New Regional Santa Fe
July 3, 2010
11.55 miles
1:45:03
9:06 min/mile
Another Saturday and a holiday weekend to boot - you bet I'm running! The guys want to do the usual six to eight miles and I decide to do the same thing I did before and head out a little early to get more miles in before they show up.
This works great and I'm out of the house and on the trail by 6:20 am, enough time to run about 3.5 miles before we meet at the trailhead by the North Gate to USAFA. Yes, a little more ribbing about my "secret training" and a new face, Scooter's neighbor, Rick.
We have a large group today: Chris, F, Scooter, Rick, Mike, Jeff, Bob, Felix and I. As we begin down towards Ice Lake and/or Woodmen or Tucker's Tie-In, we do the usual; work out the kinks, find out how everyone is running and who's racing what and when. Bob and Felix have been training on the peak in preparation for their upcoming Pikes Peak Marathon. Scooter is working on distance and speed gearing up for his first marathon. Jeff and Mike feed off each other and Jeff will run whatever Mike says is good to run. Chris and F have obviously been doing "secret training" during the week and Rick is just starting with us.
After two miles all the lead runners stop for Bob, Felix and I to catch up. We three are going slow but that's what we want and need right now. As we pull alongside them, Bob says he's going on; well Felix joins him and I continue on past as well. This ensures cat calls later and much ribbing. However, the jack rabbits: Mike, Jeff, Rick and Scooter, all catch us easily with Chris and F not so far behind in that endeavor.
Under the South Gate bridge, we all stop. After a short rest, I once again take off before the others and get more grief for it. As they pull past me on the way down, I remark that they just use and abuse me -- I'm their rabbit and once they catch me, that's it. This ties into Mike's nickname for me, Energizer Bunny.
At Ice Lake, Chris and F leave us - they got their six in and besides, they need to secure our table at the bagel place. This leaves the rest of us to run the last two miles. Rick pulls alongside and I chat with him a bit before I tell him he can go ahead and catch Scooter and Jeff. He looks at me as if to make sure it's okay; yup, go on, and he takes off.
With the end in sight, I decide not to stop at the base of the trail but go ahead and run up the hill to the parking lot. This, I tell Scooter is like the finish at Leadville - up Sixth St. after running 99 miles. Rick has family obligations and cannot join the rest of us so six of us pile into a car and we meet the rest of the guys for Bagels.
July third, our nation's independence weekend and once again, a great run with the guys!
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