Just Plodding Along

Training Week 10/9/2017-10/15/2017....or lack of...

2017-10-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

....not to give the ending away but this week was a bit of a bust.

Last weekend I felt under the weather and by Monday- bam- felt like death. And that freakin cold was a stage 5 clinger and really lingered. SO. MUCH. COUGHING.

Monday: Nothing but naps, and couch time.

Luckily this guy was around to keep me company.

Tuesday: A light weight workout at home. Skipped my scheduled run due to lack of ability to breath without hacking up a lung.

Wednesday: Tried to get back on the wagon. Did 2 miles on the treadmill with 8 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds recovery thrown in. Coughed so hard I almost puked. Got off treadmill and laid on floor. Did manage to lift weights during lunch. Bonus points for me.

Thursday: After a night of coughing, reset my alarm and slept in until 7. Ran 3 miles outside in the evening with 3 minute run/ 1 minute walk. Felt good until the last mile and then that walk break began to creep up in time as the coughing and snot production increased. But it got done.

Friday: Exhaustion won and I slept, really slept, without much coughing. YAYYYY. Nothing else really got done. Though I did get an exciting visit to urgent care after the husband's knee gave out with a pop and he did a swan dive into the driveway. Still waiting to see if it is a meniscus tear and what that means. Poor guy has crutches but those hands......

Saturday: Had a six mile hilly workout in the plan. Did 5 and called it due to a trail race the next day.

Sunday: 4.7 miles with some of the longest hills known to man for the Fall Series II race (I am on a Brewers Cup team- Storybook Brewery Team and get points for certain races as we compete for pride. I have been injured most of the season but my team is super nice and I get a point for being out there so a lot of races this year have been a walk, but still counts!). It was beautiful weather and lots of fun.

I have noticed that my body is not used to running, it has been awhile since it has been out of running shape. Aches and pains, tight hamstrings, sore calves, that new to running feeling. The exhaustion. Oh boy. What fun. But I am sure over time I will get stronger (fingers crossed, it seems impossible at the moment).

Miles plodded this week: ~15.
Cross training: missing
Confidence level in comeback: low

Training Week 10-2-2017 to 10-8-2017

2017-10-09T08:15:00.003-07:00

I realized several things this week in training
1) I had not taken a rest day since Sept 1st, which probably contributed to my overall rundown feeling this week and case for backing off a bit. Work has been a lot lately as well with evening events, lots of projects and the overall I am kind of doing multiple jobs since we are down some staff in my office tiredness.
2) I do not enjoy evening workouts because it means less time at home hanging with my favorite person and 2 favorite canines.

This training week was a bit less than I have been doing though still a lot. I did take a rest day which was much needed. For next week, less evening workouts, because I want to be home more. Live and learn.

Monday: AM Swam, then worked through lunch and stayed a bit late at work so that was it for the day.

Tuesday: Ran 3 miles with 5 X 30 second surges of speed with 30 second recovery in the middle. Lifted weights and took a pilates class

Wednesday: Climbed uphill on the treadmill for an hour, lifted weights and took a barre class. Also worked late...

Thursday: Intended to run 3 miles with 3 min running/ 1 min walking intervals but only got 2.5 miles in before I had to hit the road for a conference in Denver. Note to self-you slow, budget more time. 3 miles takes longer than 30 minutes right now. Spent all day at a conference and then had to work an evening event until around 7:30 so that was it for the day.

Friday: Woke up exhausted and with the beginnings of a cold... so took the day off from working out.

Saturday: Woke up with a cold but ignored it and got my five miles in. The first mile was a nice easy pace, the next two were around 10:30 because I ran in an event for my brewers cup team and running with people always makes me push a little harder. The last two miles were slow and painful. I know that this run was supposed to push me and it did. It was just tough reminding myself that while I was running. Five miles used to be my like daily staple run and now it is the longest run I have done in a year. Afterwards I was very sore and had blisters because my body is not used to running and my feet are now delicate flowers. The rest of the day was spent resting and trying to get rid of my cold.

Sunday: Woke up feeling a bit better and because it is supposed to snow tomorrow decided that I needed to get out in the sunshine. The hubs and I did a 4 mile hike up to Pulpit Rock and back from our house. It was beautiful.

So overall ran/walked 10.5 miles and got some serious cross training in. Not bad.

Variety is the Spice of Life

2017-10-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

Taking pretty much an entire year off of running and then wanting to come back an do something epic in the next year is going to take some doing. To make things easier I have joined the YMCA which is conveniently located next door to where I work making lunchtime and evening working out possible. There is also a Y a five minute drive from our house making weekend and early morning and any other time workout easy as well. I think making it as easy as possible to do something ups me actually doing it by a factor of 100. The other nice thing about the Y is they offer a gazillion classes. Everything from spin to barre to boot camp, three of my favorite cross training classes at the moment.

In my time off from running I got a bit lazy which resulted in a loss of not only cardio fitness but also strength so I am working on getting both of those back slowly but surely.

A typical week of training looks a little like:
Monday- AM swim laps, lunch time lift weights, evening boot camp class
Tuesday- AM run/walk, lunch time lift
Wednesday- Swim or uphill treadmill or stairclimber, lunch time lift, evening barre class
Thursday- AM run, pilates at lunch or pilates in the evening
Friday- AM spin, boot camp at lunch
Saturday- AM Run/ lift
Sunday- Run
All days pretty much start with a mile walk with the dogs. That is my warm-up for whatever workout is happening that morning.

Charlie is always super helpful when it comes to working out. He is very into the exercise mat.

I also have some physical therapy exercises I throw in every time I run to try to keep things in working order and stretching.....all day everyday because everything hurts and I am dying. I also have to be flexible because work things come up and sometimes lunch time or evening workouts get pushed or don't happen. But some is better than none.

Pilates and barre are great for core, hip flexors, back and balance.
Boot camp is great for working everything, including doing lateral movements which I tend not to do ever and kind of suck at.
Swimming is just a great overall workout and gets that heart going.

My hope is this variety will keep me strong and reduce the chance of injuries.

I am also lucky enough to have some help from a friend who has created me a training plan so I don't have to think about how to gain running fitness back I can just trust in her plan.

She is an awesome coach so no doubt I will be back to plodding some serious miles soon.

The Big Reveal

2017-10-02T17:27:00.002-07:00

So what the heck has me training like I have never trained before?

What has pulled me out of blog retirement?

And just how crazy is the idea?

I would say medium high to extremely high on the crazy scale.

The factor for this statement, "this seemed like a good idea back in....." to be repeated numerous times is very high.

Okay. Okay. Jeeez

Next summer I want to run The Colorado Trail.

Not for a record.

Not for a medal and a 'free' t-shirt.

For no other reason than to just see if I can.

Maybe I will custom print a t-shirt and/or a medal......

And the best part is I have all fingers and toes crossed that my friend who is just as crazy (in the best way possible) will do it with me.

That is the best part- when your crazy finds a similar crazy and you can be crazy together!

Oh the planning! The logistics! The size this spreadsheet is gonna be when I am done!! Nerd alert.

Now for those of you not familiar and thinking who cares, some important deets.

