Arapaho Pass

Hey. I'm Strummer and I'll be your guide today up Arapaho Pass.


Just because you're in the wilderness don't think for a moment that you can avoid your adoring fans. They're a nuisance but they pay the bills.


The wildflowers are particularly spectacular this year. Lots of places to leave your pee-mail.





Once you start seeing these views you're nearly there. Make sure you're taking in enough calories so that you don't bonk at the top. I suggest the Pika poop, it's plentiful above treeline and is delicious this time of year.




Voila! You're there. Enjoy your view from Arapaho Pass and give those quads a rest after that long steep climb.



The indignity of my life sometimes, I tell you. I'll have my revenge though, just wait until I start barfing up the Pika poop.

Week In Training, July 6 through July 12

A decent training week despite some setbacks due to schedule problems (work obligations/deadlines and doctor's appointments). In effect I only missed one swim workout and was hoping to sneak in another bike workout that didn't quite happen so not too bad. A 2 1/4 hour increase in total workout hours over last week and finally I'm into my 7-9 hour per week range that I'm trying to hit. Knee was fine all week except for Saturday when I woke up with it being stiff and not wanting to straighten. Was fine for my mega-hike today. I'm counting hiking time in my total training time as long as the hike is reasonably steep and strenuous as it was today. I'll have some steep trail sections to deal with for my race and I'll almost certainly hike them so this isn't unreasonable. The p.t. says hiking is good for building up leg & knee strength for running too so I want to fit in as much as my knee and schedule will handle.

Monday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Lola & Cody
Rest day of sorts, I was tired.

Tuesday
Swim-approx. 900 yards/20 mins. a.m. at the Boulder Rez. Made it for a full lap but used a pull buoy and paddles

Chiropractor/massage after work.

Walk-2 miles p.m. Cody & Strummer.

Knee good.

Wednesday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.

Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach

Knee good.

Thursday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Cody & Strummer
Agility class p.m., 1/2 hour private w/ Joy & Strummer. It was HOT. Poor Strum, he did a great job but I felt bad. I told Joy I may have to cancel next week if it's that hot again. Worked on my spazzy handling. O.k., we do that every week.

Knee good.

Friday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.

Skipped evening masters practice so I wouldn't be trashed for my Saturday bike ride which I wanted to be a quality workout.

Saturday
Walk-3 miles a.m. w/ Cody & Strummer (and Lola & Jonny)

Bike-12.8 miles/2 hours, 10 minutes mid-day on the Colorado Trail at Buffalo Creek with Jonny, Rusty and Jeanne. Gorgeous trail and fun times. Weather was a little warm and surprisingly humid (humid for Colorado that is) but it was cool in the shade of the forest, especially on the downhills. Got some decent climbing in.

Knee was stiff and didn't want to straighten first thing in the morning. Held up well enough for the bike, only bothered me when I had to get off and hike-a-bike for a few short sections. Hard to walk for a bit after the ride since the knee still didn't want to straighten then magically knee was fine about 1 1/2 hours after the ride. My friend thinks it's the torn meniscus moving out of position from where it's supposed to be then shifting back into place.

Sunday
Hike-6 miles/3 1/4 hours on Arapaho Pass trail in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area with Jonny and Strummy. Beautiful day, pictures to follow.


Weekly Totals:

Swim: 3100 yards, 1 hour, 20 minutes

Mountain Bike: 12.8 miles/2 hours

Run: 4 miles, 1 hour

Hike: 6 miles, 3 1/4 hours

Walking: 11 miles, approx. 3 1/2 hours

Total: 7 1/2 hours (includes hike but not walking)

Thoughts for the day

When you're introduced to a new business client is it unprofessional to reply, 'Cool, you've got the same name as my dog'? At least for once his name didn't fly out of my head the very second after it went in.

Also, someone put a very disturbing notion into my head today. Can the internet get full?

That's all I've got time for today, carry on.

Who else had a great 4th of July?

I know, it's not a great holiday for the dog people is it? You've probably all had your share of drama and maybe even some doggie Valium. Boulder's not typically that bad relatively speaking. Every year I try to remember how in Chicago you get gunfire mixed in with your illegal street fireworks so maybe I don't have it so bad. Fireworks are illegal in Boulder but we all know how that goes.

We were muddling through o.k. for most of the night-Lola huddling in the bathroom and Strummer nervous but coping more or less in the living room. Cody somehow was sleeping through it all, one of the advantages of an 11 year old dog I guess. Until the loud high pitched whistling followed by the huge kaBOOM explosions started right outside my window. I ran outside to find burning embers flying over my roof. I ran around to the opposite side of the house that faces the street to find it full of smoke and an industrial strength pyrotechnics device in the street right outside my window. Then I realized it was being manned by my neighbors who are card carrying members of Boulder's ever burgeoning Wealth Without Work brigade. This is the part of the story where I start yelling bad words. Because it's bad enough that a bunch of dumbass idiots are trying to burn down my house and then block the street access from the firetrucks who might possibly save it but somehow it's that much more infuriating when those dumbasses are 30-something slacker trustfunders who've never worked for anything their entire lives.

