Author Archives: Ed Mahoney

Austin Again

15 Saturday Feb 2014

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Austin Marathon standingI run the Austin Marathon tomorrow morning.  This picture is of me after finishing the 2011 Austin Marathon.  It makes me appear seemingly fine.  The race was a disaster.  I started hurting after only ten miles.  I’m still surprised I even finished.  There was quite a bit of walking involved after 16 miles.  My time was a disappointing 4:23, my slowest marathon ever.  My only other race out of eight marathons where I couldn’t break 4 hours was Steamboat – another disaster – last spring.  I completed Steamboat in 4:13.  I hope to run right at 4 hours tomorrow.  That will be a 9 minute per mile pace.  I would like to do this feeling comfortable and avoiding muscle cramps.  I expect to do this with smart in-race nutrition and hydration.  I have a history of forgetting to eat and drink so wish me luck.

I arrived in Austin earlier today on a Southwest flight.  Steve picked me up at Austin-Bergstrom Int’l and drove me directly to the Palmer Events Center to pick up my race packet.  It was called Palmer Auditorium when I last lived here.  Actually we stopped for lunch first at Threadgills across the street.  It was convenient free parking.  Service was a bit slow but the waitress was a sweetheart.  Gave us drinks to go.  Palmer was a party atmosphere.  I discovered I won’t get the race shirt until – and if – I cross the finish line.

I like to wear the race shirts and now won’t be able too.  Instead I’ll wear a recent newby – my ultra bright yellow, Colorado Club Championship Flatiron XC hi-tech t-shirt.  I might be chilly standing around at the start in 57° but it’ll warm up to 70° by the time I finish.  Short sleeves are the way to go.  I’ll pair that with my black PEARL iZUMi ultra running shorts.  They have awesome pockets for food and a built-in brief that wraps around the upper thigh like tights to mitigate chaffing.  I’ll add blue with my Boulder Marathon running hat and blue CW-X ventilator compression socks.  The German Olympic rainbow outfits will have some competition for color tomorrow.

For nutrition, I’ll carry a Cliff Shot Blocks at 200 calories.  A bag of Honey Stinger Energy Chews (think gummy bears) for 160 calories.  Six FRS healthy energy chews at 40 calories each for another 240 calories.  And four Hammer Endurolytes to mitigate muscle cramps.  I typically don’t eat half the crap I carry.  That might be okay because my brother Steve intends to serve as my race crew.  He’ll meet me at 3 points in the second half of the course with bananas, oranges and frozen PowerIce.  I also expect Steve to take professional grade photos.  Steve is currently attending two different parties in downtown Austin.  I plan to wake him up before 5:30 am to drive me to the race.  My bib# is 2401 for anyone who wants to track me with the race iPhone app.  I launch at 7am CST.

Middle St. Vrain Creek Trail

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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boulderWe returned to Peaceful Valley this morning for our final winter snowshoe before I head to Austin for three weeks.  This was our fifth weekend in a row.  Karen wanted to return to Beaver Reservoir and I wanted to return to Brainard Lake.  We opted for Peaceful Valley due to weather conditions.  We would not have been able to traverse the 2 mile county roads to either of the other two spots.  We couldn’t even drive onto the short road for Peaceful Valley.  We parked on the shoulder of the highway with our van pointed downhill in case we needed to push it out of the snow.

treeSnowshoeing down the road to the trail is about a 200 yard jaunt.  We only got about 50 yards before we had to stop and spend 15 minutes helping push a lady who got her Ford Explorer stuck in the snow.  She made the critical mistake of driving over the crest and couldn’t get back up the hill.  The new snow was too soft and deep.  I was burning up after that and hiked with my jacket unzipped.  We were in an odd weather inversion with the temperature warmer than 3000 feet lower in Longmont.  It was over 32° with zero wind.  I even took off my gloves.  The warmth was ironic given the thick clouds and falling snow.

oscar bluesPeaceful Valley has a good three or four feet of base snow now.  The most recent snow fall is super fluffy.  Middle St. Vrain Creek Trail was postcard perfect in the falling snow.  A few hikers in front of us laid the only tracks which helped ease our trek.  We continued beyond where they turned around though and blazed our own tracks.  The soft powder slowed us down considerably.  We made it as far as the intersection with the Sourdough Trail and turned back for an hour long outing.  I needed to dig out some snow in front of our tires with my snowshoes in order to get onto the road, but we made it home safely.  We stopped again for lunch at Oscar Blues in Lyons and were back home by 12:30.  It’s been a great winter snowshoe season.  Next time we’re up n the mountains will be late March or April.  I expect the snow to be even deeper then.

Twenty Mile Warmup

08 Saturday Feb 2014

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luge crashWith below zero temps all week, I trained Monday through Thursday on that little elliptical machine to the right of this picture.  Juxtapose this shot of me to that contraption as I just walked in from a twenty mile romp over snow packed trails in 32°.  This is my last chance to prep myself for the Austin Marathon on February 16th.

The idea of running twenty miles today, and the eighteen I ran last weekend, is to establish confidence with the marathon distance.  It’s too late to actually get in shape.  In fact, a number of runners would be tapering these last two weeks.  I just don’t have that luxury.  I have a job and family commitments that don’t allow me to fully live up to my self-centered, narcissistic potential.  And no way would I trade the weekend snowshoeing with Karen for a few more miles.  We’re headed back up to Brainard Lake tomorrow to experience all this fresh snow.

While I felt super slow today, I actually ran thirty seconds faster per mile than on last weekend’s eighteen miler.  I’m losing confidence that I’ll maintain a nine minute mile pace next week, but that’s not critical.  Goal number one is to run comfortable.  If that means a ten minute pace – fine.  I do expect to start off with an eight and a half minute pace.  Hard not to with the excitement of a big event.  I’ll try to settle down as I cross Lady Byrd Lake on Congress Avenue at mile two.  I’ve run this before so I know what to expect on hills.  I’ll run easy up South Congress and unwind a little coming down South 1st.  I’m confident I’ll run well and enjoy this event.  I’m ready.

