My work buddy, Stephanie, and I are still running over lunch.  There are times when I struggle to run 5 miles and I do not look forward to the suffering, but being out there with a buddy is one of the things I love about running.  I have an opportunity to connect with someone and create a relationship in my life that I enjoy.  There is an escape from work and a chance to breath in the air, feel the sunshine, and touch the outside.  

I wrote the previous words in September and am just now getting around to posting this.  Today I am working on being happy right where I am.  I do not always feel like I am living the life I want to live, but I have not been able to make the changes to live the life I think I should live.  What does that mean?

Happy Holidays!  Happy Training!  Happy Living!

Friday night after LEAVING boy scout camp (read that clearly-we LEFT boy scout camp before embarking upon our adventure) we set up camp, had a campfire, and ate a couple of smores.  I all of a sudden felt like going for a run.  So off we went…into the wilderness.  There was a road off the main road which took you out into the cow pastures and we decided to hop the fence and go run up the road.  We were literally in the middle of nowhere…so stripped down to our bare bums and ran into the night!  We had a blast running naked-it was a first for me!  Running has always been the part of my sport where I struggle mentally.  Making running fun is very important for my mental well-being.  I have not gotten the thrill of winning  a race or qualifying for a Boston Marathon.  For me it is the pain staking place where everyone passes me.  So to continue on I have to have fun.  It is the place in the race where I can cheer people on and be really excited about seeing where they are in their race.  It is the place where I often get the opportunity to encourage others to dig a little deeper.  But, strangely enough it is where I really get to enjoy the race atmosphere.  I do not think I will ever win a running race but I win in so many other ways that I really don’t care.  Back to my point…I have to keep running fun or I can get really down on myself.  This night of naked running made my spirit happy.  It reminded me how lucky I am to have found a person to share my life and that he LOVES me just the way I am-not because of how fast I run.   Celebrating me and where I am at was pretty awesome.

We loaded our bikes on the car so we could ride up in the mountains on Saturday morning after breakfast back at the scout camp.  We ended up in Loveland and rode our bikes through that neck of the woods.  My bike has not met my bum for a really long time.  I was nervous about climbing up in the mountains.  I requested of Steve that he let me set the pace and call it a day when I was ready.  We had a great ride.  It was hot and balmy but climbing went great.  Again, my spirit was renewed and I had an amazing day.  Our plan was to head home Saturday after riding but we were having such a great weekend that we decided to pitch our tent for one more night so we could ride again the next day.  Another great ride was had on Sunday.  Nothing epic in the sense of distance or difficulty but epic for my sense of adventure.

Steve and I had such a great weekend that we have a “credit card” ride planned in 2 weekends.  We are just going to stick a credit card in our bike jersey and head out for an adventure on the bikes.  It is great having plans in the works again.  Tomorrow I am off to Freshman Orientation at University of Northern Colorado for Shaun-crikeys!  The boy is off to college in less than a month…

Happy Trails…

 When Shaun was born (almost 19 years ago) my dad gave me his Schwinn Mountain Bike-I think the bike was his attempt to “get back into shape”.  He used to ride it around the dirt block and up the hill on Juniper Road.  I was in awe that he was riding his bike so far.  Mind you this block was, and still is, about 2.5 miles long.  Anyhow, his attempt at fitness ended up in one of the junk piles heaved into the middle of the desert.  So when I had Shaun and was on my own I put a kid bike seat on the back of the bike and would ride around the desert.  We would go everywhere.  There were late night rides to get him the frick to sleep. (unsuccessfully-if you know Shaun you will understand) There were rides with my friends who were not hauling kids.  And there were rides where we fell over and got all bruised up.  What I have forgotten is that these were not long rides.  They were maybe 5 miles at the most-and even that may be stretching the distance.  In the end it was an adventure  with Shaun.  It was fun and I remember laughing a lot and feeling really powerful and like I was a good mom.  My connection to the desert formed during these adventures with Shaun.  My connection with Shaun grew as well as he was my sidekick.  Imagine having a kid at 19 years old.  I was still a kid myself.

From the California desert I made the move to Rochester Minnesota.  Here there are rails to trails galore.    I upgraded my bike to a red Raleigh and Shaun had some random  kid bike.  We would ride the Douglas Trail, which was a 13 mile stretch from Rochester to Pine Island.  Keep in mind Shaun was 4 and 5 years old.  One day I bought him a Pearl Izumi vest-I still have this vest and use it for riding now.  When I bought him this vest we saw a flyer for a “bike ride”.  To this day I don’t remember what the ride was but I do know we signed up for the 25 mile ride.  So we “trained” on the Douglas Trail.  Day of the ride we showed up at the fairground knowing ZERO about Century rides.  We headed out knowing they told us there would be food and drink out there for us and when we were finished there would be lunch back at the fairgrounds.  Well, off we went with our waterbottles.  Not one aid station was open by the time we got there.  In fact, we did not see one single person this entire ride.  We made it back to the fairgrounds and scrounged for some food and went home and played in the pool.  What I remember most about this was that it was all I could do to get Shaun through 25 miles of rolling midwest hills in the middle of the summer.  Somehow  we made it and continued having adventures on all of the trails in Minnesota.

It was around this time I started “running” around the block.  Yes the block.  Maybe it was a 1/2 mile long-I really have no idea-hold on I am going to map it just so I can see how far it really was.  Alright better than I thought 1.65 miles.  I would go run this and come home and do sit ups in the drive way!  Too funny.  Then another baby enters the picture-welcome Baby Kai!  And we decide to move to Colorado.  By the time Kai is one the move is in the works and we are on our way.  My sister comes to visit and tells me flat out that I am fat.  She had done a triathlon so she thought I should do the Danskin.  So, I signed up for a triathlon class with my red Raleigh mountain bike and the rest is history.  This was the beginning.  And now that I find myself at the beginning of a new adventure I must remember that every great adventure, story, journey or whatever has a beginning. 

What I have to remember is that I did not go out and start running 50 miles or marathons.  It all started with a 1.67 mile run around the block and sit ups.  It was getting Shaun out on the bike to have fun.  There was no epic loop.  There was no High Grade.  No Kerr Gulch.  No half ironmans.  No Ironman.  It was a block.  From the block it was 3 miles.  From 3 miles it was 6 miles.  And it stayed there for a long time.  It started with a POS mountain bike.  And so here I am full circle.  I am back to the block, but my mind is suffering.  I have let my fitness slip away.  So here is the beginning of a new journey with exercise.  An adventure to the next place.  There is no Ironman.  There is no marathon.  There is a block.  And I have to get around that block.  Repeatedly.  Consistency.  I am back to the building blocks. 

So stay tuned to see how the adventure unfolds.  My friend at work found some KettleBell classes and I signed 6.0 and myself up for 10 weeks of classes.  I am really excited about them and cannot wait.  For now…I am off for a lunch time run on the High Line.

I made it back to the start in time to see Steve take off on his 2nd lap to finish the 50 mile course.  Overall, I think he would describe the day as a sufferfest.  Multiple times he found himself excited to be out on a trail run on a beautiful day.  The weather was beautiful and essentially a non issue.  The views of the snow capped mountains were stunning.  He was definitely nervous about the distance, which he feels was legitimate.  He was unsure about making the turn to go on to the second lap until he was within a mile of it but is glad he decided to go for it.   He may have been less sore, but he wouldn’t have been satisfied with a 25 mile day or a DNF.  Steve is just one of those guys.

Collegiate Peaks is a challenging, exposed course.  Being held in May leaves open the opportunity for all kinds of weather.  Even last year at Buena Vista Bike Fest the weather cancelled the ride-and it is held 2 weeks later.  There have been many stories of variable weather-but on that note, we are Colorado runners and we run in all types of weather all fall, winter, and spring.  So I definitely wouldn’t eliminate the opportunity to run this race based on chance of in-climate weather.  The winner this year 6:37.  Insane.

Tomorrow a run with Stephanie-my work running buddy.  Although I am bored with the High Line Canal in Aurora.

It is because of Jane that I decided to sign up for Collegiate Peaks.  She invited Steve and me to stay with her in Buena Vista for her 1st 50 miler.  Initially I was going to go hang out for the weekend and simply support her.   Steve, however, has been inspired to run like a crazy man lately.  Moab 55K showed him the beauty of ultra running.  So he decided to sign up for the 50 with Jane which lead me to sign up for the 25!  Which means:  I have a goal!!  Yeah me.  Training is going well.  I am especially loving my new Cascadias that Brooks sent me, thanks to Scott Jurek.  Run Happy is their slogan-well I am Running Happy!  Running is so pure and organic.  It is great to have running on my plate.  It makes the skies seem sunnier, the air seem cleaner, and my step a little lighter!

The climate at work has also taken a turn towards sunny skies.  I never knew how uncomfortable it could be to work with people who operate from fear and have no confidence in themselves.  People I have “worked” with in the past have been brilliant, gifted, and kind.  People are amazing when they are confident, secure, smart, and enlightened!  Great teams, I am sure, have been built on these traits.  I have never worked with people who operate out of fear and lack of confidence.  The people I have surrounded myself with enjoy building others up and giving to one another and helping one another-and just plain enjoy creating a better world.  I feel this starting to happen at work.  It lessens the stress felt during those 8 long hours of sitting behind a desk working for the man!

