Monday: Off (or 3 miles easy) and weights
Tuesday: 5 miles easy trails
Wednesday: Weights and 1 hour biking
Thursday: 7.5 to 8.5 miles (easy)
Friday: Off
Saturday: 11 miles (easy)
Sunday: Off

So, heres it is:

M: 3 miles AM and 4 miles PM
T: Off (weights) and 2 hours biking
W: 4 Miles (tempo)
R: 7.5 to 8.5 Miles (easy)
F: Off (weights) and 1 hour biking super-easy. Get behind the cruisers and I mean it. Slack, baby, slack!!
S: 10 Miles (LRP)
S: Off (beer)

Mesa Trail:

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7 Miles

The Mesa Trail we cornered at near dusk Saturday. It's a beautiful trail that follows the Flatirons gently down to Eldorado Canyon, starting at Chataqua. Obviously it's a popular trail, as Boulderites were around every switchback. That is, until you get to the backside of the Mesa Ridge. Then it's just you and the mountain lions at dusk.

We parked one car at Eldorado and one at Chataqua. Then ran the 7 mile distance to Eldorado. It was challenging enough to throw a couple of walking sessions in there, but easy enough both me and buzzcut were able to finish without mega-training. Risslicious was fully-fitnessed having run a marathon the week previous. All in all the pine never escaped our noses, the quiet never got too quiet, and the Boulder chill never took a large bite, even though I wore cotton.

Follow that run up with some AMAZING sushi and sake, and it's an out of this world date-for-a-date. Just do like I did and bring the best company you can find. You guys rock. :)

Risslicious just finished the Portland Marathon running at an 8 something minute per mile pace for 26 miles. One tuff girl. Go navioto.

If you own the Forerunner you know it came with a cable. No software. Here are the downloads for your Forerunner 201 or 301.

"One of the most basic tenets of training is a hard one to sell to ambitious, impatient runners. It's that you must run less than your best most of the time. You just can't go all out, all the time."

Sometimes it's hard to know how hard your heart and lungs are working when it's late afternoon. After a particularly wound-up work day. I dunno about you, but I want to run hard. Work out those mental kinks. It wakes me up and relaxes me all at the same time. So, if you want to keep running, do it right. Or, limp around at work, all wound up.

Running races is fun, but getting ready for them is better. My longest run in months occurred on Emerald Mountain, Steamboat Springs this weekend. We passed mountain bikers. Even entwined couples carrying new babies. But you know what really made this run better? 'Cause it's fall.

The trails down this phenomenal area make you feel like you are floating along. Like you live amongst elves in the deep purple, brown and great colors of the mountainside. Coming from the city where noise and people are never on the dry, it's nice to get out with the peripheral of an enchanted trail.

Got a staircase? Or maybe 14? I happen to work in an 8 story building, of which has a quiet, heated eight-floor staircase. Recently I took up running up the staircase instead of taking the elevator. Please make sure you're prepared for the extra stress on your knees, because I felt it almost immediatly after getting back into ergonomic office stance. So, do some hills, some stairs, and maybe don't wear pretty shoes to work.

How do you get ready for a 22 mile race in a month and a half? Here's an idea. The first week I'm going to gauge by time or distance. Last years kiss with the marathon should make a short build easier, but it's asking for a sore spot. Anyhow, here's the next two weeks:

1st week:
M- 30 mins or 3.5 miles (speed) and (2 hours biking)
T- 40 mins or 4 miles (easy)
W-off
R-45 mins or 5.5 to 6.5 miles (tempo)
F- off
S- 60 mins or 7 miles (tempo)
Su- off

2nd week:
M- 35 mins or 4.5 miles (easy)
T-40 mins or 3 miles (speed) (2 hours biking)
W-off
R-6 miles (recover) (2 hours biking)
F- off
S-8 miles (tempo)
Su-off (beer)