A fine line we walk/run

It’s been a good week of moderate workouts since Wildflower. Saturday was crazy working at Bicycle Village during the “Tent Sale”, fun to work with Scott and AJ however. Sunday was a perfect Colorado Day. Temps in the mid 80’s with some slight winds.

Sunday was a long ride out in Boulder and Estes Park at a moderate pace. Of course moderate means “push it” once in a while. Nothing crazy as I’m still keeping an eye on the hamstring, which by the way has seemed to heal quite nicely thanks to my Chiro Dr. Terry.

The title of the blog “A fine line”, we all know it and we all walk it too. We all try to push the limits while training and just living life. Thinking that riding our bike on a 28 degree day up Lookout Mountain is a good idea while the sun is out. Great ride on the way up while you burn up and sweat. The ride down is a different story. Flying down icy snow covered roads at 30+ mph all while your fingers turn into ice-pops, pretty much is the Wrong side of the “line”. While all of my training I feel has been spot on, I have tested myself and pushed a little harder somedays and backed off on the days I’m not feeling so 100%. So I’ve been listening to my body and that is good. Today I listened to my body, and followed the training plan. What I did NOT listen to was the weather forecast. A planned 50 minute run, no problem. Thunderclouds in the boulder area on the drive home, no worries, I’m headed home. Storm clouds in the Denver metro area, not to threatening.

Off to Wash-park for the run. One lap in and I’m feeling fleet a foot, fresh and pick up the pace a little. As I start on the back stretch of the park, the clouds turn jet black, the winds pick up with insane gust of 20+ mph. I keep on running listening to my Ipod. Great song, can’t stop now! The rain starts and the winds are steady, nothing like running in the rain. The rain started nice and easy, as people in the park and trail scattered like ants from one picnic to the next, I just kept on running thinking that it wasn’t that bad. Well I was the one who was wrong. The rain picked up and I picked up the pace to finish my second lap, or that was the thought. Half way through the rain turned to hail and heavy winds. It was stupid outside and I was running? Why? I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with about a mile to my car. The lighting was illuminating the dark sky while the hail fell feverishly. I tried to run in the hail for a little while it was still the size of peas. Then it started to hurt and sting as they increased to the size of grapes. So I took cover under a tree. Not much relief there. I was cold, wet, and being pinged by hail. While under the tree a couple joined me for a brief moment to seek shelter from the storm..ha ha. They where kind enough to offer me shelter in their car just 20 yards away. With that offer came a ride to my car too. What a life saver they were. If it wasn’t for Nate and Jessica, I’d be under a tree still shivering like a falling leave. So thanks to the kindness of strangers who share the same passion and stupidity of running in a thunderstorm!

Next time I’ll be sure to not only listen to my body while training but also the weather man, even thought they correct 90% of the time about being wrong 50% of the time.