July 2014 Mileage: Maybe the highest ever

200 miles this month.  That is most likely the highest mileage I’ve ever run in a single month, but since I’ve never kept track before, I can’t really be sure.  

I learned to love Towers in July, and I also went up Arthur’s Rock twice.  I say “went” rather than “run” because I still suck as a trail runner and was walking a lot where the terrain was really terrible.  But on the bright side, both times I did Arthur’s, I passed people who were hiking (or birdwatching), so I guess I’ve got that going for me.

 Towers.

 Towers, view from the top.

 Arthur’s Rock.

 More Arthur’s Rock.

 

The second time I did Arthur’s, I explored some of the other trails up there instead of just heading back down the way I came.  There were some really nice views on Westridge Trail, which was a bumpy jeep road that eventually gave way to single track.

I decided to take Howard’s Trail where it connected with Westridge.  Howard’s represents basically everything I fear and loathe about trail running: excessively steep, rocky, narrow, ravines on both sides, and at least a dozen razor sharp switchbacks.  I had to go very, very slowly, but at my own pace it wasn’t bad.

Views of Arthur’s Rock from Howard Trail.

 One of the smoother sections of Howard Trail.

When I got home, Rob told me that the scary descent I’d done on Howard’s is part of the Black Squirrel Half Marathon that basically everybody we know here is running in early September.  I shuddered.  Running this trail had been nice on my own, but I would never want to do it in a race.  The valley trails in Lory and Horsetooth (South Valley Loop, West and East Valley Trails) are much more to my liking.  They are also much more similar to the type of terrain I’ll be running at the Bear Chase 50 Miler in September, and so aside from my brief forays onto trails like Howard’s, I’ve logged most of my miles in the valleys.

200.18 miles in July.  813.4 year to date.  August mileage will be a lot more slim—I’ll be spending the first 9 days of it in Nicaragua, and I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to run at all.  Hoping I can jump right back in once I get home.

 

Thanks for reading.