The Colorado Trial is divided into 28 segments and is 484.6 miles long.

Elevation ranges from 5500 to 12000 feet as you run single track through the Rockies (and by run I mean most likely a slow paced jog with much power hiking thrown in).

My hope is to complete it in 20 to 24 days (using every last ounce of vacation time I have saved up by next summer).

Now I know this is big talk coming from someone who has spent the last year not really running. But for the last seven weeks I have basically been working out three times a day.

Strength training.

Swimming.

Spinning.

Boot camp.

Yoga.

Pilates.

Run/walking.

Repeat & Repeat & Repeat

And am slowly but surely getting stronger and fitter.

This is an idea I have had for over a year now so why not give it a go. I realize that there are records around this trail, people running it in 5 days or something amazing and crazy like that. But for me I want it to be an extended adventure in the mountains. Thankfully crewed by my husband so I don't have to carry anything but a map, water and snacks. Many snacks. #carblife

Over the past year I have been injured, gained weight and gotten out of shape. Nothing like the fear of running almost 500 miles over three weeks to motivate you.

It is a bit scary putting a big goal like this out there but once you say it out loud, it is real and happening. So here it is!

Colorado Trail Summer 2018!

Oh Hello

2017-09-30T17:39:00.001-07:00

So it would appear that is has been about a year since a blog post happened. Why? I don't know maybe because running had been causing me so much pain that I didn't really feel like a runner anymore. Even though I was still trying to run. Or maybe it was because I didn't have a big goal for running any more. And this was first and foremost a running blog. So not much to talk about. Whatever the reason, I feel like sharing again because 1) I have finally started to run (reality check: run/walk) again and 2) I have a big goal for next year that involves training like I have never trained before and this blog has always helped keep me accountable and making progress in the right direction (more on the big goal later).

So to catch you up, in the past year:

We made it to Mount Rushmore!

and Badlands National Park

my bestie and I ran together (the last time I seriously ran anything) at the Twin Cities 10 miler. Running with her is always the best. Since high school to present day- running buddies for life!

And then I tried to keep running but couldn't really (three experts later- three different theories. Cracked calcaneus, chronic plantar fasciitis, fat pad syndrome, maybe one, maybe all three at the same time- long story short- doc, doc, doc, PT, doc, PT, walking boot for 4 weeks, PT, chiro, dry needling = finally feeling better).

So when one can not run one does other things.

Hit up Bangkok for some temple and palace visiting,

spent some time in Phuket where I achieved a life goal of hanging with elephants.Best day ever!

Went on a massive road trip of the east coast that involved some time chilling at the beach,

a stop over for some wedding fun,

and some historic site visiting in D.C., Philly, Boston and many more awesome places.

I obtained a new job with the City and

we bought a house in the Springs

and adopted a new puppy which Max.....tolerates. Say hello to Charlie!

Whew it has been quite a year!

Fall Fun

2016-10-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

Things are getting settled here in Colorado Springs. We have been exploring the area and are really enjoying living here.

We found Milt's Coffee Shop which offers unlimited pancakes and biscuits and gravy, this may have something to do with our love for the area.

I have started working at The Colorado Running Company and am super excited about that. The other peeps that work there are fun to work with and it is nice being involved in the running community. We are working on getting some fun runs and training groups started so I am particularly excited about that!

Fall is beautiful here with the changing leaves and cooler temps. We are a bit nervous about winter because we have not dealt with a real winter since we lived in Illinois. I am hoping that living in a place with snow means we can break out the snowshoes again! I hit up the Barr Trail, which is the trail that goes up Pike's Peak and the site of a race I want to do next year. It is beautiful. And a real quad killer. Some work to do there before next August when the race takes place.

This week we are off to Minneapolis to visit some of my all time favorite people. My friend Maren and I are running the Twin Cities ten miler and some shorter distances as well. I will be doing the Loony Challenge which involves a 5k and 10k on Saturday followed by the ten miler on Sunday. Maren has committed to the ten miler and the 5k as well. While I don't see any record breaking performances going down I think it will be a great time. The Twin Cities Marathon was one of my favorites so I am excited to go back.

We are driving to Minneapolis with the plan to hit up Mount Rushmore and visit the Badlands National Park. I have been weirdly obsessed with visiting South Dakota so I am excited to make the magic happen there. After this trip we will be home for awhile. I am looking forward to that. All this exploring and traveling has been a ton of fun but it will be nice to be settled for a bit. Though I have been rolling a Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Parks adventure around in my head for next summer.....National Parks I just can't quit you!

Santa Fe Thunder

2016-09-26T13:23:00.003-07:00

There is nothing better than spending a weekend with running friends.....even if the race you are meeting up for hasn't been trained for. Whoops. Last Thursday D and I drove the five hours south to Santa Fe to our bnb Casa Pacifica where we met up with my friends Karen and Michelle. The bnb was great because it meant having our own kitchen and Michelle likes to cook and we all like to eat what she cooks. It is a beautiful relationship!

It was so great to see Karen and Michelle. The hardest part about moving is being far away from the friends you have have made. We spent two days exploring near the Santa Fe plaza, hitting up breweries and wine tastings and eating delicious food. On Saturday we were able to hit up the farmer's market which was in walking distance of our bnb.

On Saturday we also drove out to the Buffalo Thunder Casino to get our race numbers. The expo was small and besides numbers and t-shirts there was not much going on. I spent the day telling myself I would be fine and that the race was downhill, over and over and over again. I was hopeful that positive talk would make up for my lack of training. The longest run I had done in preparation was an 8 miler weeks ago.

Race day dawned early and we drove to the casino to board the buses for the start line. This race was very well organized. We did hear about one bus whose bus driver did not know how to get to the start line but they still made it. It was chilly race morning but was tolerable once we got moving and stayed a nice temperature throughout. I think if it had gotten any warmer it would have been uncomfortable since much of the race had no shade and lots of sun. My goal was to try to keep up with Karen. I was nervous about my shins just exploding out of my legs with all the downhill and not being trained so I held back a bit on the downhill and that seemed to workout okay since I never felt too sore while running. The course is downhill, except for the first two miles which were a fairly steep uphill, just climbed and climbed and climbed. Overall the course was really nice. It was scenic, the aid stations were great, there was some entertainment with belly dancers and drummers including an amazing drumming batman.

Karen and I powered through to about a 2:40 finish. I really enjoyed running with her. I think races are about 110% more fun to run with friends. I would recommend this half. It would be a great course to PR on, training would also help with that whole PR thing. Plus Santa Fe is a nice city to visit. Overall it was a great weekend and the best part was hanging with Karen and Michelle. Running friends are the best. I can't wait till we come up with our next adventure!

Sunrise strides, drowning, and other adventures

2016-09-15T06:35:00.001-07:00

Life in Colorado is going pretty well. We have settled in our apartment and slowly learning our way around. I have found a running group to join called the Sunrise Striders. They are ridiculously fast (as in their warm-up pace is faster than my race pace), they regularly win age groups and races outright and all look like they belong on the cover of Runner's World. All of this would be really, really annoying if they weren't so nice, and warm, and welcoming, and encouraging and happy to share advice about the area. I really enjoy running with them in various places around the Springs and am sure if I can stick with them I will eventually be a better runner.