Speaking of working for the man-I have another goal-TO NOT WORK FOR THE MAN!  Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race is plugging along and is definitely going where it needs to go.  My one goal for the race is:  to create an experience that keeps runners wanting to come back again and again.  It is something I am continually working on.  With this first race my  focus is on the simple things.  Things like having a smooth, flawless packet pick up.  Making sure the race starts on time.  Having the trails marked to keep people on course and keep the aid stations fully stocked for the first and last person on the course.  Creating a fun atmosphere outside of the race so people will want to hang around after they are finished racing-great food and a great announcer.  Good swag and good prizes.  The idea is to have this event build the Epic Endurance  brand and our reputation.  I never want to be commercialized, but I also don’t ever want a ho hum race either.  It is top secret what my vision is-so you will have to come the race if you want be a part of that!

Anyhow, I am off to bed after a long day of working for the man and working for myself!  A run is in the cards for tomorrow along with finalizing the t-shirt design for the race.  Good night!

Scott Jurek Chris McDougall

All eating with me

The other cool thing is that Shaun ran his first half-marathon with me last night in the dark!  It was an adventure and I know it is a moment I will look back on once he leaves for the military life.  I am looking forward to sending him video emails when he is able to receive them and hoping he will find inspiration to dig a little deeper and find the place in him to smile while he is suffering boot camp!!  While I do not agree with war, I will say, that I am happy he has found something that motivates him and creates a desire to push a little harder and dig a little deeper.

I am off to bed-

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by

drawbacks and discomforts.” Arnold Bennett

So how can sad be a part of my life, really?  Recently I  spent  time sending pictures to GoSonja to add to the crew’s slideshow for our “end of season” party.  You know what?  2010 was AWESOME and has been named “The Epic Off Season”.  There have been drawbacks to my fitness this year.  There have been uncomfortable moments.  But really not many!  In the moment things may seem difficult or not what I would like them to be, but once again I am reminded to look at the bigger picture!  I am HAPPY!

The proof is in my smile.

“We cannot change our past.  We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way.  We can not change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have,

and that is our attitude.” Charles R. Swindoll

Is it possible to be both happy and sad at the same time?  Right now I think I am there.  Happy to be working an awesome job with people that I absolutely love.  Sad that my life of being a crazy training athlete is on the back burner.  I haven’t been keeping up on my blog because it was the place where I shared all of my epic adventures and currently I am not having many epic adventures.  I am a 9-5 working girl.  Nowadays you can find me at 5:30 in the morning at a 24 hour fitness spin class or weight lifting class or at 7:00 getting in what I can.  It is funny when an instructor says, “Wow you are so awesome!  Aren’t you glad you got your workout done right away this morning?”  And I think to myself, ” Lady, you have no idea how pathetic I feel!”  The pool has not even been blessed with my presence since I got my nose pierced.  Yeah-it has been that long!  So what has been going on?  Why have I been making these choices?

I am still clawing my way out of debt and trickling money into savings, (I am following the Dave Ramsey financial planning philosophy-I don’t buy his stuff though-just borrow from the library) so the race funds might still be light for the beginning of 2011-which may mean no races for the first part of 2011.  After that my funding, on paper anyhow, looks a little brighter!  I am starting to evaluate what my season will look like.   My main hope is that I will feel a little less stressed about finances and with that I may feel a lightness in my step.  Right now I am trying to honestly evaluate all of the variables in the equation.  What do I honestly want to devote my time to?  Where do I want to spend my money?  Am I being fair and equitable to my family?

Triathlon is still an important part of my life.  I know this because I have a bit of an empty feeling inside without it.  I still get out and run and bike and try to maintain some resemblance of being fit.  Although my body mass index has been downgraded from “athletic” to “fit”.  My time off of work is spent working out.  New Year’s Steve and I are headed to Ouray again.  This time with snowshoes in hand.   On the way out we are stopping in Gunnison for a run on a trail we discovered on the way home last year.  For my birthday I got an AMAZING Bianchi fixie-so see, still addicted!  I just need to make some targets and goals for 2011 and have financial freedom and rediscover the freedom epic adventures give me!

To all of you who have had to hear me say I cannot join you on an adventure this past year please be patient.  Keep thinking about me because I am almost back.    And mostly thanks to Steve 6.0-you are AMAZING!

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