his response make the decision for me. He emailed me back within minutes in the affirmative. Decision made.

We got to the East Longs Peak trailhead (9,400') shortly after 6:00 and, as last week, were pleased to find the parking lot just minimally overflowing with cars. Aaron got a jump on the morning, leaving me in the facilities to contemplate the run ahead.

"Hmmm, go out hard on the six miles of running to the Boulderfield and try to hold on through the high-altitude muscle-burn sections of the Trough and Homestretch, or try for a more evenly paced effort?"

"Whatever, just get off the stool and run!"

Soon after getting started, the perceived effort was already feeling a little harder than last week with my breathing again being pretty labored. The legs weren't feeling too spry either. I caught Aaron a few miles in and was soon feeling the moderately strong wind that was now blowing unobstructed above treeline. The legs still hadn't kicked into gear, so I knew this one was going to be a grinder.

Splits to the Boulderfield:

Goblins Campground (1.2 miles, 10,120'): 13:47
Battle Mtn trail junction (2.5 miles, 11,000'): 30:16
Chasm Junction (3.5 miles, 11,800'): 41:26
Granite Pass: 54:33
Boulderfield wind shelter/outhouse (6 miles, 12,760): 1:11:38

I pretty much knew the game was up when I saw the 1:11 at the Boulderfield, as I was off Jeff Valliere's 1:52 pace by three minutes and didn't like my chances of making back that time on the technical sections, with both Jeff and Kraig being way more accomplished mountaineers than me. With that said, I felt like I got across and up the Boulderfield in a fairly efficient ten minutes, but the traverse to the Trough was slow, and once I started up the Trough, I didn't feel like I had much power and it was all a bit labored.

I hit the top of the Trough in 1:45 and knew there was no way I was going under 1:49. Nonetheless, I plugged onwards and upwards, hitting the summit, after a decent assault on the Homestretch, in 1:55. If nothing else, it was at least a PR and another good 14,000' workout for Pikes.

I think I'm done with Longs for a while, but I might take one more shot towards the end of summer if I can find the time and inclination.

Splits from Boulderfield to Summit:

Keyhole (6.25miles, 13,150'): 1:21:56
Top Trough/Start Narrows: ~1:45
Summit Rock: 1:55:18

I actually felt pretty beat at the top, so decided to go easy on the descent, which I knocked off in a very clumsy 1:45 for a RT outing of 3:41. Kraig's 1:49 is pretty darn stout, in my humble opinion, but it's definitely within reach on a good day.

Kraig's splits, Aug. 12, 2000, 6:15AM:

1st switchback to left- 6:04
Bridge- 23:10
Chasm Lake Cutoff- 40:54
Granite Pass cutoff- 53:49
Boulder Field Privi- 1:10:46
Keyhole- 1:20:22
Top of Trough- 1:40:14
Summit- 1:49:04

Phew, it was a hot one out there tonight, but we still got an impressive 31 runners heading up the hill. A new FKT was set in the women's division, a new Queen of the Hill was crowned, and a good time was, I believe, kind of had by all.

Having run out of width on the previous Towers page, I am restarting here with people's previous best times, followed by this week's times. First, however, a couple of pictures from the top, current FKTs, a list of Kings and Queens, and links to previous data.

Kings and Queens thus far:

4/8: Jonathan Zeif (JZ)
4/22: Laura Backus
5/6: Brian Walter
5/20: Kerry Doyle-Gundlach
6/3: Jeanne Mick
6/17: ??
7/01: ??
7/15: Corrie Stevens
7/29: Jennifer Swanson
8/12: Mary Gilbert

Records (Fastest Known Times):

Sam Malmberg: 28:50 (9/24)
Cherilyn Sackal: 35:14 (9/24)

Bike: Dwight Hall: 26:07 (6/23)

