Saturday, February 25, 2012

Ninja Trail Runner?

The new Asics are white no more.
Trail runs are the #1 thing I like right now.

Today originally was supposed to include a return to Magnolia Road, the classic Boulder run. Kathy was going to come up to run it with me, as she needs some serious hill challenges ahead of April's Big Sur Marathon (and me, I just like Ol' Mags).

But the cold I mentioned after last week's Snowman Stampede 5 Mile race turned out to be a bigger foe than I thought. I ended up shuffling through the Presidents' Day holiday and then feeling so bad that I stayed home from work on Tuesday AND Wednesday. I managed a weak 50-minute run on Tuesday, but afterwards had one those headaches, very rare for me, that start with flashers and end up with me in bed for a couple of hours in the dark. So Wednesday I just cut my losses and went straight for the bed. The one good thing about it is that it explains my disappointing performance in the race the prior Saturday.

I'm much better now, but I wasn't up for Ol Mags and her 8,000-plus-foot elevation and hills. I did want something interesting, though, so I ran an out-and-back at Hall Ranch, whose trails are better known for mountain biking, just west of a quirky little town called Lyons in North Boulder County. It's not spring yet, but the mud that marks our trails in that season was already an obstacle. For two hours, I slopped through it and some lingering snow under crystal clear skies, passing only two bikers on the way out and several more bikers, plus three hikers, on the way back.

Sometimes I need to do runs like this to remind myself I live in Colorado. Many of my days, as nice as they are, full of library books, preschool activities, grocery shopping and time on the Internet, could be lived anywhere. But it's outside in Colorado that you get the whoosh of the wind through evergreens, the intoxication of crushed pine under dirty trail shoes, the glitter of quartz in the half-buried stones you hurdle on the climbs, and the sight of the hoary heads of Long's Peak and Meeker Mountain rearing above you as you round a bend and emerge from a forest into a burn field.

Another thing I like right now are these:

My son Will holding my new *black* Asics. Maybe I should've worn those on the trail. Nah--I need real trail shoes.
Black is my favorite color to wear. The women in my wedding party wore black (and they each chose their own dress in that shade; I wanted them to have a dress they actually liked, and we all know I have no taste anyway). And if I'm not attired like a ninja while running, I feel gaudy.

So when I saw that my Asics GT-2170s come in all black, I wanted some. I didn't want to spend another $110, however. So I went to Zappo's and found last year's model (the 2160) in all black on sale for $80. They arrived the day after I ordered them. I can't wait to wear them on my next easy run (which will be tomorrow since I missed so many runs during the week).

In all their inky glory!
Seriously, though, I had been wanting a second pair of shoes to alternate in with my others. My back and hip's aches are still very much there and will be at least until March 6, when I see the physical therapist my doctor recommended. I'm doing all I can to make things easier on my body without scrimping on training (avoiding a two-hour run on concrete today was part of that plan, too).

If while doing that I can look even more like a ninja on some runs, all the better!

16 comments:

  1. Great post, Terzah. I especially enjoyed the description of running outside in Colorado. Keep up the great blogging!

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  2. Truly and idyllic morning! So glad you got out there and you're on the mend!!! Love the ninja sneaks - no one will hear you coming!

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  3. Hurray for trails...and new shoes! I'm a ninja runner too...if ninjas huffed and puffed as they ran. :)

    Glad you're feeling better!

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  4. I did my first trail run a few weeks ago.  It was so much fun.  I wish there were more around here.  Love the Ninja black running shoes.  So awesome!

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  5. Well, there's no disputing that the little boy in the picture isn't yours!!  :)  What a cutie!  
    How fun to go tramping in the mud; I always think a nice trail run is the cure-all for whatever is going on in my life.  Nothing more intoxicating!  Glad you got to go out there and enjoy such a beautiful day!

    I'm not much of a black running shoe girl, but I just got some Brooks PureFlows from the team and they are black and it took awhile, but I'm starting to like them :).  Nice score from Zappos!!!

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  6. Figured out the comment thing.  :-)

    I wanted to say that your little boy is so adorable.  He looks just like you!  :-)

    Happy Trails!

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  7. When I'm in the hills on a trail run I am always reminded that I live in a pretty cool place to be a runner as well.  There's something about trail runs that is just so awesome.  

    Your son is adorable -- looks exactly like you!!  So cute.  

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  8. I am sorry that you did not have a good week.  It did not sound like fun at all.  I am glad you are feeling better. 

    Colorado is a great place to live.  Yesterday I rode my bike and it was gorgeous.  I just enjoyed the beauty despite the wind.

    I hope you have a wonderful week!

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  9. I'm so jealous of all the trails at your fingertips... glad you could get out and enjoy them!  I also had bridesmaids pick out black dresses for our wedding that they would want to wear again.  :)

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  10. i love zappos and black.  you'll be fast and stealthy in those black shoes!   glad you had so much fun at Hall Ranch.   Hope the mtn bikers were nice to you - there are some jerks out there sometimes...

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  11. My bridesmaids dresses were the same!  Telling someone else what to wear is not my thing.  Anyways, I'm jealous of your sweet black shoes.  I have wide feet, so I'm usually limited to one (very ugly) color.

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  12. LOVE the black shoes! I love reading about the trails. Wish we had some here but NYC doesn't really have that going for it :)
     

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  13. Yikes!  I'm glad you were able to take the time off and heal up!  Congrats on the new ninja shoes!

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  14. Ok, I've got a few posts to catch up on!  
    1.)  Sorry you didn't get your time goal for the snowman stampede.  It's always a plus to negative split your miles though!  I used to be really good at doing that until I got injured.  One day I swear I'll negative split again.
    2.)  Detroit Marathon is a cool fall marathon!  I've never done it, but the elevation profile looks good and it's at sea level. Yay.  It also looks like it dips into Canada for a little while.  That's pretty cool.  
    3.)  I love the color black.  In fact, most of my wardrobe is black with color combinations of whites and gray.  I'm so boring.  

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  15. Love the ninja shoes!  I am a fan of black too and I wish I had done what you did for your wedding.  I pick mint green long dresses that I am sure my bride's maids were cursing me for picking.  I was 23, I didn't know any better.  What can I say?

     I am glad you are feeling better and you are able to get out there enjoying trail runs!

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  16. Those black Asics are wonderful, if I will come back to run those will be my next shoes!

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