2009 Garden Training Runs
Everybody is welcome - Just Show Up!

Photos - Courtesy Chris Mortenson

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 14, or just to participate in some group training.

When: 6:00 - 7:00 AM on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Apr 7 - June 11

Where: Garden of the Gods Park, north parking lot, adjacent to Kissing Camels rock formation. View map.  Take the 30th Street entrance to the Garden of the Gods.  At the first intersection, you'll have to turn right, and go up a hill.  The north parking lot is about 3/4 of the way up this hill.

Protocol: We split into several 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.
• Faster Trail Runners Group - The faster trail group normally does specific workouts that will include "tempo" type runs on Tuesday and "interval" (hills or speed) runs on Thursdays.  Warm-ups are generally 10-20 minutes at about an 8:30-9 minute/mile pace then the training portion of the run will vary depending upon ability.  If you want to be notified 24 hours ahead of time regarding the actual workout, please email the group leader, Mike Shafai, at michael.c.shafai@smithbarney.com.

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 11th.

Contact: Dave Sorenson (473-7848, evenings)

Previous Years Stats: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

Dress Rehearsal Dates: On Saturdays, May 23 and May 30 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.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I sign up for these training runs?  You don't have to sign up ahead of time, just show up.  The first time you show up, you'll be asked to fill out a waiver form.  From then on, please check-in when you show up, as we do keep attendance.
• Will there be somebody there who runs my pace?  Most likely, yes.  There is a wide range of ability levels that participate, from 6-minute milers to 15-minute milers.
• How long do the runs last?  Usually about an hour, give or take a little bit.  If you need to leave before your group has completed their run, just turnaround early.  Or if you have time and want to put in some extra miles, just keep pounding the pavement/trail.
• Do the runs start on time? Yes.  At 6:00 AM, we have some very brief announcements, then we split into groups and take off.
• Will I need a headlamp?  For about the first 4 weeks, if you are running on trails, it's a good idea to have a headlamp for the first mile or two of your run.  If you are running on the roads, you can get by fine without a headlamp.  After 4 weeks, there is enough daylight at 6:00 AM such that nobody will need a headlamp.
• Can I walk?  Yes. there are usually a couple of walkers who join us.
• Can I bring my dog?  Yes.  In past years there have been 2-3 dogs who join us and it hasn't been a problem.  If we start getting bunches of dogs and things get out of hand, we'll have to rethink that policy.  According to park rules, dogs need to be on a leash, except for an open grassy area adjacent to 30th Street.
• Are there bathrooms?  Yes, there are open bathrooms adjacent to the parking lot.  The other bathrooms in the park near the Scotsman picnic area are closed for the winter and usually don't open until sometime in May.
• How much do the training runs cost?  They are free to the participants.  The Pikes Peak Road Runners make arrangements with the Parks Department to let them know what we are doing, and the PPRR does submit their liability insurance to Park & Rec.  Before 2009, Park & Rec did not charge the PPRR, since it wasn't an actual race, as we are basically general park users.  Because of budget cuts in 2009, Park & Rec is now charging $60 per month ($180 total), plus a $25 application fee, plus a $150 refundable damage deposit.  The PPRR is absorbing these costs.
• I'm just visiting from out-of-town.  Can I join you?  Absolutely.  Let the organizer know where you are from so we can announce it to everybody and welcome you.
• Are the runs canceled when the weather is bad?  No.  There will always be a few diehards who show up, thus if you hear it storming outside when your alarm goes off, get out of bed and show up so you can be the one that teases those who didn't show up.
• Is the area safe?  Generally, yes.  But it's always a good idea to run with others, especially the women.  We did have an incident in 2008 where 2 cars were broken into during the run on one morning.  A purse was stolen from each vehicle.  To prevent this from happening in 2009, the organizer will run his route near the parking lot and keep an eye on things.
• Is there vehicle traffic in the park?  Yes, but at 6-7 AM it is light.  However, for safety reasons, please run in the bicycle lane rather than the vehicle lane.

Attendance

Daily Notes

Thursday, June 11th.  47 degrees, warming to the low 50s, cloud cover, no wind.  This was our last official Garden Training run for this year.  The groups ran shorter than normal, about 30-40 minutes, then we had some socializing, refreshments and door prizes.  The door prizes were generously donated by the Triple Crown of Running, Colorado Running Company, Noodle & Company, East Winds Acupuncture and Sadhana Therapy.  Thank you very much.  Josh Herman is going to be continuing his group and will have some info posted on the website soon.  Many others will start meeting at Bear Creek Park on Tuesday to get ready for the Summer Roundup Trail Run.  Good luck to everybody at the Garden 10 Miler on Sunday.

Tuesday, June 9th.  55 degrees, mostly sunny, with a bit of a blustery wind.  The end is near, as this is the last week of the Garden Training Runs.  We had a return out-of-town visitor as Mike Halas from White Plains, New York joined us again.  Also, Chris Knapp, who has perfect attendance at these training runs, really excelled at the Nielson Challenge over the weekend, as he was the most improved runner at the Nielson.  Chris' hard work is really paying off.  Finally, we also sang Happy Birthday to Laura Kelecy, as tomorrow she will be celebrating a birthday.  Her husband made a surprise appearance for Laura.  Thursday will be a celebration day so don't miss it.

Thursday, June 4th.  45 degrees, warming to the mid 50s, sunny, no wind.  Hey, the sun is back, and it felt great.  The Garden was so beautiful this morning, as the recent rains have really spurred the growth of the vegetation.  There are some beautiful purple flowers in bloom, and lots of wildlife activity.  Each group got in another hard workout.

Tuesday, June 2nd.  52 degrees, cloudy, no wind, no rain except for a few sprinkles for a couple of minutes.  We lucked out on the weather.  It had been raining all night, but stopped before our run at 6:00 am, and then it started raining lightly again after 7:00 am.  So we should all go out and buy lottery tickets with that luck.  The trail groups stayed on the roads today to avoid some muddy spots on the trails.  We are getting close to the home stretch.  Hard workouts are still in order this week, but we should back off a bit next week.

Thursday, May 28th.  47 degrees, warming to the mid 50s, sunshine, no wind.  The nice weather has returned, and it felt great, much like a nice worn-in pair of jeans.  We had an out-of-state guest from Illinois, Laura.  Also, Kirk Bigg, had just returned from deployment in the middle east about 36 hours ago, but he was there ready to go.  He's signed up for the Triple Crown and wants to get in some hills before race day.  All the groups did about an hour run.  There were some early birds from Mike Shafai's groups that starts shortly after 5:00 am, so they got in a super duper workout (that's a technical running term).

Tuesday, May 26th.  49 degrees, cloudy, light wind, one or two sprinkles.  Well, the combination of weather and the long weekend kept the attendance numbers down today.  But those who showed up got to slay a few hills.  The trail groups stayed off the trails today because they were pretty muddy with all the rain we received over the holiday weekend.  Hopefully, by Thursday, this rainy weather pattern will be gone and we'll get back to normal.

Thursday, May 21st.  64 degrees, mostly cloudy, light wind at the beginning but then no wind.  We had another out-of-town guest, this time it was Mark Sonksen from Chicago, who is visiting his sister, Rita Cardin.  Rita is one of our regulars.  The groups are sure getting strong and just killing the hills.  It's so cool to see everybody make noticeable progress.  We have a dress rehearsal on Saturday to run the entire 10 miles.  It should be fun.

Tuesday, May 19th.  55 degrees, warming to the low 60s, sunny, no wind.  What an absolute beautiful morning.  There were all kinds of activities in the Garden this morning.  In addition to all of the runners, there were a handful of photographers, including a guy getting a picture of his car with the rocks in the background.  (He must be getting ready to sell it.)  There were also several bicyclists and walkers.  And there was a guy zonked out in his car in one of the pullouts.  I wonder if he had been sleeping there all night.  The groups got in a good workout, including Ridge Road Repeats for Mike's group.  This is a tough workout, maybe it even crosses the line into torture.  But Nancy Pelosi claims she was never briefed on this workout (even though she is on Mike's e-mail list).  Harsha Nagaraj took these photos.

Thursday, May 14th.  48 degrees, sunny, with a blustery cold wind.  Boy, it was a real killer running into the wind, but besides that, it was a beautiful morning.  We are six weeks down and four weeks to go, which means there is still plenty of time to get in some good hard training before the Garden 10 Miler.

Tuesday, May 12th.  54 degrees, warming a few degrees, sunny with a noticeable wind.  A warm day brought out a large group again.  We are starting the 2nd half of these training runs and everybody is looking good and fit and really slaying these hills.  Josh took his group to Rampart Range Road, which is pretty tough.  The other groups all got in a solid hour of running.  We had another out-of-state guest, this time from North Carolina.

Thursday, May 7th.  45 degrees, warming to the low 50s, sunny with no wind.  What an absolutely beautiful day.  I'm looking forward to one of these days on a weekend when I have more time to play.  Today was mid-term exam day and most groups included Ridge Road on their route.  Everybody handled it with ease, as most groups came back earlier than usual after slaying Ridge Road.  We had another out-of-state runner, this time it was Mike Halas from White Plains, New York.  It's always fun to have out-of-towners join us.

Tuesday, May 5th.  42 degrees, lots of sunshine, no wind.  We had one out-of-town guest, Michael Fortuna, from Tampa.  He ran with Michael Shafai's fast trail group, so got in a real good workout, and still came back smiling.  He'll be in the area for about 4 months and does plan to attend more training runs.  We are almost about half way through these training runs, so Thursday will be our mid-term exam day.  It should be a blast.