The route

Previous results and misc

Bike times up Towers

Times through 9/24

...........Best...7/15....7/29..8/12...8/26..9/9...9/24

Aaron....39:45..38:00..37:38..DNS....DNS....DNS...DNS
Adam....38:13...DNS....DNS....DNS...40:00..DNS...DNS
Adam (2).............................37:25...DNS...DNS...DNS
Alex A....43:00..44:24..41:30.39:04..39:30.38:58.38:07
Alex M...38:14...37:49..DNS....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS
Amy.......38:45...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS..DNS
Bard.......N/A.....39:29..39:40..DNS..40:00..DNS...DNS
Ben............................40:10..37:15...DNS..DNS...DNS
Brian W.44:55...45:48..DNS...47:29..46:16.47:16.47:15
Brian R...N/A.....42:50...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS..DNS
Cat........44:58..44:46..44:59.44:13..46:48.45:00.44:15
Celeste..49:00..48:30...DNS...49:10..47:52.48:17.45:37
Cherilyn.38:21...38:19!.37:07!.DNS...38:43..DNS..DNS
Claudia..58:13....DNS....DNS....DNS..DNS....DNS...DNS
Chris.....44:00...44:08...DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Corey..........................38:06..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Corrie....51:14...49:45..48:30..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Dakota...........................................31:26..DNS...DNS
Dan.......37:30...DNS.....DNS...DNS...39:10.36:14..DNS
Dan T....35:06....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Dan J...................................37:18..DNS....DNS...DNS
Danny....N/A......55:54...DNS...DNS...51:22..DNS...DNS
Don........N/A.....45:00...DNS...DNS...44:06..DNS...DNS
Doug.....55:22...DNS.....DNS....DNS..DNS....DNS...DNS
Ean.......56:48...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Eric.......29:37...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Felix......36:28...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Forrest....................................................32:30..32:21
Glenn....39:xx....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS...40:35
Greg.............................................52:00..DNS....DNS
Gus............................31:52...DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Heather..N/A...52:00....50:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
James.....N/A....51:52...DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jeanne..47:20...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jeff S..........................36:02..DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Jen M........................37:17..37:15.36:10!.36:08!.35:14!
Jennifer.52:26....DNS....54:36..57:32..Fun...DNS....DNS
Jill.........80:00...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Jocelyn..60:00...DNS.....DNS...53:00..DNS...DNS...DNS
John......39:40...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Julie.......N/A.....62:00...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
JZ..........38:45..DNS.....DNS....DNS..44:12.42:52.41:35
Kaleb..........................35:52...DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Karen.....43:30....DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Karina........................38:20....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Kate.......43:47..DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS..44:52.44:08
Ken Sr.....N/A....43:36...DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Ken Jr.....N/A....35:19....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kenny....36:46...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kerry.....45:00...DNS.....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kharah..52:51...DNS....45:50...DNS...DNS..44:38..45:35
Kim........N/A..Mill Creek.DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Kyle.......36:50..DNS......DNS...37:26..DNS...DNS....DNS
Laura.....39:43..DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Lindsey...N/A....44:02....DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Mary G...66:10..72:59..70:25..66:58..DNS...68:50..DNS
Mary B...44:58..45:28..42:23..43:41..43:58.47:25..43:16
Mary F...40:57...46:25...DNS...42:00..41:41..DNS...DNS
Matt P...................................39:30..37:10..DNS...DNS
Meagan.......................48:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Michelle.......................50:00...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike H...33:30..33:17...32:11...DNS...DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike M..80:00...42:40....DNS...42:34..DNS....DNS...DNS
Mike M (HS).................35:26...DNS..DNS.....DNS...DNS
Molly.....62:03...65:36...DNS.....DNS...DNS..61:36...DNS
Natalie........................56:00...48:25..DNS...DNS...DNS
Nick C...29:27!.31:41..32:18...30:04..34:26..DNS..31:21
Nick M............................................37:36..36:12.35:50
Pablo.....45:00...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...42:55
Pascal....41:15...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS...DNS
Pete.......32:41..DNS....41:15...33:51.45:00..DNS...37:19
Peter.....32:48....DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Ramon.....................................................47:33...DNS
Rickey.........................45:00....DNS...DNS...DNS....DNS
Sam.........................................................30:34..28:50!
Scott......36:05..35:58..35:56..35:49.34:45..DNS....DNS
Sean......47:00..DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Suzie.....H.Hill....HH+.....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Suzie Jr..N/A......HH+....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Steve.....37:40..DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Tina......44:43...43:50..42:20....DNS..44:15..41:15..41:55
TinaJ..................................................................42:20
Tony.....46:00....DNS.....DNS.....DNS..DNS....DNS.....???
Tracey...58:00...DNS.....DNS.....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS
Travis....42:37..44:27..42:03....DNS...DNS...45:17..42:43
Victoria.42:05...DNS......DNS....DNS...DNS...DNS.....DNS
Virginia..N/A.....52:01....DNS....DNS...DNS....DNS....DNS

.....87......53........32......29.......20......23.......18.......20

So we had a record turnout for the Towers Road Handicap this evening with a total of 29 runners and one dog, or a total of 62 legs. I got out for a quick jog before the 6:00pm start and cleared a baby rattler off the Swan Johnson trail, just 100 meters from the trailhead. Second one of the season so far.

Not much more to add on this one other than to say that it was great to see so many Fort Collins Trail Runners out enjoying the beautiful weather with a solid workout. We'll keep doing this through the summer, so if you fancy a stab at the hill, or want to keep track of your fitness through the season, then this is a great way to do it. Hope to see more of you out there for the next one.

Oh, and a note of congratulations to Jeanne Mick who joined us in spirit a full 12 hours before the event - we run in the evening, Jeanne! Email your time or leave it in a comment and I'll add you to the list.

Oh yeah, and one other thing. We are working on getting a wheel versus foot event together one of these Thursdays, but until we get the head to head figured out, we do have a few (mountain) bike times as a point of reference:

Brian ..... 32:46
Doug ..... 31:15
Dwight ... 30:15
Jeff ........ 46:25
Ralph ..... 43:05

I always figured the runner would be quicker on a grade like this, especially with the gnarl factor on the last pitch, but I guess with most of the route being pretty well groomed, it's pretty even. Really not much in it, but until a bike goes under 29:27, I'm calling it for the runners.

