tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41440920389657713732024-02-18T19:38:37.972-08:00Runner's HighBecause I get off on running, biking, swimming... and especially running.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-50915058856241556022022-01-22T22:54:00.010-08:002022-01-22T23:38:17.973-08:00What organizing my office taught me.<p> I don't know why I am sharing this right now, but maybe it is because I just made a realization and I want to write about it. Divulge in it. Figure it out. I don't know. </p><p>Or maybe that it is after Packers loss (I don't want to hear it!) and I am a few glasses of wine in. #wineismytruthjuice #sadbuttrue</p><p>Or maybe it is that I am trying to get back to *who I used to be* and this is a step in the process.</p><p>Either way. Here's the... long story loooong.</p><p><b><u>I spent today organizing and cleaning out my office. BORING.</u></b></p><p>Those of you who know me (really, really) well, know that I am very visually motivated. So, my walls are often be filled with stuff to motivate and/or organize me to meet my goals -- which is the case of my office, it kinda becomes both. {I use it for both bc that's where I spend my most time.}</p><p>Ex: We redesigned our mysteries. It took a little over a year, but as we went, I put them up to show accomplishment (and motivate me to keep going). <i>I just took this down - not all pictured.</i></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgindDoN42NelXpen9ZeyP8zS6EGk5FiRDS1PM_ugN6jBwENWXo8ol-odu02djH5xSj2vqVVtQ6aY1MvtSwmK580XZOFUwBpASua8K9jvSi3nekFnKWySj0MVZ1JM2vWuRGNu7HQx7QnbX3KOxaDJsF3vUrDKU7zZQci64qQBxPBAlxx9l7aLAcoUiRMg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgindDoN42NelXpen9ZeyP8zS6EGk5FiRDS1PM_ugN6jBwENWXo8ol-odu02djH5xSj2vqVVtQ6aY1MvtSwmK580XZOFUwBpASua8K9jvSi3nekFnKWySj0MVZ1JM2vWuRGNu7HQx7QnbX3KOxaDJsF3vUrDKU7zZQci64qQBxPBAlxx9l7aLAcoUiRMg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>But at the same time on another wall: Motivation for my run goals last year. <i>(Also taken down.)</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0_ocwIurN4_y_oA6tou369UTkWbRrCXyjs9F5OG_JH9NcxxaayQt4kUAQgqu5RMyrA1_G2M8GKH4_BVmq578HHyTA7FtWbi6bJpy27v3mbEKcNRXmlDomlIWXFNGAcQ1NMqY32J8PvqR6ZS_8fkr0MmYLXmrERo4QUqIMwGknfCup_AprwEAI30BaGA=s2741" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="2741" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0_ocwIurN4_y_oA6tou369UTkWbRrCXyjs9F5OG_JH9NcxxaayQt4kUAQgqu5RMyrA1_G2M8GKH4_BVmq578HHyTA7FtWbi6bJpy27v3mbEKcNRXmlDomlIWXFNGAcQ1NMqY32J8PvqR6ZS_8fkr0MmYLXmrERo4QUqIMwGknfCup_AprwEAI30BaGA=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Anyways, cleaning out the old to clear out and organize and get ready for the new. In doing so, I couldn't take this down:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7t1R_xGkAQUpDfFvDjQseIxKqn8GKcXl2ARBEnX2lxNb9k900arQ6n0KahRxxV-9OMUORfnZrfbUFOFw2qTmzBtpKQylRRvn8sIabAqnt_LiRwLE1GFXERGeJVoFOwda_Ihrd7SCsjJn-GmViN7gfBwNdht3Eni-jmOMvklwwgWGGgVWRlnJ9tbq9tg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7t1R_xGkAQUpDfFvDjQseIxKqn8GKcXl2ARBEnX2lxNb9k900arQ6n0KahRxxV-9OMUORfnZrfbUFOFw2qTmzBtpKQylRRvn8sIabAqnt_LiRwLE1GFXERGeJVoFOwda_Ihrd7SCsjJn-GmViN7gfBwNdht3Eni-jmOMvklwwgWGGgVWRlnJ9tbq9tg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>I don't know why, but I just couldn't physically remove it.</b></p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>This graphic was something I nabbed from someone's FB post, maybe 18 months ago.</i></span></b> It really spoke to me at the time bc I was struggling with some things and I wasn't sure what it was. What I was missing in my life? I had been trying so hard for awhile to return to my *happy place* and couldn't figure out how. </p><p>At the time, I was doing the whole: what made me happy in the past? Then, put those things back in my life. Etc. I'd put those things back in, but it just wasn't working. I was not feeling the same drive and passion as in the past. Followed only by the listless: What am I doing wrong? </p><p>Anyways, when I looked at this graphic, I was well into the struggle, and I saw what I was missing: </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNvav5ldtfsY_hqry_3ioXkDpO7pNHY3ONk-9JkxI7GbjJMBFaLG3RjGdjcjrlDPeThr9Bcr1LNUO-hEGhm0B1dCW427XuNlgoshh5IEX_pcy1WNU61BMZluyIV5NUH3zkbWiexWxH7x4fkm3nuTSnofpGOc48HYOh8PEpvg93Gejrcgm9gOfS0lM99g=s3402" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="3402" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNvav5ldtfsY_hqry_3ioXkDpO7pNHY3ONk-9JkxI7GbjJMBFaLG3RjGdjcjrlDPeThr9Bcr1LNUO-hEGhm0B1dCW427XuNlgoshh5IEX_pcy1WNU61BMZluyIV5NUH3zkbWiexWxH7x4fkm3nuTSnofpGOc48HYOh8PEpvg93Gejrcgm9gOfS0lM99g=w640-h136" width="640" /></a></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>At the point of realization, I started to focus on that. But in a way, it is not something that you can really generate. </b>Time, circumstances, and what not are what you have to work with. And, even more so, you can't force it (or it ends up even worse). So, since this realization I have been just more aware, and then trying to foster it when I see it, and I can. And, I will say, it has made a difference!</p><p><u><i><b>Side note: </b>When my father visited last, out of everything in my office (and it was REALLY cluttered), he saw that, and asked me about this particular print. Which, my dad is my kindred soul, so the fact that he recognized it, and asked me about it and everything really meant a lot to me. And that I needed to keep focusing on it. </i></u></p><p>But, here's what it comes to: When I was cleaning out my office today, A LOT of things got thrown away, stored, moved around, decluttered and space made to eliminate the old and fill/leave blank to fill with new goals, desires, adventures, etc. <b><u>Of all the things, the one that couldn't be taken down was that. </u></b></p><p><b><u><span style="color: #800180;"><i>And, so all I can take from those and my actions, is that is something that is imperative to me that to be happy. Not only need to find, but I need to continue to foster as I keep going forward of life. </i></span></u></b></p><p><b>Perhaps that is where I fell short in the past. </b>At some point, I stopped fostering my community and then, I couldn't find happiness despite my efforts to keep up with the *things/processes/etc.* that, in the past, I had attributed happiness to. </p><p>It's something to remember. And to foster. And to know that I need to keep up with my community, because, inevitably, I think this has taught me that it is the root of my joy.</p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;">Thank you for reading so far. And, if you have, <u><i>I can almost 100% guarantee it is you who I am referring to in this post. </i></u></span></b></p><p><br /></p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p><u style="font-style: italic;">Post note:</u> If you are a person who has been in my life for a long time, I am not saying that you have not been a part of my community but that there was a period of time where I didn't foster that and felt kinda lost.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-64474947956239474172021-10-24T17:48:00.010-07:002021-10-24T18:57:42.735-07:00Mom/Son Backpacking 2021 -- ZION TRAVERSE!<p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WHERE TO EVEN START???</span></b></p><p><b>This is the third year where Lincoln and I went on a backpacking trip together. </b>It makes me so, so happy that my teenage son still wants to do this with me. He is probably mortified that I am writing about this, but one day when I am old, wrinkled, and can't walk up stairs, I want him to remember the times when I climbed mountains and trudged through canyons with him. It is then that he will be glad to have these memories documented! (Or so I hope.)</p><p><b>Last year we did the Four Pass Loop in Aspen,</b> which was 28 miles, going over 4 mountain passes (all above 12,000 feet). It was HARD, but so, so much fun for both of us. I really got the sense that Lincoln and I really liked the beauty and the challenge of it all. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF6SZfVMI1eVwcpLgxqpdXCimv0pLIkc830NA9ZCJcksl_9VwSA7L2xvm-yfUphKSi4JUNuMK_W1IG9umTj2w8OVWX27E8TsvpVGXMMXAIODVWrR8_Ynr61glFd-W5dnbYMR_wwKA3-fN/s2048/IMG_5511.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF6SZfVMI1eVwcpLgxqpdXCimv0pLIkc830NA9ZCJcksl_9VwSA7L2xvm-yfUphKSi4JUNuMK_W1IG9umTj2w8OVWX27E8TsvpVGXMMXAIODVWrR8_Ynr61glFd-W5dnbYMR_wwKA3-fN/w640-h480/IMG_5511.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyblcLy6ctqgAiooYhZ7EzTFSsp0XNAMu_2HkySehz-pMPS4onMhYAsL-juh2pwa2GiOYBi4b8Nj7pXujYCjPHwern7uthXHKSEiOQKp31lq4iN3z54A0-7IJbRKxsYDrYSPeexrMrPHZu/s2048/IMG_5601-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyblcLy6ctqgAiooYhZ7EzTFSsp0XNAMu_2HkySehz-pMPS4onMhYAsL-juh2pwa2GiOYBi4b8Nj7pXujYCjPHwern7uthXHKSEiOQKp31lq4iN3z54A0-7IJbRKxsYDrYSPeexrMrPHZu/w640-h480/IMG_5601-1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>With such a great accomplishment in the books, we needed to find one that lived up to that experience, so… enter the Zion Traverse.</b> </p><p><b>The Zion Traverse crosses Zion National Park west-east. <i><u>The traverse is 41 challenging miles, passing through 4 different alpine zones, and was absolutely breathtaking!</u></i></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DAY ZERO: OBTAINING PERMITS AND HIKING THE NARROWS</span></b></p><p>Since we chose to arrive a day early to get our backcountry permits, we filled the rest of the morning with hiking the Narrows. Ross and I had done this hike this past Spring, and it was something we both really wanted Lincoln to experience.</p><p><b>Other than Angel's Landing, t</b><b>he Narrows is probably the most iconic hike in Zion. </b>It is also pretty unique in that you are hike through a (freezing cold!!!) river in a slot canyon. At points during the hike, the canyon walls are towering 1,000 feet above you while the canyon itself is only 20-30 feet wide. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>It is TRULY AMAZING!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqp1SdWC6paYjSWQUXA4mEj8MrLHibrAhdGNBriYw2lOXMcsZT33zgyxjNV8ENwOY7_4_wcS_zDR6xDFM1wv6hDM3_ZHBjWUIEEEP85OB0TI5CwVllosf5YPYWCC1k1fLh3mPOblLxgRr/s2048/IMG_2822.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqp1SdWC6paYjSWQUXA4mEj8MrLHibrAhdGNBriYw2lOXMcsZT33zgyxjNV8ENwOY7_4_wcS_zDR6xDFM1wv6hDM3_ZHBjWUIEEEP85OB0TI5CwVllosf5YPYWCC1k1fLh3mPOblLxgRr/w480-h640/IMG_2822.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH0qO7kRZIfUyyFFPUme2n1JOJRzTf2I3vS2PqTQxYCmf_EK_B3y35u7HM2CVnxMOHzvXYxFwYJR0CcKlDznYomZzPdB4hGQy93tIzRGimFzsddwUyNxpyC5ZlUwQoz-WtDoUD0exdMTf/s2640/IMG_2829.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="1191" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH0qO7kRZIfUyyFFPUme2n1JOJRzTf2I3vS2PqTQxYCmf_EK_B3y35u7HM2CVnxMOHzvXYxFwYJR0CcKlDznYomZzPdB4hGQy93tIzRGimFzsddwUyNxpyC5ZlUwQoz-WtDoUD0exdMTf/w288-h640/IMG_2829.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoCOT5KHFaE09W8rynNS1pZioJecvpm5yO1-UYKkLx8_0S5vPw7cRlGcOE4mZ5BwT8Tn1z3XLdOjdJLyrdvt-5UeDXzF18G9FvWUEv4g0urZUULrzz0F48jWw1c2vFx3vJoOxxWJfJl-a/s2048/IMG_2841D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoCOT5KHFaE09W8rynNS1pZioJecvpm5yO1-UYKkLx8_0S5vPw7cRlGcOE4mZ5BwT8Tn1z3XLdOjdJLyrdvt-5UeDXzF18G9FvWUEv4g0urZUULrzz0F48jWw1c2vFx3vJoOxxWJfJl-a/w480-h640/IMG_2841D.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>After the hike and getting our permits, we grabbed lunch, cached some water, packed out our backpacks, and chilled in anticipation for our upcoming hike.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw2rgKcXAyPmaG1D6Z1OjFzQWGCowDu7f0bHi_fxArnwCuSRw2XOXy36Bwu5sUxHQTtt5YWmEaoxNmr4MtNZGsMH5DnZ1XMeoWi5FModP0yA7GxjmjwZvjeycmhVP5S8yCovYIoPF4T3B/s2048/IMG_2814.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw2rgKcXAyPmaG1D6Z1OjFzQWGCowDu7f0bHi_fxArnwCuSRw2XOXy36Bwu5sUxHQTtt5YWmEaoxNmr4MtNZGsMH5DnZ1XMeoWi5FModP0yA7GxjmjwZvjeycmhVP5S8yCovYIoPF4T3B/w640-h480/IMG_2814.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnelbwWKzNQPUOgBahYdya5rNLHLs94P3Vtye7WACevk5JuEZkGgRbk2cPYli5UBWm2k-aovnG-xsQwyBXux07lR_Xon5cOpIFWYqNcHHExKo7iE7tsbm21JUxFJzMaegCOAlKsUb2ral/s2048/IMG_2816.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnelbwWKzNQPUOgBahYdya5rNLHLs94P3Vtye7WACevk5JuEZkGgRbk2cPYli5UBWm2k-aovnG-xsQwyBXux07lR_Xon5cOpIFWYqNcHHExKo7iE7tsbm21JUxFJzMaegCOAlKsUb2ral/w640-h480/IMG_2816.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DAY ONE: LEE PASS --> KOLOB CANYON</span></b></p><p>With our permits, we were able to park overnight in Zion Canyon (close to our ending point) and shuttle to Lee Pass (starting point). When I checked in on the west side with the ranger, she asked if we were ready to see snow. I said, “there’s no precipitation in the forecast is there?” The ranger assured me there <u><i>WAS NO precipitation forecasted</i></u>, but we would see remnants of the previous week’s snowstorm. Cool. We can handle that. (I was super scared of the cold nights projected.)</p><p><b>From there, the shuttle driver drove us to the trailhead, and we entered about 10:30 a.m. </b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUufsynU3GBPY9er84ySK_l3Jya1otX_Lk5vr79V9-PUDbROCUdFaLCysJWamIbrg8GBiObXqeYeZBr7sUbkrfU-2M-7RFApOAyvXbrPGx6-xiTJEb5zPyzX0YfQntVNREFJjZC7bQcpm/s2048/IMG_2863*.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="2048" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUufsynU3GBPY9er84ySK_l3Jya1otX_Lk5vr79V9-PUDbROCUdFaLCysJWamIbrg8GBiObXqeYeZBr7sUbkrfU-2M-7RFApOAyvXbrPGx6-xiTJEb5zPyzX0YfQntVNREFJjZC7bQcpm/w640-h464/IMG_2863*.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xH7N5HsvMNCcZQSQPH7PpA4eIBQubu9rri6S0mZEjT2lRi_729QDdt1gUhSAyVqdD6NvojIOPyLsQw-cz5zzVcxNy2hlBsK3eXxNOLIn9ufkq5EYuEo-v8e-RuEdZZTTolJVjU15LFyZ/s2048/IMG_2869.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xH7N5HsvMNCcZQSQPH7PpA4eIBQubu9rri6S0mZEjT2lRi_729QDdt1gUhSAyVqdD6NvojIOPyLsQw-cz5zzVcxNy2hlBsK3eXxNOLIn9ufkq5EYuEo-v8e-RuEdZZTTolJVjU15LFyZ/w480-h640/IMG_2869.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>As we entered, we dropped down into the wilderness, and got to hike right in front of the Kolob “fingers." </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR7iLq-_CkYNdwk0zwBYHWq0dTQsPxj-EFoGS75miFgaXbKMS9GMhVRw3caaK1b8d7c-2tnGgHChsHOmtRbt65TptiDpCvNePT03fgpgUkjlBxG3f8AsP3X1E2gMq5QEBhnLuHLIERJsJ/s2048/IMG_2870.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR7iLq-_CkYNdwk0zwBYHWq0dTQsPxj-EFoGS75miFgaXbKMS9GMhVRw3caaK1b8d7c-2tnGgHChsHOmtRbt65TptiDpCvNePT03fgpgUkjlBxG3f8AsP3X1E2gMq5QEBhnLuHLIERJsJ/w480-h640/IMG_2870.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFdhfMZHdtXEYyxmdg5JkctqlSODBzmsnvNVsnDlaj_JSIxNHtzD-_-NGcow0fJIRlbyPal0_aizZUAJLChFHM7hD06FaAn2nLWhg4K9cjjYzwmLJFIfVJVPe9wCZUSMIhRQkVSOXN50/s2048/IMG_2875.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFdhfMZHdtXEYyxmdg5JkctqlSODBzmsnvNVsnDlaj_JSIxNHtzD-_-NGcow0fJIRlbyPal0_aizZUAJLChFHM7hD06FaAn2nLWhg4K9cjjYzwmLJFIfVJVPe9wCZUSMIhRQkVSOXN50/w480-h640/IMG_2875.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxGRBHJjn03p8FZzQJnDyhvcnTOnlyhp9AA0Nn0rztuUd6ApRIGlhqIs6jT3-D3BIGsk3cIV7crHwKupeZL3sknaVSoB0N5E0b5xbE_OlM-Q82SaoQ9MhEMxCuaEW7SfVeVm5U0hMwZOu/s2048/IMG_2881.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxGRBHJjn03p8FZzQJnDyhvcnTOnlyhp9AA0Nn0rztuUd6ApRIGlhqIs6jT3-D3BIGsk3cIV7crHwKupeZL3sknaVSoB0N5E0b5xbE_OlM-Q82SaoQ9MhEMxCuaEW7SfVeVm5U0hMwZOu/w480-h640/IMG_2881.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-SPbMnbb6R_ea5CaqEtkwwMLTIR9gb-wnK6RSm3wGjR1zmRXlrDLO1rcVA5aU2p5KH68-h2b_Z4-Z38V2LSkL_iRUtO7E1Aj0oHykeHVn0mEP-hZyKqrkVghkoS2_yAH4ULxj5goseEh/s2048/IMG_2867+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-SPbMnbb6R_ea5CaqEtkwwMLTIR9gb-wnK6RSm3wGjR1zmRXlrDLO1rcVA5aU2p5KH68-h2b_Z4-Z38V2LSkL_iRUtO7E1Aj0oHykeHVn0mEP-hZyKqrkVghkoS2_yAH4ULxj5goseEh/w480-h640/IMG_2867+2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr36EmajZoOWaHH2x_zK3Lvf82kIztJyHKyRA9GknqFFL2FNBOTdsZQRw4YsNKPpqNnub9lGWmyXCX66PIoXwWfv9-GxquXYo53cytruiEj4FmyjhtG3X3dl6Pr2FOUGnQq40jdQvcQSt/s2048/IMG_2906.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr36EmajZoOWaHH2x_zK3Lvf82kIztJyHKyRA9GknqFFL2FNBOTdsZQRw4YsNKPpqNnub9lGWmyXCX66PIoXwWfv9-GxquXYo53cytruiEj4FmyjhtG3X3dl6Pr2FOUGnQq40jdQvcQSt/w480-h640/IMG_2906.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><br />It was so, so pretty! Our shuttle driver had told us how “if people could see this canyon from the highway, it would be A LOT more popular…” and I think he was right. <b>Everywhere we turned it, was just gorgeous!</b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmK8a8_rkoE2Jl87NbGgt3JCQWRKAInBcNL2DQ4yGLqPLiq9Y5xdnw8Zbu0jaMEGE6Zjiz5AyKpLG9UfVJP2m48IJX8EpgKgLgTAXbh7DHDcgWFCT1iZKOfk6RY44eA1Pe9l07UCGzErN/s2048/IMG_2898.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2048" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmK8a8_rkoE2Jl87NbGgt3JCQWRKAInBcNL2DQ4yGLqPLiq9Y5xdnw8Zbu0jaMEGE6Zjiz5AyKpLG9UfVJP2m48IJX8EpgKgLgTAXbh7DHDcgWFCT1iZKOfk6RY44eA1Pe9l07UCGzErN/w640-h504/IMG_2898.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJqOj1YufgxMvSD5L3h1IrMb23jhseZj4D9sYWxj-TlwHZEhnK1cU6SdbaiFM_Gi-2OoLIGcZF7odEupdj5bt1nI_PCHGwxfGy53qu7oDEP3RldlIS5WIyCe-EetmrHa3y0AAIpzO1ByB/s2048/IMG_2917*.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJqOj1YufgxMvSD5L3h1IrMb23jhseZj4D9sYWxj-TlwHZEhnK1cU6SdbaiFM_Gi-2OoLIGcZF7odEupdj5bt1nI_PCHGwxfGy53qu7oDEP3RldlIS5WIyCe-EetmrHa3y0AAIpzO1ByB/w640-h480/IMG_2917*.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E8Ulrc01IfrTOyLAPusamNMYQn5gx_rmL56DgF9gfNICaaLKFqIKWM00hf9H67ihqj8wwpjo7tlJsVGQk9y49C1im_W4SjgJ_0CBwlE7ctaIhwP8Bi8UM23N_DXuHGo0Z41qotYHzIVz/s2048/IMG_2928.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E8Ulrc01IfrTOyLAPusamNMYQn5gx_rmL56DgF9gfNICaaLKFqIKWM00hf9H67ihqj8wwpjo7tlJsVGQk9y49C1im_W4SjgJ_0CBwlE7ctaIhwP8Bi8UM23N_DXuHGo0Z41qotYHzIVz/w640-h480/IMG_2928.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">We got down to the bottom of the canyon and hiked along the river until we found our campsite. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYiIObxByzlx1_HgPoF7_OAUv2AmpI9AUinhJELd9xOMKGnbnMB-S1d69HG0tEaPwmE4KygtSGO-IqJ7ZFprBr4n9hnt7VIxsK9MOIFTfLtz_gmwlkOHyzxDth0cwOrP2ItkMiba-_TUR/s2048/IMG_2924.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYiIObxByzlx1_HgPoF7_OAUv2AmpI9AUinhJELd9xOMKGnbnMB-S1d69HG0tEaPwmE4KygtSGO-IqJ7ZFprBr4n9hnt7VIxsK9MOIFTfLtz_gmwlkOHyzxDth0cwOrP2ItkMiba-_TUR/w480-h640/IMG_2924.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Our campsite was an absolute gem!!! </b>It was so gorgeous! Right on the river in the heart of the canyon.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zRLMKtn9hXgYd5E3NEMxfpTzt24nuK2RBD8q251HDvnLVeUbVLy46KRW3RpolHHfzcHCBr9_P_hn87GJhFgtcQOofcCp1Ll8V7-0is1qs6r7wtTGMK3Dm8CVgOXA6EpfzdGHPA1A2mF0/s2048/IMG_2948.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zRLMKtn9hXgYd5E3NEMxfpTzt24nuK2RBD8q251HDvnLVeUbVLy46KRW3RpolHHfzcHCBr9_P_hn87GJhFgtcQOofcCp1Ll8V7-0is1qs6r7wtTGMK3Dm8CVgOXA6EpfzdGHPA1A2mF0/w640-h480/IMG_2948.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefjB6PxAudnzqzd8cl7Uf8XTQHe_recZoFSEaaR1AZN6FrD58oZAfoHJE0htZhuy1BpBL1mA_NW8kK23soqHdzZtNpPOBUF6K_SKDZbvpIbI9Gx_voXdeiEzwyWh5RJ8c2pGVoATiRAHp/s2048/IMG_2991*.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefjB6PxAudnzqzd8cl7Uf8XTQHe_recZoFSEaaR1AZN6FrD58oZAfoHJE0htZhuy1BpBL1mA_NW8kK23soqHdzZtNpPOBUF6K_SKDZbvpIbI9Gx_voXdeiEzwyWh5RJ8c2pGVoATiRAHp/w480-h640/IMG_2991*.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcb0sx2NSF4W8tzuz8jaiBbHwtonOYAydy6w1HcJqhO_SQvLb1BSrs_nDLtKHXqMj2oUTKhx1YYvLfoq0lNeIgw8PrhANbvFpYHiFYilIwi4zCIWWUg-RwPTKj3JZvcBXFQFGJ6vhFjSs/s2048/IMG_2998.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcb0sx2NSF4W8tzuz8jaiBbHwtonOYAydy6w1HcJqhO_SQvLb1BSrs_nDLtKHXqMj2oUTKhx1YYvLfoq0lNeIgw8PrhANbvFpYHiFYilIwi4zCIWWUg-RwPTKj3JZvcBXFQFGJ6vhFjSs/w480-h640/IMG_2998.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">SIDE NOTE: </span></b>When the kids were little, we had a "hiking friend" that came along on a lot of our adventures. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNznRsFY0apcLqK6XhVoHgWsEEejZBht1Vh90UWut8tOeVdwIxaPqQOZBpQu2QqLF3KHk7TFzDtRQ5QK5v_xxQBiFk9oNYV7u_O3iZtBnYXpsmIN8kwjk_3njbxSPjR4uMnGdM83OsLJh/s2048/IMG_6934.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNznRsFY0apcLqK6XhVoHgWsEEejZBht1Vh90UWut8tOeVdwIxaPqQOZBpQu2QqLF3KHk7TFzDtRQ5QK5v_xxQBiFk9oNYV7u_O3iZtBnYXpsmIN8kwjk_3njbxSPjR4uMnGdM83OsLJh/w480-h640/IMG_6934.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Fast forward (quite a few) years, and Fatty Squirrel decided to join us for this journey as well. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1dCIbdthuasHYQm-pylmlj2CSHsYpdLZxr1d4fopmxvTRlhDrSNd0duytNw0sfCNaVkhSQXJhwVo0m8Bp6REv49UfijHA_ntMgV7ENB7C7m026z3RIDvuqef6TgJZdTn2h9pt-juLJDA/s2048/IMG_2992.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1dCIbdthuasHYQm-pylmlj2CSHsYpdLZxr1d4fopmxvTRlhDrSNd0duytNw0sfCNaVkhSQXJhwVo0m8Bp6REv49UfijHA_ntMgV7ENB7C7m026z3RIDvuqef6TgJZdTn2h9pt-juLJDA/w480-h640/IMG_2992.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i>If you look close, in some pictures, you will see him peeking out of Lincoln's pack on the side. </i></span></span></div><p><b><i><span style="color: #800180;">BACK TO THE BLOG:</span> </i></b><b>Another complication that has come into play in the past year in Zion is a toxic cyanobacteria bloom. </b>Consistent with its name, the bloom makes the river water toxic and, thus, undrinkable. To get around this, you need to plan carefully, cache water at times, and know where the springs (that are unaffected by the bloom) are that you can filter from. Thankfully, we were able to get a site that was not too far from a spring. So, after chilling for a bit, it was off to filter water for us! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqX56F6qf0ER40c4H4piLlx4zqHpjoD-eEyvqkln-VQb-9rqVT67FkgTGDfdj5r0ut6edJvNQxzeDll6xoyYpLv9ARZRu_8WmewFRl375mCeYakysLOpRHsZwm4DnaduCACPrrrzjFzhU/s4032/IMG_2962.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqX56F6qf0ER40c4H4piLlx4zqHpjoD-eEyvqkln-VQb-9rqVT67FkgTGDfdj5r0ut6edJvNQxzeDll6xoyYpLv9ARZRu_8WmewFRl375mCeYakysLOpRHsZwm4DnaduCACPrrrzjFzhU/w480-h640/IMG_2962.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwf8If_8qFyQU5Pobvtr9pIpfh89ODCudcR9jTxNJdSu4I2iHg8Bl_aP0PTvyHQxeY8ypJPfqCwzhWEJ-12WLYZs5BZaYXTYI5p-f07DZjSK84JPojFf4s43AtLAhu1RLNkX_0ZApZAwP/s2048/IMG_2963.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwf8If_8qFyQU5Pobvtr9pIpfh89ODCudcR9jTxNJdSu4I2iHg8Bl_aP0PTvyHQxeY8ypJPfqCwzhWEJ-12WLYZs5BZaYXTYI5p-f07DZjSK84JPojFf4s43AtLAhu1RLNkX_0ZApZAwP/w640-h480/IMG_2963.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS447omzibEDp2d8AFgTgI3rK5jf3aiKul3KpHyS4aAWsrhMUZ1vsXU8aAfylkFJykGcwwnIadiPGltb-4kH10ssaz0r8k4tjtJe7ZFCG3NlFNEDVYHNx6-koj2jMiMresW3cm1h9-8Guh/s2048/IMG_2975.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS447omzibEDp2d8AFgTgI3rK5jf3aiKul3KpHyS4aAWsrhMUZ1vsXU8aAfylkFJykGcwwnIadiPGltb-4kH10ssaz0r8k4tjtJe7ZFCG3NlFNEDVYHNx6-koj2jMiMresW3cm1h9-8Guh/w640-h480/IMG_2975.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuOKDrdrRc6STPlxy1Rp65hi-M5_CJ-qHPCoM4ZVoE3r2pRPsFSjo3A_tpyQDBBkT7breUOCPrJxXRK7Y_wpSCF5gQrjYLN4G-c5Q8M-35-qAjXIzoh8yZWjCtniteeUJ45eTy00p5Tlv/s2048/IMG_2968*.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuOKDrdrRc6STPlxy1Rp65hi-M5_CJ-qHPCoM4ZVoE3r2pRPsFSjo3A_tpyQDBBkT7breUOCPrJxXRK7Y_wpSCF5gQrjYLN4G-c5Q8M-35-qAjXIzoh8yZWjCtniteeUJ45eTy00p5Tlv/w640-h480/IMG_2968*.jpeg" width="640" /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">With our water supply filled, we had dinner, played cards and just hung out in nature. <b>It was a pretty epic night!</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DAY TWO: KOLOB CAYON --> HOPP VALLEY --> WILDCAT CANYON </span></b></p><p><b>It was chilly at the start, <i>but we quickly warmed up as we were immediately hiking UP and out of the canyon. </i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Y5XRTHHYoJxrcT_Y7Cwnu7knoK78UlkrWfXqpXztJqA-jQjSK7fcF4vl_enveZ5Biu18m5QpvgVQQ7VyhSGe7oXRsgiu2d5UFs04aY5Pb64Rg75Iwnz5rF-HdzfwU3W8UKaAtV8ZUtu/s2048/IMG_3013.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Y5XRTHHYoJxrcT_Y7Cwnu7knoK78UlkrWfXqpXztJqA-jQjSK7fcF4vl_enveZ5Biu18m5QpvgVQQ7VyhSGe7oXRsgiu2d5UFs04aY5Pb64Rg75Iwnz5rF-HdzfwU3W8UKaAtV8ZUtu/w480-h640/IMG_3013.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>It was beautiful and nice to see in the morning light. </b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiuIrFPlDv8PyCLPlMa5JakqPkeByLLCpjLov_0WTKp2vJyGNX16D_kdIcA_hW8UZYKYIF2rIMHeE23Yqp1-twkAHDG6ffxqeBnFCOMm2DgbsAk7Pl5i5zRN37khjOu4Woy1V2El9GXeE/s2048/IMG_3019.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiuIrFPlDv8PyCLPlMa5JakqPkeByLLCpjLov_0WTKp2vJyGNX16D_kdIcA_hW8UZYKYIF2rIMHeE23Yqp1-twkAHDG6ffxqeBnFCOMm2DgbsAk7Pl5i5zRN37khjOu4Woy1V2El9GXeE/w640-h480/IMG_3019.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka8AKl__SF-TbvJiblikeQ4weFRpqDQUhz25rYeJ-NOAgcgtLxZh_vqVCcs0pbMREO_tRUd6alQYAGy9xbf1OgtJiSmMhGN6sjobCoZOLjhEUfdn5L0Pp94E6Meq-4JD0yK4nkA-QRVTo/s3202/IMG_3026.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="3202" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka8AKl__SF-TbvJiblikeQ4weFRpqDQUhz25rYeJ-NOAgcgtLxZh_vqVCcs0pbMREO_tRUd6alQYAGy9xbf1OgtJiSmMhGN6sjobCoZOLjhEUfdn5L0Pp94E6Meq-4JD0yK4nkA-QRVTo/w640-h196/IMG_3026.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtClMzSUmT1skl2LrU28sfW4pGtAfzyfQ6KKt9Wcr860i1XgiYC4hOhtqgmYJiu8yhW04atU2glFImZNrzUQ6U5H1vnr2kP4-SRX_rRimoHuuBuG2Z0EiFzR47TZmuRon-H6_E3eAQtRC/s2048/IMG_3036.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtClMzSUmT1skl2LrU28sfW4pGtAfzyfQ6KKt9Wcr860i1XgiYC4hOhtqgmYJiu8yhW04atU2glFImZNrzUQ6U5H1vnr2kP4-SRX_rRimoHuuBuG2Z0EiFzR47TZmuRon-H6_E3eAQtRC/w640-h480/IMG_3036.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>While Day One was short (7.5 miles) and mostly downhill day two would be twice the distance, and also ALL UPHILL. The. Whole. Way. <i><u>YIKES!</u></i></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><u> <i>Did I mention that 15 miles would have been an all-time high for miles/day backpacking for us?</i></u></span> Anyways, the day was overcast and windy and, at times, the scenery did not seem as dramatic as the day prior. Even with that, we were happy to be hiking along. Later, we were looking back at the pictures and saying how we didn’t give Hopp Valley as much credit as it deserved when we were hiking through it. <b>The valley really WAS pretty! <u><i>And, there were cows. </i></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4hGJtaMVmvLrRsVTJ7GcOgQqJpoOLjPSm2iuE4EMns1y6tp4WER6OFBWqtkqKNh7L1BGjeQfw6F1SUGDWEm-6BvVnEc3j9H58vuJ2DYlPNXFOaT40AdLNq1VyKTf_BEwjG81WogbyPmS/s2048/IMG_3050.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4hGJtaMVmvLrRsVTJ7GcOgQqJpoOLjPSm2iuE4EMns1y6tp4WER6OFBWqtkqKNh7L1BGjeQfw6F1SUGDWEm-6BvVnEc3j9H58vuJ2DYlPNXFOaT40AdLNq1VyKTf_BEwjG81WogbyPmS/w640-h480/IMG_3050.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><b>MOO!!!!</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGt8k4_1LWDs0az7sISd6VvKdBDFzYgTP8vSiW8Rod8m3_06BWm7zYDLUCAcdDOOHY-3EGbA8cuLMLzSaWw5MbarD1IDiNVsC76NRqwRrLaCAglPaYvX3A7SMmArclTqYT5zAgcMTeJrf/s2048/IMG_3063.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGt8k4_1LWDs0az7sISd6VvKdBDFzYgTP8vSiW8Rod8m3_06BWm7zYDLUCAcdDOOHY-3EGbA8cuLMLzSaWw5MbarD1IDiNVsC76NRqwRrLaCAglPaYvX3A7SMmArclTqYT5zAgcMTeJrf/w640-h480/IMG_3063.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vrN561_kI2_F8XAhmLA197OOEnydN_ODZWxhKR6sbp5n4HAz5N_3QFKaHojqM9C-qj9LBYAQ4F5vfD5XDhbSCIFSHTqWuYTD2etlKCTMcfwT_gtvB9yj29qf-vwqgrLBSCAxEQnMnnpL/s2048/IMG_3066.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzK8kR-7FH7XY6vh2cZaN0OX_3VXBrjDQ4udKoE3LEagXX2HYrWGhNuI26H5wPsrcsiPyWDle_DCfxWsjyYiFU-n48uI5dkqwQS5-HG8ik_pQkvTtzIP9F1xmWFu2QJDFA6B3zrySbcnr/s2048/IMG_3088.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzK8kR-7FH7XY6vh2cZaN0OX_3VXBrjDQ4udKoE3LEagXX2HYrWGhNuI26H5wPsrcsiPyWDle_DCfxWsjyYiFU-n48uI5dkqwQS5-HG8ik_pQkvTtzIP9F1xmWFu2QJDFA6B3zrySbcnr/w480-h640/IMG_3088.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKZuCf8hTb8cFJZkJ-kqmEGC_sotX2Kugs01nRCRJWYvEO93qTJEz0r8YNZ2-ciFtYcbROQ94j4zg0J4wPh9cSnco_fZR6tx0XWBq-KkrKqx9IcsydvqVXVXY0neNt4MN8U56-GvqrjO5/s2048/IMG_3094.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKZuCf8hTb8cFJZkJ-kqmEGC_sotX2Kugs01nRCRJWYvEO93qTJEz0r8YNZ2-ciFtYcbROQ94j4zg0J4wPh9cSnco_fZR6tx0XWBq-KkrKqx9IcsydvqVXVXY0neNt4MN8U56-GvqrjO5/w640-h480/IMG_3094.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpogu5O_KmdjB8a4iJCHMGJIpQPG3XUlRcgno3yrA1gJ12iQRIyq-QcDQLOJR_03Esf6qRHBLr7t9cyPtsD_p-v-gsy1sMg4uqA4FiNmM9yBq4RLtEdoKXvotm2UiznsEqvJguDR6uSyf/s2048/IMG_3120.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpogu5O_KmdjB8a4iJCHMGJIpQPG3XUlRcgno3yrA1gJ12iQRIyq-QcDQLOJR_03Esf6qRHBLr7t9cyPtsD_p-v-gsy1sMg4uqA4FiNmM9yBq4RLtEdoKXvotm2UiznsEqvJguDR6uSyf/w480-h640/IMG_3120.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>BY NOON, WE WERE SO READY TO BE DONE WITH HIKING IN THE SAND!!! </b>We reached the Hopp Valley Trailhead where we topped off our water supply with water we had cached, had lunch, and continued on our way to Wildcat Canyon via the Connector Trail. This trail was more climbing and a different zone and type of hiking, and some really pretty terrain and views.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzmEH-TY_-t7ydqSlNovXDRekoZ4rCki-GJ5RDuUxGaeAd_hZiA9sC1DrewZML8XQRuT91g1H1YimLnnOgKUwiorUwc8JraGZfj76QJFfsjxtspYOPuxvwsGKQhHxuKqxLvFxmUArmLnJ/s2048/IMG_3130.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzmEH-TY_-t7ydqSlNovXDRekoZ4rCki-GJ5RDuUxGaeAd_hZiA9sC1DrewZML8XQRuT91g1H1YimLnnOgKUwiorUwc8JraGZfj76QJFfsjxtspYOPuxvwsGKQhHxuKqxLvFxmUArmLnJ/w640-h480/IMG_3130.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy47cxJeXtG0Hy6Rft8It3WQ2zmeuFtFwxVBsva62oiQK7ammpO9VwJsl7M1oK7nJTEMyqiszmVLSZ44eklFKzVk5t766vfiCRCOqu_y8cCFNkOKm7dIGH0gAlCtaUEoRPtQkXg5AAICZ/s2048/IMG_3135.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy47cxJeXtG0Hy6Rft8It3WQ2zmeuFtFwxVBsva62oiQK7ammpO9VwJsl7M1oK7nJTEMyqiszmVLSZ44eklFKzVk5t766vfiCRCOqu_y8cCFNkOKm7dIGH0gAlCtaUEoRPtQkXg5AAICZ/w640-h480/IMG_3135.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qCdyUEQvZQLmc1XOuwVsUm14Vpmt2KcbgckwvO4KCaRtcshlBfbuK0XZ-JGnqJNuAqt84VUQqU-QtMoEPfR0a3DUCjfls4C_thlqD643-fvlBQ_FBzXpnWodB0E6A_Y8atDZSJlafSXg/s2048/IMG_3142.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qCdyUEQvZQLmc1XOuwVsUm14Vpmt2KcbgckwvO4KCaRtcshlBfbuK0XZ-JGnqJNuAqt84VUQqU-QtMoEPfR0a3DUCjfls4C_thlqD643-fvlBQ_FBzXpnWodB0E6A_Y8atDZSJlafSXg/w640-h480/IMG_3142.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCjSCd3rojIbnqTxH0FbdNH7nhyJy6c28cO0Wd4sBumstj_uR8Ap6Sa9W_8ZwyDPV05HJVBbxPWNZwgL4_k7Fr_BxEfOgNawxZLzHhGujf8CfV7RQRa8kBwWTaEhOPCpsK6WbzFxXBncY/s2048/IMG_3148.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCjSCd3rojIbnqTxH0FbdNH7nhyJy6c28cO0Wd4sBumstj_uR8Ap6Sa9W_8ZwyDPV05HJVBbxPWNZwgL4_k7Fr_BxEfOgNawxZLzHhGujf8CfV7RQRa8kBwWTaEhOPCpsK6WbzFxXBncY/w640-h480/IMG_3148.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Once we hit Wildcat Canyon proper, it was more like forest hiking. </b>I know that there were trails that provided additional views, but we didn’t have the energy to pursue them and, with the end in sight (figuratively), we wanted to just get there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjX5d3yysJ9vKS6W1zR3osCJKysxZ7OQLd6AuAgKsXSNZpl1nwVQtfoiJkBt6CcIxjNYthFc0IGo7eVEQwkSMslVWmn_Laf8ORSWUTUJXPxmWG0OomZN1N2urr-tgwAJfAs4ZfPzkWd6S/s2048/IMG_3162.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjX5d3yysJ9vKS6W1zR3osCJKysxZ7OQLd6AuAgKsXSNZpl1nwVQtfoiJkBt6CcIxjNYthFc0IGo7eVEQwkSMslVWmn_Laf8ORSWUTUJXPxmWG0OomZN1N2urr-tgwAJfAs4ZfPzkWd6S/w640-h480/IMG_3162.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">At times, we would see some cool stuff and towards the end some glorious fall color! This canyon permit was for backcountry camping in the canyon (versus a designated site), so once we located the spring, we found a place to camp shortly after. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglr4VNWGJ-84OsGIrQYLDc0Th8iiKYQxub0VQyAvNf-OhlP6J2KHwKT5oUWr7IHvcUF23ePhZ6zs5gVZW_rxFE8d8Aqv0X2Je8h-0sNosuqL_EvoMdURIMa5hbp0iysDrmBVBRPTF-PDFs/s2048/IMG_3165.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglr4VNWGJ-84OsGIrQYLDc0Th8iiKYQxub0VQyAvNf-OhlP6J2KHwKT5oUWr7IHvcUF23ePhZ6zs5gVZW_rxFE8d8Aqv0X2Je8h-0sNosuqL_EvoMdURIMa5hbp0iysDrmBVBRPTF-PDFs/w640-h480/IMG_3165.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIR7bcUrRyDenFf6xoSU55cuskCtV_vI7Ic2wSF8vmBe7DEBw8lbMt13Gs9FgCtd_To5l5p49vXEYvrW_poubxwyIaukH02Bc63xnezRS9BvkDQgEtXqk8rr6XeEcf4sHF36n5IKv9tkX/s2048/IMG_3195.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIR7bcUrRyDenFf6xoSU55cuskCtV_vI7Ic2wSF8vmBe7DEBw8lbMt13Gs9FgCtd_To5l5p49vXEYvrW_poubxwyIaukH02Bc63xnezRS9BvkDQgEtXqk8rr6XeEcf4sHF36n5IKv9tkX/w480-h640/IMG_3195.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbQ3LIGzhxDQFlWDazz2qIgFArhC0HiuoniE33tFJpdvh4pP2zIznNjj1aoRtKdn9qeH-eg618rdZRVLKHNDLwtMg-t__J1Oo2GdvoCphDXt2VH-VJThTbxlyD8H_1ua4WgGGZcGGpeVZ/s2048/IMG_3206+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbQ3LIGzhxDQFlWDazz2qIgFArhC0HiuoniE33tFJpdvh4pP2zIznNjj1aoRtKdn9qeH-eg618rdZRVLKHNDLwtMg-t__J1Oo2GdvoCphDXt2VH-VJThTbxlyD8H_1ua4WgGGZcGGpeVZ/w480-h640/IMG_3206+2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><b>After reaching the Wildcat Spring, we decided to make camp close (but not too close).</b> <i>** Wildcat Canyon permit is for backcountry sites, and there are no established sites, just that you cannot camp within 1/4 mile of the spring.</i></p><p><b> It was right after we set up camp that… IT STARTED SNOWING!</b> Like, it really started snowing. We thought that we might get some rain, so we had prepped our stuff to go under the tarp and had set up the tent to be ready, but we were NOT EXPECTING it to snow. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TW5TZqPuoy0" width="450" youtube-src-id="TW5TZqPuoy0"></iframe></div><p>SO... Lincoln and I jumped in the tent, where we had dinner. Shortly after, we heard a break in the snow, so we hiked back to the spring, filtered water, then got snowed on again as heading back to our campsite. <b>From there, we hunkered down and got ready for a really, REALLY cold night. </b></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>DAY THREE: WILDCAT CANYON ---> WEST RIM TRAIL ---> ANGEL'S LANDING ---> ZION CANYON </b></span></p><p><b>Considering Day Two had been our longest backpacking day to date with 15 miles, <i><u>Day Three was going to top that with 19 miles – and on tired legs!</u></i></b></p><p>To add to the challenge, it was COLD, COLD, COLD when we woke up and so hard to get out of the tent and moving. But, we did it. As quickly and efficiently as we could. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="361" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyVI6bCsyow" width="434" youtube-src-id="yyVI6bCsyow"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">True, we did not get a lot of snow accumulation, but man! That air temperature was low!</b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW_Ycm7d8g7MYjX53saMLYXldrMKSk3ftDVFqNGxYdQL173JR9gx2a8UfE5fnuPN2ZeoDwDQ5XA_kY_vUXL1QpteR_49bDE7RHxTSxUj6g7FMnqB92JfUDQNaMob_MwxqGkYgc7PT9hJk/s2048/IMG_3214.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW_Ycm7d8g7MYjX53saMLYXldrMKSk3ftDVFqNGxYdQL173JR9gx2a8UfE5fnuPN2ZeoDwDQ5XA_kY_vUXL1QpteR_49bDE7RHxTSxUj6g7FMnqB92JfUDQNaMob_MwxqGkYgc7PT9hJk/w640-h480/IMG_3214.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b>The first bit of the hike we were a little sluggish.</b> It was cold, we were still hiking up, and it was not the prettiest terrain that we had seen. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdU7kIzuy1BcbkWHzGCnx6sd1Kmw2gqQL4VkPl8vjhE6iEJ2uUnsvk2SW3FSi54jLQQaDbALr3suNe4ZhK7DfS0tuj0S5-NtnU_DfIWlb22JZ8mI8AinwLBcOv_U9xzv3iZ01Lzv4oyuRA/s2048/IMG_3223.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdU7kIzuy1BcbkWHzGCnx6sd1Kmw2gqQL4VkPl8vjhE6iEJ2uUnsvk2SW3FSi54jLQQaDbALr3suNe4ZhK7DfS0tuj0S5-NtnU_DfIWlb22JZ8mI8AinwLBcOv_U9xzv3iZ01Lzv4oyuRA/w480-h640/IMG_3223.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><b>Add to that, that we had skipped breakfast because we were cold and just wanted to get going, so our energy was low.</b> Despite low spirits, we reminded one another how lucky we were to be able to be out and hiking this trail. We pointed out views way to the east in the distance that were pretty. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXJfHIAKbuLMT6HzeWqpanAq8I_mdNQWK5VcRrwHeVOmF42BoVaCd9-p6o_8iA3Qp3_beRSH_MApxcknBG0OHQ3j8Ib5wCauCcDpQHlVlyOmKxPMJGMTh16Is9EAkGVQyxS_kz6j_4R4B/s2048/IMG_3227.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXJfHIAKbuLMT6HzeWqpanAq8I_mdNQWK5VcRrwHeVOmF42BoVaCd9-p6o_8iA3Qp3_beRSH_MApxcknBG0OHQ3j8Ib5wCauCcDpQHlVlyOmKxPMJGMTh16Is9EAkGVQyxS_kz6j_4R4B/w640-h480/IMG_3227.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>And then, we came upon this overlook where we were quickly reminded of the beauty that we were hiking towards!</b> (And stopped to chat with a couple, that also took our picture.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx1vuwRQpjyLzgqZg9CPPlArc7WNlXeBn-cXZeeJqFbK0FkWX-rVV3wm1vEfaM4rdrdc4-jEFbTQU6sO7TZeSGTA8-2a_ZXmnryAPzp26rKViEloep6HeZK04NC9YRGZE-dkuG_okmjCh/s2048/IMG_3229.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1957" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx1vuwRQpjyLzgqZg9CPPlArc7WNlXeBn-cXZeeJqFbK0FkWX-rVV3wm1vEfaM4rdrdc4-jEFbTQU6sO7TZeSGTA8-2a_ZXmnryAPzp26rKViEloep6HeZK04NC9YRGZE-dkuG_okmjCh/w612-h640/IMG_3229.jpeg" width="612" /></a></div><br /><p>Shortly after, we dipped into Horse Pasture Canyon, which (had there been more color) would have been SUPER pretty. So, considering the long day, the less than stellar scenery, add in a nasty climb, and I think this was a low point (figuratively) of the trip. </p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17UuURuAblzbrNp_mkNpQQyyegdVqh4ICteXziVDpsd2cIOQwciy1b8e39QFaL1iwtnOb4FcdSEAi_wqwGm-FJAN2yqU-sggbJKfTQ-WPd1ktm_a_SNqnTyFqU_cOCvqI6f2TjZT63kPw/s2048/IMG_3254.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17UuURuAblzbrNp_mkNpQQyyegdVqh4ICteXziVDpsd2cIOQwciy1b8e39QFaL1iwtnOb4FcdSEAi_wqwGm-FJAN2yqU-sggbJKfTQ-WPd1ktm_a_SNqnTyFqU_cOCvqI6f2TjZT63kPw/w640-h480/IMG_3254.jpeg" width="640" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOHEWp318tRdIjZQnagPKvU_2r4WKw3bl5QcsPltmN0Ka4N-MPxCk55dwGNF-O3EWvc82rx8JNQK2n-vKF2fzAcg0_G2tIA7JPIdOZLixvxajmrRxLHLM4hZjg0SSEhg-Ph8nKCeYOJaV/s2048/IMG_3260.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOHEWp318tRdIjZQnagPKvU_2r4WKw3bl5QcsPltmN0Ka4N-MPxCk55dwGNF-O3EWvc82rx8JNQK2n-vKF2fzAcg0_G2tIA7JPIdOZLixvxajmrRxLHLM4hZjg0SSEhg-Ph8nKCeYOJaV/w480-h640/IMG_3260.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Thankfully, once we climbed out of that canyon is where the views started and DID NOT STOP UNTIL THE END!!!</i></b><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3EkDbJOdadHvgb-94m-F6UFnCsuQwaEQiG0Fg2rIxssr91hYk72FMmNZglZSZJCYd7RIWusmP1GG7omlx-g5zoeFrPcDJY7qhJ9b9bEo9daBz4ZVCOLEBg1kTq1Kjn9pTPUlhAFJ515a/s2048/IMG_3266.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3EkDbJOdadHvgb-94m-F6UFnCsuQwaEQiG0Fg2rIxssr91hYk72FMmNZglZSZJCYd7RIWusmP1GG7omlx-g5zoeFrPcDJY7qhJ9b9bEo9daBz4ZVCOLEBg1kTq1Kjn9pTPUlhAFJ515a/w640-h416/IMG_3266.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFmxZ4DxdMl-r6LHT2cGplYS0j6lNYc9aHK_9HAnCEWRGjfBt-Ug-8KWCOn4dVifW7rL6EW1UGoNA53_A7Ph46Dxl_eBsCCwm6OYV3okeYwVQGQpAOlqWP8wS-jE_zLAbRLz_BFjhudLy/s2048/IMG_3272.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFmxZ4DxdMl-r6LHT2cGplYS0j6lNYc9aHK_9HAnCEWRGjfBt-Ug-8KWCOn4dVifW7rL6EW1UGoNA53_A7Ph46Dxl_eBsCCwm6OYV3okeYwVQGQpAOlqWP8wS-jE_zLAbRLz_BFjhudLy/w640-h480/IMG_3272.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></b><p></p><p><b>To sum things up, the first half of Day Three was good (but least impressive views of the trip thus far), <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><u><i>but the second half of Day Three was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THE WHOLE TRIP.</i></u></span></b> It was like the views didn’t end. They just changed and were cool view, after cool view, after cool view. And cool terrain to hike on and through. <i>(This next batch of pictures is all of the West Rim.)</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbMQIDGH9ekrZZO1KGIzAUqOt1nm8u2rOYYG_pTqzm_K1pnpapCpa8g1yT9ho7tzeA4wZUd_BfDoVb1EU-TxkwNFeyEACcqoXZ0l3qu3vXxdaXG7oQLmntLixFSW39Zg2uj49GCX2Wd6Z/s2048/IMG_3279.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbMQIDGH9ekrZZO1KGIzAUqOt1nm8u2rOYYG_pTqzm_K1pnpapCpa8g1yT9ho7tzeA4wZUd_BfDoVb1EU-TxkwNFeyEACcqoXZ0l3qu3vXxdaXG7oQLmntLixFSW39Zg2uj49GCX2Wd6Z/w640-h480/IMG_3279.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUOnRCqRM-rwJT5-qL9kMXYMgNITkJ1b-8LMTfFoc9oYBUN9R5PpRM3AcjLvkx44ngr8MXUtoogpTq49fu-LzfwoqsV3ZpLEFpWo732GfDX14QILZNawbZCOgelfM_JNtR5HLQP5KSmOJ/s2048/IMG_3283.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1912" data-original-width="2048" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUOnRCqRM-rwJT5-qL9kMXYMgNITkJ1b-8LMTfFoc9oYBUN9R5PpRM3AcjLvkx44ngr8MXUtoogpTq49fu-LzfwoqsV3ZpLEFpWo732GfDX14QILZNawbZCOgelfM_JNtR5HLQP5KSmOJ/w640-h598/IMG_3283.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B20fdxO8wA187yj8imxVSBqfNvL2-n3jnXnZlvd1DPHNFf5_YFHzTcNfmM0DE5DIeULESIwLU1UXkXd0yNe53QkuTzItzFWeWslcXDBVAygm7D0-dJ7Dj31wpINWA-2DfxnII1Vo-ggS/s2048/IMG_3311.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B20fdxO8wA187yj8imxVSBqfNvL2-n3jnXnZlvd1DPHNFf5_YFHzTcNfmM0DE5DIeULESIwLU1UXkXd0yNe53QkuTzItzFWeWslcXDBVAygm7D0-dJ7Dj31wpINWA-2DfxnII1Vo-ggS/w640-h480/IMG_3311.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nloSY8FWFOLwv3rPXat_JC6UytYkXiKINmtE5cHVPiH15_Qo31PS23TLNN6NTpZk6OCIUMOUZ7pzWLkmHly9rsLMw8rTMpTo64vO_rSOCSw-Bk073gJ5gX2egK72-Sfy0kFpS1EgOrxH/s2048/IMG_3325.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nloSY8FWFOLwv3rPXat_JC6UytYkXiKINmtE5cHVPiH15_Qo31PS23TLNN6NTpZk6OCIUMOUZ7pzWLkmHly9rsLMw8rTMpTo64vO_rSOCSw-Bk073gJ5gX2egK72-Sfy0kFpS1EgOrxH/w640-h480/IMG_3325.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17A0MFTCKAmRgUqJ7aZ8dffDyLdgG-x-DKZfJpKP1I0kvsnXt4F3bra4-qTAseqfGfkoi9tQXus-pYbwJob5UIEpLZQYFZNTvythdpTyntqordiNhjA17O8oO6Q3rU5YMC0QtXssjCy_B/s2048/IMG_3335.