Close to Home

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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cottonwood karenThe mountain trails of the Front Range are gorgeous, but there’s not much need to drive up there to snowshoe when there’s a foot of fresh powder down here.  And you know what a big day it is in Colorado with the Broncos playing this afternoon in the Super Bowl.  So we decided to snowshoe today quite literally in our backyard.  We started at the Niwot Loop Trailhead and headed south into Gunbarrel.  We covered the segment between 79th and 71st Street.

cottonwood edI ran out here yesterday.  Slogging through the snow was tough and I was the only runner.  Everyone else yesterday was Nordic skiing.  Today, at 18° but with full sun and zero wind, had mostly runners and a few cross country skiers.  Yesterday’s skiers helped to pack the snow for running.  Snowshoeing was great.  You’d think 18° is cold but we quickly pocketed our gloves and Karen unzipped her jacket.  The sun shining off the snow serves to warm things up.

niwot tavernThe Cottonwood Trail is fairly flat, certainly relative to the mountain trails we snowshoed on in January.  Plus it’s easier to breathe at half the altitude, so this was our fastest ever pace – well over 2 miles an hour for 3.5 miles.  We brunched afterward at the Niwot Tavern.  If the nearby IBM site has a company bar – this place is it.  We’re home early prepping for the game.  I made my shrimp ceviche mostly last night.  I added avocado and cilantro now to avoid those from turning mushy overnight.  After our 90 minute workout, we’re ready to party over at the Sebestas.  Go Broncos!

Pack Mentality

01 Saturday Feb 2014

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wolf packThat’s Fred, up front in a greenish yellow tank leading the pack.  I’m three runners behind him in a green long-sleeve team jersey.  Chris is another two or three runners behind me, wearing the same green team jersey.  This is during the first of three loops, just shy of the one mile mark.

Some say we won the team event in last week’s Boulder Cross Country Race because there were no other men’s teams registered.  I say we won due to the strong display of pack mentality illustrated in this pic.  Click on it to enlarge the view.  Pack mentality probably has some very specific meaning in psychology, but I’m using it here to suggest running as a team helps everyone to run faster.  This was my experience on teams as a kid.  Makes me want to consider training more with a team.  Fred trains with the Revolution Running Club.

That race was last month.  This month I have a marathon coming up.  The Austin Marathon on February 16th.  I’ve considered dropping out thinking I might not be ready.  It’s hard to get in the miles during the winter.  And I’ve been snowshoeing with Karen on the weekends when I should be maximizing my training miles.  And then, I have a really sore knee.  But I’ve been stretching and feel like my knee is responding well to that.  And that snowshoeing is still a good two hour workout.  Has to be good for something.  I just want to run that marathon.  I don’t need to run it fast.  I just want to enjoy it.

My goal will be to run a 9 minute per mile pace.  I have a tendency to start out well under 8 minutes per mile but I intend to run with discipline this time.  My natural pace is about 8.5 minutes per mile, up to about 18 miles.  I suspect I could hold that in Austin considering the lower elevation, but I would still struggle on the final 10K.  I don’t want to do that.  I want to enjoy this run.  My goal will be a 4 hour marathon at a 9 minute pace.  I ran 18 miles today.  My first long run in several weeks.  Only averaged 10.5 minutes per mile, but I was running through a foot of fresh powder in 18°.  I don’t expect snow conditions in Austin.

Fast and Flurry-ous

26 Sunday Jan 2014

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fredI wake up this morning with the coffee machine at 6am.  I read my weekend edition of Barrons while the sun comes up.  I bake some Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls before waking up Ellie at 7.  We have a cross country race this morning and need some glucose.  Brit wakes up to the smell of those rolls too and decides to tag along.  Chris, Keith and Tom walk over at 8:30 and we pile into the mini van for the 20 minute ride to South Boulder.  Fred will meet us there.  We all live within a three block radius and will be running as a team – Team Prospect.  Ellie will run stag in the kids wave.  This first picture captures the start with me running in the green long sleeve jersey one step behind Fred, running in a tank.  This is as close as I will ever be to catching Fred today.

ChrisI hang with Fred for nearly a mile.  He puts some distance on me before the hill.  Chris then passes me running up the hill.  This puts me in third position on our five guy team – where I remain.  Chris typically starts out slow and then turns on the jets for a strong finish.  In the 2012 neighborhood 5K, the three of us finished together in consecutive places, Chris, then Fred, then me.  Today we finish separated by nearly two minutes.  This is Chris’ first cross country race.  He trains more for marathons and he feels the fast pace of this 4 miler.  Cross country races are typically on grass.

KeithI think this is Keith’s first XC race too.  Keith commented more on the wind afterward than the grass.  Grass will slow down a runner, but today’s wind is gusting well over 20 mph.  He runs strong though today and finishes two positions behind me in our 51 year old age division.  I finish 9th and Keith is 11th.  The results are posted here.  Keith didn’t start running until a few years ago.  He typically runs the same events that I do.  I ran his first marathon with him two years ago – the 2012 Denver Marathon.

TomTom is even newer to running.  He’s quite the sport though agreeing to join our team.  This photo by the water shows Tom running strong with good arm motion.  There’s a hill coming up shortly that requires a bit of momentum.  Note Tom isn’t wearing a hat or gloves.  Other than the wind, the weather is pretty nice – 50° and full sun.  I wear shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt.  No need to layer.  I consider tights but think they might slow me down once I warm up.  Because the girls are with us, we are able to strip off our warm-up gear and drop it in a pile near the start.  Very convenient.

winningFor reasons I still don’t fully understand, Team Prospect finishes in first place today.  Impressive considering we all live within three blocks of each other.  There’s a rumor that no other teams are registered.  I don’t go for rumors.  Our win comes with $500, or $100 each.  This makes us paid athletes.  Hopefully IBM doesn’t dock me for moonlighting.

girlsThe kids division launches immediately after the men finish.  Keith and I feel for them because the wind is clearly gusting more strongly and it feels like the temperature is dropping.  Snow is expected tonight or tomorrow.  Brit decides last minute to run with Ellie when they say parents can join the kids.  I get a ton of good photos of the girls but this is my favorite.  Brit applied the B&W effect.  This hill is near the end of the 2K loop – the kids only run one loop – but it’s steep.  It makes it hard to turn on a kick for the finish.

BrittanyAt Fred’s suggestion, we brunch at the nearby Southside Walnut Cafe.  This place is hopping but we’re seated after ten minutes.  I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place.  Awesome menu and incredible food.  I have huevos rancheros while Ellie orders a cheese burger.  Brit orders something with soy cheese on it.  She likes it.  We both love the coffee.  I find myself an hour later getting a pedicure with the girls.  Running with girls isn’t so bad.  They understand recovery.  Tomorrow I’ll cash our check at the bank and distribute the winnings.  Minus my management fee.