Kings and Queens thus far:

4/8: Jonathan Zeif (JZ)
4/22: Laura Backus
5/6: Brian Walter
5/20: Kerry Doyle-Gundlach
6/3: Jeanne Mick

Records (Fastest Known Times):

Nick Clark: 29:27 (5/6)
Cherilyn: 38:21 (7/1)

Times through June 3:

............4/8/10.4/22.......5/6.......5/20.....6/3....6/17....7/1

Aaron...................................................................41:01..39:45
Adam....DNS.......DNS........40:44......38:13.....DNS...DNS.....DNS
Alex A...DNS.......43:47......DNS.........DNS......DNS...43:00...DNS
Alex M..39:44.....40:36.......DNS........38:16....38:18.56:48...38:14
Amy......DNS.......42:13......38:45!......DNS......DNS...DNS.....DNS
Brian.....DNS.......50:21......45:38(K).45:20.....DNS...45:59...44:55
Cat.......DNS........DNS........46:00......45:02....45:02..DNS....44:58
Celeste..DNS........DNS........49:00......DNS......49:00.49:23..DNS
Cherilyn.DNS........43:50......DNS........DNS......40:50.39:30..38:21!
Claudia...DNS......DNS.........DNS........DNS......58:13..DNS....DNS
Chris.....44:18......DNS........DNS........DNS......DNS...44:00...DNS
Corrie...................................................................52:20..51:14
Dan.......DNS........DNS........DNS.......DNS......37:30..DNS
Dan T.....DNS........DNS........DNS.......DNS.......35:06.DNS.....DNS
Doug................................................................................55:22
Ean.......DNS........64:00......DNS........DNS.......59:13.56:48..80:00
Eric.......DNS........DNS........29:37......DNS.......DNS....DNS....DNS
Felix......DNS........DNS.........DNS.......DNS.......36:28.38:14..36:48
Glenn....DNS........DNS........DNS........39:xx.....DNS....DNS....DNS
Jeanne..DNS........DNS.........DNS........DNS......47:20...DNS...DNS
Jennifer.54:00......DNS.........DNS.......52:26.....55:08...DNS...57:35
Jill....................................................................................80:00
Jocelyn...DNS.......DNS.........DNS........DNS......60:00...DNS...DNS
John......DNS.......43:00......39:40......42:00.....40:49...41:40
JZ.........41:40(K).DNS........38:45.......DNS......DNS.....DNS...52:00
Kharah....DNS........DNS........DNS........DNS......55:00..52:51.DNS
Karen....DNS........DNS........DNS........DNS.......43:30...DNS...DNS
Kate......45:00......DNS........DNS........43:47.....44:18..DNS...DNS
Kenny....DNS........DNS........36:46......DNS.......DNS....38:32.DNS
Kerry.....DNS........DNS........DNS........45:00(Q).DNS....DNS...DNS
Kyle......36:50......38:20......DNS........DNS.......DNS.....DNS...DNS
Laura....DNS........42:33(Q).39:43......DNS.......DNS.....DNS...DNS
Mary G...DNS.......DNS........67:00....66:10......70:46...67:35.68:21
Mary B...DNS........DNS........DNS........DNS.......46:02..46:28.44:58
Mary 3.....................................................................42:30.40:57
Mike........................................................................33:39.33:30
Mike M...............................................................................80:00
Molly......DNS.........DNS.......DNS........DNS.....65:00...62:03..DNS
Nick......29:52......34:25......29:27!.....30:15....31:45..30:29..DNS
Pablo................................................................................45:00
Pascal....DNS........DNS.........DNS.......DNS......43:01...41:15..DNS
Pete......33:53......38:15......38:45......33:51....33:18...32:41..52:00
Peter......DNS.......DNS.........DNS........DNS......32:48...DNS....DNS
Scott.....DNS........DNS........36:54......36:42....36:46...36:05..DNS
Sean.................................................................................47:00
Suzie.....DNS........DNS........DNS...Loggers.H'break Hill.H.Hill..DNS
Steve....DNS.........DNS........DNS.......DNS......37:40....DNS....DNS
Tina.......................................................................44:43..45:30
Tony......DNS........DNS........DNS.........DNS.....47:00...46:00..DNS
Tracey...DNS........DNS........DNS.........58:00...66:43...DNS....DNS
Travis....DNS........DNS........DNS.........DNS.....43:39...42:37..44:36
Victoria..DNS........DNS........DNS..........DNS....42:05...DNS....DNS

.....52......8...........11...........14............15.......30......25........24

Route:

Round Mountain is without a doubt my favorite hill to time trial. Towers is all good and well, but it's a dirt road and that's not really my thing. Round has everything. It's got its grunts, some flats, some views along the way, mile markers, rocks, roots, tons of switchbacks, and speedy technical sections. Honestly, you couldn't ask for more from a mountain, and at 4.5-4.75 miles (unsure of exact distance) with 2,700 feet of vertical it has just about the right stats to make it a challenge, but not be too intimidating that the thought of it makes you want to roll over and go back to bed (Pikes).

This was to be the second installment of the Front Range time trial series, the first having taken place on much different terrain up the front side of Green. We had almost the same cast of characters in attendance minus Brandon, Cat, Victoria, Slush and Brownie, but plus Nick P (finally Boulder shows up), Cherilyn, Rick and Travis. The last time (July `09) I TT'd Round I ran 52:55, so that was floating out there as a fastest known time (FKT) and the morning's mark.

