Feb. 17th to Feb. 23rd

Monday, 2/17, In town loop

13 miles, 1:39

Ran an easy 13 on a combination of roads and flat, paved trails.  Took South Avenue past Reserve, up Clements, took Spurgin Rd. to Tower Street, and ended up coming back on Milwaukee Trail to Higgins.  No ice!  I did see what looked like an artificially made ice tower out by South and Tower, though, possibly a remnant of some extravagant Christmas display.

Tuesday, 2/18, Intervals w/Run Wild Missoula

11 miles, 1:37

5 x 1 mile on Kim Williams with 3 minute rests, with a long warm up, and a long cool down (running to and from downtown).  Miles were in the 5:40s.

Wednesday, 2/19,  Treadmill Zoning Out

8 mile, 59 minutes

No, the weather was not anywhere near bad.  I wanted to practice switching paces late in a run, but felt a lack of mental energy (from overstudying for tests), so I decided to let the treadmill do it for me.  Ran at 8 minute pace for the first three, jumped up to 7 for two, 6 for one, 6:40 for one, and then a cool down mile.  Hopefully I'll be able to be patient enough that I can switch gears late in the race this Saturday.

Thursday, 2/20, Clark Fork Loop w/Jimmy

11 miles, 1:24

Ran out on Kim Williams, came back on the Riverfront Trail on the other side.  We were originally thinking of taking Smokejumper up Sentinel again, but the trails were icy enough that even Kim Williams was a little tricky.  Another day in the blowing snow.

Friday, 2/21, Off

Saturday, 2/22, Snow Joke Half Marathon, 4th place in 1:21

13.1 miles, 1:21 (+4ish mile cool down at 8:30ish mile pace) = 17 miles, 1:55

Well, I missed 1:19 by a good mark, but I'm ok with that, since it sounded from other runners like the conditions on the course this year were slower than usual.  The first 6 miles on the pavement were pretty fast for me, clipping along at 5:50s with Jesse Zentz, but then the pace fell to 6:20somethings on the soft snow, and Jesse slowly gained over 2 minutes on me in that section.  If running on the beach is like extra soft tofu, the second half of this course might have been soft tofu.  Not as difficult as beach running, but definitely not firm ground either.

Most were running about 5 minutes slower than their half marathon PRs, so this might equate to a 1:16 half marathon for me, which definitely makes me feel good about getting a sub 2:40 marathon this year.  Even 1:21 is a good 6 or 7 minutes off my previous best (I hadn't raced this distance before).

Also, I'm beginning to notice a pattern.  Montana runners with a first name that starts with J seem to have a higher likelihood of being fast.  The top 4 at this race: Jim, Jimmy, Jesse, Jeff.  At least I only lost to other J names.

Sunday, 2/23, Larch Camp Road Snow Trotting

10 miles, 1:31

A nice recovery run out in snowy conditions.  I only came across one car on Larch Camp once I got off Pattee Canyon Road, so this could be a good spot to return to, especially once the trails along that road see a little use after this storm.  The legs didn't feel like cruising, so I just trotted along, enjoying the silence of the snowfall.

70 miles, 9:05

This is shaping up to be a good year so far.  I've only had five top five finishes, but two of them were in the past month.  Snow Joke felt like a better performance than my Freezer Burn race, and it was great to have a few guys to chase (and be chased by!).  I'm still a little wrecked from Snow Joke, because of all those miles pushing it on soft snow.  I'm not sure if there's anything I could do to get better at that kind of running, maybe some balance work.  I guess now the focus will be more miles at slower speeds, to see if I can get in shape for the 24 hour run (still tentative).


                                     

A peaceful run out on Larch Camp Rd.

Huckleberry, the canine winner in 1:45. He won a treat!

Some of the age division winners swearing in to the Order of the Cheetah.

The pretty much amazing Charlotte Gainsbourg:

Feb. 10th to Feb. 16th

Monday, 2/10, Neighborhood Exploring

15 miles, 1:56

A day out exploring the neighborhoods of Missoula.  Consensus: never take a shoveled sidewalk for granted.  It was kind of weird running, going smooth on cleared sidewalks and then occasionally hitting a stretch of snow a foot deep.  It was like a weird form of interval running.

Tuesday, 2/11, Intervals w/Run Wild Missoula

11 miles, 1:39

Ran up to the Runner's Edge for another night run of intervals on Kim Williams.  We did 2 sets of 4 x 800s, with 90 second rests between 800s and a 3 minute rest in between sets.  I felt a little slow, but ended up running in the 2:50s on slushy/icy ground.   Amazingly, I guess there were a half dozen hardy souls who showed up last week in negative degree weather, while I stayed home and stayed warm.

Wednesday, 2/12, Kim Williams/Milwaukee/Bitterroot Trails Tempo Run

13 miles, 1:28

I combined a bunch of short out and backs from the 0 mile post to do a long tempo run on the trails (now that they're mostly ice free).  This was also a bit of exploring for me, since I hadn't been north or west of the 0 mile post, and the Milwaukee Trail seems like it gets far enough west in town that road running is a good possibility, maybe even working out a loop or getting on some roads west of the Bitterroot River for future runs.  I'd have liked to go a little faster, maybe 6:40 pace, but 1:28 is pretty good for me with snow cover.

Thursday, 2/13, North Hills Slushy Running w/Jed and Jimmy

13 miles, 1:47

Same route, same time, same distance and time covered as last week.  Except this time it was 50 degrees warmer and we were running through slush.  My feet kept sliding on the hill heading up to the saddle, and trying to keep my balance was a little exhausting.  Some of the puddles in town were ankle deep, and there's still plenty of snow to melt.

Friday, 2/14--Off

Saturday, 2/15, Blue Mountain Road/Mullan Road w/Thomas

20 miles, 2:38

I got my first taste of the Missoula Marathon route today, running along the Clark Fork River.  20 miles is still feeling like a really long run right now, which is a little worrisome if I want to do a 24 hour run in 6 weeks.  I suppose I should get at least one run over 4 hours in at some point.

Sunday, 2/16, Pattee Creek/Deer Creek Loop

18 miles, 2:18

A nice mix of sun, light snow, and some slush.  I was able to wear shorts, too!  Coming down Deer Creek was a little icy, but the only bad section was just before the University on Kim Williams.  It was also REALLY windy by the golf course in east Missoula, but only for half a mile or so.


90 miles, 11:46

Last week was the big freeze, but this week was the big slush fest.  A lot of road running and puddle hopping, and running without any traction device but, usually, carefully.  Some days were a little exhausting, but even at the end of the week I was able to recover pretty well from a 20 mile outing.  I think I'm getting back into shape for longer runs, but next week will still be a mandated recovery week (for the Snow Joke half marathon on Saturday).

Tuesday Evening Intervals on Kim Williams

Jed and Jimmy Flying down the North Hills

Thomas cruising out by Mullan Road

One of my favorite songs from 2013:

Feb. 3rd to Feb. 9th

Monday, 2/3, Rattlesnake Lolligagging

14 miles, 1:58

I made my way up along Rattlesnake Creek from campus, and spent a lot of time following random tracks that didn't really go anywhere in particular.  It was a little windy in town, so I was just happy to be in the trees, not too concerned with where I was going.  Eventually, I made it up to the Rattlesnake Trailhead from trail 112, and then flipped it back to campus.

Tuesday, 2/4, Cherry Gulch/Sawmill Gulch/Lincoln Hills Loop

15 miles, 2:09

Almost too cold for me.  5 degrees, -12 with wind chill.  Brrr!  At one point on the run I tromped through a field to get to lower ground.  I know I should stay on trails, but the trail was heading to windier ground and I couldn't feel my face.  I ran a mile or so up the Main Rattlesnake Trailhead, flipped it, and came back on some trails that popped out at Lincoln Hills Road.

Wednesday, 2/5, Treadmill Tempo Run

9 miles, 57 minutes

I needed to get at least one fast workout in this week, and that wasn't going to happen in zero degree weather.  1 percent grade, 6:22 pace.  This one felt more in control than my last treadmill tempo, and was at a slightly faster pace.  I'll probably shoot for around 6:02 pace at Snow Joke, to get in at 1:19.

Thursday, 2/6, North Hills Loop w/Jimmy

13 miles, 1:47

Another day exploring the North Hills.  It was in the negatives, so I was wearing about as much clothing as I could bear to wear, and actually felt comfortable.  Ran from my apartment to the saddle north of Waterworks, took the Peas Farm Loop to Tom Green Park, then ran through Greenough Park, and back into town.  I'm starting to get to know the trail link ups fairly well, at least in this one small part of town.

Friday, 2/7, Marshall Canyon Road

20 miles, 2:48

Ran from campus out to the Marshall Mountain Ski Area, then tried to do a link up with some trails north of Jumbo but was turned back due to postholing.  I ran around in the neighborhoods for a bit, then hopped over to Kim Williams and ran back to campus.  Longest run for awhile, and I was feeling it at the end.  Too many miles too many days in a row.

Saturday, 2/8, Off (visiting Livingston)

Sunday, 2/9, Postholing Sentinel

14 miles, 2:33

After a long drive, sometimes a good postholing is nice.  Ran up the fire road, up Sentinel, down Crazy Canyon and down Pattee Canyon, with a bit of wandering here and there.  Slowest mile was 30 minutes.


85 miles, 12:12

This whole running in the winter thing is becoming a bit of a challenge, especially throwing trails into the mix.  I might be forced to start logging more road miles again, if only for the sake of time.  It might be best to leave some exploring for spring time.

Duncan Bridge

Cherry Gulch

Rattlesnake Main Trail

A frozen Clark Fork

I only climb mountains for the view

University Mountain

Tunes (not timely, but still damn good):

Jan. 27th to Feb. 2nd

Monday, 1/27, Kim Williams Trail

6 miles, 37 minutes

This was a primer of sorts for Saturday's race, speeding up little by little throughout the run, with miles starting at about 6:20 and dropping to 6 flat for the last couple miles.  If I don't do anything stupid, I should be able to get under 1:01 for the 10 mile race, though breaking an hour would really be pushing it for me.  Also, 37 minutes is about the perfect allotted time for a run sandwiched between classes and changing into and out of running clothes.  Trying to be on time for class definitely helped me to push it at the end.

Tuesday, 1/28, Intervals w/Run Wild Missoula

10 miles, 1:30

Woah, there were about 15 people who actually came of their own will to run intervals in the dark (on a well lit trail, but past sunset nonetheless).  Missoula is still kind of blowing my mind.  I ran from my apartment to Runner's Edge, then ran 3 x 2k with the group on the Kim Williams Trail, with 3 minute rests in between.  I ran pretty consistent low 7's for 2k (about 5:40 pace for the mile), well under my race target.  I guess I should stop being surprised by the running in Missoula, but it was impressive to see most of the runners doing sub 4 minute k pace, almost as impressive as seeing so many people out past sunset!  I ran back at a fairly slow, comfortable pace back to the apartment.

 Wednesday, 1/29, Kim Williams (again!)

8 miles, 1:01

Another day out on the KW.  I think I'm liking this trail so much because it's close to campus, and I always see runners out on it, plus it's pretty.  This was a run in the middle of a two hour break between classes.  Fresh snow on the ground, and a slight bit of wind coming from the west, at least enough to blow snow in my face.

Thursday, 1/30, Smokejumper Loop w/Jimmy

12 miles, 1:56

Ran up to the Clark Fork to meet for the Thursday MTC run, and it ended up being just Jimmy and I.  The fresh snow made it a pretty slow but tough run, especially with the ice hidden beneath it.  We took Smokejumper up to Sentinel, and tried not to eat it on the Pengelly Ridge Trail back down.  Another day of 2,000+ vertical.

Friday, 1/31--Off (Yoga, Weights, Fitness Consultation & Body Composition)

A day at the gym, taking advantage of a week of free services.  I learned that I've got even less fat on me than I thought (<5%), so that means more eggs, maybe even adding some meat into my diet on a routine basis, anything hefty but affordable (beans?).  I'll also be starting weights twice a week, which should help me to be a little less lean.  Adding on five pounds while running 80+ mile weeks will be difficult.

Saturday, 2/1, Freezer Burn 10 miler

10 miles, 58:56, 1st place *Downhill course, packed snow

What a good race (and good beyond the fact that I won)!  My race went fairly well--this isn't as competitive as most of the races I'll do this year, so it was a good practice race, but I still had to work hard for the win.  Trisha Drobeck took off quick at the start, and no one else went after her, so I just lurked for awhile, and made a move just past mile 7, then increased the pace to 5:40-something's to secure some ground.  My last mile was 5:30-something, pretty solid for me.  This was also a negative split race, with the first 5 miles in 29:40 and the last 5 in 29:16, good considering the only hill in the course is in the second half.

This was my race to win, since none of the dozen + guys in Missoula who could have gone sub 58:00 were there, but it felt good to have a win.  I won't be expecting even to podium at the Snow Joke Half Marathon in three weeks, but I will expect to get under 1:20.

And the minestrone and scones after the race were excellent.

Sunday, 2/2, North Hills

14 miles, 2:04

With a bit of snow wallowing, I was able to head from my apartment up the Waterworks Hill, and out to the Sunlight Loop.  Somehow I, once again, missed a trail link up, this time to the trail along Rattlesnake Creek.  Northside trails will have to be set aside for future exploration.


60 miles, 8:07

Some flats, some hills, a race, some snow wallowing.  This was a good week, and the return to winter has made for some more quality miles.  Time management will become more important as I bump up the miles again, but so far balancing class, studying and running is working well, but I count on not having much of a life a few weeks from now.  "Not much of a life" would probably just mean watching less Star Trek.

Kim Williams

Jimmy Grant laying down fresh tracks on Smokejumper

Trails this good this close to town are hard to beat

Waterworks Hill

Town below, and Mt. Sentinel looming above on the left

   

Hey, where am I in these pictures?  Not in the front.

Yeah, I like pop.

Jan. 20th to Jan. 26th

Monday, 1/20, Meredith Ranch Rd. out and back

12 miles, 1:28

Ran from school to the end of Meredith Ranch road and back.  This was a nice road to revisit for my last run in Livingston.  I only wish this road didn't run into private property.  If it kept going, and perhaps connected with Willow Creek Road, that would become the best loop in town.

Tuesday, 1/21--Off

Wednesday, 1/22, Story Hills out and back w/Nikki, Michelle, Harper, Veka

7 miles, 1:15

A fairly casual run in not so casual conditions.  Bozeman roads are pretty icy this week, and I'm late on putting screws in my shoes, so I was running gingerly, and thankful for the relaxed pace.  Even so, I took a hard tumble at one point.  It was snowing for the entire duration of the run, which only helped to mask the ice. 

Thursday, 1/23, Mt. Sentinel Loop w/Jimmy and Jed

13.5 miles, 2:04

I ran from my apartment to the Clark Fork, then ran with the Flying J's up Sentinel, down to a forest road, back to the Clark Fork, and back to my apartment.  It's great to finally be in a town with easy access to the mountains, and runners who value open space as much as running itself.  Anywhere not under tree cover was mostly free of snow, but even the snowy sections were packed down enough to run on.  We had quite a bit of gain, maybe 2200' feet or so.

Friday, 1/24, Pattee Creek

13 miles, 1:40

Another run from my apartment, sizing out the area.  I ran up to the Pattee Creek trailhead, slid around on the Nez Perce loop, then ran up to Deer Creek to check out the conditions for future loops, and flipped it back down the canyon.  Both the Deer Creek and Crazy Canyon Rd. loops seem good to go.  Quads were a little sore from yesterday.

Saturday, 1/25, Deer Creek Loop

18.5 miles, 2:20

I got to experience Missoula's inversion weather for the first time.  Just a few hundred feet above town, the sky was clear, but clouds lingered low.  I took Pattee Creek to Deer Creek, and somehow I missed the turnoff to the Kim Williams Trail, so I ended up staying on Deer Creek until I got into some northside neighborhoods.  It was still a really nice loop, except for the mile and a half or so on the frontage road (even then, there was a sidewalk--Missoula is so pedestrian friendly!).  I added on a mile of exploring the golf course trails by my apartment at the end.

Sunday, 1/26, Bitterroot/Jumbo figure eight loop

16 miles, 2:14

Wow, this place is big.  I had a bunch of trail link ups in mind, but actually decided to cut out some trails once I realized I would already get over 15 miles.  The (shortened) route linked up the Bitterroot Branch Trail to the Kim Williams Trail, skirted the side of Mt. Jumbo on the US West Trail, did a short loop in Greenough Park, climbed up to the Sentinel Fire Road, and ran down the hill back to the apartment.  It was nice to get a bit of steep in towards the end, and to catch the linkup to Kim Williams I had missed on Saturday.  It's gonna take awhile to get to know the trail system here.


80 miles, 11:01

Well, I slowed down this week, but I also added a good bit of elevation gain, which is difficult not to do in Missoula.  Even in January, trail access is still better than anywhere else I've been.  And the running community is kind of overwhelming.  I was able to attend a Brooks "Fashion Show" at the Runner's Edge on Wednesday, and was one of the 100+ runners there.  I hadn't seen so many runners at a non-race event before!  Missoula will be good for me.  There are a lot of trails, a lot of runners, and a great ice creamery downtown, which is really everything I need.

Nikki, Michelle & Harper on Story Hills

Montana Trail Crew cruising up by Sentinel

Pattee Canyon Road

Clark Fork

Fearless deer (this picture isn't zoomed in)

The Sentinel Fire Road

Tunes:

Jan. 13th to Jan. 19th

Monday, 1/13, treadmill and weights

12 miles, 1:21 (3 miles in 23 minutes, weights, then tempo run at 9 miles in 58 minutes)

I'm horrible, I know.  It was snowing and windy and dark out, and I chose not to embrace the elements, but to stay warm and run on a conveyor belt like a mouse.  The only way I can stand to run on treadmills is to do tempo runs.  After a three mile warm up, and doing weights for all of five minutes, I set the treadmill at a 1% grade and kept the run at a 6:27 pace throughout, sweating profusely.  This workout increased my confidence for my first race of the year, the Freezer Burn 10 miler in two and a half weeks.  I'm guessing I should get under 1:03, unless road conditions are bad (which they may well be).

Tuesday, 1/14, out and back to Carter's Bridge from school

10 miles, 1:12

Low sevens feel really good right now.  I had to sneak this run in between a meeting that ended at 4:30, and one that started at 6.  Right as I was getting back in town it finally hit dark, so I ran with my headlamp for the last few miles, and then tried my best to look composed (like I hadn't just run 10 miles) for the meeting.  It's going to be so nice to be on a consistent schedule soon.

Wednesday, 1/15, field running

12 miles, 1:34

I ran from town back up the Swingley connector, and followed some dirt tracks in fields below Livingston Peak for a few miles.  I eventually came across private property, but then followed the fence line (and some dirt tracks) until it took me to a nice downhill headed towards Swingley Road.  Really nice outing, but it would have been better if I weren't fenced off.  One can never have too much land to explore.

Thursday, 1/16, intervals

7 miles, 0:57

The track is no longer snow covered!  Two mile warm up, then 1 x 800, 2 x 1 mile, 1 x 800 with 2 minute rests, followed by a two mile cool down.  I'm actually starting to like intervals (a.k.a. dinner rolls).  They have a much more cathartic effect than a long run.

Splits were 2:47, 5:43, 5:44, 2:49.  Warm up and cool downs were ~8:00 minute pace.

Friday, 1/17--Off

Saturday, 1/18, Convict Grade Rd. out and back
 
20 miles, 2:33

Another windy long run, this time with the second half in the headwind.  I suppose it's good for mental callusing, but my mind still doesn't feel callused, and the wind still feels like wind.  Splits were 1:08 for the first ten, 1:25 for the second ten, though the effort felt the same throughout.

Sunday, 1/19, Fleshman Creek Rd. out and back

14 miles, 1:44

Slightly windy, but Fleshman provides a bit of cover.  I ran from my house to save some time for packing.  More even splits this day, 54 and 50.  Also, the dogs that used to bark at me and nip at my heels weren't out today.  Good day.

75 miles, 9:21

A fast week, full of flat, solo running.  Next week I'll aim to run a little slower, but I just felt good this week and had some time constraints during the week that may have caused me to push it a little harder than I should.  I switched to running in Hokas for the second half of the week, and my knee pain went away.  The Hokas might not have had anything to do with it, but they certainly weren't making my knee any worse.  I've been feeling a little sore after running this week, but have felt ready to go come the next morning.  Missoula and a whole new trove of trails and roads are just three days away!

 Windswept snowpack below Livingston Peak

Running through fields out by Swingley

Crazy Mountains in the distance

 

Some tunes (my packing music):

Jan. 6th to Jan. 12th

Monday, 1/6

11 miles, 1:40, Polar Bear Running Club and Fleshman Creek

I went running with the first outing of the Polar Bear Running Club (an informal group of renegade high schoolers) for a very restrained two mile jog, and then added on nine miles at a relaxed pace, running on Fleshman Creek Rd. and back.  It was fairly dark by the time I got back to my car at 5:30, and I wouldn't feel comfortable running past 5:20 again without my headlamp (or until the days get longer).  My right knee has been hurting a little bit, only when it I'm kneeling on it, but is feeling better each day.  It's probably because I ran 31 miles two days ago without adequate preparation.


Tuesday, 1/7

6.5 miles, ~1:00, intervals with Monte

Two mile warm up, then 2x800s with 1:1 rest, 1600 with 4 minutes rest, 1x800, then a two mile cool down.  The track is in horrible condition right now, with a 4 inch snow drift on the north side, which felt like running on a slippery beach.  It turned the track into more of a trail run for sections, and made our times slow, but also made intervals more fun than usual.  Monte finished a few seconds ahead of me on some of the intervals (not something I'm ashamed of--that kid is fast!).

Splits were 2:53, 2:48, 5:53, 2:53


Wednesday, 1/8

13 miles, 1:54, Polar Bear Running Club/Monte, Swingley Rd.

Monte and I ran out with the Polar Bear Running Club at the beginning, but by 3 miles out it was just Monte, Kelsie and I (Kelsie turned around just past 5 miles in).  We ran over to Veteran's Bridge, took a connector trail out to the Livingston Peak road, and took that all the way to Swingley.  It was almost perfect running weather!  The only issue, once again, was dark, and we ducked into the neighborhoods as soon as possible once back in town to avoid traffic, getting back to our cars at around 5:40.


Thursday, 1/9

8.5 miles, 1:26, Suce Creek with Monte, Paulo

Oy, this was a tough one.  The effort we put out was decent--I wouldn't call it relaxed--but we still didn't even meet 10 minute pace.  We ran from Monte's house into the AB Wilderness, then to East River Road and back.  The snow conditions as soon as we got off the main road were really soft, each step sinking a little bit, and there were a few hills between 200 and 400 feet.  Monte's dog Paulo ran with us, and even he was struggling a bit in the snow!  This was my first time back in the AB Wilderness since September, and will likely be my last time until next summer (another FKT attempt on Granite?).  It'll be nice to get to Missoula, where trails will be a good bit more packed down.

Friday, 1/10--Off


Saturday, 1/11

15 miles, 1:54, Antelope Butte Loop

Woah, today was windy!  35 to 50 mph winds, with gusts of 70 to 80 mph.  I ran against the wind for 5.5 miles, at about 9 minute pace, and then with the wind at my back I dropped it to high sixes for the rest of the run.  The effort throughout felt about the same.  Not relaxed, but not pushing.  I think my PR for this loop is 1:41, and that felt like a push.


Sunday, 1/12

17 miles, 2:56, Sourdough out and backs with the Nothing Sacred Running Club and company

This was a chat and run.  There were about ten of us, some joining midway through, others leaving partway through, and we mostly chatted about our favorite subject: running!  Having one last giant group run before I left was the perfect way to say goodbye to some people, and a good way to form some last minute connections with those I hadn't met yet.  Towards the end I was feeling a little fatigued, probably due to accumulated miles throughout the week.  Afterwards, we all ate bacon and sticky buns and elk sausage and fruit salad and eggs and soda!  The perfect runners breakfast!

71 miles, 10:50


I felt the bump in miles this week, and I think I've hit the point where I need to reign it in a bit.  I'll still keep adding miles for awhile, but I don't want to have any more 11 mile bumps.  My knee has been feeling a little sore whenever I kneel on it, so it's something to keep in mind.  Right now, it doesn't effect my running at all, and hasn't been getting any worse even with increased mileage.  Another good week of running under the belt--this next week I expect to be running in the dark a good bit due to a wonky schedule.  I better dig up those headlamps!  Or, god forbid, I might even get on a treadmill.

Running up the Swingley Connector with Kelsie and Monte

Trying to beat the sunset, Livingston Peak Rd.

Snow covered boulders, Suce Creek

Paulo, digging in the snow for unknown dog-logic reasons

My last visit to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness for some time

Running Divide Creek Rd., Antelope Butte Loop

The Nothing Sacred Running Group and company

More tunes--a band from CA, in Paris: