I had to add the word Broncos to the title so you wouldn't think this was just a running update. I will talk about the game tonight but first, a running update.
For the month of August I ran 60.03 miles which is actually 0.61 miles LESS than I ran last month. A big part of this was that I caught a nasty daycare cold (N always gets a cold at daycare after being on vacation) that made it tough to run for a week or so. I've also been suffering from some mild achilles pain which makes me nervous to go for a long run. The longest run I did this month was only 7.11 miles (and that was back on August 5) which I'm really disappointed about. I am going to try for a 8 - 9 mile run on Saturday morning so we'll see how that goes. I'm trying to figure out the best way to fuel during my run (I haven't found a gel that I like) and the best way to bring water along. There are no water fountains on the route I'm going to take on Saturday so I might be stuck carrying a water bottle. I usually carry along a small bottle of Gatorade when I run (8 oz I think) but I'll probably need a bit more than that if I go 9 miles. I guess I'll eventually have to break down and buy one of those awesome fanny packs that runners wear that hold two 8 - 10 oz water bottles. Oh joy.
I mentioned last week that I got a medal for finishing the 10k and that L was in love with it. Here is a picture of her wearing it:
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| Thumbs up for the "gold medal" |
I don't think she's that impressed with it anymore as it's balled up on the desk right now.
I have also mentioned the Garmin Forerunner 310XT that I bought last month. I still really like it although I keep forgetting to try out the heart rate monitor strap. Here is a picture of it on my wrist:
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| GPS watch |
It's a decent sized watch and I don't think I'd ever wear it as an everyday watch but it has all the options I was looking for in a GPS watch.
We ended up going up to Estes Park for Labor Day weekend with my parents and my brother and his family. We stayed at a beautiful house/cabin that had two bedrooms with king sized beds, two rooms that each had bunk beds, 2 futons, and at least one couch that could be used as a bed. Oh, there was also a hot tub that the girls were in love with. One of my highlights of the weekend was going to the "rainbow slides." If you've been to Estes you know what I'm talking about. For those of you that haven't been there it's one of those slides where you take a piece of fabric up to the top to slide down on. I knew that L would love it (which she did) but what I wasn't expecting was that N loved it. N likes short slides but won't sit on a swing for more than 10 seconds. Also, she loves to be picked up and twirled but often stiffens up like a scared cat. After N's first ride down the slide on my lap I expected to hear her crying or screaming but was shocked by what I saw. Beneath her pacifier was a huge smile and she was frantically making the "more" sign with her hands. I went with L the next ride while N went with Grandpa. As soon as they got to the bottom N made a beeline straight to the stairs to go back up for another ride. When Grandpa said that we were all done she immediately started crying. Sweet girl.
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| The girls fixated on a movie |
My Dad and I were given tickets to the final preseason game for the Broncos last Thursday. Although the last preseason games are usually (and this one was no exception) made up of a bunch of guys that are playing for only a few spots on the roster or practice squad, just being in the stadium really got me pumped up for football season.
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| Denver scrubs vs. Arizona scrubs |
Speaking of football season, tonight is the big night! Ravens vs. Broncos. The game we've been waiting for for the past 8 months. The Broncos are looking for a bit of revenge although you can't compare a regular season game to being knocked out of the playoffs. This game might mean more to the fans than it does the players and I'd hate to see what happens to all the Broncos fans out there if the Broncos lose. Hopefully that won't be an issue. I'm not expecting much defense in this game although you never know. Maybe the Denver D will be pumped up whether it's for revenge or because it's the season opener on national TV. Whatever reason someone will need to step up for the suspended Von Miller and injured Champ Bailey. My prediction is Denver 34 Baltimore 24.
A quick note on the latest installment of the Rocky Mountain Showdown. I was really impressed with the Rams special teams (punt return for TD and 87-yard kickoff return) but not that impressed with the offense or defense. Garrett Grayson had some issues and missed quite a few open receivers. At times it looked like he was throwing the ball with way too much velocity on short passes. I don't know if it was that or just dropped passes but CSU missed on quite a few opportunities. The defense actually wasn't bad outside of two long touchdowns by Paul Richardson. Before the game I remember telling my Dad that I was nervous about Richardson because he is fast and torched CSU two years ago. Right on cue Richardon scored an 82-yard touchdown on the Buffs second play from scrimmage. There were no CSU players within 20 yards of Richardson (he would go on to score a 75-yard touchdown at the end of the game.) I understand that stuff like this happens in the first game of the season but something better change soon. CSU travels to Tulsa next week before going back home to host Cal Poly before heading on the road to Tuscaloosa to play the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. I hate to say it but it's looking like a 1-3 start to the season. Oofta. Prediction: CSU 17 Tulsa 31
