This week Rob and I ended up taking a trip to Denver for our babymoon. Originally we were supposed to head to Kiawah Island, SC, but our plans were changed due to Hurricane Florence. It ended up working out really well and we had a great time. Today I’ll just be recapping our miles in the Mile High City and I hope to be back with more about our trip later this week.
I don’t think I’ve ever run at high altitude before and it was tough. Luckily there was no humidity which was such a nice change from Baltimore. The weather was in the high 50s/low 60s in the morning (perfect for running!) but got up to over 90 later in the day.
I also want to note that I did one of this week’s strength training workouts on Sunday of last week because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get it in while traveling.
Monday: 7 miles with 3 x 2 miles progression
I had a little more time in the morning and knew I wouldn’t be getting in a ton of miles the rest of the week, so I got in 7 on the treadmill. To break this up a bit I ran a mile easy, then 2 miles as a progression and repeated that 3 times.
Tuesday: Strength Training + 5 miles
I got in my second strength training workout and another 5 mile treadmill run.
Wednesday: Travel day + Walking
We left the house at 5:30 for our flight to Denver, so I didn’t run in the morning. We did quite a bit of walking that day including to and from the baseball stadium after dinner.
Thursday: 3.5 miles
Rob and I headed out for a short run near our hotel. We saw some parts of downtown but it was a little annoying because we hit a lot of lights.
Friday: 3.5 miles
We were at a different hotel on Thursday night and found a nearby trail. It was less than a mile to run there and then we were able to stay on the trail along a creek as an out and back.
Saturday: 6 miles
I knew there was another (bigger) trail a little farther away so I convinced Rob to run there with me. It took about 1.5 miles to get there but it was worth it to be able to run in a quiet place away from the city. We also ran past Mile High Stadium (as seen in the background of the pic below).
Sunday: Rest
We traveled back to Baltimore and took another rest day.
I’m not sure if it was just the high altitude and traveling but running definitely felt harder this week. I also felt like in general I was slowing down a bit. I’m hoping it’s not too much longer before the weather cools off in Baltimore. It’s gonna be tough going back to the humidity after enjoying some cooler runs!
[Tweet “Miles in the mile high city @milebymilerun #weeklywrap”]
Have yoyu ever run at high altitude?
Were you affected by Hurricane Florence?
How were your workouts last week?
Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!
I’m so glad you were able to shift your plans and avoid the hurricane. I’ve raced in CO a few times and yes, the altitude is definitely an issue but the cool, crisp air mountain air is amazing. We’ve been in a gorgeous weather holding pattern here in Chicago. Clear, sunny skies every day although the heat and humidity are definitely building back.
I think it was a fair trade off to get the high altitude but no humidity! I feel like the humidity in Baltimore has stuck around for way too long.
I was so happy that you were able to travel to another place for your babymoon. Looks like you were able to get in some great runs – I bet that the altitude is what was making the runs feel harder. I’ve heard the same thing from runners that visited there as well.
I even noticed that I was more tired just walking around! It was worth it though, and I hope to go back some day!
Looks like it was a fun trip! I’m pretty surprised that it was so humid there. I guess I always think of Colorado as cool and crisp.
Oh no it wasn’t humid at all there! It was perfect running weather. It’s Baltimore thats gross and humid. I think it was just the altitude that made running more difficult.
Altitude running for me last summer was weird. Wyoming was “OK” but South Dakota which was more or less the same reduced me to a run/walk. I’m not sure I could do a race at altitude which makes me sad because some of the Vacation Races look amazing
No Florence here luckily — glad you were able to have a fun babymoon. Love Denver
I definitely think a race at altitude would be tough because there wouldn’t be any time to acclimate!
I run in Denver almost every week when I am there and I do not feel a difference in the altitude. Maybe I am not up high enough since we are fairly close to the airport where we stay. Is that trail your ran downtown? I have been wanting to take the train downtown one of these times.
Hmm I wonder if you are just used to the altitude because you run there often? Or it might have affected me more being pregnant. I’m not sure how different the airport is from the city. Yes, both trails were downtown. One was called Cherry Creek Trail and the other was the South Platte River Trail.
I’ve been at higher altitude compared to Denver and my run was really tough yesterday. I did two miles instead of 3 since I knew I’d be challenged. It’s hard when there’s no air and my body wants to go at my normal speed.
Yes! I felt like my legs were just so heavy and I couldn’t move them any faster.
Sounds like you had a fun vacation! Running at high altitude is definitely harder. I never notice it until about 5000 feet, but then it is definitely noticeable. I bet the lack of humidity was nice, though!
I think my pace was pretty much the same because even though the altitude was tough, the cooler weather and no humidity was a nice change. I think Denver is right around 5,000 feet and I definitely noticed it.
So glad your backup baby moon was a success and so impressed by how much running you did. Denver is definitely an adjustment, but not as bad as farther up on the mountains. But probably harder when you’re pregnant. Kudos to you!
I don’t think I could have handled running any higher up than the city! I do think it probably affected me more because of being pregnant, but my husband thought it was tough too (although to be honest he hasn’t been running a ton so he said that any kind of running would have felt hard!)
Sounds like a fun trip! I have never been to Denver (other than driving through, and that was way before I was a runner), so I have never laced up or hit the streets there. I have always wondered how the high altitude would feel while running.
It just made me feel like my legs were heavy and couldn’t go fast! But on all my runs I started to feel better a mile or two in. It was worth it though to see the area and enjoy the cooler weather.
I’m so glad your babymoon worked out! I had my fingers crossed when you mentioned it last week. It amazes me how people run in cities all the time, stopping at lights would be extremely annoying!
Somehow New Jersey is getting rain from the storm today so I’m prepared to have an afternoon inside. I will say I was happy to get my run in this morning even with some random spurts of heavy rain and high humidity.
I think if I ran in a cit regularly I would need to find routes without traffic lights! The first day we didn’t know where we were going so we ended up at lots of lights, but once we found trails it was much better.
I’m glad you were able to get away somewhere and have a good time! I haven’t really run at high altitude but I did feel it in my lungs during race and for hours after my first half in Hershey Park in PA – definitely higher altitude than running here on Long Island!
It’s amazing how much harder it can be than running at sea level! I guess it’s something we take for granted. I always wonder if runners who always train at altitude find it much easier to run at sea level- that would be a huge advantage of training there regularly!
I’m glad you were able to change your plans with such short notice. Denver is a great city! I remember seeing some nice trails from the train we took into downtown when I was out there for REVEL Rockies this past June. Seriously, running at altitude is no joke. To me, it’s noticeable just walking around especially the first day or so. And my skin feels like it’s cracking. LOL. Thanks for linking!
I definitely noticed it just from walking around too! At first I thought I was just tired from traveling, but every time I walked anywhere I was out of breath!
I’m sorry to hear you had to change your plans but Denver is an awesome city! Hope you enjoyed your babymoon 🙂
Thanks! It ended up working out really well.