Climb Run Lift Mom

Camping at The City of Rocks

2013-05-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

I've recently teamed up some other outdoor bloggers to talk about our favorite campgrounds in North America. At the bottom is a list of links to other other bloggers favorite campgrounds. Maybe you'll discover someplace new!

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It’s nothing new to anyone who’s been reading my blog for any amount of time, but the City of Rocks in Idaho is one of my favorite places – anywhere. It’s just that awesome. And not just for the climbing. Don’t get me wrong, the climbing is nothing short of SPECTACULAR Traditional climbing, sport climbing and bouldering… All your climbing needs met in one place. But today I want to talk to you about just being at The City.

The City itself has always been a magical place to me. You drive through rolling brown hills filled with nothingness for a while and then, BAM! This amazing “city” of granite domes and other formations starts to come into view. As you get closer it just starts to look more incredible, and that incredible-ness is even no match for what you’ll see when you finally get into the park itself.

I suggest before heading into the reserve once you get to the area, you go into the quaint little town of Almo. Stop by the Visitors Center and chat with the rangers, pick up a map and learn a little bit about the amazing history of the place. After that, stop at Rock City and visit with the friendly ladies there while picking up any last minute items you may need. And if you don’t need anything, you may want to make plans to go back for dinner one night, their homemade pizza is literally one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.

Now I should mention the camping... I’m not normally a fan of paid campgrounds; when I have the option, I’ll choose free BLM camping almost every time. The City of Rocks is one of the exceptions to this. Their campground is AMAZING. You basically have your own bouldering area right at your campground for only $12.72/night. And with the shrubs and rocks everywhere it really gives you a sense of privacy despite being a full blown campground. I highly recommend having a reservation before you head up there, because in the summer, it fills up fast. They have both pull in and walk in campsites available and you can make reservations easily online. And another side note - Weather can vary greatly up at The City so be prepared for all conditions. I've been through a blizzard in June there before. Expect the unexpected.

I’ve taken trips up there with my kids where we’ve done no climbing and between all the hiking, exploring and scrambling around we were never bored. There are incredible rock formations for your family to explore and the area is rich in history as well, with old writings from westward bound emigrants written in wagon wheel axle grease on some of the rock formations. My kiddos think the place was just as magical as I do and we get up there as often as we can. If you are in this area of Idaho I highly suggest checking this wonderful place out. You can follow the rangers at the Visitors Center on Facebook for daily weather updates and other awesome pictures and check out the City of Rocks National Reserve website for more info as well.

PS - Another little tidbit. Castle Rocks State Park is right next door to the City of Rocks and is equally amazing. There is a $5/day use fee at Castle Rocks, but you will not be disappointed if you head over there. Also, if you are in the area in September and you are a climber, trail runner or mountain biker, it would be well worth your time to check out the Idaho Mountain Festival as well :)

Outdoor Bloggers Other Favorite Campgrounds:

Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies - The Best Provincial Park Campgrounds in Southern Alberta

Kid Project - Sandflats Recreational Area, Moab, UT

Brave Ski Mom - Best Campgrounds in North America: Western Colorado Edition

The Campsite - Top 5 Backcountry Campgrounds in Banff National Park

TravelingMel - Yellowstone Campground Review

Adventure Parents - Classic Campsites: Murphy Hogback Campground, Canyonlands National Park

Mommy Hiker - West Coast Campground Review - Sweet Summer Spots to Relax & Recharge!

Val in Real Life - North America's Best Campgrounds - Elkmont

GA Family Camping - Cloudland Canyon

Adventurous Moms - Dolly Copp Campground

Odyssey Outdoors - Best Family Campgrounds of WA

OurBoler - Best of West Coast Camping

The Kid Project - Climbing and Camping in Maple Canyon

Outsidemom.com  Our favorite campgrounds in the Western US

Indian Creek - Trip Report(s)

2013-04-22T18:32:00.003-06:00

Spring of 2013 has started out with a bang. I have been lucky enough to sneak down to Indian Creek to climb for 3 weekends already. In those 3 weekends I have been able to catch up with some awesome friends, meet up with new friends and had gotten in some equally amazing climbing in. I feel like there was so much awesomeness that I should break it into 3 separate trip reports, but that's a whole lot of red rock to be dumping on you. So bear with me :)

Trip #1

The first weekend back down in the Creek for 2013 started out late. My friends Scott (The Alpine Hack) and Messa and I headed down late on a Friday evening. We were meeting up with a new friend that we had met ice climbing in Cody, WY this last winter and a few of his friends. After stopping for a quick break at Woody's Tavern in Moab (it was a long ride!) and getting lost while trying to discern the location of the campground on the note left for us, we finally pulled into camp about 2 am.

Camp for trip #1 (Photo by Messa Rasmussen)

After a rough night of sleeping in the car, we had a not-so-early start and headed over to Blue Gramma wall. We started on some fun little 10's that were the perfect warm up for the start of rock season. We had the most amazing crew of people; when we weren't climbing, it was nonstop laughter. After a day full of climbing we headed back to camp started early with the St. Patty's Day celebrations. The next morning we woke up early and headed up to Selfish wall, our friends had never been there and there was a route there I really wanted to try leading. After getting on a few stellar routes that I hadn't climbed before, I finally took the sharp end. Granted its a short, easy route, but I have been struggling with my lead head since the climbing accident last year. So when I made it to the top I was pretty stoked. 2013 was starting to look pretty damn good.

Cody reunion in the Creek!

Trip #2

The second trip was a tweet up of sorts. I had planned on meeting up with friends Terri (@rockmaven57) and Eileen (@rockgrrl) from twitter. Terri had done some virtual math tutoring with me via Skype and Eileen was my graphic designer for my awesome blog logo, so I didn't feel like I was meeting up with strangers at all. We arrived late again on Friday, but early enough that our friends were still awake and greeted us with a quick hug before heading off to their tents. My friends had seen pictures from my previous trip to Selfish wall and wanted to head that way themselves. So in the morning we packed up and headed out there. Luckily I was able to get on a few new routes that I had never done up there and was able to lead the same route I did last time, but this time I walked away with some amazing pictures of the climb!

(Photo by Terrell Berry)

The next day we ventured up to Way Rambo hoping to get on a few classics. I had my heart set on climbing Blue Sun and Way Nutter. After getting up there we realized there was a massive group of almost a dozen people and we realized there was no way we were getting on either of those routes. Luckily Rochambeau and The Fuzz opened up and I was pretty certain I could lead Rochambeau.... Until I seen the route. The girl leading it before us said something about wanting more #3's and knowing that's my least favorite size, I instantly decided that I would just top rope it. I was glad I did, it wasn't tough but it was awkward and kept pushing me out onto the face and out of the crack. After 2 days of climbing I was completely exhausted by the time I started The Fuzz and bailed at the slightly overhanging part (which I seriously regret.)

(Photo by Terrell Berry)

(Photo by Eileen Descallar)

Trip #3

This trip felt a little different than the others. I was finally feeling more confident and my lead head was coming back. We had planned to meet up with quite a few people but as it worked out, no one was able to come together. After listening to where other climbers were planning on heading in the morning back at camp we decided that Way Rambo might not be that busy and we'd have a good chance of getting on the routes I was denied last time. We were in luck! There was another big group up there, but this one was so friendly, they let us get on a couple routes they had strung and put our own ropes up after they were done. And two of those routes just happened to be Blue Sun and Way Nutter! And they were every bit as awesome as I thought they would be. Pretty sure my next creek trip will involve me leading Blue Sun, it was such an incredible route. For our last route of the day we decided to go do an easy, hidden chimney climb called Closed Course. Since it was so easy I decided I'd just lead it. I should add that this was my very first chimney. Ever. So it was quite interesting. Add in the 100 mph winds shooting through and it was downright terrifying at times. After climbing it twice (had to come down for more gear, bad beta) I finally decided I had had enough. I bailed bout 10 ft from the anchors. Luckily my friend Scott (The Alpine Hack) was still in the mood to climb and he finished it up for me.

Blue Sun (Photo by The Alpine Hack)

Climbing up the chimney

The next day our friend Cara had met up with a few other friends, so Scott and I decided to take the day and head out to climb the South Six Shooter. I had been wanting to climb the Six Shooters since first seeing them on my Creek trip last fall. And having never climbed a tower, there was added motivation to tick one of them off my list. After getting semi-lost on the drive and losing the trail a few times on the hike up, we were finally there. Along with about 8 other people. Luckily 2 of those people were Beth & Forrest from 3UpAdventures! So while we were waiting we got the chance to chat with our new twitter friends (when Forrest wasn't off free soloing the first pitch, lol). Before the climb, I had actually decided I would lead both pitches since they were so easy and Scott wasn't feeling the greatest. After leading the first pitch and dealing with serious rope drag despite running out gear, I was kind of cranky. I muttered a few 4 letter words and handed over the rack to my partner. However, when I finally arrived at the summit and looked at the view, I realized all the trouble was worth it. No more crankiness. It was the perfect end to an amazing weekend.

Photo by The Alpine Hack

Yup. We climbed that :)

Smartwool Review (& Giveaway!)

2013-04-11T08:16:00.001-06:00

Recently I've had the opportunity to review some items of clothing from SmartWool. I had heard and read many good things about the brand name but hadn't had the chance to try it out for myself until now. Must say... I'm a fan. I received a SmartWool Palisade Hoodie Sweatshirt and a pair of socks. The hoodie is made out of merino wool, which is super soft and not itchy like the old wool sweaters we have nightmares of from our childhood. The merino wool is also temperature regulating, moisture wicking and odor resistant.

Palisade Hoodie in action on a

chilly Spring day in Little Cottonwood

The first day out wearing the sweater was actually in desert. Yes, the hot, sunny desert. Even though the day started out warm, I was glad to have it in my pack when the sun went behind the clouds and it started sprinkling. It kept me nice and toasty when it got chilly and the sprinkles of rain beaded up and rolled right off of it. At when the sun came back out and the wind picked up, I was still comfortable in it. Later that evening at camp it provided the perfect layer under a light puffy to keep me plenty warm. Could have happily worn the sweater all weekend! And FYI - the socks are pretty awesome too. Kept my feet warm at night and were super comfortable hiking in to climbs.

Nice and warm on belay in Indian Creek.

Photo credit: Messa Rasmussen

After spending multiple days in the sweater climbing or just wearing out and about (because its just so darn cute) I have to say I've become a huge fan of SmartWool. Its super comfortable and technically does exactly what it claims to. My only "problem" is how wool in general washes. Even washing it in cold water and not putting it in the dryer, it shrunk. Luckily I had anticipated the problem and ordered a size up and everything is still fantastic. So that's just a thought when you're buying a SmartWool sweater for yourself.

Head on over to Sierra Trading Post now for a chance to win a SmartWool product of your choice!

They also have 25% off all SmartWool products right now if you're not lucky enough to win!

Check it out :)

You can find an awesome selection of SmartWool socks and clothing at Sierra Trading Post.

The awesome folks at Sierra Trading Post provided me with SmartWool goodies free of charge.

All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Bobo's Oat Bars Review and Giveaway

2013-03-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

*Update - Winner has been notified by Email*

I have received many offers of bars, snacks, etc to review through the course of time that I've written this blog. I'm very picky about the ones I'll actually review because of all the junk that's normally added to these products. After reading through the ingredients list, I wholeheartedly agreed to try these ones out.

Bobo's Oat Bar's are All natural, wheat-free, vegan, dairy-free, no trans fat's, no gmo's, no refined sugars and have a low glycemic index. They come in a variety of amazing flavors, although to be perfectly honest, their original flavor is amazing and needs NOTHING added to it. I was sent original, peanut butter, coconut, and cinnamon raisin bar flavored bars to try out. In my opinion, the original was the best, although the peanut butter and cinnamon raisin were delicious too. I'm not a huge fan of coconut (ok, I straight up hate coconut...) so unfortunately I can't really say anything positive about that one.

They reminded me of the crumbly oat topping on cobbler except in the form of of a little cake shaped oat bar. They are soft and chewy, even after being in a pack in the cold all day (that one actually shocked me.) The bars are on average about 360 calories each, so its substantial enough for a snack when you're on the go and need to refuel. They are extremely kid friendly too, my kiddos were a huge fan of all the flavors we received to try.

Bad picture I know... But they didn't last long!

I really don't have much else to say about the bars, honestly no complaints here. They are made in Boulder, CO and can be found in stores and can be ordered on their website as well. I am also pleased to tell you that Bobo's Oat Bars has offered up 4 bars (in your choice of flavors) to give away to one lucky winner! Good luck! Winner will be notified by email at the end of the contest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer - I was provided bars at no cost in exchange for an honest review of product.

Ice Climbing with Kiddos

2013-03-10T17:02:00.000-06:00

After talking to my climbing partner about possibly getting my son into ice climbing this year I decided to do some reading. In my research I stumbled upon a "Kids Climbing College" that the San Juan Mountain Guides puts on a few times a year at the Ouray Ice Park. And then at the Cody Ice Festival last month I met a guy that worked for SJMG so I picked his brain about the whole thing. By the time I left Wyoming, I had decided that the following weekend the kids and I would be taking a road trip Colorado. When I got home, I brought up the idea to my son who was extremely enthusiastic about the thought of climbing ice. This was really happening.

Preview of the awesomeness...

Lets take a moment to go over the Kids Climbing College that SJMG puts on... For the 2012-2013 season they held 4 sessions, each one about 4 hours long. This program is 100% FREE of cost to attend. They also provide all necessary gear required (for free!); including harnesses, helmets, boots, crampons, and ice tools. All you need to bring is warm clothing and snacks for your kiddos. I had called ahead of time to verify that my son would be able to climb since he is only 7 (their site suggests that children be 8-17 years old) and their only concern was about their boot sizes possibly not fitting him. So to prevent any issues with that we rented a pair of ski boots to take with us. We had also brought his harness and helmet but ended up just using theirs since it was provided.

Climb On!

When we had arrived at the Ouray Ice Park, we hiked up to the Kids Wall and were instantly greeted by Annie. Her level of enthusiasm was totally contagious, she helped us get all the necessary gear together and got the paperwork for me to sign. After all the technicalities were done she set my little man up with Sebastian as a belayer. He was so encouraging and helpful. Due to the recent snow in Ouray, my little guy had quite the alpine style snow trudge up to the start of the climb, but with some assistance from Annie he made it just fine. They went over some quick technique with him and he got on the ice to try it out for himself. He struggled a bit at first, but kept going, trying new things along the way. I should make a note here, my son is an extreme perfectionist, if he can't get something absolutely perfect he gets tremendously frustrated and usually gives up. So I was pleasantly surprised to see him struggling but having no intentions of quitting. He made it partway up the first climb and then requested to come down.

