Where's the Donuts?

Quiet Sunday morning run, I wanted to get a few miles in because I'm flying to Denver early tomorrow morning (like, pre-dawn early) and probably won't have time to get out with meetings all day. If anyone knows routes in downtown Denver, send them my way because I'm there Tuesday also. 

Warren Bridge-Manette Bridge route, but instead of running through Evergeen Park I went up Park Avenue, through downtown on 4th and to the new marina. I jogged out to the breakwater and did a once around it, some body told me it's 400m exactly but I'm not sure about that. Marina was packed because they had opening ceremonies last night, and I ran into my publisher who was clearly just getting out of his yacht bed and strolling along the dock. Then back to the Manette Bridge and home on upper Shore Drive. Maintained a comfortable pace the whole time, a little extra effort on some hills. Foot felt ok once I got going. 46:02. 

pearl izumi trail
 

Turns out I did have the chance to squeeze in a Monday run in Denver. I was a little skeptical since I was up at 3 a.m. to go to the airport then spent the day sitting in either an airline seat or a conference room in downtown Denver (so long, in fact, that I've had a sore neck for two days from the angle I was sitting in). But I ditched a schmoozy cocktail hour the conference hosted to hit the hot streets of the city. It was 85 that afternoon, and I was jazzed to get outside and run in that weather. If anyone's familiar with Denver, here's the sketch of what I did: From the hotel on Grant Street down about 1.5 miles to a canal trail, then back along the canal into downtown. Pretty nice trail, full of people getting off from work. I felt the heat and the altitude after 2.5 or so, but kept up because I get like that with others around me running. I cut up through downtown by the performing arts center, back to the government plaza, then around the capitol and back to the hotel. 4.5 total, 32 minutes and a good sweaty shirt. 

My foot actually didn't hurt much at all, perhaps because of the heat or that I had so much else on my mind. The downside was I then had to rush down to dinner and didn't get a chance to ice it.  

Early morning in Denver, sun was up but it wasn't hot yet, reminded me of those nice Logan mornings in the summer. I wanted to tour the city a bit and figured the streets would be empty at 6:30 a.m. -- wrong. I was amazed at how lively downtown was, packed on the sidewalk by 7 and full of cars to stop-and-go for. But I had a few nice stretches and felt my rhythm. Started out with just a touch of foot pain, but it subsided fairly soon and wasn't a problem, though by the plane ride home late last night it was aching a bit.

Anyway, another general outline of the run: Hotel Warwick to the capitol, then down the hill toward the art museum and library. I ran around that complex and park, then shot up the surprisingly busy 16th Street Mall. Guess everyone has to get a Starbucks and get to work by 7 in that town. Ran all the way to Union Station, then over to the baseball stadium the Rockies play in and did a lap around it (the outside of it, not the bases). Then back some street outside the park to Broadway, which is a major arterial into downtown, then cruised down Broadway back to 18th Street and up to the hotel. 32:02.

Eight on Beach Drive with Mike, Ernie was out of town. The two of them have an Ironman in two weeks, so they're all done with high mileage runs for awhile. Next two weeks I'll be solo if I want to get double digit miles. I would have added on today except my parents were in town, and sitting around drinking coffee with the old man beckoned. Anyway, good run, we got to talking politics (both Slug Club politics and national -- you can guess which is more intricate) and lost track of the pace. So we ran almost every mile under 7 minutes. But it felt good on a cool, cloudy morning. In the best news of the day, my foot didn't hurt at all. I didn't even remember I was having a problem until I was standing there stretching talking to another slub member who I've complained about it to. So I got that going for me. 55:50.

supernova --329