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17A0MFTCKAmRgUqJ7aZ8dffDyLdgG-x-DKZfJpKP1I0kvsnXt4F3bra4-qTAseqfGfkoi9tQXus-pYbwJob5UIEpLZQYFZNTvythdpTyntqordiNhjA17O8oO6Q3rU5YMC0QtXssjCy_B/w640-h400/IMG_3335.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg9bXK0MUkdClWoLZkm-xTbVpNxsRuiJGtDM2d6ylyDRkKtnbXg2bNpiqL0-rVUfKbi85i9Pc9Z-arF5cpVCXdpBgnjOQ4AHhoyQtRSxN_M0PgdTrx6Ufn57DJTVidARIJZRdWnTPvQ4s/s3084/IMG_3339.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="3084" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg9bXK0MUkdClWoLZkm-xTbVpNxsRuiJGtDM2d6ylyDRkKtnbXg2bNpiqL0-rVUfKbi85i9Pc9Z-arF5cpVCXdpBgnjOQ4AHhoyQtRSxN_M0PgdTrx6Ufn57DJTVidARIJZRdWnTPvQ4s/w640-h213/IMG_3339.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxH7PXpnEgZFDH8kfRftJYCkSH6oa64MWg8iRUBAMBGrvpWSBja4uMCY5bDmmGIHB8Xab5JsL6V1w9fQrT54k51jq551s15szWz7dVPbLDcpcL6DEYX2lbBQax1xwgyF2EGzNc2BRkwvx/s2048/IMG_3344.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1835" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxH7PXpnEgZFDH8kfRftJYCkSH6oa64MWg8iRUBAMBGrvpWSBja4uMCY5bDmmGIHB8Xab5JsL6V1w9fQrT54k51jq551s15szWz7dVPbLDcpcL6DEYX2lbBQax1xwgyF2EGzNc2BRkwvx/w574-h640/IMG_3344.jpeg" width="574" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1awbLUCCVfq2s3KsWxfnsrZ32XkkSnE7TjHlX6fCwbieqF3aG1Ceh9AYIJTFNXqx36vl294UDkhaJnUp9BFKZ75ZE7b6reGHaZbUD-qL6GPw2qC49c34JsgnSf9eW5dE9_FBmOlnWQv-/s2048/IMG_3353.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1awbLUCCVfq2s3KsWxfnsrZ32XkkSnE7TjHlX6fCwbieqF3aG1Ceh9AYIJTFNXqx36vl294UDkhaJnUp9BFKZ75ZE7b6reGHaZbUD-qL6GPw2qC49c34JsgnSf9eW5dE9_FBmOlnWQv-/w640-h480/IMG_3353.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZGZTn3f-LI0pdymqmekeo8Ck17dUifi0mjE2F80qJUP-gH_vu9YQwaEag9lRbaWlcD-FDHupBPTY5oknZiJAuZrVQSsaUu2bLXSsykfibDFwZ6ui_j3m0MTwyBk0uksWv5DOphsZ_9ZY/s2048/IMG_3358.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZGZTn3f-LI0pdymqmekeo8Ck17dUifi0mjE2F80qJUP-gH_vu9YQwaEag9lRbaWlcD-FDHupBPTY5oknZiJAuZrVQSsaUu2bLXSsykfibDFwZ6ui_j3m0MTwyBk0uksWv5DOphsZ_9ZY/w640-h480/IMG_3358.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>Eventually, we reached Cabin Spring -- the only spring that (supposedly) had water on the whole West Rim. </b>Again, I had checked with the ranger the day we before left, who assured us that it was flowing. (In addition, I had another ranger tell me that, "In the 13 years that he had been there, Cabin Spring had <u><i>never</i></u> gone dry.") <b>But, we got to this.</b> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingBJHB0JLvi0QZ1Bvpxc7ha-MZ0rIHgeeqSLgilMnGtzZJd01rR7Bu_PcbMna1s8UOztgYiKMcTMczdwIulAOSXBPtpdnEgs5UkmoLPelLpaZ5UHVQG5_tdxGmDrXcCcKcFI_IliALzgD/s2048/IMG_3362.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingBJHB0JLvi0QZ1Bvpxc7ha-MZ0rIHgeeqSLgilMnGtzZJd01rR7Bu_PcbMna1s8UOztgYiKMcTMczdwIulAOSXBPtpdnEgs5UkmoLPelLpaZ5UHVQG5_tdxGmDrXcCcKcFI_IliALzgD/w480-h640/IMG_3362.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Nothing about this spring was "flowing."</b> So, as unsafe as it probably was, we were able to filter 2 Nalgene bottles' worth (64 ozs) of water out of the bottom of that. Just enough to help us make it to the end. </p><p><b>From the top of the rim, we dropped (mostly down), then rolling, then up, before we descended to Scout's Landing.</b> <i>(This next set of pictures.) </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATlzfIonWTyPijndZ1F0sXk0SEKjKSYhviNe26lakTYSUkAcd11DT_E8_4W-aqMh-lDNEorHiOXcgiv1eYyrtbio1npXF7y44sx6SZtxLF3GsaaTxlD4X0_mijjaSnA7wnJX-Z5KMD3Sy/s2048/IMG_3366.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="2048" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATlzfIonWTyPijndZ1F0sXk0SEKjKSYhviNe26lakTYSUkAcd11DT_E8_4W-aqMh-lDNEorHiOXcgiv1eYyrtbio1npXF7y44sx6SZtxLF3GsaaTxlD4X0_mijjaSnA7wnJX-Z5KMD3Sy/w640-h350/IMG_3366.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJPdmEwbrJxqPTjmekVq-L7DeUEO0Z84ZwjfTsvyAXutVCqqRfypHNyzbYim3KHVpLFYGfH1dwt_w7_8eiY-rVlQIJVAGWUE83dmQiHvHC94PJA2e5NYu5o9hHtqBTEEO1UrI_liqXnJ3/s2048/IMG_3367.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJPdmEwbrJxqPTjmekVq-L7DeUEO0Z84ZwjfTsvyAXutVCqqRfypHNyzbYim3KHVpLFYGfH1dwt_w7_8eiY-rVlQIJVAGWUE83dmQiHvHC94PJA2e5NYu5o9hHtqBTEEO1UrI_liqXnJ3/w640-h480/IMG_3367.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxccs2nUCsLrPHq_V7f_P5fOoY3LTn8bSDZ9RkOE6nPcGG___GnO9LYOy1JpznzvXK9GBqoBZ7N7fbokkvdq8tBAYvJKyG2vgDoz2uOLOx-fRi8RUykNYjUcAlgy0ZCe7Rx38p10bX66XL/s2048/IMG_3371.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxccs2nUCsLrPHq_V7f_P5fOoY3LTn8bSDZ9RkOE6nPcGG___GnO9LYOy1JpznzvXK9GBqoBZ7N7fbokkvdq8tBAYvJKyG2vgDoz2uOLOx-fRi8RUykNYjUcAlgy0ZCe7Rx38p10bX66XL/w480-h640/IMG_3371.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanEMdaygp21E4ZMNGDR7Wzp76u-ieTKYDcsYv2UBoReK4MVw4h1itz8XzD5nOeNpRY7HGpYlmK61wJvE07ctpo5uOJq16gZ1oZkERNQ25V-TjNaj_JWgDKHVZ9IfVvK0JR9LQPC6haB5E/s2048/IMG_3373.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanEMdaygp21E4ZMNGDR7Wzp76u-ieTKYDcsYv2UBoReK4MVw4h1itz8XzD5nOeNpRY7HGpYlmK61wJvE07ctpo5uOJq16gZ1oZkERNQ25V-TjNaj_JWgDKHVZ9IfVvK0JR9LQPC6haB5E/w640-h480/IMG_3373.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Like I've said about a lot of this hike, but this part was REALLY COOL.</b> A lot of the trail runs alongside the edge of the canyon. Once you got over the fear of falling off, you could see really awesome rock formations and views EVERYWHERE!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs65kxIEYmTDi0jjp0B43TmZOH7bw4iaI8rogBHpZEzy70WvBu2-R_0lA1hr5OZaiQigNTFyTlLN_R4y0g49lufjaE3y2qIrC5melLWg-oSGE21wvoOfywk2uM8aKLTMuxqnQA1b0DYvZ6/s2048/IMG_3376.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs65kxIEYmTDi0jjp0B43TmZOH7bw4iaI8rogBHpZEzy70WvBu2-R_0lA1hr5OZaiQigNTFyTlLN_R4y0g49lufjaE3y2qIrC5melLWg-oSGE21wvoOfywk2uM8aKLTMuxqnQA1b0DYvZ6/w640-h480/IMG_3376.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXK0VaXwjFOCWjVnHRhaA9t9ORoUQP0bD5u3Y4cihNOIMzD66segMjCpyBAuTusQxh8g73rDOl_a-M9r1yn0mRBNu6JYTfRd3Q7yvu7rexmpwcQpgNib4ZBiDgeWWWWHSahYDr-5MC-yi/s2048/IMG_3379.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXK0VaXwjFOCWjVnHRhaA9t9ORoUQP0bD5u3Y4cihNOIMzD66segMjCpyBAuTusQxh8g73rDOl_a-M9r1yn0mRBNu6JYTfRd3Q7yvu7rexmpwcQpgNib4ZBiDgeWWWWHSahYDr-5MC-yi/w640-h480/IMG_3379.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOA3HBlSe-mb5NaJgXlBXYeiQTDVYAspDSuxjfRD38HdbmRI68_Y0XWYIKxvYjHtx1K1jA79EHb-aWD7DlGDGBB9pHT_5jQ6h5HC9dijpoCH_-GrxdyuqwVgG3Fv8P5VNvUfEIU-1z65g/s2048/IMG_3384.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOA3HBlSe-mb5NaJgXlBXYeiQTDVYAspDSuxjfRD38HdbmRI68_Y0XWYIKxvYjHtx1K1jA79EHb-aWD7DlGDGBB9pHT_5jQ6h5HC9dijpoCH_-GrxdyuqwVgG3Fv8P5VNvUfEIU-1z65g/w480-h640/IMG_3384.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6pTgAf2dnKcQk04t4ljpYwbHVjSa1rSImZw7CXKR5YO6iK-ZLHCb_HhFpWANj2LTkXxcd4q8vFWIE55yldriams0Rbnin5FZhi9fzI_F3Pc9AULtc-l2LCJi9wCVS2ELZI4KNy5RGa9I/s2048/IMG_3428.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6pTgAf2dnKcQk04t4ljpYwbHVjSa1rSImZw7CXKR5YO6iK-ZLHCb_HhFpWANj2LTkXxcd4q8vFWIE55yldriams0Rbnin5FZhi9fzI_F3Pc9AULtc-l2LCJi9wCVS2ELZI4KNy5RGa9I/w640-h480/IMG_3428.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeE8G38IB9-svjzUaYFSIonFXIEWgQUT_r8M-ODAhq8BWUXZl6r5f-V6uTtYI0j5V3FaKHXiNrws_PSG1gRFSw_BoBFsREs_3Kwsa8WiD9QLvT10ISXFq925SZT07b5KnPWiqUZLQmxZVm/s2048/IMG_3429.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeE8G38IB9-svjzUaYFSIonFXIEWgQUT_r8M-ODAhq8BWUXZl6r5f-V6uTtYI0j5V3FaKHXiNrws_PSG1gRFSw_BoBFsREs_3Kwsa8WiD9QLvT10ISXFq925SZT07b5KnPWiqUZLQmxZVm/w480-h640/IMG_3429.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7RNBTQ1OjeGRyQlBEoXHspB_opVTV0ghvYxicsQ6AD0MwL4YZckf_sf34sWoJ80fRG_ELyuN0vGopUId2gB8xYo1TBlOo4u9PI9NUICOURx2fPruyw9QJzCbDAHYdEgOnfwcJYhJuYF8/s2048/IMG_3431.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7RNBTQ1OjeGRyQlBEoXHspB_opVTV0ghvYxicsQ6AD0MwL4YZckf_sf34sWoJ80fRG_ELyuN0vGopUId2gB8xYo1TBlOo4u9PI9NUICOURx2fPruyw9QJzCbDAHYdEgOnfwcJYhJuYF8/w480-h640/IMG_3431.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREAHsJVIENqR5Uh8ktxtO7tQC5EmfaxcU7vFNwoERoXW7fzN7AILsSqC187ptK85L4h4O8KFaEdaMl7HvqsWsY0qAiyx7UgVIqi6t7r4J5sMFpk2BNidocaAgK4Bj8anEd32KLSfQzbM-/s2048/IMG_3495.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="2048" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREAHsJVIENqR5Uh8ktxtO7tQC5EmfaxcU7vFNwoERoXW7fzN7AILsSqC187ptK85L4h4O8KFaEdaMl7HvqsWsY0qAiyx7UgVIqi6t7r4J5sMFpk2BNidocaAgK4Bj8anEd32KLSfQzbM-/w640-h544/IMG_3495.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>Now comes the "culmination" of the trip -- Angel's Landing!</b> <u><i>BUT seeing as though we were 38 miles into a 41 mile trip, on day three, completely tired, kinda hungry, and just wanted to be done... there are very minimal pictures to document this part.</i></u> I wish I had more, because the experience of doing it was SO COOL! You basically hike/rock climb/boulder up 1/2 mile, using chains so as to not fall off the side of the mountain. You end at the top, with awesome 360 degree views. <div><br /></div><div><b>To give you perspective, here are some picts from the internet:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin99rTaQyHIi0J9PNUO6KiVdjZ0OLmAXyxBYA8J_qNy1KGcrqFDQAZJ4Wk5R9qFQRZJxWdHtgsrxHyLMnbRjmfOnzKogA50PbJ44G7RrMCVS4QwNVTvAjTNxId1OZus-xrmTOgGz17GrBX/s770/1583000061384.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="616" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin99rTaQyHIi0J9PNUO6KiVdjZ0OLmAXyxBYA8J_qNy1KGcrqFDQAZJ4Wk5R9qFQRZJxWdHtgsrxHyLMnbRjmfOnzKogA50PbJ44G7RrMCVS4QwNVTvAjTNxId1OZus-xrmTOgGz17GrBX/w512-h640/1583000061384.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFue3x3WK7MUaCRFcFYLAPtJVMO7G4br6YxLof0KIqHUSm9VSXaVD13h0AWxbJa21xJzYC8LWZ1ZXxaxIfTx4GI9v4t5FO8cfSZSIgewHqZ1exAE2MfRm7qtagMGdtWmqblj94bklEjrL/s800/angel04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFue3x3WK7MUaCRFcFYLAPtJVMO7G4br6YxLof0KIqHUSm9VSXaVD13h0AWxbJa21xJzYC8LWZ1ZXxaxIfTx4GI9v4t5FO8cfSZSIgewHqZ1exAE2MfRm7qtagMGdtWmqblj94bklEjrL/w640-h428/angel04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0ZaKd34mdpuuEMnwMtYX3pM50ZlESNZK4iiWuOUNevZSqMP5PXent5TgeTSDe7qPYn56QGi3nmDhSQlidgEajW1SatgnuHg0gAtIWVxMR7gGC5ZC-U8gr8znQhcLlYfgwSE3hYN5WbKB/s1000/joebraun_angelslanding02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0ZaKd34mdpuuEMnwMtYX3pM50ZlESNZK4iiWuOUNevZSqMP5PXent5TgeTSDe7qPYn56QGi3nmDhSQlidgEajW1SatgnuHg0gAtIWVxMR7gGC5ZC-U8gr8znQhcLlYfgwSE3hYN5WbKB/w640-h426/joebraun_angelslanding02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><p><b>We didn't take any pictures up or down, just at the top!</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv15GFJy0Bw4ROmB8GAeGx2ZIEXVoXzMuWu3_8vO2jMiAMatVMLdTGTYHgIAiHtUWszzCY1ynkLiqFJIFpuy0X6GlJFvaavDMFXhSAJ_KkzRHRitsdlyeUdfK92HtuzezBZJYJbCBsrRtA/s2048/IMG_3496.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv15GFJy0Bw4ROmB8GAeGx2ZIEXVoXzMuWu3_8vO2jMiAMatVMLdTGTYHgIAiHtUWszzCY1ynkLiqFJIFpuy0X6GlJFvaavDMFXhSAJ_KkzRHRitsdlyeUdfK92HtuzezBZJYJbCBsrRtA/w480-h640/IMG_3496.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtgWGtaMK3oAoo_uTTIHMSpvtEwMhrUQvPCVMk9vpCa6Ym9o4xBGUTjU8cijTMyUv5W5xLn-aLc7WroknaPgK59pnh4Dwji1pgXJkYoQcOTMr3FIhVq5n0gMDJERTZypP1YEosROrEXD-/s2048/IMG_3497.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtgWGtaMK3oAoo_uTTIHMSpvtEwMhrUQvPCVMk9vpCa6Ym9o4xBGUTjU8cijTMyUv5W5xLn-aLc7WroknaPgK59pnh4Dwji1pgXJkYoQcOTMr3FIhVq5n0gMDJERTZypP1YEosROrEXD-/w480-h640/IMG_3497.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2BNt6bWC9jIjfKv4rwUmIIVeqPuxLVpJdq6pDB7lfZ0g3p6MSC7TbGlzSlkGZOc27QVgXz_DLe0PLxuJZj3yz_D0ponq48qpsTzCPWM8ilB2h3EVAkg26wcMXPQgMpRqIsQhIrkAIaiQ/s2048/IMG_3440.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2BNt6bWC9jIjfKv4rwUmIIVeqPuxLVpJdq6pDB7lfZ0g3p6MSC7TbGlzSlkGZOc27QVgXz_DLe0PLxuJZj3yz_D0ponq48qpsTzCPWM8ilB2h3EVAkg26wcMXPQgMpRqIsQhIrkAIaiQ/w480-h640/IMG_3440.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlI6_EtQKJ4ML9vZTLF_htuyBu6hQCAJYX6OlkUFfmLg_gykPahH86QENIhgXCg49ddxV73ykTYC2Gir1vl6Tcect3nMh4fRcYpUzAI7V7nlNi4gf758p6g_79rrLAso_Ztp_v1xp3qys/s1024/AngelsLanding1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlI6_EtQKJ4ML9vZTLF_htuyBu6hQCAJYX6OlkUFfmLg_gykPahH86QENIhgXCg49ddxV73ykTYC2Gir1vl6Tcect3nMh4fRcYpUzAI7V7nlNi4gf758p6g_79rrLAso_Ztp_v1xp3qys/w640-h480/AngelsLanding1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>From there, it was climbing down (again, no pictures), then we hiked out Zion Canyon! To be D.O.N.E!!!</b> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Despite our rush, this was ANOTHER picturesque canyon, so I managed to snap a few pictures while hiking.</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9jDyqRJRjqz9reVpcfJvL84CD6PRc4pbWr1v_qT9AbrddNT546sT3NGN1Z5PyAE52CdE1h2jillOlSMULGTsLPV2TiMJKtoYsRQDPrwMWrjsaV2FWlyoJM6as8BSnzUZP6ns38C3p09w/s2048/IMG_3460.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9jDyqRJRjqz9reVpcfJvL84CD6PRc4pbWr1v_qT9AbrddNT546sT3NGN1Z5PyAE52CdE1h2jillOlSMULGTsLPV2TiMJKtoYsRQDPrwMWrjsaV2FWlyoJM6as8BSnzUZP6ns38C3p09w/w480-h640/IMG_3460.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvsI2aQPXDVC3nFZm68U3qIVpMQqRAP6fQAI-xOiEOo7w59YD91tdTJ6gewVtQOHzMFDADfn4-zUWV5dSUqIwYPRmclNR8XfzF3_W9KLauY4DyW7bUKkuS5SUcMX14kEsoLguxSbfEB9E/s2048/IMG_3461.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvsI2aQPXDVC3nFZm68U3qIVpMQqRAP6fQAI-xOiEOo7w59YD91tdTJ6gewVtQOHzMFDADfn4-zUWV5dSUqIwYPRmclNR8XfzF3_W9KLauY4DyW7bUKkuS5SUcMX14kEsoLguxSbfEB9E/w480-h640/IMG_3461.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuNEZE57kyTFf5RH4hBggz1ZyI8moEmQOB3r0SK3d0vLtdFprqdKHUv7FPqicHSoKxVLA9UcAuiog63_XA8_krKvAXzN9PM3xhQFAAaI1X5dPDbvDpVapWZC3q6oWshMT9VM0FkuJYy9F/s2048/IMG_3471.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuNEZE57kyTFf5RH4hBggz1ZyI8moEmQOB3r0SK3d0vLtdFprqdKHUv7FPqicHSoKxVLA9UcAuiog63_XA8_krKvAXzN9PM3xhQFAAaI1X5dPDbvDpVapWZC3q6oWshMT9VM0FkuJYy9F/w640-h480/IMG_3471.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHXS3sdbRnR41QT7x9iU1iHpRPDh-nC48l3LUoWi2WmOjUKlNWI8K0ZZy3qmIvk3hgciuEkAq11ld1g0c7IxyWFFxI6VZZZBl-ioltgJMrJVo0n8QS2sureZd9Xpn3BuRIC1fcBRp2HE4/s2048/IMG_3476.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHXS3sdbRnR41QT7x9iU1iHpRPDh-nC48l3LUoWi2WmOjUKlNWI8K0ZZy3qmIvk3hgciuEkAq11ld1g0c7IxyWFFxI6VZZZBl-ioltgJMrJVo0n8QS2sureZd9Xpn3BuRIC1fcBRp2HE4/w640-h480/IMG_3476.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIMjLW6YX-8ScA1qtrc219745ONh4G-OgeZqfIO-Drul365jhMkPyazHk1-GoP6AOEsbWQ6BN6R6F17r_9QKE_l59BGNLGkveXZvgNO6sqnirXqkuEDQy5ucKn1_pnVXF0gZr37c1mMD0/s2048/IMG_3480.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIMjLW6YX-8ScA1qtrc219745ONh4G-OgeZqfIO-Drul365jhMkPyazHk1-GoP6AOEsbWQ6BN6R6F17r_9QKE_l59BGNLGkveXZvgNO6sqnirXqkuEDQy5ucKn1_pnVXF0gZr37c1mMD0/w640-h480/IMG_3480.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>AND THEN, it was FINITO! </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4zpauqAHwOBzq7k73y-A4VUUwn3KSCW38YeCpYLuI528H8S-RARwluB9rZ796F7cqVDuOgylfW5On3pHwe8AxESjhuUhv2_ik5GmuMe6DlJmDnIX7WHGJ_1nPtH2KjpCwHs9XOcJcvbq/s2048/IMG_3482+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4zpauqAHwOBzq7k73y-A4VUUwn3KSCW38YeCpYLuI528H8S-RARwluB9rZ796F7cqVDuOgylfW5On3pHwe8AxESjhuUhv2_ik5GmuMe6DlJmDnIX7WHGJ_1nPtH2KjpCwHs9XOcJcvbq/w480-h640/IMG_3482+2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></h3><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Finishing picture</i></p><p><b><i><span style="color: #800180;">So, there you have it! </span></i></b><b>Another year, another mom/son backpacking trip! Countless views, memories and miles!!! </b></p><p><b>TRIP STATS: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Zion Traverse -- October 17-19, 2021</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC34ADvMRGToHQ8II75M7q4MC0xBsnYiPCimC_TAbbkKldE2-HZACcnOSrVxPYRkX9DgxJuV9m30BTRrDTNLEOIzl2FzDzroOUHbhJI1cK07CgpAbxXpc4mNEz-g-yNTdv5felcpXwc9n/s1030/Screen+Shot+2021-10-24+at+6.24.33+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1030" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC34ADvMRGToHQ8II75M7q4MC0xBsnYiPCimC_TAbbkKldE2-HZACcnOSrVxPYRkX9DgxJuV9m30BTRrDTNLEOIzl2FzDzroOUHbhJI1cK07CgpAbxXpc4mNEz-g-yNTdv5felcpXwc9n/w640-h172/Screen+Shot+2021-10-24+at+6.24.33+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xjZnqD_z9InbIm7eArcoeMyYh-Ht2-7aGqAiMOGzmjyRWVuZufitv1F9oD5BEOpYjusK6wKfoee2h4NAfb6FajgYil9rOPbwxWrZZpKhziARdpUamPiFYWvxrFLyQUrwrXsbaqCqvmBU/s1912/Screen+Shot+2021-10-24+at+6.33.04+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1912" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xjZnqD_z9InbIm7eArcoeMyYh-Ht2-7aGqAiMOGzmjyRWVuZufitv1F9oD5BEOpYjusK6wKfoee2h4NAfb6FajgYil9rOPbwxWrZZpKhziARdpUamPiFYWvxrFLyQUrwrXsbaqCqvmBU/w640-h202/Screen+Shot+2021-10-24+at+6.33.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-39628629306187128072021-06-26T14:16:00.001-07:002021-06-26T14:16:49.036-07:00Sim Week -- DAY ONE: Salmon Lake with Stacey!!!<p><b> Well, that was a fun first day! </b></p><p><span style="color: red;">What!!! Am I running the TransRockies already? HECK, NO!!! </span></p><p><b>BUT... I am doing what I/my coach calls a "simulation week" where I am running 6 days, back-to-back, in the mountains to train for the TransRockies. </b>At first when we were planning it, Cindy (my coach) was worried I wouldn't follow through and/or maybe be as excited for it because it isn't really an "event" per se. </p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This week, this is just me, putting together some routes that I think would be fun (and similar) to the race routes I will run in the TransRockies, and then going for it.</span> In the process, Cindy outlined mileage and vertical for each day, and some things to do in between (to practice/aid in recovery). I assured Cindy I would just as excited for this as for a race bc I would look forward to all the routes, AND I would (hopefully) have friends along for the runs. </p><p><b>In some ways, I think some might think it's "not a big deal" because it's not an actual event. <i>I mean, where's my medal to award my actions?</i></b> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>To me, it's a very big deal.</u></span> I have been training the last 9ish months to do something like this, and I think I need it to (a) validate all the time and training I have put in and (2) have the confidence that in one month's time I can do the TransRockies! </p><p>In addition, I am hoping to make some pretty happy memories, have some great experiences and learn a few things that will make my TransRockies experience better. <u>I'd say I'm off to a good start!</u></p><p><b>Day 1 already taught/reminded me a few things;</b></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>(1) Can't change the weather. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>(2) You're gonna have to run in the weather, so you might as well train for it. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>(3) I've got some rockstar friends! (and a supportive husband ;)</b></span></p><p><b>As you probably guessed from 1 & 2, the weather did not start out the best.</b> I got up to Breck last night, settled in, and looked at the weather. The forecast called for rain, but really like 12-18% when we started, and getting progressively worse throughout the day. I figured we'd be ok, bc 12-18% what's that? I mean I don't think it will be raining then... and we'll be done before the REAL rain sets in. </p><p>FAST FORWARD to the morning and it was raining (HARD) as I was getting ready to meet Stacey. I called Ross and had a little pout. He helped think of alternatives (like would weather be better if we waited till later in day? (not according to forecast), could I do it on the treadmill (maybe, but I really didn't want to), etc.) I told him I was gonna go over there and start, and if it was really that miserable, then call it, and do the rest on the mill.</p><p>As I was driving over, I remembered that Stacey and I had run in much crappier conditions (snowstorms when it was just as wet and a whole lot colder, so maybe...). And I remembered that, <span style="color: #2b00fe;">hey! in the TransRockies, we're gonna have to do each day regardless of the weather if we want that belt buckle (we do!). </span></p><p>I showed up at the trailhead, the rain had only gotten worse, jumped in Stacey's truck and she is full on ready to run in the torrential rain!!! Doesn't even question it. <i><span style="color: red;"><b>This is where the rockstar friends come in!!! </b></span></i><b>She knew this was important to me, and my goal, and she was there -- rain or shine!-- to support me!</b> </p><p>I told her I was a little apprehensive to start in such a downpour. Could we maybe wait until it cleared just a little? <i>This was hard bc the clouds were everywhere, which means no real chance it will be stopping anytime soon.</i> In the process, we watched two hikers start off on the trail which gave us confidence, but not enough to want to get out of the car. About 15 minutes in, it lightened a little and we jumped out and were on our way. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf7y-Az5m4_vOYhxLfR1YYihBhx1-1NSUyFcD7Pu-6g1Cru-87pjNhesodNvl2mTjCKiwZmHP6oGHMzf_Oc4NCunlcq0TVGTpMpMwPPRgmwFSKdvZUMX4Z5FLyxdMIHcKt75ezZ1i-Ug1/s2048/IMG_0435.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf7y-Az5m4_vOYhxLfR1YYihBhx1-1NSUyFcD7Pu-6g1Cru-87pjNhesodNvl2mTjCKiwZmHP6oGHMzf_Oc4NCunlcq0TVGTpMpMwPPRgmwFSKdvZUMX4Z5FLyxdMIHcKt75ezZ1i-Ug1/w300-h400/IMG_0435.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">As you can see, running (even in the rain) is SUPER FUN when you have friends along for the adventure!</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvSvzkd0K2GlRjXYkYm6Rurl3VL6ISRtTrdf9RIzyoZAcMju_z_LZJjCvofAav2en6pnEQWMN225RvE2hZA1-DxxbLYfxsoeJldezMFX72ek1noztsRQslbNE_8uXq3QfKsJ6m4GuyBAm/s2048/IMG_0437.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvSvzkd0K2GlRjXYkYm6Rurl3VL6ISRtTrdf9RIzyoZAcMju_z_LZJjCvofAav2en6pnEQWMN225RvE2hZA1-DxxbLYfxsoeJldezMFX72ek1noztsRQslbNE_8uXq3QfKsJ6m4GuyBAm/w300-h400/IMG_0437.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><p>Thankfully, I had loaded the trail onto my running watch so we didn't make any wrong turns (except for the first one, which we quickly corrected -- thank you, watch!) </p><p>The rain kept on for a few miles, but was definitely not as bad as it could be...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWR-p0DJeDPP7CzVn-_BedaQpum3goKAkVUvc6XGFAxprbl_s4Hvfjcy_jGA75B3g94-Jet1pVyIaGW8FsJml4CAtDzS_xCl_pImN_WRJ947gO3GuCDs_uFgbtNAFbqxXHFzAEiA79TGV/s2048/IMG_0436.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWR-p0DJeDPP7CzVn-_BedaQpum3goKAkVUvc6XGFAxprbl_s4Hvfjcy_jGA75B3g94-Jet1pVyIaGW8FsJml4CAtDzS_xCl_pImN_WRJ947gO3GuCDs_uFgbtNAFbqxXHFzAEiA79TGV/w300-h400/IMG_0436.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWCsNAYIqv6bdpZX4ZQAgAUHjaVt5D-7qByZhzyZIaoXhWBZo7yAKMIgSUNTFZrv4m5Yi0tx5mnckCqxdVDdzeIMFItHsiVPjf9basOzv6wXMzOvI3mLIEYRMEydwtVBvWUOArZ4vc5im/s2048/IMG_0441.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWCsNAYIqv6bdpZX4ZQAgAUHjaVt5D-7qByZhzyZIaoXhWBZo7yAKMIgSUNTFZrv4m5Yi0tx5mnckCqxdVDdzeIMFItHsiVPjf9basOzv6wXMzOvI3mLIEYRMEydwtVBvWUOArZ4vc5im/w640-h480/IMG_0441.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We hiked most of the up, and ran when we could. It was PRETTY! And I was reminded why I love being in CO and being able to explore these trails.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyy_ldAEhDPXng_DzQGaFStTV1d0i3FYp6Z_wPGWU6jDkdhPVezcq5PKqfufKtWFt8Hu79ObubeYPWy3NOADNIdCSZjE0kV8wBUWZbjRCWNYfeoXOa6CeBJl8wL_IJwf3aVrOaTeq7UpL/s3411/IMG_0440.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="3411" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyy_ldAEhDPXng_DzQGaFStTV1d0i3FYp6Z_wPGWU6jDkdhPVezcq5PKqfufKtWFt8Hu79ObubeYPWy3NOADNIdCSZjE0kV8wBUWZbjRCWNYfeoXOa6CeBJl8wL_IJwf3aVrOaTeq7UpL/w640-h172/IMG_0440.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div> AND, that I should be thankful for the rain bc of how green it makes everything! (And I am always thankful that it helps prevent the forest fires.) <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdIgGdmYyWiH_3IDUdLxiQLOa9MHFty5ODOJvU5amONVsSh_ArKhil-84oqTfVNdivpjj_AY1iseHYgAq56x9dX7XkOMV52O8kN0EbbyLSriuikN3_RytfkW6cvxRIio7HF7dWUs_LU6/s2048/IMG_0442.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdIgGdmYyWiH_3IDUdLxiQLOa9MHFty5ODOJvU5amONVsSh_ArKhil-84oqTfVNdivpjj_AY1iseHYgAq56x9dX7XkOMV52O8kN0EbbyLSriuikN3_RytfkW6cvxRIio7HF7dWUs_LU6/w640-h480/IMG_0442.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Made it to Salmon Lake!!!</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_rW8d19fMKIIq2ulf7idqW_7VnEW1Tq0mIt4gRHewB6Ji17lgz7vRcpl0OJBrdkc128WYQM6gRQK-90HWEKz1ikeWlYQ1M2h6fMUmTEYeqCWkfMMoUxXNSGHFmxI-bWqXTLo_EnDi5qf/s2048/IMG_0447.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_rW8d19fMKIIq2ulf7idqW_7VnEW1Tq0mIt4gRHewB6Ji17lgz7vRcpl0OJBrdkc128WYQM6gRQK-90HWEKz1ikeWlYQ1M2h6fMUmTEYeqCWkfMMoUxXNSGHFmxI-bWqXTLo_EnDi5qf/w400-h300/IMG_0447.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Salmon Lake selfie to prove it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had even more fun on the way down. We were able to run a lot more of the trail and even took some action shots of navigating a downed tree!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2tf89kN9ZFVGhCe3X8bg_Y39Wp07Z8-JmF8uExpJf2gxgdjjDCdUfNsgp-PO_kAYdPO-a4tYFklTtY_3ScXNxTZmNd3ifrNI0tSaE5_AmtpgL5cRXZAqQQIjEpir9Ef6ozlei_90PYvO/s2048/IMG_0448.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2tf89kN9ZFVGhCe3X8bg_Y39Wp07Z8-JmF8uExpJf2gxgdjjDCdUfNsgp-PO_kAYdPO-a4tYFklTtY_3ScXNxTZmNd3ifrNI0tSaE5_AmtpgL5cRXZAqQQIjEpir9Ef6ozlei_90PYvO/s320/IMG_0448.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW_Cre5491VGqHC0gFE040DndWpEVG04t2Ag_jQuMuv9-GQFyYrC2kyK2sgqR-eCW5zMZo1nyAdHt8QipF1yoV-TaFG9Bw9upnnmT5h5wYbQWv-efsoYVZ8oeeezVqQ6XBoZQrz9exEHG/s2048/IMG_0449.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW_Cre5491VGqHC0gFE040DndWpEVG04t2Ag_jQuMuv9-GQFyYrC2kyK2sgqR-eCW5zMZo1nyAdHt8QipF1yoV-TaFG9Bw9upnnmT5h5wYbQWv-efsoYVZ8oeeezVqQ6XBoZQrz9exEHG/s320/IMG_0449.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEh5wmGXLyes_Xr9J0D1yUnYZkTG6T8YJfJitvnndiY8Ou61Jvpm6cE5k2Vgsx8WcT5klYFNT5N9fuDH0kogDp1EQziaduWtTgx11X_KtDxY_WWONYRLBYcHZJXW5eWUdBiNTSf9XJ51B/s2048/IMG_0450.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEh5wmGXLyes_Xr9J0D1yUnYZkTG6T8YJfJitvnndiY8Ou61Jvpm6cE5k2Vgsx8WcT5klYFNT5N9fuDH0kogDp1EQziaduWtTgx11X_KtDxY_WWONYRLBYcHZJXW5eWUdBiNTSf9XJ51B/s320/IMG_0450.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupJMJ48FXd9aAGQilAyEacYdnQDUlgUx47qfyhvX5nMIHf_u95iw9Izl1q1yuUAbBXtJ01MJQv0Eps686LT13rlw36drMOqQNuEc50_hYwrq3w2BBo_yIPqD8JT8eQR2DaLFlgx15vFh-/s2048/IMG_0452.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupJMJ48FXd9aAGQilAyEacYdnQDUlgUx47qfyhvX5nMIHf_u95iw9Izl1q1yuUAbBXtJ01MJQv0Eps686LT13rlw36drMOqQNuEc50_hYwrq3w2BBo_yIPqD8JT8eQR2DaLFlgx15vFh-/s320/IMG_0452.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>By the end of it, the sun was even shining!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbLsjRv-WMJSiN6LTVyt0ppzSgXrTfm1wq2GZu6aM3hciM5MBE8FKTeQbv-ZDT5KWIjmdoIbFEIREZ7htugTE2zVkvpAxLeBDPdmu6VDCv1XxDaZfXlVs5hyphenhyphenh6EGp6kepI_b0zYVZNTyB/s2048/IMG_0456.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbLsjRv-WMJSiN6LTVyt0ppzSgXrTfm1wq2GZu6aM3hciM5MBE8FKTeQbv-ZDT5KWIjmdoIbFEIREZ7htugTE2zVkvpAxLeBDPdmu6VDCv1XxDaZfXlVs5hyphenhyphenh6EGp6kepI_b0zYVZNTyB/w400-h300/IMG_0456.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, a great adventure!!! </span></b></p><p>-----------------------------</p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DAY ONE:</span></b></p><p>Saturday, June 26, 2021</p><p>Willowbrook Trailhead --> Salmon Lake: with Stacey!</p><p>10.2 miles, 2,489 vert.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-40682182941349029672021-01-26T16:10:00.004-08:002021-01-26T16:15:43.001-08:00VISION BOARDING 2021!!!<p><b> I've always been one to set pretty big goals. </b>And... to be honest I usually don't fully commit to the goals until I have broken down how I am going to get there into smaller steps and set a plan that I am comfortable with. THEN comes the fun part -- the execution of said plan!</p><p>Over the years, I've found that creating a vision board (or something similar) goes along with this and keeps me excited along the way. So, this year with the <a href="https://www.transrockies-run.com/course" target="_blank">TRANS ROCKIES RUN</a> in August, I thought the best way to keep myself motivated and on track was a vision board.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">AND HERE IT IS!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7z9l5haRVji1xDkGHdnDiDhoTto0xKxLqS6UXTUyG-e-Q-jbspyKDY0LuaW91xqKfNuH2VJS-pzhw_ieBHQtuhtXc6DFH-pD5p4Bs9BPOms4KasfyKMhHVeiU1XXtHGvqGxAqUZBl7VJ/s2048/IMG_8729.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="2048" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7z9l5haRVji1xDkGHdnDiDhoTto0xKxLqS6UXTUyG-e-Q-jbspyKDY0LuaW91xqKfNuH2VJS-pzhw_ieBHQtuhtXc6DFH-pD5p4Bs9BPOms4KasfyKMhHVeiU1XXtHGvqGxAqUZBl7VJ/w640-h430/IMG_8729.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>I centered it with the Trans Rockies logo, as that is the big goal for the year.</b> I then I filled it with reminders of why I am doing it, inspirational mantras to keep me going, fun things along the way (like Havasupai and lake trip!) and a few images from the past that I hope to "repeat" (ie, more camping with the fam, backpacking with the little, etc.). All steps and things to keep me motivated and get me to my goal!<p></p><p>I can't honestly say I had a horrible 2020. Was it different? Yes. Did I miss out on things? Of course. But I tried to focus on what I could do and cherish the positives that came out of the last year. So while I don't look at 2020 as a bust, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i>I am using this board to really highlight and delight in the things I am looking forward to in 2021.</i></span></p><p><b>The best part of this is I am already living it. </b>The quote at the top about needing a plan for your goal came from Kelly on a run. Find your power, find your purpose -- a little nugget I picked up from a Peloton ride. Not only are these things on my board, but they are part of my people and what I am trying to ascribe to. <b>Even though my race isn't until August, I feel like I am putting the time in now. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i><u>And I LOVE IT!!!</u></i></span></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-78664591257424298412021-01-10T06:00:00.001-08:002021-01-10T06:00:51.750-08:00Adventures in Snowshoeing - Lesson #1: Wear Your Snowshoes.<p><b>Yes, yesterday I tried to hike a peak.</b> I thought it would be no big deal. Summit County has had less than its share of snow this year, and recently almost NONE, so the majority of trails are very packed down with snow. This has been bad (for skiers and the environment) but good (sorta) for hikers. It makes it much easier to access the trails (they are not lost under snow) and easier to maneuver on them. Thus far, I've managed to get pretty high up with microspikes on, and I have loved it!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgD7G9r5a2JbNSsvavAktUHje5xnICiGP8P8UDVOWFz2gZqi0pz9fGoTov-ScumBlhC2pclJfieFa62Szg9MCyZKp1BFgO8EVw5OOqqIfMis_bekKJfdiuziot_lWQeYaVZbqwD5JtMao/s2048/IMG_8331.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgD7G9r5a2JbNSsvavAktUHje5xnICiGP8P8UDVOWFz2gZqi0pz9fGoTov-ScumBlhC2pclJfieFa62Szg9MCyZKp1BFgO8EVw5OOqqIfMis_bekKJfdiuziot_lWQeYaVZbqwD5JtMao/w345-h460/IMG_8331.jpeg" width="345" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humbug Hill with Ross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKMqybr6uD2Wip2lYKTb_5OtAwZGlad1KP7fLZnJ3VvNdEL_ogXeokZkDYaFzGyLGdpkWaNK_Xxmub5-Znx7N4PAzG4o73pqKU9hvb_7dORBynkwLP-R_hrSQITfHXRAk6yp5nr84e_cb/s2048/IMG_8429.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKMqybr6uD2Wip2lYKTb_5OtAwZGlad1KP7fLZnJ3VvNdEL_ogXeokZkDYaFzGyLGdpkWaNK_Xxmub5-Znx7N4PAzG4o73pqKU9hvb_7dORBynkwLP-R_hrSQITfHXRAk6yp5nr84e_cb/w439-h329/IMG_8429.jpeg" width="439" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mt. Royal with Stacey!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRRMufTto1egsCdIP961RXbDL5micyr97pvxZyGVm__IKKZ3z7NBOh8IttuW9XXHll32yQqdlOmpz5yyWdWivcg0XvpzKl2zte0er1-G9bAAGq5FA985Bh2Mcz0ot85VHTwPNzjWfXNFr/s2048/IMG_8510.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRRMufTto1egsCdIP961RXbDL5micyr97pvxZyGVm__IKKZ3z7NBOh8IttuW9XXHll32yQqdlOmpz5yyWdWivcg0XvpzKl2zte0er1-G9bAAGq5FA985Bh2Mcz0ot85VHTwPNzjWfXNFr/w439-h329/IMG_8510.jpeg" width="439" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Ptarmigan with Christin! <p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>So, when my schedule said to "hike a peak" I thought PERFECT! </b>I will go up to Wheeler Lakes. Technically not a peak, but it is a lot of climbing and I had not done this trail in years -- YEARS! -- and, when I did do it, it was in the summer. I have some pretty good memories of this hike in the summer, so why not try it in the winter?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKIcm_0a-P2Rr4V2JA9BFCWK_molECoYJ3wJsV_A_CPWT24pEipQ_7SfKBf7CBac4mCJVE1YSJnH1X82qjaheQtIxASi6gM1519pTGoHWiNdrg15Gswaerc08wDYsgw_B_ez6LQqTzdpX/s2048/IMG_6982.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKIcm_0a-P2Rr4V2JA9BFCWK_molECoYJ3wJsV_A_CPWT24pEipQ_7SfKBf7CBac4mCJVE1YSJnH1X82qjaheQtIxASi6gM1519pTGoHWiNdrg15Gswaerc08wDYsgw_B_ez6LQqTzdpX/w640-h480/IMG_6982.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my favorite memory -- this was the first hike we ever did where we awarded the kids with <br />a mini soda at the top. Boy, did they LOVE IT!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: red;"><b>Disclaimer:</b></span> I don't really like "snowshoeing". I guess I find snowshoes cumbersome and hard to manage. When we invested in snowshoes many years ago, I got the best "running snowshoes" on the market and STILL felt like it was hard to hike, let alone run in them. It is probably me. And that I just need to spend more time getting used to them, etc. etc. </p><p>So when I showed up at the trailhead, and the path looked somewhat packed down, I thought "eh, I'll go with my microspikes, no need for snowshoes." Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjfZXMn4_ijRUNDw_Sghv6IStYSf6smRoRMbdAqBTZNIbleKkKCihyQYijNDUQt0IQOhhhIvc_J5dEQYDk96NEL39puYYWqdQsWh1VbooIQZg8L33irTHbl03BOdKRHnzHBHANB6Ra7Ms/s2048/IMG_8551.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1499" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjfZXMn4_ijRUNDw_Sghv6IStYSf6smRoRMbdAqBTZNIbleKkKCihyQYijNDUQt0IQOhhhIvc_J5dEQYDk96NEL39puYYWqdQsWh1VbooIQZg8L33irTHbl03BOdKRHnzHBHANB6Ra7Ms/w293-h400/IMG_8551.jpeg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lesson #1: When going on a snowshoe hike, wear your snowshoes.</h3><p>The first 3/4 mile is a connector from parking to the trail, and within the first quarter-mile, I was contemplating turning around and getting my snowshoes from the car, but... maybe if I just go a little further? And, sure as sh*t, when I got to the main trail, it was packed down -- SWEET! See, I knew those instincts were wrong. And, so I went, happy as a clam to be hiking in the winter. Good views, awesome weather, etc. etc. Totally in my happy place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Lzctki2tk-Iw78Xw8vu2aLl4ueyz38qe_udDSaY6MH1ntlzR564MFPaN3P668WTOhMRUsEyLWXshI_C3ue64ffYjI6EuXvDfAliMM2ub-fcE1fnnRoOoIEsp5qFshvqFGSEcA86AErv/s2048/IMG_8556.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0Lzctki2tk-Iw78Xw8vu2aLl4ueyz38qe_udDSaY6MH1ntlzR564MFPaN3P668WTOhMRUsEyLWXshI_C3ue64ffYjI6EuXvDfAliMM2ub-fcE1fnnRoOoIEsp5qFshvqFGSEcA86AErv/w300-h400/IMG_8556.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qVHsEwkefMxUlfQheDjrb5h1WcUOR2pZxmFIOKLyPyxNvlkGKBWHBySZdi1SJnU_aVGtOKiyq8U-cM2TLWqWTMosjL5CLvhhozNsQkAV_Hv4fXFjlz9SdB56F35dwyiXccTEh76rZaGM/s2048/IMG_8558+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qVHsEwkefMxUlfQheDjrb5h1WcUOR2pZxmFIOKLyPyxNvlkGKBWHBySZdi1SJnU_aVGtOKiyq8U-cM2TLWqWTMosjL5CLvhhozNsQkAV_Hv4fXFjlz9SdB56F35dwyiXccTEh76rZaGM/w300-h400/IMG_8558+2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmyU4wz1WJiGo2AT-54zYOwdh2UChJIfj2e_DV33_QOzf_ZL-iXKqHVufZuyUYc0cbZDkOl1cAPfHZXSbeD_RuQdatMRxYnr4VgjukBiPrftzPBoN75J1GTktd__K615oe9XpC0U1ZOCa/s2048/IMG_8564.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmyU4wz1WJiGo2AT-54zYOwdh2UChJIfj2e_DV33_QOzf_ZL-iXKqHVufZuyUYc0cbZDkOl1cAPfHZXSbeD_RuQdatMRxYnr4VgjukBiPrftzPBoN75J1GTktd__K615oe9XpC0U1ZOCa/w300-h400/IMG_8564.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY_1kq8ff1ZIaHDtXtrH5CDn2tLeFiOlTyYIGid0Ok1HZ5940ciF5xYgsoWmrCSht48Ye8bD4PTc0WcvWx714jxRxI8m5i4YNlc_Kao5tsvr_QZRFWTh-R4VA9rzop4cC-IZuuBd8Wn2s/s3088/IMG_8578.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY_1kq8ff1ZIaHDtXtrH5CDn2tLeFiOlTyYIGid0Ok1HZ5940ciF5xYgsoWmrCSht48Ye8bD4PTc0WcvWx714jxRxI8m5i4YNlc_Kao5tsvr_QZRFWTh-R4VA9rzop4cC-IZuuBd8Wn2s/w300-h400/IMG_8578.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ5Tz2_zOn4hD4b1E_IeJE52kEosSIZ8xlxyzmvqrrusmBct1QIdrUT-tlb3oPwhQK_UVowzsLM3inLZrGB1x5RzwGLhveZVME_1egSsJamzN_uOPIBWRc6fduR9js8flzftKMT-nRK_d/s2048/IMG_8584.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ5Tz2_zOn4hD4b1E_IeJE52kEosSIZ8xlxyzmvqrrusmBct1QIdrUT-tlb3oPwhQK_UVowzsLM3inLZrGB1x5RzwGLhveZVME_1egSsJamzN_uOPIBWRc6fduR9js8flzftKMT-nRK_d/s320/IMG_8584.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lesson #2:</span> Just because you CAN do it without snowshoes, doesn't necessarily mean that you SHOULD do it without snowshoes.</b></h3><p><b>See that there? <span style="color: #45818e;">(below)</span> </b>I look at the trail now and realize how much easier it probably would have been if I just TOOK/PUT ON THE DARNED SNOWSHOES. But, I think my "I can do this" and fear of using something I wasn't totally comfortable with held me back. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5YWLu9MtB3dTWJECJiivYFg7lCelbDz3u4Q7VA6lNvFLyGyOV7RhWQP7JQtn8eR4PdwaPp3FYzTfwuziLxp5fqsCnjrTUd7tXWAYvOHy0MJE664lNJRsA_Sbb_Sn2W-CDPK-fm9OwYAZ/s2048/IMG_8552.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5YWLu9MtB3dTWJECJiivYFg7lCelbDz3u4Q7VA6lNvFLyGyOV7RhWQP7JQtn8eR4PdwaPp3FYzTfwuziLxp5fqsCnjrTUd7tXWAYvOHy0MJE664lNJRsA_Sbb_Sn2W-CDPK-fm9OwYAZ/w300-h400/IMG_8552.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><b>So I kept going!!! Until I couldn't. </b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hhmNRDrxwIxqhBMK_Y7DEZsExWoi7H0m5gcgy87mf_KQ_Ihzq1roYkiu-7uSPgciYHhW4NAciu_2pz7d8LgvlJtWwWmUSdRZ3ZzEi4AGTR-zyP4FoE7YP_JMK493KDO9vyOJegIoOo-K/s2048/IMG_8581.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hhmNRDrxwIxqhBMK_Y7DEZsExWoi7H0m5gcgy87mf_KQ_Ihzq1roYkiu-7uSPgciYHhW4NAciu_2pz7d8LgvlJtWwWmUSdRZ3ZzEi4AGTR-zyP4FoE7YP_JMK493KDO9vyOJegIoOo-K/s320/IMG_8581.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyutdo9go8evDj8VunU1ufOFbvc9A38AmbJnXifWqbXx6jdSRBWPWi2IpNIvx6EXtsLdCnFsPk90v3AQuTFDnj1iBcNSfZ3yua_0w65nGwhjCBK8nGOyhuCiYajR4Q5fUin0EtA65drAF2/s2048/IMG_8586.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyutdo9go8evDj8VunU1ufOFbvc9A38AmbJnXifWqbXx6jdSRBWPWi2IpNIvx6EXtsLdCnFsPk90v3AQuTFDnj1iBcNSfZ3yua_0w65nGwhjCBK8nGOyhuCiYajR4Q5fUin0EtA65drAF2/s320/IMG_8586.jpeg" /></a></p><p>There was a spot where the trail split in two, and neither looked very manageable. I went one way and postholed some. No bueno. So I went back and went the other way and was postholing up to my thigh. It was at that point that I was worried I might not be able to get out at some point. And, being alone, wanted to be smart. Plus, postholing is no fun. </p><p>So, I turned around here:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaOiV7DCwju6X4iZf9w71jHA7BzH1hTU1_r4lkz3Q3YdrQhpMn0VDC2jnYcCDxYTkdJWgdTrL94eAc3J609rm9uQy_oTUOJ0OisPICwczMewpFgaprJqQNq2lEuUopTrQ0zpwOVSacE-v/s2048/IMG_8583.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaOiV7DCwju6X4iZf9w71jHA7BzH1hTU1_r4lkz3Q3YdrQhpMn0VDC2jnYcCDxYTkdJWgdTrL94eAc3J609rm9uQy_oTUOJ0OisPICwczMewpFgaprJqQNq2lEuUopTrQ0zpwOVSacE-v/w300-h400/IMG_8583.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcnwqp_mBgOzf_vrpF9D6XVef0paipNICkU-af_kb4q3iJOotACvyavwuwpfdM34BirxhJ6QO3WGDvlvAMbSGA9F7b6ApfuQmfyBj8TzkQmvx-XNNbLvIaurtc0MA9LqxvoU_1K8HgXox/s2048/IMG_8592.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcnwqp_mBgOzf_vrpF9D6XVef0paipNICkU-af_kb4q3iJOotACvyavwuwpfdM34BirxhJ6QO3WGDvlvAMbSGA9F7b6ApfuQmfyBj8TzkQmvx-XNNbLvIaurtc0MA9LqxvoU_1K8HgXox/w300-h400/IMG_8592.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnaround point.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>I kinda wish I had a picture of myself sunk into the snow, just to show you how bad/stupid I was for trying without snowshoes, but (a) I was alone and (b) I wasn't exactly chipper about that at the moment. More frustrated with the snow, and that I would be turning around...</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lesson #3: </span>Just because you don't hit the destination, doesn't mean you can't check off some other goals on the way!!!</b></h3><p><u><b><i>The second half of the hike, I got to conquer another of my fears -- running down in the snow. </i></b></u>Now, it was slow... and it wasn't always running. And, I did my share of falling (thankful the snow was forgiving!!!) But, the other hikes I went on I didn't run down and this time I was determined to at least try. Try I did. Fall I did. Maybe next time, I will do it (the falling) less.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Overall, I was so glad I did this hike! </b></span>(I guess you can't really call it a snowshoe because I left the snowshoes in the car! See: Lesson #1.) It was such a pretty morning to get out and be adventurous. I am slowly getting out of my shell I have been in the past couple years, and getting back to some things I love. It is amazing how you can change (without even knowing) and take so long to figure out that you like being one way over another. I am starting to get back there. It'll be a journey, but here I am. </p><p><b>This also brings me back to this blog.</b> I haven't written in it in almost 2 years. 2 YEARS!!! I stopped writing regularly a long time before that because I thought, "who really wants to read what I have to write" and... that may be true! But what I realize is that I am not doing it for anyone else, just myself. I want to record these adventures and have something to look back on. Even if it is NOT getting to the top of a peak today. I need to love life and ALL the adventures it brings. As well as continue to take them and make memories!</p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;">Cheers! </span></b>and, if you have made it this far, thanks for reading.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-39565248311827685922019-04-30T15:22:00.000-07:002019-04-30T15:23:00.703-07:00Different place, different space<b><span style="color: blue;">So... I have a 50-miler coming up. </span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>YES! A 50-miler.</b> I thought that it sounded like a good idea this early in the season to get some good miles under me heading into summer.<br />