Rick had taken off up the mountain before I got there, while Cherilyn and Travis set off a few minutes before the rest of us, apparently tired of our mindless chatter. As usual, GZ got the ball rolling by taking a flier from the gate, while Lucho was busy waiting for a satellite signal from space. Undeterred, Lucho was on us within meters and much like on Green was soon out of sight with Eric not far behind and Bob making up the last of the podium positions. I was in a state of absolute oxygen debt after a cold (no warm-up) start, and my legs felt like bricks after a heavy weekend of miles and vertical. A couple of minutes in and I was still feeling terrible, so I just slotted in behind George and figured I'd tempo the hill.

Just before the first mile marker, I finally felt like I was hitting a bit of a rhythm and that I would be able to push out a solid effort. Half way into the second mile, I caught sight of Bob a couple of switchbacks up and was overtaking him by 2.5, just before the beginning of the technical flat section, which I hammered harder than I think I ever have. By the time I popped out past the three-mile marker, Eric was beginning to come into view, so I set about hunting him down although he was still a good couple of switchbacks up on me. I finally caught him shortly after the four-mile marker, and then concentrated on getting my head down for the remainder of the climb, confident that Lucho was still way up on me and uncatchable.

The split at four miles was just under 42 minutes, so I knew a PR was going to happen, but that the sub-50 was going to be touch and go. Apparently I didn't have enough left in the tank to dip under 50, but I got close, hitting the summit cairn in 50:24, which was good for a PR haircut of two and a half minutes. Considering I had 52 miles and over 12,000' in my legs from the prior two days, I'll take it.

Eric was next up (51 low), followed by Bob (53:30), George (55:47), Nick P (60 low), Cherilyn (60-61 - no watch, but best guess based on her start time and proximity to GZ at the finish), Rick (62 high, coming from sea level) and Travis (no watch). Pete was a DNF after puking two miles in. Lucho also puked at the top (Rick reportedly has video evidence) after registering a blistering 47:58. I think anyone who has run Round can attest to how fast that time is - damn, Lucho!

So, yeah, another fun morning with a great bunch of guys, some good BS'in, and perfect weather. George and I headed back up to the two-mile marker for 13 miles and 4,200' on the day, while Nick pushed out another summit as he builds back up for Hardrock in six weeks after five weeks on the DL.

Splits (versus previous PR):

9:58 (10:09)
11:33 (11:53)
9:43 (10:35)
10:25 (11:04)
8:43 (9:13)

Some action from the morning:

Green up the front side is not so much running as it is climbing with a few steps of running thrown in every now and then. Typically I consider anything over 1,100' per mile to be borderline pointless for running, especially on trail. Green mountain up the front side fits that bill with 2,400' feet of climbing in just over two miles. However, the craziest thing about the Amphitheater route up Green is that the bulk of the 2,400' ascent is in the first mile, meaning the grades are beyond borderline stupid for running, and a powerhike is as good, if not better than a running cadence.

On this particular evening, we were greeted with slick rocks through the opening scramble due to the continuing rain, and then super slippery slush above, say, 7,000' where the trail became a little more reasonable and consistently runnable yet frustratingly slippery. To sum up, the conditions were terrible.

So anyway, we had a time trial going on ... in Boulder ... and the total number of Boulder residents that showed up? Zero. Apparently the Boulder folk don't play outside when it's wet.

In attendance, and awarded full man and woman points were: George Zack, Tim Waggoner (Lucho), Bob Sweeney, Brandon Fuller, Kerrie (?), myself, Eric Bergman, Pete Stevenson, Victoria Funk, Cat Speight, Alex Alvarez and a (very) late PittBrownie.

We had more than three people running together and we were ostensibly "trying to better each others' times," which according to the Boulder Open Space regulations constitutes a race. Somehow the rangers had caught wind of our gathering (from an anonymous email no less), and as I was unloading at Chautauqua from the drive down and chatting with George, a friendly ranger showed up and asked us if we had anything to do with a race that was going on.

"Race? No, just out for a run with a couple of friends."

The ranger of course new that we were lying through our teeth, but I don't think he had the heart to shut us down. He mumbled something about permits and then sheepishly headed back to his cabin. Soon thereafter, the group headed off in different directions to reconvene at the Gregory trailhead.

There had been some chatter about the route before we all got there. George was firmly in favor of taking the most direct route, while a few others - myself included - thought it might be nice to take the longer and mellower Ranger route so we could actually run. George was having none of it and, frustrated with the chatter, took off up the mountain with no notice. The run was on.

Lucho slipped in behind George - soon overtaking - and then I think it was Eric, myself and Bob. I tried to keep pace with Lucho through the opening few switchbacks, but soon gave up on that as I was clearly not firing particularly well. My breathing was super heavy and my thighs were on fire from all the big, immediate and unpredictable step-ups through the rocks. I just settled in and ran a comfortable pace. I say 'ran' but really it was no more than a token running cadence. At one point I did a shoulder check only to see Bob right behind me walking faster than I was running. I just gave up on running, trotting were possible, but basically hiked the lower section.

By the time we got to the snow and the more runnable stuff, Lucho was out of sight, Eric was being passed by Bob 10-20 seconds in front of me, and I was back to holding my own, although I still couldn't muster much of an effort. Eventually I started feeling a little more comfortable with the whole outing and my various system started operating at a comfortable level. I passed Eric with a few hundred feet of climbing to go, and then near the top started reeling in Bob, but it was too little too late.

Lucho was up in 32:xx, which given the conditions seems pretty fast to me. I got up a bit after Bob in a disappointing 36:02, followed by Eric - maybe a minute back - and Zack two back. I forget who was next, but I think it was Pete, Kerrie and Brandon. Easy going down via Ranger, then some Zack Rabbit IPAs in the parking lot, a little trash talking and we were on our way back home a little after 9:00.

So it turned out to be a fun evening, and we'll do it all over again in a few weeks in Fort Collins, well Loveland, on Round Mountain which is entirely runnable and a much more reasonable 3,000' over 4.7 miles.

The Towers Road Handicap has been underway now for six weeks. We (Fort Collins Trail Runners) run it once every two weeks, and attempt to go hard, or as hard as we feel like going that day. The handicaps are based on previous times up the hill or best guesses.

Towers is 3.5 miles & 1,750' of climb, with the first .5 being relatively flat. The footing on the service drive is typically good, although it gets mushy at the bottom when wet. Yesterday we had the best conditions yet, with just a few puddles and ruts to negotiate. First up earns the title King/Queen of the Hill for the fortnight.

The official FKT route starts from the trail map at the Soderburg trailhead. Runners head north for .45 mile on singletrack trail (Swan Johnson) to Towers Road, then head directly up the hill (west) for just under three miles, making a left near the top to a clearing that houses telecommunication towers and a couple of mobile buildings. Watches stop for the FKT route when you slap the last building through the clearing:

Kings and Queens thus far:

4/8: Jonathan Zeif (JZ)
4/22: Laura Backus
5/6: Brian Walter
5/20: Kerry Doyle-Gundlach
6/3: Travis

Records (Fastest Known Times):

Nick Clark: 29:27 (5/6)
Amy Hartley: 38:45 (5/6)

Times through May 20:

...............4/8/10....4/22/10...5/6/10......5/20......6/3

Adam.......DNS..........DNS...........40:44........38:13......DNS
Alex A......DNS..........43:47.........DNS...........DNS.......DNS
Alex M.....39:44........40:36..........DNS..........38:16.....38:18
Amy.........DNS..........42:13.........38:45!........DNS.......DNS
Brian........DNS..........50:21.........45:38(K)...45:20......DNS
Cat..........DNS...........DNS...........46:00........45:02.....45:02
Celeste.....DNS...........DNS...........49:00........DNS.......49:00
Cherilyn....DNS...........43:50.........DNS..........DNS.......40:50
Claudia......DNS.........DNS............DNS..........DNS.......58:13
Chris........44:18.........DNS...........DNS..........DNS.......DNS
Dan..........DNS...........DNS...........DNS.........DNS.......37:30
Dan T........DNS...........DNS...........DNS.........DNS........35:06
Ean..........DNS...........64:00.........DNS..........DNS........59:13
Eric..........DNS...........DNS...........29:37........DNS........DNS
Felix.........DNS...........DNS............DNS.........DNS........36:28
Glenn.......DNS...........DNS...........DNS..........39:xx......DNS
Jennifer....54:00.........DNS............DNS.........52:26......55:08
Jocelyn......DNS..........DNS............DNS..........DNS.......60:00
John.........DNS..........43:00.........39:40........42:00......40:49
JZ............41:40(K)....DNS...........38:45.........DNS.......DNS
Karah........DNS...........DNS...........DNS..........DNS.......55:00
Karen.......DNS...........DNS...........DNS..........DNS........43:30
Kate.........45:00.........DNS...........DNS..........43:47......44:18
Kenny.......DNS...........DNS...........36:46........DNS........DNS
Kerry........DNS...........DNS...........DNS..........45:00(Q).DNS
Kyle.........36:50.........38:20.........DNS..........DNS........DNS
Laura.......DNS...........42:33(Q)....39:43........DNS........DNS
Mary G......DNS..........DNS...........67:00......66:10.......70:46
Mary B......DNS...........DNS...........DNS..........DNS........46:02
Molly.........DNS............DNS..........DNS..........DNS......65:00
Nick.........29:52.........34:25.........29:27!.......30:15.....31:45
Pascal.......DNS...........DNS............DNS.........DNS.......43:01
Pete.........33:53.........38:15.........38:45........33:51.....33:18
Peter.........DNS..........DNS............DNS..........DNS.......32:48
Scott........DNS...........DNS...........36:54........36:42.....36:46
Suzie........DNS...........DNS...........DNS.....Loggers..Heartbreak Hill
Steve.......DNS............DNS...........DNS.........DNS.......37:14
Tony.........DNS...........DNS...........DNS...........DNS......47:00
Tracey......DNS...........DNS...........DNS...........58:00....66:43
Travis.......DNS...........DNS...........DNS...........DNS......43:39
Victoria.....DNS...........DNS...........DNS............DNS.....42:05

Runners......8..............11..............14..............15.........29

Realizing that I need to start working a few hills, rather than jog up them comfortably as is my typical training habit, I put out the call to the Fort Collins Trail Running Group to see if I could get any takers for a hard effort up Towers Road this evening. Eight showed up at the Soderburg trailhead ready to blow the cobwebs off a winter of lazy miles.

Towers is probably Fort Collins' number one proving ground when it comes to climbing and it's a favorite among bikers and runners alike. As far as hill climbs go, it's about as pure as it gets: very little technicality to it, no hopping over rocks, no twisting and turning, just a steady three-mile, 1,800' grind on a dirt service road to a bunch of telecommunications towers, with a .45 mile connector trail from the parking lot to the climb. All told, the FKT route is 3.4 miles and 1,800 feet of hurt.

So last time out in September, Eric Bergman reset Steve Folkerts' FKT (30:36) to a hair over 30 minutes at 30:15, with me 10 seconds back in 30:25, so obviously the goal today was to duck under the elusive 30-minute barrier.

We devised something of a handicap based on people's best guesses or previous best times up the hill, and Jennifer, Kate and J.Z. set out first, followed by Chris (+6 mins), Alex (+8 mins), Kyle (+10 mins), Pete (+13 mins) and myself (+17 mins). There were also some mountain bikers who had set out a few minutes before us, which was good as chasing down bikes going uphill is a favorite sport of mine.

Once Pete set off, I jogged around a bit and then gave myself a rolling start. I hit Towers in a comfortable 2:49 (2:40 last time), then set about getting my head down for the climb ahead. The two faster bikes had a couple of minutes start on me, and they were the first target. I hit the Stout trail in 8:43, which surprised me a bit, because I felt like I was moving pretty well, but had somehow lost 13 seconds on last year (8:30). I wasn't going to throw in the towel just yet though as I also had a halfway split at Herrington to comp from. I figured that if I was still off, I would take the foot off and take it easy from there.

Heading up towards Loggers, I passed the mountain bikers, and while I was working hard I felt like I was also moving well. Through the 'S' turn past Loggers, I continued to hammer to see if I could get a decent split for Herrington, which I hit in 16:25, a full 20 seconds faster than my PR split. Back in the game. I hammered the flats from Herrington and readied up for the steepest pitch of Towers about two miles in, passing Jennifer on the way.

Coming up on Mill Creek, I caught sight of Chris, Alex and Kyle, and also saw that Pete was passing them. By Mill Creek I was past Chris, Alex and Kyle and looking to chase down Pete who had 20 meters on me with a half mile to go. By the top of the final grunt, I passed Kate as we hit patches of snow and ice, and just before the turn into the clearing I got a step on Pete who was working hard despite his pre-run claim that he wasn't going to push. J.Z. was already done and stood at the turn cheering us in.

I told myself that I wouldn't look at my watch past Herrington, but as I made the final turn, I took a quick peek to see if I had a shot at going under 30. Seeing 29:33 on the clock, I pushed out whatever it was that I had left through the clearing, slapping the finish-line building in a new FKT of 29:52, just barely holding off a replay of my lunch. Pete came rolling in a few seconds after me in a new PR of 33:53, followed soon after by everyone else.

We'll be repeating this one in two weeks and then every fortnight thereafter, using previous times as handicaps for a little racing action near the top. Good stuff.

Had a go at lowering my fastest time to the top of Horsetooth today by way of the slightly longer, but faster Southridge service drive. Despite some significant patches of ice and slop on Soderburg and Southridge, I was able to cut my time by 10 seconds on the up and a minute overall.

Today's route is probably the quickest way up the mountain, although there is a third option which is to come up on the backside of Horsetooth on a connector piece of singletrack (Audra Culver) about two-thirds the way up the Southridge route. That stretch has good footing and might be a bit shorter, but it's also pretty twisty. Six of one, half a dozen the other probably. Still, worth a stab if the snow stays away.

I got up and down in 42:51, with a climb of 26:05 and a drop of 16:46. The descent included about 10 seconds at the top getting my breath, and an ass-flop on icy rocks, but it was faster than the 17:37 I did coming down the hiking trail last time out. To beat Jonathan Vigh's fastest known drop of 15:23, I'd need to shave a minute and half from today's time. I figure the conditions were worth a minute both up and down, so I should be able to give it a close run in dry conditions. Beyond that, a goal of sub-40 seems like a good motivator to run hard every now and then through the winter.

Bench - 4:59
Wathan - 19:49
Summit - 26:05
Descent - 16:46
Total up/down - 42:51

Watch started and stopped at trail map by toilets: Soderburg - Southridge - Horsetooth.

Last time out, there were six of us running Towers in search of a fastest known time. That day, Eric Bergman shot up in an impressive 30:47, setting a mark on the 3.4 mile, 1,800 foot grinder more than four minutes faster than Dan Turk's previous best. I was more than a minute off the pace in 31:56, but had the excuse that I was on the back end of a 500+ mile month (there's always an excuse).

About a week ago I got an email from Steve Folkerts stating that he had shaved 11 seconds of the FKT, posting a new mark of 30:36. As soon as I got that email, I was motivated to get a group together for a shot at 30 minutes.

So this morning Eric was back as was Frank Antonelli and another local speedster, Steve Saleeby. The four of us met at around 8:00 and kind of lingered at the trailhead, procrastinating on the task at hand, knowing that 30 minutes of self-inflicted pain lay ahead. Eventually, we summoned the gumption to get the grind underway and headed out on the short .45 mile connector to Towers from Soderburg, making the turn at 2:40. From there the real work began and much like last time out, Eric assumed the lead. I hit the Stout intersection at 8:30 and the second Herrington intersection at 16:45.

In June, it was evident that Eric was stronger than me and barring a blow up I wasn't going to reel him in; today the gap was a steady five to ten seconds with Eric pulling ahead a bit on the super-steep stuff and me catching back up as the grade eased.

By the Mill Creek intersection at 3 miles or so, the gap was still the same and by the end of the short stretch of slight downhill to the last grind, I was pretty much on Eric's shoulder. The clock read 27:07 as I glanced at it, with maybe .4 of a mile to go. Unfortunately, that last .4 of a mile was straight uphill to the summit. I knew I was going to PR, and possibly break Steve's time, but was unsure if I could overtake Eric or drop under 30. As it turned out, Eric was able to rebuild his cushion on the last grind, topping out in 30:15, shaving another 20 seconds off the FKT, with me 10 seconds back in 30:25.

Both of us went under Steve F's time, but we both also came up short of breaking the 30-minute barrier. Steve Saleeby came in under 32 minutes and Frank at around 33 minutes.

The sub-30 is only a matter of time, the question is who's gonna get it?

I run at Horsetooth Mountain Park on pretty much a daily basis, yet I have never timed myself from bottom to top and back, probably because it is just too stressful to do for no decent reason. The catalyst for my speed attempt was a chat last week with Joe, who mans the booth at the upper parking lot. We chat on a regular basis and the other day as I was ambling into the parking lot he called me over and asked if I'd ever timed myself to the top of the rock. I told him no, to which he responded that some guy had asked him the other day what the record was and if his time might be the record. I asked him what that time was, and after learning that it was 46 minutes and change (up only) I told him that people have probably hiked it faster, and that I was confident that I could round trip it in less time.

Although he didn't know the precise route this other guy had taken, I decided that the logical route to take (although by no means the fastest) would be straight up the Horsetooth Rock trail, from the map at the upper parking lot hiking trailhead (by the restrooms), staying on the hiking-only trails to the highest point on the Rock, which is approximately 2.5 miles and 1,500 feet of climbing, with a short stint of class III scrambling up the Rock. This route is mostly rocky, rooty singletrack, with a short stretch of service drive, some stair climbs and some rock running at the base of the Rock. A quicker route would be up the Soderburg and Southridge service drives and around the back via Audra Culver.


So anyway, I set off from the trailhead and hit the Soderburg bench in 4:55, the Rock singletrack in 8:00, the "two-mile point" in 19:45 and the summit via the north side of the Rock in 26:17. I turned straight around and headed back down retracing my steps in 17:36 for a round trip of 43:54.

After consulting Jonathan Vigh's Fort Collins FKT site, it looks like my time is an 'open' fastest known time (FKT) for the longer north side. It seems the standard FKT route is the faster service drive/Audra Culver route, for which the official FKT was 27:05 up, 17:32 down and 44:37 round trip (Matt Bedoukian). With an 'unofficial' shortcut, the ascent record was 26:58 (Matt Bedoukian). Jonathan Vigh still holds the open drop record with a 15:36 descent - 2 minutes quicker than my drop. Jonathan also holds the Horsetooth South records: 43:36 (rt), 15:23 (down).

If you've done it faster or know of somebody who has, then let me know. Until then, I'll put my ascent of 26:17 and round trip of 43:54 out there as Horsetooth Rock FKTs. Now, go beat them!

Last time I chased Round Mountain, in January, I was pretty pleased to get up the 4.75 miles and 3,000 feet of rocky, switchback-laden singletrack in under an hour (58:23), but at the time I figured I was good for at least a sub-55-minute ascent with increased fitness and better, snow-free conditions. I decided to take a stab at the 55-minute goal last night. I was joined by Jonathan Zeif, who is in training for his tenth Journey Across the Sky in Leadville this summer. If successful, which he will be, J.Z. will bring home the coveted (and ridiculously large) 1,000-mile belt buckle.

The conditions at 6:30 on this evening were overcast and spitting rain - pretty good considering it could have been sweltering or massively stormy. As usual, I didn't much feel like embarking on an hour of hurt, but that's what mountain racing is all about (once you find your threshold and rhythm, it's never that bad).

Through the first mile, I was huffing and puffing, feeling slow and generally out of sorts. I was surprised then to see my one-mile split at 10:09, which was a minute faster than last time. Hmm, effort felt hard, but sustainable. I was going to wait for the two-mile split before calling this one a PR'able run.

Second, and toughest, mile came in at 11:53, another minute quicker than last time. I had found my groove and knew that a PR and FKT was in the cards. My effort felt similar to my run in January, so I concluded that I was simply a minute per mile fitter over this climb than I was in the winter. The third mile, which includes some flatter and faster sections, in addition to some of the steeper switchbacks on the climb, came in at 10:35; 90 seconds up on January. Now it was just a matter of maintaining the effort and seeing where I could shave some extra seconds with increased push. I decided to stay steady on mile four, hitting the split at 11:04 (one minute faster again), and then push the final 3/4 of a mile with whatever I had left.

The final stretch has probably the steepest climbing of the whole run, but it also has the best footing so you can really push if you have anything left. I felt like I still had some good push in me, so put my head down and ground out what I could, which turned out to be a 9:13 last split (another minute shaved) for a total run time of 52:55, or a 5:20 PR and new fastest-known time (FKT) for local runners who keep track of such things.

