Dad and I have always been the cycling duo and have ridden at Elephant Rock the past three years. However, mom has always been more of my running-yoga-skiing buddy, and has never really been excited about sports with two wheels. However, after she tore her ACL a few years ago (skiing with me, nevertheless), she decided to ease off on running in order to shelter her knee joints. She decided to take up cycling, so Dad bought her a hybrid bike last summer. However, she is still struggling to get comfortable on her bike, and was looking for something to encourage her to put tire to pavement. When Venus de Miles emailed me and asked to team up for the all-women’s ride, it seemed too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. So, Mama and I will be riding the Venus de Miles together on September 29!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that the race comped both mine and Mama’s entry fees. However, I definitely would’ve looked into this race on my own because it appears to be a great race for hardcore cyclists and first-timers alike. As I mentioned, no men are allowed so Dad will just have to watch from the finish line. I am frequently torn on the all-women notion for athletic events, but in this case, it is going to be perfect. I think having only women will make my mama feel more comfortable and less inhibited on her bike. We signed up for the 28-mile course (instead of the  65 or 100 milers) which is a very easy distance for me, but it’s going to be a push for my mom. Having a bunch of supportive women around will make the event that much more exciting for her!

I’m not going to lie: I’m also very excited about the post-race festivities! I’ve been to dozens upon dozens of races in my life, so I’m pretty used to the typical water-Gatorade-bagels-bananas snacks that litter the trash cans during and afterwards. According to the Venus gals, this isn’t going to be your regular cycling event! It looks like companies such as White Girl Salsa, Zaza Raw, Weezr’s Butters, and Noosa Yoghurt will be catering the aid stations, and the post-race celebration includes things like free massages, a gourmet lunch, and a cocktail lounge with Svedka mojitos. I don’t know about y’all, but I will seriously haul ass through the bike course just to get to my mojitos!

Mom, Cindy and me after last year’s GTIS half marathon. Mama decided this run was her quasi-farewell to running and took up cycling afterwards

In short, I’m super psyched to be riding in this event, and even more stoked to be spending this time with my mama. As my parents both get older, I realize that the window to complete events like this is getting smaller and smaller, and I intend to take full advantage of it.

Are you local and think the Venus de Miles cycling event sounds like a lot of fun? Come ride with Mom and me! If you use the code bccoheath, you’ll get $5 off your registration fee.

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 Do you do anything active with your parents?

The post Venus de Miles: Come Ride With My Mom and Me! appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

These have slightly changed with the addition of iPhones/GPS/etc, but in no particular order, the modernized list is:

• Navigation (map and compass)
• Sun protection
• Insulation (extra clothing to keep you toasty warm)
• Some type of light (headlamp or flashlight)
• First-aid supplies
• Fire
• Repair kit and tools
• Extra Food
• Extra Water
• Emergency Shelter

This list is critical and in no way do I mean to take away from the importance of these items. However, if you’re going into the backcountry for five days and you didn’t know to bring water or sunscreen, I think you and I need to sit down and have little chat! Regardless, the 10 Essentials came up in a conversation with Will over the weekend, and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. You see, Will actually flew down to Texas via his affiliation with Backpacker magazine. He teamed up with the Colorado Board of Tourism to do two TV spots on various morning shows, as well as a few presentations at local Eddie Bauer stores with Tom Danielson. The Essentials were a topic in his presentations, so that got my wheels turning. And you know what? I daresay I have my OWN essentials that always make it into the backcountry with me!

In no particular order, they are:

1. Candy. And no, this doesn’t follow the “extra food” mentioned above, although I guess it really could. There is nothing—and I repeat, nothing!—better than some sugary goodness at the end of a long day on the trail. Super expensive dark chocolate coated in sea salt is one of my all-time favorites, but I’ll settle for anything. Additionally, I love LOVE having Swedish Fish and/or dark chocolate covered espresso beans while hiking. They give me something to do (eat), take my mind away from the pain in my body, and give me some serious energy.

2. Baby Powder or Dry Shampoo. Ok, I’ll own it! At the end of the day, I’m still a girl and I absolutely HATE the way my hair feels after 4-5 days on trail without showering. Totally grosses me out and looks pretty horrific too. Luckily, we now have this amazing invention called dry shampoo that comes in tiny bottles that are wicked light and easy to pack in. It gives me a sense of dignity in the backcountry and makes me smell better too! On those rare occasions where I can’t find a travel size bottle, I’ll usually pack in some baby powder. This soaks up all the extra oils in your hair plus it can be used in your shoes, pants, wherever. Pretty handy stuff!

3. Chapstick. I swear, this stuff is my life source! My lips are super sensitive to sunburns and with Colorado’s blazing hot sun, it happens frequently. I’ve had my fair share of sun blisters, and I hope to never experience those again! I always have a least one or two tubes of chapstick with me while hiking, and they more than likely have SPF 20 or 25. Granted, I end up walking out of the woods with a white rim around my mouth from the sun line, but I don’t care. It sure feels a hell of a lot better than a sun blister!

