Cheyenne Canon Trail Race
The last few days have been rather uneventful. I worked the packet pickup at the Colorado Running Co. for the Cheyenne Canon Trail Race, then got up early to watch it occur today. I didn’t have a camera, so no photos. ;(
The thing about this race was that the top two female and top two male finishers would be joining the Teva US Mountain Running Team. They then go to Italy to run the World Running Championships. So, yes, there were quite a few elite runners. Way cool! It was the first time Colorado Springs had the opportunity to host one of the qualifying races. The course is all trail, part single track, part double (like twice as wide!). Rocky and wet granite gravel covered the path that the runners traversed. As we watched I had hoped that a gal named Brandy Erholtz would place 1st or 2nd – I have spoken with her at a couple packet pick ups and she is just a genuine neat gal. She balances marriage, teaching, and training; and she does well. I also hoped that Alex Nichols from the Running Co. would place 1st or 2nd. He is also a great person, and I have watched him train and recover from injuries. Well, neither took he places I wanted (ok, I am sure they wanted to place higher) but did so well.
It was inspiring to see these trail runners cruise along. It was just as awesome to see several courageous novices hit the trails in this race. These runners (about 100) started and finished this challenging course. Heads were held up and I was proud of them. I did stop and think that the weather was cool and cloudy – a perfect day for a long run. Why is it always hot when I head out? I dunno! Keep On!
LaSportiva Mountain Running Blog – cool information
Teva US Mountain Running Team – a little more information on the US Mountain Running Team
It’s Simple
Yum!
It is such a simple concept. When on any break or vacation, squeeze in as much enjoyment as you can! That seems to be what I have been trying to fulfill.
It began as an evening with great gals. Jillian, Dani, Jill, Jess, Christy, Beth and myself got together and made baked potatoes and salad. How exciting. Well, the best part was sitting outside and visiting as we viewed Pikes Peak, and laughing so hard that my stomach and cheeks hurt! All of us are at some point with our running; from just getting back to running after being injured, training for a triathlon, to training for the Pikes Peak Marathon. We also all come from differing worlds and jobs, which makes it even more cool. Dani made the best Lavender cake – I loved the fact that is was pleasantly sweet, not sugary. She also brought her no bake chocolate cookies. Those are trouble - I really tried to have just one….The time flew! I was so tired as I stumbled to my car. I was actually a little concerned about how early the next morning was going to arrive.
Relaxing
Plain fun
With my summer break, I have slipped into the “stay up late, sleep in” mode. It will be a hard change when “w” arrives. (w=work) Well, after my glorious evening with the gals, I had to pick up Jillian at 6:15 a.m. so we could meet Dani to hike the Incline. My body fought me the whole way! I kept reminding myself that I had committed to two good friends, and that I love the workout once I get going. Well, we did it. Hiked up (staggered, crept, legs not with my body?), then ran down Barr Trail. I cracked up as Dani stated that all of the people we saw heading to hike the Incline were like Zombies. Everyone seemed to be marching stone faced. It was great to finish. When we got back to our car we saw the black clouds already hiding Pikes Peak and the top of the Incline. Bad rainy weather was slinking in. Yeah! We totally beat the blackness! My legs were tired and I decided to go back to bed. Actually, I came home and fiddled my day away.
Truth be told- I began to squeeze in as much enjoyment as I could many weeks ago. Keep on!
Long Run And Friends
The New Santa Fe Trail that goes up into Palmer Lake, Colorado is a nice flat path with just a bit of altitude. This morning (felt like it was very early) Jillian, Dani, and I headed to Palmer Lake for a good long run. I was moving quite slow merely getting into the car. But, I was happy having a Sunday run with my two special friends. The run was a nice, considering I hadn’t run longer than an hour for about three weeks. Actually, with the heat and not being on my feet for endurance in a while, it ended up pretty good. No surfacing injuries, no weird aches, no pains, just tired legs that felt like they were moving in slow motion the last ten minutes.
The trail connects to the Santa Fe trail which heads south to Colorado Springs. As I ran, I realized that I had missed running on this route. The trail has slight ups and downs and runs into the little Palmer Lake. Many people were out riding their bikes, walking, and running. There were even a few happy relaxed fisherman at the lake. The flowers were absolutely beautiful. As I ran back to the car I heard another train come through. At my house, there are times when I hear a train, but not nearby.
