Monthly Capers: April 2025

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Tuesday 4/1/25: Rest

I had plans to work out, but I also had to nap twice, so that’s a good sign more rest is needed.

Wednesday 4/2/25: Running, StairMaster

Long work day, so I’m happy anything got done! Ran to the gym, then to work (4.5 miles), then the StairMaster at L7 — all Z2. I got so bored on that StairMaster, I started walking backwards while patting my head and rubbing my tummy.

Thursday 4/3/25: Green Mountain, Run to Gym, Bouldering

An easy time on Green Mountain — almost fully Z2, which is surprising.

Afterwards, ran to (and back from, total 3.5 miles) the gym for an hour of bouldering. A few more comp problems were set, but mostly just focused on a V6 circuit. Flashed a new V6, which I thought was going to be harder given the small holds. Really wished for a harder problem (felt ~V4) but oh well.

Friday 4/4/25 Spin/Treadmill/StairMaster

After work bludgeoning. Quick half hour spin warmup, then got on the Treadmill to re-test at 3.0mph/15%, goal is keeping it at Z2. Results are somewhat mixed,

125bpm for me is absolutely in Z2, but the HR drift of +10bpm over this hour would lean me into thinking I’m going over. Could also be because I’m just not well-rested. Certainly an improvement on the last time I attempted on 2/18/25:

11 bpm lower on average is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. I suspected that in February that I had a cold coming, then was bedridden for 3 days!

Afterwards on the SM for 1hour @ L7.

Saturday 4/5/25 Green Mountain

After work Green. Had to drag myself up, really tired, but happy to get out.

Sunday 4/6/25 Bouldering, 1hr

Mostly a rest day. Pedaled around town doing errands, but nothing structured. Bouldering wasn’t super fruitful — pretty tired still!

Monday 4/7/25 Treadmill/StairMaster

I wasn’t happy with the results of my test on Friday, so thought I’d try again a little fresher: 3mph @ 15%:

Night and day results, with a 3bpm lower average HR and 10bpm lower max when compared to just Friday. Far less HR drift (+2 bpm average in back half than from half). Completed the standard I had set for myself below — far below — my Z2/Z3 threshold. At this point, it may be a good idea to re-tests my Z2/Z3 crossover HR and see if it’s moved up, as I feel it has.

Afterwards, did a half hour on the SM at L8, 140 floors, still at Z2.

Tuesday 4/8/25: Rest

Wednesday 4/9/25: StairMaster (easy) 30 min, Bouldering

A little deload.

Thursday 4/10/25: Rest

Mostly a travel day to Salida

Friday 4/11/25: Fastpack from Salida Day 1, 40 miles

Started out from the motel room at 4:00am and headed to the hills above town. Summited Aspen Ridge (10,743′) at the highpoint of the main route, as it was < half a mile from the road, and kept walking to Trout Creek Pass at 7:00pm, 40 miles. Felt pretty tired, but decided to push about 10 more miles to a camp spot a little above town.

Saturday 4/12/25: Fastpack from Salida Day 2, 6 miles

Finished up the mostly downhill bit to Buena Vista, and caught the bus back home!

Sunday 4/13/25 Spin, Bouldering

Day after a trip is usually hard. Did a quick spin (1hr) just to get the legs moving. Afterwards, bouldered for an hour, but it was pretty much play time. Did flash 2 V6’s, which makes no sense, so I guess their setting soft again. Many of the new comp-style boulders are still fun to goof around on.

Monday 4/14/225 StairMaster, 45 minutes

Long, hard work day, so happy to get back home, nap, and get just a little bit of time at the gym. Only 45 minutes at L7, but kept a very, very low HR, so it seems I’m recovering from my 50 miles from Friday just fine. Legs are still a little sore of course.

Friday, 4/18/25

StairMaster at L8 for an hour, spin bike for an hour, then StairMaster at L7 for a half hour. Weird!

Saturday 4/19/25

Ran to the gym and bike (3.5 miles) and got onto the StairMaster for an hour at L7. Guess I was tired! Don’t remember if I bouldered or not (probably not)

Sunday 4/20/25 Rest?

I don’t have anything written down here, so I may have taken a rest!

Monday 4/21/25, Bike Putter/Treadmill

Morning/Afternoon had me puttering around Flagstaff road taking photos for work.

Afterwards, went to the gym for a Treadmill workout: 3.2mph @ 15% for 1hr. Happy that this was kept in Z2, as I just reached my goal of 3.0 mph @ 15% only a few days before. Progress!

Tuesday 4/22/25 StairMaster L8

Just movin’ the legs.

Wednesday 4/23/25 Longs Peak Attempt with Drewbob

Via Cables, I guess just wasn’t in the condition for the gear we had (three nuts, an offset cam, and 6mm of static line!). Always a good day out, though.

Bailing on the Cables route on Longs Peak

Thursday 4/24/25 Treadmill, 1hr

3.3 mph @ 15% — continuing my, “well maybe this is in Z2 still” and at least with the average HR, it is. HR Drift is a little bonkers, which is a head scratcher for me, as my HR starts so low, never really stabilizes, and just keeps going up. I would need someone more qualified to tell me what that’s about.

Friday 4/25/25 Bouldering, Treadmill, Stairmaster

Felt like an old grump bouldering. When there is too many people, I just feel like I’m going to fall on someone who is standing/sitting too close. I’m approx. 5x heavier than most boulderers, so it’s a safety issue for them, but I’d feel bad about squishing someone. Kinda left frustrated after an hour.

Treadmill again, this time at a gut-wrenching 3.4 mph with similar results as yesterday, just higher HR, but average well within my Z2. Still not sure how to interpret being able to go from 20:00 min/mile to 17:40 min/mile at the same HR in a manner of weeks.

Then, an hour on the Stairmaster at L8. Again, very low HR starting, and massive HR Drift. Guess I was tired!

Saturday 4/26/25 Rest

Sunday 4/27/25 HW 285 to I-70 via Mount Blue Sky Day 1

I took the Bustang Denver/Crested Butte bus to its first stop in Pine Junction — perhaps a stop I’ve never seen anyone get one/off in the dozen+ times I’ve taken this bus. But, I had mapped out a basically kosher way to walk from here to Staunton State Park, then to NFS, and finally to the Mount Evans Wilderness to Summit Mount Blue Sky, so of course, I had to give it a try!

This day saw me start in Pine, go through the neighborhoods into and out of Staunton, the NFS land, the into Wilderness, where I camped on the summit of Shadow Mountain. Around 15 miles, 2 or 3k’ of elevation gain.

Monday 4/28/25 Shadow Mountain to camp on Mount Blue Sky

Really great day out, with summits of 11048, Meridian Hill, Rosedale Peak, West Pegmatite Points, “Epaulie”, and Rosalie Peak, but as the day got long and the wind picked up, I opted again trying for Blue Sky. Instead, I descended down to relative safety and camped at ~12,000′ at a relatively flat area. Around 20 miles, 8,000′ elevation gain.