Very pleased with this run and the evidence that I'm in good aerobic shape despite significantly reduced mileage in the weeks either side of Bighorn. My legs felt great, so appear to be back on track after the beating they took two weeks ago, although I'm fully aware that they're probably not entirely healed. I plan to take it very easy after the Leadville Marathon next weekend to let everything repair properly before shifting my focus to the roads, and the beginning of a training cycle that will hopefully culminate in a sub-2:40 run at the Dublin Marathon in October.

I wore the Crosslites for their first outing since I got them the other day. Unfortunately I had the laces pulled too tight, so suffered through numb feet for most of the run. In addition, I had some pain in my right arch because of the narrow fit. On the plus side, the shoes are like none I have ever run in before, both in terms of lightness of feel and in flexibility across the whole shoe. I know La Sportiva build rock climbing shoes, so I couldn't help feeling that the fit of the Crosslites kind of felt that way: tight and flexible. These shoes are going to take some getting used to, but once I've figured out the right tension to put on the laces, and find trust in the flexibility of the shoe, I think they're going to rock as much as I thought they would when I got them out of the box for the first time.

Despite my misgivings about running this race so close to my main goal race of the year, it went off without a hitch: not too much stress, no twisted ankles, and one more confidence boost before the big day.

Jogged the short half mile to the Horsetooth trailhead, and race start, from my house and chatted with a few of the local runners already assembled. Got out for a short warm-up with Dan Turk, who was also running the short course, and chatted briefly with The King of Horsetooth - Corey Hanson - who was looking for a four-peat over the long course. We scoped out the competition a bit, trying to locate the fabled 'German Trail Running Champ,' who we identified as a guy in a green and white Werder Bremen running club outfit.

Steve Cathcart - owner and operator of Runners Roost Fort Collins - got us assembled for the start, reminding us that this race has raised over $7,000 for Larimer County Parks over the years, before setting us off to the tune of his bull-horn siren. My usual plan of starting out slow and gauging the lead pace went the way it normally does, with me blasting out from the gun and setting the pace. I managed to rein myself in within the first few hundred meters and let someone else lead up the hill. I thought I recognized the guy who took up the pace, but couldn't put my finger on where I recognized him from. He had built a 10-meter lead by the time we passed the Southridge access road 3/4 of a mile up the hill, and he promptly made a wrong turn onto Southridge. I shouted him back on course and we continued together the last 1/4 mile to the Horsetooth turn and the start of the singletrack section. We got to the turn, at exactly one mile, in just over seven minutes - quick.

I should mention here that I run this section of trail on an almost daily basis, so I know each and every rock, root, twist and turn. With this in mind, I wanted to make sure I got to the turn first so I could build a lead, which I was confident would happen, without having to wait for a spot to pass. I got the corner first and set off up the trail. By the first switchback I had already built a ten-second lead and continued to build as we made our way up the one-mile section of the Horsetooth trail. By the time I topped out (18 minutes flat), at exactly two miles and over 1,000 feet of vertical, the chase pack was out of sight. I was pretty surprised to be moving this fast at what felt like a relatively easy effort, so decided to keep hammering to see what kind of time I could post.


I had checked results from the last three years, and knew that Zach Crandall had run 55 and change in '08, so made that my goal. With nobody to push me, this was adequate motivation to press. I can't really remember my splits for the rest of the run, but cruised the ridge to Towers without killing myself on the few remaining climbs. Chugged a bit of water at the Towers aid and ran the descent pretty hard, without totally killing it. I kept it this way down Herrington, making sure to pay very close attention to my footing on some of the more technical and muddy sections. Pushed hard on Spring Creek to the final mile and a half on Soderburg, which I again pushed in a bid to get under 54 minutes. Crossed the line, feeling good and in control, in 53:58.


Mission accomplished: no injuries, a hard effort without totally blowing a gasket, a win, and a sub 54.

Steve Saleeby crossed second in 56:55 for a PR and Frank Antonelli rounded out the top three in 1:00:23 (a rough day for Frank - chin up buddy). Dan had a great run, even letting out a rebel yell as he crossed the line in just under 61 minutes (a PR) for the masters win.

I hung around to watch the end of the half marathon, as I was eager to see if Corey could pull off the four-peat, or if he would be beaten by the early leader or our mystery guest from Germany. Corey (of course) came in first in a smoking 1:45, followed four minutes later by the early leader, Sam Malmberg, with Steve Folkerts rounding out the top three in 1:56. The guy from Germany came through in fourth in 2:02. I think he had a tough time with the altitude and hefty climb.


Chatting with Sam after the race, I finally placed him as the guy who had taken up the pace at the Wyoming Marathon before dropping off the pace at the halfway mark, having run a 2:48 a couple of weeks earlier at the FoCo Marathon.

A great morning with friends and family. My parents were on hand to watch me race for the first time in Colorado, having arrived from the UK just two days prior. They will be making the trip up north to the Bighorns on Thursday to help Dana and Alistair with the crewing.

This is a great race on the best trails Fort Collins has to offer. The winning streak continues. Is there one more in the tank? I'll find out in the Bighorn mountains in five days...Bring It On!