Recovery days

Recovery is the key to success. You don't become fitter by just working out at a high level. Your improvements are based on what you do between scheduled workouts and how you take care of your body. Yesterday I woke up feeling lazy but at the same time wanted to get out and do something. I was staying in the dorms so everything was within walking distance. By now you should all know how much I love coffee! There are tons of coffee shops in town. This time I tried a place on Pearl street that seemed to be packed. I was hungry as well so I ordered some breakfast, which was horrible. The coffee was great as it has been at most of the places I've been. For the most part I've eaten at Enoch's sisters. The groceries I bought my second day have went a long way. Since we were at the dorms I had to grab something out. Guess I've been conservative with my money thus far, so no big deal. After two cups of coffee I was wired and wanted to take a trip. I made my way into the mountains, checking out Magnolia road. This is where the University of Colorado does there long runs during the cross country months. The paved road climbs a few thousand feet before leveling out at the top, turning into a dirt road that rolls for miles and miles. Until today it was probably hard getting to the top with the snow that had fallen last week. I debated bringing my running gear, but wanted my run to be a recovery run, and running on rolling hills at 9500 feet would not be smart. I stopped just before the top to take some unbelievable pictures. One of which I posted yesterday. I positioned the camera on top of the car and set the timer for 10 seconds. I cut part of my head off but that's the best I could do. I continued driving for a while, admiring the scenery. I felt as though I was in another world. The sun felt so close, with a noticeable drop in temperature. Tomorrow is a workout day, or I would come back up to run Mags before leaving Boulder. On the way down was a bit scary. The rental is not exactly meant for climbing mountains. Coming around some of the sharp turns, I was slipping on the sand placed on the road from days ago. I finally made it down safe and sound. Once returning to town I laced up my running shoes and hit the Boulder creek path heading west.

Recovery run-

On recovery days I don't put a time on how long I'm going. I just run slower and make that decision in the ladder stages of the run. Sometimes I start to feel better and I'll go a bit further, but still at a slower pace. Around 15 minutes in I was in the mountains... I then hit a path that was muddy and still covered with melting snow. It's a shame cause these paths take you into the mountains and make for some great running. Plus training on soft surfaces is a lot nicer than asphalt. I tried for a while but was working harder than I wanted to. There is also a slight incline once reaching the mountains. I turned around 20 minutes in, returning back towards campus. I was feeling better and kept going pass the dorms for another 6 or so minutes on the path before heading back. I finished up at 52:00 for around 8 miles. My leg has been feeling much better, which is good considering that my mileage has increased, plus I'm now incorporating some workouts!

Dinner-

Around 5:30 Enoch, his cousin Dakota and myself headed into town for happy hour. The deals they have in Boulder are incredible for happy hour! Wish they had something like this in Richmond. Most of the top restaurants in the area offer great dinner deals from 3-7. Places that are rather expensive, but have lower the rates to get people in before typical dinner hours. We decided on an European restaurant the specialized in French cuisine. I ordered some mussels, a slider with goat cheese, something else that I can't remember, creme brulle and a glass of Merlot. All of it was absolutely delicious! Oh I forgot to mention that I had coffee with my desert. Anyhow, we really enjoyed our meal, which was followed by some interesting conversations. We checked out a local music store that was going out out business... Guess the internet has something to do with that. They had great deals on some DVD's, so Enoch bough a few. Once returning home we put in Green Street Hooligans, which is a great movie. Below is a video that Enoch took with my camera during my workout today. Tomorrow I'll be posting the details of that workout, among other things. Enjoy!