<br />
<b>But here's the thing, it's got REALLY tight cutoffs.</b> To put it into perspective, I just checked the entrants' list and it looks like 64 people to registered this year for the 50-miler. 30 finished last year (not sure how many started, but guessing about the same). Here's another thing to put things in perspective, I ran a really strong (for me) 23-miler the other week on similar terrain. I finished with a 13:38 pace and, when I did the calculations, even that wasn't fast enough to get me to the 1/2 way turnaround on time. I would need closer to a 13:00 min pace. YIKES!!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwPzGu9Wz3ZCOYYQV4UMJTgKwibN-tIRazdYPHNcRIsuL_wIXCvMIrbcxOoU7QJTs9wIxNiCpCDFsBpinwzmyDmDUqYYKLAoNYLal_GwApoAw2QyptzsaqH4R9GRoo9OXp0DhgpQRIK3-/s1600/IMG_9372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwPzGu9Wz3ZCOYYQV4UMJTgKwibN-tIRazdYPHNcRIsuL_wIXCvMIrbcxOoU7QJTs9wIxNiCpCDFsBpinwzmyDmDUqYYKLAoNYLal_GwApoAw2QyptzsaqH4R9GRoo9OXp0DhgpQRIK3-/s400/IMG_9372.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, feeling really good training!</td></tr>
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<b>When I made this realization about 4 weeks ago, I was sad. </b>Then, part of me was like, "PHEW! I guess I have a legit reason not to run 50 miles." And then I went through the gamut of emotions. Do I drop down to the 25-mile distance? Do I sign up for a different 50-miler, and do that one instead? I looked at another 50-miler that is the week after with a 14-hour cut-off. I asked Ross if I should sign up for the other race instead and he said, "Why don't you just go out for the original 50 and see what you can do?"</div>
<br />
<b>So, with that, I had my answer.</b> And it scares me. "Old Randi," as I sometimes call her, would have dropped down to the 25-mile distance in a heartbeat. "I can't FAIL," she would have thought. No, no, no. It might've crushed me. But this Randi, the one who is up for the adventure, is gonna put it out on the line this weekend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_auPfCAWDzhjONc5qV9orGmgZg3YEELKIPWMJCD8mSemdOGRji8nkRaf8O8moWtBmjdiuGB2oB7ncGFBf-3p2eiJV1PhJr6i2CG8j_sDz4NZtZ7PMbmN6C37OamCaX5ivpesQZLsF3BgZ/s1600/quote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_auPfCAWDzhjONc5qV9orGmgZg3YEELKIPWMJCD8mSemdOGRji8nkRaf8O8moWtBmjdiuGB2oB7ncGFBf-3p2eiJV1PhJr6i2CG8j_sDz4NZtZ7PMbmN6C37OamCaX5ivpesQZLsF3BgZ/s640/quote2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Who'd of thought Clooney could be so wise?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>At the end of the day, you are what you put into it.</b> And what attracts me to these races and goals is usually the unknown of if I will make it. Generally, I like to pick things that are hard, but attainable, and hopefully, that will be the case here. Then, when googling the above quote, I found this one... And it seemed even more applicable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAlcf53_L0C6PC6GPqxa0ahvhGcB8gbVEmKDLeK83qCXnhxDHPe7xTs7Z4GSmP0Y7ECt_gr6dckLwiejrMUVsD477_rTCLUzL3HrtuoZY3IPTWH0_idqKLPuUFCfxU9mqLmnoLAV5C35g/s1600/quote1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAlcf53_L0C6PC6GPqxa0ahvhGcB8gbVEmKDLeK83qCXnhxDHPe7xTs7Z4GSmP0Y7ECt_gr6dckLwiejrMUVsD477_rTCLUzL3HrtuoZY3IPTWH0_idqKLPuUFCfxU9mqLmnoLAV5C35g/s320/quote1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm committed to Leadville this year, and if pushing myself this Saturday is gonna make me stronger for that, then that is what I will do.<br />
<br />
<b>Will I make it?</b> Who knows. <i><u>Probably not.</u></i> But then again, I will never know until I try.<br />
And I am ok with that. Whatever this brings, I will learn loads from it.<br />
<br />
<i>Stay tuned to find out what that is... for I am sure I am going to have to work it out here. :) </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-43287138919265416592019-04-26T15:21:00.001-07:002019-04-28T10:46:17.625-07:00Vision Board ----> Journey Board<div>
<b>No secret here: I'm VERY visually motivated!!! </b>In the past, I have always been a fan of some sort of vision board and/or visual motivation when training for a big event.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-i4R_0_yJdoQ4qrKlFsekwdPowhNQD4O3XJIxLDJxN4SatZ6xKWGmwHhqevh6nsvOIp_udyuHAay5P7ggTVTzO4yOYxmLc2z_Di5CFINYUKnSCcWljcCeeSeonwdQB6jUhEcvywAjbYD/s1600/IMG_3575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-i4R_0_yJdoQ4qrKlFsekwdPowhNQD4O3XJIxLDJxN4SatZ6xKWGmwHhqevh6nsvOIp_udyuHAay5P7ggTVTzO4yOYxmLc2z_Di5CFINYUKnSCcWljcCeeSeonwdQB6jUhEcvywAjbYD/s400/IMG_3575.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vision board I created for Ironman Coer D'Alene 2012</td></tr>
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<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkpo9j7_ECu3-d7GqZubiYG-6EkOtGRkPGWCfOPyyvbePuHvLpi2bCzwjaBCPSFesyi3oGz6dBN2IjTj3oM17Ek76I1t_vOYuvZVdzMXHK7OZPgQYvm3AQyG5jVzZMsfV8wCJRL14MzFi/s1600/IMG_3506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkpo9j7_ECu3-d7GqZubiYG-6EkOtGRkPGWCfOPyyvbePuHvLpi2bCzwjaBCPSFesyi3oGz6dBN2IjTj3oM17Ek76I1t_vOYuvZVdzMXHK7OZPgQYvm3AQyG5jVzZMsfV8wCJRL14MzFi/s400/IMG_3506.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "countdown" poster I made in prep for IM Wisconsin 2015</td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_g1sM2HxmcoTPv0HovBfLVAJrupMKBkS5uOmcYMWyqA1fnAIs86-bO7_trk9siKA8u-FqUDyXb7JLkg7JdJpvsxPv_WvMFdVG4KjRu4YB4PBK2ZYTeWR3I58d_Gy9ziNzr7hKxEgJpEG/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_g1sM2HxmcoTPv0HovBfLVAJrupMKBkS5uOmcYMWyqA1fnAIs86-bO7_trk9siKA8u-FqUDyXb7JLkg7JdJpvsxPv_WvMFdVG4KjRu4YB4PBK2ZYTeWR3I58d_Gy9ziNzr7hKxEgJpEG/s400/IMG_0205.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Countdown Board + "Journey Pictures" for Leadville 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>This year, I haven't set down the time to really go at it and figure out where I am going/how to get there -- visually, at least!</b><br />
<br />
So, shortly after making the realization that some things needed to change and I needed to get back to what got me places in the past, I sat down to start to CREATE. <i><b>And, as those of you who know me know, CREATING is my happy place. Like, in everything.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i> <b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>So, I started...</i></b><br />
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And I got this far...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pZV4Nn8Ok07cpmh1X8k2aD_1AGKovqVJ_PT3j5JNFfYj5t8Nn6q4buShirkY9M3_mIPzR3-yu0QK-b7dZQcXIMvt6Gp_JESyP3W7fQT_ydDKqvu9zU1MIT1ghYDa15kt4qs9SPo49z7E/s1600/IMG_9242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pZV4Nn8Ok07cpmh1X8k2aD_1AGKovqVJ_PT3j5JNFfYj5t8Nn6q4buShirkY9M3_mIPzR3-yu0QK-b7dZQcXIMvt6Gp_JESyP3W7fQT_ydDKqvu9zU1MIT1ghYDa15kt4qs9SPo49z7E/s400/IMG_9242.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Before this happened.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsAHGaYQCClcMbp2fb7IDp5UUPRLHRpWkHX46P8hTFL6CIRB8EqW54ztx3SRpMcbe2m7kAVyG8Sbr8Z-f_aMr_7LLEbIoeCB9CCJ4u0JRNypBXL1px6pn_tJ96v4-oUDtsbCZIcm3EdWo/s1600/IMG_9241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsAHGaYQCClcMbp2fb7IDp5UUPRLHRpWkHX46P8hTFL6CIRB8EqW54ztx3SRpMcbe2m7kAVyG8Sbr8Z-f_aMr_7LLEbIoeCB9CCJ4u0JRNypBXL1px6pn_tJ96v4-oUDtsbCZIcm3EdWo/s400/IMG_9241.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Yes, that is me in urgent care on a Sunday night. They are repairing my finger, of which I had sliced a chunk of skin clear off (thank you, super sharp exacto knife!) while I started my Vision Board. </div>
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Side note: I am not saying that slicing my finger has ANYTHING to do with my training, but when you look at my training this year, this is EXACTLY how it has gone.</i></b> I try to do something positive for my training, and something horrible comes in my way. I could give you a half-dozen more examples of how things have not panned out thus far, but I am NOT going to dwell on those, only move forward positively. </span><br />
<br />
Anyways, back to my vision board... it got sidelined first because of the injury. Then, every time I would step back to doing it, I struggled a bit to make myself I glue anything down. And, while I know what I want to see, I really had to think about everything... and what I realized is that I kind of want the experience to guide me this time.<br />
<br />
<b>So here is where I stand: </b>I have this BIG piece of paper. And I am EXCITED to fill it. But, I don't want to necessarily fill it now. I want to fill it with all the benefits and experiences of training. I know where I am going (Leadville 100, duh), and the areas I need to focus on, and the areas and things I am excited about doing... so as I work my way there, I plan to fill the paper. (As you can see, I've already started to fill it with parts of my training thus far - along with notes on what I am looking forward to as I prep for the race.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Essentially, my "VISION BOARD" has changed once again, and is no longer a vision board, but a JOURNEY BOARD.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPBGEwmLYeS35rG8P3hcMxXnn0G_5XdHKmJayzpCaKRIAhRtGx4tXgpBFv4s4mVzXQsudvG5pbn2MfrK7wFSTs2xSfD-2lW9ASZlpTiz9J_cYhxNH1hHdMXdpztvHbap1OD9kEChClqO3/s1600/IMG_9623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPBGEwmLYeS35rG8P3hcMxXnn0G_5XdHKmJayzpCaKRIAhRtGx4tXgpBFv4s4mVzXQsudvG5pbn2MfrK7wFSTs2xSfD-2lW9ASZlpTiz9J_cYhxNH1hHdMXdpztvHbap1OD9kEChClqO3/s640/IMG_9623.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I've started on my way, and I can't wait for the journey!!!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-41028045067141537912019-04-21T18:16:00.001-07:002019-04-22T04:50:10.006-07:00Besties Who Don't RunI have been blessed to have found some really good running peeps along all of my different journeys and super excited to also have these non-running peeps along on this one.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">WHAT??? Non-running peeps. In for a 100-miler. What?!?!?</span></b><br />
<br />
But, yes, I have found a little clan that is 100% SUPPORTIVE of my running endeavors even though, NO ONE in the group is really into endurance running. In fact I might go as far as to say they think it is cool -- while the rest of the world looks at me like I'm CRA-ZY!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8C8GCgrTtBuLMFQhbFAea4uyZX2VKlmQyxRKK5Veo2yGF4HLidev5dFEpCNHMfaFTjwcYhIiYpMIvBfontBe7c_hjuYnX2WQtY_V5-QLez21v0QPRP4V8W8-LGP9Qdfrgkonr95-ehl_/s1600/Ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8C8GCgrTtBuLMFQhbFAea4uyZX2VKlmQyxRKK5Veo2yGF4HLidev5dFEpCNHMfaFTjwcYhIiYpMIvBfontBe7c_hjuYnX2WQtY_V5-QLez21v0QPRP4V8W8-LGP9Qdfrgkonr95-ehl_/s640/Ranch.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Us mountain biking at a dude ranch last September!</td></tr>
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Anyways, I have been less than open about the fact that I am training, mostly because people treat you like you are a little wacko, or like all I will want to talk about is my 100 (which it isn't), or whatever. I am not really sure why. But anyways, I haven't always had the best response from people when I mention training for some crazy race, especially with people who are not into endurance sports... And, let's be honest, I didn't want to turn these friends off because, well, they are all really cool and I like them. But for whatever reason, that has not been the case with this group of friends.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_UvHiQFf57Ti6kLla2HDv3kkdy5gGj8vnW_MnfkiezNe1g2dFFoMWW6IfdfaLoYiEJa7wvs-LSO9HTYW1uj52Lj01WKf7YMhERMFlKraMWFFKv604d2t29IxzNrt9KwScxGoDEKc5xWC/s1600/IMG_6216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_UvHiQFf57Ti6kLla2HDv3kkdy5gGj8vnW_MnfkiezNe1g2dFFoMWW6IfdfaLoYiEJa7wvs-LSO9HTYW1uj52Lj01WKf7YMhERMFlKraMWFFKv604d2t29IxzNrt9KwScxGoDEKc5xWC/s640/IMG_6216.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">They know my crazies and still like to hang out with me - who would've guessed it?</td></tr>
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One instance when it came out, my friend's husband (who is also my friend) asked immediately if I needed crew. And, I was like, "do you want to run with me?"... because I have had people excited to want to pace, but never to crew. And he was like, "whatever you need, but I just think it would be cool to be there, to support you and help you through whatever you need."<br />
<br />
Another time it came out at a wine tasting, and IMMEDIATELY some of my friends wanted to be there. Like really there. When I told them how boring and anti-climatic observing a 100-miler can be (out of the 30 hours I am out there, you are seeing me for about 10 total minutes... and that is if I am having a good race). But, that did not seem to matter. Not at all. So... I guess they're coming to Leadville. Yay!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>On top of the emotional support that they are giving, they are also pretty RAD at wanting to do other fun, active stuff. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">So, this past Saturday, we tackled the Manitou Incline. </span></b><br />
<b>AND, since I consider this part of my training and, thus, part of my Leadville Journey, I was more excited to do it and do it with them!!!</b><br />
<br />
Basically, the incline is a staircase up a mountain made out of railroad ties and it is HARD!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0_II_EbpMngW-N5THdJl67j6ngub1DIwUfKKZK_pFE02w9QlNTRir3x425GEcMqEBghwhUtS6bhU9vY9vO7XbTYUZGBx2Z9A2YHxAJRMGW6gocQ9PTB0CzZSzIMgPbT8mnD-W-cX81r8/s1600/incline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="486" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0_II_EbpMngW-N5THdJl67j6ngub1DIwUfKKZK_pFE02w9QlNTRir3x425GEcMqEBghwhUtS6bhU9vY9vO7XbTYUZGBx2Z9A2YHxAJRMGW6gocQ9PTB0CzZSzIMgPbT8mnD-W-cX81r8/s640/incline.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">The incline itself is 1 mile long and about 2,000 feet vertical. </span></td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiLc4SblcATVp4aA55wOqi8leF_mJIMOh4tAtmBfU2h6Y96vukJqfNFO1IQJ0rLzfCQM2B82Q0cLp9Xv3leXYLmsmxB8l2-6KsuN87ngi5vvldAq_YAxHJjD5nQKJDAGp5eIdRGFnmp3j/s1600/incline3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiLc4SblcATVp4aA55wOqi8leF_mJIMOh4tAtmBfU2h6Y96vukJqfNFO1IQJ0rLzfCQM2B82Q0cLp9Xv3leXYLmsmxB8l2-6KsuN87ngi5vvldAq_YAxHJjD5nQKJDAGp5eIdRGFnmp3j/s640/incline3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking down, it can look like this.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TQSA3lqdRC2Iewccy9RUbVWJe_Lib7EYqmEj4uVxRPAhhqr9T7qdKeySl2VG51MtIUNFQg0-B87ZBzr1_fpL3ppN1V8VYDjsMy-vwRUwQ3piVFxR3PlJVFEtVjpv0Z2ymsq5cbY7ErPi/s1600/fullsizeoutput_16582.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="493" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TQSA3lqdRC2Iewccy9RUbVWJe_Lib7EYqmEj4uVxRPAhhqr9T7qdKeySl2VG51MtIUNFQg0-B87ZBzr1_fpL3ppN1V8VYDjsMy-vwRUwQ3piVFxR3PlJVFEtVjpv0Z2ymsq5cbY7ErPi/s640/fullsizeoutput_16582.jpeg" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The group of us at the beginning...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3S3Jo0Owzty20ndjJxmdM34zdUEDO_UKG0jLcFNTX0APvjXvrcoFtrSHhBu8CGMWQeu1y_qv9i6qKzfqu6DcqKVXt-7PyV1z4TOFsHXyO7_DxdYkAdzYxAtrcFuz94KhMRTOdhGSlGVU/s1600/incline1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3S3Jo0Owzty20ndjJxmdM34zdUEDO_UKG0jLcFNTX0APvjXvrcoFtrSHhBu8CGMWQeu1y_qv9i6qKzfqu6DcqKVXt-7PyV1z4TOFsHXyO7_DxdYkAdzYxAtrcFuz94KhMRTOdhGSlGVU/s640/incline1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting off...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWacLYJ3QkYM-i_chZgnklTl37uXqMny2SK75MJlQ1jlV-IzCimaQzHUUNWYGj1n6ZoJqf-QP56TNKf0IYidl6nS77Qwy1GwfXfkQyr4CM7dmvvStYsi_EhIUVo6R_nKfvprwfCdgmWF2t/s1600/IMG_9522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWacLYJ3QkYM-i_chZgnklTl37uXqMny2SK75MJlQ1jlV-IzCimaQzHUUNWYGj1n6ZoJqf-QP56TNKf0IYidl6nS77Qwy1GwfXfkQyr4CM7dmvvStYsi_EhIUVo6R_nKfvprwfCdgmWF2t/s640/IMG_9522.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather, Connie, Nicole and I about halfway and still smiling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrl8zsfUbXEYOd75NyFA5Voayy3YtI-CZiOGkrrwILabB7Ds1LaqVDItU2D1V9EysQw_je8WDUYvMQZwkyOWECUcsIXtRubyLc82o8Szb6UxR4H3anFDS9QzokkJ4dB0VMDa2wfODq9qT/s1600/IMG_9524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrl8zsfUbXEYOd75NyFA5Voayy3YtI-CZiOGkrrwILabB7Ds1LaqVDItU2D1V9EysQw_je8WDUYvMQZwkyOWECUcsIXtRubyLc82o8Szb6UxR4H3anFDS9QzokkJ4dB0VMDa2wfODq9qT/s640/IMG_9524.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heather... still smiling!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnHCoMzG1HEHZ4xtrLk2EvalHW8gwlMILEokFmqvSC1WEREZWFwbXJlNPPdikkIEHRcDrHEjdIYvJBEkEx5gi-WZFdIxEJV_wW7B3xjS9E6wWd0J3CJzO-WPx4kebyypMh8ck0dZAIMFd/s1600/IMG_9531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnHCoMzG1HEHZ4xtrLk2EvalHW8gwlMILEokFmqvSC1WEREZWFwbXJlNPPdikkIEHRcDrHEjdIYvJBEkEx5gi-WZFdIxEJV_wW7B3xjS9E6wWd0J3CJzO-WPx4kebyypMh8ck0dZAIMFd/s640/IMG_9531.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay! I made it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqFZUobXYilSh52JOXpW2pr9VcMs56d-qwGxXKpxMPW02SLEfFB0dTxCZNWoPK0HxvbXmSU7BVHBXydGSKfQEPZkkLOZsGkteEfQ4M7fa45mZtTlCd_3iZLNYIzCSbEWOtCpiuGfNEDop/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1658a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqFZUobXYilSh52JOXpW2pr9VcMs56d-qwGxXKpxMPW02SLEfFB0dTxCZNWoPK0HxvbXmSU7BVHBXydGSKfQEPZkkLOZsGkteEfQ4M7fa45mZtTlCd_3iZLNYIzCSbEWOtCpiuGfNEDop/s640/fullsizeoutput_1658a.jpeg" width="614" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>But, I wouldn't have done it without all these biotches!</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<b>ANYWAYS, it means A TON to me to have these ladies in my life.</b> While I absolutely adore my running friends, I have never had friends who don't run, <u><i>who also "get me"</i></u> and want to be there for the running part of my life. It's amazing, and fun, and irreplaceable.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>This is going to be the best Leadville YET!!!</i></span></b></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-1152116259031830972019-04-20T05:05:00.001-07:002019-04-20T05:14:27.242-07:00OUT of my comfort zoneSo... I wrote a big long blog post, but it was wordy. Here is what it comes down to:<br />
<br />
<b>I am <strike>a little</strike> TOTALLY freaked out about the fact that I signed up for a 50-Miler in 2 weeks time, and I don't think I'll make it </b>(short cutoff times I didn't realize when signing up). Needless to say, I am trying my best to do my best training to make it as far as I can in said race. Last weekend was the last long weekend before said 50-miler.<br />
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What makes good training for me? For me it is trying to "hit my goals" which I usually do best when I have thought out where I am running, course, etc. It's a mental thing. And since running is 90% mental, well...<br />
<br />
<b>BUT... training is supposed to be about enjoying the journey WHILE working towards my goal.</b> And, probably more importantly, growing as a runner and a person while I do it.<br />
<br />
<b>So last weekend I totally 180'd. Like completely.</b> Instead of having a clear plan with the factors under my control, I opted to go for a long run with my coach and some of her running peeps.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<b>So, what made me do this? Basically, this:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxkvO8IBlMcOq7dSXorZvhlneRQOlL8QcYglEY63nu37Px_LZsjRab5KsU17bLGEv5_UZhmqPtLynEjfxdiq9FkM4WdNRtFs5Mo6M9vOTK7OHsQdEgsc9WsWa_B8FScXHCa2lAmggm80Q/s1600/comfort-zone-and-where-the-magic-happens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="650" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxkvO8IBlMcOq7dSXorZvhlneRQOlL8QcYglEY63nu37Px_LZsjRab5KsU17bLGEv5_UZhmqPtLynEjfxdiq9FkM4WdNRtFs5Mo6M9vOTK7OHsQdEgsc9WsWa_B8FScXHCa2lAmggm80Q/s640/comfort-zone-and-where-the-magic-happens.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO:<br />
I am a mental case that has grown to be most comfortable knowing what I am getting myself into before committing. For me, that includes a ton of route planning.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Everything about this run scared me. </b></span><br />
<br />
THIS RUN I KNEW NOTHING.<br />
- No idea where I was going<br />
- How long I was going (I was told ~25, which was my goal)<br />
- What kind of terrain I was running (hills? flat? climbing? I had no clue.)<br />
- Who I was running with (were they faster? Slower? Would they be annoyed with me joining? Would I slow them down? Would they be annoyed with me slowing them down? Etc.)<br />
<i>The only real question I made sure was answered was that we would be able to refill water at some point.</i> Other than that, I was trying to be easy, peesy.<br />
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Regardless, last Saturday morning, in questionable weather, I packed up my water pack, put on my big girl panties, and drove up to Boulder for a running adventure. One that was WAY OUT of my comfort zone.<br />
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I'm not going to lie, it was hard for me. But, one mantra that I have when I am scared of something that I *should* be able to do -- fake it till you make it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLPzwgNvcrfyj4xtWyNfrgkmDOAgb00zu3J3VOlEsX6C0smmIF1b1GjyTgH4kMgWu9XvMItyDjX9jb6LjmCcol3lsqjSYRZQnZd9he8w9NJA4dtkZstaDPFlDH7JpMuMiP07bRd52qTqH/s1600/bear.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLPzwgNvcrfyj4xtWyNfrgkmDOAgb00zu3J3VOlEsX6C0smmIF1b1GjyTgH4kMgWu9XvMItyDjX9jb6LjmCcol3lsqjSYRZQnZd9he8w9NJA4dtkZstaDPFlDH7JpMuMiP07bRd52qTqH/s320/bear.png" width="306" /></a></div>
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<b>So, I did. </b> I went, I ran, I tried my best to keep up with the group, not slow anyone down, be chipper and fun (despite my worries that I would bonk). And, don't get me wrong, I had a great time. The people were amazing and nice, the terrain was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. (I don't run much in Boulder, so it was a treat for me!)<br />
<br />
It wasn't till mile 18 when, after I felt like we should be going down and we just kept climbing, climbing, climbing that I kinda lost it. I asked if we had "8 miles or less left" - just so I could mentally prepare myself - and there was a big, long pregnant pause (which I took to mean, "OH heck no! We've got WAY more than that!"). So, that was playing in my mind and about 1/2 mile later, Cindy asked how I was doing, and I burst out in tears. Yep. Turns out I am not so good at faking it till I make it. I had about 15 seconds of tears and let the girls know that what was going on in my head. They were totally supportive and assured me that I was doing good, not slowing them down (LIES!), and figured out how much farther we really had, so I could then mentally plan for the end. Which was really all I needed. And, then we continued on, and I had a big weight lifted that (1) I could do this and (2) they were there for me.<br />
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Turns out, I am not good at faking it till I make it, but in the end, it is what got me out there and 75% of the way through my run.<br />
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LESSONS LEARNED:<br />
- I CAN do hard things that have a lot of unknowns. And I shouldn't shy away from them in the future. It will only make me stronger.<br />
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- Sometimes I need to lean a little (not a lot) on those around me. Or maybe just ask for what I need without worrying if I will come off as needy.<br />
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In my attempt not to slow them all down (which I totally was), I didn't take too many pictures. So... here is what I got.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KG9RiUqTfYAtsMGs0NxME-eTDBA3sdbXpvamlk-rJ1HGVqm-asGSOhHdBpQfoml4kkJgeXrXgP2IcWvkmYkr9Gp_ntC68-sBg45Zr1WFlEKlR7HkDp3sQiQdSbTj_UOhFe6FBfyD6bqg/s1600/IMG_9466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KG9RiUqTfYAtsMGs0NxME-eTDBA3sdbXpvamlk-rJ1HGVqm-asGSOhHdBpQfoml4kkJgeXrXgP2IcWvkmYkr9Gp_ntC68-sBg45Zr1WFlEKlR7HkDp3sQiQdSbTj_UOhFe6FBfyD6bqg/s640/IMG_9466.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkriLZjp3daXq6COFO1G0I3Mslp-NlveJCOllrCE8_aKY3vbzzxRMWeAw1UO0o2cLgddsGfPS4WvscKX-94tJ0xLh5S-CzCg3fjHCmarN_VgyRUd7xWcHWlRkQ9u58b7kKryihNjJlAlQ/s1600/IMG_9467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkriLZjp3daXq6COFO1G0I3Mslp-NlveJCOllrCE8_aKY3vbzzxRMWeAw1UO0o2cLgddsGfPS4WvscKX-94tJ0xLh5S-CzCg3fjHCmarN_VgyRUd7xWcHWlRkQ9u58b7kKryihNjJlAlQ/s640/IMG_9467.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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BTW, this story did not surprise my running BFF, bc he knows me so well. He totally saw this all coming and burst out laughing when I recounted it for him this week.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-38414972807284296672019-03-25T14:56:00.001-07:002019-03-25T14:59:55.126-07:00Back to Basics<b>Hello! It's been forever since I have blogged, and, well, here's the short of it --</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> I signed up for the LEADVILLE 100 !!! </span></b></div>
<i><span style="color: red;">*Yes, I know that the last post I wrote was when I ran it the first time -- almost 2 YEARS AGO!</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eGyFvHeAHj6QmwGpScsIIXYsnlqi_4vTxCi1-N7ObM7yOsy4ihC89Ohgu6ibu-XPZqQq77bQ54-GHGObL4tfUBxm9RvhYEaRxSQhLbitjfyHuioXXzp85WvGfLOOtG_AyM3YrhVp1YOA/s1600/IMG_3641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eGyFvHeAHj6QmwGpScsIIXYsnlqi_4vTxCi1-N7ObM7yOsy4ihC89Ohgu6ibu-XPZqQq77bQ54-GHGObL4tfUBxm9RvhYEaRxSQhLbitjfyHuioXXzp85WvGfLOOtG_AyM3YrhVp1YOA/s400/IMG_3641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i>
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<b>Now, being a veteran, you'd think I'd have my sh*t together and be able to conquer this bad boy again no problem. <span style="color: red;">Yes, you'd think that. </span></b><br />
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But... here I am, about 6 months into training with, well, VERY DIFFERENT results. To put it mildly, my training hasn't gone to "plan" and, by that, I mean nothing has gone the way I expected and/or wanted.<br />
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<b>Now, this is not a "pity party post" by any means.</b> There have been a number of things (weather, illnesses, poor choices, wrong prioritizations, etc.) that have all contributed to my current situation. Some of them my fault, some not. But, when I look back I think about what I am doing differently and how to get back to where I want to be, the thing is I don't think that I have been giving the race and my training the amount of attention it needs - both mentally and physically. So, that ends now. On both fronts because, let's be honest, this race is about the mental as it is the physical.<br />
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And, I think one of the things that helps me sort out my mental and process my training is journal/blogging about it. So... that puts me here! Yes, friends, I'm back and making a commitment to keep up this blog about my journey so that I can really put all that I have into it. So, if you are up for the journey with me, you can follow me here (and keep me accountable, <i>please)</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>So... this is the new "restart" of my blog, and you can find me here till, well, at least August!</b><br />
<br />
And, because I don't want to end on a bad note. I WAS able to finish the Moab Red Hot 55k in February. No finish line picture, but here are some picts of the race and weekend.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-SoiiHA6slqkU4ioCpP17TT1QenWnmhWL1_NQiKD8pOARfZveIjx0dzAu-FOaEE3BiM2sBRxaM4aODxt45UYOycbxqf9ZOugmSV-qKpK5L9apPIdP8S8pVsLd7Y4KCX7TcbPUOvX1EMV/s1600/IMG_3083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-SoiiHA6slqkU4ioCpP17TT1QenWnmhWL1_NQiKD8pOARfZveIjx0dzAu-FOaEE3BiM2sBRxaM4aODxt45UYOycbxqf9ZOugmSV-qKpK5L9apPIdP8S8pVsLd7Y4KCX7TcbPUOvX1EMV/s400/IMG_3083.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A super cold start line photo with the family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2m8ztzlHnrX5zMaDQve9CKeNFDoHPbIiBnb5Rtr0pacmMXkHjGGf2-s3Vqt_UGNp9RrQjTnQFqBRsL8kQ8Xs3TMg3s13GzbrLVrJ2G8gBSAJRAV6elHiwHBoBE8qyPnxcHYpGRNGdb7t/s1600/IMG_3079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2m8ztzlHnrX5zMaDQve9CKeNFDoHPbIiBnb5Rtr0pacmMXkHjGGf2-s3Vqt_UGNp9RrQjTnQFqBRsL8kQ8Xs3TMg3s13GzbrLVrJ2G8gBSAJRAV6elHiwHBoBE8qyPnxcHYpGRNGdb7t/s400/IMG_3079.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping a fun attitude, even though scared shiteless!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp86qm1A4THv_NsUzZHynm30GqgUil3BbJCNzeCOAchQG4Aj9bWuV45VvKWfdqaNjEFIcUOMVO9n4ijj9MGKBJtLGT9LL0vGVf4O1c4JMOur2gJGg_DBMSLsDIBS3OXv2MCLUquoocGv1o/s1600/IMG_8688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp86qm1A4THv_NsUzZHynm30GqgUil3BbJCNzeCOAchQG4Aj9bWuV45VvKWfdqaNjEFIcUOMVO9n4ijj9MGKBJtLGT9LL0vGVf4O1c4JMOur2gJGg_DBMSLsDIBS3OXv2MCLUquoocGv1o/s640/IMG_8688.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from the course -- it was pretty, once it warmed up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVixdlNDvNmbGTg7pxnymTLbUSA5vkiD4r5l7RwMnJMpBXfEqWWjlGLeHdWz9BKIEvQwtYnYfYOAg5HyzOnaTdS1OucafP3ioAqYftG3MoY39hWIljx_Iju6HzKGg8e6Si3vo7DUCZhaAF/s1600/IMG_8702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVixdlNDvNmbGTg7pxnymTLbUSA5vkiD4r5l7RwMnJMpBXfEqWWjlGLeHdWz9BKIEvQwtYnYfYOAg5HyzOnaTdS1OucafP3ioAqYftG3MoY39hWIljx_Iju6HzKGg8e6Si3vo7DUCZhaAF/s640/IMG_8702.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On way to finish line!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDGYVMeEnic-Ft-baGG6DeSV4MpUjbdoOErarHDy7lWiHM5u3_9QWxvcLx5scvAGuhPuLQY6AycD6PpT4vZDy8gbJ6Ob43r2UWy1CT6-jOEhdyptBilki4y0moHJrGC7XBKwczZ0PHObF/s1600/IMG_8713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDGYVMeEnic-Ft-baGG6DeSV4MpUjbdoOErarHDy7lWiHM5u3_9QWxvcLx5scvAGuhPuLQY6AycD6PpT4vZDy8gbJ6Ob43r2UWy1CT6-jOEhdyptBilki4y0moHJrGC7XBKwczZ0PHObF/s400/IMG_8713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next day, happy to be done, and hanging with my loves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3e6sUeO7yL-k2i8tqBy5dYDUsWE_6-xv5Q5MABKxQnqPuNR0q21IMauwL2zgofEquvidQM99fFlIjj5tP5K5ZSpfdus5lJYnYNpZQKfdAB7NAtnnmQ5k018Fe1p04RWRVEmGVkGcPvvx/s1600/IMG_8757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3e6sUeO7yL-k2i8tqBy5dYDUsWE_6-xv5Q5MABKxQnqPuNR0q21IMauwL2zgofEquvidQM99fFlIjj5tP5K5ZSpfdus5lJYnYNpZQKfdAB7NAtnnmQ5k018Fe1p04RWRVEmGVkGcPvvx/s640/IMG_8757.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family fun from on top of LOTS of rocks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-9497873540254149212017-09-13T05:40:00.000-07:002017-09-13T07:59:58.479-07:00LEADVILLE 100: The Race!<style>
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</style><b>So… onto the actual race.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b> </b>I will start with the fact that I was scared sh**less of
this race. I wanted to do it soooo badly, but I was so very scared that I
wouldn’t make it. I trained hard, but was that enough? I did everything I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">thought</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> was good, but did I do enough? I didn’t
know…</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Having done all the
“work” for the race, the week before was dedicated to resting and packing. With
the boys starting school in Aurora, my mom flew in from Florida and to help me
relax and me pack up and organize my stuff up in Silverthorne. And, boy was it
nice to have her there. Go mom!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxJyVQhEdeNneyGG6sCRQGfA1GxmTqTMWXeDQCClVNu2-ksZRMauJFahNyperDasp3CuiwoVPg9OXYIlvCEaIYT4mtn9biMi3ysNEHC-w6tameLIGEW-WH3hB5S2C8M6Jho57a0-702wZ/s1600/IMG_8398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxJyVQhEdeNneyGG6sCRQGfA1GxmTqTMWXeDQCClVNu2-ksZRMauJFahNyperDasp3CuiwoVPg9OXYIlvCEaIYT4mtn9biMi3ysNEHC-w6tameLIGEW-WH3hB5S2C8M6Jho57a0-702wZ/s400/IMG_8398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is actually a picture of my mom and I relaxing at her place before a different race,<br />
but you get the idea. She's my people. And this wasn't her first rodeo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</b></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Note to anyone who
hasn’t run a 100-miler: </b><i>Holy crap! Is there a lot of planning that goes into
this. I had outfit changes, nutrition needs – any single one of them I could
think of, stuff for the crew at each aid station (they would be waiting for me
for HOURS with no amenities), etc. Oy vey! Is that a job in itself. </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When my friend,
Jennifer (also doing the race), arrived on Monday from Ohio to stay with us for
a night, she was so ecstatic. Anxious, but more than excited to conquer the
course. I was envious of her excitement but couldn’t bring myself to share in
it. After the fact, I deduced later that my lack of excitement was due to the fact that I was
afraid of creating so much excitement for myself, that if I didn’t make it, the
pre-excitement would've amplify my heartbreak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHRF2f6iAIyOboStKm6B9_oI_Jknfsk8027nQrxbLuUiRR1nurRJ1CqSw-zxwzApfrOhKGZ8AO42pjMgNFHE0BWVrw0Qzm9tPM6EitGM4EmJ2UZJV90lxz6efsdMVdu8X6EU2W-spKRVo/s1600/IMG_8171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHRF2f6iAIyOboStKm6B9_oI_Jknfsk8027nQrxbLuUiRR1nurRJ1CqSw-zxwzApfrOhKGZ8AO42pjMgNFHE0BWVrw0Qzm9tPM6EitGM4EmJ2UZJV90lxz6efsdMVdu8X6EU2W-spKRVo/s400/IMG_8171.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my Leadville Camp Besties - Donna and Jennifer - before race. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Thursday night,
Ross, my dad and the boys came up and Friday, Ross and I headed to the
athlete’s meeting in Leadville. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Now, I have been to plenty-a-race meetings in
the past and this one was like no other. </b>Yes, it gave you your standard
information – why you could be dq’d, course changes, specific rules, etc. But
when the creators of the race Ken and Marilee (but mostly Ken) got up to speak, WOAH! Was that some
inspirational stuff he was spewing. There was plenty about the history and
challenges of Leadville, the meaning of the race to the town, the ability to
conquer the course, that quitting wasn’t an option (or at least one you would
want to live with) and what it would take to finish the race. I took it all in
and that’s when I really started to get excited within. As much as my nerves
and anxiety were playing on me, the need to dig deep and finish this course
became even greater!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHdcRDDC4vb91We4IhzQabA73Cq5NUdv27xOR0qmRCqrPeVpReMsYY_NCU_ntojEEG93pkic_KxJp1j3mEivVSajhIg5h8V_KnVITNtBOcbHNGVJuRZR8216ts4dE0JElk0OifyF09Wo_/s1600/IMG_8168.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHdcRDDC4vb91We4IhzQabA73Cq5NUdv27xOR0qmRCqrPeVpReMsYY_NCU_ntojEEG93pkic_KxJp1j3mEivVSajhIg5h8V_KnVITNtBOcbHNGVJuRZR8216ts4dE0JElk0OifyF09Wo_/s400/IMG_8168.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ken and Marilee imparting wisdom and emotion on us all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPWsQ4XudQaaImgNpy_RERagdNzefwMNtE_Mu9cnAV3mFo6uA2MQm32IEaiIYxOkNUWSrfBdEORTaTTiD-fy3La69EFMhbnDg6DYJ4avz2yl80_2UT5PXY9LrMF3nWCpklrgh1KeFbKUL/s1600/IMG_8163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPWsQ4XudQaaImgNpy_RERagdNzefwMNtE_Mu9cnAV3mFo6uA2MQm32IEaiIYxOkNUWSrfBdEORTaTTiD-fy3La69EFMhbnDg6DYJ4avz2yl80_2UT5PXY9LrMF3nWCpklrgh1KeFbKUL/s640/IMG_8163.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A WHOLE gym filled with Leadville crazies. It was amazing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Next morning came
sooner than anticipated.</b> Alarm went off at 3:00 am. I was lucky and booked a
cabin 3 blocks from the start, so for me it was roll out of bed, eat a little,
go to the bathroom and get rolling with the family and Todd.<b>
</b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Zuv33Ll6rOVGkUpeYos_WDy7VtfWv8yhXu5Hx2RLgvSQgMLAp6wlj47eJ8GiesUQI0qMRKEN2MMIxOuQ7pmUEX2hLykdRPsyN1Mk-PnDN_p7HSQg5LO-XPw9tZu4Pq-KUlpyO3bUT7I/s1600/IMG_0631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Zuv33Ll6rOVGkUpeYos_WDy7VtfWv8yhXu5Hx2RLgvSQgMLAp6wlj47eJ8GiesUQI0qMRKEN2MMIxOuQ7pmUEX2hLykdRPsyN1Mk-PnDN_p7HSQg5LO-XPw9tZu4Pq-KUlpyO3bUT7I/s400/IMG_0631.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone up and ready to go! Even Lucy. (Todd taking picture.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>The start line was
energetic as all get out.</b> I really didn’t expect that for a 4 am start. Heck! I
find 6 am starts to be less than enthusiastic, so having all this energy at 4
am was INCREDIBLE! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-oiEdiIUpKL46x9N_wkQCluKvjxriNg4u1CrtsBMKEtlVqU7OJ5MKBdUxFPX_n4-gMoQFnKnuNXsLo0YzXyqQc6ivdinwOjNk01_sgyaPSYL8o2qorZLvOMAVJxA3phql3OIYEwBMsmN/s1600/IMG_8184.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-oiEdiIUpKL46x9N_wkQCluKvjxriNg4u1CrtsBMKEtlVqU7OJ5MKBdUxFPX_n4-gMoQFnKnuNXsLo0YzXyqQc6ivdinwOjNk01_sgyaPSYL8o2qorZLvOMAVJxA3phql3OIYEwBMsmN/s640/IMG_8184.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to line up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I got some pictures,
got some hugs (I realized this summer that hugs are my SUPER JUICE) and then lined
up in the corral. By myself. I knew if I was going to make this race, I needed
to listen to my body, worry about myself and not think about running/staying with
anyone. So, alone it would be. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QCaiQeCGbB0VbIXFTU0x0HwRRw_BZu-eSggtOnDEf4HyQQjimzDdIV1NUnVzX4W7E0Ud5xiiGcMeU7JrD_r-JFjovnuJ3D6edw8m3Je0fnp1ip7j1yal4YaHbtNcyHBnpM6UkQ26nZXz/s1600/IMG_8193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QCaiQeCGbB0VbIXFTU0x0HwRRw_BZu-eSggtOnDEf4HyQQjimzDdIV1NUnVzX4W7E0Ud5xiiGcMeU7JrD_r-JFjovnuJ3D6edw8m3Je0fnp1ip7j1yal4YaHbtNcyHBnpM6UkQ26nZXz/s400/IMG_8193.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminding myself what I would need to do that day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7vFiWdsOMxchl37Xu6vlDjYdLl0HCuPaesRTq7s_WTQIfpUYbhcUh8yF-a5Ie2q-9ckerXrqQ6h7JiGwc8xFChhyphenhyphen5P4VTXF_c6hpn_0ueAzDN3_Hh83DprdH8Jr87tbSJWUrBQ9asM8O/s1600/IMG_3607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7vFiWdsOMxchl37Xu6vlDjYdLl0HCuPaesRTq7s_WTQIfpUYbhcUh8yF-a5Ie2q-9ckerXrqQ6h7JiGwc8xFChhyphenhyphen5P4VTXF_c6hpn_0ueAzDN3_Hh83DprdH8Jr87tbSJWUrBQ9asM8O/s400/IMG_3607.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last minute advice and encouragement from my hubby and rock.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNj3TGlI20VJX1q61lIWiHwkxBrCD9gYiDMEfGa564aLIY3V1ENdWv77Gixgw62TU7vNtfb0R5lGMkG4t6uMEa7Fe-8UTGbzuhFByMbbfyu5TzQk6jsIaA-VU6rtC-vujBn_3oeOYkk5j/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.46.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="682" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNj3TGlI20VJX1q61lIWiHwkxBrCD9gYiDMEfGa564aLIY3V1ENdWv77Gixgw62TU7vNtfb0R5lGMkG4t6uMEa7Fe-8UTGbzuhFByMbbfyu5TzQk6jsIaA-VU6rtC-vujBn_3oeOYkk5j/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.46.28+PM.png" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with one of my many trail sisters I met along this journey - Mary.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Hw7KxQIzi1naP5VYvSGZdwFZYnT5ucNLWqOIq6YpciDwLQlHFg8A15WEh8oR1Y858zFWutVcPHLCFPM4RkHsm5enySsvWAhLt0-AN906Xm4aDwv2-R_HFXdjxcQ6uC0jJuSjlNnGmB0_/s1600/IMG_8214.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Hw7KxQIzi1naP5VYvSGZdwFZYnT5ucNLWqOIq6YpciDwLQlHFg8A15WEh8oR1Y858zFWutVcPHLCFPM4RkHsm5enySsvWAhLt0-AN906Xm4aDwv2-R_HFXdjxcQ6uC0jJuSjlNnGmB0_/s400/IMG_8214.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go time at the start line!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>When the gun went
off, so did we.</b> The first 5 miles is running out of town and mostly downhill,
so I just thought about keeping it slow and steady. My coach had told me that
if I came into the first aid station at the back of the pack, she would be
extremely proud of me. She didn’t want me to go out too fast, so I concentrated
on that.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> 5.5 miles is the
first small climb and then it was a single track around Turquoise Lake. This
part was amazingly beautiful to see the lake peak out from the darkness as the
sun rose. It reminded me once again about the uniqueness and beauty of this
race. Even when you aren’t climbing mountains, you can’t escape the views!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Soon enough I was
exiting the trail, running through the campground and into the aid station.</b> I
bypassed the aid station and went straight to Ross and Todd who crewed me by
replacing my bladder of Tailwind and some nutrition and telling me to drink more.