After some hot cocoa and a quick break, he requested to climb again. So we got him on another route. With Sebastian belaying again and offering words of encouragement, and a little experience under his belt, little Guy started to fly up this route. When he started to struggle again, another guide, Tad, climbed up to where little Guy was stuck and offered some hands on assistance and showed him what he could do. He worked with him on using one tool, which being a little dude, it was easier for him to swing one tool using both hands. They also showed him to use the hammer end of one tool to hammer the pick of the other tool into the ice farther when he wasn't strong enough to get a good stick. And when he got to the top of his second climb, I'm pretty sure that was moment he became addicted.

Mad Skillz...

The point of no return!

Immediately after coming down from the the second climb, he took a quick chug of hot cocoa from the Hydroflask and requested to climb another route. After quickly topping on out that one as well, he was done. He thanked his new climbing buds and returned the gear. On our hike down to the car we stopped at the bridge and as he was looking at people leading the steeper ice, he comments "next year, I'm going to climb that Mom." On the rest of the walk down, he had a little pep in his step and a new found strut to his walk as he was waving to the other climbers knowing that he was now one of "them." As we got to the car he asked me a very important question. He said "Mom, next time you go ice climbing, instead of getting a babysitter for us can you take me with you?" And after a long day climbing, we decided to hit the hot springs in town to soothe his sore climbers muscles. It was such a fantastic trip.

Huge thank you to San Juan Mountain Guides for putting together such an amazing program. If you are in the area, I highly suggest you check them out if your interested in getting your little ones out climbing.

Also - If you are interested in taking your own kiddos ice climbing, I did a little guest post over at Sierra Trading Post with a few Tips for Taking your Kiddos Ice Climbing. Check it out.

Cody Ice Climbing Festival

2013-03-04T17:55:00.002-07:00

A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Cody, WY to attend the Cody Ice Climbing Festival. Coming together at the very last minute, the plan was to drive up with The Alpine Hack and two of our friends, and to crash at our friend Kristie's house. We packed up my little car Friday morning and hit the road, 8 hrs later we were in Cody. After registering for the Festival and checking out the demo gear from companies like La Sportiva, Scarpa, Rab, Patagonia, Grivel, Petzl and Black Diamond; our crew got to organizing gear and discussing plans for the next day over a few glasses of wine.

Never knew Cody, WY was so beautiful!

The Girls - Ready to climb!

Our lovely host Kristie was completely new to ice climbing so we took advantage of the awesome clinics that the festival offered and signed up for a beginners ice clinic on Saturday morning. Hell, I still consider myself a beginner, I'm not too proud to admit there's still a lot that I have to learn even after 3 seasons of ice climbing. So while the boys were off to climb Smooth Emerald Milkshake (8 pitches of WI4), us gals headed down Aldrich Creek to get acquainted with some easier Cody ice. It was a great crew of people, Don (the festival founder) and all of the guides for the day were so knowledgeable and fun to be around. They set up 4 different routes for us to get on, and even made a small campfire for those of us who weren't climbing to stay nice and toasty (though I didn't get to enjoy that part, too much climbing!). When I got back that evening, the part of my body that was the most sore? My abs. From non stop laughter.

Day 1 Climbing

High fives w/ @wigirl4ever!

That evening, after sampling some of the local goodies (aka Libations slushies....) we went down to Cody Auditorium for the slide shows and other good stuff. There was a pull up contest (of course, I have never seen a climbing fest without one, lol), silent auction, raffles, food and live music by Jalan Crossland Band. The whole event was so much fun, such a great atmosphere. Rab athlete and local Cody climber, Aaron Mulkey put on a slide show about his many FA's in the Cody area and his climbing in other places as well. I was just amazed at the amount and the quality of ice there is to climb in Cody.

The view from the approach on Day 2

The boys all in green getting geared up

The next day, our crew plus one new found friend headed down South Fork to find something... Not exactly sure what that was. Us girls were feeling a little rough from the slushies the prior night so we just went with the flow. Apparently what the boys had their eyes on, wasn't looking the greatest, so we improvised and went up to Legg Creek area (I believe...). There were a couple of very short little pitches on the way up to the good stuff that the boys soloed and then set up a TR for us to get up. Then we got to the first "real" pitch of the route. The route gets very skinny and thin up top, which made for very interesting sound effects coming from each of us as we arrived at this part. Since we had a group of 5 of us so we decided to just set up a top rope and take turns climbing the first pitch instead of climbing the above pitches.

Photo Credit: Jacob Moon

They didn't have much for festivities going on Sunday night, so we just returned all of our demo gear and headed into town for more slushies and dinner. After a big meal and a few beverages, our couple days of long hikes and amazing climbs had caught up with us and we all crashed super early. On our way out of Cody in the morning, we were already talking plans to return next year.

In my opinion, the only downside of the festival was pricing. It was $50 for weekend festival admission including slide shows, gear demos, happy hours, etc. Plus extra for clinics (that you can only sign up for if you pay admission for the weekend). They had single day admission options as well; but in order to attend clinics, you needed to pay for the full weekend. The cost is reasonable for those taking advantage of clinics, happy hours and free gear demos. But I think in the future I would love to see a cheaper option for those who are climbing on their own and not attending clinics or utilizing the gear demo. For those who drink, the included happy hour from New Belgium Brewing very well may pay for itself, but for non drinkers (that are also not attending clinics), the cost is not justifiable.

Despite that, it was a great time, I met some amazing people and climbed some incredible ice. I will DEFINITELY be attending again next year. If you are interested in attending next years festival, the dates have already been set. Mark your calendars for February 14-17, 2014. You can follow along with their website for more information or like their Facebook page to keep up to date on happenings before next years festival.

A Little Something Just For YOU - Albion Fit Giveaway

2013-02-20T01:13:00.001-07:00

*Update - Winner has been notified by Email*

It's giveaway time! Albion Fit contacted me and offered up a giveaway of a super cute Love Racer top for one of my readers. I agreed, because lets face it, I've got some pretty awesome followers. I'd love to give one of you something!

According to Albion Fit:

A feminine and multi-purpose top, the Love Racer is long and fitted and stays put, perfect for high or low impact sports. Featuring a built in sports bra with removable cups, this top provides support and comfort, while contrast flat seams prevent chaffing as they accentuate a long, lean look. And for an extra touch of femininity, we added ruching detail at the sides. Comes in Tangerine, Silver, Neon Pink, and Sea Foam. Nylon/Spandex, wash cold with similar colors, remove immediately and lay flat to dry.

So now here is your chance to win one for yourself! Enter today using the rafflecopter app below. And if you're too impatient to wait to win one, you can save $15 off any purchase of $50 or more using the coupon code CRLM15over50. I will be choosing a winner on February 28th. Please check back to see if you are the lucky winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kiddo Reviews - Keen Kalamazoo High WP Boots

2013-02-09T17:31:00.002-07:00

Recently we were contacted by KEEN to do a review of their children's winter boots. Since most of the reviews I've done have been for grown ups I jumped at the chance to get my kiddos some sweet gear to review. I let Ava take the lead on this one, and she picked out a cute pair of Kalamazoo High boots in pink. Even before we got snow she insisted on wearing her boots to school and around the house. She was definitely in love with the look and feel of them, it was like pulling teeth to actually get her to take them off.

As a mom, I loved that they are super warm and waterproof. No cold tootsies for my little girl this winter. They've been super durable as well, having been put through all sorts of toddler wear and tear for months without any damage to them. And despite Ava's bad, bad habit to wear her boots around the house without any socks, they haven't developed any stinky odor, which I think would be due to the antimicrobial insulation.

They have been worn to school, to the playground, while building a snowman and making snow angels, sledding and snowshoeing. There hasn't been any complaints of the fit being too tight or the boot hurting her feet/toes anywhere. However, I did notice the sizing seems to run a little small. I ordered up a 1/2 size from her normal shoe size and they ended up fitting perfectly. In the future with KEEN children's boots I will 1 full size up to accommodate better for thicker socks. Some parents might also think they are a little pricey at $75 for boots that will only be worn for one season, but you are truly paying for great quality and durability.

If you're interested in more reviews of KEEN children's boots check out some fellow outdoorsy parents:

AK on the GO

Alaskan Mom Approved

Tales of a Mountain Mama

Kid Project.Org

Wilderness for Kids

and

Adventure Tykes

Boots were given to us by KEEN in exchange for our honest opinion.

The Road to Trail Running - Guest Post

2013-02-06T10:22:00.001-07:00

I was recently contacted by the awesome folks at Altra Zero Drop about a guest post. For those of you that may not be familiar with the brand, Altra is fully cushioned, zero drop running shoe. To top it off, the brand is local to Utah, and you know how much I love supporting awesome, local Utah companies. And since my blog has been lacking on the running part for a bit, I figured this would be a great welcome back. So enjoy!

The Road to Trail Running

Running on the same terrain for days at a time has become boring and less of a challenge for me. If you want to turn your usual fitness routine into an exhilarating adventure, I suggest you do as I did: Make the transition to trail running.

Trail running is safer.

Trail running is safer than running on concrete surfaces. Roads and pavements basically have the same type of surface – hard concrete that is either flat or inclined. Running on these rough, cemented surfaces makes you more prone to additional injuries when you stumble or lose your balance. For example, if you suddenly trip and sprain your ankle, the concrete cement will not act as a shock absorber to cushion your fall. It can make injuries worse, because you might end up with a nasty scrape on your arm or a wound on your knee on top of your sprain. With trail running, it is less likely that you will obtain additional injuries. The ground is soft, which makes it better in absorbing the impact from a fall or stumble. The soil also cannot scrape your skin like concrete can.

Running on soft ground for long periods of time makes it a comfortable exercise, since it is considered to have a low impact on legs and feet. This low impact is also important when it comes to toning your body. It doesn't “shock” your legs to contract muscles, so you won’t produce big, bulky thighs or calves. Trail running is also good for increasing your overall speed while facing common obstacles in a race such as hills and curves on the path. It is excellent for those training for marathons: it’s not just speed you’ll be gaining, but also greater stamina. No wonder some of the greatest runners train this way, including Michael Wardian who has been competing at the World 100k Championships.

Trail running is good for the mind and body.

At work, I have to attend to my boss, my colleagues, my customers and clients. When I’m running, I don’t have to worry about anyone else but me. I feel free from any kind of obligation. All I have to do is get to my destination, and make it back safely. Since I do trail running solo, it allows me to meditate. The silence encourages me to listen to myself, and pay attention to what is really on my mind. With trail running, not only have I become more physically fit, but also more refreshed and energized from within. That’s the best thing that I got from trail running.

I also find it more of an authentic experience as compared to being on treadmills in the gym, or on jogging paths in the city. Running in the outdoors where I am closer to nature is something that my body looks forward to. I get to avoid pollution and crowded parks with many other runners I may bump into. Plus do you know how many secret places I’ve found while running on a trail? So far I’ve found a small waterfall, an old bridge, and the best spot on top of a hill to see the whole city – this is where I usually pause to catch my breath and take in all the sights! Trail running has definitely introduced me to a world away from the city.

There is one piece of advice I’d like to give before you begin your wonderful adventure. To maximize the benefits of trail running, get the best barefoot running shoe that you can possibly find. It’s a fact that repetitive motion may cause muscle strain or injury. It’s best to get a barefoot shoe and a variety of other running shoes. With different weights of the shoe, your feet will feel differently every time you run. This minimizes the risk for pain or injury as you prepare for your next marathon!

About the Author

Adeline is a writer for Altra Zero Drop, and specializes in informing people of how to pick the proper shoe for a variety of tasks.

References

The North Face: Michael Wardian Ultra Runner

[http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/exploration/athletes/40-michael-wardian/]

ProActive Outside: Discover Nature with Trail Running

[http://proactiveoutside.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/the-ugliest-most-beautiful-trail-i-run-tulsas-powerline-trail/]

Natural Stress Relief: Top 10 Stress Relief Tips

[http://www.naturalstressreliefguide.com/top-10-stress-relief-tips.html]

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

2013-02-04T23:12:00.002-07:00

There comes a time when you have to throw all fear and doubt out the window and just go for it. "It" can be anything, putting yourself out there emotionally or physically. I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways you can grow as a person. Feeling the accomplishment of trying something you didn't think you could do or were too scared to do is one hell of a powerful feeling and can do wonders for your confidence.

One of my "its" has been skiing. It's something that doesn't come easily to me and frankly scares the hell out of me. Since moving to Utah in 2009 I made myself the promise that I would try skiing once every season since we're supposed to have the best snow on earth. I have kept that promise, but this year was different. My annual day out skiing was actually fun! Heading up to Brighton Resort with a few friends I went in with no expectations except to try to not kill myself. I fell well over 100 times, but I had fun, there was a real smile on my face. And to top that off, the next day I drug my battered, bruised body to Powder Mountain to go skiing again.

Photo courtesy of thealpinehack

Skiing puts me in an extremely uncomfortable position. It's fast and feels out of control. And as much as I love adrenaline pumping activities, I need to feel like I have some control over what's happening.

I have cross country skied (even competitively at times) since I was young. We didn't have mountains in Wisconsin, but we sure had some great Nordic ski trails. But cross country skiing and downhill skiing are two different birds. There are a couple things that I believe helped me overcome a lot of the fears that had held me back.

The first step was to find some friendly accomplices to join me on my adventure. Non judgmental, easygoing people who would not only be supportive and encouraging, but maybe even give me a few pointers along the way. The second thing that helped was taking what I knew from cross country skiing and apply that to downhill skiing. There's not very much that transfers over, but knowing how to do the "pizza" was invaluable! To further make things easier on myself, I stuck to the easy runs (and still haven't gotten off the green ones). I knew I needed to get comfortable with the basics of everything on the easy stuff before even thinking of moving on to anything more difficult.

With sunsets like this... How can I say no?

Taking the baby steps and being able to laugh at myself made skiing enjoyable and much less scary. And skiing, like many other adventure sports, can be as safe or as dangerous as you make it. I know I won't be shredding down any double black diamond runs or finding myself knee deep in back country powder anytime soon. But if I keep working at it, you may just find me skiing (and probably falling) down a blue run in the very near future.

What's the last thing you did that took you out of your comfort zone?

Any tips you'd like to add to my list?

Holiday Gift Guide

2012-12-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I'd share a few gift ideas for the outdoors or fitness fanatic in your life.

For the lady climber, runner or yogi in your life: Clothes from Stonewear Designs.

They have adorable, yet super functional clothes for the active lady in your life. My personal favorites right now are the Rockin Pant and the Toaster Zip Top. Great for working out, running errands or just snuggling up with the kids reading Christmas stories.

The family that plays together, stays together: Teton Sports Mammoth 0⁰ Sleeping Bag.