'Can you take this somewhere else, you're scaring the shit out of my dogs', I start yelling at them. I get a sort of vacuous blank look. 'Look, you've set that thing up right outside my window, just what the hell is wrong with you??!! Do you have any idea what that sounds like inside my house?' I'm secretly hoping that some of the falling embers will light his scraggly long hippie hair on fire ala Michael Jackson when he had the pyrotechnics mishap while making that Pepsi commercial. Is that wrong of me? Finally I get a response. 'Sorry, we didn't realize it was that loud'. Uh, yeah, just how stupid do I look? I notice they set the gizmo up well away from their own house. Does having everything handed to you your entire life and never experiencing self-sufficiency really warp your world view that much? I decide it would be best to storm off in a huff now before I start in on some rant I'm going to regret. I have to live across the street from these asshats. The explosions do stop within a minute or two. Which is probably a good thing for all involved.

Lola left us a nice present to wake up to the following morning in the living room. She was too scared to go outside to do her business at bedtime and of course she wasn't going to wake us up to go outside during the night. She had a mighty case of the runs as well, icing on the cake. Maybe next year we pony up the money to rent a nice cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Week In Training, June 29 through July 5

Overall knee was good this week, no major problems. I've got a 3/4 hour increase in total training time which seems like a reasonable increase and my knee tolerated it. Was hoping to get more biking in but the agility trial threw off my schedule. Didn't want to overdue it with a local bike ride on Saturday and then not be able to do my 'big' trail ride in the mountains on Sunday. Same amount of walking as last week, got to keep the pups in shape.

I have no more agility trials scheduled in July so I'm hoping to spend the next few weeks ramping up my mountain bike mileage. Those off-road tri's are all about the bike so I need a lot more time in the saddle than I've been putting in. Plus it's summer, got to enjoy the trails as much as I can especially at the higher elevations. The snow will be flying up there again in the blink of an eye.

Some good agility training this week too. The majority of Strum's dogwalk sessions were successful, even out at the practice field and with a dogwalk in a sequence. Are we finally getting some consistency? Can I dare to dream? He's also coming along with his entries with the 2x2's. He already knows how to weave but I'm putting him through the 2x2 method to work on entries since he's having a hard time with the other method I was using. He got a difficult entry at class on Thursday so maybe we're making some progress but I need to see it a million more times before I believe it's for real. Lola's been rocking the backyard weave poles. I send her through for a few reps. a few times a week. Wish I'd trusted her at the trial this weekend though, sheesh, I'll bet she would have gotten her entry if I had given her the chance.

MONDAY
Walk-2 miles a.m., (Cody & Lola)
Swim-2425 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee good

TUESDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. -                                         warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Knee good

WEDNESDAY
Walk-3 miles/1 hour a.m., (Cody & Strummer)

Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-running dogwalk and 2x2 weaves
                                          Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles

Biscuit Eaters Agility-Strummer, p.m.-running dogwalk went great, ran some short sequences (parts of a Grand Prix course) including a dogwalk in sequence and all went great. Sequences with A-frame and weaves also went great.

Swim-2675 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach

Knee slightly wonky after evening agility practice but good again after swim practice.

THURSDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2-3 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. -                                         warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-2x2 weaves, 4 poles, slightly offset, <4' apart
                                          Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles
                                          Yard was wet & both dogs were successful but didn't do
                                          many reps. and wanted to go back in the house. Freaks.

Agility lesson w/ Joy-Strummer, 1/2 hour, private, worked on 180's and threadles.

Knee good.

FRIDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard & Gamblers
Knee good.


SATURDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard.
3 mile/1 1/4 hour walk/hike (Kiln trail) w/ Strummer (Jonny came with and took Cody).
Knee good.

SUNDAY
3 mile walk w/ Cody & Strummer (Jonny came with and took Lola)
Mountain Bike-approx. 12 miles/2 hours, West Mag (10 minutes faster than last week for the same route)
Knee good.


WEEKLY TOTALS

Swim-5100 yards, 2 hours (all pool, no open water)

Mountain Bike-12 miles, 2 hours

Run-4 miles, 1 hour of run/walk

Total: 5 hours

Walking: 13 miles, approx. 4 hours

SO Close

A little bit of USDAA trialing for us this holiday weekend. I only ran Lola and only in Standard and Gamblers on Friday and Standard today since those were the earliest classes. Last year this trial was a Regional and it was mostly blazing hot in the 90's so this year I only entered early classes and of course it was much cooler and cloudy at times.