After our run we ate and chatted at Shani’s Cafe. Great food. I actually was loving visiting with my friends more than the food. 
Hearing about what is happening in their lives and pure relaxation is the best! It just makes my Sunday mornings smile. Keep on!
Heat = Take A Drink
Just a drop left
The last few days have been warm, muggy, good running days. Tuesday. poor Jillian ran to my home. We ran a pleasant recovery run. It was so pleasant for me because she was running my pace! Raise the ole’ self esteem. I actually couldn’t believe her running, due to the fact that she had run the race Sunday and was still sore. Good work Jbean! Then Wednesday I crept out of bed, not motivated whatsoever, and ran a nice pace around my neighborhood. Yep, felt so much better when I got home. That can be the way sometimes. Force myself to put on my running garb, grumble out the door, then return feeling thankful that I went for a run. Now, today was a good one. Tough, but good. I met Randi in Manitou. We then completed a Barr Trail workout which consisted of minute on/minute off up Barr (Sweat dripped off my chill after the first minute!); then jog down; then six Hydro hill repeats; then a run back to car (typically on jello legs). Besides being challenging and having legs that were quite fatigued, the temperature out there rose quickly. I downed my water…and chugged more when I got home. Did I mention that I love my new hand held Amphipod? It was a workout that I do enjoy and seems to build leg strength.
Shift gears – after a snack and wonderful shower, I met my sister, nephew, niece, mom, and dad for lunch at Amandas Fonda. I love this place!! I think I go there about once a week during the summer. We all had great food and time together. Auntie especially loved being the top dog with my nephew and niece. Good meal to have after running on Barr Trail. Keep on!
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- Sis – patiently waiting for food
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- Mom and Dad
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- I like these Crocs!
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- Neat metal sculpture
It Began At 5:30
Sunday morning began at my friend Jillian’s home. At 5:30 a.m. mind you. I met her and Jess there to serve as their support staff for the Barr Trail Mountain Race. It is a 12 mile out and back race on Barr Trail. I glued on a smile and chipper attitude and felt like a parent. I was so excited for both of them. Barr is a tough!
The gals handed me their stuff, and we all assumed our positions for the race. My one duty was to blow a horn for the first prime of the race. The horn didn’t sound, I spoke select descriptive words, and tried a second time. It sounded that time. The first male and female runner to the specified location receives cash! Then I slid into spectator mode. Woohoo!
It was amazing watching the runners finish up Hydro Hill. The elite runners were powerhouses! I must say it was truly inspiring. It was also a bit emotional. As I watched Jillian and Jess finish I was so proud of them! I will not deny that I was also relieved that they did not have blood. ha! We regrouped and headed to the awards. I was thankful to have the opportunity to watch this race, as well as not be running it. 
I figure that my running is my running. I love running on Pikes Peak and pushing myself. I will keep on my path and keep enjoying the chances to support my friends. Keep on!
Below are some of the photos!
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- Jillian and Jess before race
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- Jess, Jillian, Micky, and Beth
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- Randi ready to shoot some photos
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- Race is on!
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- Jillian – finish
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- Jess – finish
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- Yeah! All done.
Back In The Game
It has been a while since I have written anything, I realize. It has just been life. After my last entry I have been quite busy. In a nutshell -
I stayed with my sweet niece and nephew and had a glorious date with my nephew. We saw Ice Age 3 in 3D. Auntie only saw 1/2 of the movie with the 3D glasses because my dear hearted date dropped his on the floor. All was good – did have a slight headache and don’t recommend not wearing 3D glasses to a 3D movie .
Then I went on a four day trip to Las Vegas with my husband. Wonderful! We completely exhausted ourselves. Ate delicious food, ice cream each day, traveled to the Hoover Dam, saw the Blue Man Group, shopped, gambled, and truly needed rest we we got home. Check out the few Vegas photos on the Vegas page. We try to go each summer to reconnect before we go full speed in our daily lives at home.
I have also been helping with packet pickups for a couple running races at The Colorado Running Co. What fun! I see all these unique people, running for their own unique reasons. I am so enjoying it!
At this point in time I feel like I have been on a short running sabbatical. Believe it or not, I only had been walking in Vegas. It’s cool! I will be a spectator at the Barr Trail Mountain Race tomorrow, which will kick me right back into gear! Keep on!
Is It The Middle Of The Night?
6 a.m. came in the middle of the night! My husband was up scurrying about, preparing for his day of fishing as I wondered what I was thinking. Why did I suggest starting so early today?
I met Randi and Jillian right at 6 o’clock ready to head up Pikes Peak (Barr Trail). Jillian will be racing up Barr in a couple of weeks and I enjoy heading up Barr Trail for any reason. I ran walked jogged about an hour up, then ran down. It was tough. Legs were fatiguing and breath seemed so loud. The view of Pikes Peak and of Colorado Springs was so worth it. Going up there weren’t many people along the way. Coming down….I suddenly realized why it was good we started so early. The closer we got to the bottom, the more people we met.
Interesting experiences to mention. As I was getting my down hill legs under control, I heard a dog running up behind me. I didn’t give it a second thought. Next thing I knew, this pup ran right into the back of my leg. I thought that I was going down, but remained upright. He flew right by clearly loving his day. Then his owner came by like a bull in a china cabinet. (He didn’t run into me!) As we proceeded down I realized that when I came upon a runner going up they would move to their right as would I – no problem. Now, most hikers and walkers (not all) tended to stay dead center on the trail when I would come up to them. I would have to slow down and almost walk to pass. Though, I really have no idea why they didn’t move- it could have simply been that they were doing all that they could to just be there, and were not able to shift over. I don’t think there’s a definite “rule” as to what to do on a trail in these cases, but I figure that courtesy should always win out.
I finished down at Soda Springs Park. I saw Randi smiling and so happy. She totally kicked it on the down hill! I was excited for her. Next, Jillian finished her training run feeling pleased (said she needed an epidural-ha!) that she had cut some time off her uphill portion. It was all good.
Barr Trail is an awesome trail to hike, walk, bike, or run. It can sneak up and remind you to stay fit and healthy so you can come back to visit it soon. Keep on!
Young Legs
Unbelievable, I head out to run at 6:30 this morning. It was rough to get myself out there, but the fact that there was light cloud cover, no bright sun, humid, and already heating up created more of a challenge. Moaning and grumbling, and hoping that some day my body would do better in warm temps, I dove into a comfy pace, did some hill repeats, and headed home. Yep, I was dripping sweat!
A blog that I follow is Younger Legs For Older Runners. It has great ideas and information on older competitive runners. I love my life and my age. I have great fun. But, the fact is that as our bodies age from 20s to 30s, 30s to 40s, and so on, we do get older. Ha! I know it’s obvious. Muscles take longer to recover, stride length changes, and actually some women meet their best running times in their 40s! Below is a list of the 10 things to do to ensure healthy stronger running as we age. It comes from the blog Younger Legs For Older Runners. Check it out for even more detail.
Here then, are 10 effective strategies for ensuring happy, healthy, and hopefully-speedy running longevity …
10 THINGS WE CAN DO TO ENSURE RUNNING LONGEVITY
1 Go Long
2 Maintain Your Stride
3 Run Hard
4 Reduce Your Impact
5 Incorporate Resistance Training
6 Keep Your Balance
7 Remain Flexible
8 Watch Your Diet
9 Don’t Stress
10 Get Some Rest
It truly is about “living the life” – about incorporating effective strategies for running longevity into our training in order to meet our larger goal: improving all the mental, physical, and social experiences that define our lives.
It seems that everyone can benefit from these basic ideas! Keep on!
It’s A Beast
It was early and already heating up (only 6:30 a.m.!). Jillian, Tami, and I arrived at the Manitou Incline for our weekly character builder. Many people were thinking the same thing this morning. Parking was none existent so Jillian maneuvered her little car into a space on a side street.
Old Incline postcard
The climb began. We started at the very bottom of the rails and hiked to the top. This pushes even the most conditioned! I just plugged along hoping to not allow any more space to come between Jillian and I. Then she disappeared over the edge of the false summit. I just kept at it – legs yelling, sweat pouring, and heart rate….?
50 degree slope
As I tried to remain steady, I saw and heard many things. There was a dad cheering his young daughter on to make it to the bail out (2/3 up). She didn’t appear too thrilled. Friends chatting between breathes could also be heard. I wondered how they could even speak?? A few people along the way completely stopped and sat down. My stress level went up – once you sit on the incline it is so tough to move again. I just trudged on.
Once you pass the bail out, you hit the false summit where there’s hope. The rails flatten out just a tad, then incline again. And all done! The last climb is a beast of beasts. As I came close to the top I had to laugh. There were all of these people leaning over to see who was coming up next. I just smiled, was thrilled to see my buddies, drank some water, ate a few beans, and began the descent. Not down the incline, down Barr Trail.
Going down seems so much better. Though I had to pay attention so much more. Roots, rocks, boulders, can be toe grabbers and trip you up at any second. I saw quite a few people starting their hikes up Barr and was so thankful that I was almost done! As I finished, I came upon Jillian stretching and ready to get out of the heat (hot box gal). We walked to her car and headed out for a drink at Starbucks. Woohoo!
The Incline deserved to be written about today. I am lucky to live in a place where I have access to great trails, hills, etc. I am also thrilled to have people in my life who want to get out there and push themselves too! Keep on!
(*note – These photos were found on line
A Haiku
Here’s my Haiku to start off this update.
Core, to be stronger
We kicked Williams in the mouse
Cheese can crack me up.
Ok, so my poetic talent needs a bit of polish. My weekend adventures actually inspired my wonderful poetry!
I woke up Saturday, to another gloomy, muggy day, and figured a good walk was in order since I was planning on run hiking up Williams Canyon today. The walk was pleasant, yet I kept searching for the Colorado sunshine. It seems the sun has been hiding lately. Arg! Saturday afternoon I attended my weekly Core class. Dani, Jill, Christy, and I followed Ryan’s commands as to what exercises (or contortions) we were to do to strengthen our cores. We all seemed wiped. Pushed right through it. Yes, with pretty good attitudes and laughs!
Woke up, way too early, today to begin our Father’s Day adventure. The plan was to run – hike up Williams Canyon and run the Waldo Canyon loop, then return. Mike, Dani, Christy, Jillian, Randi, John, and I began the run. It was unbelievable to see the beauty and uniqueness along the route. I had never been up this canyon so I soaked it up. John was diligent in stopping us and pointing out really cool stuff to see. (Maybe he was being nice and giving us a break?) After about 45 minutes heading up, I decided to head back. Great plan. Randi joined me – I think she may come again since we didn’t sink her today. When everyone returned, we gobbled up Dani’s delicious rolls and bread. I ended up going a shorter time – but, who really cares? I got a good workout and kept my base strong.
Yummy rolls!
Awesome crew
The afternoon was spent visiting at my parents’ house. Our main celebration will be next weekend. But, my sister and young nephew and niece came down and I couldn’t miss out. It was a great time.
Yeah! Paint!
Where to begin?
My sister has a funny sense of humor. She told me about their movie theatre experience that occurred yesterday – They went to the movies. My sister felt something warm and runny streaming down her leg as she was watching the movie intently. She was concerned that her sweet two and a half year old daughter had either a leak in her diaper or an accident. After quietly (they were in the theater) investigating, she realized that her daughter had tromped through someones spilled nacho cheese. The cheese was running off of my niece’s shoes onto my sister’s leg. After sneaking out to the ladies room, trying to clean her jeans, my niece’s shoes and clothes, they returned to the movie – only to realize that the smell was still present. They uprooted the rest of her clan to move to another location in the the theater. Didn’t help. She said that all she could think of was the smell. As she told the story she referred to it as The Stinky Cheese Incident. I can just imagine! I believe that children must bring a whole new dimension to many basic things. Hearing the story made me crack up and actually had her laughing too. I guess it was not funny whatsoever yesterday; but hey, today? It is always very healthy to sit back and totally crack up! Hopefully you can picture this and get a little chuckle from the story too. If this can’t bring a bit of a laugh (I know you don’t know my sis) maybe there’s something in your life that will. Keep on!