I have also been swimming with a master's swim team which meets four times a week. They are also nice and easy going. There are the serious lanes full of sleek, seal like people and then there are the lanes of people just trying to get the workout done. I am in a lane just trying not to drown. Luckily, I am naturally better at swimming than running but this still has me gasping for air for most of the time since I have not been in a pool consistently since high school which was.....a while ago. I feel like the swimming is really helping my strength overall and hopefully helping with my cardio.

A week of being sick and then various adventures have made it difficult to meet with these groups consistently but after my two fall adventures I am hopeful I can settle down to business and come up with some goal races to train for. Swimming starts at 5:30 and the Striders meet at 6 so by the end of the week I am pretty exhausted. Hoping as I get in better shape and into a consistent training schedule that will get better.

One of our most recent adventures was to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We got to go with my sister and bro-in-law and spent two days camping in the Alamosa area and having a great time hiking and exploring the area.

Amazing sunset

This National Park is great because it is smaller and this time of year was perfect. The weather was cooler and it made being out on the dunes comfortable. Of course hiking up the dunes is super difficult but at least the sun wasn't trying to kill us.

We spent the first night at the Oasis Campground just outside the park. The picture above is actually of the bathroom train car. The campground is pretty windy and rocky but there is a store and a diner, showers and running water. The next day we got up and headed to the dunes. After a quick stop at the visitor's center we hiked a bit on the dunes, had a picnic lunch and then hiked a bit up the mountains next to the sand dunes. It was perfect weather and beautiful there.

We headed into Alamosa for some supplies and hit up the local brewery because that is what we do. Plus we needed a snack after all that outside activity. The beer was pretty tasty and the brewery was in a cool building. I would recommend it if you are in the area.

The second night we stayed at the Sand Dunes Pool campground. Which has hot springs pools. They have an area called the Greenhouse which is adults only. Pay the extra $3 for that. It was so nice and relaxing. The next day we headed to the Colorado Gator Farm with a quick stop at these giant birds for some pics. Because when you see giant animal statues I feel you should take a picture.

The Gator farm was pretty cool. It has all kinds of reptiles, many surrendered after, for example, someone realized their giant boa constrictor would rather kill them than be their friend. The farm reinforced my belief that gators are super scary and creepy. But I do like turtles. The farm is on a hot springs so the gators can stay warmish in the winters and the farm is also a working fish farm. I would also say worth the visit if you are in the area. I liked it more than I thought I would.

This weekend we are off to Santa Fe for the Santa Fe Thunder half marathon which I am not prepared for at all. So that should be interesting. And by interesting I mean incredibly painful and full of walk breaks. I am super excited to meet up with some friends and explore that area since I have never been. Have a great weekend!!!

Colorado Life

2016-08-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as the struggle is real when it comes to running. We got back to Colorado the end of July and after two months off and then another week to let a bruised heel (from backpacking) heal starting to run again at 7K feet seems like cruel and unusual punishment. And just when I started to get in shape I got Lasik. Good news....I can see!!! Without glasses!!! It is amazing!!!!!!!

Bad news.....I had to take another week off to let my eyeballs heal. Which I am totally okay with cause I CAN SEE!!!!!!!!!!!! I have worn glasses and/or contacts since I was 16. Waking up and being able to see is the best thing ever!!!!!! EVER!!!

I haven't been running but I have been making things out of the new Run Fast. Eat Slow cookbook. So if I am not blazing fast tomorrow when I go for a run (first one in 7 days what could go wrong) I am returning it. Not really, but only because this almond torte is delicious and going to be made again.

And I don't want to brag but I tweeted a picture of this to Shalane and Elyse and Shalane liked my tweet. Yep, you read that right Olympic marathoner Shalane Flanagan and I are basically best friends.

With our plans for backpacking put on hold D and I are moving to Colorado Springs which I am super excited about. Trails, running groups, more trails, mountains, trails. Basically a bit of a running mecca.....which will be lots of fun as soon as I can breath again. Tomorrow I will be back at it training for the Santa Fe Thunder and Loony Challenge, two races I am super excited about. I am currently trying to figure out what other races I want to do. It is a brand new running area for me with tons of races. Super exciting!

Wonderland Trail Fail

2016-08-09T09:35:00.001-07:00

The Wonderland Trail was supposed to be our big backpacking trip of the summer. 10 days. Lots of elevation gain and lots of elevation loss around Mt. Rainier. It was kind of the true test of what we were made of backpack wise. Heavy packs, lots of walking. Good times.

The Monday of our first day we woke up to rain. While not unheard of in the Pacific Northwest.......after a week of sunshine we were not pleased. We loaded the car up anyway and headed for Mt. Rainier. We decided to begin our adventure at Longmire. It is a popular place so we figured our car would be safe there. We had a plan of how we wanted to attack the mountain. It involved on average between eight to ten miles of hiking a day. The entire trail is 93 miles. Not easy but not epic distance wise. When we went in for our permit (this year there was no reservations it is on a first come first serve basis) we were told our plan wouldn't work. There are only so many people allowed at each camping area so the ranger adjusted our plan and gave us our permit and we should have said no thank you but we were excited and optimistic.

Our permit called for us to hike 13 miles the first day, 10 miles the second and third day and then it got easier with 6 to 8 miles the rest of the time. The 13 miles on the first day broke us. Maybe if it hadn't been raining the entire time, maybe if the trail had been cleared all the way through, maybe if we weren't climbing up a huge mountain in dense vegetation, maybe if our packs weren't so heavy then maybe I wouldn't have thrown a fit around mile 9 and Dustin wouldn't have gotten sick. The first day was miserable. Cold and wet, the trail was washed out in parts requiring a mix of heaving yourself over boulders and trees and trying not to slide down steep embankments. I hated it. HATED IT. This was not fun. Backpacking should be fun. This was voluntary torture.

After nine hours of hiking we finally got to our camp (this was after several discussions about quitting brought on by hiking next to roads and crossing roads and generally being in places that we could have just driven too, that was pretty discouraging. I did not read about that aspect of the trail, the fact that part of it runs next to the main park road) and had to do the tedious part of trying to put up camp without getting everything soaked. It was day 1 and I was over it.

The next day I woke up, it was sunny and I was fine. Funny how good weather can pull you out of a funk. I have learned that if I start to hate backpacking I just need to wait a good solid 8 hours filled with sleep and usually I feel better.....usually. Unfortunately D did not feel better. The day before he had handled my melt down with grace, probably because he is legally bound to me through the institution of marriage, but hiking that far was hard for him too. We had just been ignoring the fact that he is in fact ill with something chronic and debilitating. He can push through most anything, the will is strong in that one, but physical activity at this level was taking a toll. Most of the backpacking we had done up until this point had a moderate level of difficulty. Now we were climbing mountains, freaking high and difficult mountains. The exertion level was through the roof.

We finally got everything packed up and started hiking again around 10 a.m. A bit of a late start but D was exhausted. And we climbed and climbed and climbed. But at least it wasn't raining.

After about three hours D was feeling horrible. But the only thing to do is keep going. At this point we were finally away from that stupid road, but that meant we were also kind of stuck out there. When D gets too exhausted he feels physically ill. So he was having a not so great time.

The views on this day were incredible. Finally out of the suffocating forest and up among the pines. I was fine, actually having a lot of fun. I was also pretty worried about D. He is the stronger one of us both who knows what to do on the trail, if he isn't feeling good alarm bells start going off in my head. Not a good situation.

We got to the Indian Bar area for a break, which is a beautiful area, and still had a huge mountain full of snow to get over. About a five mile (vertical) trek to our next campsite. We rested for awhile and then set off, and turned right back around. D wasn't gonna make it. I was tired but I wasn't dry heaving tired so we decided Indian Bar for the night was the best and safest option. The only problem is there are only so many campsites but we were in luck. On campsite had a downed tree over it. No one would be assigned to that spot so we set up camp for the night.

The next morning we woke up, again I was fine, and D was still exhausted. But we pushed on. We figured if we could get to our next assigned campsite, about a nine mile hike with about 4 of those miles downhill, we would be back on track. So we climbed up and up and up. Poor D was dying. And then we had several miles of snow to navigate. Snow makes finding the trail a bit tricky. Luckily the direction we were going was pretty clearly marked with those who had hike through before us.

After several hours of hiking/ sliding through the snow we finally got through a super steep and snow covered pass (there was some nervous breathing through that one) and made our way down towards the Summerland Meadow, the place we were supposed to camp the night before. I was feeling super proud and smug. I had navigated all that snow without any major catastrophe and only one slide down in the snow. And then the minute my feet touched rock. Boom. I went down hard. I had slipped on some slick rocks and since my shoes were wet from snow it was just a bit of a disaster. I feel so hard my hiking pole went flying and I slammed my right forearm hard into the rock.

I just kind of sat there for a minute seething. I was pissed. I had made it all this way and then when it is finally clear THIS is when I fall. I finally got back up and then realized my right hand didn't work. I couldn't close my hand. That seemed bad. I had a pretty big knot forming on my right forearm. There was nothing to do but keep going down towards the meadow. I put both poles in my left hand and very carefully hiked the rest of the way down.

We rested in the meadow for a bit, me cradling my non-working arm, D trying his best to find the energy to hike the rest of the five miles to our next camping spot. We were a bit of a mess. D finally called it. We were going to stay in Summerland for the night. We pitched our tent in the biggest site and hoped that either no one would show for this site or that they would be nice enough to let us stay. While we were setting up camp something popped in my arm and my hand worked again. Hurrah. It still hurt but at least I was back to two functional hands.

About two hours after we pitched our tent some hikers showed up and gave us the boot. They were nice enough but it is still a lot of work to break camp and move. But fair is fair, they had the permit. We asked two ladies who were camping in the group site if we could pitch our tent near them and they agreed. They were super nice and friendly which was lucky because if they hadn't agreed I am not sure what we would of done. That night in the tent we realized we were going too slow, at this rate we could not catch up with our permit itinerary and would run out of food before we made it around the mountain. Even worse than that, D was done. He had felt really bad for two days in a row and resting and eating were not helping. If it isn't fun, then why are we out here. We decided to call it. We checked out the map and realized the next day was our best chance to get back to our car. We texted our friend (weirdly and luckily in the right spot we had cell service) and made arrangements for him to come get us at the trail head and deliver us beaten and broken back at our car.

The next morning I let D sleep as long as possible and then we packed up and slowly hiked the four miles to the trail head. We got there about 5 hours before our friend could come get us so we decided to try the good ole fashioned thumb out on the highway method of getting back to our car. And it worked. I couldn't believe it. A nice older couple stopped and let our stinky selves and dirty packs into their car and drove us back to our car. I tried to give them gas money and they wouldn't take it. They just wanted to do nice things for people. It was a hiking miracle. They saved us a cold five hour wait, our friend a several hour drive and had two cute dogs we got to cuddle with on the way back to our car. I will forever be thankful to that couple.

We had made it a third of the way around the mountain before we bailed. We saw some of the most amazing views. I learned I am tougher than I thought (snow crossing, arm bashing), I also learned that I only like backpacking when the weather is good. We learned that D is just not able to do this level of adventure at this time. His body just won't have it. We also learned that the plan of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is not going to happen at this time. Thru hiking is hard, really, really hard. You have to move so many miles per day to get to your end destination before bad weather comes around again. You have to by physically and mentally up to the task. I don't like backpacking enough at this point to do it for six months straight. D's body is not physically able to handle that amount of activity at this time. Dream on hold for now.

I am glad we attempted the Wonderland Trail. It clarified for me what kind of backpacking trips I like (short, light, high altitude) and showed us where our weaknesses are. It also helped us focus on what our priorities need to be, trying to address D's illness and find a way for him to feel better. We also realized out on this trip that we were tired of traveling and missed our dog. So once we got back to Tacoma we decided it was time to head back to Colorado.

Tacoma Time

2016-08-03T05:47:00.002-07:00

After spending the night in Port Angeles we drove the few hours to Tacoma to meet D's best friend for lunch. He was an awesome tour guide of beer based Tacoma touring.

If you like craft beer Washington is the state for you. If you like craft beer and specialty hot dogs then The Red Hot is where it is at.

The week we were in Tacoma we sampled lots of local brews and hit up some of the waterfront restaurants.

We went up to Seattle for the day to meet some friends for dinner but arrived at lunch time specifically to go to Piroshky, Piroshky. Russian pastries at their finest.

We wandered through the market sampling fruit, looking at art and taking in the sights. After we had seen all there was to see we wandered through downtown Seattle towards the Space Needle. Since it was super crowded and a pretty penny we were content to stare up.

After wandering the streets for a few hours we headed back towards the market and randomly found the gum wall. Ewwww and kind of cool.

We then met some friends for dinner and documented the momentous occasion of meeting up again after like five years with exactly zero pictures. Smooth.

July 15th was the actual day of D's medical retirement from the Army so we headed to Fort Lewis to get our official retirement ID cards. Retired Life! Afterwards we headed to Boathouse 19 to celebrate in style. Style being a U.S. Army Retired hat.

We really like the pacific northwest. Part of this trip was looking into places we might want to reside someday. Bend and Portland Oregon, and the Tacoma and Seattle areas are high on the list. We got super lucky and had great weather all week, Lots and lots of sunshine! The week in Tacoma was meant for us to rest up before doing the Wonderland Trail. Besides all the walking around Seattle and kayaking in Gig Harbor for our 10th anniversary (kayaking is the best, I would do it all the time if I lived next to water and then my arms wouldn't be useless T-rex arms, WIN) we did do a lot of hanging around and 'carb loading'. Unfortunately all the resting up wouldn't save us on the Wonderland Trail....

Here Comes the Rain: Adventures in Olympic National Park

2016-08-01T08:39:00.002-07:00

Good thing we waited for our new rain jackets to arrive from REI before starting this trip because in Olympic National Park they were in heavy rotation. So. Much. Rain. Of course all that moisture makes everything beautiful with fairy tale type forests and beautiful flowers.

It started to rain on our way to Kalaloch beach were we camped (someone wanted to see the tide pools, that someone is me) and continued to rain for the next three days. Rain makes camping.......um more difficult. Car camping or backpacking becomes an exercise in trying to stay dry and clean. I think I mentioned this before but a reoccurring theme on this trip was our being lucky. When we got to the campground it was looking pretty full but we found one spot facing the ocean that was open. Talking to the rangers they mentioned that the spot had been reserved but it was a no show. Lucky for us! When you fly by the seat of your pants and don't make reservations for anything you have to be flexible but for the most part we always found a place to camp where we wanted to camp.

We set up and made dinner while it rained and rained and rained. One of the windows on our truck topper leaked so our sleeping area got a bit damp and there was some heavy use of towels and curse words trying to get it all sorted. We slept pretty well while it stormed pretty hard that night.

The next morning it was just misty with a slight drizzle. D wasn't ready to face the world so I went for a hike down the beach to see the tide pools. I am glad I did. It was 4 miles of beach awesomeness.

I turned around to hike back to the campground and watched a wall of rain come my way. Awesome. Luckily my raincoat is awesome. After breakfast we packed up and headed north. We drove to Port Angeles to get a wilderness permit and then back the way we came for thirty miles to get to the Sol Duc Trailhead. The Sol Duc trail is 19 miles and a loop that goes through forest up into the mountains past the tree line and back down. We did the trail in three days. When we started I really struggled. Something about having hiked on the beach in the morning, having a heavy pack on and it raining made it less than fun. Luckily we only had to hike about five miles up a mountain to our first camp spot at Deer Lake. What rain does do is make you just want to lay in your tent and complain a lot when you have to crawl out to go pee. The key is waterproof stuff sacks to keep everything dry and to always have a set of camp clothes that are dry. This makes rain tolerable and less dangerous (no hypothermia).

The next morning we woke up and it drizzled off and on but no heavy rain so that was a win. We continued to hike up and up and up, high enough where there was still snow on the ground. The higher we got the more beautiful it was. I have learned I am not a fan of hiking through dense forest, I want to be up higher looking at mountain views. It also is dryer since you are not rubbing up against rain soaked plants. We hiked for a good five hours or so until we got to our second camp site at heart lake.

It continued to rain throughout the night at Heart Lake but when we woke up it was not raining so our final hike down the mountain was pretty dry. I fell once again (I fell on the Lost Trail down a big hill of rocks, and then here slipped in the mud cause it was everywhere and falling is a common theme for me. My pack seems to throw my center of gravity way off and I topple over pretty easily. It would be funny if I could avoid bashing my knees and elbows on rocks when I do it). We hiked for about another five hours down, down and down back to the trailhead. Once we were done we loaded the car back up with all our gear and headed to Port Angeles to spend the night.

This was one of my favorite backpacking trips. It was difficult hiking up the mountain but the mileage and time out in wilderness was just about right. If it hadn't been raining it would have been perfect. We ignored all of our rain and mud soaked gear for the evening since we knew we were headed to Tacoma to spend the week. We figured it could wait. My only focus was on getting food. Which is usually my only focus in life but after backpacking becomes even more important. We hit up a pizza place and then enjoyed our inside time for the evening. Olympic National Park was amazing. If you get the chance go, just assume it will be raining most of the time. It is one of the rainiest places in the United States. Next stop Tacoma.

The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland

2016-07-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

(We are back in Colorado after cutting our trip short and some exciting stuff is going on with that but I am so behind on blogging about our travels that we are just gonna pretend that we are still adventuring. The good news is I can use a computer now, though that is no guarantee the quality will be any better.....)

After we dropped our cute little nugget of a lost dog off with his peeps we hit up Portland for some fun. We headed straight for a farmers market. There is a farmers market in Portland everyday you just gotta find it. It would be so hard not to spend all your money at them if you lived there. Everything looks amazing and delicious.

We wandered around tasting samples and handing our money over for cherries and grabbed some pizza from a food truck for lunch. We headed over to our airbnb accommodations when we were done. We had never used airbnb before and the idea of renting a room in someone's house seemed odd to me but it was actually super awesome. We stayed with a nice woman named Jenn in her cute Victorian house situated between two street filled with shops and restaurants. She gave us some recommendations of things to do and places to eat. After showering our camping dust off we hit the town wandering around stopping for food and drinks and hitting up Powell's Books. Walking through the super cute neighborhoods was fun.

Oh hey pig.....

I had the best ice cream of my life (I have eaten a lot of ice cream so I feel comfortable with this declaration) at Salt & Straw, fresh cheese and strawberries. Highly recommend going there if you are in Portland.

The next morning I got up for a run around the area. It was tough since I haven't been running very regularly. The scenery made it better. Lots of interesting things to see, very green and cool out.

After I got back we showered again (oh sweet, sweet running water) and packed up and were on our way to adventures in Olympic National Park in Washington, after a quick stop at Voodoo doughnuts of course!

We both really loved Portland and if we ever come into a lot of money would love to live there. Of course if we did I would have to learn some self control when it comes to doughnut eating and book buying.

Lost Dog and Crater Lake

2016-07-17T10:49:00.001-07:00

After getting off the Lost Coast Trail we decided to head towards Redwoods and Crater Lake with a stop over on the coast for the night for things like showers and laundry. After changing out of sweaty clothes and stuffing our face full of red vines (lunch of champions), we shoved all our backpacking gear in our truck and headed out.

About ten miles into our drive out of Humbolt County we spied a tiny dog running down the road. We stopped the truck and opened the door. No collar, lots of ticks. We grabbed the little nugget and spent the next couple hours looking for his people. After asking at the local general store, the campground and knocking on doors, nada. We were told a couple times to just leave him on the road. A windy road where people drive crazy fast. Ummm no. D knocked on one more door and came back real quiet and with a weird look on his face. Me: "What's wrong?" D: "The guy answered in an apron.....only an apron" Me: Laughing hysterically. So that ended the search.

We couldn't just leave him so he came with us. We drove through some redwoods to a hotel that would allow dogs in Eureka. A quick stop at Walmart for leash, food and tick shampoo and our little lost dog was in good shape. We cleaned up and went to the Lost Coast Brewery which was delicious. We spent the next day doing laundry and restocking and wondering what to do with the dog. Since it was 4th of July weekend we couldn't scan for a chip or hit up the shelter since everything was closed.

When we headed for the Redwoods and Crater Lake, lost dog came with us. We were both still sore from sand and rocks so hiking wasn't gonna happen but taking in amazing views was on the menu. At Redwoods we did a short walk through the amazing trees and then headed onto Oregon. We camped for one night near Crater Lake and then drove to the lake the next morning and walked along the rim trail. Absolutely beautiful. Water was amazingly blue. There was still snow on the ground. Apparently that area gets an unbelievable amount of snow.

When we were done taking in the views we drove on to Bend. I really liked that town. We stopped at a vet- dog was not chipped and made him a vet appointment for the next day. We wandered around town and hit up the brewery. That night we camped at a snow park for free. For those interested there is an app called Free Camping and it lists free places to camp by location. Super helpful. That night D found the dog's owner online. Que suerte! So we called and made arrangements to drop the pup off in Portland with the owners friend and cancelled the vet appointment. Apparently the owner was out of town and the pup escaped from his dog sitter.

We were glad we could reunite the little nugget with his peeps but sad to see him go. He was a cuddly little camping buddy. The next day we headed for Portland.

The Lost Coast

2016-07-15T10:37:00.001-07:00

Beautiful, Magnificent, Miserable. Hiking the 50 plus miles on the Lost Coast trail was physically one of the hardest things I have ever done. Soft sand and ankle busting rocks made up most of the terrain on this trail. You would think a trail with an elevation of 50 feet would be a breeze. It was not. But it was amazing with the view and the sea life. I am glad we did it.

We started at Mattole Beach in Humbolt County. It took us a few hours to get to the trail head down a windy and rough road. There is a campground, which we used the night before we started. We started at the north end and hiked towards Shelter Cove. Many people do this trail one way and take a shuttle. We decided to forgo the cost of a shuttle and hike out and back cause we are dumb, or have inflated sense of how good of shape we are in. After camping for the night we started in the morning and were immediately hiking through soft sand. This can't last right, oh no it does and then it turns into large rocks you have to slowly pick your way through. There was about 6 miles (one way) of solid surface to hike on....out of 25. So it was slow going.

Our first day we got about 10 miles done and stopped at Kinsey Creek for the night. We found an awesome spot on the beach and felt pretty smug and superior about our tent skills until a huge gust of wind thrashed our tent around and broke one of the poles. D and I just kind of stared at each other then stared at our collapsed tent and finally just kind of gathered everything up and moved behind some big driftwood and repaired our tent pole and reset up camp. Round one - Nature.

The next day I got up and hated everything and everyone. The wind howling all night meant I didn't sleep well so much for the soothing sounds of nature (have since gotten ear plugs = win). We hiked for what felt like forever and what ended up being about 12 miles and just when I was about to give up and walk into the ocean and let nature take me we found the most awesome spot to camp. You may have noticed things get a bit dramatic when I am tired.

The next morning we hiked the few miles into town and found a general store and realized we could have brought half the amount of food we did and stocked up in town for the return trip. Lesson learned: think through your whole trip. We found a pizza place, Delgada's, and stuffed our faces and wrapped the leftovers to take with us for dinner. Then we headed back into the sand to trudge the 25 miles to the car.

Amazing how much warm food..okay pizza...can perk you up. As we were hiking back out we saw people we had camped near the first night. They asked where we were going and they could not hide their horror when we said we were hiking back. We didn't mind because we were high on pizza and the false sense that we were total badasses. We camped at the awesome spot we found the night before. We had walked about 9 miles so we were beat.

The next morning we headed off a bit too early. Part of the trail is underwater surrounded by sheer cliffs during high tide and we got stuck waiting for the tide to go out enough to scurry around some rocks. We timed it pretty well and only got half soaked by a wave. The way back seemed to be going quicker until we pushed a little too much. We decided to get to Cooksie Creek to camp, fine in theory but ended up being a 15 mile day.

Too much. The last few miles we were dragging in an area where the tide cuts off the trail. Not a great feeling. Not like the tide suddenly comes in but it still made me nervous to be so tired and not at our camp area. We finally stumbled into the right area and found a spot and then found a natural pool in the river that ran by our campsite. I walked right in to cool off. Amazing.

The next morning we got up and power hiked the last few miles to the car. We felt amazing when we finished. I mean everything hurt, there was sand in everything and us and our gear smelled like death but we had survived. We also had hiked so hard and fast that not only did we catch people who had started before us we passed them by half a day. Maybe we are in better shape than we think or maybe we just suffer better. But since it is not a race we decided we need to work on pacing ourselves better and not push to the point of hating life. Learn something new every trip.

Inside Time

2016-07-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

After our Sequoia fail we hung at the in-laws for two weeks. Got to sleep inside, showers, refrigeration and air conditioning. So fancy. All those little things you miss living outdoors. We had a great time hanging out, going wine tasting, doing yardwork, visiting, trying different restaurants in the area and living indoors. I got some running in but honestly the running fitness is at an all time low while my hiking fitness is at an all time high. Oh well. Will probably need to get on that before fall races.

One source of inspiration was spectating the finish line of the Western States 100. These people were just amazing! I am not built for 100 mile trail run but if someone needs crew or a pacer I am totally in!

I also got to see Cat and her family ( check her blog out at My Heart's Content). I had the best time hanging with them (as evidenced by me crushing her with my love in the pic below). I absolutely love them and it was great to see them.

We decided that since we didn't get to do our Sequoia backpacking we would backpack the Lost Coast Trail. So after two weeks of rest and relaxation we headed for the coast.

Sequoia Bust

2016-06-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

We spent a night in a hotel in Barstow to regroup, shower, do laundry, and clean equipment before continuing on to Sequoia National Park.

We hit the main part of the park the next day because I was on a mission to see the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree by volumn in the world. It was a bit of a nail biting, vomit inducing winding ride to get to the big trees area. Worth it! Redwoods are amazing! By the time we got to the big trees area it had started to drizzle which meant we got to try our new rain jackets out. We strolled down to gaze at trees and they were incredible. Redwoods are amazing and so giant. I had no idea. I get weirdly excited when I see one, like I have spotted a yeti or something.

After tree gazing for awhile we wound our way slowly down and out of the park headed for Mineral King, a remote part of the park. After two hours of an even more nail biting road we arrived at the Atwell Mill campground. The sign at the bottom of the road said the campgrounds were full but since it was Sunday afternoon we took a chance and sure enough pretty empty. According to others at the campground the signs are often inaccurate on the weekends.

This campground was amazing and I hope at some point we can spend more time there. Cool and quiet and surrounded by giant trees it was my favorite camping experience so far. The next morning we loaded up with six days worth of supplies and hit the ranger station for a bear cannister and backcountry pass. I had planned a six day trip over a couple mountains. What we hadn't planned on was so much snow lingering around. The ranger warned us that the snow was still plentiful but we decided to see how fsr we could get. We had poles but no ice axe or crampons so there was a possibility we would have to turn around.

We strapped on our packs, which were super heavy with cold weather clothes and six days of food, and headed up timber pass. It was super steep and slow going but really beautiful. After a few hours of shuffling up the mountain we finally reached the pass. After a quick break, we started down the backside of the pass and quickly found a wide patch of icy snow on the steep hillside.

Not a good sign. After trying to walk across and finding we couldn't bust through but instead slid down, I decided to try to go around. I inched and slide my way slowly across and that is when my hiking poles decided to start collapsing. Uhhh not great timing poles. So being stuck on a fairly steep mountainside sliding around on ice with only large tree trunks to break my fall, wearing sixty pounds of gear, with comically collapsing poles I had what the hubs called "a significant emotional event".