Thursday, April 30th.  48 degrees, lots of sunshine, light wind.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning.  There were even a couple of photographers taking pictures during the pre-dawn moments.  This was the 8th run so far for this year.  Those that have perfect attendance were able to get a shirt, donated by the Triple Crown of Running.  As others make it to their 8th run, they also can get a shirt.  The groups did their normal thing, running an hour or so.  Tim Steffens was the substitute leaders for Mike Shafai's groups.  Thanks to John Orinjok for running his route near the parking lot and keeping an eye on things.  This allowed the organizer to get in a longer route.  Next Thursday is midterm exam day, so don't miss that.

Tuesday, April 28th.  40 degrees, low clouds, fog, slight drizzle, light wind.  The damp weather kept the attendance down a bit, but it was sure easy to breathe the moist air.  The trails were a bit muddy, so JD McKenna kept his trail group on the roads, and they joined up with Steve Jenning's social group.  They ran down to the Trading Post and back.  Steve reported that his group was a little too social today, as they would take a breather at the crest of each hill and converse.  Mike Shafai took his group to Ridge Road for 6 Ridge Road repeats.  Josh Herman and his group pounded the hills.  Renee Santiago, who used to be a regular in past years, joined us today.  She has relocated to Tennessee and is in town for vacation so decided to hook up with us.

Thursday, April 23rd.  47 degrees, lots of sunshine, no wind.  What a great day for a run, and a beautiful sunrise to beat.  There was also a sliver of a moon also in the eastern horizon, along with a couple of brightly lit stars.  There ain't no better way to start your day.  All of the groups ran an hour or so.  Mike was taking his group through a tempo run and a few of them stayed out longer and got in some extra miles.  Steve Jennings took the social group to the Balanced Rock to practice running up the hill that tops out a Balanced Rock.  John Keller had just returned from running the Boston Marathon on Monday.  He was a little sore, but John, you 'da Man!

Tuesday, April 21st.  51 degrees, lots of sunshine, light wind.  All the snow from the weekend storm was gone, but Pikes Peak still had a fresh layer of snow and looked magnificent.  We had a visitor from Los Angeles, Jeff Matlow, join us today.  He said he comes here about every 6 weeks and will try to join us again in the future.  He was very impressed with our turnout and the friendliness of everybody.  The normal groups did about an hour.  Josh Herman took his middle-of-the-pack group over to Rampart Range Road and ran up to 6,800 feet.  They got in about 5.9 miles.  Mike Shafai took his group to do "track" workouts, so they somehow improvised a track somewhere in the park.

Thursday, April 16th.  40 degrees, cloudy skies initially, but then clearing to sunny skies, no wind.  It was another beautiful day in the Garden.  We nearly had an out-of-state runner from Chicago join us, but he was there to take morning pictures in the Garden.  He said he is training to run the Chicago Marathon this fall.  All of the groups got in about an hour.  The fast trail group did hill repeats and they all came back alive, so it probably wasn't the hill from hell that Mike advertised.

Tuesday, April 14th.  43 degrees, clear skies, no wind.  Wow, what a beautiful morning and a what a large turnout.  The previous attendance record was 104 set in 2007, and we shattered that with 113.  The organizer overslept and showed up about 2 minutes till 6, but that didn't stop many others from also showing up.  We all quickly got signed in and then headed out in our groups.  It was such a beautiful morning that it was a shame to stop running and go into work.

Thursday, April 9th.  42 degrees, cloudy, occasional mild wind.  There was actually also a full moon, but the clouds were hiding it.  We had another good turnout and got to 100 runners.  There's also about 10-15 Army guys/gals that show up a few minutes after we start, so there is plenty of company in the park.  We did the normal groups and they all got in about an hour of work.  Mike Shafai's group was doing Ridge Road Repeats.  5 rabbits were spotted.

Tuesday, April 7th.  Opening day, 26 degrees, clear skies, windy for the 1st 20 minutes or so, then the wind stopped and it was a perfect morning for a run.  We had a good solid turnout.  I'm not sure that everybody checked in, so the attendance numbers are probably a little higher than what's shown.  There were lots of new people and lots of returning runners.  The same groups leads as last year have graciously agreed to lead groups again this year.  Steve Jennings had a strong following with the social group and they did an easy loop.  Josh Herman lead the middle-of-the-pack group, and they ran about 9-minute miles and spotted 6 rabbits.  JD McKenna led the slower trail group, and they also started off with an easy run.  Michael Shafai led the fast trail group and they headed over to Rampart Range Road to run hill repeats.  Michael will be e-mailing out his suggested workout beforehand, so if you want to be notified of this, send Michael an e-mail at michael.c.shafai@smithbarney.com and he'll put you on the list.  The fast group got in a good workout on the roads.  It was good to see everybody again.  It's always a little chaotic at the beginning, but I hope everybody got in a good workout.

2008 Statistics Summary:

2007 Statistics Summary:

2006 Statistics Summary:

2005 Statistics Summary: