Good week...

Vanity is the enemy of funny. ~ Rach

Where were we? Oh yeah... back in business.

This week has been pretty solid on the activity side of things. After Sunday's ski with Luke and Pete, I went for a run on Monday. Just a short one, 5 miles in the woods near my house. I didn't feel awesome but did feel a lot better than I have in months. Great news. I followed up with a 6-miler yesterday (Thursday) and logged the best time ever on that particular route. My average pace was just over 10-minute miles and I was able to really put the hammer down for the last couple of miles. Just what I needed. I am not breaking any speed records but I am not really a speed record kind of runner. In case you hadn't noticed.

Luke and I went out this morning for a ski up Niwot Ridge. We left the trail head about 6:15 and were back at the cars by 10:15. Both the up and out were a bit of a slog (just the nature of the Isabelle drainage) but the ski was really a lot of fun. We were a bit concerned up top as the snow was quite firm but as soon as we dropped in, it softened up and was a blast. Big walls on either side; undulating terrain; nice, steep sections; and a sketchy mandatory over some rocks in a tight pinch at the bottom (you had to kindof scootch into the bottom of it and then leap over the rocks and straight-line through a 3-foot chute with a big wall on the right and a huge boulder on the left). Exciting and fun for sure.

Other than that, I have just been working a lot, watching some movies (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is hilarious, incidentally, and inspired Rach's quote above) and reading a ton (finished a second reading of the Potter series, Long Way Round, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, etc. etc.).

More later.

~stubert.

Great day on Audubon...

Tearing it up on Audubon (thanks to Luke for the shot)

The best of all medicines is resting and fasting. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Happy day. After three weeks of rest, I got back out there Sunday with Luke and Pete. Check out the shots: Stu's photos, Luke's photos, Pete's photos.

During the past three weeks, I have tried to just give my body (and mind) a much needed rest. Not sure I accomplished that completely but I did tinker with my new motorcycle a lot, read, watched some movies, played a little golf with my pops. That kind of fun and/or games.

So I have never been the world's most adept mechanic but really wanted to start wrenching myself on this bike. In the past, the thought of rebuilding a carburetor was daunting, to say the least. With my new bike, however, I have just jumped in there and gotten my hands dirty (both figuratively and literally).

I started out with a bone-stock 2008 DR650 and then went to town on some of the pieces that needed some improvement. I started small, essentially updating bolt-ons. Easy for sheezy. Then I moved on to more complex projects: Updating the front and rear suspension, changing tires, doing a crazy airbox mod, rejetting and modifying the carb, etc. Now it runs like a champ. And I definitely got a big feeling of satisfaction having done all the work myself. Good stuff.

So back to skiing... Pete, Luke and I met at the Brainard Lake gate at 6 yesterday morning and jumped on the bikes for to ride in as far as possible before starting the hike up Audubon. Pretty much immediately, I was attacked by my bike but my ass is fine, thanks for asking. We rode in as far as we could (just shy of the Mitchell Lake road) and then started the hike up Audubon.

Luke, Pete, then me on Audubon

It was a chilly, windy morning but that is pretty typical for this time of year and we made good time up the flank of Audubon. Much easier going than this time last year as there are still some large snowfields one can walk up and not too much trudging through sloppy willow patches. I was feeling strong all the way up and we paused to look into the Elevator Shaft on the way up. Well, Luke looked, Pete and I hung out, ate some food (chocolate covered cranberries are yummy) and relaxed in the sun at 11000+ feet.

We quickly reached our ski destination: A nice fun snowfield which we hit at the ultimate hour for perfect snow conditions. This particular field wasn't too steep or exposed so one could pretty much ski without worrying too much about consequences. I felt pretty solid on the ski as well which, after not skiing for 3 weeks, was much appreciated.

We then moved over to the notch, booted up (thanks to Luke for leading the way, once again), monkeyed around up top trying to figure out a way to summit, then opted to just ski the Notch Line. This is a bit steeper and more confined than our first line but the snow was still quite good and it was a blast to ski. We then dropped back down to Mitchell Lake and worked our way back out to the bikes.

Pete got a flat on the way out but otherwise, it was a pretty problem-free day. I was fairly tired by the end but felt MUCH better than the last several times out and about. Not sure about the Leadville 50 (I think I have til the end of the month to decide on that) but this was encouraging, to say the least.

Today I am a little sore and fatigued but the weather is crap anyway so no real loss. I am hoping to head back up with Luke on Wednesday morning to ski the center chute on the flank or Elevator Shaft. I'll keep you posted on that.

In the meantime, don't do anything I wouldn't do first.

~stubert.

Exhausted...

Ben in the backcountry above Brainard. Badass.

And I'm spent. ~ Austin Powers

Post L.A. things didn't really improve for me fitness-wise. I did those two 9-mile runs and felt pretty crappy then followed up a week later with a fun (but somewhat frustrating) run on the 3rd. Bob and I started from his place in Boulder, ran up Flagstaff and back down to Boulder Canyon (down the back side of Flag). I really enjoy this run most of the time. The section from the top of Flag down to the canyon is frequently filled with interesting fauna and this time was no exception. Bob and I saw 9 turkey (turkeys?) in a group on the side of the trail. We stopped to watch them for a bit and then continued down the hill. We did spot what appeared to be big kitty tracks and then were pleased to be able to confirm that yes, bears do in fact shit in the woods.

While heading back down Boulder Canyon, I started to fade a bit and really started to suffer going back up and over the shoulder of Flagstaff. Just feeling really weak, somewhat nauseated, etc. We made it back to Bob's in under 3 hours (~14 miles) and I started feeling worse and worse. Just pretty much limped home (drive) and called it a day.

On the following Monday, Ben and I went out to ski Mt. Toll. More of the same, really. It was quite warm but I was really, really slow. I didn't even make it up to the top. By the time we actually were skiing, I felt like hammered crap and was again nauseated and just spent. Oh well. It was a gorgeous day, in any event, so that was nice. Ben and I were a bit late and the snow had turned to mush by the time we were skiing but it was a lot of fun. Feeling like ass aside.

So post that adventure, I made the decision to take a couple of weeks completely off. I will allow myself to hike a little, maybe play some golf. That's it. One week down now and another to go (at least). I think I am just mega fatigued from this Spring's events. Whatchagonnnado?

New ride.

In other news, I bought a new motorcycle. So far, I really like it a lot. It is a DR650 and is geared for dual-sport riding. I am going to set it up for dirt adventures and have found thus far for the bike to be quiet, smooth and light. Certainly compared to the Beemer I sold in April.

I also have watched a few good flicks of late. Iron Man was quite good as was American Gangster. We watched Long Way Round again which is really entertaining. I recommend all three. Go see Iron Man in the theater. It has incredible special effects and Robert Downey Jr. is great (as usual).

Other than that, just laying low, getting some work done, and resting. Good times.

~stubert.

L.A. stories...

Wow... there IS a pay phone in L.A.

You know, you're really nobody in L.A. unless you live in a house with a really big door. ~ Harris

I spent the last few days visiting my buddy John and his brother Mike in L.A.. They have a great place in Playa Vista and we spent a fun-filled three days just pretty much kicking it. No real agenda, which was nice.

I flew in early on Saturday then John and I grabbed some food at A Votre Sante in Brentwood. This is apparently a pretty frequent destination for famous Hollywood stars (the Butterscotch Stallion frequents this joint) but none were spotted while we were there. I found the food to be decent, nothing special. Just in case you were wondering. We then drove around Brentwood and the surrounding hills where John gave me a tour of the area and L.A. history lesson.

Not sure how Donovan scored a hat trick when he was two rows in front of us.

Mike showed up later that afternoon and we then headed out to watch some soccer. The Galaxy was playing Chivas USA in an inter-city rivalry that was actually pretty fun to watch. The Roach brothers have some sweet connections so I was treated to amazing seats mid-field, about 25 rows up. Pretty perfect, really. The Galaxy won 5-3 with Landon Donovan pouring in a hat trick. After the game, I drove the guys back to the Playa (John has a sweet whip) and then we went out late-night to Father's Office, a cool bar with a new location in L.A.. They revamped an abandoned old bread factory and turned it into a bunch of upscale shops and whatnot. Pretty sweet.

Mike and I headed out the next morning to a trail run (Sullivan Canyon) John showed me on our tour the previous day. This was a relatively mellow run that was mostly contained within a lush canyon that climbed up to Mulholland Drive (the dirt portion). Mike thought this was 2.5 to 3 miles to the top but it ended up being closer to 4.5. While in the canyon, you wouldn't really know you were in L.A.. Pretty amazing. There was some wildlife, lots of trees and other foliage and the trail increased in pitch throughout the run. I felt kindof like crap as the heat was bugging me a bit and I ran out of water thinking it was only going to be about 6 miles total but it was a lot of fun. At one point, I had about a hundred butterflies flying next to me while I ran down the trail. Sweet! We grabbed a drink at the Brentwood market on the way back to the Playa and then rousted John (he's a vampire) and then headed out for some lunch.