Yeah, I freaked the hell out. I started shaking and tearing up since all I could really picture was sliding down the mountain side and slamming into a tree trunk at top speed. Once I finally made it around the snow patch and while I caught my breath on a rock the hubs dumped his pack and went farther down the trail to see how snowy and icy. It was very snowy and icy. Crap. We decided that without crampons it was too dangerous. Crap.

So I shakily made my way back across the ice again and we hiked back down the pass. So much for that backacking trip. Luckily D's parents were nice enough to let us come visit a week earlier than planned. So we left Mineral King and drove 4 hours north for a few weeks break from outside adventure.

Zion: Up Kolob Canyon

2016-06-24T11:38:00.001-07:00

What you don't want to hear when you are asleep deep in a canyon in a tent you were too lazy to attach the rain fly to is thunder. Which is what I heard around 2 a.m. At first we tried to ignore it.....maybe it will go away......but then the smell of rain came on strong so there D and I were, one headlamp between the two of us, ( we are always prepared....) in our underwear (it was warm) wrestling the rain fly onto the tent wind blowing, rain coming down around us.

Once we were back inside I began to wonder how hard it was raining around us. Flash floods do happen in the canyon and we were up the canyon as far as one could be. Luckily it was never more than a drizzle. Just enough to get everything gritty and dirty. But is also gave us cool temps and overcast skies for our hike out of the canyon.

After breakfast we packed up and strapped all our gear on for our hike back out. It seemed to go quicker on the way out until we hit the steep uphill. Then it was sllloooowwww going. Hike for a few minutes, find a spot of shade and stand there panting for a few minutes. We almost made it back to the car when a ranger walked by asking to see our permit. Luckily we were legal. I have never been so happy to see our truck. Felt pretty good to complete my first backpacking trip and a not so easy one for my first try.

After dumping our stuff in the truck we hit up St. George for food. Backpacking gives you day after marathon hunger plus some. After stuffing ourselves at the Black Bear Diner we drove to Barstow California for the night and enjoyed air conditioning and running water and rested up for Sequoia.

I was a bit uncertain how I would like backpacking. It is physically tough but also a lot of fun. You get into this kind of zone out there. I am excited to do more of it!

Zion: Down Kolob Canyon

2016-06-24T06:51:00.001-07:00

The Kolob Canyon area of Zion National Park is only about 2 hours from Bryce Canyon. We zoomed over to the visitors center to get our backcountry permit and then hunted around for a place to camp. Our first choice was booked up due to a cycling event. Though the owner was super nice and offered to let us pitch a tent in her front yard, we decided that would be our last resort.

We ended up at the KOA in Cedar City Utah, about 20 minutes from the park. It was weird to camp in the middle of the city but they had SHOWERS and laundry. So it was a bit of heaven really. As a side note I wasn't sure how I would react to the limited showering situation but with baby wipes, dry shampoo, biodegradable hand soap, hand sanitizer and face wash that doesn't need water I stay pretty darn clean. That being said I haven't worn my contacts because I don't trust the above listed cleaning supplies to save me from pink eye. I am probably just being paranoid but sticking my finger in my eye seems out of the question while out in nature.

The next morning we started out early in an effort to beat the heat. This was my first overnight backpacking adventure so I was a bit nervous. Backpacking is a learned skill. Packing your bag, staying fueled while you hike, staying upright with 50 lbs on your back down a steep canyon trail, crossing streams and rivers without falling in, this all has a learning curve.

We hiked the La Verkin Trail which has 13 designated overnight camp spots. After some research I wanted and was able to get number 13 which was secluded and shady. But also the furthest from the trailhead. The morning was cool when we started down the canyon. We met a Brit named Gary at the trailhead and chatted for a bit and we took off while he stayed to photograph the sunrise.

The first mile was a knee shattering downhill where poles came in super handy to slow the skid down. After a bit the trail leveled off and crossed back and forth across a creek. The weather stayed cooler but all that weight on your back causes some serious sweating to happen. Before long Gary caught up with us and hiked a few miles with us as we quizzed him about England. It was fun to hear his excitement for America's amazing outdoor areas. Made us appreciate even more that we are able to do this.

We parted ways to continue on to our campsite. And hiked and hiked and hiked and ended up in a side canyon and realized we were off trail and had probably missed our campsite. We backtracked and found it quickly after that thankfully cause by that time we had hiked over 9 miles and I was toast.

Carrying all that weight is a challenge for sure and when you take your pack off you feel so light and bouncy. We set up camp and ate lunch and then took a nap cause so tired and why the heck not. Not much else to do when camping. Late afternoon we put our sandels on and played in the river for a bit. The cold water felt amazing. We didn't see anyone else the entire day which was pretty cool. After dinner we hung out reading until it got dark and then went to bed and it was all fine and dandy until the thunder and lighting started.....

Bryce Canyon Hoodoo fun

2016-06-23T16:05:00.001-07:00

I wish I could post the picture of the cow that stood in the middle of the road staring at us while we were trying to get to Bryce Canyon. Unfortunately blogging from a phone means no go on that since I took a picture with one of those old fangled cameras not attached to a phone. You will just have to take my word for it.

Bovine obstacles aside, our drive to Bryce Canyon was easy and the closer we got the cooler the temps! Luckily there was room at the campgrounds. We stayed at the Sunset campground. The first night we had an okay spot for camping but after making friends with the camp host we were alerted early the next morning to a prime spot and nabbed it for our second night. Thanks Martha!

The first afternoon we got there we just hung at our site, didn't even go see the canyon. We were just happy to be in pine trees and cooler weather. The next morning we set off to hike the Navajo trail, a short but oh so steep trail that runs down among the hoodoos. Amazing. A must do if you visit. Your ass will hurt on the way up but the amazing views allow for lots of breaks, hands on hips, taking in the wonders of nature. After we staggered back out of the canyon we grabbed the shuttle (runs all the time around the park and is free) to Inspiration Point, got on the Rim Trail and hiked about 7 miles back towards the visitors center along the trail taking in the views. And then grabbed the shuttle back to our campground.

We were hot and sweaty and decided to run into Bryce Canyon City for a cold beverage and some fresh produce. Not really a city but a tourist trap designed to take all your money. An apple was $1.10 at the general store. A single apple folks. So we bought an onion to have with dinner which was priced normally and fountain drinks and were out of there.

I wanted to stay awake long enough to see the stars but staying awake past 9p.m. while camping seems to be a real challenge for me. Minute it gets dark I am ready to pass out. I have become one with nature.

The next day we packed up our campsite and parked near the Fairyland Trail trailhead and hiked the morning away. A beautiful and challenging hike that is not very crowded and takes you down in the canyon and gives you lots of amazing views.

This trail is about 9 miles round trip, bring water cause it gets toasty with little shade. After grabbing some Root Beer (my new post hiking icy beverage of choice for some reason) we hit the road for Zion.

Arches & Canyonlands

2016-06-23T15:24:00.001-07:00

After a few hours of driving through the desert we arrived in Moab and were met by a temp of 104. Ummmm no thanks. I was most excited about these two parks but once we got there I was not as excited. We just moved from a hot desert. We have spent years living in a hot desert. I don't actually want to be in a hot desert anymore. Luckily D had a deep cycle battery installed in our truck that allows us to charge and run electronics. We were able to keep fans running in our truck bed ( which we are using as a camper) to stay coolish while we slept.

