Patience makes perfect...

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams

Yesterday: Run - Zoo Loop (GGCSP), 3 hours 15 minutes
Today: Massage/Hike/Walk - Somewhere, 1 hour
Tomorrow: Golf/Yankees Game - Denver

FINALLY a good run.

Yesterday's run felt great and I have no residual aches or pains this morning. Everything just clicked... from tempo to food to hydration. Hoping this is an indicator of things to come.

I headed out into the forest behind my house and wound my way up to Gap Road where I linked up with Elk Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. GGCSP is one of the gems of the Front Range and, for whatever reason, not too many people seem to know about it. (Which, frankly, is okay by me.) Elk Trail is mostly downhill and starts in the conifers and slowly moves down through meadows and aspen groves, past an old homestead then eventually links up with Mule Deer Trail.

This whole area was once rife with Bootleggers and the remnants of their presence can still be found if you know where to look. There are abandoned cabins, rusted out delivery vans and the like dotting the canyons and hillsides in and around the Park. If you know where to look, you can see evidence of some interesting history.

Mule Deer rises up from the valley floor through the forest to a gorgeous high-meadow where another homestead once existed. This is one of my favorite spots in the Park where Coyote Trail meets Mule Deer. There is a small spring nearby and wildlife abounds (though I didn't see much during yesterday's venture). Rach loves it up here and we hike Coyote often.

Mule Deer continues through more arid terrain and eventually dumps back to some tricky, steep singletrack before it connects with Raccoon Trail. This is another favorite - a fairly mellow 2.5 mile loop that wraps through diverse terrain. The wildflowers were starting to peek out through the grass all along the route - boding well for this summer's season. From Raccoon, I hooked up with the campground loop, refilled my water and headed back home the way I came. More of a popsicle than a loop per se. I was home in just under 3:15 and then sat in the creek for awhile to soak my legs. The remainder of the day was spent freelancing and hanging out with Rach.

Lessons learned:

• Start out slowly: This is key to being able to set a decent pace long-term and to ensure that you don't blow up early on in the run.
• Clif Shots are gross - but are your friend: You have to just gulp these things down but they seem to help a bit. I still like the Margarita Shot Blocks better.
• Pizza doesn't work for a Stu: Dean Karnazes swears by it but it didn't really work so great for me. Perhaps it was the Soy cheese or the fact that Rach makes really yummy spicy pizza but my stomach couldn't take it.

View the full run album here.

My pops is coming to town tomorrow for a belated Father's Day celebration. We are going to play a round of golf then go to the Rockies/Yankees game. Dad's a big Yankees fan so I try to get tickets whenever they come to town. I am really looking forward to spending some time with him enjoying the summer weather. It is not supposed to be too hot tomorrow nor is it supposed to rain so we should be in good shape.

Okay, off to get some work done before meetings in Boulder.

See you out there.

~stubert