Beaver Reservoir

25 Saturday Jan 2014

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IMG_3277Another perfect day to be snowshoeing along the Peak-to-Peak Highway.  This morning we drove to Beaver Reservoir which sits half way between Brainard Lake and Peaceful Valley.  The trailhead lies two miles down County Road 96, which is marked on Hwy 72 by a sign for the Tahosa Boy Scout Camp.  The trail crosses the road about a quarter mile before the reservoir.  We simply parked on the side of the road.

creek

We started out southbound on the Sourdough Trail.  The trail was a bit hard to spot among new growth aspen and evergreen.  We turned around on a ridge after nearly a half mile because the snow was fading and the trail just wasn’t very pretty.  This was a good call as we discovered the northbound trail to be absolutely gorgeous.  We might have known since there were no tracks southbound but several northbound.

oscar bluesWe found ourselves shedding gear under the warm sun.  Despite the strong wind on the road, the trail was quiet.  We were able to cover 2.32 miles in about 90 minutes.

We skipped the Millsite Inn this trip and lunched at Oscar Blues in Lyons.  The weather was so nice we ate outside on the deck.  This marks our third consecutive weekend to snowshoe.  We hope to squeeze in a couple more jaunts through the woods and snow before I head to Austin.  This really is ideal training for a marathon.  Tomorrow I have a four mile cross country race in Boulder.  Ellie plans to run it too.

Peaceful Valley

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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Buchanan Pass Trail 1How can anyone resist snowshoeing at a trailhead called Peaceful Valley.  Karen and I couldn’t.  I initially planned another trail up at Brainard Lake, but this is closer.  We had a later start today and this saved us about 15 or 20 minutes.  The parking is just off the highway.  The entrance to the campground is closed off in the winter, but there’s about 100 yards of road to park on.  By the time we finished, others were parked out on Hwy 72.

buchanan pass trail 2We took the Buchanan Pass Trail.  This starts down the road a couple hundred yards or so past the first gate.  Actually just in front of the Peaceful Valley Campground which has a second gate.  The trail begins with a climb and is super pretty, in the trees and lined with natural boulders.  My Garmin captured 12° but it felt at least 30°, and the wind was only about 4 mph.  With a cloudless sky, the Colorado sun lit up the snow for a gorgeous day.

fat tireWe were passed by a Tokyo Joe’s team of 8 or so mountain bikers.  Click on the pic and check out these fat tires!  This looks really cool to me.  We had a decent workout, completing 3 miles at a 2 mph pace.  Thirty minutes faster than last weekend.  Karen thinks this trail is less technical.  The snow was fairly well packed too.  This is clearly a high use trail.  It’s a shared trail and had more cross country skiers than hikers snowshoeing.  Dogs are allowed and there were plenty.  One dog wore boots.  Definitely a dog day out there.  We were shedding gear on the way back.  I even took off my gloves.

Millsite InnWe found ourselves back at the Millsite Inn for lunch.  The owner, Kurt, is quite a character.  He looks about 65 – hard to say.  Could be older.  He said he played NCAA Basketball for Ohio State – he looks about 6’4″.  He tells us stories of his snowshoeing and skiing.  He showed us pictures he took today of some snowshoe hares.  Stunning photos.  This is two weekends in a row snowshoeing for us.  Our goal is to hit the next three weekends before I head to Austin for the Austin Marathon.  I should probably be getting in more running miles, but I don’t intend to run that race very hard.  And I’m a big proponent of mixing up workouts – even though I’m generally bad at it.  If I do well in Austin, I’ll publish a book on how to snowshoe yourself into shape for a marathon.

Prostate Biopsy

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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Michelangelo's David with clipping path

Forgive the title.  I want to be clear upfront on the following content.  I held off blogging about this until I talked to my mom to give her a heads up.  Since she reads this blog, I have to be fucking careful about what I write.  A blood analysis last fall indicated an elevated PSA level.  I elected to take a second reading a few months later rather than proceed directly to a prostate biopsy.  Do-overs are standard policy in my book.  Unfortunately, the second test didn’t work out in my favor.

In case you’re interested because you expect a prostate biopsy in the future, the following is my experience.  I can tell you this is not some cavalier test.  Without even taking medication, simply having the procedure has potential side effects.  I find the risks acceptable, major inconveniences though for sure.  I can see not every guy feeling the same way.  Most of what I read suggests the side effects are temporary over the course of several weeks or months.  I find the more I subjugate myself to doctors and the more dignity I relinquish in their offices, the easier it becomes to accept such potential side effects.

I have to compare this procedure to a colonoscopy, mostly because I’ve had one of those too.  There’s the obvious rectal component.  In that sense, the biopsy is a mini colonoscopy.  There’s no prep to drink – so right there the biopsy wins.  And we’re talking about a rectal intrusion in terms of inches rather than feet, hence the mini.  There isn’t even anesthesia.  I was offered Valium but turned it down.  I needed to return to work afterward and I’m not exactly clear on IBM’s Valium in the workplace policy.  Believe it or not, I’ve never taken any of the popular anxiety drugs so I don’t truly know if there would be cause for concern.  Based on performance reviews, I do know that I’m overly transparent as it is at work.  I don’t need to be telling my coworkers what I really, really think.

My experience began with the nurse instructing me to undress from the waist down and to lay on my side covering myself with a sheet made from paper.  This picked up my spirits a bit as, on some metaphorical level, I found this preferable to having to bend over.  If you’re concerned you might get an erection, trust me – you won’t.  The experience is overwhelmingly emasculating.  I was like a dog with its tail between its legs.  She registered my heart rate at 56bpm so I was managing the anxiety fairly well.  She then asked for my permission to allow a 3rd party into the room, a woman technician, to train the urologist on their brand new prostate biopsy ultrasound machine and monitor the imaging.  Like I was going to say no to that.  “No, let the doctor learn as he goes.  We’ll learn how to operate this thing together.”  While I don’t think of myself as an exhibitionist, I was actually fine with it.  The more the merrier.