As you can tell, I ate a lot while on the trip. L.A. has some kickass, funky, vegan restaurants and fortunately for me, John and Mike were willing to give them a try. We hit Silverlake, a cool village that is home to a lot of artists and musicians (Beck, Silversun Pickups, etc.) and ate at Flore. Great food for sure. There was this Jame Gumm looking fella working there, which was amusing and a steady stream of freaky people, which made me feel right at home. We kicked around Silverlake for a bit then headed up to the observatory for a peek at this massive city (20 million people) from above. Then drove by the Scientology Castle for a laugh and around Hollywood. Good stuff. We ate that night at Mao's Kitchen in Venice. Good eats, pretty mediocre service. But if you know that going in, you're okay.

Johnny... seriously watching this dog.

Monday morning, I was planning a big run but opted to ride bikes instead. Mike and I rode to Santa Monica for breakfast and then back through Venice. There are some people you see almost every time you go to that area, like Johnny the Dog Watcher and the Running Guy. Johnny sets up shop during the farmer's market and watches everyone's dogs for them. Pretty awesome. The Running Guy is this dude in his 40s (I am guessing) that you can pot blocks off. He never wears a shirt and I literally have seen him almost every time I have gone to Venice. Not sure what his deal is but the dude is like leather and is ALWAYS running down the boardwalk. Probably puts Dean Karnazes to shame. We also saw a habitat-challenged-opiate-enthusiast (homeless junkie) walking down the street with a $5 cup of coffee. Not sure exactly what to say about that but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Pelicans are cool.

Mike and I rode back through Marina del Rey, watched a shitload of pelicans dive bombing for food for a bit, then took Reggie for a walk. Mike needed to get back to the desert so we jammed down to Santa Monica for an amazing lunch at Real Food Daily, a quick trip around the Promenade to check on the world's biggest Chia Pets and then back to the Playa.

Chia Pet

I seem to have picked up a bug on the way home as my throat is wicked sore today. Hoping it isn't serious but we'll see. If it is, it will be the second time this year that I have gotten sick post airline travel. Lame.

I am looking forward to staying home for awhile after so much travel these past two months but did really enjoy my trip. It was good to have very little planned and to just kick it for a few days. I highly recommend that type of vacation.

~stubert.

When a month feels like a million years...

I hope those last days with her were lucid, heart-opening and helped with a sense of closure and celebrating life. ~ Jonny Copp

So aside from a blip last week where I live-blogged the Enduro, things have been pretty quiet around RunStuRun of late (as I am sure you have noticed). These last few weeks have been crazynuts. Rachel and I have been taking turns going over to Gunnison to help my dad care for my mom in her last days. She passed away two weeks ago after a long battle with cancer. Not good times, I can assure you. Take the quote above and reverse it in every possible way and you will get the experience we have all had to endure.

As most of you probably do not know, I have long been a proponent of physician assisted suicide. I even wrote my Senior Thesis on the subject after doing interviews and surveys of a large group of physicians. Their comfort with the subject was mixed but I feel strongly that we have the right to a dignified death. Unfortunately, there is a small yet vocal community here in the States that disagrees quite fervently. My guess is that few of them had to bear witness to the final weeks of a loved-one with terminal cancer. Let me just say, this is a shitty way to go.

So March and April saw Rach and I taking shifts at my mom's bedside, seeing each other for a few hours every week or so as we became more and more familiar with the 200+ mile drive between my parents' house and our own. I am off again this weekend to L.A. but am hoping to get some serious stay-at-home time in the coming month. Needless to say, I miss my sweetie and can't thank her enough for all she did to help out with what was a repeat performance for her. Rachel's mom died from cancer back in '99 and Rach was her sole care-giver for her final two months. Knowing what doing this once feels like, I can't really put words to how awful the repeat performance must have been.

So the last few weeks weren't all bad. I did get to do a little skiing at the Butte (off the hook), got in a couple of runs in Gunny (flat pavement is a bit boring), did the Enduro with Luke (56 runs, ~112000 feet of vert, not too shabby), and have started running again in order to try to get into shape for the summer's fun and/or games.

I did a short run in the woods around our house on Tuesday that quickly turned into a bit of a lost-in-the-woods post-holing hike but it was fun to get out. There is still too much snow up high so I'll have to stick to the roads up here for a bit. Yesterday, I decided it would be a good idea to run Flagstaff and Green Mountains in Boulder. Roughly 10 miles with feet of climbing. I didn't run a lot of this as I am still working into my running fitness and was pretty hammered by the time I made it to Bear Canyon but feel okay about the effort in general. I was quite a bit off my pace from the same run (roughly the same time) last year but that was a spectacular run and like I said, I am still working on my running fitness right now. With only 6 runs or so tallied for the year, I feel good about my performance.

So there you go. The Cliffs Notes version of what is happening in the world of Stu. I am still hoping to break 70 ski days this year (63 thus far) and am really looking forward to a lot of long runs in the coming months. I would also like to build a garage but need to get my act together to get that done. As always, I'll keep you posted.

~stubert.