Today's Standard was our best run and Jonny came with us so we have video. It was a tough course but Lola did a lovely job. Look at that table people!!! I was so pleased with that. And she hit all her contacts despite being freaked out by the judge on the dogwalk. Unlike yesterday-ahem. I was so sure we'd have it but I pushed her waaay too far out into the hinterlands on a tough weave pole entry and there was no way she could make the entry from where I'd placed her so we got a refusal darn-it but still it was a great run on a tough course and I was so pleased with her.

Of course the obvious choice of background music would be '4th of July' by X but apparently I only have it on vinyl and I'm too lazy to transfer it to CD just for doggie background music so you'll have to make do with Elvis Costello. I think I go through this every year. One of these days I'll get the dang thing on mp3.



Yesterday did not go nearly as well. I picked a very boring, easy course for Gamblers and still somehow managed to muck it up a bit. Then I thought maybe she had a shot at the gamble but it was not meant to be. When I got home Cody said he could have done it easy peasy. In Standard the little stinker blew her dogwalk contact on an otherwise lovely run. When we got to the table she did a fabulous fast happy down so I immediately released her and ran her over a few obstacles on the shortest path out of the ring so I could reward her. Judge thought I was nuts when I excused myself before she finished her table count but oh well. She had a beautiful table today and held it for the whole count so it was worth it.

Lola loved being the only dog and she especially loved it today when Jonny came. I think she had such a nice run to show off for him. It was relaxing for me as well since she's so easy to deal with and I didn't have to run like a crazy person between 2 rings. I loved being able to focus all my attention on her. I love running her and hanging out with her and who knows how many trials she has left? Plus she was by far the most gorgeous dog there. I'm constantly amazed that she never gets some special award for that. She always leaves the trial wondering where is her diamond studded tiara and I have no good explanation for her.

On the way to and from the trial site I pass a coffee/tattoo shop that I've been dying to stop at but I'm always either on my way there and have no time to stop or on my way home and it's too late and hot and tired for coffee. But today it was plenty early and we had plenty of time on our way home so finally I got to sample the wares of the Bananalope Coffee House which shares a space with the Smoky Banana Tattoo shop. Personally I don't think I'd want a case of the jitters while someone was coming at me with needles but that's just me. The coffee is all organic and free trade and the nice lady behind the counter said the place is very dog friendly, next time bring the poochies in for special biscuits. Lola was mad that she didn't get a mocha or biscuits but I didn't want to unbelt her from her seatbelt harness and start a big fuss in the place.




The trial continues on tomorrow but not for us. I'm hitting the trails on my mountain bike and Lola gets the day off.

Police on his back

This gave me a good laugh this morning. Let's just hope it doesn't give Strummer any ideas. I so easily could see Lola & Strummer getting into this sort of trouble for real once they got over the initial argument over who would work the gas pedal and who would steer.

Give Me Novacaine

There's nothing like starting out your day with a routine dental cleaning and ending it with a surprise root canal. Well, sort of surprise anyway. I went in 2 weeks ago with shooting pain in a tooth that promptly went away the day before my appointment. I thought this was good news but the dentist said no, it probably meant the tooth died but let's wait a couple of weeks until my cleaning appointment and test it again. Well 2 weeks later the tooth is not any less dead so a root canal it is. Long story short they ended up having a cancellation for the afternoon and squeezed me in so I could have it done before my insurance likely changes next month. In a way this was good because it didn't give me any time to worry about it.

Turns out it wasn't painful and similar to having a filling done except for taking longer and a bit more drilling. Just keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine. I made the mistake of opening them once to see what was going on and let me tell you that was a big mistake.

They gave me the option of listening to music but unfortunately the only reasonable choices were Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Bob Marley. Everything else would have been more painful than the actual root canal. I opted for Bob Marley was not put at ease when the dental assistant brought the wrong disk. If she can't figure out which CD how will she ever keep all the dental equipment straight? Also, Bob Marley is not exactly great root canal music. I need something a little more potent than 'Hope you like jammin' too' to drown out the whine screaming of the drill in my ear. I have to go back in 3 weeks for part 2 and I'll have to remember to bring my copy of American Idiot.



I know, I know, Green Day are kind of a joke, a parody of punk rock but really that was always the case from Day 1 and whether I want to admit it or not 'American Idiot' is easily one of my Top 10 favorite albums of all time, one of the best records ever made. Phew, I can't believe I said that out loud-embarrassing!-but if you don't believe me you should come to my house and listen to it on vinyl.