Dr. Webster was quite good at setting my expectations.  The procedure took maybe 20 minutes.  While extremely uncomfortable, it didn’t really hurt.  The most painful aspect was two needle injections of something to numb my prostate.  This hurt on the level of any flu shot to the arm, only it wasn’t to the arm.  My online research led me to expect the biopsy pinpricks to feel similar to bee stings.  Had the doctor told me this I was prepared to reply, “American bees or African bees?”  I’m still a little disappointed I couldn’t reference that Monty Python skit.  Reminds me though, I need to erase my search history.

I received 12 biopsies and only two of them hurt a little, but less so than the initial shots.  After the fourth biopsy, my penis began to burn – acute dysuria. The sensation was fairly strong actually and maybe hurt more than those two initial shots.  Apparently, this is normal, I’m guessing from a dramatic change in the pH balance suddenly streaming through my urethra.  In other words – bleeding.  I should have asked what causes it because I’m just guessing.  Feels better this morning.  Dr. Webster told me I would jump at the first biopsy – which I did – but I didn’t overreact to any of the subsequent biopsies.  Each biopsy made a clicking noise like a cap gun being fired, or a mousetrap being sprung.  It’ll spook you the first time.

I review the results with Dr. Webster in a week.  I’m not nervous.  Cancer is far from the worse prostate malady from what I’ve read.  Everything is essentially treatable at my age.  That’s why you don’t procrastinate on health issues.  Just ask Steve Jobs.  Oh yeah, you can’t.  I already know from the exam that I don’t have an enlarged prostate, which is a good sign.  The elevated PSA levels are likely from running.  I might be a bit preoccupied waiting for the results; considering I’m up at 5:30 am blogging about it.  Karen and I are going snowshoeing in a couple of hours though.  That’ll take my mind off it.

Brainard Lake

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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Brainard Lake

Santa brought Karen snowshoes for Christmas so today we headed up to Brainard Lake.  We wanted to watch the Broncos play too – which we are doing right now – so we headed up early.  Even without a game to get back for it’s generally a good idea to get up to the mountains early.  The wind was expected to increase in speed each hour, and did.  Plus Brainard Lake is one of the most popular winter recreational areas in Boulder County.  Carousing with the Prices and Sebestas last night didn’t help us to get an early start, but we reached the trailhead around 9am.

Brainard Road

We drove through Lyons to get there.  The turnoff to Brainard Lake is just north of the turnoff to Ward on the Peak-to-Peak Highway.  It was snowing but drivable.  The parking lot at the trailhead only had a dozen or so cars.  I think they built this lot in 2010/2011.  It’s pretty big.  The wind was howling like a banshee.  We put on our gear sitting on the back bumper of our Honda Odyssey under the shelter of the hatch.  We practiced at home to size our boots to the shoes and ensure we were familiar with the new gear.  Still, the cold wind in 23° was brutal.

trailheadThe wind was totally absent in the trees, once we were on the trail.  We took the snowshoe trail that veers south or to the left of the Brainard Lake road.  It heads west toward the lake.  I felt like we were snowshoeing through a Hallmark postcard.  No wind.  Falling snow.  God’s country at 23°.  I wore my new Sorel Conquest snow boots that Karen gave me for Christmas.  I’ve never had a quality pair of snow boots for hiking or snowshoeing before and these are so nice.  They are super light, water proof and have a built-in gaiter.  We were both comfortable in our gear.  Karen wore a balaclava to protect her face but my face was fine bare.

Millsite Inn

The wind didn’t hit us hard until our turn-around point where the trail crosses back over Brainard Road.  This is right at 1.5 miles.  We planned to take the road back if we were tired but we weren’t.  Good thing because even though the wind would have been at our backs, it didn’t look very enjoyable.  Visibility on the road was poor with near whiteout conditions.  It took us just over an hour to reach the road, maintaining a 1.5 mile per hour pace.  We returned back through the trees.  The wind was noticeably stronger, but mostly above our heads in the tree tops.  Plus it was at our backs so going back was fine.  A number of hikers were just headed out.  They would have to deal with tougher conditions than we did.  We encountered a mountain biker with the fattest tires I’ve ever seen on a bike.  What a bad ass.  It didn’t seem possible but the wind was blowing even stronger in the parking lot as we completed our trek after 2 hours and 10 minutes.  The lot was much more full.  Apparently not everyone planned to watch the Broncos later in the afternoon.  We had time to stop for lunch at the Millsite Inn on the way home.  We ate an awesome pizza fireside.  We plan to return back to Brainard Lake next Sunday.

Lagerman Res

11 Saturday Jan 2014

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LagermanLast weekend I blogged about being tough in cold weather.  Seemed topical on a national level.  I didn’t let last weekend’s polar vortex deter me from getting in some miles.  But I’ve spent this past week with a well-earned cold.  Couldn’t even workout on my elliptical.  Not how one wants to train one month out from a marathon.  I wasn’t sure I’d be up for running today but made the commitment since the wind wasn’t howling yet.  Keith drove me out to Lagerman Reservoir.  Brit used to run here with her high school cross country team, but this is a first for me.  Awesome trailhead.

Oddly, there are no signs.  Not even at the entrance off Pike Road.  You just need to be looking for it.  Drive west on Clover Basin until it turns to dirt.  You’ll see the reservoir on your left.  There is a trail around the reservoir.  It might be about a mile around.  We just parked here and ran west on the dirt Boulder backroads.

Amazingly there was zero wind.  That is until we reached Niwot Road where the wind must have been 25 miles per hour.  We’d run five miles by then though so simply turned around for a ten miler.  The wind died out almost immediately.  I can’t say it’s always like this, but it makes me wonder if this isn’t some magical wind-free zone.  If you’re running out by the Boulder Res and don’t like the wind, consider driving north a few miles and run along the dirt roads on the east side of the Table Mountain Antenna Field.  The Boulder backroads out by Lagerman Res are like a port in the storm.  A good option for winter running.

Winter Run

04 Saturday Jan 2014

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winter runI’m hearing stories today of it being too cold to run.  I can see that for the east coast.  The national news is making a big deal out of their freezing temperatures and foot of fluffy snow.  They should stay safe indoors for the weekend.  Of course that advice doesn’t apply to Colorado.  The entire first week of December was below zero.  I ran a 5K race at -1°.  Planes didn’t stop flying and we didn’t make national news.  We are Colorado.

It’s a bit chilly today – about 15° with wind chill.  And we have a few inches of fresh powder.  After seeing a facebook update from the neighborhood ladies about their early morning run, I geared up for an 8 miler.

Gearing up for a deep snow run means gaiters.  I wore my long pair.  Of course I wore mittens but ran half the route without them as I was fairly warm when the wind was at my back.  An 8 mile an hour wind is right about the barrier to a run’s enjoyability.  Over 10 miles an hour can overwhelm the warmth of the Colorado sun.  Tomorrow won’t be as pleasant but today really is decent running weather.  Get out there!

Barefoot Bootcamp

01 Wednesday Jan 2014

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cross countryI started this year off fresh with a fifteen mile trail run on the LoBo Trail.  I launched late morning in 32° under low-hanging clouds.  After a tough seven mile run in yesterday’s wind, this was nice.  There were a few snow flakes but nothing like what is falling now.  I only planned on running twelve miles, but kept going.  Why not?

It feels good to run in my trail flats after running the last week in my barefoot Merrell Trail Gloves.  I packed my barefoot running flats rather than regular training shoes because they travel better in the suitcase – being so light.  I expected a bit of leg fatigue but man, I was near tears after day two.  I backed off my mileage and did not run at all on Christmas day, allowing my legs to recover.  I did toughen up near the end of the week but didn’t really notice the difference the shoes make until today.

Late last week, my knee pain began to abate marginally but my arches were sore – in both feet rather than simply my left foot where I generally incur pain and injury.  After yesterday’s run, which was in my standard trail shoes, my ankles could barely support my weight afterward.  It was as if I’d been ice skating.  It all came together for me today though.  No more pain.  And my form was outstanding – short stride and forefoot footfalls.  I honestly believe that running a bit in minimalist or barefoot shoes is a great way to work on your stride.  I’ve learned you have to be careful to not over do it.  I’ve been injured from running in these shoes.  Still, I highly recommend working them into your routine.  Probably not the barefoot bootcamp I did, but consider running in them once a week.

I’m currently training for my next event – a four mile cross country race in Boulder on January 26th.  I’ve formed a team of 5 or 6 harriers from my neighborhood.  The men’s open division will be competitive so we won’t likely win.  Still, do you think you could form a team of five master’s level cross country runners from within a few blocks of your house?  I can.  I plan to schedule a few team workouts.  Maybe some tempo running in the grass in my Merrell Trail Gloves.

2013 in review

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

WordPress publishes these year-end stats for me.  My brother-in-law asked me the other day what websites I frequent the most.  My homepage is set to the WSJ because I subscribe to both the print and digital editions.  My other top pages are facebook, Fidelity (I track my 401K more and more the closer I get to retirement), dictionary.com (yes I suck at spelling but I try) and my WordPress stats.  I’m addicted to reading my stats like some people read the box scores each day in the Sports pages.

Readers are of course anonymous but I find the stats interesting nonetheless.  I especially like to review people’s search terms.  Runner’s Porn was high but less so than strassburg sock.  Explain that.  And my top 4 most read posts were written before 2013 – my SEI has been steadily growing with the search engines.  I suspect only other bloggers would find stats interesting enough to click on the link to review.  And that’s fine.  Comment with a link to your year-end stats.  I’d like to see them.

Texas Road Trip

27 Friday Dec 2013

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ArmadilloGot in a final nine mile jaunt around Town Lake today.  Fixin’ to dine at Molcas – a really nice family run Tex-Mex in Northwest Hills – for our last supper in Austin.  I should mention we dined last night at Hyde Park Bar & Grill too.  We always make an effort to visit our favorite eateries in Austin.

We’ll be driving early tomorrow morning to Dallas to visit long-time family friends and then head out west on 287 for as far as we can.  I hope to make it past Amarillo but don’t expect to cross the Texas border into New Mexico until Sunday.  As long as that sounds, it’ll be better than the trip down.  I thought I’d re-post this armadillo pic because I saw one cross the road on the drive down at night between Childress and Abilene.  It was as big as a baby black bear.

Actually just returned from Molcas.  Couldn’t finish this post first.  So I’m almost too stuffed with cheese and Bohemias to type.  Papa is playing his victrola for Brittany.  Some WWI era 78 rpm tune.  Brit is pursuing a music degree and is interested in such things.  Her Papa gave her a turntable earlier and she’s been playing 33 rpm vinyl records all day.  Some U2 War, Roberta Flack and her Uncle Steve’s Doctor’s Mob album.

Karen and I just made the decision to not pack the minivan tonight.  Grandma Barbie is dancing the Charleston.  Molcas serves decent frozen ritas.  I wonder how much gear we’ll leave behind when we leave.  I’m guessing multiple iPhone/iPad chargers and some really important jewelry.  See you in Colorado.

The Santa Claus Rally

26 Thursday Dec 2013

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zilker treeFor stock traders, the Santa Claus Rally ends on Jan 3rd.  My 2013 running exploits will end with my vacation on Jan 1st, so I’m giving it my all in a final sprint.  These final days include significant driving time too, so I can’t run every day.  I began with a ten mile run Monday after a half day drive to Austin from Abilene.  I ran this in Round Rock on the BCRT.  After that brutal 2.5 day drive down from Colorado, this was the perfect recovery.  The weather was sunny and 55° or so.  I ran in shorts and layered a long sleeved shirt over a short sleeved shirt.

mom and the boysAn added wrinkle to my last running week is that I only packed my minimalist Merrell trail gloves.  They pack nice because they are so small and light.  The risk is whether or not I can log any real miles in them.  I ran this first ten miles strong but my legs were super fatigued the next day and I could only run six.  I took off Christmas day, as much to recover as due to the time suck.  Even on vacation, not every day can be all about me.  I could have squeezeed in a run but opted for family time.  I figured the recovery day might be smart considering these high impact shoes.

I was ready to go Thursday and ran 4.5 crisp miles on Town Lake.  I park at the boat ramp near Austin High.  The modern Austin downtown cityscape does little to dent my nostalgic mood racing past Auditorium Shores.  I recall running here with my high school buddies thirty years ago.  Or the very first Capitol 10,000 that started on Congress Avenue and ran entirely on the Town Lake trail.  I have great running memories from my high school years.

Matt's El RanchoI think about my past year of running too and on my plans for 2014.  I had my best year ever in terms of strong performances and injury-free running.  I don’t even care to run faster next year, I feel satisfied I’ve reached my target times.  I’d like to be able to maintain my 10K time in the Bolder Boulder and remain in the B starting wave.  That will require some speed work to hold a 7 minute pace for six miles.  I’ve already registered for the Austin Marathon in February and the Moab Half Marathon in March.  I’d like to run the marathon in about 3:45 but will be happy with anything under 4 hours.  I don’t think I have any time goals for Moab but will want to race against any of my other neighbors who are going too.  Lastly, I’m certain I want to run either or both the IPR and Durango Ultra again next year.  Those are my plans.  Mostly just looking to maintain consistency with this year and stay healthy.  These photos are all family pics taken over the holidays in Austin.  Happy new years.

Fat Face

20 Friday Dec 2013

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profileMy fat face might not really show here unless you click on the picture to enlarge the view.  Honestly, I feel as trim as I’ve been in twenty years.  I can’t explain that fat face.  I was in a conversation with Susan at our Christmas party the other night and she made the statement that I don’t have a runner’s body.  I forget where she was going with that.  I probably didn’t let her finish.  I remember my response.  I know my leg length is less than optimal.  Oh, and I have a bit of a paunch.  But I have 40 years of experience that gives me good running form.  My college track coach used to film me running quarter mile intervals for his Kinesiology class because he believed I had perfect running form.  My calves are oddly large – a product of running on my fore foot.  And my cardio system might have a predisposition for aerobic sports.  Not only is my resting heart rate under 50 beats per minute, but my 23andme DNA results suggest I’m a natural aerobic athlete.

I guess the fat face and double chin just come with age.  That’s fine.  So is the paunch.  The last thing I care to look like is a malnourished Mr. Gumby.  I know I don’t have the perfect runner’s body, but I feel like a runner.  I am a runner.  I read lots of running blogs and some writers suggest what a runner is and who isn’t a runner.  I’m no different, I too have a definition of a runner.  If you run, and it’s more than just a workout but something you rather enjoy – then you’re a runner.  I’m still ecstatic that I got back into running 5 or 6 years ago.

Ran today on the Eagle Trail in 27° and zero wind.  I totally over dressed.  It was well below 20° earlier in the day but warmed up once I hit the trail.  That kept me from running faster and farther but it still felt so nice to get out of my basement and off the elliptical.  There’s so much more gravity in the real world, my legs felt the difference in impact.  Two day drive to Austin tomorrow so today will be it for awhile.  Looking forward to running some of my favorite trails in Austin.

Elliptical

16 Monday Dec 2013

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Elliptical gym machineI just completed day one of my new winter regimen of training on an elliptical in the basement.  The plan is to run – err train – on the elliptical after work each day from 5 to 6.  PM – Karen trains on it in the AM.  We’ve owned this equipment for years but I’ve never adapted it into my workouts until now.

I hauled it into my office the other day so I can watch TV.  If I can’t look up at the snow laden peaks of the Front Range, I want to view the evening News.  As much as I’d rather train outdoors, I need to accept reality.  A week shy of winter solstice, there isn’t enough daylight.  The last time I tried training through the winter for a February marathon, my race results were a disaster.  I elected to run during lunch, but of course could only squeeze in about 3 miles given the time crunch.  I can tell you now that 3 miles per day is not a very smart training program for a marathon.  I don’t know that training on an elliptical is much better, but at least I will be able to put in the hours.  The obvious downside is the lack of high-impact, but maybe that will be a plus in terms of keeping my legs healthy.

I’ll still run for reals on the weekend.  And I’ll focus on ultra long runs.  Not the next two weekends though as I’ll be driving to Austin and back for the holidays.  The marathon is the same one I ran in 2011 – the Austin Marathon – and is on February 16th.  I already have my ticket to fly down the day after Valentines.  That gives me a good 7 weeks of elliptical training.  This will be interesting.

A Fast 5K

14 Saturday Dec 2013

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TeamI drive to Fort Collins this morning with Coach Jabe and her large team.  We have 7 in our car, plus another car.  The Jingle Bells 5K raises money for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Our team raised the 3rd highest amount and qualified us for the VIP tent – which I use to store my gear bag.  That’s Jabe to my right in the Santa outfit.  I run wearing a Santa beard.

I don’t like making commitments to a fast race.  I prefer to make up my race plan after I’ve warmed up in the first mile.  Keith asks me how I plan to run though, and I sort of suggested I was striving for a 5K PR in my last blog.  I tell Keith I am going to run hard enough to beat my best 10K pace of a 7:09 mile.  When Abbie scoots in line with me and suggests she is going to run about 22 minutes, I tell her I will try to keep up.  I am also talking to Tom, a 62 year old in line with me, who said he runs about a 23 minute 5K.  I am in fast company.

I chat a bit with Abbie during the first half mile.  I feel comfortable breathing.  The weather is sunny and in the 40s – perfect for distance running.  I surge a bit ahead of Abbie which suggests to me I might be running too fast.  My pace at the first mile marker is 6:44.  This is fast for me but I feel fine.  This CSU campus course is virtually flat with only a 59 foot elevation gain.  My initial plan was to push the second mile but since I’m considerably under my target I decide to try holding my pace.  I find myself passing quite a number of other runners but am fairly certain I’m not picking up my pace.  The second mile comes in at a 6:46 pace – only 2 seconds off my first mile.

I’m super pleased with this because I still feel quite comfortable.  I determine to forgo a kick and start pushing my pace now to ensure I PR.  I’m confident I can run this third mile in a 7 minute pace.  This will be great because I don’t just want to beat my 10K pace, I want to average under 7 minutes and right now that looks achievable.  I pass about 3 more runners on this last mile, including a lady running with her dog and a kid likely in grade school.  Surprisingly my final mile is in 6:38 and I finish with a 20:49 PR.  This kills my previous best 5K by well over a minute and I even cooled down the last 100 yards rather than putting on a kick.  To make things even better, I win an award for placing 2nd in the masters division which is for everyone 40 and older.

abbie and keithKeith finishes with Abbie and wins his age division in about 22 minutes – exactly what Abbie said she would run.  We all meet up at the Chi Omega sorority house for a fund raiser breakfast.  Home now planning an appetizer for tonight’s Christmas fondue party.  I might just cut up a bunch of celery sticks.  Sort of short on time.

Winter Races

11 Wednesday Dec 2013

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colder bolderTough week for running with five days in a row of below zero lows.  We finally warmed up with a high above freezing on Tuesday.  I know from experience that speeds slow down in colder weather.  I can’t point to a specific line on the barometer.  I suspect it might be more a factor of additional clothing than air temperature.  All very anecdotal and I’m interested in your thoughts.  Speed of course is nearly irrelevant in training, unless you are doing repetitions on the track.  It impacts me in that I schedule shorter distance races in December – 5Ks – and struggle to run a pace faster than my longer distance races from earlier months.  Running faster is never my top agenda but it’s always a goal.  It’s hard to ignore race results.  And it’s just bothersome that I can’t run a shorter distance at a faster pace than a longer distance.

Now, winter doesn’t really start until December 21st.  But I’ve worn tights in my last two races of a cross country 6K and a 5K on the CU campus – picture above.  If I have to wear tights – it’s winter.  These runs were in December at least.  This Saturday’s 5K in Fort Collins won’t be truly winter then either but it will be chilly enough that I expect to wear tights.  Still, I’ll be wearing half the weight in gear I did last weekend.  It’s possible the gear does not affect speed as I think but rather something more complex like oxygen uptake efficiency in colder temperatures.  Any scientists out there?

There could be other factors, more specific to just my experience.  I had dinner last night with a couple of buddies, John and Alan, at the Flagstaff House.  Very nice.  Alan suggested that maybe I don’t warm up enough for 5Ks.  As I think back, maybe I don’t.  I certainly didn’t last weekend because it was friggin cold.  I didn’t go outside until it was time for my wave to start.  Instead I stretched inside the warmth of the fieldhouse, sipping the free coffee like a gentleman runner.  John got me talking about my 5Ks when I was in college.  It suddenly occurred to me that I had the same issue back then.  I rarely ever broke 15 minutes in a 5K, and yet I typically ran the first 3 miles of my 10Ks in 15 minutes.  That’s not the same distance exactly but pretty close.  The only thing I can think of is I might have warmed up better for 10Ks.  That’s my plan then for this weekend.  My goal is to beat my best 10K pace of 7:09.  I’m fairly certain I’m not fast enough to break 7:00 flat, but I should have a shot at 7:05.  Results to follow.

Subzero 5K

07 Saturday Dec 2013

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field houseBrrrr, -4°!  The car is parked in the garage, but I have a detached carriage house and have to walk a dozen steps outside.  It’s 6:30 am Saturday and I’m headed to the CU campus to run the aptly named Colder Bolder 5K.  I prepped for this event by running 3 miles Wednesday after work in 7°, which with an 8 mph wind and 85% humidity felt like -6°.  I ran another 4 miles on Eagle Trail Friday, again in 7°.

It warms up to -1° at 7:55 am when my wave starts.  I shouldn’t have to tell you I’m wearing tights, but underneath I’m wearing Under Armour running long johns and compression socks.  Lost count of how many shirts I’ve layered on.  I expect the campus streets and sidewalks to be clear of ice and snow, but prefer the traction of my trail shoes to that of my street racing flats just in case.  I also have on my North Face running mittens and the ski cap provided in the swag bag.  The race director announces a record cold temperature for this event and fires the starting gun.

Only my face is cold.  I couldn’t find my balaclava.  My cheeks become numb soon enough though.  The course leads down slope the first half mile and back up to the mile point.  The way this event works is you get an invite to run in a wave with others who had similar finish times in the 2013 Bolder Boulder 10K.  There are no age divisions and most of my wave appears to be college age.  Not surprising since this race is on campus.  There are only 23 runners in my wave.  I settle into a pace near the back and run a 7:04 mile.  About what I would expect to run in better weather.

I think I’m holding my pace but slow down 20 seconds for a 7:24 second mile.  The course is a series of up and down slopes.  I surge a bit on the downhills but feel the uphills.  Snow and ice cover sections of the course so my trail shoes are a good call.  I find myself in a bit of a race with a 5 foot tall girl with super long, shiny black hair.  I find out later in the results her name is Emily and only 13 years old.  She tells me nice job when I pass her but she passes me back before the 2 mile mark.  We pass a few runners and I gain on her in the kick but finish behind her in 22:59 with a 7:32 final mile and 7:24 overall pace.

I think the slow pace is more due to being weighed down with all the gear than the cold per se.  We finish in the field house so I take off some of my wet shirts and enjoy a Dale’s Pale Ale while watching the other runners kick in.  I beat one of the 50 year old guys on the Revolution Running Team who beat me a few weeks earlier in the 6K Cross Country race.  That’s all I need to call this race a success.  I eat breakfast at the Golden Buff where they have 99¢ bloody marys.  And I quaff a Coronita during my 11am haircut.  Winter drinking rules are in effect for Colorado.

Karen’s Aunt Sandy passed away the other day and it’s a somber weekend around here.  Karen bought last minute airfare to Austin for the funeral.  After waiting on hold for 45 minutes with Frontier, she discovered they don’t offer bereavement fares.  They still cost half of what United charges.  It will be good for her to spend time with her cousins.  Next up is the Jingle Bell 5K in Fort Collins next weekend.  Sign up if you want to raise money for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  The weather can’t help but be warmer.

One Hundred Miles

01 Sunday Dec 2013

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Left Hand TrailAfter running 50 miles in 5 days during the first half of my vacation, targeting 100 miles over the full 10 days seemed like a good idea.  I lost confidence when my left knee began to hurt.  I slowed down my pace with a 6 mile run on the 7th day.  This seemed to help, enough to where I ran 14 miles on the 8th day to catch back up.  That apres-run recovery required an ibuprofen.  I should take vitamin-I more often, it really does the trick.  I ran an 8 mile trail run with Keith and Jen yesterday, pictured here on Left Hand Trail, and closed out the 10 day training plan with 13 miles today for a full 100 miles.  Actually, 101.

I’ll change up my training program tomorrow with shorter runs.  The next two weekends include relatively short 5K races.  With DST over and less daylight available for running, my distance will necessarily decrease.  I’ll leverage this by working on my speed.  My recorded 5K race pace is currently slower than my 10K pace.  Not too unusual for older runners, it takes us a mile or two to build momentum.  Something I want to work on though.  My goal is to run under a 7 minute per mile pace for a 5K.  I’ll have two shots at it before Christmas.  My expectation is for a quicker time in the second event as my muscles learn how to run faster.  All things being equal.  Speed is learned.  The weather could play a factor and I don’t know if that course in Fort Collins is flat or hilly.  The CU campus course next weekend has some slopes but nothing too steep.

Not sure how I’ll work on speed exactly but I’m looking forward to it.  I’m fairly fatigued from this 100 mile surge.  Oddly enough I ran my best pace of the last 10 days today with almost every mile under 8 minutes.  I was dead yesterday though running a 9 minute pace.  I know from past surges that I need to back off once my knees begin to hurt.  In a sense, it’s positive feedback that I’ve trained hard.  Whether it’s track or football, my money is always on the athlete who is at 95% over the one at 100%.

I’ve been thinking about my goals for next year.  Besides needing to be prepared for a marathon in February, I really just want to maintain.  I achieved modern day PRs this year at the 10K and half marathon distances.  If things work out, I’ll do so in the 5K too.  If I have an improved speed goal next year it will be to best my time in the Bolder Boulder 10K, perhaps sprint up that final hill on Folsom.  Otherwise I’ll take another year of avoiding injury and running a few competitive events.  Nothing wrong with consistency.  I’ve maintained my weight at 175 pounds for close to 2 years now.  I know health charts would have me at 165 for my height, but at least I’m not gaining pounds anymore.  Unless of course I’m starting to shrink due to old age.  I received numerous comments this year from people suggesting I’ve lost weight.  Apparently my body has shape-shifted somewhat, but I’ve been quite steady at 175.  I still have a paunch that is atypical of a marathoner, but it’s flattened slightly.  I’m starting to tuck my shirt in more often.

The vacation training blitz is over.  I’ll still be able to get some distance in on the weekends.  I have Fridays off all month and my Christmas shopping is half complete.  With two more events planned, I shouldn’t call it done, but starting to look ahead into next year.

Stoned in Long Sleeves

29 Friday Nov 2013

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finisher photoStarted out today’s run at 9am, a bit earlier than my other vacation day jaunts.  Less IBM email to process the morning after Thanksgiving.  Mostly Europe and AP.  Only ran 6 yesterday because the recent surge in miles is straining my left knee.  I was thinking 12 today to chase after that 10 mile per day average.

It was a comfortable 45° and I pocketed my cap and gloves shortly after 2 miles.  Before 3 miles I tugged the long sleeves of my T-shirt up over my forearms.  I was wearing the crimson red shirt from the Durango Ultra I ran with Rob in October’s high country fall foliage.  It occurred to me I absolutely love wearing long sleeved T-shirts.  They exude the essence of my Colorado runner’s lifestyle.

I thought back to a girl I dated in college.  I picked her up wearing my Chilympiad long-sleeved 10K race jersey tucked into faded jeans without a belt.  I was actually into her roommate Karen, but she was out of town for winter break and suggested I take Carol out to dinner.  The first words out of Carol’s mouth when she opened the door were, “Oh, I love a guy wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt.”  Texas Co-ed classy.  I recall we had a fun dinner at Grins.  Carol would begin singing Beatle’s songs at random moments in any conversation.  I remember her goodnight kiss to my lips when I dropped her off back at her apartment.  A bit scandalous but I never told her roommate.  What co-ed could resist a trim NCAA athlete, with blonde Tom Petty bangs, wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt.  That night might have cemented my affection for these sporty shirts.

It wasn’t not only the shirt pulling up long-forgotten memories.  It was the perfection of this run.  The dichotomy of the warm Colorado sun cutting through the cool, late November air.  My view headed west on Ogallala Road of the milky white, frosted mountain peaks of the Continental Divide.  From this trail, I could look down at heaven.  Less than 3 miles into my run and I was already deep into the runner’s high.  My blissful condition held for the next 11 miles.  Every other runner, biker, and dog-walker that I encounter smiled at me.  No doubt in response to my face beaming broadly.  I completed 14 miles at an 8 minute pace.

I can’t imagine the day getting better.  Except the family is home for the holidays.  Music is in the air with Brit playing piano and singing with Ellie all week long.  Being a house of girls, they are currently watching the Hallmark channel with Karen in the family room.  I’m sitting in my office now watching college football.  Iowa is beating Nebraska.  I could almost squeal in delight.  How’s your day going?

Fifty in Five

26 Tuesday Nov 2013

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kickTrue to plan, I just ran for the 5th consecutive day while on vacation.  Ten miles per day.  Actually 8 the first day but I squeezed in 12 today.  Having tapered for the prior two weeks, I’m a bit sore but my pace seems on par.  Today was the strongest with an 8 minute per mile pace.  I expect to run another long one tomorrow and am considering maintaining this routine until I return to work Monday.  That will be a hundred miles in ten days.

This photo is in the final block or two of the Denver Marathon last month.  I need to maintain my mileage because I’ve registered for the Austin Marathon in February.  When you have a marathon on your calendar, the date has a way of creeping up on you.  The last time I ran the Austin Marathon, my winter training consisted of 3 and 4 mile runs.  Not making that mistake again.

Open Trail

24 Sunday Nov 2013

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KeithNo big event this weekend but at least I’m running again.  Just went a second week without running, except for the weekend.  I’m over my cold but was too busy this week.  Working from dark to dark doesn’t leave much time for running.  I’ve yet to begin my plan to run shorter distances over lunch.  I’m off next week for Thanksgiving though.  I plan to get in some miles.

I got in 8 miles Friday since I had the day off and 10 Saturday.  I ran another 10 miles this morning with Keith and Jen on the Picture Rock Trail – finally open again after the September floods.  We ran fairly slow due to some dangerous mud in spots.  Running slow on the Picture Rock Trail though doesn’t necessarily make it a low intensity workout.  Five non-stop miles up have a way of challenging your heart.  I’ve had some pretty fun runs on this trail where I race down but not today.  The footing was way too dangerous.

JenThis was my first drive through Lyons, since the flood, on the way to the trail head.  Jen, owning an insurance firm, told us stories of some  of the destruction during the drive.  She pointed out houses that became house boats.  Lyons had such a nice parkway along the river that is totally gone now.  A real shame.  Massive construction looks under way though.  Hope the best for them.