4. Bandana. I started carrying a bandana in college and the habit never went away! I don’t wear them on my head so often (since I always wear a hat instead), but having one with me has been a lifesaver in so many circumstances. The list of uses is endless, but I’ll see what I can come up with: pot scrubber; a belt in a pinch; a means to tie up your rolled Thermarest; a cool rag to dip in water and wear on your neck; a rag to wipe Tally down after she rolls in deer poop; TP in case you run into a serious emergency (only happened once, don’t judge!). The list seriously goes on and on. Plus, the wisp of fabric barely weighs anything, so what do you have to lose?

5. Paper and Pencil. Part of this comes from my gear testing ways, but it also comes from my need to write about everything in general. I even carried a journal with me back in the day on my bike trip, and I wrote in it every single night. Not only are those memories awesome to go back and read, but I can attest to the dozens of times that extra scrap paper came in handy while trying to start a fire.

6. Solar Blanket. Again, I suppose this falls into the category of emergency shelter that was referenced above, but I think it’s worth noting. These suckers cost no more than $1.99 at a Target or KMart, and they are so worth every penny. Not only will they keep you warm if you’re in seriously dire straits, but they also act as a great signal for a rescue vehicle in the sky. Plus, they weight absolutely nothing so there really is no harm in carrying them with you. I’ve purchased dozens over the years and never had to use one, so I’m pretty sure they’re stashed in tucked-away pockets throughout all of my outdoor gear!

7. Carabiners. I ask you- who doesn’t love a good carabiner?! To me, these fall into the same category as the bandana. They are so useful for everything! I started carrying them when I used to hike with Nalgene bottles because they made it so easy to attach the water bottle to the outside of my pack. These days, I hike with a hydration bladder and a Hydro Flask, but that doesn’t mean the good ol’ ‘biner doesn’t get used. It helps strap additional gear to the outside of your pack, and totally works to keep your pants together in an emergency if you…um…accidentally rip the snap off the waist belt. It can also keep tent flies and poles in working order if something falls apart and you need to get yourself through the night. The unlocking variety are fairly light and cheap, so it doesn’t hurt to have a couple around.

8. Leatherman. I am positive there are other brands out there that are just as good, but I’ve had my Leatherman Wave for over 10 years, so I strongly stand by this multi-tool and can’t handle the thought of learning to use another. If you’re unfamiliar, a Leatherman is a little folded up piece of metal that unfolds to expose a bunch of glorious tools that you will need while camping. My Wave has needlenose pliers, four different blades, a pair of little scissors, a can opener, wire cutters, and various screw drivers, just to name a few. I’m not ashamed to admit that this is the only tool I had in my own home (along with a shoe in place of a hammer, naturally) until recently!

9. Tampons. Ew, gross, I know, but whatever. They work! In addition to serving their designed purpose for gals, these suckers are super multipurpose. Lots of peeps visiting Colorado for the first time get bloody noses from the dry air and high elevation, and I swear that nothing works better than a small tampon crammed up the nostril! You can also unravel them and use the cotton as padding if you cut your hand or your finger. Personally, I go with the OB version since they have no applicator which means minimal trash to carry out of the woods.

10. Collapsible Bowl. One dish that does it all! There are a zillion different brands on the market, so I’m reticent to say that one works better than the others. Personally, I just bought a large collapsible mug that I love because I can use it for my coffee, water, and meals. When I’m done, it’ll be super easy to clean up and pack back down to use for later. I used to carry tupperware containers and while they are equally lightweight, the space in the backpack became an issue.

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For all of you hikers or backpackers, what’s one thing you never leave behind?

The post My Ten Essentials of the Backcountry appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

How was everyone’s weekend? Hopefully the fathers out there enjoyed a special Father’s Day celebration. My cousin is in town visiting, so the two of us and my mom took my dad to the zoo to see the new baby zebra! We had a hot debate on whether zebras are black with white stripes or the opposite, so you know it was a fun day when that was the biggest concern of ours. I also managed to score the first season of the original Star Trek for my dad’s gift, so I can only imagine how he spent the rest of the evening…

I also have some fun news to share– I’m going back to Haiti! For those of you that have read my blog for awhile, you likely remember that I went to Haiti this past January as a volunteer through Mission 29.2. It is a non-profit organization that organizes 29.2 mile running races in developing countries as a means to fundraise for the local education system. 2014 will be their fourth year in Haiti, and this September will be their first trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas.

The 2013 trip was unbelievable and I am so excited that I am able to return to Haiti yet again. I’ve been thinking about the kiddos at the orphanage a lot lately, and cannot wait to see all of them!

Just like last year, I will be fundraising money and possibly collecting shoes, but I haven’t quite gotten the kinks worked out just yet. For any of those interested in the 29.2 trips, I believe they are still accepting volunteers for the Bahamas trip. They are currently chatting with returning volunteers for Haiti first, and then it will be decided on how many new volunteers can join, so I’m not too sure about the details on that just yet. If you’re interested in these trips, shoot me an email and I’ll point you in the right direction!