I'm a huge fan of everything Teton Sports. Their Mammoth 0⁰ sleeping bag is awesome. It's great for taking the kiddos camping in colder weather (or cozying up with that special someone). The bag is big enough that we can all snuggle together and stay nice and warm even on the coldest nights. They also have a +20⁰ double sleeping bag option too if you don't need one quite so warm.

For the lovers of the Great Outdoors in your life: The 2013 National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

With this pass you get access to all federally operated recreation sites across the country, including National Parks, BLM land, Fish and Wildlife service, and USDA forest service land for ONE WHOLE YEAR. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

For the runner in your life: Under Armour Cold Gear and YakTrax.

I'm a huge fan of both of these products!!! I absolutely love running in the winter, the snow and the cold just make it so peaceful. But why be uncomfortable. Under Armour's Cold Gear keeps you nice and toasty while YakTrax keeps you stable on snow or ice covered roads, trails or sidewalks.

And finally....

For anyone who cares about their skin: Climb On! Products.

Whether it be for the climber or crossfitter in your life or just the person who likes to take care of their skin, Climb On! products has just what they need. Climb On! creme or bar for those battered hands from rocks or barbells. Or their Bast Apotheke line of facial products, bath goodies and haircare products that are 100% vegan and chemical free. Great stocking stuffers!

If you're a procrastinator when it comes to shopping like I am, I hope this last minute list will help take care of the outdoors or fitness lovers in your life this holiday season.

I wish you all have a happy, healthy holiday season full of fun and the ones you love!

Metolius Ropemaster Bag Review

2012-12-07T13:55:00.001-07:00

Earlier this summer I was given the opportunity to review the new Metolius Ropemaster rope bag. To be honest, I've never really used a rope bag before. I've always thought they were just an extra thing to carry around or a hassle. Plenty of my climbing partners had them for their ropes, but I was content just throwing my rope in my pack or strapping it to the top. That is until now...

Photo courtesy of Joshua Riggins

First, the Ropemaster is awesome, so awesome in fact that it is the best selling rope bag on the market. I'd say that makes it pretty legit. Second, they have improved it this year, as if that was even possible.

A few other things that contributes to the awesomeness:

Fits both 60m and 70m ropes without a problem.
Tough aluminum buckles (that are guaranteed for life!)
Dual compression straps.
Comfy, padded carrying strap.
Built in tarp, which has been redesigned for easier loading.
And an extra 700+ cubic inches of carrying capacity.

I've been using this rope bag all summer and I'm a fan. It compresses the rope down small enough that when I need to put it in my pack it takes up less space than before when I would just throw it in there. And it's super durable, having survived all sorts of abuse I've inflicted on it over the last 6 months. Not to mention it's saved my rope from all said abuse and other stuff out there that could damage it as well. Another bit o' awesomeness... The new pattern. The blue fish school pattern is so much fun. I admit I'm kind of girly in that I like my stuff to be fun colors (though I definitely won't sacrifice quality for looks). And parents - the fun pattern can come in quite handy. What kid wouldn't want to carry a bag that looks this cool??

Ok, so he doesn't look super thrilled here...

But he actually loved the bag!

Close up of the pattern

After spending 6 months using and abusing this bag, I can't really think of any negatives that I've encountered with it. And at a retail price of $37.50 The Ropemaster makes a super affordable gift for the climber in your life this holiday season. You find it on the Metolius website and at most outdoor retail stores.

Disclaimer:

This item was provided to me for free of charge in exchange for an unbiased written review.

All opinions are 100% my own.

Turkey Day in Indian Creek

2012-12-04T14:17:00.001-07:00

This year, I ended up being solo for Thanksgiving. The kiddos were with their Dad and all my family was 1600 miles away. What's a girl to do? Head down to Indian Creek and climb for 4 days that's what!

I had some friends to meet up with down there and was prepared for 3 hard days of climbing and an equal amount of fun. We got in late Wednesday night and somehow managed to find our friends in the packed Creek Pasture campground in the dark. Thursday morning we decided to try Supercrack Buttress. We had thought that maybe since it was Thanksgiving, people would be taking rest days or that maybe some of the crowd would be waiting til Friday to get there and climb. We were wrong. It was packed. But we went up anyways, and it honestly wasn't that long of a wait to get on the climbs. We only did 2 routes the first day with our group of 4. The warm up next to Supercrack and Supercrack.

Myself, getting man-handled by Supercrack.

After spending the day getting reacquainted with the sandstone we went back to camp, where we were greeted a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Our friend Darrin, who was taking a rest day, stayed at camp all day cooking pit turkeys and all the fixings. And I must say, it was one of the best Thanksgiving dinners I've ever had. It was a huge potluck feast, climbers from all over the campground brought side dishes, desserts and adult beverages to pass around. At one point we had almost 50 people at our site.

Just a small part of the T-day crew at our camp.

Friday morning we had originally planned on climbing at Way Rambo, but after driving there and seeing almost 20 vehicles in a parking area that should only fit about 5 cars, we decided to head to the Selfish Wall hoping for smaller crowd. Unfortunately a few other people had that same idea. It was still the least crowded area we were probably going to find. And I was finally able to get on a few routes that actually fit my hands/fingers, The Ooze and Hand Solo. I was tempted to lead Hand Solo, it was well within my ability and it fit my hands perfectly, but I got in my head and just top roped it.

Saturday was my last day of climbing, seeing as I had to back early Sunday to pick up the kiddos. Our group had decided on climbing at the Technicolor Wall. We had a huge group of 7 of us and had the entire wall to ourselves. The first route I got on was an unnamed 5.9 and about 20-30 feet off the deck, my foot got stuck. It was a wide crack, but I thought I had a solid foot jam in, and as I started to stand up on it, it started slipping down and slipped right into a constriction. I tried taking off my shoe first but I couldn't pull my foot out of it. After struggling for a while, I admitted defeat. My friend Scott soloed up to me and literally pushed and pulled my foot for about 10 more minutes before it finally came out. My foot and ankle were both sore after all of that so I opted to just come down instead of finishing the climb. The second route of the day was On the Up and Up. The first part of the climb up to the pod thingie was perfect hands (love the #2's!) for me. Then coming out of the pod over the roof, the crack widened into #3 territory (not my favorite size!) and it was just too much for me. I tried getting back on the route a few different times and each time I couldn't figure out how to pull over the roof. Between getting my foot stuck and bailing on a route that I should've been able to climb, it was too much. I walked away from the group and just sat and cried for a while.

Yup, I was totally acting like a brat...

Trying to get my foot unstuck

All in all it was a super fun weekend, I made some awesome new friends and climbed some superb rock. I can't really complain. You may have noticed I have been having some issues with my head game as far as climbing goes this summer (stay tuned for a post on that), but I'm working on it. I guess as long as I keep getting out there and on the rock, I'm making progress. And since I don't want to end the post on a negative note, I'll leave with a picture of the gorgeous bluebird skies from our hangout at Technicolor Wall. Hope you all had an equally fun Thanksgiving!!!

View from Technicolor Wall

It's that time... Stonewear Designs Review and Giveaway!!

2012-10-17T14:37:00.001-06:00

Since becoming a Grassroots Ambassador for Stonewear Designs, I have been wearing the heck out of my allotment of clothing. I wanted to make sure when I gave a review it was thorough. The first piece I want to review for you is the Double Cross Top. It's absolutely one of my favorite items! I've worn this top climbing, running, practicing yoga, out and about running errands, and even dressed up (well as dressed up as I get, lol) for a concert.

This top is made out of breathable, moisture wicking fabric. The website states that the combination of wide and narrow straps is for more support, but I just think it's super cute. Great for showing off those shoulder muscles you worked so hard for ladies! Other notes on the top - It washes great, fabric doesn't shrink, lose its shape, fade or anything like that, it still looks and feels as great as the day I got it. There is also a built in bra which is surprisingly supportive, I'm usually not a fan of the built in shelf bras, but this one is great. Unfortunately it's not supportive enough for my girls without another sports bra while out running though.

Belaying in my double cross top

Now onto the part you've been waiting for! I am so in love with this top, that I personally want to share one with one lucky reader. You get a Double Cross Top in your choice of color/print! And Stonewear is throwing in a sweet headband for good measure! You can check out their website for color choices from their new dryflex double cross top fall line, their older dryflex double cross tops, or their organic cotton double cross top. Don't forget your headband too!

Also check out Tales of a Mountain Mama for a mass Stonewear Ambassadors clothing review!

Clothing was provided to me free of charge as part of being an ambassador for Stonewear Designs, but all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/47cb470/

Congrats Krysia!!!!

Shoot me an email with your color choices and shipping info :)

climbrunliftmom @ gmail.com

Klymit Sleeping Pad Review

2012-10-05T08:48:00.000-06:00

In preparation for my Grand Teton trip I had reached out to some awesome companies and had gotten some awesome gear to use. Unfortunately the trip was a bust, but I've had the chance to test out the products nonetheless! One of those products was a sleeping pad from Klymit.

I had seen pictures of the Klymit sleeping pads online and had thought to myself "They can't really be comfortable!" So when the OR Show rolled into town, I made sure Klymit was one on my list of companies to check out. I laid down on one and quite honestly, after walking around all day, I didn't want to get up!

Klymit utilizes a unique body mapping technology to provide cushion in all the right places. Here is what their website says:

Pressure Point Body Map: This acclaimed minimalist body mapping technique has been winning over backpackers since it’s introduction in 2010. The Klymit Inertia camping pads comfortably support all the places your body touches a sleeping surface. The remaining areas are removed to minimize weight, allow for breathability, and enhance warmth.

Anatomical Body Map: The V shaped designed pads are ultra comfortable camping pads designed to mimic the muscular structure of your back. By matching the contours of the human body, the Inertia XL and Static V naturally accommodate all body types and offer enhanced comfort over standard camping pads. This neutral body map is ultra comfortable by itself as found in the Static V. When combined with the comfortable loft pockets, side rails, and built in pillow on the Inertia XL, and the ability to customize the pressure, the result is the most comfortable camping pad on the market.

And they are not exaggerating. I've used it multiple times and had many a skeptical friend lie down on it and got the same response every time. Wow, it's really comfortable! I also need to note that I am a front sleeper, side sleeper and back sleeper. I basically toss and turn all night. And it is just as comfortable in every position. I sleep with it inside my sleeping bag (fits inside most mummy bags perfectly!) and it stays put and never moves out from underneath me, which was a common problem I've had with other sleeping pads.

Showing it off at the Idaho Mtn Festival

Not only is it super comfortable, but the main reason I wanted one was how small it was. Most sleeping pads roll up bigger than your sleeping bag (with some even bigger than my tent!)! I was looking to cut down on size and weight in any way I could for the Grand. This one rolled up and literally fit in the palm of my hand. Total weight you ask? 9.1 oz. Yup... For real. During my trudge up to the Grand I really appreciated not having the extra bulk or weight of a conventional sleeping pad.

Seriously!

Another thing I really loved is that Klymit is a local company. I absolutely love supporting local Utah businesses when I can and this awesome one is literally 20 minutes from my house. How could I not?

Klymit offers a wide variety of sleeping pad styles, all of them light weight and pack down super small, as well as a variety of other outdoor products. You can check them out online or at your local REI if you want to see it in person.

Huge thank you to Klymit and Outside Media for providing me this awesome pad to test out!

All opinions are 100% my own :)

Idaho Mountain Festival!!!

2012-10-04T18:13:00.003-06:00

Sadly the Idaho Mountain Festival has come and gone. If you missed it, you have my condolences. But there is always next year, and if this year was any indication, you WANT to be there for 2013.

Basically if you love rock climbing, trail running, mountain biking, camping, the mountains, or heck even if you just enjoy the great outdoors without the adrenaline pumping activities you'll have a great time. Co-founders Ben and Jennilyn Eaton partnered up with Asana Climbing to put together an awesome weekend of activities. There was open climbing at the City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park, both of which boast amazing granite trad and sport climbing. La Sportiva jumped on board to offer up shoe demos for the weekend, with both trail running and climbing shoes available to try out. I tried out a pair of La Sportiva TC Pro's on my second day of climbing.... Just amazing (another post on this later...).

Crack House - Castle Rocks

(Photo: Ryan Henderson)

There were also 10K and 1/2 marathon distance trail races on Saturday. I had registered for the 10K, but unfortunately ended up deciding that I wanted to climb all day instead. Really kicking myself for that though, sounds like it was an amazing course! Also on Saturday there was a mountain bike poker ride, which again I had heard was awesome, but had chosen climbing over. It had been 2 months since my last trip to the City, can you blame me for wanting to just climb??

My superhero belayer cape ;)

(Photo: Megan Henderson)

On top of all the amazing climbing, trail running and mountain biking; there was camping at Castle Rocks in their "tent city" which was awesome. Talk about bringing everyone together. I'm normally into the whole 'getting away from everything' idea when I go camping, but it was so much fun camping so close to everyone. Every evening with the help from the amazing sponsors (and even more amazing cooks!) they put on a huge dinner for us. The dinner was enjoyed in an awesome little picnic area with slide shows from amazing (I'm using that word a lot in this post aren't I...) athletes like Dave Bingham and Rob Pizem. Throughout the festival there were also numerous clinics put on during the day by equally awesome athletes such as Buddy Jones, Janelle Smiley, Beau Stuart, Jenn Flemming, Matt Fultz and Rob Pizem.

Racking up in Castle Rocks :)

(Wearing my Liberty Capris by Stonewear Designs)

Sunday morning rolled around awfully early, and sadly I had to leave super early to go get my kiddos. With a heavy heart I drove off before the sun came up and headed home. This was one of the funnest weekends I have had in a long time. Climbed with some old friends, and made a bunch of new friends as well. I cannot wait until next year! Wonder when early registration opens.... I expect to see YOU there next year :)

Epic Failure?

2012-09-25T23:30:00.000-06:00

August was in no uncertain terms was supposed to be an EPIC month. I had Devil's Tower, a Wisconsin trip with climbing at Devil's Lake and The Grand Teton on my agenda for the month. Because of circumstances out of my control (partner's injured foot), Devil's Tower was cancelled (or technically postponed, because it WILL happen). The Wisconsin trip happened, spent 2 weeks back home with family, and got some sick whitewater in while there as well. But Devil's Lake was a no go as well. I guess when your main climbing partner is injured, the amount of climbing happening is going to suffer.

The Grand

The worst and final disappointment was The Grand Teton. I had planned this trip for months. I had hooked up with some amazing companies and got some sweet gear to test out. Had everything taken care of. I knew the chances of summitting weren't 100%, weather is always iffy and it was a chance we were taking. When we got there, the weather was terrible. We spent the first day driving around Yellowstone in the pouring rain. The next day was perfect weather and we got our back country permit without a problem. Our plan was to hike up to the lower saddle that day and camp; wake up super early the next day and climb, get down and back to the car and head home. Nothing went as planned, we didn't even start the hike up to the lower saddle until after 3 pm. I'll stop here quick and just add that I am terrified of bears and scared of the dark. So the hike up... It's quite the hike up, long and steep. I knew I'd have a few issues, I hadn't been running much before this and had lost some endurance. And on top of that I spent a few weeks in WI, lots of cheese and wine, and was at 400' elevation vs 8000' elevation. Because of this I was moving a little slower than normal, but still moving nonetheless. My partner basically left me right from the start. I hiked the first 3 miles all alone. I was freaked out about bears since I was all alone, and freaked out about the possibility of hiking alone in the dark since we had gotten such a late start. After watching numerous groups of people pass me on their hike down laughing and talking together, I had had enough. I finally admitted that this just wasn't fun for me anymore. What is the point of it if you're not having fun?

I did what made sense to me, I turned around and hiked back to the car. I was extremely disappointed, but in hindsight, I made the right choice. The rest of the trip would've been miserable had I kept hiking. And I've already got the next attempt with a different partner who won't leave me behind in the works.

So epic failure or not, I'm moving past this.

The mountain isn't going anywhere, it will be there for me to climb again.

Thank you all SO MUCH!

2012-08-09T13:49:00.002-06:00

Recently I got the exciting news that I have been selected as one of six Grassroots Ambassadors for Stonewear Designs! I can't even describe how happy I am. This is an amazing company and I am thrilled for the opportunity to represent them and all that they stand for. You can check out more about the rest of the Grassroots team and Stonewear's blog HERE.

I was lucky enough to meet up with the wonderful ladies at Stonewear Designs (and check out the new 2013 spring line!) at the Outdoor Retailer in SLC this last weekend. They are all super sweet and I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of this team. And I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am to put my spring order in already!

And as you might know, one of the perks of being an ambassador is that I get an allotment of clothing from Stonewear each season. I have received my fall order already and am super stoked to share some product reviews with you all! So stay tuned for those after I get done thoroughly testing out the clothes.

Once again, thank you all so much for your support! Without you I wouldn't have been selected! And keep an eye open in the next week or so... With the first product review, I'm going to have a special treat for my readers!

A little bit of this - A little bit of that

2012-06-20T13:13:00.001-06:00

Hey peeps, I apologize for the lack of posting yet again. While out climbing a week and a half ago in the City of Rocks, I was part of a climbing accident. My partner ended up with some broken bones, but for the most part we are all ok. I have however been a little shook up from the whole experience, it was my first time witnessing anything like that let alone being a part of it. So as a result, I've taken some time away from the bloggy world to think about what happened. With my partner's permission, I will have a post coming later talking about what happened. So stay tuned for that if you're interested.

In other news.... The Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference is coming up this weekend! If you remember a couple months ago, I posted about wanting to go and I was lucky enough to be selected by Refuel with Chocolate Milk and FitFluential to attend the conference! This will be an amazing opportunity for me to expand my blog and learn more about this whole blogging thing that started out as just a medium for sharing climbing trip reports with friends. And to make the weekend even more fun, I'll be road tripping there w/ Danny J of The Sweaty Betties! I can't even begin to imagine how much fun this will be :)

And lastly.... The decision is still out on the Grassroots Ambassadors selection for Stonewear Designs. I would appreciate if you all kept spreading the love for me and my lil 'ole blog until a decision is made. Again, this would be an amazing opportunity for me so any support is much appreciated!!!

Thanks so much for sticking around with my lack of posting -

There will be some good stuff coming soon. Promise!!

Pulling Cobbles

2012-06-02T21:27:00.000-06:00

Hey folks! I've got another trip report for you. This time it involves actual climbing. Not that my non-climbing trips aren't amazing.... The climbing trips are just my favorite. A couple weekends ago, the kiddos and I joined some friends down in Maple Canyon for a weekend of climbing. After 3 yrs of living in Utah and climbing, I couldn't wait any longer to see this place I'd heard so much about.

Well... I wasn't disappointed. After getting lost more times than I care to mention on the way there, we were rewarded with amazing conglomerate pillars and canyons. Conglomerate is basically (as I explained it to my kids) lots of little rocks stuck together to make a huge rock. (The pictures should help you interpret my silly explanation, lol.) The climbing is completely different than anything I had EVER done before. Although I have been climbing quite a bit this year already, I haven't been climbing "hard" or really pushing myself yet. And Maple rewarded me with a big 'ole slice of humble pie.

I was lucky enough to be in Maple with people that climb harder than me and I took advantage of that opportunity to push (or try to push) my climbing grade. I probably should've warmed up on something I could actually climb, but I was so excited I decided to top rope the first climb we got on. Poop Chute (a 5.10d) in the Pipeline area of Maple was the lucky route for me. After getting used to the feel of the rock and flailing around through the first hard moves, I was so pumped that I peeled off the rock. This I discovered would be the norm for me during this trip.

Ava getting chalked up to try

So after that route we decided something more kid-friendly (aka Haley friendly...) would be better and headed over to the Schoolroom area. We decided since the whole area was empty to set up 2 top ropes so the kids could do some climbing too. I ended up leading one route, an easy 5.7, not even sure which route it was since there were routes that weren't listed in the guidebook or on Mountain Project. Regardless, it helped me to gain some confidence back. That confidence was short lived however. After top roping another "5.7" that felt more like a 5.9, I was extremely pumped and wondering who these sadists were that rated some of these climbs...

Lil Guy pulling cobbles

After we were done climbing, we decided to hike Box Canyon before it got dark. Box Canyon is an absolutely gorgeous, privately owned, conglomerate canyon. The owners are gracious enough to allow climbers and hikers access though. The first step into the canyon is just amazing, you're surrounded by cobbles in almost every direction. After some hiking and climbing up to a huge cave we headed back to the campsite for a dinner of salmon and potatoes (roasted over the campfire) that would make #ClimbChat proud.

Box Canyon

After a chillier than expected night and lots of snuggling with the kiddos, we woke up to another gorgeous day. After some breakfast and packing up camp, it was time for some more climbing. We hiked up to the Oxygen wall to take advantage of the sun and warm up. We supposedly climbed 2 5.9's but again I can't find them on Mountain Project. The first one I did was nothing special, though it was a hard climb, I even completely slipped off the rock at one point. The second was fun and had much more positive holds than the first, but was slightly less than vertical. I managed to finish it without peeling off, but my forearms had had enough at that point.

So even though I was completely humbled by the climbing, I had an amazing time. I'm now determined to focus on getting stronger so I can go back and show these cobbles who's boss. This was a new style of climbing that put me completely out of my comfort zone, but I'm not letting that stop me from enjoying it.

Do you prefer to stay in your "Comfort Zone"

or do you like to walk on the wild side??

*Also PLEASE don't forget if you enjoy this blog and think I would be an awesome grassroots ambassador for Stonewear Designs, please go to their Facebook page and share the love. Thank you!*

I was made for this!!

2012-05-31T13:51:00.002-06:00

A while back the awesome women's clothing company, Stonewear Designs, shared that they were looking for 6 active, socially conscious women to represent them as Grassroots Ambassadors. I was stoked to read this. Not only am I a fan of their clothes, but I'm a fan of the company and what they represent. First, I love that they promote healthy, strong, "real" women - rather than the super model like image of women that some other women's athletic wear companies promote. And secondly, they do great stuff! Stonewear Designs sponsors HERA Women's Cancer Foundation, an incredible foundation that promotes health, empowerment, research and awareness for women fighting ovarian cancer. I love supporting companies that not only make good stuff, but that do good stuff as well.

I also want to share why I think I would make an excellent Grassroots Ambassador for Stonewear Designs.

I believe in living an active, healthy lifestyle and encouraging others to do so as well.

I believe in promoting a strong, healthy image of women.

I believe in Yoga.

I believe in the great outdoors and sharing it with everyone.

And

I believe in climbing to the top of any obstacle in my way.

So if you believe I would be a great choice as an ambassador for Stonewear Designs, please share with them on their Facebook page, tweet them on Twitter (my twitter handle is @climbrunliftmom) or in an email to Cassie at Stonewear Designs @ cstrid@gthi.com. This is an amazing opportunity and I would appreciate as much support as I could get from you all! Thank you all so much!

Moab (Part 2)

2012-05-30T22:19:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone, thanks for reading Part 1 of my Moab series! There was just way too much good stuff to squeeze it into one post. On our second day down there we were lucky enough to finally meet up with the amazing Melissa from Adventure Tykes and her son J for some family fun, Moab style! I was not disappointed, she is just as awesome as I thought she'd be and is quite the guru for family friendly activities and places in Moab. After throwing around a few different kiddo friendly locations, we decided on Faux Falls.

The hike into the falls was super short. Although if you don't have a high clearance vehicle I suggest parking farther away and hiking the extra 1/2 mile in. Luckily, Melissa let us all pile into her truck to get to the trail head, my car was extremely happy not to be put through that. The initial sight of the cascading water against the red rock backdrop was just stunning. After checking out the waterfall, we hiked up to the top of the falls, with plenty of stops along the way for chasing lizards and finding sticks of course. The one part of the falls that scared me with the kids was how easy it would be for them to slip into the water at the top and from there it would be a gruesome slip and slide all the way to the bottom. So if you ever check this place out with your kids, keep them within arms reach near the water.

After checking out the source of the falls, we hiked back down and crossed the little stream to the other side. Here there was a shallow pool of water that was perfect for the kids to wade in and cool off. They quickly figured out that sand + water = mud and they were in heaven. (They ended up hiking out carrying about 5 extra lbs of sand and mud (per kid) by the end of the day.) The water was pretty chilly so they didn't play too long here and unfortunately it was getting late enough where we needed to start thinking about the drive back home. So we cleaned as much sand and mud as we could off the kids and headed back to the truck, said our good byes and were on our way back home before we knew it.

Moab will always have a special place in my heart because it is an amazing climbing locale. Between the desert towers and Indian Creek, a climber is in Sandstone Heaven there. But besides all that it is an amazing destination for mountain bikers and hikers of all ability levels. I love that this is a place that my kids love just as much as I do. For anyone looking to make a family trip there (or anywhere really), I highly suggest following Adventure Tykes blog. It is chock full of great advice for family friendly camping, hiking, and any other outdoor fun you could have while there.

Thanks for reading the trip reports!

This is a summer of adventure, hopefully we'll have many more to share :)

Track Time w/ the Kiddos

2012-05-25T15:19:00.001-06:00

My schedule has not been the most accommodating to running lately. Since my running has be done with the kiddos my only options are the treadmill or the track. Thankfully, just a little over 1/2 mile from our house is the local high school. And since the treadmill is for worst case scenario only, the kiddos and I have ventured down to the track a few times. They ride their bikes there and I run there along side them.

Ava getting some laps in!

Running and I are still not on the best of terms, so the track actually works out really well for me. The kiddos can play in the grassy area in the middle or run laps themselves. I can run a few laps and then run some stairs for a bit. I can also incorporate some strength training to keep my heart rate up between laps and stairs. I usually try to work in 2 laps around the track, 2 laps of the stairs, and then 1 set of body weight exercises. I try to repeat this set as many times as the kids let me :) My run to and from the track also serves as my warm up/cool down

Monkey see - Monkey do :)

I haven't been able to stay longer than around 45 minutes, but it's still enough time for a few miles and enough strength training to give me DOMS :) This has been by far the easiest way I've found to get my workouts in since having the kiddos with me 24/7. I would say the kids love this as much as I do, but honestly, they love it more. There really is no excuses.

Do you have a local track that you use?

What are your favorite ways to squeeze in workouts with your kids?

Moab (Part 1)

2012-05-17T12:16:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I was struck with a serious case of wanderlust. Enter Moab... Seriously one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I had originally planned on climbing Castleton Tower to celebrate my 30th birthday, but those plans fell through. I wasn't going to let that get me down though, I packed up the kiddos and the camping gear and off to Moab we went anyways.

I had originally hoped that we'd leave early enough on Friday to get there and set up camp while it was still light out. However, that did not happen. I'm not complaining though. As hard as it is to set up camp in the dark with two little kids, the reward of waking up to the Red Rock surrounding you is completely awe inspiring. I've been to Moab many times, but it never ceases to amaze me.

If you've been on the internet in the last few months you've most likely seen this video for the World's Largest Rope Swing. This was filmed in Moab, UT and since the kids first seen this video they wanted to go see this arch (they actually wanted to go swing off it, but we compromised and just hiked out to see it instead). Corona Arch is a beautiful arch about 15 minutes away from town of Moab. It's a 3 mile round trip hike, which was the perfect distance for my kiddos.

Camping time!

Baby Cairn (Wilderness Crafts w/ the Kiddos!)

Taking a rest :)

Climbing up the trail

Taking a rest w/ Corona Arch in the background.

The kiddos and I

Yoga Girl!

If I poke a cactus will it hurt?

Lizard #6 of the day (we were counting, lol)!

The trail was perfect for the kiddos. There were 2 places along the trail that were protected by cables. The first, I'm still not sure why... But the second was almost necessary for the kids. There was also a part where you had to climb up a ladder, again I didn't feel it was necessary, but the kids thought that was pretty neat. So someone has obviously went out of their way to make the trail super accessible for everyone.

After our hike, the kids were pretty beat from the heat and crashed in the car, I just drove around for a few hours so they could sleep in the AC instead of taking them back to a hot tent.

When we got back to our campsite, we had an awesome dinner of hot dogs (for them), corn on the cob and roasted potatoes cooked over the campfire. I had a few drinks and just relaxed. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening and was exactly what the kiddos and I needed. Perfect belated birthday celebration.

Watch for Part 2 - Faux Falls.

The "My Children are Under Quarantine" Workout

2012-04-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday my 4 yr old was diagnosed with strep... Fun stuff. And since I haven't been puked on yet today, I figured it would be a good day to squeeze in a workout while disinfecting. I'm going to keep this real, since I'm sure all you mom's have been there.

Necessary Equipment:

Not sure if this is even enough....

Optional Equipment:

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#1 - Keep Sicky away from you Chest Press

#2 - Wax On Wax Off - AKA Scrub EVERY imaginable surface in your home.

(source)

#3 - 10.7 oz Clorox Bicep Curls

#4 - Cardio/Lower Body - RUN away from sick child if #1 doesn't work.

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#5 - When all else fails, lift a ginormous glass of wine to your mouth repeatedly until empty. Alcohol kills germs right??

L-O-L Disclosures: Yes, my pictures suck, my boyfriend has my camera. Yes, I'm drinking, it's after 5 pm. No, I do not normally look this ragged (side effect of having a sick child). And no, Clorox in no way compensated me for using/advertising their products, it is my own belief that their product will keep me safe from the evil germs.

Hope you all have an awesome (healthy) weekend!!!

And thanks for sharing a little laugh with me today :)