High Plains Runner

Mile-High City: I was in Denver for much of last week, hence the paucity of posting. I was there for work, and the long days (starting before sunrise, coming back to the hotel waaay after sunset), left little time to play on the computer. Much to my dismay.

I did get in two very quick runs of 4 miles each and one 20-minute upper-body weights workout. But other than that, it was all hustle and flow. I was on deadline, and I filed one story with minutes to spare after jousting with - then placating - a recalcitrant and obnoxious source.

I must say, though, that I wouldn't have gotten ANY exercise had it not been for the excellent trails around my hotel (the staff gives out small, plastic cards with 3 and 5-mile trail routes created by Runners World) and its new and very smart-looking gym.

An 0ft- forgotten afterthought: I usually disdain hotel gyms. With the amount of travel I do, I've seen a lot of them. Many are small, cramped affairs, with threadbare carpeting and equipment that would have been new during the Reagan administration. They almost always lack free weights, and the air-conditioning is either set on "stun" or doesn't work at all.

Props to the Westin: But at the Westin Westminster hotel (I swear, I'm not getting paid for this), the monitors on the half-dozen brand-spankin' new treadmills doubled as televisions (not that I can watch TV and run at the same time, but anyway), there was a good variety of weight machines, which were in excellent condition, and enough free weights to satisfy the Governator back in the day.

I was actually a bit north of Denver, as all of the hotels I looked at downtown were sold out. So I was only 20 minutes away from Boulder. I tried out two new Boulder restaurants, both of which were excellent, especially the first one.

If you're ever up that way, try Frasca, which specializes in the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in Italy's northeast region. Both the chef and sommelier come from the venerated northern California restaurant, the French Laundry. Also, try Sunflower, an organic restaurant whose food is so good it's not a chore to be gastronomically virtuous.

Marine Corps Marathon Debriefing Soon: All right, gotta get to work. I promise, by the end of the day, I'm going to post about my foray into yesterday's Marine Corps Marathon. I ran the last 6.2 miles with my friend, Jeanne, a first-time marathoner, to provide some entertainment and a gentle shove now and again to get her across the finish line. Which she did. Way to go, Jeanne!