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Have you ever gone abroad on a non-profit volunteer trip?

The post I Am Going, Going….Back to Haiti! appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

I left y’all yesterday after Tally finally managed to squash her fear and conquer the water crossing. I’m pretty sure she was equally shocked and psyched because she was prancing all over the river bank, shaking her little butt and wearing quite the doggy grin. Obviously, I was very glad that she had made it across, but I was too busy chattering to give her a lot of loving! My feet were a lovely shade of white and I could not get them to warm up. Will and I sat in the sun and passed a good 20 minutes with him rubbing and blowing on my toes, trying to get circulation back into them. Luckily, they warmed up and we were able to set back on our way!

My Outdoor Research Squadron Cap

Many trip reports claim that hikers prefer to do this loop in a counter-clockwise fashion because they don’t want to deal with the final ascent into Buffalo Meadows. Honestly, the final climb is truly nothing major and was so worth the solitude. Sure, it was a bit of elevation but it was absolutely nothing when compared to other local hikes. Plus, the view when we finally reached the Meadows was incredible. I love wide open spaces with big Colorado skies!

We had met an older couple down below who had recommended a camping area that was tucked away from the trail. We followed their instructions and quickly found ourselves on a small bench, nestled up behind the trees while still enjoying a small glacial stream a couple hundred yards away. We easily set up the tent and sleeping bags that I was testing, and enjoyed a night of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, Tals had somehow managed to shred her paws again, so she and I spent quite awhile working on a little puppy TLC and cuddling. Turns out, Tals definitely needs dog shoes in her old age!

Will took off into the valley to shoot some sunset photos, and Tals chose to go with him even though I tried to make her rest her paws. Instead of following, I enjoyed the utter stillness of the meadows while watching the sun disappear for the night. There is nothing like the silence of the mountains and the alpenglow in Colorado is absolutely stunning!

I think this is when Tals saw a deer!

Sunday morning dawned sunny and warm, and we quickly stuffed our faces with oatmeal and Pop Tarts (sidenote: that will be the last Pop Tart I ever consume. My lungs went bananas after that!) We efficiently cleaned up camp, ensured that we had left behind zero evidence of our existence (as per Leave No Trace), and headed off to complete the Rough and Tumbling Creek Loop. We figured we were halfway through the loop so we should easily get back to the car by noon, ensuring that we would make it to the afternoon BBQ on schedule. In retrospect, this makes me laugh!

Truth: this is the only front photo of me because all of the other ones had wicked unflattering stomach bulges over the waist belt. Totally inevitable with a pack, but I just couldn’t bring myself to post them!

We passed a group within a half mile and we turned to see one of the men chasing after us. We stopped so he could catch us, and spent a few minutes chatting trail beta. He had wanted to ask us how our half of the loop had been in terms of snow, and we told him that there wasn’t any. He looked relieved – too relieved, in hindsight! – and explained that their Saturday hike had been filled with lost trails, tons of snow, and post-holing for days. Naturally, this was the part of the trail we were heading into, so we briefly debated turning around and retracing our footsteps back in the direction we came from. However, I really didn’t want to get Tals across that river again, so we decided that the snow couldn’t be that bad… right?!

The first mile was easy and Will and I happily chatted, confident that we would be back at the car in no time. However, once we ducked into the trees, the snow levels started to build and we were soon tromping around in knee-deep snow drifts. Ironically, I had chosen to leave my gaiters in the car like a moron, so I had nothing to protect the snow from sliding in over the tops of my boots. On the other hand, Will had remembered his gaiters but hadn’t been able to find his waterproof boots, so his feet were completely soaked. In short, we sucked at preparation!

As the snow grew deeper, the trail completely disappeared and we discovered we were basically hiking in a “choose your own adventure” novel. We figured we would just follow the post-holes steps from the crew that had trekked in the day before, but sometimes those footsteps were damn near impossible to find! We’d occasionally come to a dry patch where the snowy footprints vanished, and we’d have to split up so that we could both scour the mountainside in search of the continuing footsteps. Without them, staying remotely on trail would’ve been incredibly tough.

We continued like this for hours, crushing through snow that grew invariably deeper and more painful on the skin. Will broke trail for a lot of the morning, largely because he would fall right through my footsteps anyway since he weighs so much more. Unfortunately, he has a good half foot on me in terms of height, so some of the drifts were much deeper on me than they were on him! I can remember at least a dozen times where I fell through snow up to my hip bones, floundering around while trying to crawl my way out. It would truly be pathetic if it wasn’t so funny! Tals, of course, was loving life and enjoying the fact that her 60 lb. body didn’t sink in the snow at all. She would walk across the drifts and turn her head to look at us, almost as if she was asking, “Guys, you going to pick up the pace anytime soon?!” When she did fall through the snow, the vindictive side of me giggled because she could finally understand an ounce of what her mom and dad were dealing with. Is that wrong?!

We finally crept out of the trees and into alpine tundra filled with willows. We had hoped that the snow would disappear since it was exposed to more sunshine, but alas, that wasn’t the case. Additionally, we had absolutely no idea where the trail was, so we were just hiking by our general sense of direction at this point. Good plan, eh? We knew we were close and that there was a bridge crossing the river that we needed to find, but we couldn’t locate the damn bridge. We waded our way down to the stream in hopes that hiking alongside it would finally get us to the bridge. Unfortunately, we then saw some day hikers on the opposite side, trekking upstream towards where the bridge was actually located. Apparently, we had overshot the crossing while stumbling around in the snow, and we would have to make our way back up-river in knee-deep drifts in order to find it.

Truth? There was no way we were backtracking! We knew we were within a mile or two of the car and that the rest of the trail was sunny, hot and dry. Because of this, we decided to screw the bridge and cross the river ourselves, completely dressed in our socks, boots, and pants! This wouldn’t be ideal under many other circumstances, but for that particular day, it was an acceptable decision. Plus, I got to help Tals cross yet another scary-for-her stream.

Unfortunately, I was testing the Salomon Synapse boots which are legit waterproof (review soon in Active Junky’s upcoming Women’s Backpacking Gear Guide!) This meant that the water didn’t really want to leave my boots either, so I spent the next hour sloshing around in water-logged shoes. Honestly, I didn’t mind because it was so hot and dusty outside, but I sure did have wrinkly feet when we finally reached my Pathfinder.

In short, this is an awesome backpacking loop for anyone in the beginner-intermediate category that is looking for a basic overnight trip. Because of its relatively easy distance, you don’t have to carry a large pack and the solitude is beyond rewarding. Give it a shot!

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What’s your best outdoor adventure-gone-awry story? This can be running or biking too!

The post Rough and Tumbling Creek Loop: Part II appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Will and I decided to celebrate his migration to Colorado by doing a little backpacking. We both had tons of other stuff going on, so we decided not to spend the entire weekend out of service. Instead, we agreed that we wanted a mellow overnight trip so that we could head out on Saturday morning and be back by late Sunday night. Originally, we had planned on the Rawah Wilderness, but after analyzing maps (and realizing that Will’s waterproof shoes were still packed somewhere!), I made a final-minute, late-night decision that the north-facing wilderness of Rawah would have to wait until we at least had better footwear or the snow had melted. Instead, I lobbied for the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, a frequently deserted area by Fairplay, Colorado. I knew this was one area that would be void of any people, even on Memorial Day Weekend!

We settled on the Rough and Tumbling Creek/Rich Creek loop, which is a fairly mellow 12-mile circle. The trailhead is located at roughly 10,000 feet, and the trail tops out just below 12,000, so there really isn’t too much gain to fret about. We read that most people hike the trail counter-clockwise (starting with Rich Creek), so we decided to do the opposite and tackle the trail in clockwise fashion. We were pleased to see only a few cars at the trailhead when we arrived early Saturday morning, and were even more psyched when they headed off to tackle the route counter clockwise. Turns out, we’d have an entire day of solitary hiking!

We had decided early on that we wanted to spend the night in Buffalo Meadows, a beautiful meadow located at the midway point around 12,000 feet. Since we only had six miles to cover on Saturday, we were able to amble and enjoy the scenery. My pack was fairly light (~25 lbs.), so the entire day was enjoyable. The first trip of the season always makes me smile, and I kept tilting my head towards the sunshine so that I could enjoy the warmth on my face. One of my all-time fave smells? That sweet scent that wafts through the mountain air when the sun heats up the tree sap. I love this smell and probably told Will this at least 50 times while hiking. Did I mention what I treat I am as a girlfriend?!

We continued on the very easy trail until we finally reached the point where the single track touched the stream. I had read that this route followed a creek the entire time (hence the name!), which is a key element for backpacking with Tals. However, the stream had been missing for the first couple of miles because of the direction we had chosen for the loop. I was incredibly happy to see the water again, and we decided to take a little snack break while Tals frolicked in the cool mountain stream.

There is nothing like sunshine and wilderness to make my dog drunk on happiness!

We spent a little more time enjoying the sun and relaxing by the creek, but we both realized we could easily fall asleep there in the sunshine. Instead of snoozing, we decided to continue on so that we could reach Buffalo Meadows early in the afternoon. If we had extra time, we could explore!

We tackled a few creek crossings as the trail continued to wind into the wilderness, but nothing major and all of them had solid bridges that Tally, Will and I could handle with ease. We did notice the water levels were pretty high, but that is to be expected this time of the year. However, we grew a little concerned when we encountered a larger river with some fairly high rapids. Like the others, there was a bridge to cross the river, but this time, the bridge was only a single log with a six inch width!