We camped along the river, got up at 5am and explored both the parks from our air conditioned car. We did a short hike at Arches to see some Arches but that was it. I had planned short hikes at Arches because this park is kinda laid out to be seen by car but had planned multiple days of hiking at both Island in the Sky and Needles areas of Canyonlands. Nope. Not happening in those temps. We saw most of the views from the car which was good cause gnats, so many gnats, and D refused to get out of the car. I would hold my breath, jump out, run to the scenic view, take a pic and jump back into the car. Only inhaling a minimum number of gnats. But the views were incredible.

We decided our time would be better spent in cooler temps at the higher elevation of Bryce Canyon so we hit the road (after loading up on iced coffees and then slurpees cause soo hot) with the AC blasting.

Black Canyon Fun

2016-06-23T15:01:00.001-07:00

A lack of fast or any internet at all and having too much fun has left me with a bit to catch up on blog wise. So blogging from my phone, what could go wrong....probably just the usual spelling, grammer and formating issues as usual.

Beginning of this month the hubs and I hit the open road heading west to the Black Canyon of Gunnison for the first stop on our National Parks tour. We stayed at the North Rim which has a smaller camping area and several trails. We did a short Chasm View hike the first evening we were there and the next morning instead of heading down into the canyon we hiked up the Green Mountain Trail (8 miles round trip) for some awesome scenic views (a common thing in National Parks I am finding).

This was the first hike we used our hiking poles on and they are amazing. I never want to hike without poles again. They are way helpful for balancing and using arm strength (if you have any, bit of a t-rex going on over here) for getting up amd down steep inclines.

We finished our hike by mid morning so hit the road headed for Moab with a quick refuel stop in Grand Junction.

First national park was a success. Loving the quiet of being in nature and the challenge of hiking.

Walk Break!

2016-06-01T12:16:00.003-07:00

Walk breaks have basically been the key to my running in Colorado since I got here. Because breathing is hard. Real hard. But the scenery around here it not bad.

I have been running pretty consistently but nothing over six miles. It is taking awhile to adjust to the elevation (7,000+ feet). The nice thing is there is plenty of trails and long, empty country roads.

On Saturday I ran the Rock Hawk 10k. Luckily I had enough sense to not register for the half marathon which was my first inclination. I would probably still be out there running. The Rock Hawk Trail race was brand new and pretty small. But like other races I have been to in Colorado, everyone looked like they had stepped straight out of trail runner magazine.

This was a new one...

D went with me and commented on the number of tiny shorts. I informed him that the tinier the shorts the faster you are and that he should note that I had capris on. I was optimistic that maybe I could finish in an hour. Then I saw the half marathoners take off uphill and was like mmmmm maybe not. I estimated between an 1:10 and 1:20 finish. I finished in 1:24 so pretty close to my estimation.

The trails were awesome and fairly steep. I had a lot of fun but got pretty tired early on. I was reminded that I had only been here for a week and it takes your body three to five weeks to adjust. I think beyond the lack of oxygen, my trail hill climbing could use some work. My Garmin recorded my heart rate at 206 at some point so I was working pretty hard to get up those hills. At some point two women just out for a run passed me on the trail, chatting and laughing the whole way. Who are these monsters that can not only breath when summiting a mountain, but can chat away while doing it!?!

I finally reached the finish after what seemed like a lifetime and collected my wodallion (wooden medal). I was in the group of last five to finish the 10K and even got passed by some half marathoners that started a half hour before the 10K. I am hopeful that next time I do a trail run I will be able to finish in the middle half and my heart won't be ready to explode out of my chest!

Overall I am really enjoying running in Colorado. Even if I am like a fish out of water with all the heavy mouth gasping and even slower than normal pace. I am taking running clothes on our National Parks adventure, so hopefully I can get some runs in and not be in horrible shape running wise since I have a half in September.

It is June 1st and we are not on our way yet because our household goods have not shown up yet. But fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow and we can begin our adventrue!

National Park Tour Part 4: Montana & Wyoming

2016-05-29T21:14:00.003-07:00

So this portion of the trip will mostly involve me being paranoid of a Leonardo DiCaprio The Revenant type bear encounter. Part one, two and three of our trip is not so much in bear country. Once we enter Montana I get the impression that I will no longer be at the top of the food chain.

Glacier

After a quick stop in Idaho for an overnight stay since it is such a long drive from the Cascades (about 12 hours), we will hit up Glacier National Park. I have a few day backcountry loop planned but with my level of bear paranoia there may be some day hikes instead.

Yellowstone

Along with the traditional Old Faithful, mudflats, and other thermal delights to be found at this park we hope to do the Sky Rim Loop, a 21 mile backcountry mountain loop...clapping and singing the whole way because NO BEARS. No thank you.

Grand Teton

We hope to see big sky and big mountains at this park with an 18 mile backpacking loop with alpine lakes and mountain views.

After Wyoming we will head back to Colorado and depending on how we are liking nature at this point might spend some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. Hopefully by this time we will be old pros at water filtering, mountain hiking, and making new and exciting outfits out of having five articles of clothing.

*We were going to swing out and hit the Badlands of South Dakota after Wyoming, but instead we will hit them up in October on our way to visit some friends this fall.

National Parks Tour Plan Part 3: Oregon & Washington

2016-05-27T11:25:00.003-07:00

Parts one and two of our trip.
Oregon and Washington are amazing. I have been to both states before and am super excited to spend some time in the wilderness there. After Redwoods National Park we will head north and hopefully hit up some Oregon wineries along the way to Crater Lake and then visit some breweries in the Portland and Seattle areas on our way to other adventures.

Crater Lake

At Crater Lake we plan to do some short hiking trips and hopefully take a boating trip out to Wizard Island. Then maybe some pit stops in Portland and Seattle for a little civilization time before heading further north.

Olympic National Park

Here we hope to spend a day exploring the coast and checking out the tide pools. Then hopefully hit up the Sol Duc Trail for some mountain fun and then a day or two on the Dosewallips River Trail through an ancient forest. This park looks particularly amazing so am extra excited about this one.

Mount Rainier

This will hopefully be our big foray into the wilderness this summer. The Wonderland Trail is our goal. 93 miles of up and down around the mountain. This is a very popular trail so hopefully we will get a permit (the reservation system is closed this year). Our goal is 10 days but we have up to 14 days to complete it....after that not sure what happens. They remove you from the mountain....? This will be the true test of our equipment and core strength as you are either climbing or descending on this trail.

North Cascades

This is our last stop in Washington. I have a loop backpacking trip planned, the Rainbow/ McAlester Pass loop that involves some subalpine lakes and gorgeous views. Part of this loop is on the Pacific Crest Trail so if we do this loop it will be our first look at the trail we will spend some extended time on next year. Another option is to hike into Stehekin, a remote community with no road access, you can only get there by boat, plane or hiking. Sounds interesting.

This part of the trip looks like it will be really beautiful and a bit of a challenge in terms of our endurance and fitness with some mountain backpacking. After this we are headed into bear country....