I also got to see my friend, Andy, who had set up right next to Ross and Todd,
as he waited for his wife to come through – that was super good to see familiar
faces!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Ac2M7hvPKJKjREKWX1lE42O3GcrZ-yAzZ33r4nVdQ7wSfG2JZmQ36eRxvZQWsCW-_IXQMLoUze5KsVfewf8IlJCdwB56fQlF0J4l3DWMuHXeJd_Mt6VgucfjXfZvQ7j53eB1YrSH2zP/s1600/IMG_3615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Ac2M7hvPKJKjREKWX1lE42O3GcrZ-yAzZ33r4nVdQ7wSfG2JZmQ36eRxvZQWsCW-_IXQMLoUze5KsVfewf8IlJCdwB56fQlF0J4l3DWMuHXeJd_Mt6VgucfjXfZvQ7j53eB1YrSH2zP/s400/IMG_3615.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13 miles in and all smiles! Ready to start climbing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b> Coming out of May
Queen (the first aid station), you hit the Colorado Trail and start climbing.</b> I
knew this part of the route pretty well and made my way up, up, up the trail to
Hagerman Pass. Then it was more up, up, up to Sugarloaf Road. During this time,
I just watched my heart rate and ran when it was low enough and walked when it
wasn’t (which was more often than naught). I made some friends along the way,
but I won’t bore you with the conversations. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qKR1zbD_FF4LTDpDn-PuNLUHmbTe_WmlP9ZuTN-9QbNOkh7hZDo5SLQGryL2n6o48DP256mzU8PIB-W-5w5QpxdArl4-zrVKaeAZ86AdFXGMuxIRD9eTHP4kiGRpJuTkJrZOIkEZ8n2Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.52.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qKR1zbD_FF4LTDpDn-PuNLUHmbTe_WmlP9ZuTN-9QbNOkh7hZDo5SLQGryL2n6o48DP256mzU8PIB-W-5w5QpxdArl4-zrVKaeAZ86AdFXGMuxIRD9eTHP4kiGRpJuTkJrZOIkEZ8n2Y/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.52.16+PM.png" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am climbing up Hagerman Pass and even running!<br />
(I must've been doing that for the camera)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b> At the top, I was more
than excited to go DOWN! I started running down. </b>I was feeling great! I whipped
out my walkie talkie and radioed into Todd and Ross and told them where I was.
They were like, “Great! …but you’ve got a long way to go.” They then asked
about wants and needs and I told them to adjust my Tailwind ratio (it worked in
training, but for some reason it was too potent today, so I wanted to adjust)
and, basically, that I needed to eat some fruit and drink some coke, so please
have that ready. <i>I realized that I had been so happy/excited to see them at the first aid station, I basically FORGOT to eat. Oy! Can't let that happen again!</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Made it down the powerline
descent (3.5 miles of DOWN) and met a new/old friend. </b>How fitting, she had remembered me from another race. As we were descending, she told me how I had taught her how to run downhill at another race earlier in the summer. Evidently, she made a comment about her poor descending and I had imparted what I knew from downhill running to her. I guess it worked! She said her knees no longer hurt as she ran downhill and we were doing it together with ease, so something was good about that union. And here we were running the 100 together!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Two miles after the long descent, at mile 23.5, you roll into Outward Bound aid station</b>. Here I got to see ALL
of my family (minus my dad who was not feeling well) and Todd. They had
everything I asked for, including my new Tailwind concoction, and off I went. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zL5XRM8D3HYXWmPeXwSN0snxeF2j9VQSVu5xF2KbbaCJ2A0MyADKN3rZLJLhyv-sogOX6bvjPH591JEw0-hxHEEJJODZrsWwaGUogJnoaAq2q-CYXoS_VaVr6WNJaF3qUrznrTZlFFZd/s1600/IMG_8233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zL5XRM8D3HYXWmPeXwSN0snxeF2j9VQSVu5xF2KbbaCJ2A0MyADKN3rZLJLhyv-sogOX6bvjPH591JEw0-hxHEEJJODZrsWwaGUogJnoaAq2q-CYXoS_VaVr6WNJaF3qUrznrTZlFFZd/s400/IMG_8233.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can a girl get much sweatier? It was getting HOT!!!</td></tr>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl0TPZeWq6fq8KQexst9Epx6beRDbKFBzgopxjuZryYt-XCkKvEFEmjKRgaenS6rUqz1HcUxUbeTEsUZd01iErPP9InHAqKyTxVRGgs3mgbj-NBcnQCMLjK4Qfgm4A0n-fm9wsEtAv2A0/s1600/IMG_3621.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl0TPZeWq6fq8KQexst9Epx6beRDbKFBzgopxjuZryYt-XCkKvEFEmjKRgaenS6rUqz1HcUxUbeTEsUZd01iErPP9InHAqKyTxVRGgs3mgbj-NBcnQCMLjK4Qfgm4A0n-fm9wsEtAv2A0/s400/IMG_3621.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew at Outward Bound (minus Todd who was taking picture)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">This upcoming part is (I
think) the most boring part of the course. First, you have to run on road for a
little bit. Then, it is uphill, with limited views, but it really isn’t THAT
long. I knew mentally this would be a hard part of my race, so I just focused
on my running and keeping my heart rate consistent. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTTK-vflSYLFKZhI23Gp6iucVEh846xN5KOHNsiohByBWexl1hMjlZTkexD_RV6j3yi7CNtxvlDP0LXVlk63JIxGr6ebSoCn5NVXpSHJRBPkwnsRlF0HhejRcV1NqD_htnhEQz3OD-976/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.52.51+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="688" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTTK-vflSYLFKZhI23Gp6iucVEh846xN5KOHNsiohByBWexl1hMjlZTkexD_RV6j3yi7CNtxvlDP0LXVlk63JIxGr6ebSoCn5NVXpSHJRBPkwnsRlF0HhejRcV1NqD_htnhEQz3OD-976/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.52.51+PM.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me...smiling even through the most unscenic part.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">About 3 miles from the
aid station is another place where a lot of people crew their runner. I
preferred to have my crew only at the aid stations, BUT it was refreshing to
see people here. It is here that I saw my friend Jay’s crew and my friend
Donna’s crew – who told me she was just ahead. I plugged along another 4 miles
to the next aid station and coming out (while I was coming in) was my friend,
Donna. YAY!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">After the aid station,
I caught up with Donna and we chatted for a bit and then I carried on, running
in front of her for a bit. It was so awesome to see her and know we were on our
way to completing this journey together!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">I am not sure of the
mileage, but there is a point where you stop climbing and start descending into
Twin Lakes. When I hit this point, it was game on again! I think my schtick for
this race was just to not kill myself on the climbs, so I could really enjoy
and run most of the descents. So, as soon as I was descending I was happy
again. I passed the Mt. Elbert water station, and was glad I didn’t need water
(since there was a line). I was also happy to see my friends Kelly and Eric
there. Yay friends! We’re doing this! I thought. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">I whipped out my
walkie and had some talks with both Todd (who was crewing at TL) and my kids
(who were “helping” Todd and my mom crew at TL). If you ever do this race, I HIGHLY
suggest carrying radios. They help with what you need when you are coming into
an aid station (so it’s prepared). This time, I asked for them to soak my
Koolie in a bath of ice water, so I’d have it for over Hope Pass. It was
getting HOT! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Got into Twin Lakes
on/ahead of schedule and really just felt great.</b> I was excited to be attacking
Hope Pass (the next section – arguably the hardest) feeling so good. In
general, I try to get to halfway in a race feeling “good,” whatever “good” may
be… and in this case it felt – good!</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VMwpS0N3rkXIQ9eawFPhFruY4kDJhkiOLWyULt4HqOqKPg3p6SNHMQ2BmX8otoLevSMXcOuDeeJxuGQCVBehcqJl3sNrztDiaVvzspZGsEU-gYzweEgrpd1TKFYyLQbEcp089SKCJ7ac/s1600/IMG_3627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VMwpS0N3rkXIQ9eawFPhFruY4kDJhkiOLWyULt4HqOqKPg3p6SNHMQ2BmX8otoLevSMXcOuDeeJxuGQCVBehcqJl3sNrztDiaVvzspZGsEU-gYzweEgrpd1TKFYyLQbEcp089SKCJ7ac/s400/IMG_3627.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and the boys attending to all my needs!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">The aid station went
smooth. I grabbed my poles, switched watches (my battery was running lowish),
switched bladders, refilled on nutrition and was off with Todd and Lincoln. No,
I didn’t pick them up as pacers, BUT the two of them accompanied me on the
course for about a half mile. During this time, it was nice to give Todd a more
complete lowdown on how I was feeling (since in the aid stations, I tend to
feel rushed). AND, it was fun to have my littlest running beside me in my 100.
I really enjoyed that part. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6Z7_YDfVBSaWvJnAla9vUHxH1i-BQZcHfeog0eEG6ssjex0Lk8hCtFNHFYgsCy4HsIpXA3zcAzb2iKD63wr0n9Y48QNbVXvKnXStFn6jCD_mFASPlYpbqsW-QbmeSJpGIM9nG33bzuul/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.53.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="694" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6Z7_YDfVBSaWvJnAla9vUHxH1i-BQZcHfeog0eEG6ssjex0Lk8hCtFNHFYgsCy4HsIpXA3zcAzb2iKD63wr0n9Y48QNbVXvKnXStFn6jCD_mFASPlYpbqsW-QbmeSJpGIM9nG33bzuul/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-09-12+at+2.53.03+PM.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre river crossing on the way to the pass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Then… it was up the
notorious HOPE PASS! </b>My new watch wasn’t
registering my heart rate accurately, so I was a little worried about over or
under exerting myself, but I juts went by feel. I am happy to say that I passed
way more people going up then were passing me. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>This was a little moral victory for me since, normally, it is the
reverse.</u></i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>In any given mountain
race, I am used to being passed on the ascents, but not this time. (yay, me!)</u></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u> </u></i>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">About ½ way up the
pass, a guy started more-or-less pacing behind me and we started chatting. He
was actually heading up to volunteer at the aid station and he was delightful
to talk to. Cindy had warned me to conserve energy and not get sucked into too
many or too long of conversations, but I really just liked talking to him and
it made the time go by faster, so I didn’t see the harm. (In retrospect, I say
that I picked up an unofficial pacer then.) On the way up, there was also some
rain. Not a lot, but enough to have me stop and put on my raincoat. Thankfully,
this storm was short and passed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>About ¾ miles from the
summit of the pass, there is an aid station. </b>This station is AMAZING if, for no
other reason, a team of volunteers guides up 20 llamas and 4 mules with 3,000
lbs of supplies for the station and then spends time filtering water from the
nearby creek, so that us runners have all that we need on race day.
A-FRICKIN-MAZING! <a href="http://kdvr.com/2017/07/11/the-llamas-behind-the-leadville-trail-100-run/" target="_blank"><i>Here's an article about it, if you want to read more.</i></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>It was here that I had
my first visit to the medical tent.</b> Nothing horrible, just what I considered a
little chafing on my waist, so I asked for some Vaseline. They looked, told me it was worse than I thought, applied Vaseline,
and then told me to continue to keep checking in with med tents to reapply and
it, potentially, had to be wrapped. Yikes! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>After an ample amount
of aid at the station, it was onto the summit of Hope (yay!) and then DOWN!
</b>Now, the other side of Hope (the Winfield side) is NO JOKE when it comes to
steepness, it is scary to run down and HARD to go up (notice I said “go", not
“run”). I was glad that I had been there a couple times and had the chance to
practice it. On the way down, I channeled what I knew and just went at it
running down. I caught many people on the descent and was clipping along at a
good place for the majority of it. I finally found a couple guys that were also
clipping along and settled in behind them. It was a lot easier to pass people
going down when you were a group of 3. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ha7U6NoN5QPjAUDfNCEzlJNGeHaxwtib4w-q3WGQXBZCK9UVSZ9E5dovLm9SvOh2WsuAzWfP45Baxs18EhTY9uBOR34C8JulC6TKbV8zocdK9X1nyy9zl_JC1AT_lAJZvMK58uasnZEs/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ha7U6NoN5QPjAUDfNCEzlJNGeHaxwtib4w-q3WGQXBZCK9UVSZ9E5dovLm9SvOh2WsuAzWfP45Baxs18EhTY9uBOR34C8JulC6TKbV8zocdK9X1nyy9zl_JC1AT_lAJZvMK58uasnZEs/s400/IMG_0008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from top of Hope coming down on Winfield side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Once you finish the
steepness (2.5 miles of it), you turn and run another 4 miles to Winfield
(rolling up, then down the last mile to Winfield). When I rounded the corner to
the ghost town, I saw some signs and KNEW they were for me! <b>Yes, I am the LUCKY
GIRL who got to have fans who actually OWNED A CABIN IN WINFIELD </b>(there are
very few cabins and they are all historical landmarks). I saw Ethan and Cade
and their cousin and aunt, got sweaty hugs and continued on into “town” which
is really just the aid station at this point. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAs5LA_4W9ebj706Xvto7knXcAvcXWBSRPkqR1q39TMsODX94kQ_QmtYkYoqffdygEbf10WYayvvpQjvdcIOMX1uniPYyK5AcKTtnMDvODZSVzZdlnIdU9xC4OPnrSNpMMI4GiNJ6ZP_r/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAs5LA_4W9ebj706Xvto7knXcAvcXWBSRPkqR1q39TMsODX94kQ_QmtYkYoqffdygEbf10WYayvvpQjvdcIOMX1uniPYyK5AcKTtnMDvODZSVzZdlnIdU9xC4OPnrSNpMMI4GiNJ6ZP_r/s400/IMG_0001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their cabin/cheer central for me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRDyUQf-k8ny-CIVeLXX0BkR8nenx_cX1weJJ93_Ym2RghebcI7UAu-WSfYuzlyMtgyUAQaiAPDgnQIqImCqiO529-3GsDQWulYk3iEOjn1SOVHvc9VaY5YYhbo5Idbt1d6Wkzbqfi2cb/s1600/IMG_0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRDyUQf-k8ny-CIVeLXX0BkR8nenx_cX1weJJ93_Ym2RghebcI7UAu-WSfYuzlyMtgyUAQaiAPDgnQIqImCqiO529-3GsDQWulYk3iEOjn1SOVHvc9VaY5YYhbo5Idbt1d6Wkzbqfi2cb/s400/IMG_0644.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with the Brook boys (Cade and Ethan) and their AWESOME SIGN!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> <b>There were tons of
people and I got lots of cheers running in.</b> I was amazed that I STILL felt
great! I was so happy to be there and just ecstatic that (other than chafing),
my body wasn’t breaking down, I was still digesting food like a rock star – things
were just falling into place!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyDDVrln6es9cUCPiD2JRva4e3K3-ZgFQsbPRSzQ83XjDX5Dx9eaAwdRuB6oD5mmW4r-PKeSvyaSIi88X0x8g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">I checked in with the
aid station, the medical tent (more jelly, no wrapping), and found Ross, Kelly
and Christi (my friend with family at the cabin). We quickly got my stuff
ready, deciding on what warm weather stuff I might need over the pass with the
sun going down and so forth, what food I needed, and I was happy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQIpGioKcA0rHLhZSgzYOXIHiiWpznrLIRl6SZ511CG13mYVpFh3iG4XsbjVkJEE6KoykaIjLsmKUeO4yVnrmXMoiusqIv3F_3I7I-dxOaMdclCUi1pjxcLj7upGv88jHA_bSnSzTLspp/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQIpGioKcA0rHLhZSgzYOXIHiiWpznrLIRl6SZ511CG13mYVpFh3iG4XsbjVkJEE6KoykaIjLsmKUeO4yVnrmXMoiusqIv3F_3I7I-dxOaMdclCUi1pjxcLj7upGv88jHA_bSnSzTLspp/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly and Ross waiting for me at Winfield -- who wouldn't be excited to get to that?!?!?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x_Rz5U7lp1ZlpfJvGRLK8zRUHnF1ohdkX-nPTX9tEOrpoEZ6Ed3T8-u10dqljKcus6TLA93mTpxcpQKLgtLksNDMQKT0mHAIqD6AmCaBuE_rPiSYZ8MFEkhAODyjVKmF0kp1muFWBQ90/s1600/IMG_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1012" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x_Rz5U7lp1ZlpfJvGRLK8zRUHnF1ohdkX-nPTX9tEOrpoEZ6Ed3T8-u10dqljKcus6TLA93mTpxcpQKLgtLksNDMQKT0mHAIqD6AmCaBuE_rPiSYZ8MFEkhAODyjVKmF0kp1muFWBQ90/s400/IMG_0646.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christi documenting me at the med tent (getting vaseline on my chafing). <br />
When asked why, she stated "to keep it real". :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XYXe424e7Y6pb_3Hw921WV9QoE8bPtbkBXuzlVDGbD_9Ca1HBZ1nwcizyMVG2YwP4HwD0PCIIPuMcYeimeeU9jUqwgrgtn4_m6nSDiTPloRyvF_uuQvZ7iisWfctiq83aoBAmiaQgTG8/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XYXe424e7Y6pb_3Hw921WV9QoE8bPtbkBXuzlVDGbD_9Ca1HBZ1nwcizyMVG2YwP4HwD0PCIIPuMcYeimeeU9jUqwgrgtn4_m6nSDiTPloRyvF_uuQvZ7iisWfctiq83aoBAmiaQgTG8/s640/IMG_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hope Pass. I had just climbed over that. Now, at mile 50, I got to turn around and do it again!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>From there, Kelly and
I headed out of Winfield – Christi accompanied us up to the cabin, then we
headed on. </b>In the short jog up there, Kelly and I were chatting away and
Christi made the comment of, “I see how this is gonna be!” referring to us
chatting all the way over Hope Pass… which is basically what we did. Kelly was
an excellent pacer, listening to my needs and making sure I ate, knew the
mileage AND was entertained by stories and/or lively conversation. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Now, here came an unexpected hard part of the race for me. </b>Coming out
of Winfield and heading up the pass, there was certain point (maybe 2 miles
out) where we knew that everyone we were passing coming down was not going to
be able to make it to Winfield in time for the cutoff… and their race would be
done. This was really stinking hard to deal with, especially when we saw a few
of our friends. This course is hard, takes no prisoners, and, this year, had
even lengthened the course without lengthening the overall cutoff time. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Onto the climb. </b>This
puppy is steep and we just plugged away. We talked for most of it (minus the
steepest parts where Kelly tried to humor me so I wouldn’t have to talk) and
just kept going. Not a lot of talking around us, but that was ok. Up, up, up,
we went and was happy to see the top when we got there. Yay! Kelly was on top
of mileage and timing and let me know that we actually summited FASTER than we
had the day she and I ran it about 2 weeks earlier on fresh legs – no way! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEh7cEVgT2UBzJrp2KLwz97MyrlWESGc-RxST9qnjd7GNMBEaym0o9aQyPWmXacQaxzy7ia72BMxp7jLI_dVhrCz4oNUDgAVxRYbUupeP81DonVg_xpcBVuUwKd2tU7G34CzBWjEj9w25/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEh7cEVgT2UBzJrp2KLwz97MyrlWESGc-RxST9qnjd7GNMBEaym0o9aQyPWmXacQaxzy7ia72BMxp7jLI_dVhrCz4oNUDgAVxRYbUupeP81DonVg_xpcBVuUwKd2tU7G34CzBWjEj9w25/s400/IMG_0007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View looking back as we climbed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpgrM34mdNSjkzxM7qc-wtkNc3KV7a9qJrF8oSvlwzrP0oG7EiYXodkdTNtNnwNwkaGmDzPZg3JwW6ai9zPFYIE-jBwsHEfB7ogUr-1WMunchDPYlVrH07hVfcLcSrH378yA9TONrLynY/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpgrM34mdNSjkzxM7qc-wtkNc3KV7a9qJrF8oSvlwzrP0oG7EiYXodkdTNtNnwNwkaGmDzPZg3JwW6ai9zPFYIE-jBwsHEfB7ogUr-1WMunchDPYlVrH07hVfcLcSrH378yA9TONrLynY/s400/IMG_0009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And up we go. You can't see it, but there was a family of mountain goats up there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Over the top, down to
the aid station. </b>Visited med tent (again) and they said it looked much better,
didn’t need wrapping. Got <s>some</s> LOTS of ramen (it was past my dinnertime). I was told to "thank the volunteers at the top," so I asked if I could hug a llama... and they were happy to let us! We asked for one that wouldn’t spit at us and
they gave us this dude. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-caj9fBV-MnRzPqovEr4kRlXkjKsryheYipVtEionL31NtFDgvfhGNNmR4Fo7ajd4SrDaG7RS0Xn7Ft17TDgOillN-GJmHQ7EelurMM1IezxiDnczkLd6tyrJPr6dPoURL-YUA6tm9iIU/s1600/IMG_0010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-caj9fBV-MnRzPqovEr4kRlXkjKsryheYipVtEionL31NtFDgvfhGNNmR4Fo7ajd4SrDaG7RS0Xn7Ft17TDgOillN-GJmHQ7EelurMM1IezxiDnczkLd6tyrJPr6dPoURL-YUA6tm9iIU/s400/IMG_0010.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Llama love.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ux4s-5Iyezgof0-CYKejBNqRhBs9GmA9sUHpYn7UWYg90RBr8_0aFfaT9ddeZDIXktiHJDN8wdGdGhzfCgxoRlNIOC3bB6CYG6JKfb707Eq9kdl_4KK_VYd05NtEbpN5b88q-nwLV6p/s1600/IMG_0013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ux4s-5Iyezgof0-CYKejBNqRhBs9GmA9sUHpYn7UWYg90RBr8_0aFfaT9ddeZDIXktiHJDN8wdGdGhzfCgxoRlNIOC3bB6CYG6JKfb707Eq9kdl_4KK_VYd05NtEbpN5b88q-nwLV6p/s400/IMG_0013.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ain't no drama with this llama!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Then it was down,
down, down.</b> The Twin Lakes side was not as steep as the Winfield side and I ran
what I could. With the sun setting and my legs getting more tired, it was
harder to run some of the rockier spots, so I did what I could and was happy
with that. (I think I wanted to run ALL of it, and it ended up being more like
70% of it, I think.) Once we were out of the forest, it was another 2 miles to
the aid station, including through the river, and we entered Twin Lakes Aid
Station in darkness. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Side note: </b><i>Kelly took
her pacer duties very seriously and even prepared a joke for me for our run. It
went something like this: There were two tomatoes running the Leadville 100 and
one of the tomatoes fell behind as they were coming into the Twin Lakes Aid
Station… so the second one says, “KETCHUP!!!” Never dull moment with Kelly. ;) </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Now, Twin Lakes, at 8-9ish
at night on Leadville Night is a paaarty!</b> We ran in. I saw Cindy (my coach) and
just let her know I was good. (It was good to see her!) I had planned a full
outfit change here, which just was… well, comic relief. We had a tent that Ross
and my mom had set up the night before, they added a few sides so that I could
have some privacy. Changing when you are tired, sweaty, a ton of people around,
well… it was just kind of funny. And probably took a lot longer than necessary,
but what can you say? I’m a newbie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">This aid station I
wasn’t in-and-out, but that was ok. I got to see my parents, kids, coach, crew
and friends. It was awesome. It was there that I picked up Todd as my pacer and
off we went. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gLglW6s2YVoc4m_bLhrxEeXwB1Z6hG9qze09nrrJORVWOOXzxgJ18XP_daBADi8i21MhlrAFowt102YLEma9lEjVBhTiXahD1gnXiSATtEtP7w1fhH0WMKH4_OLhz9IZZwimgmQpmt1w/s1600/IMG_8243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gLglW6s2YVoc4m_bLhrxEeXwB1Z6hG9qze09nrrJORVWOOXzxgJ18XP_daBADi8i21MhlrAFowt102YLEma9lEjVBhTiXahD1gnXiSATtEtP7w1fhH0WMKH4_OLhz9IZZwimgmQpmt1w/s400/IMG_8243.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lotsa crew and love at Twin Lakes!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> Now, it is true that
Hope Pass is the pinnacle and getting up and over it is a HUGE deal. So much so
that a lot of people focus their energy on that task and don’t have anything
(or much) left after they get down from the second crossing of Hope. I was
aware of this and had “planned” to conserve energy, so I was glad that I had energy
(as planned) when the day came. Yay! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>*** THIS is the part where it got dark and the pictures stopped coming, so I apologize for the lack of photos from here on out. I understand if you want to skip to the end... :) </i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Coming out of Twin
Lakes there is a 3+ mile climb… and I was glad I saved some in the tank for
that! </b>Todd (like my other pacers) was the best pacer ever!!! He had actually come out and run this (and a few other sections) of the course with me. He was great and dealt with me and my paranoia about being
lost… “Yes, Randi, we are on the right trail,” to which I then further
questioned, to which he then pointed out the trail marker (or just repeated that we weren't lost). God bless his patience with me!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3N6tjeW2c6qpGC7wzy4hJ6ujiseiOkaXokXL1H_IxBxBQGRGRxk5F1XTjpz7r38VTshxw7seITMq4VVwS-si-nyY8y3MSZMsZ_biCuHw02dgWCot0lqJLINbhALEQX9KOZ5FU4FzgoPD/s1600/IMG_0202+2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3N6tjeW2c6qpGC7wzy4hJ6ujiseiOkaXokXL1H_IxBxBQGRGRxk5F1XTjpz7r38VTshxw7seITMq4VVwS-si-nyY8y3MSZMsZ_biCuHw02dgWCot0lqJLINbhALEQX9KOZ5FU4FzgoPD/s400/IMG_0202+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd and I running a section of Leadville on a different day (obviously in the light).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">We went off climbing
up the big climb and then when we got to some runnable spots, I was SO HAPPY to
still be able to run some. Being that I’d never really run over 55 miles, I
wasn’t fully sure how my body would do and if it could keep going (at least a little)
at a running pace… but it did! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>We went along, run,
run, run, walk, walk, walk. </b>I needed to be ahead and all was good. We got to
Half Pipe Aid station where no crew was allowed. It was kind of surreal to come
upon this lighted tent with yummy and warm goodness inside. We went in and had
some ramen. The medic saw us come in and checked in with Todd (to see how I
was) and then checked in with me (to make sure I was as “good” as Todd said I
was). I found it hilarious that, after I answered his question with one word,
he told me that I had “good conversation skills.” I looked at him shocked and
he told me that I had answered correctly and made eye-contact with him – I
guess I aced the test. </span><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">He then said I should have a seat and warm up.
I said I just wanted to keep running, which he said was even better. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>So, off we went, 5
more miles till Outward Bound Aid station – I couldn’t wait! </b>This next 5 miles, the terrain is not too hard,
mostly flat double-track and/or jeep road, so I was glad for the lack of
technicality in the dark. As we got closer to the aid station, it got loads
COLDER. (I think that was the coldest I was all race.) I was finding it hard to
motivate myself to do too much running in this section, but as we got closer, I
started saying “run to that such-and-such” and picking up the pace a little at
a time. This helped me get warmer, so I also realized if I wasn’t going to
freeze, I needed to keep myself moving as rapidly as possible for the rest of
the way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>We rolled into Outward
Bound (going inward – ha!), Krista and Ross were there. Yay!</b> I was feeling
good. I put on some tights and we adjusted for the dropping temperatures. And I
was like, “KRISTA! We’re over 75% through!” and was so excited for that fact. I
really was trying not to think about mileage in a mile-by-bile way and had just
broken the sections between aid stations in my head, so getting to this aid
station, in particular, I was EXCITED!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1-D1yQCHYXo9pL84Jpyser7l6gRh_zzNH0V21ZTym1OD7AsinplQqn40PTjB_zrBYarROg5CuUsqCtYBRpYEAAT-5-TQ6oEFgQTkQy_X6ZuV7C4raHzd6lp7nc52oMcCPuyng5pv-FXd/s1600/P8200019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="1600" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1-D1yQCHYXo9pL84Jpyser7l6gRh_zzNH0V21ZTym1OD7AsinplQqn40PTjB_zrBYarROg5CuUsqCtYBRpYEAAT-5-TQ6oEFgQTkQy_X6ZuV7C4raHzd6lp7nc52oMcCPuyng5pv-FXd/s400/P8200019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of me and Krista. I guess I am always excited to see her!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> From OB, I knew it was
a climb up and over Sugarloaf Pass. Weird enough for me, I was ok with that. I
had done this before, I knew it would be slow, but mentally I knew where I was
going so it was “ok” for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Krista was phenomenal!
</b>We set off, we had lots to talk about. We went up the Powerline climb – which
she had mountain biked a gazillion times – so she knew EXACTLY where to tell me
to go (to the point where she was like, “move over to the left side here,
because it is less steep on this side of the trail.” Amazeballs.).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">At the top, we got
some coke and started to head down. I will say that this part I had ‘expected’
to be able to run down. Like I said, downhill were my “thing” and that was
where I was excited about doing and making up some of the time I had lost on
climbing. BUT, after 80ish miles on the legs, going down on the rocky terrain
wasn’t as fast as I planned. I tried to run when I could, but it was really
that I didn’t trust my jello legs and/or footing/ankles to get me down the rock
pass without buckling. So, whilst I was still happy, I was a little slower than
planned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Soon enough, however,
we were rolling into Mayqueen Aid Station – YAY!</b> I was glad to see everyone
(Steph, Ross, Todd) and get some more food. I can’t tell you how delicious
ramen tasted at every station I stopped at. The sun was starting to come up and
Todd informed me that I needed to pick it up if I could. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_a9UDD2EF3msA7Qg3z4Qoye9Sjf8fasJaUXDuCAxOqOBWg7HDaPOLnQooZQ3OHpqFOQ58AXwjA1I6NlylGju9J2XJBcaFho6ckKvmEodc7FeQRgqrcCKTfk171q7eh0vHP9io5eCyJeL_/s1600/Ross+Bday-Oscars-9146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_a9UDD2EF3msA7Qg3z4Qoye9Sjf8fasJaUXDuCAxOqOBWg7HDaPOLnQooZQ3OHpqFOQ58AXwjA1I6NlylGju9J2XJBcaFho6ckKvmEodc7FeQRgqrcCKTfk171q7eh0vHP9io5eCyJeL_/s400/Ross+Bday-Oscars-9146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Steph (with Ross and Eric), looking MUCH better than I did that morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> I left there a little
terrified that I wasn’t going fast enough. I thought, “oh, I run this section
in like 13-14 minute miles” which I do REGULARLY, but at mile 88, I was
struggling to do 18-minute miles. (This was the first time ALL RACE I had
looked at my pacing.) That was a bit of a wake up. So, I plugged on doing what
I could. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Steph was awesome and
we had plenty to talk about.</b> SHE informed me I was just fine at my pace to
finish, it was only if I wanted a faster time would I need to pick it up –
whew! I mean, I am normally bad at math, and after 25 hours of running I’m
REALLY bad at it, so having her realize that Todd didn’t mean I had to pick it
up to finish (only if I wanted a goal time) was super helpful!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>We made our way
through and around Turquoise Lake as the sun rose.</b> It was just BEAUTIFUL! Again,
my legs were having trouble with the rocky terrain, but I made it along as fast
as I could.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">There were spectators
more so along this route because (1) it is closer to town and (2) it is through
a camping area, so people can view a lot of it. At one intersection, I asked
someone “how far till the dam?” and he said, “I don’t know, but I DO know that
you can see your belt buckle from here!” – which was awesome.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">We made it to the dam
and down the mini-pipeline to where Todd and Ross were waiting for us. My last
pacer – yay! And my husband. Double-yay! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6mT_L-ks-PjvMvtpoxjQOUkaXZujxQJsirpj5FtbqdXRbZj_uv7rt5DxmDuPyFxRaCyn4VnDpPXUYKaoQAqnl4d5GyKKKft6G4DYpqyj963YOpqJHg6DrgddHz-0AE3Pg0BjHt64Vi0Y/s1600/IMG_3630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6mT_L-ks-PjvMvtpoxjQOUkaXZujxQJsirpj5FtbqdXRbZj_uv7rt5DxmDuPyFxRaCyn4VnDpPXUYKaoQAqnl4d5GyKKKft6G4DYpqyj963YOpqJHg6DrgddHz-0AE3Pg0BjHt64Vi0Y/s320/IMG_3630.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only picture I have of us this section! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>From here till the end
was 5.5 miles. </b>Todd told me if I did 20-minute miles, I would finish in a
little over 29 hours. At some point, I decided I wanted to finish in UNDER 29
hours (if I could). So, I just plugged away. I was happy at this point that the
technical terrain was over. From here till the end was mostly graded dirt road.
Walk, walk, walk, run, (more of a slog), slog, slog.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">As the miles ticked
down, I just got more and more excited to be at the end. One of the coolest
things about the Leadville finish is that from one mile out, you are able to
run in with friends and family… mine met me and Ross at about ½ mile out and
ran to the end with me. They joined me and many of my friends and family were
able to help me finish what, in essence, we ALL had started almost a year ago. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2F42UX9iXPefRi7ABqWtpGhX7P4MsP53ztpnPflVgCVAh2JdDtniSZUY3XQyuzUCkb5ML60HRkeap01xMWNbXFpssEdtsmvKrurHtTWYiE0AoD-E7TRAitQSYEL3N8_zURwrh7LsXdxD/s1600/IMG_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2F42UX9iXPefRi7ABqWtpGhX7P4MsP53ztpnPflVgCVAh2JdDtniSZUY3XQyuzUCkb5ML60HRkeap01xMWNbXFpssEdtsmvKrurHtTWYiE0AoD-E7TRAitQSYEL3N8_zURwrh7LsXdxD/s640/IMG_0635.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading in to the finish line with everyone in tow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xICOM91qDcLwO_Onh0drvIWxgNjL4FIMkppKAuzGptEFUP-cJEWG4aV_OLZuOrhVGXxzNK57CQ36eI4EmnFj1est59OQPngYcgwxyV3lACZ18XfPCbboS2MzgYlraBRmrwj-MzqHK7pk/s1600/IMG_8245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xICOM91qDcLwO_Onh0drvIWxgNjL4FIMkppKAuzGptEFUP-cJEWG4aV_OLZuOrhVGXxzNK57CQ36eI4EmnFj1est59OQPngYcgwxyV3lACZ18XfPCbboS2MzgYlraBRmrwj-MzqHK7pk/s400/IMG_8245.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing time-ish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0m3sFLOW_i-lCzXvBp0zQJRaSqMdaTr40YVVH4NKJHl3APJq33pwcbLQtvxZ3PrTOoQ3p6BZyMXaxfC_Mgd21glUU0bAivJE4YXIaaKtXd7rPEvnjjRL_4AN1JapBJoxfJ2AhxuanQaj/s1600/IMG_8250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0m3sFLOW_i-lCzXvBp0zQJRaSqMdaTr40YVVH4NKJHl3APJq33pwcbLQtvxZ3PrTOoQ3p6BZyMXaxfC_Mgd21glUU0bAivJE4YXIaaKtXd7rPEvnjjRL_4AN1JapBJoxfJ2AhxuanQaj/s400/IMG_8250.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my medal with Ken and Marilee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzDFXXwrBEXptg_ZRe1u1a-WWV2tzrh0f4SgqzgUP2q_n3U2E7n5vDPKK-aN6gmsL-9jWegNIPm7xreGtOMez4DUqZHc1pfoDcLSBM-TCBl4u8XR5tGqN-kYzhi19A7p2eUF0D9amkc5q/s1600/IMG_3633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzDFXXwrBEXptg_ZRe1u1a-WWV2tzrh0f4SgqzgUP2q_n3U2E7n5vDPKK-aN6gmsL-9jWegNIPm7xreGtOMez4DUqZHc1pfoDcLSBM-TCBl4u8XR5tGqN-kYzhi19A7p2eUF0D9amkc5q/s400/IMG_3633.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratulatory hugs!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUFBWJ4SUIZ2Hmas8ack6s-HZp6NW2WBCpg1nzsyO744zOGyNIm-Qszl5wuNX2gvSjkN74ze8mqpPkQo0aOQd3LnnlYMYa5a2ki6wryJzSpZLP0cq-le-MH8OM1IzwNGKr4psqo2A9SNT/s1600/IMG_3641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUFBWJ4SUIZ2Hmas8ack6s-HZp6NW2WBCpg1nzsyO744zOGyNIm-Qszl5wuNX2gvSjkN74ze8mqpPkQo0aOQd3LnnlYMYa5a2ki6wryJzSpZLP0cq-le-MH8OM1IzwNGKr4psqo2A9SNT/s640/IMG_3641.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't thank these people enough!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Seriously! I can't thank EVERYONE enough for all the support, etc. in
this journey. </b>Near, far, and everyone on the way.</div>
<b>Todd, </b>in particular,
was there as my running confidant, advisor, support-giver, etc. Even
though this blog does not show it in this blog, it is TRUE that he was there (almost) every step of the way. From the inception of the idea, the hours of training, the recon of the course, to the actual race day (STAYING UP 30 HOURS with Ross). There's no way I'd have gotten to the start line, let alone the finish line, without him.<br />
<b>My family,
</b>especially Ross and the boys, were with me every step of the way, either
literally or as a support system from afar.<br />
<b>My friends</b> all stepped up,
whether it was in emotional support and/or physical support (running buddies).<br />
<b><b>Cindy, </b></b>my coach, who paved the way for me. Who listened (for months!) to my woes and was always full of advice. She laid out a solid
plan that went with my crazy life schedule AND got me to the start line
healthy and with all the tools for me to have an AMAZING race.<br />
<b>And I can't
believe the number of crazies I met along the way</b> (some doing the race,
some not) that I will keep with me forever - either in memories or as
life-long friends and/or running partners.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>People say this race changes you forever and they are right.</b> What you do with it is up to you. I am glad I had a great journey surrounded my amazing people.<br />
<br />
Here's a little of the aftermath:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUZQnOvz_diUHQI3y63dKbHvL0Kx0nAubx1YKA2n5VEdZVWV8Vw3UxJIuJX3qMKaGyqiTt_4EqnePrWKUU7F5WH60RBMFOXR4H7Hix9NoMGAoviIxy9_jrJ-OOV2RVUIbY4jL0u5FkHhp/s1600/IMG_0642.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUZQnOvz_diUHQI3y63dKbHvL0Kx0nAubx1YKA2n5VEdZVWV8Vw3UxJIuJX3qMKaGyqiTt_4EqnePrWKUU7F5WH60RBMFOXR4H7Hix9NoMGAoviIxy9_jrJ-OOV2RVUIbY4jL0u5FkHhp/s400/IMG_0642.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time sitting in 29+ hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBEU0F-XG5kOJDkJYTYJGiNC3RBLufWOKAHLt3WQjxXqPMsZBMtHkmCiBI9LsxtNhEEu4PzCKNyZvuJrmajn2nDWj1IwHKk7NjHOku9fP6w7F61c92VksZxuxMVY_rrMFtTzKDI7ZNreO/s1600/IMG_0641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBEU0F-XG5kOJDkJYTYJGiNC3RBLufWOKAHLt3WQjxXqPMsZBMtHkmCiBI9LsxtNhEEu4PzCKNyZvuJrmajn2nDWj1IwHKk7NjHOku9fP6w7F61c92VksZxuxMVY_rrMFtTzKDI7ZNreO/s400/IMG_0641.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3taLAisCIg35xpaHpinqJtMsb8wVMd6Hrr9YdCKmOyNz0kE3q6jRiF9eIiaFMumi3BmsQ-He1OY4j78ObMkI9R2O9Wa6QF2CnVamvLwu04WmY9QiR-SRNKcHCn1N68Fx06Sim-MoVX2G/s1600/IMG_0639.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3taLAisCIg35xpaHpinqJtMsb8wVMd6Hrr9YdCKmOyNz0kE3q6jRiF9eIiaFMumi3BmsQ-He1OY4j78ObMkI9R2O9Wa6QF2CnVamvLwu04WmY9QiR-SRNKcHCn1N68Fx06Sim-MoVX2G/s400/IMG_0639.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got home to this!!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-57791211012096791912017-08-23T04:09:00.002-07:002017-09-13T05:47:25.328-07:00LEADVILLE 100: The Journey Part 1. Getting to the start line<b>Wow! What a day - and night! - and following morning! And what a race! </b><span style="color: #444444;"><i><b>I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the preparation leading up to it... because THAT is what really got me there.</b></i></span><br />
<br />
Yes, after a summer (2016) spent running trails culminating in the Run Rabbit Run 50-miler last September, I decided to signed up for the famed Leadville 100. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5al0maT3VotQ9mbseMLDkZXVGJT_aQaHYrGR3RBsPTkQF0Daf-qYEOpArFWuumxHM0aEoD9pmiqkASmDESaXWBi0aazZs9ODLojhAcYN7Nlqqs08uaJvLl1vmfWGfqfvDyAgFPfFYnS2O/s1600/IMG_7458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5al0maT3VotQ9mbseMLDkZXVGJT_aQaHYrGR3RBsPTkQF0Daf-qYEOpArFWuumxHM0aEoD9pmiqkASmDESaXWBi0aazZs9ODLojhAcYN7Nlqqs08uaJvLl1vmfWGfqfvDyAgFPfFYnS2O/s400/IMG_7458.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RRR finish line! My FIRST mountain 50 in the books!</td></tr>
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<b>I had always said <i><u>IF</u></i> I was ever to do a 100, it <u><i>WAS</i></u> going to be Leadville. </b>The mystique, the challenge and the grit of the course had always drawn me to it. I don't plan on making a lifestyle out of running 100s, so IF there was be one 100 I ran, IT was going to be Leadville. Hands down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6heK_GmKAOTsgsWAzrIkIv82zbmf17NVOumcGCUJT9yUdiRMTs-wzraYna7F-xzXknq_z1o6fja2hvLTMWUdI-qUXY6kHAtMLSB9QHVT_4sddsGZn8hZLORf4TgVOAWPibJBGekLPCrcz/s1600/leadville+elevation+profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="838" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6heK_GmKAOTsgsWAzrIkIv82zbmf17NVOumcGCUJT9yUdiRMTs-wzraYna7F-xzXknq_z1o6fja2hvLTMWUdI-qUXY6kHAtMLSB9QHVT_4sddsGZn8hZLORf4TgVOAWPibJBGekLPCrcz/s400/leadville+elevation+profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elevation profile itself *kind of* shows some of the challenges</td></tr>
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Knowing that, Leadville is a popular race with a lottery system. Since I didn't want to chance not getting in via the lottery, I signed up for the Leadville Camp (training camp) spot that included the entry into the race. It was a little more expensive that the lottery, but since I was already planning on doing the camp, it made my investment well worth it!<br />
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Next task, get a coach and set out a rock star training schedule. I found my awesome coach (Cindy Stonesmith) through a recommendation of my friend, Todd. We met, I loved her, she listened. Things were good. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW19hRE6voeTvvS0heK4LBH53gc_XqnbHu_gejTShJcZAa9PFzL7QuREMUMmFnLUkVsn9Zzf135iIK_i01HdozohSDOvWjEg7fVTJdLgrMMvbObJVjR0N7PvGxsRqbmSCw9lUDRmgTBFeE/s400/IMG_5767.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Cindy in March in Moab</td></tr>
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<b>Onto making a schedule that kept me motivated with fun stuff along the way! </b><br />
<i>SIDE NOTE: I once trained for an Ironman (a YEAR of my life) where I got to the race, had an "ok" race, and had nothing to show for it. Not much fun in training. I had no awesome race day. No great memories leading up to it. It was almost like it wasn't worth it. From there, I vowed, never again. ALWAYS make the journey as important as the day. That way, if the race day goes bad (or is cancelled - as has happened to some friends of mine), you have the fun times leading up to it. </i><br />
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Anyways, I came up with a list of races and events to keep me motivated. Each with a special purpose in mind. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_XKzZnlqbcOZTgpfCxVuiGCZsBo9LFms_VF-GJ8HM21GF4F4K1yF0l3PKTK3zOHuGOTyX9Yl2_Hr6BC5seqNNb1UX3GKjMePGmZIHR5VHYQekyA1uH0FTEtqHvHt-xbFlTE3n6WlvMci/s1600/IMG_8857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_XKzZnlqbcOZTgpfCxVuiGCZsBo9LFms_VF-GJ8HM21GF4F4K1yF0l3PKTK3zOHuGOTyX9Yl2_Hr6BC5seqNNb1UX3GKjMePGmZIHR5VHYQekyA1uH0FTEtqHvHt-xbFlTE3n6WlvMci/s400/IMG_8857.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my countdown board to help me!</td></tr>
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<b>ORMOND BEACH 50K:</b> Keep my mileage up through the winter AND get to see my parents!!! (It was by their Florida house.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6N_xzzCmKzuwWdt2-eWTMJPYk_sHVsh6efwWblutOX_bUf_SeuDsmmKu4-zRgAIfLtbN2lraFNoyjPtkEBI_a3H0wmFGJyJrgSyGOocdif0kod0-30lfOo-e65PDIgykeYNqsvi0WNXG/s1600/run2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6N_xzzCmKzuwWdt2-eWTMJPYk_sHVsh6efwWblutOX_bUf_SeuDsmmKu4-zRgAIfLtbN2lraFNoyjPtkEBI_a3H0wmFGJyJrgSyGOocdif0kod0-30lfOo-e65PDIgykeYNqsvi0WNXG/s400/run2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line photo! 30 miles in the books. December 4, 2016.</td></tr>
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<b>BEHIND THE ROCKS 50K:</b> This race I tested out "racing" a 50k followed by SPRING BREAK IN MOAB!!! I highly suggest this combination - super fun! (Not pictured: running. Pictured: active family fun.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjIbqgkCfVnDmBtTsGnbpriuMQlXHbMY5byU5moHpnD2QfV10Cf3M0ke_RGc1o7rbYDLPkubX0Tk-rQk7Ez4ZDDIDvX7x1XfhBYUtK89AGXUbl6H2Vd_2YP94E_DSOAH-qjWgNY7YU12u/s1600/IMG_6075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjIbqgkCfVnDmBtTsGnbpriuMQlXHbMY5byU5moHpnD2QfV10Cf3M0ke_RGc1o7rbYDLPkubX0Tk-rQk7Ez4ZDDIDvX7x1XfhBYUtK89AGXUbl6H2Vd_2YP94E_DSOAH-qjWgNY7YU12u/s400/IMG_6075.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>QUAD ROCK 50 Miler: </b>OH MY GOODNESS! Holy early season mileage and elevation gain, Batman. But this race really got me ready for HARD MOUNTAIN running. And just time on my feet. IT took me 13 hours and 36 minutes and I worked every minute of it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZydfcYDN64WNfphETdTgJFOd1OTtXCzeRiAAqZBbfTqh98kiCOLNHm60pMH6f0XL2g7r9uUlMCUs3DtV0kOc1RFTl3tNZ11FhmmoVBRWU5E2PtuIv2k7k1SvGKMQxH6NxEoTRIaMR8XW/s1600/IMG_9340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZydfcYDN64WNfphETdTgJFOd1OTtXCzeRiAAqZBbfTqh98kiCOLNHm60pMH6f0XL2g7r9uUlMCUs3DtV0kOc1RFTl3tNZ11FhmmoVBRWU5E2PtuIv2k7k1SvGKMQxH6NxEoTRIaMR8XW/s400/IMG_9340.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of one of the SIX long, grueling climbs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtYgXSa5U0nF7AYXKC6Nicmwnt99-uFvZmKHRrIHOZD5HsrHnjASIMx1jvAPiNCm2-X0PRspjgUqalRcgt8pW8h3y5sLxD5wQhXJbYmRgGS1c4L5mSERYm3QquFlslyZCl2rBOrkIhgqa/s1600/615F283F-8759-4F36-B067-01F9B7CAB6DC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtYgXSa5U0nF7AYXKC6Nicmwnt99-uFvZmKHRrIHOZD5HsrHnjASIMx1jvAPiNCm2-X0PRspjgUqalRcgt8pW8h3y5sLxD5wQhXJbYmRgGS1c4L5mSERYm3QquFlslyZCl2rBOrkIhgqa/s400/615F283F-8759-4F36-B067-01F9B7CAB6DC.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finish line cheerers!</td></tr>
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<b>LEADVILLE TRAINING CAMP: </b>This helped me get more familiar with the course (priceless), get me used to running in Z2 (and give me the confidence that I could sustain that) and, maybe most importantly, made FRIENDS!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSyw0N-zuST1Al-wea1bvx3sncM8JvS3vxBM-q2_4XaZ6uOQ7GlzshGVGoNiBUBLJEtxq_-zbXG1kGnxDP_NK8Mp7_W1AuwVl_iCf2H3Qjdsl6I8GFVHGIE1-Gr34OqW9-aklxRFT3a8Y/s1600/IMG_9794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSyw0N-zuST1Al-wea1bvx3sncM8JvS3vxBM-q2_4XaZ6uOQ7GlzshGVGoNiBUBLJEtxq_-zbXG1kGnxDP_NK8Mp7_W1AuwVl_iCf2H3Qjdsl6I8GFVHGIE1-Gr34OqW9-aklxRFT3a8Y/s400/IMG_9794.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from climbing up Sugar Loaf Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KabWAdKFXg9xxHyRd-J5pKM0viZCNBtWbJkaKujzcpf3iXzqSzThLlBncWqaKaJdUeeIGAAqOYBA-sLSI9ph1NfEe44Y3dvf6bSlHJzercFZCL0T_5oUHKgWYrplfLLuJFqTGvSZF_Hb/s1600/LTcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KabWAdKFXg9xxHyRd-J5pKM0viZCNBtWbJkaKujzcpf3iXzqSzThLlBncWqaKaJdUeeIGAAqOYBA-sLSI9ph1NfEe44Y3dvf6bSlHJzercFZCL0T_5oUHKgWYrplfLLuJFqTGvSZF_Hb/s400/LTcamp.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the night run with Jennifer - Hagerman Pass to the end!!!</td></tr>
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<b><br />SILVER RUSH 50-MILER:</b> Here is where all of my training started to come together. I put together the components I had been practicing. My nutrition, my pacing, my heart rate zones, and my energy!!! It was a great confidence boost and let me know I was doing *some* things right. Followed that up with a heavy weekend the following weekend and I was READY for the race!<br />
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So, along with the events and races there were the people who spent time with me on my journey -- making it all that it was!</div>
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<b>TODD</b> has always been my long-running BFF and played a key role this year. He met me for many a-long Thursday trail run from winter through summer. He even came up to Leadville to run some of the course with me! I would have never gotten to the start line so prepared without his knowledge, wisdom, time and friendship. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6dzior8Tcorps1-36RLp4fQGtendf3t4PjbKFFTtgcqQxnmNn86meQvCJwuCXRbK37NqN8ulWW9M-ta0PB_Pf5HaMQgT2c1TGdnSBkCwtUhl9WuUBtYxrhwMC2VWGXGEAUoIUpOF83Ex/s400/IMG_8773.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter running - we were trying to beat the snowstorm. Didn't quite work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkqRoWk6lhCPidzvlq0ft9STtrVxMZhA_i0d9G-zTOStqghgeS_xeUSyNtQlO47A51IYKO9WBA2k1usqVIlVwUmtedXJxbfb-FX3Cjq3hgpR9p1fxAvoDMVpV3b2U5v8-oSn9M96sUoUt/s1600/IMG_9252.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkqRoWk6lhCPidzvlq0ft9STtrVxMZhA_i0d9G-zTOStqghgeS_xeUSyNtQlO47A51IYKO9WBA2k1usqVIlVwUmtedXJxbfb-FX3Cjq3hgpR9p1fxAvoDMVpV3b2U5v8-oSn9M96sUoUt/s400/IMG_9252.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It takes a GOOD friend to meet you for a sunrise (long) run. Every. Single. Week.</td></tr>
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<b>KELLY, </b>too, shared many of the trails with me this Spring into early summer, races and a special trip up Hope in the final weeks to cement she and I were both ready for the course!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9so6TgljB8CN5a6OTueUTa4e9yyM48YySnWjVLcb8pfZUda0ieEGHS1f2wnAcCPCsq6CfFaQ-cPQ6d1FMEfVYLXjOp5cUJmD7w71wNtZUfW1uBNk1szZyqq1iFen8xtJchUsg6kVDQCH8/s1600/IMG_9370.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9so6TgljB8CN5a6OTueUTa4e9yyM48YySnWjVLcb8pfZUda0ieEGHS1f2wnAcCPCsq6CfFaQ-cPQ6d1FMEfVYLXjOp5cUJmD7w71wNtZUfW1uBNk1szZyqq1iFen8xtJchUsg6kVDQCH8/s400/IMG_9370.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Looking out" on Golden Eagle Lookout - Just more proof<br />
we have a hard time taking ourselves seriously.</td></tr>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyKaSw7GIvdtr1Vuz_UYPm6tBs3aZBUe80adqMFmYwi3cDWfHCg62XoAoOxUm5Ox9OirzwAB6z4iuSWgtGBQnXMwasMe9v6_qSBL6tXsbg_QaB3n4ZqysvPIOZZ2L8BaLf_4EZbdvLiZW/s400/IMG_9230.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running trails in Denver</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmkDuDz3VfWUjw2btwAeN73F63FL9fevUmVvkiUa05uhPJz4FqfzqLLTQmRa77O7osWRtkB9W589-QNjoFX5mf7Gx7uAdHTHjkKeLO3JPv_sNGOaLnQFuAEvZ7EkuHK3-h0aQ856EE09v/s1600/Hope-Kelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmkDuDz3VfWUjw2btwAeN73F63FL9fevUmVvkiUa05uhPJz4FqfzqLLTQmRa77O7osWRtkB9W589-QNjoFX5mf7Gx7uAdHTHjkKeLO3JPv_sNGOaLnQFuAEvZ7EkuHK3-h0aQ856EE09v/s320/Hope-Kelly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_a2G1mFvdc1vdy7IgWr2pqAxpLsAQcAm9qGLu2VedYAvXZdXQd9NHeLAfOe0XWQlGpBwjpxh0EuXXEAOMC3NmDxFuwireE3kuTTsPTFwAp0dNXm6LcGr3dS6FjrFBrX_p49ENXYfzRC5/s1600/Hope-Randi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_a2G1mFvdc1vdy7IgWr2pqAxpLsAQcAm9qGLu2VedYAvXZdXQd9NHeLAfOe0XWQlGpBwjpxh0EuXXEAOMC3NmDxFuwireE3kuTTsPTFwAp0dNXm6LcGr3dS6FjrFBrX_p49ENXYfzRC5/s320/Hope-Randi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of Hope Pass with Kelly a few weeks before!!!</td></tr>
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Once I got up to Summit County for the summer, I found some super cool friends through the running community making it "fun" to get up early on a Friday for a run and even more FUN to go over Hope twice in one day. (If you haven't figured it out, Hope Pass is kinda a big deal in this race.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc34K_dz4cxdM6hKdTZof0f0tjyXdlbg3I74geAX7_LkzzR79YDVkUJ7xZ74-E8HOx0z-sngwIwPx8dvnNVVlug2pgfmISgYX6csWvGOwid03ujem4Qlb8sUH9lQ10eJTPLqB0mCFUhGRU/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc34K_dz4cxdM6hKdTZof0f0tjyXdlbg3I74geAX7_LkzzR79YDVkUJ7xZ74-E8HOx0z-sngwIwPx8dvnNVVlug2pgfmISgYX6csWvGOwid03ujem4Qlb8sUH9lQ10eJTPLqB0mCFUhGRU/s400/IMG_0209.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Hope Pass Run with Stacey & Kaitlyn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYyz5rYjyge-cEJXBpp0c46nYwh2e6z473Bn2eupxhNG8_pyiiTOPXaxV8I969PqDz4-vf0uLMW8_xcQR28P7YokIiJBECo4MULWI2VHIMJNnh8QsHv3nlfUY57x3cKGKQl-NRME9Lnlm/s1600/IMG_0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYyz5rYjyge-cEJXBpp0c46nYwh2e6z473Bn2eupxhNG8_pyiiTOPXaxV8I969PqDz4-vf0uLMW8_xcQR28P7YokIiJBECo4MULWI2VHIMJNnh8QsHv3nlfUY57x3cKGKQl-NRME9Lnlm/s400/IMG_0488.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out the Breck burn area with Lynn</td></tr>
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And then there was Leadville Camp... where I made a few friends, but many trail brothers and sisters. Some I will keep for years and others played essential roles leading up to and on race day for camaraderie. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQ9kTe8K5G3QbqCF2ed91zSohg3yj8W9zuZCx_-7bAl9wHQpoyj43098v28b6avUhwHgffAe2MG4PWxjmFRDBrFWG19bvfGG0Ra7xXCqji5c254WCh9sfTQo_gC7m1NTb-ZrNqPplwJ7r/s1600/IMG_7531.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQ9kTe8K5G3QbqCF2ed91zSohg3yj8W9zuZCx_-7bAl9wHQpoyj43098v28b6avUhwHgffAe2MG4PWxjmFRDBrFWG19bvfGG0Ra7xXCqji5c254WCh9sfTQo_gC7m1NTb-ZrNqPplwJ7r/s400/IMG_7531.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer (from camp) and I finishing Silver Rush!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAxPIcwXykNDIrJfryDVmDh2J0N9S7FjPRrfzUUR5hYLaDS54aJiPoqG9AuCbvvXKLlhqkndNWCy7dEQ2eUNlKCZqPot9pLcFMAVnHKXsJDIe1Y2ExcFxsnxCx1WhD7gy-Tzrt3Upv5zH/s1600/NightRun.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAxPIcwXykNDIrJfryDVmDh2J0N9S7FjPRrfzUUR5hYLaDS54aJiPoqG9AuCbvvXKLlhqkndNWCy7dEQ2eUNlKCZqPot9pLcFMAVnHKXsJDIe1Y2ExcFxsnxCx1WhD7gy-Tzrt3Upv5zH/s400/NightRun.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going for our own Night Run post camp with Donna (also from camp), Skaadi & Rebecca!</td></tr>
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LASTLY, but most importantly, since trail running is a lot about hiking (you don't "run" up a mountain with 3,000' gain over 4 miles - or at least I don't), so there was lots of times and places to do "training" with the family. From hiking 14'ers, to backpacking, to mountain biking, I just tried to keep active with the family. Turns out, Ross is a pretty good hiker! And we created a lot of great family memories -and the kids didn't even know I was using it for training!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWleE2QDeisdHdEdG99-rR3VsUfXEeiSMbHE3LVhlRMWagYSVU5F-zOvH5khTMQtviSUYQ9LacAS6Op5dRQjC2V3TWFPXOhGM8HL8JvhiM3oZ6J7_aKTbi-QjNEzKCkIcTb7SPmTJvSdFp/s1600/IMG_9906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWleE2QDeisdHdEdG99-rR3VsUfXEeiSMbHE3LVhlRMWagYSVU5F-zOvH5khTMQtviSUYQ9LacAS6Op5dRQjC2V3TWFPXOhGM8HL8JvhiM3oZ6J7_aKTbi-QjNEzKCkIcTb7SPmTJvSdFp/s400/IMG_9906.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting on a hike up Mt. LINCOLN. 14,295'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZkE0TrI7oIE7qpKif3otH-HzSyFDDtKAAbhaKBX1LRub2TjUYlf3YF5bE9At-O4c2U07fIpMr_VHNa-GQ9cCBHzVuWNfwga86fX8-E2RcpCxeuuWlhfdI9__XDU2u2jIvieEia0wSWk7/s1600/IMG_7231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZkE0TrI7oIE7qpKif3otH-HzSyFDDtKAAbhaKBX1LRub2TjUYlf3YF5bE9At-O4c2U07fIpMr_VHNa-GQ9cCBHzVuWNfwga86fX8-E2RcpCxeuuWlhfdI9__XDU2u2jIvieEia0wSWk7/s400/IMG_7231.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillin' at some waterfalls we hiked to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB4xvKPIVeF1pjv7MhVUDIrpwUbhj1a03JiE0YIcRN2dd5-imk9HZB9wsiNhe2aJAxn04pBCMsvMueqUZ5GXgtVpbHSna0pLZjbU0krd5X2505Y0_qsRvv9sdSYfoLYYdazU4NxU7_PRe/s1600/IMG_7438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB4xvKPIVeF1pjv7MhVUDIrpwUbhj1a03JiE0YIcRN2dd5-imk9HZB9wsiNhe2aJAxn04pBCMsvMueqUZ5GXgtVpbHSna0pLZjbU0krd5X2505Y0_qsRvv9sdSYfoLYYdazU4NxU7_PRe/s400/IMG_7438.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohawk Lake Hike 11,860'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-4sJOfrxT42OmMVPk3L2BMISj1ApfJ2C7gibZ9qV69La5NKoUkL41OoKkNPLsO8tcE7hiL3SwtP00W4hzpaZouOsytRh46TquTloRSMO4fHPrhwxI9sUEtE23Esu12KOw-BYkCIBf6cq/s1600/IMG_9767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-4sJOfrxT42OmMVPk3L2BMISj1ApfJ2C7gibZ9qV69La5NKoUkL41OoKkNPLsO8tcE7hiL3SwtP00W4hzpaZouOsytRh46TquTloRSMO4fHPrhwxI9sUEtE23Esu12KOw-BYkCIBf6cq/s400/IMG_9767.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backpacking = Muscles!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpgiRK-UGBikDVQPq9MhKln4PWpraKr2RvxSN88tHh9pHCh9IfBNFKuNQ6G2HP7yO1zHBVrYZeVceGfw616lfKnBUAh2qj-kwODPomvZQ_c-sthXIa8uwxv80HhCY57IBV6i-NVpL2J0Q/s1600/IMG_9819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpgiRK-UGBikDVQPq9MhKln4PWpraKr2RvxSN88tHh9pHCh9IfBNFKuNQ6G2HP7yO1zHBVrYZeVceGfw616lfKnBUAh2qj-kwODPomvZQ_c-sthXIa8uwxv80HhCY57IBV6i-NVpL2J0Q/s400/IMG_9819.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Biking with my little one with our favorite mountain in the background.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLupq7r3Fmd0B21x-O5FjX_CVZEWjUq7kUIUFq8PFGwGq8bVxhwi4QibzIsEPB6Z9Kl-1-45n5UAAXUiSp9egRTyCJ7ccT-FrJGqC3LrK6fyY1SNDjtbU52cDIFCrTts-2xVvz6IupBulb/s1600/IMG_0173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLupq7r3Fmd0B21x-O5FjX_CVZEWjUq7kUIUFq8PFGwGq8bVxhwi4QibzIsEPB6Z9Kl-1-45n5UAAXUiSp9egRTyCJ7ccT-FrJGqC3LrK6fyY1SNDjtbU52cDIFCrTts-2xVvz6IupBulb/s400/IMG_0173.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summiting Ute Peak with my love. 12,303'</td></tr>
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<b>Even with all this work and training, at one point, maybe about 6 weeks out, I started to doubt myself. </b>It was then that I printed out some pictures from all my adventures and put them alongside my "Countdown to Leadville" board to remind me (literally) of all the steps I had taken to be prepared for the race. By the end, it looked something like this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP31BNvix134o-OJD5iQpsdd_wDwMh8c8Pjo3XFgzKeyOAwp5XHMWkyusRZRc1iUASruy0J98AbfK8ez9t3xZ2vXf2J_vjVswcC-OvXaNHtwK0iMxMCgEiAtgeumzgDoeYGxNwTmxYRWE/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP31BNvix134o-OJD5iQpsdd_wDwMh8c8Pjo3XFgzKeyOAwp5XHMWkyusRZRc1iUASruy0J98AbfK8ez9t3xZ2vXf2J_vjVswcC-OvXaNHtwK0iMxMCgEiAtgeumzgDoeYGxNwTmxYRWE/s640/IMG_0205.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I am pretty proud of my year and how I sculpted it to include loads of friends, family, and CHALLENGES to get me to the start line. It was about a week out when I was talking with Sheri (a non-running friend) who said,<b> "No matter what you do on race day, it's like you have already won!" </b>And that rang so true!</div>
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YES! I wanted to have a great day. And YES! I wanted (almost needed) to finish. But her perspective was the exact reason I had been preparing and training the way I had. </div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>With the year I had had, I had won Leadville before I even toed the line!!!</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-81084815115268603382017-04-03T16:07:00.002-07:002017-04-03T16:26:20.999-07:00Behind the Rocks 50k... And Beyond!<style>
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</style><b>What a day! What a day! Actually, what a trip!!!</b><br />
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We are back from Moab – our family Spring Break trip –
and I realized that this was my sixth (yes, SIXTH!!!) time there, but the first
with the kids! (more on that later)</div>
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We planned the trip around my Behind the Rocks 50k, which
took place on the Saturday, March 25<sup>th</sup>. I can’t recommend this race enough.
It was super fun and just a great event.<br />
<br />
On Friday, we traveled into Moab and, before we even hit the hotel we were out and climbing on stuff. First up, a giant sand dune.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kOCN6VTPYFe4QSjjdlbhzMGFRxyIE8tQ_HL6EFyDDwHTiklWzuLmAbwaqVDinUjtIwIK06Z_FcFRvBMs810YUKk56uwKCr0Yp3aYmqadn8UkTfYYywf7eyHqXn6RTbOb4t0LcEyGZ-Y1/s1600/IMG_5728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kOCN6VTPYFe4QSjjdlbhzMGFRxyIE8tQ_HL6EFyDDwHTiklWzuLmAbwaqVDinUjtIwIK06Z_FcFRvBMs810YUKk56uwKCr0Yp3aYmqadn8UkTfYYywf7eyHqXn6RTbOb4t0LcEyGZ-Y1/s400/IMG_5728.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURk5pFU1oqQPudOkMFTj7_bncyGeOc2MDLjJVZOHxDoxL7-uff23vn5HmbqqenFlSM7eED7enf3H94yCcUjgSkEmzVEedjt1UZqwHKyhiyCdx1p4i8L0vWMygTQ7pxup0SJVhYFlS_aMV/s1600/IMG_5743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURk5pFU1oqQPudOkMFTj7_bncyGeOc2MDLjJVZOHxDoxL7-uff23vn5HmbqqenFlSM7eED7enf3H94yCcUjgSkEmzVEedjt1UZqwHKyhiyCdx1p4i8L0vWMygTQ7pxup0SJVhYFlS_aMV/s400/IMG_5743.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of the dune!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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After that it was onto the hotel to de-sand (ha! not possible) and onto packet pickup where I met up with Cindy (my coach) and we
chatted about expectations and what to focus on. </div>
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The next morning, we were up early and it was cold. But I
knew the sun would come up and I would warm up. And that I did.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZBpp0AGLMiY2KeTt9mYPBRT0buVvPTqOzIBDXHmOishGpCpCQ7exxjj4-m0Dybns9P28h7U5dCXCfQhSLTR_-dxRW15tGPHjj4pUVwF4V_7pat5xokTPIZu7-uGllFzOCIVAQDaPBIhA/s1600/IMG_5753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZBpp0AGLMiY2KeTt9mYPBRT0buVvPTqOzIBDXHmOishGpCpCQ7exxjj4-m0Dybns9P28h7U5dCXCfQhSLTR_-dxRW15tGPHjj4pUVwF4V_7pat5xokTPIZu7-uGllFzOCIVAQDaPBIhA/s400/IMG_5753.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the sun comes up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaayTEP8X6TzFTC3rsadzN1HCeAoX-8qesW5lI0HleqChAZ7hFtk1s9PaPDlC5BNtb44EJUzxqK2UW2Ndpu_Q30fyJrdI1Tc_22KhI4pp0TgScX76TgwTToaH-zLZv9x4ejG4fd41_Ob3F/s1600/IMG_5763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaayTEP8X6TzFTC3rsadzN1HCeAoX-8qesW5lI0HleqChAZ7hFtk1s9PaPDlC5BNtb44EJUzxqK2UW2Ndpu_Q30fyJrdI1Tc_22KhI4pp0TgScX76TgwTToaH-zLZv9x4ejG4fd41_Ob3F/s400/IMG_5763.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
The race began and I was off! Since I felt like last year I just ran, ran, ran, walk, walk, walk - ed, I REALLY just wanted to run this race all the way through (well, for the most part). So when the race started, off I went, at a real reasonable and easy pace.<br />
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The first couple miles are on a jeep road and I realized the sun was coming up behind me, so I stopped and took a picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi4ACwNk-nip1qtlO5eMUw6OAPQYyeJC6I2ObQyeJ0H6NrjjGvcMPqBiNSkQG1DFWQVCXa0CqmQUzUKQ6FYQQClnQ-mfSUHGLUQ_MZcFNuO_HuRfA_GPQWH8yS44dCeyUw9oXfwSeQScd/s1600/IMG_9097+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi4ACwNk-nip1qtlO5eMUw6OAPQYyeJC6I2ObQyeJ0H6NrjjGvcMPqBiNSkQG1DFWQVCXa0CqmQUzUKQ6FYQQClnQ-mfSUHGLUQ_MZcFNuO_HuRfA_GPQWH8yS44dCeyUw9oXfwSeQScd/s640/IMG_9097+2.JPG" width="640" /></a> </div>
I continued on, just plugging along and trying to figure my stuff out. I do the best is when I have clear goals in my head, so here's where I really melded one together. (I know, a little late, but better late than never.)<br />
<br />
<b>My Goal:</b> Get to the end running most/all the way and feeling good and strong at the end.<br />
<br />
<b>My Strategy:</b><br />
<b>Miles 1 - 16: Just plug along.</b> <i>Keep my heartrate nice and light and just enjoy the views (this is a REALLY beautiful race).</i><br />
<br />
<b>Miles 16-24 : Push, but not too much. </b>This was the hard part - climbing out of one technical canyon and then up another one. <i>I needed to push here and keep moving/running along. Walk when I must, but run everything else.</i><br />
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<b>Miles 24-30: Keep it even. </b>Now that I was out of the climbs and onto rolling terrain, just keep my heartrate even - push a little harder on the ups and recover on the downs.<br />
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<b>Miles 30 - 32: Bring it home. </b>Whatever I had left, I was going to use and just get. to. the. end.<br />
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Since I was just plugging along for the first half, here's some pictures of my first 16 miles:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJScM3AhM2lDi9g1BsyLgJycapsCJ_HgRgyIBOHP7M5Js7qK-YnmpnSyX-UWqADXkkhKfy62i5mBPAYVenxw_LhunuWNQASLHYHKxIBjfmtATFlgUxbHUsB2aQLAmM4i89rAKQ0jllCvl/s1600/IMG_9103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJScM3AhM2lDi9g1BsyLgJycapsCJ_HgRgyIBOHP7M5Js7qK-YnmpnSyX-UWqADXkkhKfy62i5mBPAYVenxw_LhunuWNQASLHYHKxIBjfmtATFlgUxbHUsB2aQLAmM4i89rAKQ0jllCvl/s400/IMG_9103.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the first 2 miles, the trail turned to trail (not jeep road) and was more like this...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGzBbh-IPR3EnTu4B02B2XngkmYUqZuQ8onLbq7ykPGLmQ7M0FZ-naO8UPPt8SgZ7hs4gW49tP0_YNedMbe4ue1qcjkry-MgLh-xxHD06CIDiM-TSjwAZp7yM0pCeqMvfLLya_y6pBCYA/s1600/IMG_9109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGzBbh-IPR3EnTu4B02B2XngkmYUqZuQ8onLbq7ykPGLmQ7M0FZ-naO8UPPt8SgZ7hs4gW49tP0_YNedMbe4ue1qcjkry-MgLh-xxHD06CIDiM-TSjwAZp7yM0pCeqMvfLLya_y6pBCYA/s640/IMG_9109.JPG" width="640" /></a> Which just made the views AMAZING!!!<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZahF-ajxl3o3rcU8QSXLTBFXuksoM3lNDdD7MOQWJbH66H9sRTeAd8xbfH-gHXraHqBRo4I3gEg7cDewkyPy-1oIOycdxYRdIGqICJlOmc4XgrK-_xDFM9KrHRIGl2dR4SNh49_e8trv/s640/IMG_9107+2.JPG" width="640" /></div>
Coming out of the first aid station. (I had a volunteer take my picture before I started running. Again.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UQxDgoKc4ucsZ71e5uTcSUI3zMU6DdSkhHx-DKRkzaqfyjHSIKvGykz2mUDHH-xTAHVCP9VCGOBw23Fx2FSVcim2RasafiO1FL-2wWiwagtGBYE5HNCnadzY6GY3wLbuiEopj1jhpBvQ/s1600/IMG_9110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UQxDgoKc4ucsZ71e5uTcSUI3zMU6DdSkhHx-DKRkzaqfyjHSIKvGykz2mUDHH-xTAHVCP9VCGOBw23Fx2FSVcim2RasafiO1FL-2wWiwagtGBYE5HNCnadzY6GY3wLbuiEopj1jhpBvQ/s400/IMG_9110.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Don't be fooled - that looks WAY PRETTY, but was also lots of SAND that I had to slug through. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTv-y2xLfUkk3-jCOqScbLqbbC449OjH0icurhYU808UYc1oxgu1WIg7HPHGD4VQxlGThaC95obi-yxoFI5DUtdrfyZW9v2FekKaGflB0Ui7lTXzBJ05mxSww2CJVhup6B9zMBQAc1v8d/s1600/IMG_9111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTv-y2xLfUkk3-jCOqScbLqbbC449OjH0icurhYU808UYc1oxgu1WIg7HPHGD4VQxlGThaC95obi-yxoFI5DUtdrfyZW9v2FekKaGflB0Ui7lTXzBJ05mxSww2CJVhup6B9zMBQAc1v8d/s640/IMG_9111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IkgUGAsI4CTBhLfZaQFVLg6_TW-H9qn8_zBZCuUS7uC_LqSaN536Vz4RxS22PPO4EZiq7ULFWRmAoY6pvOU3ozdeEMVMAfZGZmYN46Yo4AHrcNAU2fi-NO_RNTxfZkK3hSGBwg0JysWQ/s1600/IMG_9115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IkgUGAsI4CTBhLfZaQFVLg6_TW-H9qn8_zBZCuUS7uC_LqSaN536Vz4RxS22PPO4EZiq7ULFWRmAoY6pvOU3ozdeEMVMAfZGZmYN46Yo4AHrcNAU2fi-NO_RNTxfZkK3hSGBwg0JysWQ/s320/IMG_9115.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Still Happy at this point </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpe0hKNxCY5Fltppn5tSGsYoESu3BKKkAdY2D1i885dynz4v7JRcezAn3CbIV5eH720JodMXz2G3NtDsmfRxI13AHs3L8y2C42icglL7Bw2ozvKdAzkLy5r1CLM1vLGfPSy6X7Jg4SPE3/s1600/IMG_9117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpe0hKNxCY5Fltppn5tSGsYoESu3BKKkAdY2D1i885dynz4v7JRcezAn3CbIV5eH720JodMXz2G3NtDsmfRxI13AHs3L8y2C42icglL7Bw2ozvKdAzkLy5r1CLM1vLGfPSy6X7Jg4SPE3/s640/IMG_9117.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am not sure what that thing is in the distance, but I think it's famous.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxPcn_h3tst77P4YBfszpBahQ8StVTJeMldBb177mUkSEMHN9tDqfQC9nMi1nQVLf7LQvaRWA_kqpgcsunX14mlAEX9CPgdVXhNTRJR2mOXrceZN-_QEpnPM2Uqzu7ziMe_X87GbcQYa6/s1600/IMG_9121+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxPcn_h3tst77P4YBfszpBahQ8StVTJeMldBb177mUkSEMHN9tDqfQC9nMi1nQVLf7LQvaRWA_kqpgcsunX14mlAEX9CPgdVXhNTRJR2mOXrceZN-_QEpnPM2Uqzu7ziMe_X87GbcQYa6/s640/IMG_9121+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was in the last canyon we had to run DOWN before the halfway point!</div>
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It was steep and scary with much bouldering and scrambling here. </div>
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So, I got to halfway and... no Ross or kids. :(</div>
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BUT, as I was filling up my waterpack, they drove up and jumped out only to tell me how great I was doing!!! Evidentally, I went faster than they planned, hence, the late entrance. I'll take that as a compliment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFcjaEx_acSz1_ubALcnMTiqQTpteOUnU-WyByrP1-pSQrtuZso7fiygMWhJfhIx80CPEnUpOqR3XtbKRbZ4QfTy0egcCeNGjOJaoICghxVXjPtXyLsqeaI5MpYpreT0qXIn_Jj5R63GB/s1600/IMG_5778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFcjaEx_acSz1_ubALcnMTiqQTpteOUnU-WyByrP1-pSQrtuZso7fiygMWhJfhIx80CPEnUpOqR3XtbKRbZ4QfTy0egcCeNGjOJaoICghxVXjPtXyLsqeaI5MpYpreT0qXIn_Jj5R63GB/s400/IMG_5778.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
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Halfway - YAY!</div>
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After that, I knew that I was gonna tackle the hard part, so no more pictures. I worked on getting my way up and out of the canyon I was in. This part of the race was super technical and scary and, at one point, I was so stuck I couldn't get up a ledge without help from someone coming down - those short, little legs, I tell you. BUT, I will say, I enjoyed going up more than the scariness of coming down. </div>
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Once out off of the Hunter Canyon Rim Trail, it was up Prichard Canyon (more climbing). I pushed when I could and walked when I had to. And... soon enough I was at the next aid station - YAY again. </div>
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From there, it was rolling terrain and I ran a lot with another girl who we had been pacing close together the whole time. That was nice and kept my mind occupied, even if it caused extra exertion - hey, you pick your battles.</div>
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At mile 28, we had a SURPRISE aid station -- which was nice! But I think I ate a little too much (or the wrong thing) and didn't feel quite right coming out. It felt like it took me awhile to really get back up to speed, but now looking at the course profile, could have also been that I was going up and thought I was going flat. Either way, I hit mile 30 and was ready to rock'n roll. </div>
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Mile 30 till the end is rolling downhill terrain, coupled with the fact that I KNEW I was CLOSE to the finish, I just booked it on in (using that term loosely, as I was only doing 10-min miles, at best). You see the finish from about .75 mile out, so I was just wanting to go-go-go till I got there. And THIS time, Ross and the kids were waiting for me!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkxCIJJiucm15CDUhZNv26AfmC0l4BFPb8cAYOI3oLxurhLByipw7kG0P5IqhmX3ukZu7o0wYsnRzzqF5e4btuQWYV9eKNdMm5a2XA1d-4H1a3vhk495Bem7NQryyEarx2xN9jSne3ed-/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkxCIJJiucm15CDUhZNv26AfmC0l4BFPb8cAYOI3oLxurhLByipw7kG0P5IqhmX3ukZu7o0wYsnRzzqF5e4btuQWYV9eKNdMm5a2XA1d-4H1a3vhk495Bem7NQryyEarx2xN9jSne3ed-/s640/IMG_0115.JPG" width="640" /> </a>World's Best Finish Line Pacers! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLAdQKQG4kEvRavkdmNT7w97s6SQoITcH27olj7G7t8oH-EtCuySXXEBnjdkHd33mbYWO-qVrYFKh_jf9RWk9Dfs3QEgv6TjLFsBT9WxYW3IdGWopVHcs3R0lSW7Zjh2qDBTC0_BY_CJZ/s1600/IMG_5782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLAdQKQG4kEvRavkdmNT7w97s6SQoITcH27olj7G7t8oH-EtCuySXXEBnjdkHd33mbYWO-qVrYFKh_jf9RWk9Dfs3QEgv6TjLFsBT9WxYW3IdGWopVHcs3R0lSW7Zjh2qDBTC0_BY_CJZ/s640/IMG_5782.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Can't say enough for my AMAZING BOYS!!!</div>
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So, there you have it. Step #2 in my Journey to Leadville. 20 weeks out and still loving the training. I am excited to tackle the next phase and also my first 50 miler this season. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AAfizlDu6QyKMtQVhZgjjxR1aTJFNCPxOf-pgSSH_XnlWZ_FxUC_KUucckuBVeso7d0Q8Tb8kRdXxWlwurAkoaVUOf0K7CUY9APOsW3CV1sjwsinWsgNNGDR4EB8f2uz49H4ZNgqJgZw/s1600/IMG_9184+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AAfizlDu6QyKMtQVhZgjjxR1aTJFNCPxOf-pgSSH_XnlWZ_FxUC_KUucckuBVeso7d0Q8Tb8kRdXxWlwurAkoaVUOf0K7CUY9APOsW3CV1sjwsinWsgNNGDR4EB8f2uz49H4ZNgqJgZw/s400/IMG_9184+copy.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It's a countdown - the numbers are counting weeks till races.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Overall, I had a great race, finished faster than anticipated and also stronger than anticipated. In addition, my legs were good to go as early as the next day! We went mountain biking and all was great!</div>
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PART TWO: THE KIDS</div>
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This was only the start to a totally fun Moab trip with the boys, where we basically spent 5 days climbing up, around and on anything possible. Rocks, sand dunes, canyons, arches, you name it. Basically, MY KID'S DREAM COME TRUE!!! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-9310782479530281352015-07-13T10:05:00.002-07:002015-07-13T10:05:39.813-07:00Bicycle Tour Colorado -- Well... half of it!Bicycle Tour Colorado is a week long bike tour around Colorado. For those of you who don't really know what that is, basically, you bike from town to town over a week and the "tour" sets up the route, aid stations, transports your luggage in between, etc. to make it all possible.<br />
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When Ross said he wanted to bike more this year, we set it out as our goal to do it together. That, along with the support of our awesome parents (who came to watch the kids), made it possible. Here is the route:<br />
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Leading up to the tour, we did a lot of training together and had a lot of fun on our bikes together...<br />
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Then, the morning that we had to check-in for the tour, Ross woke up SICK! He tried to sleep it off that morning, we packed up, headed up to Breckenridge to check-in, and then he slept more. Sometime that night, Ross' fever broke (we thought) and Sunday he woke up determined to do this tour (we HAD been training for it for 6 months or so). So, off we went...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out at the "official" start</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding with my honey</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Aid Station, that's Copper Mountain behind us.</td></tr>
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Ross was doing well, but some of his symptoms were coming back. From here, we took it <i>REALLY</i> slow up Fremont Pass (like there is another way to do it). But we still made it!<br />
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Ross was really hurting by now (sickness, not out-of-shapeness), so we just focused on getting down the pass and to Leadville.<br />
<br />
We did and made it to our hotel where Ross sacked out for the entire night and his condition just got worse. Knowing this, we/I (since Ross was knocked out) had some decisions to make. SAG was an option... but not really. It would not be comfortable for him to SAG the following day in the heat with nausea. SO, the following morning, I woke up early and rode back to Breckenridge by myself, got our car and then drove back to Leadville to pick up Ross (all before 10 am).<br />
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From there, it was rest and recovery in Breckenridge for Ross. While he was sleeping it off, I tried to get some good riding in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Vail Pass - I rode it both ways one day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Ute Pass - possibly one of my favorite views in Summit County!</td></tr>
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When Ross recovered, he insisted we try to salvage the end of the trip. So... come Wednesday, it was off to Crested Butte! The tour had their rest day there on Thursday to which we went on an awesome hike!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq1d1YaR0ASBjbPXD0UNIJ1xT36vExbv6pNgXMolL6diU9nIGjyt7S5lv4VDZave2JKuWJH4y_adfSzVlb-h0EDgKmxJHSbWHoXhBJuK3fXYDLEe0Wb3KvuwbX9qw0bHBcE_ciUma4nG_/s1600/IMG_1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq1d1YaR0ASBjbPXD0UNIJ1xT36vExbv6pNgXMolL6diU9nIGjyt7S5lv4VDZave2JKuWJH4y_adfSzVlb-h0EDgKmxJHSbWHoXhBJuK3fXYDLEe0Wb3KvuwbX9qw0bHBcE_ciUma4nG_/s640/IMG_1944.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in between Aspen forests!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Crested Butte behind us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VSR-G4ibUPzbExAaXzU_4Ly9LrhceCdVOIsgIF4iND8CZNM6YNuHzBW2d_UBSrP08GT-TiHxgULX5LtTkwnBiiV8b2gx_FiQKomzDN5pE2mVGYPlNnr4U2zfR8bdvL1dFyWLtNuQth_J/s1600/IMG_1981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VSR-G4ibUPzbExAaXzU_4Ly9LrhceCdVOIsgIF4iND8CZNM6YNuHzBW2d_UBSrP08GT-TiHxgULX5LtTkwnBiiV8b2gx_FiQKomzDN5pE2mVGYPlNnr4U2zfR8bdvL1dFyWLtNuQth_J/s400/IMG_1981.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers starting to bloom - we're about 2 weeks early for the season!</td></tr>
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And then on Friday, we got back to riding!<br />
I took off with the tour, Ross drove to the end and rode backward to meet us. I went through Cottonwood Canyon (so pretty!) and then up to Cottonwood Pass!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4NC83bIHKqL-kJKV6dAiJ1g72TXNrSRpZnjPHu0h_lVGU14JUIp3wWcZS3sYTju1sXpsHa1xpzUBqc8crSQ2bfpmZLOmB-nSV6mKZ8JtASlTsrnZ3f1hI8EmOxexuKVcSpzsxa1mKgqR/s1600/IMG_3697.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4NC83bIHKqL-kJKV6dAiJ1g72TXNrSRpZnjPHu0h_lVGU14JUIp3wWcZS3sYTju1sXpsHa1xpzUBqc8crSQ2bfpmZLOmB-nSV6mKZ8JtASlTsrnZ3f1hI8EmOxexuKVcSpzsxa1mKgqR/s640/IMG_3697.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of reservoir on way up to Cottonwood Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMClGEbBcrBDlA1zMxW9t3_NCILAv1vMvvtGN03KSlrPJ8iKtNXsfrypaMDu0rOoay8ETUOlA19W_66tQLVRkLh6RfKX5x9YJ2ycea6sPh2OSRN-qVQvbkDHPLdDoQq4hRXwiBdb48Bl_X/s1600/IMG_3706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMClGEbBcrBDlA1zMxW9t3_NCILAv1vMvvtGN03KSlrPJ8iKtNXsfrypaMDu0rOoay8ETUOlA19W_66tQLVRkLh6RfKX5x9YJ2ycea6sPh2OSRN-qVQvbkDHPLdDoQq4hRXwiBdb48Bl_X/s400/IMG_3706.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patty, Julie and I at the top of Cottonwood Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAB_5YLgB7V25OSoy5v1sUiyE15bd041V9swUfb65jlGMVOR9pa-UgKwrfTxMeAiQRbUpcg015fOl6LtQrqz2Q-U9_ahvtcDWX1ewCQxRLiU65RjfIssB7OEd146gWVlust10EdX1N-Az/s1600/IMG_3709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAB_5YLgB7V25OSoy5v1sUiyE15bd041V9swUfb65jlGMVOR9pa-UgKwrfTxMeAiQRbUpcg015fOl6LtQrqz2Q-U9_ahvtcDWX1ewCQxRLiU65RjfIssB7OEd146gWVlust10EdX1N-Az/s400/IMG_3709.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging with our new friend in Salida</td></tr>
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Saturday, we took of together riding with our friends when Charley's derailer broke 12 miles into the ride. Knowing this, Ross rode back, got the car, picked up Charley and his bike and then they met us at the 2nd aid station. From there, Ross and I rode the rest of the way together while Charley drove our car to the end (thank you, Charley!).<br />
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It was a hard ride, but one that I will treasure forever. It was long and uphill, BUT well worth the views and time. Basically, I had been looking forward to riding with my hubby in the mountains and showing him what I had the opportunity to do a few years ago... and this was our chance to do that. True, it wasn't a full week of riding, but we took what we got and we made it count. This week made me realize how lucky I am to have a partner in life that treasures the same things I do and is willing and wanting to make things happen. Over the week, we got stronger as a couple and stronger as riders.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-64979647756032518142015-06-09T16:15:00.001-07:002015-06-09T18:39:11.450-07:00I'm a LEGEND!!! Not really - that's a joke. It comes from the triathlon I did this weekend which was called... LEGEND.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2AFqyL5RJQenB5bkLPPwcMG1Wt0C1AS5uITA53qNIcihoGnYTIyAzBdj79N0HYvAuiBXSai4k5OuEEk2gep8GXs0by73QOlMazKhJma7isRhn8gF44_KpSbZg6SGNdHp5aKlqVegPRwM/s1600/Legend-Logo-100.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2AFqyL5RJQenB5bkLPPwcMG1Wt0C1AS5uITA53qNIcihoGnYTIyAzBdj79N0HYvAuiBXSai4k5OuEEk2gep8GXs0by73QOlMazKhJma7isRhn8gF44_KpSbZg6SGNdHp5aKlqVegPRwM/s400/Legend-Logo-100.png" width="400" /></a></div>
BUT, in all seriousness, it was a serious distance with some serious hardware at the end.<br />
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When scheduling out this season and training races and such for IMMOO, I did have trouble figuring out what to do, what would be the best path, AND what would excite me. <b>I'm not gonna lie... the thought of returning to Kansas didn't really excite me. </b>BUT, when Kansas 70.3 sold their rights to Legend and then added the option of doing a 100, a new distance did excite me!<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>2 mile swim + 80 mile bike + 18 mile run = 100... YIKES!, I mean YAY!</b><br />
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We arrived in Kansas on Friday night and the first thing I thought was, "OMG... I can't breathe!" That's right, humidity was at it's finest and I had been away from it for way too long. We checked in to the race on Saturday and it was HOT! but again, I signed up for this, right?<br />
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Being a new distance, the one good thing that it had going for it was that I was gonna PR no matter what AND being a new distance, course, etc. I wasn't completely sure what to expect. The one thing that I did want to do was give the course my all. I had raced a 70.3 3-weeks earlier and felt like I wasn't really giving it everything I could, like I was just going through the motions... and I wanted this one to be different.<br />
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Race morning hit and a 4:30 a.m. wake-up call for the kids (their first). You want to know that magic word to get kids moving at that time?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donuts!!! </td></tr>
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Got to the park and the sun was coming up...<br />
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<br />
Got into transition, got set up, and I felt like I had everything covered. There wasn't too much time before the race to get nervous, and I was racked by Matt and Molly, so it was good to see familiar faces. And it was off to the start.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8m4VMRz1xRCcxKaIOkJDorhgrhXu-LdT7kg55nwov-l4Nuy3Rhe67QLyzSSTBgIvDgJKz_km8U4QKOhQ29EYcTO_nCzT8kLSKcWJCqAF1WhwHv8qEGDbYJRBYwWdjeJtyBm2R3xQZ__5/s1600/IMG_8880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8m4VMRz1xRCcxKaIOkJDorhgrhXu-LdT7kg55nwov-l4Nuy3Rhe67QLyzSSTBgIvDgJKz_km8U4QKOhQ29EYcTO_nCzT8kLSKcWJCqAF1WhwHv8qEGDbYJRBYwWdjeJtyBm2R3xQZ__5/s640/IMG_8880.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to get in for a warm-up swim... No dice. Too late. Had to get right back out. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIJ4AKWf6ND_her6WddC0_PYJLWwHw0IFKJ6n-jBMGPlkgMaC77JbKWaoKyN1N0tqeekRqken2kmpaRLtlqPEY_ia1YueqLBK4kzj_y8Rj5xWkkfcaPcDp4evbQ3th7Oat9CQfuLy1-5p/s1600/IMG_8909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIJ4AKWf6ND_her6WddC0_PYJLWwHw0IFKJ6n-jBMGPlkgMaC77JbKWaoKyN1N0tqeekRqken2kmpaRLtlqPEY_ia1YueqLBK4kzj_y8Rj5xWkkfcaPcDp4evbQ3th7Oat9CQfuLy1-5p/s640/IMG_8909.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Molly at the start. Man it was good to have her there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA906Fl7uQ0WAWT4DAhbhYoTX7cw91oEfryhBPDEsogEW8s_WEK4Aany7fBAK8PlqwWlqeiaXhRId9fYGOb_ZF5Z2VPqHkWqcoKNGZk45W_KT4qe48jsZEyFpOaj26Tp247jSYZK9b8zxO/s1600/IMG_8927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA906Fl7uQ0WAWT4DAhbhYoTX7cw91oEfryhBPDEsogEW8s_WEK4Aany7fBAK8PlqwWlqeiaXhRId9fYGOb_ZF5Z2VPqHkWqcoKNGZk45W_KT4qe48jsZEyFpOaj26Tp247jSYZK9b8zxO/s640/IMG_8927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off we go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The thing that I have always battled is hyperventilating at the start. I consider myself a strong swimmer, not a fast swimmer, but I have never felt like I am going to die in the water, so I don't think it is the mental part as much as the physiological part of the swim that causes me to hyperventilate. To counter that, I have been swimming in REALLY cold water (51-55 degrees) at home. This water was around 68, so it felt so warm. Additionally, I started out slower and sped up as I got used to it (instead of going out at a full sprint) and... BAM! No hyperventilating. That helped me immensely get through this swim, both mentally and physically.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7gz048fUb0AjHknQcJ9O0X7z6vkE66RNCkUNRYTJ-xsa1WHTk1RQK4UXakRKTQSkEVagRcWPx8xczvFwYvq2yv0ufTAqlGo-eA-1LZxWEkV_U0cErZlSD8IFbyiLTrOGVwyG0KB1AeXa/s1600/IMG_8941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7gz048fUb0AjHknQcJ9O0X7z6vkE66RNCkUNRYTJ-xsa1WHTk1RQK4UXakRKTQSkEVagRcWPx8xczvFwYvq2yv0ufTAqlGo-eA-1LZxWEkV_U0cErZlSD8IFbyiLTrOGVwyG0KB1AeXa/s400/IMG_8941.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming out at the 1/2 way mark before heading in again for lap #2.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Additionally, coming into the swim, I was a little worried about the distance because I hadn't been swimming that far or that much lately. But, about 1/2 way through I thought "No biggie, I am up for another lap" and it was a great feeling to have! On top of that, Ross was there and told me my time -- which was right where I wanted to be. It made it nice to know I was on target and I shot for another lap at about that pace. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtK-CR_we0WYBS5txu_Jkte3z9R0ltfhRiTLgu5pJmji4kn5HrqmyTZzI4GVxM6z-wroUgrbieMQLhVCIyiEvUzzrlsWtSuy8NIgBBcJ4YShyphenhyphenmphi7nIxwM-hw-1Z_MsHBRM5dvXYUQ67/s1600/IMG_8951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtK-CR_we0WYBS5txu_Jkte3z9R0ltfhRiTLgu5pJmji4kn5HrqmyTZzI4GVxM6z-wroUgrbieMQLhVCIyiEvUzzrlsWtSuy8NIgBBcJ4YShyphenhyphenmphi7nIxwM-hw-1Z_MsHBRM5dvXYUQ67/s400/IMG_8951.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming out of the swim on time target - yay!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Next goal - nail the transition. </b>In my last tri, I had dawdled a bit in transition. Even stopped to pose for pictures. Now, it was time to get a move on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCGh9CyOOL3XGuJCJBq10LQp8Cg1uA9ALnf9vISRU2u-3JHZalj-f9ExcMTqTwPX2lyTVPbU9WzZphuhabJHZnz9o2muHyE_7qNNVE4NrLfD8usTycKtYQCzQbGFOi7-0QlUrgagxNe-D/s1600/IMG_8959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCGh9CyOOL3XGuJCJBq10LQp8Cg1uA9ALnf9vISRU2u-3JHZalj-f9ExcMTqTwPX2lyTVPbU9WzZphuhabJHZnz9o2muHyE_7qNNVE4NrLfD8usTycKtYQCzQbGFOi7-0QlUrgagxNe-D/s400/IMG_8959.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming through transition</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Having the kids around during this time is also always fun. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_WA0kRArHzIcgKi9EdjoIzXQGZhO-RjkbdSfzGcnQ3gDNVwRrukE6JnaqRFIqVcNMVro580fl6hNJY6j8TRqId9KFSltENxbGtpuQgXkwzU-gUXlHunDxayMYEKoMh9cUE9YSoI7GwsX/s1600/IMG_8966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_WA0kRArHzIcgKi9EdjoIzXQGZhO-RjkbdSfzGcnQ3gDNVwRrukE6JnaqRFIqVcNMVro580fl6hNJY6j8TRqId9KFSltENxbGtpuQgXkwzU-gUXlHunDxayMYEKoMh9cUE9YSoI7GwsX/s400/IMG_8966.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter (left) riding with me out of transition for the first ten feet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And then I was off on my bike. The thing I had going for me with this bike course was that it was going to be hilly and windy -- just like the course I practice on ALL. THE. TIME. Although, I will say, the wind was mighty strong this day. <br />
<br />
The first thing that threw me was my back started cramping up right away. I am not sure why or what happened, but it was something that wouldn't go away through the whole ride. I had never had that happen before, so I didn't really know what to do about it, so I just kept riding through the pain. On some of the smaller hills I would stand up on my bike and power over them trying to loosen up my back. It helped a bit, but not much. As the ride got longer (we WERE doing 80 miles after all), I did stop and stretch my back and hips twice. I knew that would add to my time, but it was either that or give up and giving up... well, THAT wasn't an option. <br />
<br />
Overall, the ride was hilly and windy and I was going slower than anticipated, but I kept a positive attitude because (1) the course conditions were harder than anticipated and (2) nobody was passing me. Usually, if I am bonking or slowing down, there are people passing me and that wasn't happening so all I could think was "yay me!"<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1FWQuavbrd-vOqG2iVU-gpGnlypUPb7nlcZzDRjWS3agLruL0lD2pMPyDvivPhsumWjBBv64BkwnjzKKu96zWlZYcSXyWwN79JbOyJbKYYq6M9p9bNmyJdLZDAP84o8CDSEheptP3xmR/s1600/IMG_8982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1FWQuavbrd-vOqG2iVU-gpGnlypUPb7nlcZzDRjWS3agLruL0lD2pMPyDvivPhsumWjBBv64BkwnjzKKu96zWlZYcSXyWwN79JbOyJbKYYq6M9p9bNmyJdLZDAP84o8CDSEheptP3xmR/s400/IMG_8982.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross and kids were there as I entered back into the park!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, off the bike and... I didn't exactly nail that transition. By this time, I was tired and I hurt.I spent some time stretching in transition and just catching my breath. The one good thing about feeling like crud -- I knew I gave it my all on the bike. The bad thing, I still had 18 miles to go on the run.<br />
<br />
The run is essentially 3 6-mile loops, so I thought it best to break it down mentally by loop. From transition, you had a short out and back in the woods (shade!) and then up a looooong hard hill - that we would have to run 3 times that day, oy! Once up the hill, you hit a campground where you run the majority of the 6-mile loop. Entering the campground was Pete with a tent and the majority of people I knew at the race (Michelle, Bill, Andrew, Kim, Mike and more!) who had done different distances and already finished racing. Having them there was motivation enough to run into the campground. Then around the campground were plenty of campers there to cheer everyone on - many with sprinklers and hoses, for which I was forever grateful for! (About halfway through, the campsite, an aid station was within Pete's tent's eyesight and there I would hear cheers, too! Boy, tri-friends know the right level of embarrassment/encouragement to keep you going. Thanks, guys!)<br />
<br />
Ross and the kids found me about 1/2 way through my first loop and would ride ahead, stop and wait for me to catch up for bits and pieces of the course. This helped and it was fun to have someone to run "to."<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipen6cgXxPcaWbut1rA5IYhNbeQt9sE1kcFgY8epLzA2UD8xrDew9DpCP-W9AlOt6wDinZu6vDBrtUpPkR1OhxSdHPZ8TPjM5Jc0WMHrlR_W6fiYACW5Z5OACaozc_MK9P503w1TR6Y2v-/s1600/IMG_8985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipen6cgXxPcaWbut1rA5IYhNbeQt9sE1kcFgY8epLzA2UD8xrDew9DpCP-W9AlOt6wDinZu6vDBrtUpPkR1OhxSdHPZ8TPjM5Jc0WMHrlR_W6fiYACW5Z5OACaozc_MK9P503w1TR6Y2v-/s400/IMG_8985.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see Hunter behind me and Linc ahead of me in this pict.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This went on for the first loop (where at the end my tri friends saved me with some salt in my water) and then it was out of the campground, an out-and-back, down the hill and repeat the loop (2 more times!). Once I made it back up the hill, the boys were hanging at Pete's tent for much of lap two (thank you, Pete, for being there and letting them use some of your shade). For lap three, they were in the car to cool off (I don't blame them!).<br />
<br />
I ain't gonna lie, it was a lot of run, run, run, walk, walk, walk, run,
run, run, but it was all I had in me to keep going. And keep going I
did. It was at an aid station in the campground where my watched had clicked over to 16 miles and I thought 2 MORE MILES (it seemed like a loooong way), but then I thought "hey! I am 98% done, I can do this!" <br />
<br />
And do this, I did. When it came time to finish... I was more than ready!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vIrEy5Munm6uvvw1cnv2rHwHDEykpuoFpEK8TUObfzakbawcKR3vtkiyPgpg84BVrM9DrpD-l7PB09cG5yLSqj5YQ9BYblIqHmnKHb0_YYlqHDci6RexvPGJvZYAcO96cAtiNQBfaMPY/s1600/IMG_8991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vIrEy5Munm6uvvw1cnv2rHwHDEykpuoFpEK8TUObfzakbawcKR3vtkiyPgpg84BVrM9DrpD-l7PB09cG5yLSqj5YQ9BYblIqHmnKHb0_YYlqHDci6RexvPGJvZYAcO96cAtiNQBfaMPY/s400/IMG_8991.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>Not pictured: Linc coaching me into the finish line shoot and Hunter doing everything he could to smile cuz the heat really had got to him. I have the BEST family. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4Hs4G_sFVbWpdZMiMwyR06gCVIVKZDWgF7f4S3nu4euLjo1pGlfuAc5relX54JsDf3hnx0TZ7dIiLjqTcZjjMS_IKJod3eC-L3E9DsDhuoT7Rx1s1oTUpguG5cf1tt4EH3zNvZj_aBds/s1600/IMG_9011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4Hs4G_sFVbWpdZMiMwyR06gCVIVKZDWgF7f4S3nu4euLjo1pGlfuAc5relX54JsDf3hnx0TZ7dIiLjqTcZjjMS_IKJod3eC-L3E9DsDhuoT7Rx1s1oTUpguG5cf1tt4EH3zNvZj_aBds/s400/IMG_9011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtcbxwaR6H7xEBZKrukw3Q49cyFw7OXaMtcr6W-86qUungCmOaruJ6G-Uzn9OSZ9v-WAc5h35CrwFfwkx8hFIDRhjTodgEn2lRqzR2SUbGlZXYd7tw4Zf6UgjL4Zs5SaO3BMpr_vSVImc/s1600/IMG_9020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtcbxwaR6H7xEBZKrukw3Q49cyFw7OXaMtcr6W-86qUungCmOaruJ6G-Uzn9OSZ9v-WAc5h35CrwFfwkx8hFIDRhjTodgEn2lRqzR2SUbGlZXYd7tw4Zf6UgjL4Zs5SaO3BMpr_vSVImc/s640/IMG_9020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Official" finish line photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>This day was LONG, HOT, and HARD, but I am so glad I did it. </b>By no means, was this race a fast race, but it was just what I needed for a fantastic training day. Since the end goal is a great day at Ironman Wisconsin, this race prepared me for it physically and mentally. If I get a hot and humid day in Wisconsin, I'm ready. A windy day? I've done that. If it happens to be nice weather, I will be able to think to myself, "I've done this in worse." So, Kansas, thank you for giving me your worst -- I beat it! <br />
<br />
And, while it was Kansas, there was one thing Legend promised (and delivered) that made it worth traveling for:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt8PuvCXogJeJqebU-6Bq01b60x4CFB-iyaZhedcRr_ddHd0qCuI4M4JYWdfi51kMIQv9dfna6b26qdHInmLcRmiZy_8w8f9aQwAl2CkylgdM-dv80gwfrXodBjy54J3rPx1KrZ0tkobd/s1600/IMG_3533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt8PuvCXogJeJqebU-6Bq01b60x4CFB-iyaZhedcRr_ddHd0qCuI4M4JYWdfi51kMIQv9dfna6b26qdHInmLcRmiZy_8w8f9aQwAl2CkylgdM-dv80gwfrXodBjy54J3rPx1KrZ0tkobd/s640/IMG_3533.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's largest race medal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>ROAR!!!</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h2>
---------------------------------<br />
- Special thank you as always to my friends and family, for which I couldn't do this without. It was a pleasure racing with everyone on the course, to Matt for coaching me, to Pete for bringing the tent and being on the course for both me and my family. Ross was SUPERMAN this trip, not only did the conditions test me, but they tested him, the kid's patience, moods, and just about everything else. He pulled through and went above and beyond, even retrieving all of my gear (including bike) from transition and toting it all 1 mile uphill to the finish line, where I was recovering...not to mention making that drive with me. And to everyone who listened to me in the weeks leading up... you know who you are. It takes a village people and I am so lucky and proud to have you in my village. I hope I am part of yours. :)<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-49252768168592754512015-06-02T14:38:00.002-07:002015-06-02T20:07:06.562-07:0015 weeks and counting...<b>Counting DOWN that is!</b> That's right -- I am signed up for another Ironman!!! News to some, but not really to others. Not wanting to be that person who ONLY talks about Ironman, training, etc. I have tried really hard to keep my life balanced while on this endeavor (HA!), but seriously, I think I have been pretty good about it.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER, it is getting closer and what I realized is that I do need a place to talk about it... and that place is going to be HERE.<br />
<br />
So... to catch you all up (and by you all, I have no idea who is reading this, but it is intended for my family and friends who want to be part of this journey), this is how I came to the decision.<br />
<br />
<b>(1) I needed a BIG GOAL for this year.</b> I figured out speed wasn't my thing and what really excites and challenges me is distance.<br />
<br />
From that I decided:<br />
<b> (2) IRONMAN or LEADVILLE 100? </b>This was a harder decision, as I was doing some ultra running last year and really loving it. <a href="http://ironstrand.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-best-way-to-run-100-miles-lean.html" target="_blank">(See here for details.)</a> In the end, I decided on IM and here's why:<br />
<ul>
<li>I wanted to do another IM before 'retiring.'<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrQYRXYcrTDqeXlXAkno3jLD4em0fr33KFsEY1xrhYdxTeCeyweZYlxrVTXf8QJjEUMFpKYKX_uaJONlddtgCyBaCX5IB9flBctd4DvvFG6sC6kUG0TN6bik07_bwKeNSiMtXOJgM-umx/s1600/mikereilly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrQYRXYcrTDqeXlXAkno3jLD4em0fr33KFsEY1xrhYdxTeCeyweZYlxrVTXf8QJjEUMFpKYKX_uaJONlddtgCyBaCX5IB9flBctd4DvvFG6sC6kUG0TN6bik07_bwKeNSiMtXOJgM-umx/s320/mikereilly.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Mike Reilly saying (one more/probably last time)<br />
"Randi Strand, from Aurora Colorado, YOU are an Ironman!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>If I am going to do another IM, it's gonna be Wisconsin cuz nothing can beat having family and close friends on the course. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhY6OcAkE-9_gFIwMUPTnxcqOKWWUcB6LmYcElG-hWZL_EWndw7MuVcLnWLhCX6-9iw50s5SOqtJcjtg49YNYf89pnBbYBOPAefOjMa7lHP8iM-yylsW3U9ivjwfsTwcbmwCEv0jNf55P/s1600/P9120075.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhY6OcAkE-9_gFIwMUPTnxcqOKWWUcB6LmYcElG-hWZL_EWndw7MuVcLnWLhCX6-9iw50s5SOqtJcjtg49YNYf89pnBbYBOPAefOjMa7lHP8iM-yylsW3U9ivjwfsTwcbmwCEv0jNf55P/s400/P9120075.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're all gonna be there this time, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>There is a huge Colorado contingent training for IMMOO this year. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuP4jRSeQ93kLNxQ3bLnOwiZWjF-6jrHRRNZzyyz1Zbgboz0I8p-f9wv7tgM1vs7EGN2DhVj4rOcYuseWBqajqtTO2zl1pUS9xEaYWiTc_xOH8ecIIRCYRLXa21RSjTsNRh7JIkR0YPxFI/s1600/RMTC-Header.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuP4jRSeQ93kLNxQ3bLnOwiZWjF-6jrHRRNZzyyz1Zbgboz0I8p-f9wv7tgM1vs7EGN2DhVj4rOcYuseWBqajqtTO2zl1pUS9xEaYWiTc_xOH8ecIIRCYRLXa21RSjTsNRh7JIkR0YPxFI/s640/RMTC-Header.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, so they're not ALL going, but you get the idea. Bonus points if you can find me and Ross in this picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>Ever since Jason cheered me on for my first IM (see 2 picts above), I said I would be there for his first IM (and he's doing it this year!).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFG47jD6AtzWALSDN8250yudFXC6E36zbm2n4_ihHd85sYId4q1hq_b2x4LN-2GGeqV7NBIuPhSjKI7PyxSneUBW8HiS1zAEgbN99Ni3HvMFBtreyWZL5saCOveSyg_a1M5U8rjNqjBxG/s1600/IMG_1136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8LbV_h1MZELlqs_FUGvPCEWj39H-ltLrLlF7CoUBDuFXBbnDmvIkxAUTdjHwIELt3MGnQIpG5XHVl-W7t8tWohtpF8ckb8jQ-_hnFZYNbv6kHu_0bNLXLx-fTJrTYo8PFzJDJbIaMamU/s320/IMG_1035.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us at his first 70.3 in 2013. Yes, I'm that short.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>Ross wanted to do more biking this year (read: if I trained for IM, he'd be with me for some biking. If I trained for Leadville, I was training solo). <i>Ross also promised that if I signed up for IMMOO that he would do a bike tour with me! More on that later.</i> <i>(Like June 22 later.)</i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVayM-T6Ph7gEaN_PQDtxykno4VjGDN07Z1z1k-EFnfT6NAruEbnNwN9fTnm8Q1ka9wCKkGzTjQ6JPAFs8kuxG5k8UZSkqgNegeJ_n51C812yvmgTKEQpuU6gyC-uSeErJW1dggRgehln/s1600/IMG_0680.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVayM-T6Ph7gEaN_PQDtxykno4VjGDN07Z1z1k-EFnfT6NAruEbnNwN9fTnm8Q1ka9wCKkGzTjQ6JPAFs8kuxG5k8UZSkqgNegeJ_n51C812yvmgTKEQpuU6gyC-uSeErJW1dggRgehln/s320/IMG_0680.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite training partner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
<b>So... IRONMAN it is!</b><br />
<br />
<b>AND, the other thing I needed was a plan and some motivating factors. </b><br />
In the past, I have <a href="http://ironstrand.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year-new-vision.html" target="_blank">relied on making vision boards</a> to keep me mentally motivated -- I'm a total visual person. But this time around I thought a countdown would help. I wanted to remind myself to seize every week of training and to have fun and some accomplishments along the way. Which was where <b>THIS was generated:</b><br />
<b>
</b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfQ2n2NMI89-s2TT0jUHf1ZWnVv7uBnDh2ISz-XHqrTZivvYzPeSIr09mICfb_cUq1Nyn9HnaxprwLMcuzf8pMKESrHw5rMlBz_Gnqlc4s8rEIAB46OXdO8tqtsEIySUGBiOKyKh_TOQ/s1600/IMG_2587.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfQ2n2NMI89-s2TT0jUHf1ZWnVv7uBnDh2ISz-XHqrTZivvYzPeSIr09mICfb_cUq1Nyn9HnaxprwLMcuzf8pMKESrHw5rMlBz_Gnqlc4s8rEIAB46OXdO8tqtsEIySUGBiOKyKh_TOQ/s400/IMG_2587.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own personal visual aid - the beginning...<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>AND, currently it looks like THIS: </b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_VlPsFVEskiMT6O-BO2KA_Oyvj8vNmkqwp6GOo-cl8meEaV66ZLeD4pZm7iz08aLpivftJrY4wPlB00gypMfZXXzRQZUzlKMpI6xKWIidOmmMuZt0V4LR8DLj3n-4P2q_le6JDWKD_dC/s1600/IMG_3506.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_VlPsFVEskiMT6O-BO2KA_Oyvj8vNmkqwp6GOo-cl8meEaV66ZLeD4pZm7iz08aLpivftJrY4wPlB00gypMfZXXzRQZUzlKMpI6xKWIidOmmMuZt0V4LR8DLj3n-4P2q_le6JDWKD_dC/s640/IMG_3506.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today. Still a work in progress.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i><b>It hangs in my office, so I see it everyday and can be reminded not only of the journey ahead but the parts of the journey that I have already completed.</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
While there are no blog posts documenting these steps so far (I kind of wish there were), I am planning to keep this blog going forward. So, follow me along the way, on race day or not at all! Totally up to you, but I am going to use this as my outlet to prepare mentally, live out emotionally and share with you my journey... Cuz Lord knows I am gonna need the support come race day! ...And probably every day before.<br />
<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
P.S.<br />
<i>(for those of you who kept reading)</i><br />
Just recently, my coach reminded me of my goals, so I wanted to share
them with you. As my support system (you get that title simply by
reading this), I hope you will help hold me accountable to them.<br />
(1) train consistently <br />
(2) balance that training with family<br />
(3) train WITH Ross<br />
(4) have a good day at IM Moo.<br />
<br />
~ randi <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-582747789116335122014-08-25T22:40:00.002-07:002014-08-26T05:30:31.494-07:00The BEST way to run 100 miles! {Lean Horse 100-mile relay}<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>@font-face {
font-family: "Wingdings";
}@font-face {
font-family: "MS 明朝";
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font-family: "Cambria Math";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection</style><b>What an incredible weekend!!!!</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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It all started in January when Ann (a running friend I met
when living in Green Bay) announced she was going to be doing her first
100-miler. I inquired where and when and all and she told me to come along to
which I said— <b><u>NO WAY was I running a 100 this year!</u></b> But Ann assured me
there were plenty of *other options* and so I looked into it. I mean, who doesn’t
want to be there when their friend runs 100 miles for the first time??? Not me!</div>
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<br />
I found an option that seemed doable – the 100 mile relay
and I liked the fact that there was a 2-person division. That way I could get
in a “fun 50”, right? I asked my friend, Todd, who said HECK YEA! and we were on!</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, fast forward to this weekend. I had trained loosely to
run a 50, plus added in some overnight training (we were CERTAIN we would be running well into the next morning), along with some runs where we
rested in-between. Believe it or not, the hard part about this was running,
resting, then running AGAIN (6 times!). Not to mention the task of finding 6+ running outfits that match and don't chafe. Oh! The logistics you just don't think about when signing up for a race.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO8STR8G7rnl3fEfEPSNGVSVW1ta8bmklSKOf1HrIlBSw1B3MhB-op8s_TF6PF2woaPpd4PTsKSrrBc-RJr6CsG2ATbWQvnFP7R8rAJxdNxCjzW6wGtuhM8PpH9HNIalbvjnX0LDxB8bk/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO8STR8G7rnl3fEfEPSNGVSVW1ta8bmklSKOf1HrIlBSw1B3MhB-op8s_TF6PF2woaPpd4PTsKSrrBc-RJr6CsG2ATbWQvnFP7R8rAJxdNxCjzW6wGtuhM8PpH9HNIalbvjnX0LDxB8bk/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in the Black Hills!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf0w9ufUAn-4s05pDjPhFAEfSS9jAyiSQEnSkepMFpQpIzpPalhdNi53S3SFOjFcWDptm6vjj1LZ6a3XeWjfxr6i8GP-guyss17CmuURUGH0bXLRuV235FPu-2tlXvY7EhoySpZ-DukT9/s1600/IMG_2287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf0w9ufUAn-4s05pDjPhFAEfSS9jAyiSQEnSkepMFpQpIzpPalhdNi53S3SFOjFcWDptm6vjj1LZ6a3XeWjfxr6i8GP-guyss17CmuURUGH0bXLRuV235FPu-2tlXvY7EhoySpZ-DukT9/s1600/IMG_2287.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first thing Ross went for - the saloon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6iD-JzTtSIJURVJm9QTiBmEZP1of2m4SQjgDkBz7QJ8Ej6iV7uJwtC1A3AvI7GyGUAK1NTe-vRlPGXRVt86RNqxZ-dRu7s706hd9L3Z1NjbIntP17bQbIPiM-qMfEs7iQXK8UGazAHpk/s1600/IMG_2294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6iD-JzTtSIJURVJm9QTiBmEZP1of2m4SQjgDkBz7QJ8Ej6iV7uJwtC1A3AvI7GyGUAK1NTe-vRlPGXRVt86RNqxZ-dRu7s706hd9L3Z1NjbIntP17bQbIPiM-qMfEs7iQXK8UGazAHpk/s1600/IMG_2294.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret mojo for the following day - unicorn poop cookies - courtesy of Ann's crew.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rules for this relay included that we could divy it up
however we wanted. So Todd and I decided to go about every
2 aid stations/8-12 miles at a time. When we did this our run
looked like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhingLAmzBHzPWbdcyjLLPY16nBI79E9PYZbvYj8aNsAp3jbBEheyUtDaIORI2Ydptnx6mXa-ecGQ841-9YCyhjpOKuM8yrgSRfxsROb1W-_asovhi0MWK3w7ReRAhyphenhyphen6R_e3afwCc2HU5NO/s1600/IMG_2277+-+Version+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhingLAmzBHzPWbdcyjLLPY16nBI79E9PYZbvYj8aNsAp3jbBEheyUtDaIORI2Ydptnx6mXa-ecGQ841-9YCyhjpOKuM8yrgSRfxsROb1W-_asovhi0MWK3w7ReRAhyphenhyphen6R_e3afwCc2HU5NO/s1600/IMG_2277+-+Version+2.JPG" height="145" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Seeing that, we then opted to break the long climb up into 3
parts instead of 2. Believe it or not, I was willing to run the 12 continuous miles uphill, but he insisted, so we broke it up -- good for me, not-so-good for him, but again HIS IDEA...</div>
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We started off the day, bright (or rather dark) and early at
4 am. It was raining HARD when I woke up… oh no! But, by the time we were out
of the hotel (5 am) it had stopped. Phew! Rain was forecasted on and off all day,
so here’s hoping…</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Got to the track to find Ann and crew + Todd and Torri
(Todd’s daughter who would be crewing along with Ross).</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOTNF2EWr0ojfcpfVSWtgavAYZoW-EGSDwlPMWnGGpCtmwsqBM_CpdsWTjspjnxi3DRGpy0NpP2Jvb3i1ULHsI1dm1vdnQDjK0zga0aHusP6KeIYhYeUN6Jp3IPeaJv5W8nfsQAuDYimh/s1600/IMG_6466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOTNF2EWr0ojfcpfVSWtgavAYZoW-EGSDwlPMWnGGpCtmwsqBM_CpdsWTjspjnxi3DRGpy0NpP2Jvb3i1ULHsI1dm1vdnQDjK0zga0aHusP6KeIYhYeUN6Jp3IPeaJv5W8nfsQAuDYimh/s1600/IMG_6466.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Anne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyXDLWZu34sl-Tc1_sVAPeZkBvYlQBGkca7GbvqQw8Ukk9-yJ3E_-hjDCn4I9_i9-CR05hKj1FL3h5L_sl5coqS1ChDQ0HIgGB6ueewAzhrOWXUbGopXi8Vjga6emU8SocMy2XfTrYcGb/s1600/IMG_2324.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyXDLWZu34sl-Tc1_sVAPeZkBvYlQBGkca7GbvqQw8Ukk9-yJ3E_-hjDCn4I9_i9-CR05hKj1FL3h5L_sl5coqS1ChDQ0HIgGB6ueewAzhrOWXUbGopXi8Vjga6emU8SocMy2XfTrYcGb/s1600/IMG_2324.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Pizza Pounders (we ate a lot of pizza on our training runs)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLFtGcgw3R79BfDkVCn3d7SmEY1iOsP03Aa8oNvr3tGu7LobDAtyzLVfhdxWYZsT2lNkbx-Bm9tdlNuIAJBN9wSUouCvESzwC1EbHw4UO0sEyLqnrvNrFS2xTiL78uTKDnhuVKsfZ7Rey/s1600/IMG_6483.JPG" height="266" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to run - let's have some fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi232FmzaSvmsABwezBoegXbf592Qid5qHMHvGsaxZBhf8p_Wynw3zVGEyI3_tOlVfy-HIUfszPhnMC4-580x9gAVSpKVhrrITgcsxlhOWnYbAG8i0KKlEWLsbb5jQGZspEvixsA6sK3bVW/s1600/IMG_6494.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi232FmzaSvmsABwezBoegXbf592Qid5qHMHvGsaxZBhf8p_Wynw3zVGEyI3_tOlVfy-HIUfszPhnMC4-580x9gAVSpKVhrrITgcsxlhOWnYbAG8i0KKlEWLsbb5jQGZspEvixsA6sK3bVW/s1600/IMG_6494.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And after a few picts –
off we/I went. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The run was a 50 mile out-and-back along the George S.
Michelson trail (even though I kept referring to it as the Phil Michelson
trail). It was a nicely graded trail but, for the love of God, you would think that
there would be SOME flat along it somewhere. Nope. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first leg was a lot of up, up, up. No biggie, right? The
trail was beautiful with load of clouds and fog, which actually made it quite
eery. Evidently, about mile 5 I ran right by Crazy Horse Monument, but he, too,
was covered with fog so I didn’t get to see him. I tried to stop and take picts
with my camera, but my camera quality was not so good, so I stopped doing even
that about halfway through that leg… geesh! Good thing I had Ross to take picts
of the run.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dJ6QhCwC1nUzalgOJuIhRudz7FfawF-_AGfo3jj0laluMBOLOm4uWhSSCmRXNDpldNnZzsr0l8NjQdjUH-sZY2d0QoYbGvW6FpmodCmnYqh_jiFgCSbYhxoIHM1coUyuVZ1VsxI79vzV/s1600/crazyhorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dJ6QhCwC1nUzalgOJuIhRudz7FfawF-_AGfo3jj0laluMBOLOm4uWhSSCmRXNDpldNnZzsr0l8NjQdjUH-sZY2d0QoYbGvW6FpmodCmnYqh_jiFgCSbYhxoIHM1coUyuVZ1VsxI79vzV/s1600/crazyhorse.jpg" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ordinarily, it would have looked something like this...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLGRaUMHc2IPLiUVc2RpqqkUkDNQSFxD_ZffIzK5fnQOOLiduTTJqI0stIj67JA42-mM0PmZEcCg9bjsn8GLYRVbji-n6ximtu1XMVNsm98ldjAF4364M2-FRtG9GVWQgTuKa7oYSVZ2Y/s1600/IMG_6514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLGRaUMHc2IPLiUVc2RpqqkUkDNQSFxD_ZffIzK5fnQOOLiduTTJqI0stIj67JA42-mM0PmZEcCg9bjsn8GLYRVbji-n6ximtu1XMVNsm98ldjAF4364M2-FRtG9GVWQgTuKa7oYSVZ2Y/s1600/IMG_6514.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But today, it looked like this...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY0_PytPrZcVVLIaGKEicLw3nwQxPz5jyd2_VevkNWQkfPm6znsRtjwD31zzJdVdPEoiX96JdNp3hWzDTQ1Mjqdj5NulBJn4kQJ6J3N1Ug8XMD8bHQPHQddU9WKU4lO60NgGOIqM19WoG/s1600/IMG_6524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY0_PytPrZcVVLIaGKEicLw3nwQxPz5jyd2_VevkNWQkfPm6znsRtjwD31zzJdVdPEoiX96JdNp3hWzDTQ1Mjqdj5NulBJn4kQJ6J3N1Ug8XMD8bHQPHQddU9WKU4lO60NgGOIqM19WoG/s1600/IMG_6524.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
My first leg was about 6 miles up and then 4 down. Yay,
down! (I was saying this now, but would not be saying so later.) Got to the end of my first leg to see everyone waiting for
me and I was happy! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I saw Ann’s crew, too, and waited for Ann to come through
(the only time would see her all day). <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBhkoFuFhLRuH3z0speeK1yO8Hb1tQ2ZPY5FQH6jqmaXOkq5-CHne60OFOyTGVZVJfzxAMEwVWQUwxwNbojL5GmfSV4nT2pZEUBtCjWstcV4FG0bRIQMGaBmMXLKM0xs-XH6b68P0gLYz/s1600/IMG_6534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBhkoFuFhLRuH3z0speeK1yO8Hb1tQ2ZPY5FQH6jqmaXOkq5-CHne60OFOyTGVZVJfzxAMEwVWQUwxwNbojL5GmfSV4nT2pZEUBtCjWstcV4FG0bRIQMGaBmMXLKM0xs-XH6b68P0gLYz/s1600/IMG_6534.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann at mile 10 -- Aid Station #2. She looked great with her new friend, Norm.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> At this point, we were both feeling good and Todd had an awesome first leg/10 miles!</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTrUNl-xIHd0FnMR4-znZukLqoAzZn4KQFZTrrY3b_hXbyTtx37aUJXXfLS1zCX3wjUiSZlu68klKnFUxl1fcBd27QOvAychLuy2bm-YhskfxBX1DU5txyJctBn8In9Rp34qgivB4_Z-o/s1600/IMG_6555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTrUNl-xIHd0FnMR4-znZukLqoAzZn4KQFZTrrY3b_hXbyTtx37aUJXXfLS1zCX3wjUiSZlu68klKnFUxl1fcBd27QOvAychLuy2bm-YhskfxBX1DU5txyJctBn8In9Rp34qgivB4_Z-o/s1600/IMG_6555.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd at mile 20'ish - end of his first leg!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even though the weather has horrible forecast for the day - everything turned out to be BEAUTIFUL! I only got sprinkled on 3 times and 2 of the 3 times it was actually a nice little shower!<br />
<br />
Along the way, there were plenty of cool things -- especially the tunnels and bridges we got to experience:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaAWz2XD7i94smuDc_CZeOdqyQfHbSt6_AFY0087JQoWPyHmUOgkbYBAoAGc7HOA4YfHi00zmy4KfbA-99uxYuvmOYLru2TYySL3xA64pXDVnL5VD_ZJekb9drV5cNlegX160gI7HRwUf/s1600/Mickelson_Trail_Tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaAWz2XD7i94smuDc_CZeOdqyQfHbSt6_AFY0087JQoWPyHmUOgkbYBAoAGc7HOA4YfHi00zmy4KfbA-99uxYuvmOYLru2TYySL3xA64pXDVnL5VD_ZJekb9drV5cNlegX160gI7HRwUf/s1600/Mickelson_Trail_Tunnel.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old steam engine tunnel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLlKQhic5yKgjKGyp4YOFz-MvqEEJL4pCWAJ0M1Jqe00t1xvFyo-vfL-wDajXJ146tEtHcXo708qohYC1hYof6usecAfO8ahtNAFcdQONulfjpmcKQnZpnkZMZNSduORdjo_81lYVnsHk/s1600/george-s-mickelson-trail-hill-city-bridge-syn79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLlKQhic5yKgjKGyp4YOFz-MvqEEJL4pCWAJ0M1Jqe00t1xvFyo-vfL-wDajXJ146tEtHcXo708qohYC1hYof6usecAfO8ahtNAFcdQONulfjpmcKQnZpnkZMZNSduORdjo_81lYVnsHk/s1600/george-s-mickelson-trail-hill-city-bridge-syn79.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcT7ddLqL5v3_2qxsxLlAIt3tRn7aeApzpdj3co6mnpWFP1fgaQrcUvP_we_8TgvxX5Phhpm_9y4TGbu1EoXZLjOhdPzG4350L3ItlIQaltccF0Jqq791qXUPPdl2Olla5I-Oaob5KNx3/s1600/IMG_6571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcT7ddLqL5v3_2qxsxLlAIt3tRn7aeApzpdj3co6mnpWFP1fgaQrcUvP_we_8TgvxX5Phhpm_9y4TGbu1EoXZLjOhdPzG4350L3ItlIQaltccF0Jqq791qXUPPdl2Olla5I-Oaob5KNx3/s1600/IMG_6571.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenery along the way -- it was just gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCdQiubCec6G-0dhaEcXhVjs7X2vjWMeVXUnUZ2CXU4Ly7LsCqSqgIVxXu9v3bhQKfEYHXV4vk3ua87kp3GItCaLGqwN-CkV2cUruyKgCzONfsQg7i5aaTfvfGGg-8NKeFEb1-BAeWiHf/s1600/IMG_6574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCdQiubCec6G-0dhaEcXhVjs7X2vjWMeVXUnUZ2CXU4Ly7LsCqSqgIVxXu9v3bhQKfEYHXV4vk3ua87kp3GItCaLGqwN-CkV2cUruyKgCzONfsQg7i5aaTfvfGGg-8NKeFEb1-BAeWiHf/s1600/IMG_6574.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 miles in -- Aid Station #6</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP2rSrKA5QMIo7rngAT3TOKLVixtivwhzVFSg2wr_m1TPiKnYgW16h9ZnBzQ_jCYxj26Jt26FJctib22P8pd6gBpERg2BKKppaJsDDlh-K4X6AxeEdaR64-2vl0iR_BTtJ6Lb4eK-IVBA/s1600/IMG_6580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP2rSrKA5QMIo7rngAT3TOKLVixtivwhzVFSg2wr_m1TPiKnYgW16h9ZnBzQ_jCYxj26Jt26FJctib22P8pd6gBpERg2BKKppaJsDDlh-K4X6AxeEdaR64-2vl0iR_BTtJ6Lb4eK-IVBA/s1600/IMG_6580.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovering with chocolate milk and icy leg wraps!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaCHBVjnm62pMPNBIHvLdMFaoVqT-0UNH9h6WLLNJyCWdeO5P-gLJg_-LyfERyePp-mJSi-xNWqv64Hbqlxz6OEeQX8DzUST0aJaz8Q5jtX6bRul24YW20bPMZl6f7dDkPjiZhcFmRnAq/s1600/IMG_6593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaCHBVjnm62pMPNBIHvLdMFaoVqT-0UNH9h6WLLNJyCWdeO5P-gLJg_-LyfERyePp-mJSi-xNWqv64Hbqlxz6OEeQX8DzUST0aJaz8Q5jtX6bRul24YW20bPMZl6f7dDkPjiZhcFmRnAq/s1600/IMG_6593.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plowing into Rochford - Aid Station #8. 38 miles in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was the start of the climb. Todd got the first 4 miles or so of it heading into Rochford and was quite happy to be done. (He did AWESOME!)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_1J-HovOak2FJSGpo-qsf8AfTx0ci10yLs83uW3PLT_braP6Ang_uwuYvX6xo8REC05TS089_ua0HJpBXaNIXzf8CSS3Lk9d8f1Kt4t5RbYMuvb0WO0SZADmZqHHvYVW55gMMtWRpXIy/s1600/IMG_6604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_1J-HovOak2FJSGpo-qsf8AfTx0ci10yLs83uW3PLT_braP6Ang_uwuYvX6xo8REC05TS089_ua0HJpBXaNIXzf8CSS3Lk9d8f1Kt4t5RbYMuvb0WO0SZADmZqHHvYVW55gMMtWRpXIy/s1600/IMG_6604.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up, up, up was that leg! Another 6 miles of climbing. Finishing strong about mile 44 into Nahant.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJsa3l8XvlzVQxloI6-3Fi3P3GnBMwqC_3lFwSgiwZYzlF8pQL4HQWZPKf2NRSnUeuc6eamdKaAWONjaX600xh8JZoTLrmsDij4aAgMVValwImpc5hQ4a9M1zYdgqarT_4t1Iw6ehTJQ7/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJsa3l8XvlzVQxloI6-3Fi3P3GnBMwqC_3lFwSgiwZYzlF8pQL4HQWZPKf2NRSnUeuc6eamdKaAWONjaX600xh8JZoTLrmsDij4aAgMVValwImpc5hQ4a9M1zYdgqarT_4t1Iw6ehTJQ7/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can we PLEASE be done with this CLIMB?!?! This was after Todd climbed another 6 miles. <br />
Answer: yes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi004JfSVhoaFktVGgHiBUI45kLateGXzY_LrYdXRS6x61dEFys0WjIVVTJUJc_5B0jv81o8uuCir8Uur0AN1L-aTz3INPUmls2zWDEQ1Rr8u1qzt81O02nXcumgTZvr-nxSGhcEL_1sZhe/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi004JfSVhoaFktVGgHiBUI45kLateGXzY_LrYdXRS6x61dEFys0WjIVVTJUJc_5B0jv81o8uuCir8Uur0AN1L-aTz3INPUmls2zWDEQ1Rr8u1qzt81O02nXcumgTZvr-nxSGhcEL_1sZhe/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ran to the turnaround together! My fave pict of the day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4WF7H3smZTzvTC_6kpKEqb7gvbNPs6yF8M4npqb2gUZo34vE1WbXMohLTuhka-hlHube8BNjh5XBlG_CUTGlqFpc4owfJ1RO9KL8bFHVPJhmb6Q03Em3Iw6Wdq0yG0qafWnPziRFoscQ/s1600/IMG_6631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4WF7H3smZTzvTC_6kpKEqb7gvbNPs6yF8M4npqb2gUZo34vE1WbXMohLTuhka-hlHube8BNjh5XBlG_CUTGlqFpc4owfJ1RO9KL8bFHVPJhmb6Q03Em3Iw6Wdq0yG0qafWnPziRFoscQ/s1600/IMG_6631.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My turn to head to Nahant. This was 6 miles of decent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0L74PuNR7WMfTVV8Pwt8dUcHsRd8nXIwri1F_Gl2QWHH2ND-kGZMU0R_M5F0Q9HVgR1zb3tShvAIIeowRg54AUYbaQB1khkQJZw04vnV_d5yQ4O2prESzNFgZOnbll52syH2Wje1lLd0/s1600/IMG_6635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0L74PuNR7WMfTVV8Pwt8dUcHsRd8nXIwri1F_Gl2QWHH2ND-kGZMU0R_M5F0Q9HVgR1zb3tShvAIIeowRg54AUYbaQB1khkQJZw04vnV_d5yQ4O2prESzNFgZOnbll52syH2Wje1lLd0/s1600/IMG_6635.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for Todd in Rochford.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbukF38C3jC-FPS1aFHLogJLO-p_oQwZa57FryAudO8k-xSQSkvCmCZLXg-nHOKwf2-660EDkeEGYPTbmTYNbZZUIDmNJau0bKU3aP8zobx7W_C3HrhDcWD93bS-zuz7tvZAcE6xHiy_eW/s1600/IMG_6637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbukF38C3jC-FPS1aFHLogJLO-p_oQwZa57FryAudO8k-xSQSkvCmCZLXg-nHOKwf2-660EDkeEGYPTbmTYNbZZUIDmNJau0bKU3aP8zobx7W_C3HrhDcWD93bS-zuz7tvZAcE6xHiy_eW/s1600/IMG_6637.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torri- EXCELLENT CREW EXTRAORDINAIRE - Hanging in Rochford. Literally.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WsWGy51_ihvx5tGbDDsfCKmuyNtVPayNZDzgNi7Y8PpxtU1dqqtEBZ4Mawv6JMSfQA4G7LElVMHKXtW3rfqejtZ8XrUNl92k6JVO96lfjrqhNOAeqaUzPyTr297bA39JmlLkpjzuPFwq/s1600/IMG_6643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WsWGy51_ihvx5tGbDDsfCKmuyNtVPayNZDzgNi7Y8PpxtU1dqqtEBZ4Mawv6JMSfQA4G7LElVMHKXtW3rfqejtZ8XrUNl92k6JVO96lfjrqhNOAeqaUzPyTr297bA39JmlLkpjzuPFwq/s1600/IMG_6643.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AND HERE HE COMES! Into Rochford.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As soon as I started my leg, my quads were SCREAMING! You know how I was happy for downhill at the beginning? Not so much anymore. It was pure pain from step 1, but I was proud of myself for fighting through it and that I kept on going- running the whole way! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
About 1/2 mile from the end, a lady runs up to pace me. She was actually looking for someone else, but decided to stick with me regardless. She was a volunteer, had been drinking, was bored, so went back to find someone else from another relay to pace. She found me instead and stuck with me. She was quite lovely (I never got her name, since I was speaking in 1-word sentences/responses) and she did a great job filling our 5 minutes together with stories -- including one about a guy who had his own gold claim passed down through the family and we saw him panning for gold as we ran. Only in the West awesomeness. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KKXezFMQJiChUP9E1DO3eBWyX_7s278wd4b3NptVu1i7EqK1btG4HUoztkZv6kc9P8zmTPz1fGIt40-kh0Fg5OoVet1wPsZUPS9f68exXChXf_L5WW7jqeLHtXu1OiOJKgnWTT8Syxke/s1600/IMG_6651.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KKXezFMQJiChUP9E1DO3eBWyX_7s278wd4b3NptVu1i7EqK1btG4HUoztkZv6kc9P8zmTPz1fGIt40-kh0Fg5OoVet1wPsZUPS9f68exXChXf_L5WW7jqeLHtXu1OiOJKgnWTT8Syxke/s1600/IMG_6651.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my new friend coming into the Mystic Aid Station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmjFvNwwIDDCd6m5SK6SxRO-sfSMb9wgBdhKnInukslMElHwCjjA42ZlNXlwOxQSslLXAaKzhkgUgjP2_U5oz-ljTsjoRSEgHA0mCHgOJZ-UMKF6Ph7c_8Tv5_BXliD95KbY7dTmh0Dis/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmjFvNwwIDDCd6m5SK6SxRO-sfSMb9wgBdhKnInukslMElHwCjjA42ZlNXlwOxQSslLXAaKzhkgUgjP2_U5oz-ljTsjoRSEgHA0mCHgOJZ-UMKF6Ph7c_8Tv5_BXliD95KbY7dTmh0Dis/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be in Mystic. Don't let the smile deceive you. I went straight to my chair and Icy Hot after this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpOqvHnucCi4aOujvGE9x0Y9pFrgO1dhkfgnv6fjJAaM39OqfCMsP605xpe0IewnHmltu4Dq6v9AAbqujDJscnGZCvM5aR6wZRb2NvmkkHsBsu6kpATV37MgEYNnc9K6A4m7GIY-gwtZA/s1600/IMG_6660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpOqvHnucCi4aOujvGE9x0Y9pFrgO1dhkfgnv6fjJAaM39OqfCMsP605xpe0IewnHmltu4Dq6v9AAbqujDJscnGZCvM5aR6wZRb2NvmkkHsBsu6kpATV37MgEYNnc9K6A4m7GIY-gwtZA/s1600/IMG_6660.JPG" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
More western love. The next aid station included a covered wagon. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEH_OAxxjiJXuxJQWOiVanJbV1mryLhzshBHNvty0RSYljAqdMxtJ-mGosSuZA64wDBzy72AERYLpckMLHD-keOCd2doH5yX2Cl6vsa7PxRMFx_sN1QJP-2RMJt8I07A77S_dl7ZUdn3b/s1600/IMG_6667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEH_OAxxjiJXuxJQWOiVanJbV1mryLhzshBHNvty0RSYljAqdMxtJ-mGosSuZA64wDBzy72AERYLpckMLHD-keOCd2doH5yX2Cl6vsa7PxRMFx_sN1QJP-2RMJt8I07A77S_dl7ZUdn3b/s1600/IMG_6667.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd rolling into High Country. Mile 80.</td></tr>
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After this, I ran from High Country to Hill City (where I got momentarily lost) and then into darkness. After I hit Hill City, it was the "just get to" game going on in my head. I believed this leg was 9.6 miles long. Hill City Aid Station was about 5 miles, so directly after that was nightfall and then "just get to 6 miles" (look at watch) 5.2 miles. "Just get to 6 miles, just get to 6 miles" run, run, run, look at watch 5.41 miles... And then once it clicked over to 6 miles, it was "Just get to 7 miles", run, run, run (look at watch) 6.22 miles. Ugh! But so on and so forth until 9.6 miles. No one. Pitch dark. Run to 9.8 (maybe I had the mileage wrong?). Nothing. I scream "HELLOOOOOO...." No one there. I see some lightsticks a little later and then an aid station finally. (Well after 10 miles and..) what I realize about this leg -- I don't like running in DARK!<br />
<br />
Todd saw me. Gave me a big hug. I smelled the icy hot on him, too, and was glad he used it. It was the one thing that saved me on the last leg. Also, dare I mention that another relay (a 5-person team that we had been close to all day), was closing in on us. I had lost some time running uphill in the dark and this team was getting über competitive. Nice, but competitive.<br />
<br />
Torri, Ross and I went straight to the last aid station, to hang and cheer Todd on. I relaxed a little (I had no more legs to run - yay!) but mostly waited for Todd to come through. It was dark, they had a campfire and the other relay had come up waiting for their runner as well. At one point, Torri and I decided to walk back to find Todd. We walked back about 1/2 mile to find him running! He was in such good spirits and let me know that he ran UP the last 4 miles - WOW! At this point, I was so proud of him. I let him know the other team was gunning for him/us and he was so determined not to let them overtake us! He ran straight through the aid station and onto the end!<br />
<br />
After Todd came through the aid station, we went to the end. Todd had 4.5 miles of downhill to cover. I placed our light-up lantern by the trail turn so that he would see where to turn from the trail and waited... then we got to run to the end together! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBV6ITZ2n9uOAkJKqBVZ2UpF4uBS50-I1l2U8LIGdnUydwIUuwNJxuCabQLMVUwh54bB5JVnVOUHSXCMuUlcIZ0kvfdJs_6KV3otIQCZY4VESTrUXoORat-WyDRRs3_KPz9OFdqBT7NZ3/s1600/IMG_6669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBV6ITZ2n9uOAkJKqBVZ2UpF4uBS50-I1l2U8LIGdnUydwIUuwNJxuCabQLMVUwh54bB5JVnVOUHSXCMuUlcIZ0kvfdJs_6KV3otIQCZY4VESTrUXoORat-WyDRRs3_KPz9OFdqBT7NZ3/s1600/IMG_6669.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running in from the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AHlN5IZKgvX3teh_1NFpsnh9640SADFhsewt1tLiIshIuYtIcae6zMQY8WmKDeUcfj1UcDcfsCPFJVenR60YQthSWKcCt48dU7XNHQLKWtdeG_GJLujNThrtBDlfOxY2Lov5AT4Tof4g/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AHlN5IZKgvX3teh_1NFpsnh9640SADFhsewt1tLiIshIuYtIcae6zMQY8WmKDeUcfj1UcDcfsCPFJVenR60YQthSWKcCt48dU7XNHQLKWtdeG_GJLujNThrtBDlfOxY2Lov5AT4Tof4g/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And me, Todd and Torri finishing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
16 hours and 40 minutes and 100 miles later! </h2>
---------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
After finishing, we relaxed, ate a bit and went back to our hotels/teepees.<br />
<br />
Ross and I slept in (a novelty of not having kids we don't often get), got up, texted Robin (from Ann's crew), ate breakfast, went back to bed, heard from Robin, got up and went back to SEE ANN FINISH HER 100!!!!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j_UdL5mKvCKSpH6a2lAB315B19MgvHRBazcCbuu7M2yBLgGyc4cgVrMjUqFPfWehRcIyvmoIDxwi6VKshgZXPySPFzIevIABLwtw3DDsuXuSD6aL_VKJeWeUtKpoVfbDajL9CQPsgL3H/s1600/IMG_6692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j_UdL5mKvCKSpH6a2lAB315B19MgvHRBazcCbuu7M2yBLgGyc4cgVrMjUqFPfWehRcIyvmoIDxwi6VKshgZXPySPFzIevIABLwtw3DDsuXuSD6aL_VKJeWeUtKpoVfbDajL9CQPsgL3H/s1600/IMG_6692.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann coming in with her 2 daughters!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQgc_vqvTChpGUCMKdrd_jhpuMMs7LGgCsChqe-9hK17Cw-gYeMLfdoTE5PfpO8GI-yxv-JHjMd7vlGSihSLTEljoJLQGXsGH2LMNJwfNEDeLsJkcGoCPTACxo7bOUWMVJtvVznQvRCfb/s1600/IMG_6698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQgc_vqvTChpGUCMKdrd_jhpuMMs7LGgCsChqe-9hK17Cw-gYeMLfdoTE5PfpO8GI-yxv-JHjMd7vlGSihSLTEljoJLQGXsGH2LMNJwfNEDeLsJkcGoCPTACxo7bOUWMVJtvVznQvRCfb/s1600/IMG_6698.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd and I grabbing one of the first picts with our favorite new 100-miler!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A little recovery and off to the awards ceremony! (Also on the track grounds) <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kJrpnPD2xwmGTSHIzSy2IflQxAmpNh15EI4Rrvk_ai14tnswRrwVZXUb8RZjSwK2fXJxoA2xI8LbUDKZSlHfhRftgyZC_Ih4-ZBvFjy5UM3cS_S1AzX_heS4GF7s1uncv8YKCh6H8_46/s1600/IMG_6706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kJrpnPD2xwmGTSHIzSy2IflQxAmpNh15EI4Rrvk_ai14tnswRrwVZXUb8RZjSwK2fXJxoA2xI8LbUDKZSlHfhRftgyZC_Ih4-ZBvFjy5UM3cS_S1AzX_heS4GF7s1uncv8YKCh6H8_46/s1600/IMG_6706.JPG" height="400" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann got 2nd in her division</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ9DgMqoQDfvntK-N6NlOkpKpOttaLCqD2kOeLT6WlY3pJq1Z6ua_C2tRfvkpo031O7ET8YNMAYC4hPi-i_5anmKI2DbII7POLYvE2mis6Be9AqZf9LJPgvkozMdCvBe-N6AWuH07fyl9/s1600/IMG_6708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ9DgMqoQDfvntK-N6NlOkpKpOttaLCqD2kOeLT6WlY3pJq1Z6ua_C2tRfvkpo031O7ET8YNMAYC4hPi-i_5anmKI2DbII7POLYvE2mis6Be9AqZf9LJPgvkozMdCvBe-N6AWuH07fyl9/s1600/IMG_6708.JPG" height="357" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we got first...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While it wasn't like we beat out a ton of people -- there 2 other (5-person) teams -- I am SO proud of how Todd and I ran.We couldn't have asked for a better run - one we both enjoyed and ran well with.<br />
<br />
<b>Highlights of this race:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>We had the awesome support of Torri and Ross</li>
<li><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUGVlFTDlGk7ZNsM2nrVVzOZK9qWeGcQwUgFX0LfVkN2ph6c9PijaatGrHLHuoj_SIgLLqDFcl8zvzztMKzR8CqW40GX8W8OGjTqTJ7GpyXBOn9tInrBY2XLwVVLdVdfnZedy3N1gHjN7/s1600/IMG_6683.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUGVlFTDlGk7ZNsM2nrVVzOZK9qWeGcQwUgFX0LfVkN2ph6c9PijaatGrHLHuoj_SIgLLqDFcl8zvzztMKzR8CqW40GX8W8OGjTqTJ7GpyXBOn9tInrBY2XLwVVLdVdfnZedy3N1gHjN7/s1600/IMG_6683.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16 hours and 40 minutes and 100 miles later! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Got to be a part of Ann's first 100-mile run<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpGOvQZ6AYc8A_-ZmtTYfo87nKw5IgZcvmWy1OAD-nMqbuaqsupvdxh8TMHtFLzj5FgA-8eEF2V1Ep9fP7Hj-Pw0hbctI1CLXu4PUD2WqIIjk3oJu7qxQgJHfqkKvwJq0EemFEx42lZzC/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpGOvQZ6AYc8A_-ZmtTYfo87nKw5IgZcvmWy1OAD-nMqbuaqsupvdxh8TMHtFLzj5FgA-8eEF2V1Ep9fP7Hj-Pw0hbctI1CLXu4PUD2WqIIjk3oJu7qxQgJHfqkKvwJq0EemFEx42lZzC/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>Spent a weekend with the love of my life<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7h-kdYndABJSoCMz2ji3NJNQwyejo-FESMVzbWoWjN4NO5qsfwiHRFyvcCsMtvWppOuLkhyIC7WhPmD7Kx2-7Jc5hHHkzNAMxVaDTfPVd5TwpgbYtWPscSLXq6F0UATVzGh5bgUCFUls/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7h-kdYndABJSoCMz2ji3NJNQwyejo-FESMVzbWoWjN4NO5qsfwiHRFyvcCsMtvWppOuLkhyIC7WhPmD7Kx2-7Jc5hHHkzNAMxVaDTfPVd5TwpgbYtWPscSLXq6F0UATVzGh5bgUCFUls/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>Ran 100 miles with my running BFF<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi004JfSVhoaFktVGgHiBUI45kLateGXzY_LrYdXRS6x61dEFys0WjIVVTJUJc_5B0jv81o8uuCir8Uur0AN1L-aTz3INPUmls2zWDEQ1Rr8u1qzt81O02nXcumgTZvr-nxSGhcEL_1sZhe/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi004JfSVhoaFktVGgHiBUI45kLateGXzY_LrYdXRS6x61dEFys0WjIVVTJUJc_5B0jv81o8uuCir8Uur0AN1L-aTz3INPUmls2zWDEQ1Rr8u1qzt81O02nXcumgTZvr-nxSGhcEL_1sZhe/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>
Honestly, can't think of a better weekend!</h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-58747991906015414532014-06-17T14:49:00.001-07:002014-06-17T15:11:57.571-07:00Our First 14'er<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllMLcYbkHi1mm4RXNrmExmAEex5Z_ZXhUMNMefJulEU-MeDZA3Hyakxxa_Sj9xH3lW8WMfqIZwu9wAe-HRnuQbPzYSnSn77LgiajfRZUb-XUTnoj4xEBoJo1QWrr8EVJ8TdBGh1wrYObz/s1600/IMG_1957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b>Ever since we moved to Colorado, Ross and I have wanted to hike a 14'er. </b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><b>Note: </b>For non-Coloradoans, a 14'er is a mountain peak that towers over 14,000 feet in the air. Colorado has 53 - the most of any state - and because of the thin air and the beauty and all, it's a great feat to hike one.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b> </b>Over the years, we have both had opportunities to hike one or another, but never were able to make it work -- mostly because of childcare. After a few hard hikes last year (Rabbit Ear's Pass, Hahn's Peak and Fish Creek Falls), I thought the kids might have it in them to do a 14'er WITH us... and what better day to make Ross' dream come true than Father's Day?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSUcYDVtYi-d7fL_7GFuW_vlZ1bDhef5OJX_UuDXt7MkZKYH01CKiWfX-TN4LSZbGvajg30pCljG4lTz1V1Iw5YiCSxWQzgPM9ptlUEE_hQgkDn22TVlMETpPsZgE-fLAjrnlK6DcXYSg/s1600/IMG_0711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSUcYDVtYi-d7fL_7GFuW_vlZ1bDhef5OJX_UuDXt7MkZKYH01CKiWfX-TN4LSZbGvajg30pCljG4lTz1V1Iw5YiCSxWQzgPM9ptlUEE_hQgkDn22TVlMETpPsZgE-fLAjrnlK6DcXYSg/s1600/IMG_0711.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking Fish Creek Falls last summer. Back when a 2.5 hour hike was a LONG hike!</td></tr>
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Leading up to the hike, I tried to get the kids excited. I took Lincoln "snack shopping" with me where we got tons of food I knew they would love - GORP, Snickers bars (the BIG ones), energy chews, I let him pick out the chocolatey-peanut buttery granola bars, teddy grahams - you name it. If it had sugar, carb and/or protein in it, and they would eat it - SOLD!<br />
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The day before, we went on a warm-up hike up to Lily Pad Lake - and we were in business! The kids were stoked about hiking. The morning of, Lincoln even asked me if we could hike Lily Lake AGAIN before hiking Bierstadt. Oy vey! This child did not know what he was getting into.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLaDUbhZPRsow3NNTQ4hoFIYk-Ov4c38ckSD4BF94mK6JIl3b1T470U98uTggEC6BJILX9xLOMT0MpO_eldiP7L2VzMTCgsimVtOyonVZVVqLnRh8VErHBINanx0kvmUBNWwMFRrbk10f/s1600/P6140064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLaDUbhZPRsow3NNTQ4hoFIYk-Ov4c38ckSD4BF94mK6JIl3b1T470U98uTggEC6BJILX9xLOMT0MpO_eldiP7L2VzMTCgsimVtOyonVZVVqLnRh8VErHBINanx0kvmUBNWwMFRrbk10f/s1600/P6140064.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My happy hiker on the way to Lily Pad Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTMhSts2s3eWRRMOyziE72IVof0lDIWTjpRA_IyZ-berrXsY-8Oaqufoc5mYBuIfmoQJu0xPlrIDkXll_rpSlEUwg8mV-OxeU2Yu_Ucqm24XPyspyCm83ILz6dd67RMoHTp5AlCd5PXOc/s1600/P6140068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTMhSts2s3eWRRMOyziE72IVof0lDIWTjpRA_IyZ-berrXsY-8Oaqufoc5mYBuIfmoQJu0xPlrIDkXll_rpSlEUwg8mV-OxeU2Yu_Ucqm24XPyspyCm83ILz6dd67RMoHTp5AlCd5PXOc/s1600/P6140068.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out my new hiking stick! </td></tr>
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Morning of, we awoke bright and early to pack up our stuff. We were heading back to Denver after a week of staying up in Silverthorne at our new place. Knowing it was going to be cold, I wasn't in too big of a hurry to get out of there. Since the forecast called for a clear day, optimally, I wanted to summit later in the day when it would be a little warmer. We packed up and fed the kiddos breakfast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2jV1jAmKI_yL4tmZpQJF1vl4XcGw0x-xOO_am9jR7eYpTPwcNNL6wKKgjLh5ywJHMg9sZ_ZvT4QwyahUV1_D1dkx2Iq1fVoKuB9Hv2UN0upPIYsGEzqWz-bSA9qViq0T_Spw38_AiD8g/s1600/IMG_4494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2jV1jAmKI_yL4tmZpQJF1vl4XcGw0x-xOO_am9jR7eYpTPwcNNL6wKKgjLh5ywJHMg9sZ_ZvT4QwyahUV1_D1dkx2Iq1fVoKuB9Hv2UN0upPIYsGEzqWz-bSA9qViq0T_Spw38_AiD8g/s1600/IMG_4494.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French toast, eggs, blackberries = Breakfast of Champions!</td></tr>
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We arrived at Guanella Pass around 9:15 and were on the trail by 9:30. Since there was a bike race going on a little later, all of the lower lot was full and we parked in the upper lot. Clue #1 we were not true hikers - we couldn't find our way from the upper lot to the trailhead. Brilliant! But, we got there the round about way. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6p37LhrctHEGOdAffs1o0Qk_KSjxIYbHPpsjR3C1gF3iKZnYZwYlfunOb-y4_qTClCM4Uf6Qa4tbizaRt1DaiiNbR3K8ILgJtdKdC8B3xUJTm5Roz_RRyqZ1xBKYrqs5ybFJUqpaWGY7/s1600/IMG_1941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6p37LhrctHEGOdAffs1o0Qk_KSjxIYbHPpsjR3C1gF3iKZnYZwYlfunOb-y4_qTClCM4Uf6Qa4tbizaRt1DaiiNbR3K8ILgJtdKdC8B3xUJTm5Roz_RRyqZ1xBKYrqs5ybFJUqpaWGY7/s1600/IMG_1941.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BAM! Found the trailhead!</td></tr>
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We started hiking and hiking. The path actually goes a little down for the first 3/4 mile and through a lot of mud. We made our way around it as much as we could. Then you cross a river and the kids enjoyed that. Our feet got wet, but it was nothing terrible. That is when you start hiking UP. <br />
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We went for 1/2 hour and then had our first snack. Normally, we find some cool spot to stop along the route - a cool rock to climb up and sit on, an overlook with a view, a lake, etc.- but today we said we would have "walking snack breaks" for the most part. The wind was picking up and I was afraid of stopping for too long.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllMLcYbkHi1mm4RXNrmExmAEex5Z_ZXhUMNMefJulEU-MeDZA3Hyakxxa_Sj9xH3lW8WMfqIZwu9wAe-HRnuQbPzYSnSn77LgiajfRZUb-XUTnoj4xEBoJo1QWrr8EVJ8TdBGh1wrYObz/s1600/IMG_1957.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllMLcYbkHi1mm4RXNrmExmAEex5Z_ZXhUMNMefJulEU-MeDZA3Hyakxxa_Sj9xH3lW8WMfqIZwu9wAe-HRnuQbPzYSnSn77LgiajfRZUb-XUTnoj4xEBoJo1QWrr8EVJ8TdBGh1wrYObz/s1600/IMG_1957.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we did stop, it was usually to climb up on some sort of rock - boys!</td></tr>
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Along the way, we met hikers coming down and the kids would ask if they made it to the top. About 1/3 of them hadn't, so I started telling the kids not to ask. I didn't want the kids thinking THEY couldn't make it. After that, when we passed hikers I would ask them in a low voice and, if they answered that they had summitted, I would say "Look guys! These guys made it! Isn't that great?!?!" Or something along those lines. We got some great stories and great advice from those passing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROCWfIg2DAvNXn77j2-_iaHmIfAMGxxDuPaRcVoFLnV1pJwWoD89_ekNCbuG5iB5RhdEpQVIT2fHw-VfcqHu1gxZJUWKm_3LQEYcBivytdfoI3mO4VmXzTRjKG1PPIrBgqxBOLiUurAt7/s1600/IMG_1945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROCWfIg2DAvNXn77j2-_iaHmIfAMGxxDuPaRcVoFLnV1pJwWoD89_ekNCbuG5iB5RhdEpQVIT2fHw-VfcqHu1gxZJUWKm_3LQEYcBivytdfoI3mO4VmXzTRjKG1PPIrBgqxBOLiUurAt7/s1600/IMG_1945.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still below tree line.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBGzh8ZxuK_OfHOYNLaxl39ot4yEXwRATksOoGxZ9gPwJhA5jxZipoUeN5nFIQ5hyphenhyphenGzgTOWhsATFF5_d8MlwuUbOqPj5AEyvpMqTWeuivHbtz3BGKf2SRIbgaKPJCE9nYbHxe8WfD5tiu/s1600/IMG_1948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBGzh8ZxuK_OfHOYNLaxl39ot4yEXwRATksOoGxZ9gPwJhA5jxZipoUeN5nFIQ5hyphenhyphenGzgTOWhsATFF5_d8MlwuUbOqPj5AEyvpMqTWeuivHbtz3BGKf2SRIbgaKPJCE9nYbHxe8WfD5tiu/s1600/IMG_1948.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
Soon enough we were at 12,000 feet. What I didn't realize then is that you climb a total of about 500' elevation in the first 1.7 miles and then another 2,000+' in the second 1.7 miles. That's a BIG difference! And I am pretty glad my kids didn't realize it so much. They were troopers and just kept plugging along.<br />
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It was somewhere right around 13,000 feet where spirits started to get low. I ran up to 13,000' EXACTLY (on my watch) and said "Look guys! We are RIGHT at 13,000 feet!" We stopped, looked around and took some pictures to admire the view. We then found an AWESOME little cove behind/in some rocks that sheltered us from the wind and sat down to have a proper snack break. <b>I think that was a life saver. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2I-s_BfZrnMuSIeV9g2ms3m3e3OclZjt1Nx1wTkO2cJezq9xNU03UAfA3zh2C0OZOjzgNdmgtL6JSYBlDd13WeHeJza_4uHRiQnO3MU3xSAH_vISkF5-b_5lHZ2UFLB8G66oqMn74k01/s1600/IMG_1970-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2I-s_BfZrnMuSIeV9g2ms3m3e3OclZjt1Nx1wTkO2cJezq9xNU03UAfA3zh2C0OZOjzgNdmgtL6JSYBlDd13WeHeJza_4uHRiQnO3MU3xSAH_vISkF5-b_5lHZ2UFLB8G66oqMn74k01/s1600/IMG_1970-1.jpg" height="188" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempt at a panaramic pict</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78GPorKMHkZLns0BiJZsJprZ-zadGG3HRxTnpYlmirG9fUD1lu_kgH_teT3UXJBDnID2v2GCRiZNL8VAYY4OsjUSq2441OW3ktDIIOEMHTVCh2BFOv4FpEi8K-v79oT6G8iXQ92d9-nAr/s1600/IMG_1964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78GPorKMHkZLns0BiJZsJprZ-zadGG3HRxTnpYlmirG9fUD1lu_kgH_teT3UXJBDnID2v2GCRiZNL8VAYY4OsjUSq2441OW3ktDIIOEMHTVCh2BFOv4FpEi8K-v79oT6G8iXQ92d9-nAr/s1600/IMG_1964.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those happy faces - so excited to be eating!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sx2Bq5ldHhsu7ScpP_XpTdaHwaFmA33iImD-B7qwakBsGB7QdFRgyleAu-Fsh4ZKxjRf2Ud4taOHM3_50_39BhtFnr9oo_jgBAkyPjaOLdaO_MmNRlHXxJ4JFlD_MoTjG2O6jqtTJE_C/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sx2Bq5ldHhsu7ScpP_XpTdaHwaFmA33iImD-B7qwakBsGB7QdFRgyleAu-Fsh4ZKxjRf2Ud4taOHM3_50_39BhtFnr9oo_jgBAkyPjaOLdaO_MmNRlHXxJ4JFlD_MoTjG2O6jqtTJE_C/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter hogging the cheese and sausage, while Lincoln snacks on energy chews!</td></tr>
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<b> </b>And from there on out it was plug, plug, plug. We played some hiking games we had made up in the past - like 20 questions, only instead of it being something you saw, it was something you thought of. And you got more than 20 questions. The kids were awesome and started taking breaks anytime they could.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWitTqPLZZ-aaWa0EzK4dlydcGOPwyR9uGZIH9QHseugjrMPHe8aN8UeQSnRLXBcNzsdh9uULJZ0pyFbUfyK0F1zeJgJgTocAcogQ7X5W6_IfPu3zXeifiNKnoFW8TziXD1sjknDpgSaL/s1600/IMG_1969.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWitTqPLZZ-aaWa0EzK4dlydcGOPwyR9uGZIH9QHseugjrMPHe8aN8UeQSnRLXBcNzsdh9uULJZ0pyFbUfyK0F1zeJgJgTocAcogQ7X5W6_IfPu3zXeifiNKnoFW8TziXD1sjknDpgSaL/s1600/IMG_1969.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were seriously SO tired!</td></tr>
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At one point (it must have been 13,400' feet or so), I said something like, "we can't rest too long or we might not make it." And from that I hear Lincoln, "WHAT!?!? I am NOT going to let 600 feet come between me and making it!". And he didn't.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsD9YnRP5LNn12tNkq5rWjborORGqAMcVNIKkRMtbvIBMwuGzZ1KZsBJ_LM-Wo1vxWNEx1kH9nCRJi5qgf8A8MpBcn4rZYnidlU6Mg3hs3MvRPx_XkHUehcQLoPr7S8DiW_TgfrCIj3L6/s1600/IMG_1959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsD9YnRP5LNn12tNkq5rWjborORGqAMcVNIKkRMtbvIBMwuGzZ1KZsBJ_LM-Wo1vxWNEx1kH9nCRJi5qgf8A8MpBcn4rZYnidlU6Mg3hs3MvRPx_XkHUehcQLoPr7S8DiW_TgfrCIj3L6/s1600/IMG_1959.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My determined little hiker.</td></tr>
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The trail had turned to pure rocks at this point (or, rather, we had lost the trail, so we were hiking/scrambling over pure rocks at this point). Being that the kids LOVE to climb on rocks, they were in decent spirits, just tired. Hunter kept saying how he wanted to just lay down and go to sleep and I assured him that he could sleep the WHOLE way back to Denver... we just had to get off the mountain first.<br />
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The closer we got to the top, the more motivated Lincoln became and he was leading us all.<br />
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And then FINALLY -- THE SUMMIT!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud2nHTOO43EXVZdnfcy9Crl5hZ6JCuXIpPR0LSfRYZYIQ47E1VgVUXdz27n0lpF1uN6UXsV05iRuhUFio7ieE68HOUrmAjEankiZegFKbGuu4kD6bYG3mlR3oosirBRHN3jZ2WmJvdTVr/s1600/IMG_1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud2nHTOO43EXVZdnfcy9Crl5hZ6JCuXIpPR0LSfRYZYIQ47E1VgVUXdz27n0lpF1uN6UXsV05iRuhUFio7ieE68HOUrmAjEankiZegFKbGuu4kD6bYG3mlR3oosirBRHN3jZ2WmJvdTVr/s1600/IMG_1976.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one can take this away from me - EVER!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBXWsmGdtQzcBryxQ7wj8kDivqDidxY2Qo2XAV_bwpY9K9O5HeFCOC1BLQxEE_TSjZcydRSwGNBG843UdDvqbNQXAetYqIOHdl9gTSjW1HqRcub3C2wqHEQi-XuIMmQYwmff-PnxnFxjY/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBXWsmGdtQzcBryxQ7wj8kDivqDidxY2Qo2XAV_bwpY9K9O5HeFCOC1BLQxEE_TSjZcydRSwGNBG843UdDvqbNQXAetYqIOHdl9gTSjW1HqRcub3C2wqHEQi-XuIMmQYwmff-PnxnFxjY/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of the world at 14,000 feet!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiWgny415BOZrNkGaE8kI2f_bX0vnfELqvcmm2EJ8H4Hs4nueEfl_gDe2VECsArVUzzYE-4L_AabCFm056Pjirc1y1eyCbSh3kY52sOH68vLd6UwVtfxTDtI6YE17vq4ftCcB9q51txYb/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiWgny415BOZrNkGaE8kI2f_bX0vnfELqvcmm2EJ8H4Hs4nueEfl_gDe2VECsArVUzzYE-4L_AabCFm056Pjirc1y1eyCbSh3kY52sOH68vLd6UwVtfxTDtI6YE17vq4ftCcB9q51txYb/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I was happy to finally be there! We took some token pictures to prove that we had made it to the top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5ej5b0ssgwtwFiysvj7mGVHLuV8i7KtH1gvZDk9Ja2P2l6kdI8WznWQ87_R1lTiXNUwpw2jO4frYSIMTO6bd2NChQxg-8zonfqSeLpWxNq0FZDbfE6YGrZcSVKemWzPt-vuLvnmD721J/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5ej5b0ssgwtwFiysvj7mGVHLuV8i7KtH1gvZDk9Ja2P2l6kdI8WznWQ87_R1lTiXNUwpw2jO4frYSIMTO6bd2NChQxg-8zonfqSeLpWxNq0FZDbfE6YGrZcSVKemWzPt-vuLvnmD721J/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Then, being Father's Day, I tried to take another one to remember the day by.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIpUIgJ6iryoZYXQRIhZPGlNZ3h7GgBhBybjKEDCoNq8sdJLn-QmuS3eCFmJKblcjo4N_8ZP3KVwd9fU-Mpu8WZLCvoaTsvYpqoDV4rooJVT1fOXD7NeQSIHbMydSZv8Ndei4jdKhWRBJ/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIpUIgJ6iryoZYXQRIhZPGlNZ3h7GgBhBybjKEDCoNq8sdJLn-QmuS3eCFmJKblcjo4N_8ZP3KVwd9fU-Mpu8WZLCvoaTsvYpqoDV4rooJVT1fOXD7NeQSIHbMydSZv8Ndei4jdKhWRBJ/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also got him a soda keg and CO2 system for kegging beer, but I somehow think this was the better gift.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After pictures, it was signing the log (more proof that we had made it)!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxFaIT0CIKQr5uMnLKEukECxYHnHCBmeEq8LFCdwp50gBVAiZvPJZ9p6x5-kSBRclpVCesRBHvrmN1K6Eks1Fz1_8xjtTar4VLjY6U6ONXWb4Khrdbx8eMyn4MlSBE4UKO5XusH3bFIS4/s1600/IMG_1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxFaIT0CIKQr5uMnLKEukECxYHnHCBmeEq8LFCdwp50gBVAiZvPJZ9p6x5-kSBRclpVCesRBHvrmN1K6Eks1Fz1_8xjtTar4VLjY6U6ONXWb4Khrdbx8eMyn4MlSBE4UKO5XusH3bFIS4/s1600/IMG_1996.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linc and Hunter signed their own names!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And hung out with our new friend who lives at the summit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowKBZA2wS4Ox_7spRbOS0N9RVwkseEFIccldvz41H-Kwsd6XtMijsSn4UO3TJNkdRXhBS08het0d3PtytiE_tBvlEQdDDy9fUZMIJiYIgTkDta7hTUXbyTGBE_EQSCmIFl6c0q1wYHG8A/s1600/IMG_4504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowKBZA2wS4Ox_7spRbOS0N9RVwkseEFIccldvz41H-Kwsd6XtMijsSn4UO3TJNkdRXhBS08het0d3PtytiE_tBvlEQdDDy9fUZMIJiYIgTkDta7hTUXbyTGBE_EQSCmIFl6c0q1wYHG8A/s1600/IMG_4504.JPG" height="320" width="279" /></a></div>
<br />
After all the logistics, it was more snacks and then it was time to descend. As we went down, I tried to get a better "Father's Day Picture" with just Ross and the boys. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNJAwGOF_cLIzK3BP9JkY2t6Ytal6cRnNpGB96aABImxqjK2f30nKY1yy2sgDEKah5H6GUQ2bNYG08VkDiWZNR9cscHMkTEorcwswrky5qW-6RN6taN1DYCgqq7cIwQYl1miOooztf08w/s1600/IMG_2001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNJAwGOF_cLIzK3BP9JkY2t6Ytal6cRnNpGB96aABImxqjK2f30nKY1yy2sgDEKah5H6GUQ2bNYG08VkDiWZNR9cscHMkTEorcwswrky5qW-6RN6taN1DYCgqq7cIwQYl1miOooztf08w/s1600/IMG_2001.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was so windy on the way down, Ross couldn't keep his hat from blowing off!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcJv6jdofCVbx78-X9Wko5_2Ca31iJTRRmd6HYhlD4a4lMlG13lIOmzh5lQYuUPp3iY1jvzCBLpYqLWuqCx-Ys6FNG4JP5z4DncAKjVMwB8y5hcxXXGVCXUr6owlWU4wYKqZrePtYcfRl/s1600/IMG_2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcJv6jdofCVbx78-X9Wko5_2Ca31iJTRRmd6HYhlD4a4lMlG13lIOmzh5lQYuUPp3iY1jvzCBLpYqLWuqCx-Ys6FNG4JP5z4DncAKjVMwB8y5hcxXXGVCXUr6owlWU4wYKqZrePtYcfRl/s1600/IMG_2007.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, the walk down was a lot easier than the walk up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And there you have it. 6 hours of hiking. 7.5 ish mile round trip. ~2,500 feet vertical. And...<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>One 14'er conquered. </b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomOOZ_-YIo2R-wesGNkogwng-omEBMwAyN-6LSJRqaDzKcTLvTBIdDA40iS0uu4w6r52ts2drG4aJ8slxicGKtKCOWwNjJ0cWmv0AIKycG3hOA9YHe_TdO5ibtQQRedhv-KYAGNRXVlJ6/s1600/IMG_2015+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomOOZ_-YIo2R-wesGNkogwng-omEBMwAyN-6LSJRqaDzKcTLvTBIdDA40iS0uu4w6r52ts2drG4aJ8slxicGKtKCOWwNjJ0cWmv0AIKycG3hOA9YHe_TdO5ibtQQRedhv-KYAGNRXVlJ6/s1600/IMG_2015+copy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(If you ask Lincoln about it, he will make sure to tell you it was 14, 065 feet, not just 14,000 feet up.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> Happy Father's Day, Ross. I love you.</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-32599628102255394592014-04-29T04:49:00.002-07:002014-04-29T04:55:13.010-07:00Boston: Survivors and ScarvesAfter the 5k, it was off to check in for the race. This part
is non-eventful, so I will spare you the details, but what happened after was
not.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon exiting the expo, we were back out on Boylston and the police
had it blocked off. One of the police officers informed me that a number of the
survivors were participating in the invitational mile (a race for the elites to
see how fast they could run a mile). At the end, the survivors were walking. We
were fortunate enough to see two groups of walkers walk the last bit of Boylston
to the finish line. I can’t tell you how emotional this was for me. At first, I
don’t think I thought too much of it, but as I watched them walk, I realized a few things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing that struck me was when the first group of
walkers stopped. They stopped at the exact location on the route where the first
bomb went off. They had a moment of silence, talked/prayed amongst themselves,
and that it was then that I started to admire not just the physical strength of
these people, but the emotional strength they had. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>They were standing on the direct spot that, one year ago,
changed their lives forever. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDnG8VOKjKpaSyU8l6ttZtgc2Rqi0KQaMsWo3LRwATi6dJEOGbB5opi1eHGUlPYQ8OjT1_XUfQERo7dIhpV2r-neMDhSyIQ2pUSPrDPYMUIOyEUfXfTyrFO3iHuUgm9lVC84njLu58w0a/s1600/P4180041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDnG8VOKjKpaSyU8l6ttZtgc2Rqi0KQaMsWo3LRwATi6dJEOGbB5opi1eHGUlPYQ8OjT1_XUfQERo7dIhpV2r-neMDhSyIQ2pUSPrDPYMUIOyEUfXfTyrFO3iHuUgm9lVC84njLu58w0a/s1600/P4180041.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Their lives changed there from a physical standpoint and from an emotional one. </b></i>I
think our first reaction when seeing someone who is physically impaired is to
think how that would affect us on a physical level. Makes sense, right? We
think of the things we couldn’t do if we were, say, in a wheelchair, or we
think about how we would button up a shirt is we only had one hand. But we
don’t also think about the emotional side of it – and in this case, how they
became physically impaired having such an emotional impact. That that emotional
side may weigh on them just as much, if not more, than the physical aspect of
their impairment.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I started to thank my stars for these survivors. <i>For their
strength. For their example to us. For their courage to return to and walk
through the spot that had changed their lives forever. </i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following that group, there was another survivor and
companion. He, too, stopped at the spot of the bombing and then proceeded to
the finish line. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>This also seems obvious, but it struck me at that point –
<i><u>this man was crossing the area he had been forbidden to cross the year ago. </u></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5myYp7rpCjG66m_f5tp6WvgrDJFCfiuXZ6EArCNH30s_Xz5T3OmdEst42BqpjcIloqgFd15NvFNR9h54OidqZPDmY8a-XBz9ISNrpVdRcNxqnfpaJnP6zcycfdbFHVX_mqOResWWoWCH_/s1600/P4180037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5myYp7rpCjG66m_f5tp6WvgrDJFCfiuXZ6EArCNH30s_Xz5T3OmdEst42BqpjcIloqgFd15NvFNR9h54OidqZPDmY8a-XBz9ISNrpVdRcNxqnfpaJnP6zcycfdbFHVX_mqOResWWoWCH_/s1600/P4180037.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
That the amount of emotional strength this man had to have
to continue on in a spot that had been denied to him, with a direct attempt at
taking his life the last time he was in this spot. And how he fought through
and kept walking. For every step he took, a tear welled up behind my sunglasses
until I started crying and had to look away.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THIS was what being at Boston was about this year for me. </b>It
was a race, but it was so much more than a race. Witnessing this kind of
strength, bravery, courage and patriotism is something that does not happen
always… and this was a place where it was happening with every turn of the
corner. With every person that chose to be there that weekend. It was a choice.
It was all a choice. And I was glad I made that choice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So… if that wasn’t enough… we then found ourselves at the
finish line. Sacred ground in my eyes. And, I am not sure if you noticed, but
there is a very beautiful, old church that stands at the finish line – South
Church. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcf4Acf95mSpJaifzZgvFufNfIQxvKumJTFxBCkmAXd3aQ9CDtG87QsN3bQrIhUmVygLvh_8Zes6UK3i-eoSo2ymzgi_-K-pxBuda-m3zThjBX5oI9NQRq8WXyYJcC6ey6B_KOneLQuwJ/s1600/new-old-south-church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcf4Acf95mSpJaifzZgvFufNfIQxvKumJTFxBCkmAXd3aQ9CDtG87QsN3bQrIhUmVygLvh_8Zes6UK3i-eoSo2ymzgi_-K-pxBuda-m3zThjBX5oI9NQRq8WXyYJcC6ey6B_KOneLQuwJ/s1600/new-old-south-church.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJ6oFLuBT2Bt4nBCt03ComOmMt2xUjsZtzDu5KIrDWu63V6VYTlLOvNNh6lNsQFWhvqPkjCJ7Yf4XPaIMqtDVW8D7XhwCYE43S8iexdae8lR46H9cPmX8QfQnUPMF4NnHSCpV3UbQJiQt/s1600/P4180044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<b>Outside of South Church there were loads of people handing out scarves,<span style="color: red;">
</span><span style="color: red;">and I was given one.</span><i> </i></b><br />
<br />
I think this will be one of (if not THE) most treasured
‘souvenir’ of the trip. These scarves were handmade by people around the world
who had knit them with thoughts of love and peace and prayed over them before
sending them to Boston to be distributed to the runners.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJ6oFLuBT2Bt4nBCt03ComOmMt2xUjsZtzDu5KIrDWu63V6VYTlLOvNNh6lNsQFWhvqPkjCJ7Yf4XPaIMqtDVW8D7XhwCYE43S8iexdae8lR46H9cPmX8QfQnUPMF4NnHSCpV3UbQJiQt/s1600/P4180044.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJ6oFLuBT2Bt4nBCt03ComOmMt2xUjsZtzDu5KIrDWu63V6VYTlLOvNNh6lNsQFWhvqPkjCJ7Yf4XPaIMqtDVW8D7XhwCYE43S8iexdae8lR46H9cPmX8QfQnUPMF4NnHSCpV3UbQJiQt/s1600/P4180044.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A volunteer handing out scarves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWAX-WbQJVCJcPK3B8MOAPWbhXCJ2SohdyPxfzHITAdHBOUm38e9cKIcf28t30BcdaHcy-9EeVXgXZwbIlt5sNwm_vq6sU0iNRpj5Qh_bnr1IKbiW7vlg_MzX9PwsmFNMufFipn620Y1o/s1600/IMG_1643+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWAX-WbQJVCJcPK3B8MOAPWbhXCJ2SohdyPxfzHITAdHBOUm38e9cKIcf28t30BcdaHcy-9EeVXgXZwbIlt5sNwm_vq6sU0iNRpj5Qh_bnr1IKbiW7vlg_MzX9PwsmFNMufFipn620Y1o/s1600/IMG_1643+-+Version+2.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tag on the scarf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the city wasn’t just supporting the
runners/cause/event, the US wasn’t just supporting it, but the world coming
together to support it all as well. As I felt the need to come and run, these
people felt the need to do the same in sending the scarves – their way of
fighting terrorism.
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FctE0QCPI_K6nlWHag3XZLCA61x2_lwxCQbcMurbny-7uzy0Ib0822HBcqGTVHtBgSzej0Vks3PyRDcsThwErkwcVRN6SNjKhJW7riBK2QujdCuljFXEH1ImHIlKM2-DlqsIQ9s3Io9Z/s1600/IMG_1642+-+Version+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FctE0QCPI_K6nlWHag3XZLCA61x2_lwxCQbcMurbny-7uzy0Ib0822HBcqGTVHtBgSzej0Vks3PyRDcsThwErkwcVRN6SNjKhJW7riBK2QujdCuljFXEH1ImHIlKM2-DlqsIQ9s3Io9Z/s1600/IMG_1642+-+Version+2.jpg" height="400" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine came from California</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I kept my scarf close and safe that weekend… and will always. It is a symbol of so much more for me and I am honored to wear it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyR4DBdzlgN5jjCBe3ceigaoZ2k4cwEzNuf2GM8knt1plOm3J3l6Qw334ZZ8sPWar0W7SzSGI4m2w8b4yDfQmpZqpldToThjaBe03txMO8pzggAA8eTb44h8ZMXW2JgjIJ00M6rEwnMoC/s1600/P4180043+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyR4DBdzlgN5jjCBe3ceigaoZ2k4cwEzNuf2GM8knt1plOm3J3l6Qw334ZZ8sPWar0W7SzSGI4m2w8b4yDfQmpZqpldToThjaBe03txMO8pzggAA8eTb44h8ZMXW2JgjIJ00M6rEwnMoC/s1600/P4180043+-+Version+2.jpg" height="400" width="261" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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The more I was there, the more I was realizing how much this
town NEEDED this event. How THIS was the weekend that was going to help not
only the city and its people, but the world. While this probably struck closer
to home with certain demographics, we were all in this together.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How the whole world was rooting for the race to succeed and
for the terrorists to fail. And that they would.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-84140287846119321172014-04-23T19:46:00.000-07:002014-04-23T19:46:01.668-07:00Boston: BAA 5K with bestiesWith Boston on my mind, I asked two of my girlfriends from
high school, Allece and Jessie, to meet me out there. We have been friends for
many years (obvi) and they have been along on my running journey with me. In
fact, it was Jessie who got me to run my first marathon by simply saying “Hey,
wanna go on vacation…and we’ll just run a marathon while we are there?” circa
2001. (…and you wonder how I get ‘suckered’ into doing so many things.) And
Allece who who sherpa’d me around in Dallas when I qualified for the race. To me, there is not anyone else better to share this experience with than these
ladies!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3gLFmT_DtEJ21jK6tmhRX5Te7ooHFYbnZ1T8nnXGHKr3m_sCcaxbW03IDTMbqf1IrWPFDlEy2C8kfMmq8Gvis3IJmfjeFmlDNxnWIWeJNjl6bzvtTUMEFJBnVO5zVdrK6s8NpvVd8dmP/s1600/P4120078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3gLFmT_DtEJ21jK6tmhRX5Te7ooHFYbnZ1T8nnXGHKr3m_sCcaxbW03IDTMbqf1IrWPFDlEy2C8kfMmq8Gvis3IJmfjeFmlDNxnWIWeJNjl6bzvtTUMEFJBnVO5zVdrK6s8NpvVd8dmP/s1600/P4120078.JPG" height="400" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess and I running my first marathon - oy! how far we've come!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We all got there Friday evening and Saturday morning it was the Boston 5k. What a perfect
opportunity for us all to be together and “do Boston” I thought, so I talked
them into it and signed us all up (months ago). </div>
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When we arrived at the Boston Common, and while there were
bits of rememberance around, the mood here was light, fun and celebratory. Unlike
the memorials I had seen on tv all week, this felt like the kick-off of the
marathon events and somehow the somber mood I had observed the previous
week had been lifted and replaced with this more optimistic and energetic one. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp3tokVEYI1jcKI6haiIOJiROBiLt6PeTAkq7AeQN4quMj8zXDGe2A7MQMZwv8ZeX_1XQXFMN6Q5s9zqFlVfY5UGaJ1PEvXbmFLf6d5Vo4-_LryQN2atRQU9emjjsHT6PebxNbU1LPBJI/s1600/P4180003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp3tokVEYI1jcKI6haiIOJiROBiLt6PeTAkq7AeQN4quMj8zXDGe2A7MQMZwv8ZeX_1XQXFMN6Q5s9zqFlVfY5UGaJ1PEvXbmFLf6d5Vo4-_LryQN2atRQU9emjjsHT6PebxNbU1LPBJI/s1600/P4180003.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the 5k start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb8NBEB0KYVI126I0vYyus4t4yzc-gnWuSf68oNObkUD63VwpWIdJvqDfZF175O3dzn0rd2QW6kS0iC-Imn3O2tzSZbzaKMI0_6fNaZyLU4DwSWSvVNx8CSpEZdERcQjBwc6ymHh2TqB7/s1600/P4180005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb8NBEB0KYVI126I0vYyus4t4yzc-gnWuSf68oNObkUD63VwpWIdJvqDfZF175O3dzn0rd2QW6kS0iC-Imn3O2tzSZbzaKMI0_6fNaZyLU4DwSWSvVNx8CSpEZdERcQjBwc6ymHh2TqB7/s1600/P4180005.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the starting chute, cozing up to a Boston flag!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, due to long work hours (and just buying a new home)
Allece hadn’t found time to train, so she insisted that she just support me and
Jess while we ran the 5k…but Jess and I wouldn’t have it. We wanted to do this
together, so we convinced Allece to join us and we would all walk it (peer
pressure at its finest). But as we crossed the start line, Allece started
running, so Jess and I ran alongside her. And BAM! Just like that – couch to 5k
in 1 day for Allece. SO PROUD of her! </div>
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We had a great time as we ran down the streets, checked out
Cheers and enjoyed the sights of the brownstones on Beacon Street. The cherry
blossoms were in bloom – something none of us get living where we do (Colorado,
Texas, Wisconsin) and just enjoyed the run! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH638N_WLXR-5YSbHhK-YT-cX2XJJglBs7XBWzUknRAw2k0gRNtfM2PTqAjAHEEgWze68NwdQO6XtSRsp_f6yyBfpvsyDGxXkj_gs5AEjfDp7quT8yRQ2pZ_7y43HZgFTP7KRr7qBiNlE8/s1600/P4180012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH638N_WLXR-5YSbHhK-YT-cX2XJJglBs7XBWzUknRAw2k0gRNtfM2PTqAjAHEEgWze68NwdQO6XtSRsp_f6yyBfpvsyDGxXkj_gs5AEjfDp7quT8yRQ2pZ_7y43HZgFTP7KRr7qBiNlE8/s1600/P4180012.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running by South Church (non-Boylston side)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_HjkmoKB9otEAMelV2k5SchKV1PIVSp0f0FMhUbN2HHr1bChQ40B2k1HvRo-h-CVBmKcFhi6v6c4QiNJUtAO4ZeeIblVeR06dKA4blubzuSBqdEJnKGGLp4DVoYSg4y3OrIcgq5gV4W8/s1600/P4180014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_HjkmoKB9otEAMelV2k5SchKV1PIVSp0f0FMhUbN2HHr1bChQ40B2k1HvRo-h-CVBmKcFhi6v6c4QiNJUtAO4ZeeIblVeR06dKA4blubzuSBqdEJnKGGLp4DVoYSg4y3OrIcgq5gV4W8/s1600/P4180014.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running by brownstones and cherry blossoms!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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We turned onto Hereford and there was the turn to Boylston—I
got so excited. Sitting at the corner was a firetruck with a gorgeous flag and
I was struck again how this perfect New England race was forever stronger
because of the events of last year. I saw signs of support and pride along
Boylston. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-y9b-NvLpG1XvbT9ZjtsfrI0HvrNvLKgQmD3ylP3qFCDyY2hM3R6JP6VWmfUC4zWRIo2VgmVNwb2o5waeeZ2kafTSnVXF1we-WD4zA6w2XY6ozhyz4cr4S5YNcWaE94ok5Il3G-yfGoQ/s1600/IMG_1602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-y9b-NvLpG1XvbT9ZjtsfrI0HvrNvLKgQmD3ylP3qFCDyY2hM3R6JP6VWmfUC4zWRIo2VgmVNwb2o5waeeZ2kafTSnVXF1we-WD4zA6w2XY6ozhyz4cr4S5YNcWaE94ok5Il3G-yfGoQ/s1600/IMG_1602.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning onto Boylston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0Mk-pWFlexW70XB2rqLxCflWqOoZYQcEEEIrSxx0Sk-G854oLuQ5RX78liJAQKdJsALoniW_NHWiPscvKFVY7BaXmW86U3e4gPWHU7GDaBolFfEpElxmWbA7K14WxWpotzGWS2HY0-AA/s1600/P4180016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0Mk-pWFlexW70XB2rqLxCflWqOoZYQcEEEIrSxx0Sk-G854oLuQ5RX78liJAQKdJsALoniW_NHWiPscvKFVY7BaXmW86U3e4gPWHU7GDaBolFfEpElxmWbA7K14WxWpotzGWS2HY0-AA/s1600/P4180016.JPG" height="321" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signs on Boylston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AlQcjBraJLkaPWFmZAnOaq94EIPDCcV_YscfBbOdOwHGsB8Xfv6Iiuw9GFjIGzq7LtZxUQdV1zZu8gu2b1xmhyphenhyphennK6wD_sx9Cc8m7l7UY0XanHggTg-TAGhELKtKOB77EIqBNMnzQ0T5F/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AlQcjBraJLkaPWFmZAnOaq94EIPDCcV_YscfBbOdOwHGsB8Xfv6Iiuw9GFjIGzq7LtZxUQdV1zZu8gu2b1xmhyphenhyphennK6wD_sx9Cc8m7l7UY0XanHggTg-TAGhELKtKOB77EIqBNMnzQ0T5F/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" height="220" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And this is where we, as three, got to cross the marathon
finish line!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpqxrXId5TluX7JZEyEVHqpNjxKgOhDLe2zBaUWH33oW-BFoYGXGM0pf1AW7NXh39Ecy0gsvHpkQ5lLBXnQ1AdgkmGN4ieKckedpgb5zoxOaXZiR68pY-HEnwTzLnIHKjGZrIOe0cx9VX/s1600/P4180020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpqxrXId5TluX7JZEyEVHqpNjxKgOhDLe2zBaUWH33oW-BFoYGXGM0pf1AW7NXh39Ecy0gsvHpkQ5lLBXnQ1AdgkmGN4ieKckedpgb5zoxOaXZiR68pY-HEnwTzLnIHKjGZrIOe0cx9VX/s1600/P4180020.JPG" height="572" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Strong</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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From Boylston, it was back to the Boston Common, where the
race ended. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7tDeKxomawEBGT-_AoCYjPd1q3j9E104r0tSE2xEpaoHDmrm1C4QKfYivWXm77j8I-KUnhIjkpA0hMi1Ep201V4SjxmDhmzH8cgEtL-xmgjDELmiLcXW6G-btJnSt1n7iqaROm2r53l9/s1600/P4180027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7tDeKxomawEBGT-_AoCYjPd1q3j9E104r0tSE2xEpaoHDmrm1C4QKfYivWXm77j8I-KUnhIjkpA0hMi1Ep201V4SjxmDhmzH8cgEtL-xmgjDELmiLcXW6G-btJnSt1n7iqaROm2r53l9/s1600/P4180027.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Line stretch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6hAW-9BgWsCTd_EKFbqsQgnKoSHL7D5xFm1H8zNmEeaIxSLdPAaqBWqsaBH8xFn0xpTzphmx0BbukCP1oM9mB-JtPBlsANyx0986C1njC9ZJJK7EArD5Gv-kRJCRt364HD_5fKfOSPZs/s1600/P4180031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6hAW-9BgWsCTd_EKFbqsQgnKoSHL7D5xFm1H8zNmEeaIxSLdPAaqBWqsaBH8xFn0xpTzphmx0BbukCP1oM9mB-JtPBlsANyx0986C1njC9ZJJK7EArD5Gv-kRJCRt364HD_5fKfOSPZs/s1600/P4180031.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess and I stopped for a photo, Allece just kept running till the end!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F8itrF9lkBfqUeEo34egH33ecZUBtDIcITOnU6qRrjZUp96iK9yuVpaFTfRVuLGgx-_Md6YCPVW8LHNx-leyW5K54qFooOvxm-TfQJxWgMerHNUMxOav1Kes3wsk4-D9RsVKcfKIrFlq/s1600/P4180035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F8itrF9lkBfqUeEo34egH33ecZUBtDIcITOnU6qRrjZUp96iK9yuVpaFTfRVuLGgx-_Md6YCPVW8LHNx-leyW5K54qFooOvxm-TfQJxWgMerHNUMxOav1Kes3wsk4-D9RsVKcfKIrFlq/s1600/P4180035.JPG" height="526" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done = Winning! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And THIS was the kick-off to a weekend filled with friendship, running, pride, patriotism and support - for us all!</b></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-33366097909632541452014-04-23T03:48:00.000-07:002014-04-23T04:46:58.228-07:00Boston: Why I needed to be there<style>
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<b>Where to begin? </b>There seems like a lot to tell, well, simply
because I haven’t been blogging in quite some time. But, we will stick to
Boston, and how I got there.<br />
<br />
I ran Boston first in 2012. It was the
first time that I had qualified to run the marathon. It had been a life dream ever since I had started running marathons. OK, well maybe not at first. At first, it was probably, "I'll never get there, so why try?", but as the years passed and the marathons added up, the dream was built... and in 2011, I achieved it. I ran a marathon fast enough to qualify - so in 2012... I went!<br />
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I brought the whole family
along, thinking that I might never qualify, let alone be able to run it, again. That year it was a HOT race
and while I didn’t have the best (running) time, I had the best experience! With family and friends around me, it couldn't be beat! <a href="http://ironstrand.blogspot.com/2012/04/boston-baaaahston-2012.html" target="_blank">(If you really are so inclined, you can read about it here.)</a> Anyways, I was there, did that – and, even with my less-than-stellar
race time, I didn’t have the need to go back.While Boston is an amazing race, it is far away, expensive, not a kid-friendly town, etc. etc. so I was over joyed to have that be my one Boston experience. One I would treasure forever (and still do). <i><b>But I didn't have the need to go back.</b></i></div>
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<b>Until last year.</b></div>
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After the bombing last year, even with no close friends in
the race, I was deeply affected. I know part of it had to do with the fact that
I had been there the year before. That I had spent so much time at the finish
line, both before and during the race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sj7_hO6cHBDtVTBtar3dQphOmHxLRxP55legPQOAUfMFfzaAv-wCmM7_2YE0QensfFIzVvJp583wCyV_Lo-mORxxXgJYsSfBotSeSMGEfxX7zVaUJ1XSHFfv1I5Kp1Lq3HpSmZyZF0Qr/s1600/IMG_4326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sj7_hO6cHBDtVTBtar3dQphOmHxLRxP55legPQOAUfMFfzaAv-wCmM7_2YE0QensfFIzVvJp583wCyV_Lo-mORxxXgJYsSfBotSeSMGEfxX7zVaUJ1XSHFfv1I5Kp1Lq3HpSmZyZF0Qr/s1600/IMG_4326.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids racing to the finish the day before!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that my family, my WHOLE family, had
been at the finish line – directly across from where the 2<sup>nd</sup> bomb
was placed – on race day. We were precisely 1 year and about 20 minutes off
from being directly affected by the bomb. I can’t tellyou the number of times
“what if it had been that year?” had gone through my head.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTlup6UWrqKyKIcOXDofKwNaVbqzRgm88XLNnlcCB9CPaew8-x08KPrdO7TtheNrwiljS_LBgAD5Xr7Vw_qI9fPsmv12-yDPcJa_yF1q8M6lQX-YzRpLTyg20Zxfuli0se-htLAoc8C40/s1600/IMG_4498.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTlup6UWrqKyKIcOXDofKwNaVbqzRgm88XLNnlcCB9CPaew8-x08KPrdO7TtheNrwiljS_LBgAD5Xr7Vw_qI9fPsmv12-yDPcJa_yF1q8M6lQX-YzRpLTyg20Zxfuli0se-htLAoc8C40/s1600/IMG_4498.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vantage point of my family on race day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwWXfYuaNGH5brA94ni7t0L2hRwyFZfg2ZCgJQLdkKzOANxvEFbCxd0KEDxCPt55IOMzHJl4KBG-sR_eawJMfUjTFGtJ2mx1MTiCA1V4fkI_VYs89AsikAeA9pqiDnke5Hdw02Nc1TkU4/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwWXfYuaNGH5brA94ni7t0L2hRwyFZfg2ZCgJQLdkKzOANxvEFbCxd0KEDxCPt55IOMzHJl4KBG-sR_eawJMfUjTFGtJ2mx1MTiCA1V4fkI_VYs89AsikAeA9pqiDnke5Hdw02Nc1TkU4/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just hanging out waiting for me at mile 26.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then it turned into more than that. As the events unfolded,
the feelings of resentment, the feeling of violation for what the terrorists had
done, swelled. What they did to everyone, the people of Boston, our country, our
community, the fear they installed, etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one of my favorite bits on Boston after the bombing.
<br />
<div style="background-color: black; width: 520px;">
<div style="padding: 4px;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="288" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:arc:video:colbertnation.com:dedbc67b-ae9e-45d7-bd16-4799b6f2cdb9" width="512"></iframe><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;">
<b><a href="http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/">The Colbert Report</a></b><br />
Get More: <a href="http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/full-episodes/">Daily Show Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/indecision">Indecision Political Humor</a>,<a href="http://www.facebook.com/thecolbertreport">The Colbert Report on Facebook</a></div>
</div>
</div>
To me, he exercises the use of humor with such a strong message that rings true that it really hits home. While Colbert talks about the people of Boston, it was more than that - it was the people of this country.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I couldn't put into words why I was feeling, and have continued to feel, the way I do but as one of my friends stated, "It was such a direct threat on my way of life." And it is true. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I needed to do something. And I realized what the terrorists
wanted was us to lay down. To be afraid. To not come back. So... that was the
one thing I could do, the one way I could ‘fight’ the terrorists is to go back.
To not be afraid. To say you cannot take away MY freedom. It sounds so silly,
but at the same time, it is what was ringing true through my body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That (and a qualifying time achieved at the Dallas Marathon)
is how I ended up here in Boston this year.<br />
<br />
I didn’t do it because it is an awesome race. (Which it is.)<br />
I didn't do it because I needed to redeem my time. <br />
I didn't need it to "say" I did Boston. <br />
I didn't do it because I thought I might never qualify again. <br />
<br />
I did it because the terrorists didn't want me to.<br />
I did it for the people who can't.<br />
I did it for the people from Hopkington to Boston who line the race route every year. To give them someone to cheer for. To show them that we aren't running scared.<br />
I did it to face fear - and show others how easy it is to do the same.<br />
<b>I did it to stand up for our freedom that we have as
Americans. To not let that be taken away from us.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I often feel like I do very little for this country for what I get back.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>For me, THIS was the one way I COULD give back.</b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-72925226188130645002013-05-20T18:37:00.004-07:002013-05-22T05:21:15.940-07:00HITS Half-IM and other Grand Junction Adventures!<b>What's this? A race report? From moi? </b>I know, it's been FOREVER since I have done one, but... I just had a really fun weekend (with loads of fun peeps and picts), so I thought I would share.<br />
<br />
The adventures began Friday with a little trip out to western Colorado. Now, Ross had never been west Beaver Creek, so it was fun driving with him and seeing how the scenery changed and showing him my favorite part of that side of the state - Glenwood Canyon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GbFdophebj7XJUYLC6lXR9kVpigVZSOtjk3oRVqMsovL_QWFY_qppjd5kZo0d3NheLGAo-wexlZYjXnPohn07g9p-ppNXIYelfxLOLNDJppkTA1meAJXMePz0VyavVuuA_cVUcyWItTC/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GbFdophebj7XJUYLC6lXR9kVpigVZSOtjk3oRVqMsovL_QWFY_qppjd5kZo0d3NheLGAo-wexlZYjXnPohn07g9p-ppNXIYelfxLOLNDJppkTA1meAJXMePz0VyavVuuA_cVUcyWItTC/s400/IMG_0650.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture doesn't begin to do it justice.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, we scurried on over to Highline State Park in Loma (where the race would be happening) and drove the bike course. Now, if you are unaware of this course, you know you have gone too far when you get to Utah.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUdSOvoO0pGGygJY-BQDNMRcfJ3Ki5htPblL1DoIA9Tmshuq0eVUN3Jt8XQb828uC8xCwM-YaOPOuHiTRaWHElFTGuCR8cV4LcRKtlCgxLN3sGeSDxIJCTaTSSUMq-YsWI6exMyEhglVM/s1600/IMG_0662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUdSOvoO0pGGygJY-BQDNMRcfJ3Ki5htPblL1DoIA9Tmshuq0eVUN3Jt8XQb828uC8xCwM-YaOPOuHiTRaWHElFTGuCR8cV4LcRKtlCgxLN3sGeSDxIJCTaTSSUMq-YsWI6exMyEhglVM/s400/IMG_0662.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went too far.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After that, it was a quick bike and swim (man that wetsuit feels weird) and off to dinner and check out the sights of Grand Junction.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ipVd42RS24mUwdjEoM1On989nv9ftWFGI9-TQkLyzwBFNyBn3ogCgncWjAI-_I6hZ7n8prEsTiYuXiT4hhnHr6e1cMJU1NtDM_ppfxX7r-3e8ukbUPxQyqWHSg2FDPY6mCOcaG32EfFM/s1600/IMG_0667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ipVd42RS24mUwdjEoM1On989nv9ftWFGI9-TQkLyzwBFNyBn3ogCgncWjAI-_I6hZ7n8prEsTiYuXiT4hhnHr6e1cMJU1NtDM_ppfxX7r-3e8ukbUPxQyqWHSg2FDPY6mCOcaG32EfFM/s400/IMG_0667.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, they really like their sculptures in Grand Junction.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqEfbPINX9gPmZpDkwQ51jDsslnBUanTalpnrtNizGK129H0RgYm38YhVft8u7B5FlqOUXJ2iEJoQ54A6GSNiAeshgRIGX7kPkyfmeTHCPuhzseVKCP1pjNI7dToMymJvZHleE5WNzOo_/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqEfbPINX9gPmZpDkwQ51jDsslnBUanTalpnrtNizGK129H0RgYm38YhVft8u7B5FlqOUXJ2iEJoQ54A6GSNiAeshgRIGX7kPkyfmeTHCPuhzseVKCP1pjNI7dToMymJvZHleE5WNzOo_/s640/IMG_0668.JPG" height="548" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was advised not to climb up on this buffalo for fear of a ticket (I really wanted to).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Going into this race. </b>Everyone has different thoughts, expectations, etc. of what they want from a race. For me, this was a "training race" as its purpose was (more or less) to prepare me for my "A" race in July. Regardless of it's "training race" status, I was a little more anxious and felt like a little more rode on this one. I have been training hard and I felt like I needed to see improvement in my times. I wanted to be assured that my hard work was paying off somehow... and that is what I was looking for from this race.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Fast forward: Race Day!</b><br />
Surrounded by some of my tri friend favorites!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3LZGFJpS2EWVDVgQWigBDBykqXNpxV9kpKkLeX73s75F_6orybn6QtS7m8bZfj8ob_AysruPmUiPoqqHP1-0WgKKSvWjx4O9JmSZmNXFbFttbtegF02xxosnP3IuWsvJEt1y35KvRnyH/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3LZGFJpS2EWVDVgQWigBDBykqXNpxV9kpKkLeX73s75F_6orybn6QtS7m8bZfj8ob_AysruPmUiPoqqHP1-0WgKKSvWjx4O9JmSZmNXFbFttbtegF02xxosnP3IuWsvJEt1y35KvRnyH/s400/IMG_0460.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a tri without Tyler and Keith?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpuTW6TEHI9T4Re0nNI0Yg6yVxlp811tz0KUjCmnK1a6PrA-BTXraxDlc1cmtqI8xP7jYnEQLzEB5noWuHBKhigfr23dyCKU3WES-z4VV8ytWRslwuYdBLYsSl8Uvru4T4tScejU3vDOV/s1600/IMG_0469.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpuTW6TEHI9T4Re0nNI0Yg6yVxlp811tz0KUjCmnK1a6PrA-BTXraxDlc1cmtqI8xP7jYnEQLzEB5noWuHBKhigfr23dyCKU3WES-z4VV8ytWRslwuYdBLYsSl8Uvru4T4tScejU3vDOV/s400/IMG_0469.JPG" height="280" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's BEST spectators (minus Joey)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5q81bJDp64413xgoWTzwecVN7ePkPf4JN4ZV7vdfVXrVca9asGAiwWb3dVG8EUoXiIqRs5Ym_fqiF2TUB2LprFJOYOdFuRVtTh9LowhGsG_bmwkE7NmIj0Rv26GogvIJ_0mfrI0kzFdW/s1600/IMG_0465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5q81bJDp64413xgoWTzwecVN7ePkPf4JN4ZV7vdfVXrVca9asGAiwWb3dVG8EUoXiIqRs5Ym_fqiF2TUB2LprFJOYOdFuRVtTh9LowhGsG_bmwkE7NmIj0Rv26GogvIJ_0mfrI0kzFdW/s400/IMG_0465.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess it is time to swim, huh?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSe709fbmhyCbJZZxmddxBtd6h8PPhZOk35DYJdL44iXaMkh0Az0aHtVk1s_IHe-GB9V7W4X__4YmN2LkggoiQJjT9VJCHtJax_foaD85C0NMXSpdbA0PuYbF49vd0YKTe9ZFnQ6bvV5w/s1600/IMG_0472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSe709fbmhyCbJZZxmddxBtd6h8PPhZOk35DYJdL44iXaMkh0Az0aHtVk1s_IHe-GB9V7W4X__4YmN2LkggoiQJjT9VJCHtJax_foaD85C0NMXSpdbA0PuYbF49vd0YKTe9ZFnQ6bvV5w/s400/IMG_0472.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly's smile is infectious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvbnL8AbwsfgU4az715WXOvF67oRIwfm5_O2pIFQMvr9Hxfw4kc8bFHmMPgr3UlwyeEKtXnFI53HxI_2uRgeaQGMlRhz7DS0I9YxW4a89YZ9uhmx-GY2UC9ebLtMB58yuQcOu-ZAAKyRh/s1600/IMG_0486+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvbnL8AbwsfgU4az715WXOvF67oRIwfm5_O2pIFQMvr9Hxfw4kc8bFHmMPgr3UlwyeEKtXnFI53HxI_2uRgeaQGMlRhz7DS0I9YxW4a89YZ9uhmx-GY2UC9ebLtMB58yuQcOu-ZAAKyRh/s400/IMG_0486+-+Version+2.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling strong before the swim... or just convincing myself I am.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lBFR1aebA04SohHKz3iY4yGQxpWJpm4jxUaJStfv4CgFVhjTp1kkuVcBX7oz5CilPNJMDwLMShtS0TqSLwFOL0SzML2gAfpbzpy5ANwhGV8lAWGzaVFiBbOc43FBbO6GR1fbNeBHacHD/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lBFR1aebA04SohHKz3iY4yGQxpWJpm4jxUaJStfv4CgFVhjTp1kkuVcBX7oz5CilPNJMDwLMShtS0TqSLwFOL0SzML2gAfpbzpy5ANwhGV8lAWGzaVFiBbOc43FBbO6GR1fbNeBHacHD/s400/IMG_0489.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture is beyond awkward - which is why it makes me laugh so hard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXVeLLBB4xOvAduVOlVaTDq1D7WFbBb-zcYZfoLCkNIzJe4lUf7GzhSFB0vZW98Y3_4IXUwGKW2ew_PSPOIdFQo3OYt4f35fGOJZ-0bAuuCl4jY649v5BEyte0PPi82yzFybTf718NPqi/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXVeLLBB4xOvAduVOlVaTDq1D7WFbBb-zcYZfoLCkNIzJe4lUf7GzhSFB0vZW98Y3_4IXUwGKW2ew_PSPOIdFQo3OYt4f35fGOJZ-0bAuuCl4jY649v5BEyte0PPi82yzFybTf718NPqi/s400/IMG_0493.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies in the water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The swim start was a mass swim and a little brutal at the beginning. I got anxiety about 150 yards out, but recovered ok. Spent the rest of the time <i>trying</i> to go fast, but really just re-learning how to swim in my wetsuit (first open water swim of the year). 1.2 miles and I was done and ready to come out of the water!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHquTZ7Y_qwA87i2HDYgLX_zI1hpKXhrktCOzhZPI-mDapXIcwCaSR01-t8gpDa0HWfFuOniMnyKVp0eRcbq3cCq9kebOOrSxo30sphr4FYdOFEN_teGocXT9ugX406p6sSWgTOdwriLF1/s1600/IMG_0537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHquTZ7Y_qwA87i2HDYgLX_zI1hpKXhrktCOzhZPI-mDapXIcwCaSR01-t8gpDa0HWfFuOniMnyKVp0eRcbq3cCq9kebOOrSxo30sphr4FYdOFEN_teGocXT9ugX406p6sSWgTOdwriLF1/s400/IMG_0537.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure how I feel about this photo. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And then it was off to transition and onto the bike.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVoCPqf8ZPui0X8BZQPpjsTbC7bYIBumVkHa2Tftk3B2K4UHvE6-7oilbsYAChHEVb9hsNU4LIhlGcC8DHIMZstfDKuJHL6Is7Jw0tz1G0YKD2fc1583VUqSaNJ-YNWhqkuD3Ttrl-THT/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVoCPqf8ZPui0X8BZQPpjsTbC7bYIBumVkHa2Tftk3B2K4UHvE6-7oilbsYAChHEVb9hsNU4LIhlGcC8DHIMZstfDKuJHL6Is7Jw0tz1G0YKD2fc1583VUqSaNJ-YNWhqkuD3Ttrl-THT/s400/IMG_0540.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now the bike course WAS beautiful. I guess I am a sucker for good views and you could see forever out there, so that was nice. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG0yzfSYO1BjqFATVufd6dmqxmHpKvZleHmASFO7kaZk3KsSq7jDFiED7FVKz9-rKu5UpQfb7xAs1v3RUrsjWUqBlDoo29drHMnLhyphenhyphen9gjETX-wWA9PdkB4YJ5XmVN4zq1lfUF1mty_DnG/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG0yzfSYO1BjqFATVufd6dmqxmHpKvZleHmASFO7kaZk3KsSq7jDFiED7FVKz9-rKu5UpQfb7xAs1v3RUrsjWUqBlDoo29drHMnLhyphenhyphen9gjETX-wWA9PdkB4YJ5XmVN4zq1lfUF1mty_DnG/s400/IMG_0550.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just pretty wherever you looked.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM44vz5A-5mJVo1_ULEJ9iLXG4Rm1F59guNf_nDo2i8wnT6TSDgcL6BTCD62PT9qCQ86RGTORz4XKPO1W5DaMPyBLOaHHXIu9K3yIAq7YOq0l2f05buHS1QzNRDW-OAk_LlVhuPIlcrZIQ/s1600/IMG_0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM44vz5A-5mJVo1_ULEJ9iLXG4Rm1F59guNf_nDo2i8wnT6TSDgcL6BTCD62PT9qCQ86RGTORz4XKPO1W5DaMPyBLOaHHXIu9K3yIAq7YOq0l2f05buHS1QzNRDW-OAk_LlVhuPIlcrZIQ/s400/IMG_0552.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly on the bike!</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg9wXNz4JaQxex1xGfZOPJE7aJkw55KwXtayDit4PTLOVuo0ZmOrH8hjy4GrPMStT0dL9FwvofoB2IuPiHAUG3QCFDkp3ZQ9eTFr6MVgPM6XSXXeAEVpPiZ3AKIBfbuMkp_Jiz7YaAXzV/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvg9wXNz4JaQxex1xGfZOPJE7aJkw55KwXtayDit4PTLOVuo0ZmOrH8hjy4GrPMStT0dL9FwvofoB2IuPiHAUG3QCFDkp3ZQ9eTFr6MVgPM6XSXXeAEVpPiZ3AKIBfbuMkp_Jiz7YaAXzV/s400/IMG_0557.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me coming up a hill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOSIxthYf6HMeYNVZNnPf7spgCtaHVPYszgPgzbDx_X4daF7Xt-2KGO95cFSoeGGQNzdYwfC0ZiyboV6KZm2JscnwmwymlDoafDUEhU3swD_bs_TfX9CqxbJ2P4NZjZb6gQK3RXM38Z0r/s1600/IMG_0561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOSIxthYf6HMeYNVZNnPf7spgCtaHVPYszgPgzbDx_X4daF7Xt-2KGO95cFSoeGGQNzdYwfC0ZiyboV6KZm2JscnwmwymlDoafDUEhU3swD_bs_TfX9CqxbJ2P4NZjZb6gQK3RXM38Z0r/s400/IMG_0561.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone needs to teach me how to put on my helmet correctly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second half of the bike, you are climbing for a bit. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a big deal, but the wind had picked up MAJORLY and made it kind of brutal out there. This is where I caught Kelly and we leap-frogged a little bit. Overall, the field of athletes was very cool and friendly and there was a lot of chit-chat, support, nice comments as you would pass other bikers - this made it even more enjoyable and fun for me.<br />
<br />
After we turned, it was downhill with a tailwind and - as Tyler would say - BOO YAH!!! This part of the ride was my favorite... till I ran out of gears. I was pedaling in my hardest gear, without my heartrate being elevated and unable to go any faster. So I got left behind as Kelly whizzed on down ahead of me. :) That is ok, cuz I kept leap-frogging with some of my other "new friends" on the course.<br />
<br />
As we got near-ish the end, I was calculating my time... thinking "I'm gonna pr by, like, l0 minutes"... then there was some climbing involved so it turned into "I'm gonna pr my bike by about 7 minutes"... then my Garmin clicked over to 56 miles and I was nowhere near the end and it turned into "I don't really think I am gonna pr this bike course...". But, fear not, the end was near and I was happy to be done. :)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjjO9zcgTBz4YIH5pMiJgwYNGMlYGjZ1CpVPaO1pydREB3loBwJskJpf9DF1Pd513FY7GZcztbIHrlbVBZLB5pmC56PlRL4J14KtidO5NNwSdOiChXa7n7XRqxma7p5sTlsaVFDBP34J4/s1600/IMG_0578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjjO9zcgTBz4YIH5pMiJgwYNGMlYGjZ1CpVPaO1pydREB3loBwJskJpf9DF1Pd513FY7GZcztbIHrlbVBZLB5pmC56PlRL4J14KtidO5NNwSdOiChXa7n7XRqxma7p5sTlsaVFDBP34J4/s400/IMG_0578.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding into the end - no aero in the park!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Off the bike and onto the run. </b>Now here is where things fell apart. I won't dwell on it, I will just say I didn't have the best run ever (or even close). My back cramped, by legs felt like lead and the wind was just unbearable. The good thing(s) about the course were (again) more support from other runners and the fact that it was an out-and-back allowed you to see everyone.<br />
<br />
As I hit mile 4-5ish I was able to pull myself up out of a dark place and into a happy place for the second half of it. So, that was a good thing. :) And it gave me a number of things to work on for the future. Tra la la la laaa.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaCoJzB5pF9xcJ9Ldm7RBN4SHAgdhSDTEAv9ASns7N8e0SQFfzsKuy81FFMAX8f0zI6grYqp-FnaP7jZLSVl1ST8iv87HrD8-e7nIbW0rWemGvLoMdkUlLHmtaNlD9iveAbkY7actxkhn/s1600/IMG_0602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaCoJzB5pF9xcJ9Ldm7RBN4SHAgdhSDTEAv9ASns7N8e0SQFfzsKuy81FFMAX8f0zI6grYqp-FnaP7jZLSVl1ST8iv87HrD8-e7nIbW0rWemGvLoMdkUlLHmtaNlD9iveAbkY7actxkhn/s400/IMG_0602.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the wind was so hard that I had to wear my visor backwards so it wouldn't blow off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkcBEPZDjoEoXcFxkeeUhORIwhJ6l3j0qEa157iLc9dmgimVSbj744By3uou6N8UTFd4Lh7Sn_57fkxL3OWQIrKsJ6LYbQI1m5avrXeIJFRNG-P2wMbgVnEpmBJ1RvCpLD1r8RvqWotx6/s1600/IMG_0607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkcBEPZDjoEoXcFxkeeUhORIwhJ6l3j0qEa157iLc9dmgimVSbj744By3uou6N8UTFd4Lh7Sn_57fkxL3OWQIrKsJ6LYbQI1m5avrXeIJFRNG-P2wMbgVnEpmBJ1RvCpLD1r8RvqWotx6/s640/IMG_0607.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, I'M DONE!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>So, put it all together and what do you got? </b><u><i>Exactly what I was looking for. </i></u>I didn't have the best race in the world, but by the times, it was better than my best race in the past -- which was an indicator that I was improving -- and that is what I needed.<br />
<br />
On top of that, I had a great weekend.<br />
<br />
I learned a lot - like what was working and what I need to work on.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s8zrHuiTyssT8DRfjwJpjNhjmncVXg4YwBM1U5jT6exAi_ojObz7PZQOJG07fRG0qW-Pqw-IQuC0TBgXBzjRpnlMaWXE6F123pyP4O7FH1JkyxH1FtdgrsfwNai8RdNRguQVnY5VjAX-/s1600/IMG_0633+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s8zrHuiTyssT8DRfjwJpjNhjmncVXg4YwBM1U5jT6exAi_ojObz7PZQOJG07fRG0qW-Pqw-IQuC0TBgXBzjRpnlMaWXE6F123pyP4O7FH1JkyxH1FtdgrsfwNai8RdNRguQVnY5VjAX-/s640/IMG_0633+-+Version+2.jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly and I got 1 & 2 in our age group.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju61vxTI2Wck6rzG9PY12wGZN1JE5oq4IjV0V0kV5CDGbCf8HUxDE9R9CNILZSwOA0YxQ9bmB_6d1fy62kaPZFxje3Fa-RXrlJlNGXnCHxGTqvTQjF2gi_K0q7QMU2znCmM1Sd-SyUUsBJ/s1600/IMG_0671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju61vxTI2Wck6rzG9PY12wGZN1JE5oq4IjV0V0kV5CDGbCf8HUxDE9R9CNILZSwOA0YxQ9bmB_6d1fy62kaPZFxje3Fa-RXrlJlNGXnCHxGTqvTQjF2gi_K0q7QMU2znCmM1Sd-SyUUsBJ/s400/IMG_0671.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did a little wine tasting.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs02gxXVRZinga6OV6pIZBCmKhZHkvSjGuxzxmYVyfLQu7o9z-K2etqnli5fOlA0uFVwnA6lK2riwLjA37sUEhFLCngk11ByrTEdrcpaMhXxm20ufQnMKqiuR8cHt5tRaxy4TdMZZjgyaG/s1600/IMG_0674.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs02gxXVRZinga6OV6pIZBCmKhZHkvSjGuxzxmYVyfLQu7o9z-K2etqnli5fOlA0uFVwnA6lK2riwLjA37sUEhFLCngk11ByrTEdrcpaMhXxm20ufQnMKqiuR8cHt5tRaxy4TdMZZjgyaG/s400/IMG_0674.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wineries - my new favorite part of western Colorado!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOirJNN-7lSqf1HLZE2Co7ZaNUEPxBWQJ-gmI1xFz6xMQ-Yz5xInKkdB5jKmXBr0FrMrF881MEIcEuTR7rbPwrP21QQtv1Cp9gFgP3jTCkD-pQI1GngPj8CLjWQ9Ir_wybpOQaREJKhu-/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOirJNN-7lSqf1HLZE2Co7ZaNUEPxBWQJ-gmI1xFz6xMQ-Yz5xInKkdB5jKmXBr0FrMrF881MEIcEuTR7rbPwrP21QQtv1Cp9gFgP3jTCkD-pQI1GngPj8CLjWQ9Ir_wybpOQaREJKhu-/s400/IMG_0686.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got in a little recovery ride with some great scenery and my favorite bike partner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2orSPQ0K9Owbl7xzRetff3zI0xVIVJGbvrriBQzfNa8OjpX6NP2dkOke7H7R0RK47QBMdbaSG1DioJU-IcnlO-mPegE27PQ-BBTGxnMwO0fLaJJwlX6SdzmECkGnbRX7iBh4OjJv8e5n/s1600/IMG_0588.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2orSPQ0K9Owbl7xzRetff3zI0xVIVJGbvrriBQzfNa8OjpX6NP2dkOke7H7R0RK47QBMdbaSG1DioJU-IcnlO-mPegE27PQ-BBTGxnMwO0fLaJJwlX6SdzmECkGnbRX7iBh4OjJv8e5n/s640/IMG_0588.JPG" height="139" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went hiking in the Colorado National Monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLepxsW3VTmG8bPdpIhQxtPm5DXZgA7sgG0FGLzwe9jJAwNmJuB0XEnMOSsYu49JBA4a1Abf41EeLJHlZ-dQzrsF4dN4Pqh5Ks8sBEJgA7Qny0qz-CXAcHYCmavljw104kzawmfbjEdq3M/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLepxsW3VTmG8bPdpIhQxtPm5DXZgA7sgG0FGLzwe9jJAwNmJuB0XEnMOSsYu49JBA4a1Abf41EeLJHlZ-dQzrsF4dN4Pqh5Ks8sBEJgA7Qny0qz-CXAcHYCmavljw104kzawmfbjEdq3M/s400/IMG_0672.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And felt like a kid in a canyon!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Yea... this weekend is what I needed to rejuvenate my soul <i>... for triathlon and for life!</i></b><br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1519442655"></span><span id="goog_1519442656"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-83264851987793727832013-04-16T10:09:00.001-07:002013-04-16T14:32:47.283-07:00Boston: One Year Later<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGyYLTLlU67pigSnfO-hcW7f72i8QMqMJDVQ6yREOEqxK1ASdrwVElZAFLj-uAB5cg_Vk35S1xCiknJdm2_Kl8rQv7gnVwiul9qmDqXqaEzNn6Al5lPaPpZX5qs4iZPyE6GtuQySQOdWg/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>As a runner, it was extremely difficult to watch yesterday's events.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIah6C46-tWWP8p3yfdPTKTW_jA25ADFZcUwwfOrU5uC09Lc_tEmdoOzwTDUMWt7l3L-ZLm7SBTuBZWdmb8K58qAl4Ya1cf2VgVEyjBQVCJ9Da88IrxY8qISm9RdPDTm_ti9R1R6kGxIMM/s1600/Boston1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIah6C46-tWWP8p3yfdPTKTW_jA25ADFZcUwwfOrU5uC09Lc_tEmdoOzwTDUMWt7l3L-ZLm7SBTuBZWdmb8K58qAl4Ya1cf2VgVEyjBQVCJ9Da88IrxY8qISm9RdPDTm_ti9R1R6kGxIMM/s1600/Boston1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Having had just run the Boston Marathon the year before, it hurt even more.<br />
<br />
Had
it been another race, even one I had run, I don't know if it would have
hit home SO hard. But this race is one of iconic value to me. I had heard about it and envisioned running it for the past 10+ years. It is a landmark for runners and an honor to be able to run it. I had worked so hard to get there and last year... last year, we were there.<br />
I was RIGHT there.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xtpZnnKDgwHXJI1O7NGOFftZJ5IcS4ECTmZw3lpvhdjH0-MqMZWibIFvJrhX9Z7uNSplUD9e1thHr6qM7kpfLH9jvCqRTAU5TfoMmbIQCbY3q4KZlImweRe26NWv40r4QF7yGrQgCdzf/s1600/P4160203.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xtpZnnKDgwHXJI1O7NGOFftZJ5IcS4ECTmZw3lpvhdjH0-MqMZWibIFvJrhX9Z7uNSplUD9e1thHr6qM7kpfLH9jvCqRTAU5TfoMmbIQCbY3q4KZlImweRe26NWv40r4QF7yGrQgCdzf/s1600/P4160203.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken when I ran down Boylson the year before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fact my whole family was there. 2 days before the race, Ross, my dad
and the boys even went down to the finish line (something I would
highly suggest you do if you run Boston in the future). The finish line was set up
and I got to see what I would be running to. The culmination of my day.
And it was, actually, one of my favorite parts of the trip.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPgX-jBYyZs39jv1pKU6IJMqoInxniJv4r76hxC5B5jA42kWLWKx6Ihorv0FaQAGSaveaj6EL_nN__lp_zN4lOYADePXHYcxCThlU8GJsnt9BML7M-KoL6ulQpH2-uBAjrtBLjxv_QuhH/s1600/IMG_4302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPgX-jBYyZs39jv1pKU6IJMqoInxniJv4r76hxC5B5jA42kWLWKx6Ihorv0FaQAGSaveaj6EL_nN__lp_zN4lOYADePXHYcxCThlU8GJsnt9BML7M-KoL6ulQpH2-uBAjrtBLjxv_QuhH/s1600/IMG_4302.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linc checking out the grandstands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuM0HQnamjlTUMLQjrCgNThUmwGC4HLoPlrfAKK-Qi9GOmED2cAIbeAknq_2Htc7gkBh47hlbfCLOIWL11byA7hyphenhyphen5zstkjWRYkbRRta2p-uEeu6KlnVjugiTEjjLVAtZv2QqDlmiu4FJC/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuM0HQnamjlTUMLQjrCgNThUmwGC4HLoPlrfAKK-Qi9GOmED2cAIbeAknq_2Htc7gkBh47hlbfCLOIWL11byA7hyphenhyphen5zstkjWRYkbRRta2p-uEeu6KlnVjugiTEjjLVAtZv2QqDlmiu4FJC/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Hunter eyeing up the actual finish line itself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwHeGNw3KuiR1IKf-MWcYZJ30X1SqyAjZiwVctBEBfb5v_RXBpm34TCA1-Ll6pWiScPNy3KQyHhqZeaC_2AtQU8xGbJp20MK6NrsJ4BVYl8EHELS3K-TwF39G-4of8OP8ueKaJ8U4CVxq/s1600/IMG_4326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwHeGNw3KuiR1IKf-MWcYZJ30X1SqyAjZiwVctBEBfb5v_RXBpm34TCA1-Ll6pWiScPNy3KQyHhqZeaC_2AtQU8xGbJp20MK6NrsJ4BVYl8EHELS3K-TwF39G-4of8OP8ueKaJ8U4CVxq/s1600/IMG_4326.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys racing to the finish - since they wouldn't get to on race day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0NDLa1k_gnG1lxG1qwVYbVAFHzUdlKda5qHMcernOqQTp4uuMVXfD7pIeMTI5MNF-ZG5bLWivE6Dm6dkYFRD1hRK2MAelTL_BijUA5keEol44CKMYmCysDkbEhE_omdzUqQru1l-mk7x/s1600/IMG_4335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0NDLa1k_gnG1lxG1qwVYbVAFHzUdlKda5qHMcernOqQTp4uuMVXfD7pIeMTI5MNF-ZG5bLWivE6Dm6dkYFRD1hRK2MAelTL_BijUA5keEol44CKMYmCysDkbEhE_omdzUqQru1l-mk7x/s1600/IMG_4335.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & my dad - the reason I got there. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I
initially saw the footage of the explosion, I thought, "Wow! I might
have still been in the finish shoot with Heather." We had finished at
3:59, but taken our time stretching and decompressing, as the heat from
last year's race had really affected us.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_W7Qrwzze-iLNJr79mijiIlJzwJn22jQmz2-HfnpYFWj9SSuwBv8NEpavg4V_uTWCSZC5ygRNscZ3D9FkwncMvtSP5RowKBbu99JGj8cpX9XJNj7breiVH0ASgyK8cNMhJ3Vqq81THgQK/s1600/P4160206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_W7Qrwzze-iLNJr79mijiIlJzwJn22jQmz2-HfnpYFWj9SSuwBv8NEpavg4V_uTWCSZC5ygRNscZ3D9FkwncMvtSP5RowKBbu99JGj8cpX9XJNj7breiVH0ASgyK8cNMhJ3Vqq81THgQK/s1600/P4160206.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how happy we were to have run it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then it hit me. I finished in 3:59, but I was in the 2nd wave and my clock finish time would have been 4:19. At 4:09 (the time of the explosions), I would have been around Fenway and Ross, my parents, my cousin and my kids, they would have been, well, they would have been... RIGHT THERE. Directly across the street from the second explosion. Waiting for me to come down Boylson.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU4C4kHVI_bQTOJQl07KN5dhMUIzqjfvQEPwsTPgjwpJp5gWVAkDWp_hrbtUwC6o_K5r76j9RIJdKEUlyuzor_0_rrVdv6eXSI0VT1sw0N0OPJzh7AR5e7aM3bphxIHylh5ZDr5IrQBEM/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU4C4kHVI_bQTOJQl07KN5dhMUIzqjfvQEPwsTPgjwpJp5gWVAkDWp_hrbtUwC6o_K5r76j9RIJdKEUlyuzor_0_rrVdv6eXSI0VT1sw0N0OPJzh7AR5e7aM3bphxIHylh5ZDr5IrQBEM/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was their vantage point as they waited for me to come.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGyYLTLlU67pigSnfO-hcW7f72i8QMqMJDVQ6yREOEqxK1ASdrwVElZAFLj-uAB5cg_Vk35S1xCiknJdm2_Kl8rQv7gnVwiul9qmDqXqaEzNn6Al5lPaPpZX5qs4iZPyE6GtuQySQOdWg/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGyYLTLlU67pigSnfO-hcW7f72i8QMqMJDVQ6yREOEqxK1ASdrwVElZAFLj-uAB5cg_Vk35S1xCiknJdm2_Kl8rQv7gnVwiul9qmDqXqaEzNn6Al5lPaPpZX5qs4iZPyE6GtuQySQOdWg/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one killed me, since the bomb affected most people "low to the ground."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And that has gone over. And over. And over. In my head. I don't know why it is so hard to shake, but it has. If the bombers had bombed last year instead of this one... <br />
<br />
But they didn't. And for that I am glad.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VAwHQERw4ROCsH2SOzfGzK7oX1ZDwkiyIqQ1yu0zVyNqRYv_A3Ww7D3K6gw7A6xkTCIPL9ZXT-_Iqus4iDWbdiaO3xQVheI1NP6r79O4VPJIZUjzbxoy0qzRzj3ubdSWmJdFboZZhX9W/s1600/IMG_4536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VAwHQERw4ROCsH2SOzfGzK7oX1ZDwkiyIqQ1yu0zVyNqRYv_A3Ww7D3K6gw7A6xkTCIPL9ZXT-_Iqus4iDWbdiaO3xQVheI1NP6r79O4VPJIZUjzbxoy0qzRzj3ubdSWmJdFboZZhX9W/s1600/IMG_4536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-race celebration at Fenway!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> But that doesn't stop my sadness for everyone that it affected this year,</b> and have found the only way to start the healing process is to remember to take the good out of a bad situation.<br />
<br />
If I look back at my Boston experience and think about it. We had horribly hot weather and the people of Boston and surrounding communities showed out in full force and full support that day. I have no doubt that force and support was overwhelming yesterday.<br />
I looked at the positive posts and news reports about the first responders and that gives you hope and awareness of the day.<br />
<br />
Additionally, the Boston Athletic Association and its volunteers deserve kudos upon kudos about their ability to react and respond to the situation. I have heard nothing but praise for the BAA in their preparations, and, to be honest, after running the race, would expect nothing less than what I had heard about them from them. It is a topnotch organization and... well, the terrorists I am sure weren't counting on that. ;)<br />
<br />
<b>But it goes beyond the trained professionals to the people of everyday. </b>To the spectators who ran towards the blast, instead of away from it. To people banning together - not falling apart. To aiding one another in any way they could. <a href="http://m.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/photos-stories-kindness-boston-marathon-bombing/64258/" target="_blank">Here is one of my favorites. </a><br />
<a href="http://m.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/photos-stories-kindness-boston-marathon-bombing/64258/" target="_blank"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglukRppYgb8RFq-UE8SCWAY-C9fheetduOBP29h-UZuccKpqcS5CxSz4NcMCAJZ3phMMQciemP4hHkGj69hziazY3Va3bSueLB1dCnpgdGjN11QC6bhVXdak_uaL-6a2VDFbKRf2B-z9AG/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-16+at+11.02.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglukRppYgb8RFq-UE8SCWAY-C9fheetduOBP29h-UZuccKpqcS5CxSz4NcMCAJZ3phMMQciemP4hHkGj69hziazY3Va3bSueLB1dCnpgdGjN11QC6bhVXdak_uaL-6a2VDFbKRf2B-z9AG/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-16+at+11.02.22+AM.png" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Residents bringing out orange juice and offering a bathroom to displaced runners.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</a><br />
And it goes to the American people. Supporting one another and drawing from within to make this situation better.<br />
<br />
When the terrorist plan these attacks, I don't know what they are thinking - or what their goals are. I am pretty sure that they aren't looking to unite us. But in more ways than one, I think they do. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUlfFmD5XXEISGYhcEkPEGNr5RqkOiHaEOUGNL0o98c4fTQoMX7WMdEovymDNJODTZDD4vBBN_SwSy3LssDngl0HlL4ryBTXP7Auy5oXzSZITd1xhbeMTNS_S1xRET0DhfUj1GUC3MZIV/s1600/Boston2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUlfFmD5XXEISGYhcEkPEGNr5RqkOiHaEOUGNL0o98c4fTQoMX7WMdEovymDNJODTZDD4vBBN_SwSy3LssDngl0HlL4ryBTXP7Auy5oXzSZITd1xhbeMTNS_S1xRET0DhfUj1GUC3MZIV/s1600/Boston2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDl1_0kc8ARiwWmI1qZCIP4MbBSSfkon8mlAFbjvoDFCe_PfG3NZ9V6GoLN6vv9Px4i1AVai2ejsVFZRo3gc9YlGd5VPXk2Dl3pRNiyNsq-xs2YTBuX381lreJd8p-8xpkj7FHM_pnXJDm/s1600/Boston4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDl1_0kc8ARiwWmI1qZCIP4MbBSSfkon8mlAFbjvoDFCe_PfG3NZ9V6GoLN6vv9Px4i1AVai2ejsVFZRo3gc9YlGd5VPXk2Dl3pRNiyNsq-xs2YTBuX381lreJd8p-8xpkj7FHM_pnXJDm/s320/Boston4.jpg" width="320" /><br /></a></div>
<br />
And although I usually try to pull my blogs together with some sort of take-away. Some sort of bigger thought that makes me feel better or to "pass along", but I don't have much. I was just hurting and wanted to get it out. If there is one thing it would go back to what I recently said to a friend who's family had been diagnosed with cancer, <i><b>"I know that you don't want to hear this, but you will come out stronger. It just really, really sucks going through it." </b></i><br />
<br />
And that is kind of how I feel about yesterday.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDl1_0kc8ARiwWmI1qZCIP4MbBSSfkon8mlAFbjvoDFCe_PfG3NZ9V6GoLN6vv9Px4i1AVai2ejsVFZRo3gc9YlGd5VPXk2Dl3pRNiyNsq-xs2YTBuX381lreJd8p-8xpkj7FHM_pnXJDm/s1600/Boston4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-28159039465059768502013-03-23T10:00:00.002-07:002013-03-24T12:19:19.283-07:00Committed<b>So, I think it is obvious that I haven't blogged in awhile.</b> Most would think it was because I wasn't up to much. Those who know me know THAT isn't ever true. I have a hard time taking a break, and, even when I do, my "down" time is filled with more things than the average person's busy season. Sometimes, I think I just don't know how to sit still. And that has grown even more as life goes on.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>When Ross asked me about blogging earlier this year, my response was this;</b> "I
don't know if I really ENJOY blogging when I am doing it as much as I
enjoy looking back over it, reading and remembering it." Blogging helps
me capture the details that fade away in your memory unless written.
Kind of how photos are. I don't particularly like taking photos as much
as I appreciate them when I look back at them.<br />
<br />
But, this blog is meant to be about my training and experiences and I have questioned continuing it for the past 6 or so months. I even have a few posts written in rough drafts that I never published. Cuz as I got busier, I asked myself where was most important to spend my time, and my heart said it wasn't in blogging. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It was in this :<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCVhLTX_fDoPbW-dyRBu8rGyCPx8WcL1TaWpOfXupYi_0ap5g9gHN2wBVfGs-5YAdsQkyBeO5kiNlp1_r9D1tmZkWZgbOB0Ul7x7RcDUHQ1kBkADoipZWMI6mJXVst8nLD2MLoiyBhhpt/s1600/IMG_6481.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCVhLTX_fDoPbW-dyRBu8rGyCPx8WcL1TaWpOfXupYi_0ap5g9gHN2wBVfGs-5YAdsQkyBeO5kiNlp1_r9D1tmZkWZgbOB0Ul7x7RcDUHQ1kBkADoipZWMI6mJXVst8nLD2MLoiyBhhpt/s400/IMG_6481.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging with the boys at THEIR swim meets and races!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBgDYRtokM4KSdtsbYpQ0b69xboh14Qjc28jicdXKyE73DZEsAl7X7qHy1H7O6B9aGNxJ212k-Qq2GicwYZkTPKVgOObK6-uzJYt1cGYq849g4f6Mmr1mlamtPnYswgWYfkIhrZUB-wmW/s1600/IMG_8025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBgDYRtokM4KSdtsbYpQ0b69xboh14Qjc28jicdXKyE73DZEsAl7X7qHy1H7O6B9aGNxJ212k-Qq2GicwYZkTPKVgOObK6-uzJYt1cGYq849g4f6Mmr1mlamtPnYswgWYfkIhrZUB-wmW/s400/IMG_8025.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing QB for my favorite receivers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWDcrFDbKfnhUisoty7TDHYfFRWbU0htOk1Ww90jnSH_XAilQ7b_WdabLzmS5FaN_95eWjGelpmATqjVGDC7NI9ELLjD6SvUVahQqfHQ_M4NJNHZn3RAMy_QEZgmpy9AR-Ua977RPoSIs/s1600/IMG_7124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWDcrFDbKfnhUisoty7TDHYfFRWbU0htOk1Ww90jnSH_XAilQ7b_WdabLzmS5FaN_95eWjGelpmATqjVGDC7NI9ELLjD6SvUVahQqfHQ_M4NJNHZn3RAMy_QEZgmpy9AR-Ua977RPoSIs/s400/IMG_7124.JPG" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun with me mateys!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAB3tuGW2xRKSlE_22XBOY_4x8PYer-S4sz6gkA0e4NsuaGF5nO4H7FJaSLnOW_ppFmkZgdoc3uBrBAbOr74S-fnbYO08sKA7I1cPqZ9g59RraTOk4FPh0HwF5Wy56A0M-a_jOUWQR27CF/s1600/IMG_0399+-+Version+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAB3tuGW2xRKSlE_22XBOY_4x8PYer-S4sz6gkA0e4NsuaGF5nO4H7FJaSLnOW_ppFmkZgdoc3uBrBAbOr74S-fnbYO08sKA7I1cPqZ9g59RraTOk4FPh0HwF5Wy56A0M-a_jOUWQR27CF/s400/IMG_0399+-+Version+2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family fun and vacations to remember...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But, again, I just can't seem to stay away from training. I don't know if it is the goal-setting, the endorphin high I crave, or what, but I can only go so long without training for SOMETHING.<br />
So I trained for and ran the Dallas Marathon this December (yay me!). It was tough, hard and fun all at the same time. But, I lived in the moment and, get this, didn't even take any pictures of the event or after.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30STBK16s9np0rgD8D5J8FqkC9GGTpaIgIB8iYm4t_2-uPrlSSzd2OW4ALf6HWTE-WKEOkVCE-Z6bhI0UBLjjUUBdAnZpltaO3IMGZDNf8dYg1MVAWNmcBhTxa3dTJFPSM9G8_Xi8ItbW/s1600/PC080382.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30STBK16s9np0rgD8D5J8FqkC9GGTpaIgIB8iYm4t_2-uPrlSSzd2OW4ALf6HWTE-WKEOkVCE-Z6bhI0UBLjjUUBdAnZpltaO3IMGZDNf8dYg1MVAWNmcBhTxa3dTJFPSM9G8_Xi8ItbW/s400/PC080382.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ran the Dallas Marathon and here is the closest I got to a picture of the event!<br />
(It was down the street from the expo.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I got back to training again in January, I felt a tad bit guilty, like I was taking tons of time away from the family. That was until... Ross (super-husband) actually told me he preferred it when I was training. Like I was naturally happier, which I guess translated into a better wife (and hopefully a better mother, person, friend).<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And so I have been at it.</b> Swimming. Biking. Running. (And actually strength training, too!) And, because it is so early in the season, no real races. No marathons. No far, away (warm) tris. Nothing. And... I have been feeling a bit slow and unaccomplished.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> {Insert pity party here.}</span><br />
<br />
<b>This is when good talks with good friends come in REAL handy</b>. See, I am lucky enough to have a few of those. So, I chatted with my friend Heather who told me I really needed to ask/remind myself "why you are doing this". What was my goal? My answer to her was "to get faster", and she was like "really?". So I thought and thought and thought about it.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>See, my goal this year is to "race" a 70.3 and see how fast I can go. </b>I have "done" 70.3's in the past in training for IM, but never really raced one. I wanted a new goal, something to get me motivated, and this seemed to fit the bill. See what training for racing a 70.3 was like. <span style="color: blue;"><i>May not sound awesome to many, but it did to me.</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i><b>
So, WHY? Why was I doing all this?</b><br />
<i><b>And, it kind of goes back to the whole blog thing.</b></i><br />
<br />
That is when I felt it. If I am going to be successful at my goals this year, I needed to blog about this. I needed to remember WHY I was training. WHY I have set these goals this season. And WHY I need to
stick to them. And the answer I have come to is it's because I am committed. I am committed to friends, coaches,
etc. <b>But mostly, I am committed to myself. </b>To setting a goal and fulfilling it. It's something I set out to do and I want to see it to its end. I don't want to step down, lessen the training, go easier when I am tired because... that would be letting ME down. My desires and why I started this. Sure, its been hard, and not as fluent as I would like but, aren't the best things in life the things worth working for?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxTyV30-zgiOmI9FQ53n_6Ntz4dOaoXm9QClRcT_j2wA4ODTb48_InR0a3bZl86rO-yAo0UBuP5hJAQtu4HSQk3NqZRvYgbGlidvPwUW7NvQH-UTn6F9JVRpHDSGEKNV2qIgbY2NUpPiL/s1600/tumblr_mbfgudZLf71rf1rpno1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxTyV30-zgiOmI9FQ53n_6Ntz4dOaoXm9QClRcT_j2wA4ODTb48_InR0a3bZl86rO-yAo0UBuP5hJAQtu4HSQk3NqZRvYgbGlidvPwUW7NvQH-UTn6F9JVRpHDSGEKNV2qIgbY2NUpPiL/s400/tumblr_mbfgudZLf71rf1rpno1_500.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, COMMITTED.</b> That is my new thought/mantra/whatever you want to call it. I am committed to the season. To seeing where it brings me. COMMITTED to the training plan. COMMITTED to trying my best in the pool every Tues/Thurs morning. COMMITTED to maintaining my strength training. COMMITTED to a bunch of smaller goals that will help me reach my end goal. And, in the end, I am COMMITTED to racing the fastest 70.3 I can in July and being 100% happy with the results - whatever they yield - because I want no regrets at the start, or the finish, line!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144092038965771373.post-12593265815805814102012-09-08T07:31:00.001-07:002012-09-10T05:39:31.499-07:002012 "Date Event" - Xterra Lory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczEv_dVggUlJe_wt5JhXqOCn8bskg9aE6v9y3_OU3wTOwK4kPDAEDvPnDHO1LMpxhhKiGDPrx-k6mBdJxtBNB4unvXEV5F4mC94ig3d78Lo1G_OzcW9huAEbGRGbuTnucpf_NyPGJ68fl/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b>This year I realized that Ross and I have picked one event to do together per year since we started in triathlon.</b> It is kind of hard to do that for a couple with kids (and no family close), as it is much easier to have one parent take care of the kids while the other parent races. Much, MUCH harder to convince a babysitter to come over to your house at 4:30 a.m. so that you can go off with a your loved one to do something they don't even find intriguing (thank you, Abby).<br />
<br />
<b>While normal couples have date night(s) - and we do, too - but every year we have tried to have a... date event? </b><br />
<br />
Anyways, so far they have been:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4B16JJBIe-HgDa8uXyVI4Ge_0OiANqun67aR3zQDLDxdTiq2Mj3gJICIy1pJgsxWRc1BbOUwxdZJYVPlBcsck-1_JBgGWWUEGJUy-bRfzN-iRBjBuRMpWSqzbOOOGlcntXpFcL9hFIED/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4B16JJBIe-HgDa8uXyVI4Ge_0OiANqun67aR3zQDLDxdTiq2Mj3gJICIy1pJgsxWRc1BbOUwxdZJYVPlBcsck-1_JBgGWWUEGJUy-bRfzN-iRBjBuRMpWSqzbOOOGlcntXpFcL9hFIED/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009 -- <a href="http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/boulder70.3" target="_blank">Boulder 70.3</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw9-LwC28CtfMxsZJunqIsI6AXzpxlFk7O09lEv7REE8UE2EYtv35_oRrbUE9ZeolxB4HqueJV32EnvGo0dP4D51Ce2L0ASTWfpm67KeCdsQen-SZRG3zvzIMUSOWEMDJuNPVqwKWSBIp/s1600/P9120079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw9-LwC28CtfMxsZJunqIsI6AXzpxlFk7O09lEv7REE8UE2EYtv35_oRrbUE9ZeolxB4HqueJV32EnvGo0dP4D51Ce2L0ASTWfpm67KeCdsQen-SZRG3zvzIMUSOWEMDJuNPVqwKWSBIp/s1600/P9120079.JPG" height="303" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010 -- <a href="http://ironman.com/events/ironman/wisconsin/ironman-wisconsin-presented-by-trek#axzz25t95Usru" target="_blank">Ironman Wisconsin</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4kTEJT92gTvhmFrnxNS8Vi1o1kIA4phxWvtjeBKa1FMbpUMCSdOyhp3NTFDGCZJz7X10vlP1m10UK3uco53D4S4fYxiShsVhcJjqH9oUNgx9Og4Ni2Ram5cUqAllbZVy6mcodsteYxly/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4kTEJT92gTvhmFrnxNS8Vi1o1kIA4phxWvtjeBKa1FMbpUMCSdOyhp3NTFDGCZJz7X10vlP1m10UK3uco53D4S4fYxiShsVhcJjqH9oUNgx9Og4Ni2Ram5cUqAllbZVy6mcodsteYxly/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" height="400" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 -- <a href="http://www.teamevergreen.org/triple" target="_blank">The Triple Bypass</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>While we don't end up doing the actual event together, I realized that it is something that brings us closer because we have one event where we have the same goals and we can train for together</b>. I think I realized this mostly last year in training for the Triple. I really cherished those days we set aside for our long rides and having them with my husband.<br />
<br />
<b>So this year it was <a href="http://www.withoutlimits.co/#!__xterra-lory" target="_blank">Xterra Lory.</a></b> AND since I had never even been on a mountain bike until about a month ago (and have only "trained" 3 times since on one)... advantage Ross. BUT, pretty much all you have to say to me (ever) is (a) that it is a beautiful course and (b) that it is challenging, and I am game. In this case it was both!<br />
<br />
For us, it was a totally fun event. And by fun, I mean non-competitive (for us) and awesome. It was set right up our alley in that it was in a beautiful state park and you can never beat that. The bike was supposed to be a beginner course and it very well may have been a beginner course... but I would hate to see an intermediate course if that is the case. (Again, not saying it's not a beginner course, just saying I am not good at mountain biking.)<br />
<br />
We got there are settled in. Soon enough, some of the usual suspects started showing up.... Ken and Lori, Tyler and then there was Beth. I didn't see Keith until he pummeled me right before the swim. Nothing better than having familiar faces at races. (Double points if they are friends that also just raced IMCDA with you. ) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XkeHUV7S3-euEKSIsF2QUjKyxwReCdnlKy9HxacBH8xR1KCHi3kReH0DppxSbbktlxDypZUbA8Zrw-wsAiMhIDhP0mdjwHPNpmzFqoljxxFU4_pG4Fo-L6XoSIo7HSUGRAZLvj-fVvkb/s1600/P8260224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XkeHUV7S3-euEKSIsF2QUjKyxwReCdnlKy9HxacBH8xR1KCHi3kReH0DppxSbbktlxDypZUbA8Zrw-wsAiMhIDhP0mdjwHPNpmzFqoljxxFU4_pG4Fo-L6XoSIo7HSUGRAZLvj-fVvkb/s1600/P8260224.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyways, after a quick warm-up swim, Ross and I were waiting for the start. It seemed like FOREVER, since there was 5-10 minute lag between waves.(Later, I would appreciate this on the bike course.)<br />
<br />
Soon, it was time for my wave. I haven't swam a 800 meter swim in a race since my very first (ever) triathlon. Here is the awesome part about that - I COULD SEE THE BUOYS! Normally, there is like 4-5 buoys for a distance twice as far, so when the buoys were sooo close together, I was in heaven. Swimming straight was just not as hard. Awesome. No kayakers chasing me down telling me how far off course I am. Double awesome.<br />
<br />
What was not so awesome was the swim exit. The reservoir was super low, and by super low, I mean at 40%. We were in one of the areas that was hit the hardest by the Colorado wildfires earlier this summer, so the reservoir waters had been used to fight the fires -- like 60% of them. So, we exited in muck, pure and total muck, and had to make our way up far, far, far to hit the transition. Not a huge deal, just not optimal.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnrYiJLOIWdvDTBtcdvzBtEIYqSUavDJYZ0WPFuWeQt5JcZzjWbNxdumjkYYq-rXdPDt0U-CGwdBoU89pYHWQEaZkqRsGUaHf_JcK84A9kaLUqrzajKPR7TZYPDOZFeyI9uauDDhHiuHj/s1600/P8260220.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnrYiJLOIWdvDTBtcdvzBtEIYqSUavDJYZ0WPFuWeQt5JcZzjWbNxdumjkYYq-rXdPDt0U-CGwdBoU89pYHWQEaZkqRsGUaHf_JcK84A9kaLUqrzajKPR7TZYPDOZFeyI9uauDDhHiuHj/s1600/P8260220.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The race directors told us that last year, we would have been 10 feet under water right now. <br />
That is how much the res is drained -- see it way off in the distance?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Shortest bike breakdown ever.</b> The bike was fun, but emotionally exhausting for me. I had the cardio skills to keep up with the others, but not the technical downhilling skills. So, I would slow up on the downhills and lose people on the uphills. In addition, it was nerve-racking for me because there were plenty of people who would come up behind me and I would be more worried about finding an adequate place for them to pass (not wanting to slow them down), not even caring about my "race". Overall, people were way cool on the course. I would say something like, "You can pass right up here" and they'd be like "No worries! It's not like my sponsors will care" (jokingly). It was nice.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>So my thoughts went like this (there were 2- 6 mile laps):</b></i></span><br />
<b>Halfway through lap 1: </b>This course is way too technical for me, I think I will bow out at the end of this lap.<br />
<b>End of Lap 1: </b>OK, maybe that wasn't SO bad, I will go for lap 2. But my back really hurts.<br />
<b>Shortly into Lap 2:</b> My back hurts soooo much. There is no way I am going out on the run. It would be painful the WHOLE time and I was only in this for fun.<br />
<b>End of Lap 2:</b> Hmmmm, my back pain has subsided, I will just <i>try</i> to run.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzgBd5BJaC0Zu89dvhcPFaBeW2BGE0kVGQeG7VQVr5xqpqwz77rDe4nOPkZ9dDWiq-cCI0l9JjbK9qcWGwFrs9cSS1Af5SJRDzwZmIj02hbKlrIcWk8MAXNzOQOl0ft5_Z0FgFGlg3KGY/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-09-08+at+8.11.09+AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzgBd5BJaC0Zu89dvhcPFaBeW2BGE0kVGQeG7VQVr5xqpqwz77rDe4nOPkZ9dDWiq-cCI0l9JjbK9qcWGwFrs9cSS1Af5SJRDzwZmIj02hbKlrIcWk8MAXNzOQOl0ft5_Z0FgFGlg3KGY/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-09-08+at+8.11.09+AM.png" height="400" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out my stud of a husband on the bike!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Off and onto the run: </b></span></i><br />
<b>Just happy to be running. </b>Seriously, I didn't think I would make it even onto the run, so running for me was just fun. I think it is the first race where I didn't even look at my pace. Part of me didn't want to know and part of me just didn't care. When you think you won't even get onto the run (had never happened before), your perspective changes to just be glad you are running when you get on the run....<br />
<br />
So off I went, running up a mountain. {I love living in Colorado.} And the best thing about running up is (a) the views! and (b) running down! So happy, little camper for me.<br />
<br />
Somewhere around mile 4, I rounded a corner, thought I saw the end, rounded another corner and realized that even though the end was close, they were having us circle around. I walked to catch my breath. Sure enough, in that moment, I hear shouts from the finish area telling me to RUN! (Beth, Tyler and Nancy -- although I really don't think it was Nancy cuz she is too nice for that.) There were spectators on the path that laughed and said, "You've got some supporters!". Yea... if that's what you call them. :)<br />
<br />
Circled around and (another half mile later) I saw the finish line. And what could possibly make me sprint to the finish line??? Can you say slip'n slide!!!<br />
<br />
No camera shots, but fun times. I finished and went back up to wait for Ross. Ross came strolling in a bit later (he started later than I did). I waited and we did the slip'n slide together. (For those of you who have a hard time imagining a slip'n slide at the end, picture this...)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczEv_dVggUlJe_wt5JhXqOCn8bskg9aE6v9y3_OU3wTOwK4kPDAEDvPnDHO1LMpxhhKiGDPrx-k6mBdJxtBNB4unvXEV5F4mC94ig3d78Lo1G_OzcW9huAEbGRGbuTnucpf_NyPGJ68fl/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczEv_dVggUlJe_wt5JhXqOCn8bskg9aE6v9y3_OU3wTOwK4kPDAEDvPnDHO1LMpxhhKiGDPrx-k6mBdJxtBNB4unvXEV5F4mC94ig3d78Lo1G_OzcW9huAEbGRGbuTnucpf_NyPGJ68fl/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" height="392" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Taken from another race run by Without Limits - ie, same slip'n slide)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had a great time at the end, catching up with people, eating our fish tacos and recouping after the fun.<br />
<br />
<i><b>I love my husband so much and find it a treasure that we can partake in the same event. </b><span style="color: blue;">Not just for the sake of the day, but for everything that goes into it - setting the goal, training for the goal and then completing the goal. It is fun to be able to have at least one of those shared experiences each year. I hope it is something we continue for a long, long time.</span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP9HUWKC0RrH7rLablelY1CGGcCVG3SbsZ3igUUuYQYk2y7RaR7xNt-KhV8P0cXQ760d0hAtkDlF-sAZFMQ9NR49SFFIu6mMClwx6azK8JIuA5ZKohTlbQpJyd2hmIESUEDn3gLzYK93a/s1600/P8260233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP9HUWKC0RrH7rLablelY1CGGcCVG3SbsZ3igUUuYQYk2y7RaR7xNt-KhV8P0cXQ760d0hAtkDlF-sAZFMQ9NR49SFFIu6mMClwx6azK8JIuA5ZKohTlbQpJyd2hmIESUEDn3gLzYK93a/s1600/P8260233.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 -- <a href="http://www.withoutlimits.co/#!__xterra-lory" target="_blank">Xterra Lory</a> in the books!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0