As soon as I saw the log, I knew Tally would never use it to cross the river. I mean, the darn thing was sketchy for Will and I since the weight of our backpacks kinda threw us around. We spent a few minutes trying to coax Tals onto the log, but she wasn’t having any of it. I was going to have to find another way to get my girl across the river!

Initially, we thought Will could carry her across, but that idea was quickly discarded when we realized how thin this log truly was. Tals kept crawling into the water, but she would panic when the current caught her and would U-turn and scramble right back out. After spending a ridiculous amount of time tromping up and down the length of the creek, I realized there was no better location to cross. I was going to have to get Tally comfortable in the river, and I realized that meant that I was going to get wet!

I threw my pack, socks and boots on the opposite of the river and rolled up my pant legs to try to keep them from getting wet. Normally, hopping into the stream wouldn’t be a big deal but this was the end of May—this water was entirely glacial runoff from the higher peaks! If I had to guess, I would say that the water temp was roughly 34 degrees and there was still large portions of ice sitting on the top of it in spots. When I climbed in, my toes went numb and I felt stabbing icicle pains in my calves. In short, that shit hurt!

We’ve entitled the photo on the right “Heather’s WTF face.”

I quickly learned that I could only tolerate 4-5 minutes at a time in the water before the icy temps literally made me want to cry. Unfortunately, Tals still wasn’t having any of the crossing, and I couldn’t get her to swim into the deep end. I spent at least 10-15 minutes jumping in and out of the glacial water, and I was starting to think that she would never get across. I grew irritated and decided to hop back out and try to convince her, once again, to use the log. No dice.

By this point, my feet were so numb that hiking barefoot through snow didn’t even make a difference.

As irritated as I was, I also realized by the look on her furry face that she was really scared. Tals has never been much of a swimmer and although she knows how, she is not efficient or confident in the water. Usually, she has on her backpack with the handle on top, so I can just guide her across. However, because it was her first trip of the season and she is out of shape, I had decided to carry her food for her so she didn’t have to use her pack. Unfortunately, this also meant no handle for me to use! Go figure, huh?!

At this point, it had been about an hour and we were starting to think that maybe we would just camp by the river and retrace our course the following morning. I honestly didn’t think Tals was going to cross, and I sure didn’t want her to become more scared than she already was. We decided on one last ditch effort before we threw in the towel: Will stood in the middle of the creek on a log while I crawled (back) into the water from the opposite bank. This meant she literally only had to swim 3-4 feet at a time by herself, and I thought I would be able to reach her by the time the current started to freak her out. Luckily, the plan worked and Tals grew some serious guts! She swam her little awkward self across that river and scrambled up onto the bank with such confidence that I barely needed to help her. I have no idea where her sudden bout of self-assuredness came from, but I was so proud. It was like she looked and me and said, “Mom, I can do this—just give me one more try!” Love my furbaby!

To Be Continued Tomorrow!

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Have you ever had any problems with your dog in the backcountry (or anywhere else)?

The post Rough and Tumbling Creek Loop in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness: Part I appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

Too much cuteness for one photo

Other than my dad’s birthday, I’ve been feeling the freaking amazing benefits of becoming a sloth and taking 1.5 weeks off from exercise. Remember how my initial WOD back at CrossFit resulted in my first strict pull-up in 20 years?! My friends, the success continues! I decided to explore some trails around the lake that is by my new place, so I strapped on my shoes and my headphones and headed out on Saturday morning. I had no plan other than to log some miles, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I was cruising along at a quick pace. I decided to ignore the watch, enjoy the views, and see where I ended up after 4 miles, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that I covered the 4 in 36:21, for a 9:05 pace. The run was progressive and on legit dirt trails, and I finished my last mile in 8:02! Yeaaaahhhhh buddy!

But guess what else? The goodness doesn’t stop there! Will and I were supposed to go trail running yesterday morning at Dakota Ridge, but after a few too many glasses of wine with Cindy and Craig on Saturday night, I decided that my early morning hours were better spent in bed so that I could be a fully functioning adult at my father’s birthday. I ended up taking Sunday as an off day (unless running alongside the horses at the track counts), so I was totally rested up for today’s CrossFit workout.

Since I only go to CrossFit three days/week, I tend to skip the running days since I do plenty of that on my own. However, I definitely suck at getting intervals in under my own esteem, so I headed to the gym, determined to conquer some speedy sprints. The kicker? Today is eleventy billion degrees out, and it was already 94 degrees at 9am!

After completing the push presses (new baseline of 90#!), we got to the workout. Honestly, I had no idea where my pace should be for these runs, but I figured I could push it a bit more than I usually do while running since there were rest breaks in between sets. In the end, my working time (subtracting the 6:00 of rest) was 17:36 for a 7:02 pace. I’ll take it!

You see, I’ve been meaning to do a one mile time trial for quite awhile, but haven’t motivated. After all, those suckers hurt! They did one at CrossFit about a month ago, but I missed that day and haven’t made it up. In my head, I was just hoping to get my mile time somewhere in the 7:XX range, and that would make me happy. However, after today’s workout, I think I could aim a little bit higher and eek out a mile somewhere in the 6:XX range. Sounds like I just threw a challenge down for myself, huh?! Regardless, I am quickly realizing the benefits of giving your body a flat-out break sometimes. I was all concerned about my recent down time, and near as I can tell, it made me a much healthier and stronger athlete!

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I wanted to give you guys a heads up about an awesome giveaway over at Active Junky! The winner will win a $600 camping gear setup thanks to companies such as Nemo, Tahoe Mountain Sports, and of course, AJ. Go enter!

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How often do you give yourself large chunks of rest?

Any recent running successes?

The post Rest Does a Body Good appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

For those of you unfamiliar, CrossFit prides itself on being universally scalable to any person of any ability. This applies to pull-ups, too! If you’re a beginner, CrossFit coaches will likely put you on ring rows until you feel ready to work on actual pull-ups. When you get to those, there are multiple options available also! Most gyms use resistance bands that help support varying amounts of your body weight. You loop them over the top of the pull-up bar and then put your foot into the hanging portion. You do your pull-ups just like normal only the band is carrying part of your body mass.

At Big Horn, we have black, green, blue, and purple bands, ranging from the easiest (most supportive) to the hardest (the least supportive). Up until this morning, I have been solidly sitting on the blue band, without any purple bands on my horizon!

You see, pull-ups are my nemesis y’all! In fact, they always have been. Remember earlier when I said I hadn’t done a pull-up since fifth grade? I am totally serious! It was actually during the Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge in elementary school (remember those?!), and the only obstacle standing between me and my damn patch were pull-ups! At the time, girls of my age needed to do three pull-ups to get the award, and seriously…this was about as likely to happen for me as walking on the moon. I just couldn’t do them! I had easily covered all of the other requirements to get the certificate, but the pull-ups continued to elude me. I have no idea why I cared so much, but my gym teacher had me come in before school every day to work on that exercise. Finally, on the very last day before the awards were given out, I knocked out my three pull-ups like they were no big deal. I got my award….and haven’t been able to do a pull-up ever since!

Naturally, you now understand why I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of pull-ups! Regardless, I hopped on the bands and hoped for the best. I looped the blue band up since that is the one I use on all of my workouts, and did 5 strict pull-ups very easily. Since I was trying to establish a max, or a breaking point, for myself, I took off the blue band and replaced it with three purple bands. You see, I’ve used the purple bands before and they are like nothing. I put my body weight into the band and my foot hits the floor! They are truly for people who almost have a strict pull-up, so I thought I’d loop three together. This was less resistance than a blue, but it still seemed doable. I did two pull-ups without much problem, so I dropped the resistance down to two purples. After doing a couple pull-ups, I got excited because I realized that I may be able to do a legit pull-up on just one purple band. Y’all, that has never happened before!

I wore my new Reebok Bonded Racer Tank for the first time, and I actually was nervous that it was too tight and thought about exchanging it. Now I’m just convinced it gives me magic!

After knocking out a fairly easy pull-up on a single purple, our coach, Kari, suggested I take a few minutes to recover before coming back to try a strict pull-up. I had just watched another guy in our group complete his first strict pull-up, so the adrenaline was definitely flowing! I hopped back on the bar, and officially completed my first strict pull-up in almost 20 years!

When I was raving about my accomplishment on Instagram today, Ericka asked me a good question: what pushed me over the edge to finally get there today?

Y’all, I have no idea. Pull-ups are always so freaking hard for me and I literally wrote them up on the “Goal Wall” at Big Horn not too long ago (along with my first marathon!) I was hoping to get one strict by the end of 2013, and I never in a million years thought it would happen this soon. I haven’t even been able to progress to the purple bands, so how in the heck did I jump over that step straight to a pull-up? And the $1 million question: will I be able to do it again?! Man, I really hope so!

I have no idea how it happened today, but I’ve seriously been on Cloud 9 ever since. For so many people, I realize pull-ups aren’t a huge deal. However, it was such a personal goal for me and I’m beyond ecstatic that it finally happened and I love those little benchmarks that show me I am actually becoming stronger and improving. Now, where to go from here? Onward and upward, baby! I need to string those suckers together!

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What is your most recent personal accomplishment? A new PR?

The post I Finally Did a Pull-Up! appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

Tals doesn’t understand because she runs a marathon every day! Photo via Will

If you’ve read my blog for a bit, you may remember that I registered for my first marathon last fall, and was supposed to have fun the Rock ‘n Roll Denver marathon in October. Unfortunately, I ended up paying for a race that I never ran (at any distance) because of knee problems, and then those quickly turned into back problems. In short, it has been labeled the marathon that wasn’t.

For quite awhile after I got back into the swing of things, I had no interest in running a marathon. I remember the time commitment for the training that I did accomplish, and I didn’t want any part of that. Early morning Saturdays and feelings of guilt if I went mountain biking instead of on my morning run? No, thank you! However, as spring has quickly turned into summer, I realized I was once again thinking of that darn 26.2 miles. I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to run a full at least once in order to get this bug out of my system! Even more coincidental? I entered a BSX Athletics giveaway a few weeks ago on Trails2Brews and won $100 towards any race registration! If that isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what is!

So, here I am once again, contemplating another attempt at my first marathon. I’ve decided this time that I want to run it in February-ish if possible. I realize that means winter training here in Colorado, but it’s also during the months when I’m not working which leaves me with plenty of time and no excuses to get the miles in. It also means that I won’t be running a local race since the running season is all but closed due to snow, so I’m looking out-of-state. Naturally, I decided to seize every advantage and am looking towards marathons at sea level to help me as much as possible (Is that cheating?!) I’m hoping to find one near-ish to San Diego so Will and I can double purpose the trip and also visit his friends and family, but we’ll see.

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I’ll be notifying the winners of the Premier Protein giveaway later this afternoon, so keep your eyes peeled for emails/tweets!

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Any suggestions on winter marathons at relative sea level? I’m not totally sold on California, so anywhere works!

The post Why the Marathon? appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

Naturally, that was all theoretical. Friday’s work day blew up and other critical life events took priority, so I had to skip the Underwearness 5k altogether. I was pretty bummed about it, but like I mentioned before, I have been battling a sore throat and a fever for a couple of weeks now, and Friday was no exception. My body probably thanked me for the decision, but my brain was all sorts of irritated!

However, there was no way I was going to miss TWO registered events in one weekend! I was a little nervous about Elephant Rock on Saturday because I woke up with a thick throat, swollen tonsils, and once again, a low grade fever. I was popping DayQuil like nobody’s business, but nothing seemed to be curing my body failure. I went to sleep Saturday night unsure and uncomfortable—not a good combo.

I woke up yesterday morning at 4:45 and immediately realized that I didn’t feel any better. In all honesty, I probably should’ve called my dad, bailed on the entire event, and spent the day resting, but I just couldn’t do it. Not only would that be a huge waste of money, but Elephant Rock is a tradition! This was the third year that Dad and I had signed up to ride together, and I really didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. I feel so fortunate to have active parents who can still hang even though they’re creeping up on 60, so I really like to capitalize on every moment, you know? So, I downed a bunch of coffee, enjoyed a spectacular breakfast by Will, and headed over to pick up my dad.

As per usual, the traffic heading into Castle Rock was a shit show, and Dad and I managed to cover a whopping 0.3 miles in just over an hour…seriously. Elephant Rock is a great even with great support staff and aid stations, but their one major fail is the traffic getting off I-25! Anyway, we finally parked our car and headed towards the start line, our bikes in tow. I had spoken with dad in the car and told him that, in short, I felt like hell. We agreed that we would step down to a shorter distance, so instead of the metric century (62 miles), we would now be riding the 32 mile course. I was a little disappointed and slightly felt like I was letting my dad down, but he assured me that the day was just about riding with his daughter. Awwww.

On the bright side, we got to experience an entirely new course! We have always ridden the 62-miler in the past, so the 32 mile route was totally different. In a way, it made the event more fun because we didn’t have every turn, hill, and intersection grilled into our memories. Plus, both of us could knock out 32 miles in our sleep, so there was zero pressure.

A view from the ride

We did notice that the shorter course had more inexperienced riders, and this led to both good and bad during the day. All the cyclists seemed incredibly friendly and far less serious than I remember on the longer courses. Unfortunately, it also meant that many of them weren’t familiar with cycling etiquette, and it definitely became a bit annoying at times! In particular, there was one larger man who would crush me on the downhill sections, cruising by me with zero effort. He probably weighed at least 100 lbs. more than me, so his extra size definitely attributed to his insane speed, and I was definitely jealous! However, he struggled on the climbs and continually tucked in behind me so he could draft (For those of you not familiar with cycling, drafting is when a second cyclist rides immediately on your back tire. The lead cyclist blocks the wind and the second cyclist experiences minimal drag. It makes the ride incredibly easy on the second rider because the first rider is “pulling” him). I noticed him on a couple of climbs but just thought he was riding behind me and kept waiting for him to pass. After the fourth or fifth hill, I realized what he was doing, so I put on the gas and pedaled away as fast as I could!

The second aid station

A yearly favorite at Elephant Rock is all of the aid stations and this year was no exception! The 32 mile course had two aid stations, and each was fully stocked with food, beverage, bathrooms, and first aid if necessary. Some races skimp on the food, but not these guys! I’m talking Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, orange slices, bananas, apple slices, crackers, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, Cytomax, and water, just to name a few! A volunteer even offered me an entire sleeve of Oreos, which totally made me laugh until I realized he was dead serious. For the reals—major credit should be given to the event organizers for providing awesome snacks while on the course. And, it doesn’t hurt to add that the post-race, included lunch is pretty tasty also!

Dad and me crossing the finish line

In short, I had a blast riding with my dad and I am so happy that I was able to suck it up and conquer some of the course, albeit much less than originally planned. I’ve grown out of road biking over the past 10 years, and I definitely don’t spend as much time on the skinny tires as I used to when I was younger. However, I know that I will always muster up the endurance and quad muscles to finish an Elephant Rock course with my papa, if only for the memories. That’s my favorite part!

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Do you have any fitness-related traditions with your parents?

The post Elephant Rock 2013 appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.

Having clarified that, I have been awfully hard on myself this week and I finally decided today that I was just going to ease off and simmer down with the self abuse. What am I talking about?

Here’s the deal: my life right now is out-of-control hectic.  I know there are a lot of lurkers that hate it when bloggers claim to be insanely busy, but I honestly can barely stay afloat. Y’all know that I recently moved, but I didn’t really divulge that my bouncing around included stops at my old place, my new place, my parents’ house and a storage unit. I haven’t been able to locate my belongings for weeks now, and I’m essentially living in workout clothes because that’s the only box I can locate!

Additionally, we are smack in the middle of busy season for work and this year has been far more hectic than usual. We made the executive decision to hire fewer employees this year to maintain a tight-knit and cohesive group. I really think our current staff is awesome and I am thrilled with the results of that decision, but it has made our season of chaos a bit more overwhelming. I have been arriving at work between 6:45-7am and the first six hours are typically bananas. As I mentioned in this post, I do a lot of different things for our company, but I’m currently split between designing and air traffic controlling….for lack of a better phrase! Our suppliers have a noon deadline for the following day’s orders, so I have to get all of our installs designed and ordered before lunch. My mom and I have been tag teaming with this, but I also have to help the crew with the projects that they are working on every day. This typically involves lots of questions and phone calls, and some days are more ridiculous than others. Will was shocked when I told him that I had received 74 calls on my work cell before noon today, and no, that’s not a typo. (For my real life friends, this is why you aren’t getting phone calls from me!) I don’t like to complain about busy season because I still think that my fam and I are incredibly fortunate to have the small business that we do—the perks are off the hook (freedom of schedule, three months off in the winter, etc)! However, it does mean that the month of May is catastrophic of sorts, and all we can really do is put our heads down and push through it.

Tals is a pro at putting her head down and pushing through!

Moreover, I somehow managed to sign on for quite a bit of freelance work that all appears to be due within the next few weeks. Could I have made better life choices on this? Of course I could have, but these projects excite me and I’m stoked to be working on them. As I mentioned a few weeks back, I’ve teamed up with Active Junky for freelance pieces in the past, but our upcoming project is far larger than anything we’ve done together. They have a Women’s Backpacking Gear Guide coming out in early summer, and I’ll be one of the main writers/contributors for the guide. What does that mean? I’m smack in the middle of calling in products, testing gear in the backcountry, and writing reviews on each individual item. I’m reviewing well over 10 products, so it is a fair bit of work, but I’m definitely not about to start crying a river. I mean, I get to try out sweet new gear and test it out for review….if that’s not a first world problem, then I’m not sure what is!

Having explained my life-in-a-nutshell, let me now tell you why I’ve been so hard on myself: my workouts have completely leaped to the back burner. In fact, I’m pretty sure they’ve nose dived straight off the stovetop and are smashed into the floor below! It’s Thursday, and I’m currently sitting on a whopping zero for the week. Yup, I haven’t done anything remotely sweat-inducing since this past weekend’s backpacking excursion (recap to come next week!) In fact, I only went to CrossFit once LAST week, and my most recent run was on Sunday, May 19 when Will tried to kill me by speed. I never thought I’d be one to say this, but there honestly isn’t any time in my schedule right now. I’ve worn workout clothes to the shop for the past three days in hopes that I’d be able to sneak away to Big Horn for an hour, but I always end up glued to my phone or computer, hustling to get stuff done.

I wore my workout clothes and my Reebok Nanos to the dentist in hopes of making it to CrossFit afterwards!

It’s the nature of the beast, but it took me until today to finally ease off with the self criticism and accept that this chaos is temporary. I’ve been mentally hammering on myself to do something, afraid that my current fitness level is ebbing away, but I’ve finally realized that a two or three week break isn’t the end of the world. I won’t fall apart, my muscles won’t atrophy, and while my sanity may suffer, I’ll trade that in for an extra hour of sleep. I’ve had a fever and a sore throat off and on for the past ten days, and I know that my body just needs a break. Work and writing are not optional, but stressing over every free minute to find a spot for a quick run definitely is not mandatory. It’s that whole priority thing. I tend to put everything in the number one spot, and I think I’m finally deciding to rearrange that. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get back on track next week, but we’ll see. If I don’t, I’m sure not going to stress over it!

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When’s the last time you threw your hands up and cried uncle?

The post Truth Time:When to Say Whoa appeared first on Just a Colorado Gal.