I set out to run three miles, but it just wasn't in the cards.
Ever heard of Red Rocks Amphitheater? It is supposedly the best place to see a concert in the whole universe due to it's natural acoustical wonderfulness. What most people don't know is that it's also a place where a ton of locals go to workout. It's also the location where Chris Powell from Extreme Weight Loss takes his clients for their fight or flight workout, so I've seen it on TV several times.
Red Rocks was only a 20 minute drive from my hotel, so I decided I would drive out there and run. There are three parking lots for Red Rocks. The one at the base of the foothills contains an entrance to a dirt trail that is just a little over 1 mile up to the amphitheater. PERFECT! I'll just park there, run the trail, run 1 mile in the seats of the amphitheater doing switchbacks, and then run back. 3 miles done. WRONG!!!
I got out of the car and just walking to the trail was a struggle. I was wheezing and huffing and puffing trying to catch my breath and I was just walking, albeit at 6,500 feet above sea level. I got to the trail head and just waited there a moment trying to catch my breath. I took off on the dirt trail and it was okay at first, then I hit the 'rock stairs'. Seriously? Stairs on a trail. What is up with that Colorado?!?!?! There was dirt all over the "stairs" and I kept losing my footing. All the while I'm huffing and puffing and feeling like I'm going to pass smooth out. I decided to walk about a quarter mile in, this ish is for the birds! I ended up hiking up to the amphitheater, but that's okay. Good cross training and I got some BEAUTIFUL pictures once I stopped trying to kill myself and just enjoyed the view:
I was able to run the entire amphitheater once I got there. It's a little easier when it's flat and you're not slipping on dirt under your shoes and climbing up rock stairs! My body had also acclimated to the altitude a bit at this point so I wasn't gasping for every breath. You would not believe the number of people out there working out. It was like a nature made Cross Fit gym right there in the foot hills. So awesome. Just past the stage on the amphitheater you could see downtown Denver off in the distance. I can safely say this was the most scenic run I've ever had.
Running the amphitheater goes a little like this; climb the stairs to the top, run the first 'aisle' (or seating area), plod down to the next 'aisle' and run back the other direction, repeat repeat repeat! After running the entire thing in this manner I totaled 1.76 miles at 13'16" per mile (not too bad).
Then I had to hike back down the trail to get to the car. In total I got in almost 4 miles, I just didn't run it all. Oh well! Sometimes things don't go exactly as you plan. Actually, things NEVER go exactly as I plan, but that's just life!
Case in point, I was supposed to run 3 miles on Thursday after getting home from Denver, but I was just too tired. I do realize that should never be an excuse to skip a training run, but dammit I didn't want to. I wanted to spend time with my kids and just do NOTHING. So that's what I did.
Problem with that is now I'm staring another 5 mile training run in the face this afternoon and I haven't really RUN since last Sunday. It really sucks when life gets in the way, but 'IT IS WHAT IT IS'.
Work is hectic right now to say the least and I am emotionally exhausted at the end of every day, but I will get my training runs in one day at a time and show that half marathon who's boss!
MIND OVER MATTER
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