Friday, June 29, 2012

Fun Updates

UPDATES
Running:
Well it's been 100 degrees almost everyday and I am not a good heat runner.
Also due to all the fires there is smoke in the air some mornings and that hurts my throat.
**Prayers for all of those that have lost their homes to the Colroado fires I feel so bad.**

The fires have really put in perspective all of my "problems" I am so grateful for all that I have and am able to do :)
I have been getting up early on Tuesday and Thursdays to run and gettin 'er done but miles are slow. On Thursdays I go up to Evergreen, CO and it is usually cooler so that helps.

I have a 4k coming up on the 4th of July but am running the entire race with my dad. He is visiting from minnesota and has been training. He ran a 5k in 26 minutes! I know the heat and altitude will effect him so hopefully I can keep up HA! I haven't done much speed training just nice miles and trail running.

I can tell I have matured as a few years back my family all ran a race together and I just took off. I really want to run this step by step with my dad. When will I ever be able to do that again?

I was planning on running a race in August and September but I just can't register...I don't want to miss out on hiking a 14er weekend and with my husband's schedule we can't plan ahead. It just happens and we go. I don't want a $35 race to keep me from going.

Tentatively I would like to run the Evergreen Town race 10k in August and then a 10 miler on labor day and then IDEALLY the Boulder full or half in October. However, I need to start training for the full mid July. I just don't know if I can commit. I know there are some great marathons in December but I am not sure that I want to travel etc.


Biking:

My new activity! David and I have been having the best adventures. We biked to a farmers Market in Denver. We are members of a wine club and they have these jugs that you can fill up for 13$. The jug is a little more than a bottle so it's a really good deal. Well, the winery has a table at the farmers market so we brought our empty jug in the camelback and had it filled up :) that ride was about 35 miles.
A few days later we explored up north and rode to Lafayette and had lunch on a deck at a cute place and back. I only like to bike on bike paths but on the way home we rode a really bust street home, Wadsworth, and it was scary but I am glad I did it. I am not as scared to ride on roads. I hope to get a rode bike soon! I have just been riding a mountain bike. I heard a rode bike feels awesome! that ride was 25 miles.
Then two days after that we rode to Wash Park, which is in Denver. That was 44 miles round trip so pretty long for me and I loved it! We packed a lunch and had a fun picnic in the park and then rode back.

Since it's been so hot we have been going in the heat of the day but I like the breeze you get from biking. I feel zapped after ninety minutes are so but it's challenging different from running.

I am not losing weight though, which I am bummed about but it might come off slowly.


We made it! Only 20 miles from our house!
My cool bike!

Nap after picnic


Body Pump:
So I have been a member of 24HR for years and honestly I don't like gyms. Especially after working in a high school when I can work out in a weight room by myself or with my fun teacher friends! However, I need to use the gym membership or get rid of it. Now is the perfect time. I am starting a new job and although it is still a high school they don't have a weight room :(

So I have been going to a weight lifting class called body pump. It's weight lifting for an hour to music. You hit all body parts for about 3-5 minutes. It's awesome! I have been going once or twice a week. I hope when school starts I continue to go. I admit it's nice to go to a 9AM class.


Hiking:

I have hiked 31 14ers and there are 55 (on my list) there are various lists with 53-56.

Most of the ones we have left are over three hours away so they are overnight/camping or weekend trips. We are planning on doing a few of these in July. Hopefully we can get 6 in this summer There are about 5 that I need to hike that my husband that he will re-do with me. Those are just day trips. We have done 3 so far this summer :)

The one thing mixing hiking with running is that I am pretty beat up a couple days after hiking so that hurts my running but so far it's been OK.

That's all for the month of June!


Have you taken a Body Pump class?


Any recommendations for a December marathon?









Monday, June 18, 2012

June Fun!

Lots going on so far in the month of June!

My husband works nights so we have been riding our bikes a lot and working out during the day. It's been a lot of fun.
We live right on a bike path that takes us to Golden, CO or to downtown Denver.  It's about 15 miles to Denver and it is so fun! I like how biking has been easy on my body too.

I am meeting with a form running coach today and am so excited! I am sick of running with pain. I really believe if I change my form and work on it I will feel better running overall. Then I plan to train hard!

We hiked 2 14er's yesterday. It was windy but it was a great day to hike! Everything was dry!!

Top of Belford...on our way to Oxford...path in the background. It was super windy!

View from the top of Oxford.

Did you know that if you take a picture with a WICH WICH bag at the top of a 14er you get a free sandwich?   :)
Taking a break after biking to Denver.


REI in Downtown Denver

Fun to watch kids swimming while taking a bike break :)

Have you hiked a 14er?

Have you eaten at WICH WICH? Is it good?



Thursday, June 7, 2012

First Day of summer!

I am summer break! Yeah!
I have 8 weeks off to hopefully train and get in great running shape! I have a few side jobs lined up but nothing major. We aren't traveling a lot this summer just weekend trips and hopefully climbing a bunch of 14er's!

On my first day of break a really great friend of mine invited me on a crazy hard trail run. She is moving to Steamboat, CO and I will miss her tons! We met at the trailhead near Nederland, CO. I met some great women! One had run the Leadville 100 four times!!! Another lady participated in the Leadwomen. She did ALL of this:
Entrants compete in Trail Marathon, Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Mountain Bike Race, a 10K, Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race, and Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run.HOLY CRAP!! I can't even imagine.

This summer I am volunteering for the Leadville 100 just to see what it's like. I would like to get into ultras in the next few years. I just wish my body would cooperate.

The run was great i just had on a huge camelback so I need to get a smaller one for running it was pretty annoying.

At the beginning

Lots of water along the way

About halfway

Rollins Pass above (old RR tracks).   


David and I on those RR tracks Labor Day 2011!!!


Almost made it to the continental divide but too much snow...why not slide down :)


It was an amazing 12 mile run/hike. What a great way to start off the summer!I will miss you Les!!

Has anyone ran the Leadville 100?