2008 Garden Training Runs
Everybody is welcome - Just Show Up!

Car Break-Ins
At the May 22nd run, while we were out running, two cars were broken into
and items were stolen.  The police have been notified.  Please don't leave
valuables in plain view.  From now on, one of us will stay in the parking lot
during the run to prevent this from happening again.

Garden of the Gods at the April 17th Training Run
Photo courtesy Harsha Nagaraj

 
Garden of the Gods at the April 24th Training Run
Photo courtesy Harsha Nagaraj

What: Garden Training Runs

Organized By: Pikes Peak Road Runners

Why: To get ready for the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run on June 8, or just to participate in some group training.

When: 6:00 - 7:00 AM on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Apr 1 - June 5

Where: Garden of the Gods Park, north parking lot, adjacent to Kissing Camels rock formation. View map.

Protocol: We split into 3-4 groups based on ability.  Each group runs together (or at least starts together) at a pace that is generally within the ability of the group members.  The group lead can decide the route and any other training features, e.g., intervals, etc.  Workouts last about an hour (give or take a few minutes).  Routes vary from workout to workout, and are usually within the confines of the Garden of the Gods Park, although sometimes a group will explore neighborhoods and trails that are adjacent to the park.

• Front-of-the-Packers Group (aka Push-The-Pace Group) - Run 8 minute miles or faster (or thereabouts)
• Middle-of-the-Packers Group - Run 8-10 minute miles (or thereabouts)
• Back-of-the-Packers Group (aka Social Group) - Run 10+ minute miles (or thereabouts).  This group will typically "loop back" at the crest of each hill, and go back and pickup the slower members of the group.  This allows the group to stay together throughout most of the workout.
• Trail Runners Group - Includes all ability levels.

Incentives:

• The beauty of running in the Garden is enough to get those endorphins exploding.
• Runners attending 8 or more workouts are given a free shirt from past races, courtesy of the Triple Crown of Running.
• Group training with others of similar abilities provides great motivation.
• Excellent way to start the day off on the right foot (or left foot).
• Prize drawings at the last workout on June 5th.

Contact: Dave Sorenson (473-7848, evenings)

Previous Years Stats: 2007, 2006, 2005

Dress Rehearsal Dates: On Saturdays, May 17 and May 24 at 7:00 am, we'll have a dress rehearsal training run of the entire 10 mile course.  We'll run the full 10-mile course starting/finishing at Memorial Park in Manitou Springs.  Runners will need to carry their own water.

Attendance

Daily Notes

Thursday, June 5th.  48 degrees, cloudy, raining, sometimes hard.  Well, for the second year in a row, the final Garden Training run was met with interesting weather.  Last year it was gale force winds, this year it was a cold rain with a little thunder and lightening.  But 68 people still showed up.  There was also about 50 Army personnel who showed up for an early-morning workout.  Most did go out for a short run.  The social group even stayed out for a good 3+ miles, and they are all ready for Sunday's race.  Michael Shafai and John Gardner brought some Starbucks coffee, and everybody jumped at that.  There was also a bit of food.  Door prizes were donated by the Triple Crown of Running and the Colorado Running Company and I think everybody got something.  Thank you to all the runners for the gift certificates and the thank you cards.  That was unexpected and very thoughtful.  I really appreciate it.  We'll be back again next year to do it all again.  I'm sure there was some wildlife out there today, but unlike us runners, they were smart enough to stay out of the rain.

Tuesday, June 3rd.  53 degrees, warming to the lows 60s, clear, no wind.  This is our last week of these training runs.  Everybody who is racing the 10-miler on Sunday should be backing off and taking it a bit easier.  On Thursday, we'll have some door prizes and some light refreshments.  3 rabbits and 5 deer were spotted today.

Thursday, May 29th.  52 degrees, warming slightly, mostly clear, humid, no wind.  Even though the humidity was not nearly as severe as other parts of the country, several commented that they struggled because of the humidity.  I guess we are spoiled, as humidity is usually not an issue in Colorado.  We had three generations from the same family this morning, which we think is the first time ever that has happened.  Geri Widdows and daughter Giselle Gossage were here, whom are regulars.  Giselle also brought her daughter, Quinn, for the 3rd generation.  4 deer, 1 rabbit, 1 chipmunk, and 2 ducks were spotted today.  One of the ducks, a female, was injured and in pretty bad shape, apparently from an attack from a coyote or a fox.  The male duck was standing bravely nearby but didn't quite know what to do.

Tuesday, May 27th.  47 degrees, mostly cloudy with a light chilly wind.  A post Memorial Day long weekend saw a smaller than usual turnout.  The temperatures were good for a hard workout, but many were recovering from hard weekend workouts, or that extra yard work that uses muscles that we normally don't use.  It will be good to get back to work and rest.  2 rabbits were spotted.

Thursday, May 22nd.  53 degrees, warming to the upper 50s, mostly cloudy, no wind.  The Garden Training Runs have gone international, as we had one runner, Frederic Gagne, from Montreal join us.  Also, for the first time ever, a runner brought two daughters to the training run, as daughters Emilie and Ellen Satterwhite joined their mom Robin Satterwhite at the run.  Emilie and Robin are regulars, but they somehow managed to drag Ellen out of bed at the crack of dawn.  JD McKenna took his trail group to The Gully, I'm not actually sure where that is.  Many runners are staying longer and getting in some extra miles.  8 deer, and 1 coyote chasing a deer were spotted.  10 bicyclists were also on the roads today.

Tuesday, May 20th.  47 degrees, warming to the mid 50s, sunny, no wind.  It was an absolute perfect day for a run in the Garden.  The weather could not have been better and the morning sunrise was beautiful.  All of the vegetation in the Garden is now coming to life.  There were lots of runners coming to life today also, as we had another big group.  JD McKenna said his normal adventure routes that he takes his group on about this time of year is not available anymore, since the property owners have put up some fencing.  So he'll find some adventure routes.  All of the groups got in a good workout, and some runners stayed longer to get in an extra mile or two.  With the warmer temps, we are seeing more bicyclists on the roads.  6 deer,  2 rabbits, lots of birds and 5 bicyclists were spotted.

Thursday, May 15th.  41 degrees, falling to 39, cloudy, cold blustery wind, occasional sprinkles.  The less than perfect weather kept the numbers down again this morning.  It was snowing in Monument and raining hard in Briargate, but from a rain perspective, it was ok in the Garden.  It was not raining at the beginning of the run, but some light sprinkles were encountered during the run.  The cold wind made it hard to keep warm and comfortable.  The trail groups stayed on the roads today, as nobody wanted to get back in their vehicles with muddy shoes.  It was a bonanza deer day, as 8 deer were spotted.

Tuesday, May 13th.  43 degrees, falling to 41, cloudy, a few drops of rain/grapple, breezy.  The threat of rain kept a few people away, but we still had a decent-sized group.  JD McKenna, one of the trail group leads, was back.  He had a bicycle accident in Red Rock Canyon, hitting a rock and going over the handle bars, landing on his head.  His helmet took the brunt of the impact, but the doctor said bed rest for 48 hours and no running for a week.  We were all glad to see him back today.  The normal groups did anywhere from about 5-7 miles.  The social group even started downhill for the first time in a long time.  Lots of wildlife was spotted, including 2 ducks, 3 rabbits, and 5 deer.

Thursday, May 8th.  43 degrees, warming to the upper 40s, clear, no wind.  It was an attack the hills day, as the social group included the Balanced Rock hill in their route.  And the middle of the pack group included Ridge Road in their route.  It's amazing how strong everybody is getting, and there's lots of healthy heavy breathing going on.  JD McKenna, one of the trail group leads, was gone for the 2nd time this week, so his group tagged along with other groups.  We are getting worried about JD.  Lots of birds were spotted today, as well as 3 deer, 2 rabbits and 1 mouse.

Tuesday, May 6th.  39 degrees, warming to the upper 40s, clear, no wind.  It was another beautiful day in our backyard, and another large group showed up.  We did the normal groups, but JD wasn't here so his trail group tagged along with Mike's group, at least to start with.  It was a big dog day, as we had 5 dogs join their owners this morning.  A good workout for all was obtained.  One fox was spotted.

Thursday, May 1st.  40 degrees, cloudy, a light wind.  Boy, another month has passed us by.  Today was mid-term exam day, which means that the groups included Ridge Road in their route.  Ridge Road is the steepest and longest hill in the park with several false summits.  It was good seeing everybody cruise up the hill, and I'm happy to report that everybody passed the mid-term exam.  There was also a tour group out today.  A tour bus dropped off about 40 people at the top of Ridge Road.  Those people then walked through the Garden and met their tour bus in the big parking lot where the training runs start.  Thus the Garden was alive with activity on a morning when the weather guys said it would be raining.  We are now half-way through these training runs.  1 rabbit and 2 deer were spotted.

Tuesday, April 29th.  41 degrees, mostly cloudy, no wind.  Another big group showed up today as we set the record high for attendance (for this year) of 97.  We announced that Thursday will be mid-term exam day, which means the groups should include Ridge Road on their route.  So we'll see how the attendance goes for Thursday.  All the groups are getting stronger and covering more ground.  JD McKenna is getting his group ready for some adventure excursions, as he took his group on some "trails" near Ridge Road.  His famous waterfall and bench runs should be coming up soon.  2 rabbits and 7 deer were spotted, and didn't seem to mind us at all.

Thursday, April 24th.  40 degrees, warming a bit during the run, clear skies, no wind.  Another beautiful day for a morning run.  A couple of the medium-sized trees in the Garden are in blossom.  It won't be long before others follow suit.  The shorter grasses are getting lots of green in them.  The normal groups did anywhere from 5-7+ miles.  JD McKenna took his trail group on more of an adventure run to trails that are seldom used.  That group came back tired, and huffing and puffing, but with satisfied looks.  A week from today is mid-term exam day.  2 deer were spotted.  Harsha Nagaraj was busy with his camera again, and passed along the following photos to share.

Tuesday, April 22nd.  32 degrees, clear skies, no wind.  There was a near-full moon setting over mountains before the run started.  The sunrise was gorgeous as the sun first directed a spotlight on Pikes Peak, followed by the lower Front Range mountains, and finally into the Garden.  A large group showed up today to enjoy the run.  It looks like everybody is getting stronger, and the hills are not as taxing as they used to be.  Some runners are actually attacking the uphills now, rather than just trying to survive them.  5 deer, 2 rabbits and 1 fox were spotted today.

Thursday, April 17th.  30 degrees, cloudy, occasional light snow, windy during check-in but not much wind during the run.  The snowfall intensified during the last few minutes of the run.  It was another weather Thursday day, and last night's and this morning's snowfall kept many people away.  The number of people with perfect attendance dropped from 35 to 25.  There was about 3-4 inches of snow in the Garden, but the roads were clear.  The trails were also mostly clear of snow, but they were sloppy.  JD McKenna did a test of the trails during the check-in and came back with about an inch of mud on his shoes.  Thus both trail groups stayed on the roads and did a mid-term exam warm-up, taking in Ridge Road.  Lisa Heckel led the social group and they got in about 5 miles.  The other two groups did a mile or so more than that.  All in all, it was actually a good day for running.  There was one photographer out, trying to get those classic snow scenes in the Garden pictures.  2 rabbits were also spotted.  Note: Harsha Nagaraj stayed longer than most and took a few pictures to share with us.  Enjoy.  Thank you, Harsha.

Tuesday, April 15th.  44 degrees, clear skies, no wind.  What a beautiful spring day, a spring fever type of day.  The nice weather also brought out the largest crowd we've had this season.  Today is also tax day, and when asked who had not done their taxes yet, nobody raised their hands.  All of the groups are running for a full hour now, covering anywhere from 5-8 miles and really attacking the hills.  Lots of wildlife was spotted, including several rabbits, a coyote, a mouse, magpies, and larger birds, probably hawks, are roosting in the high rocks.

Thursday, April 10th.  36 degrees, cloudy, humid, windy during check-in, but the wind subsided once we started running.  The threat of bad weather kept some people away as we had a smaller group than normal and the number of runners with perfect attendance went from 53 to 37 after today.  We heard reports of snow in Woodland Park, cars sliding off the highway on Monument Hill, and snow in the Eagleview area.  But we lucked out with the weather, as it was actually decent running weather in the Garden.  All of the groups got in a good workout, as runners tore through the trails, ripped on the roads, and high-stepped some hill repeats.  No wildlife was spotted today.

Tuesday, April 8th.  28 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, no wind.  It sure was a beautiful day for a run in the Garden.  In fact, a few even started early at 5:30 am because of an early meeting at their work.  It's still dark when runners are checking in, but by 6:10 or so, there's enough daylight to see fine.  In another week or two, the darkness won't be an issue at all.  The normal groups ran anywhere from about 5 to 7 miles.  The hills are still a bear, but hey, it's only the second week and they'll get easier as times goes on.  1 bunny rabbit and 4 deer were spotted by one of the trail groups, and the middle-of-the-pack group spotted 12 rabbits and a group of 6 deer on the east side of the park.

Thursday, April 3rd.  37 degrees, mostly clear skies, with a strong and cold wind.  If felt colder than Tuesday, even though the temperature was 12 degrees warmer.  We did the normal groups, 3 road groups and 2 trail groups.  The social group ran 4 miles today and are planning for 5 next week.  The other groups all ran longer than that.  Some of the trail group people do wear a headlamp so they can see the trail better when it's still dark for the first couple of miles.  Early in the run, there was a beautiful sliver of the moon in the southeastern sky.  And in the latter part of the run, the rising sun was a huge orange ball on the eastern horizon.  1 deer and 1 rabbit were spotted today.

Tuesday, April 1st.  25 degrees, mostly cloudy, no wind.  A large group showed up to start a new season of Garden Training Runs.   There were many familiar faces and also many new faces.  We got right down to business and split into various groups.  Tim Allison led the fast group, Josh Herman led the middle-of-the-pack group, Steve Jennings led the social group.  All three of these groups ran on the roads.  There were also two trail groups, one led by Michael Shafai and the other led by JD McKenna.  The social group eased into things and did an easy 3 miles.  They will gradually add more miles to their runs.  The other groups ran longer and stayed out for about an hour.  3 rabbits were spotted.

2007 Statistics Summary:

2006 Statistics Summary:

2005 Statistics Summary: