Hooray! I am now home for the summer – finals are done, the Pikes Peak Sports website has replaced a Free Radical Chlorination bookmark on my computer, and I’m halfway done with undergrad! And what better way to kick off the summer than a run to Barr Camp?

It was the first time for me to run with my family’s new running partner, Jeff Watson, an orthopedic hand surgeon new to the area. (Welcome to the great running community that is Colorado Springs, Jeff!) I had heard about his sub-3 hour Boston marathons, so I knew I was in for a hard run.

This especially came true within the first few of my running steps up Barr Trail – my Achilles tendons were screaming at me for not running uphill for miles for who knows how long. Knowing that the Peak can miraculously heal injuries (I went into my first marathon with a combo of Achilles tendonitis and bursitis, with pain miraculously disappearing by Barr Camp on the ascent), and with Jeff just steps behind me (his first time going up the lower 3 miles of the trail!), I plodded along. The next few miles after No Name Creek, as always, are more enjoyable, given the fact that your legs no longer feel like they’re powering up at least a 30% grade in the W’s (though in reality, the average is merely 13%) and therefore actually have the breath to carry on a conversation.

After reaching Barr Camp and briefly saying hello, we turned back down. Jeff was super fast downhill, so I thought, “Hey, why not try to keep up? Speed downhill has been a weak point of mine in the past marathons, and what better time to start training for that?” So we blasted off downhill; I felt like we were flying at a good 6 min/mile, while in reality it was likely around 9min/mile (still faster than my pleasant little shuffle down with typical runs, enjoying the fact that the hard part of the run was over with).  With this flying, I felt free, I loved the speed, the whoosh of the wind blowing by me and my skittles in my front pouch of my trusty running pack bouncing around like a maraca. Towards the end of the run, I could tell I worked my quads harder than they had in a long time (maybe even since marathon day!), but the speed felt so good; it was freedom and essential kick-off to summer.

After making it down to the COG parking lot, I turned around to head back up the trail to find my parents. If I had any indication that I would have a sore day the next day, this was it – I usually have enough energy to at least trot up the trail, but this time I could barely walk, daydreaming that I saw the colors of my parent’s shirts just around the corner. 

The next morning, as I was awaking, I thought, “you know you’ll have a sore day when your quads and calves feel like lead just fidgeting in bed.” And I was right – I spent the day grasping the railing as I went up and down stairs, or (sadly) gave in to my legs telling me to just crawl stairs.

Yet the crawling and lactic acid buildup won’t stop me from a workout. So my mom and I packed our bikes, rode over to Garden of the Gods, and did a loop around the roads, enjoying the beautiful scenery (I couldn’t believe this was my first time riding in the park, and one out of a handful of times of being in the park!) as storm clouds started to role in.

The subsequent day, I joyously could ascend and descend stairs like a normal person, so it was time for a run! I was reunited with the freedom of running in the rain, which tremendously improved a hill workout I would originally dread. The feeling of rain drops on your face, the smell of rain in the air, and the different feeling of wet pavement under your feet – it’s magic.

So that’s how my summer has started – full of freedom, some speed with associated soreness, and magic. I’m greatly looking forward to what the rest of the training and racing season brings!