Hiking and weather update

On our daily hike in HSS:

Daisy is still fast running on the trails despite being 9-years-old.

We have some weather coming in today. Preparing for SNOW!

Training Update: 6 mile run up and down Cottonwood Pass yesterday. Today: swim and maybe a short run. But definitely a swim.

Sky-Hi Page One, training update

I am loving the cover of today's paper. Thanks to Sally DiSciullo.

Training Update:
Hoping for a swim and bike outside.

Gratitude

Training Update:
6 mile flat run up and down US 40 in snow. Yes, snow. Now it's raining.
Hopefully will get a swim in later this afternoon.

That is all.

Fraser River today

The Fraser River as it flows into downtown Granby today.

Training update:
4 mile run this morning.

Hike & Bike in the rain

This morning we took a walk along the Colorado River. We stopped where the river was low under the foot bridge. I thought we would try a stick in the water again, but Winnie would go in. (see yesterday's post).
Despite the rain, I decided to risk it and go for a bike ride. I didn't regret it.
Great ride with George along US 40. It rained a bit but the wind was strong. I felt warm in my Cesium Anorak by North Face. Great wind protection for sure. I got in 21 miles and it was a great recovery ride after a tough brick yesterday.

Now a bit of recovery. Food and sofa time.

It's Mud Season after the Snowiest March in Grand County

Winnie on our trail in HSS

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It’s probably about time to write a blog post. It's been a while

Well, it’s mud season in Grand County. I didn’t write about the end of winter. It was a cold, snowy March.

 Winnie and Daisy loved running the trails behind my rental house. It was good hiking for me, too. 

Now that Winnie doesn't chew everything in sight we now have a dog bed again. 

View from Devil's Thumb Nordic trails.

In March, Patrice came to visit and we skied at Devil's Thumb. That was a great training day. 

Other training consists of running up County Road 20 in HSS. This is one of the roads that was buried under snow. Amazing views up there and tough running conditions, as I was breaking through the snow. 

Elk Mountain HSS

I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere running just three miles from my rental house. 

Cooling off near Cottonwood Pass

Another place I run and take the dogs to hike is the road off Cottonwood Pass. Only saw one car, a logger. It got so warm in the sun that Daisy had to cool off in the snow. 

But both roads/trails have lately been starting out looking like this:

The mud before the snow on County Road 20 HSS

A muddy-mess. 

But thanks to a load of late-season wood, I'll be nice a warm while the end of winter shows itself. 

The bridge over the Colorado River in Pioneer Park, HSS

It's been a treat living so close to the water again. After three years in the desert, it is thrilling to see running water. 
Just yesterday I took the dogs down to the river and it's flowing nicely. Not too fast, yet. I keep introducing Winnie to water but she still doesn't know what to do. I throw sticks in and she just watches them. But then, I finally got her to stand in the water and she see's something and starts running into the water. I thought she was going to be swept away. I'm not sure she knows how to swim yet. Miraculously, she came back since the water wasn't rushing too fast and she could still stand up. 
We may need to try swimming in a pond instead of the Colorado River.

Training Update

Life is good at 8,000 feet. Yesterday was my third bike ride outside - a ride to Grand Lake. And today, Saturday, a long run outside and the winter training spin at Mountain Life Fitness.

it is now 4 weeks until Ironman St. George 70.3. I'm not sure how ready I'll be but the next 4 weeks will be a harder training block. 

Updated Race Schedule:

May 7 – Ironman 70.3 St George

May 21 - McKee Classic Bike Tour in Loveland

June 5 - Casper, Wyoming marathon

July 24 – Ironman Lake Placid

August 14 – Leadville 10K

September 24 - ECS Park City, Utah Marathon

November 13 – Ironman Arizona

It's going to be a great summer and fall! 

How I spend my days

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I read a great article a few days ago from a website called catching days. On her website, on the first day of the month she hosts a guest writer to address the topic:  “How We Spend Our Days.”

The story that was so interesting this month was written by Steve Almond.  I was first introduced to him as a speaker at the Washington DC AWP Conference in 2011.  I’ve read many of his books and articles. He’s hilarious and speaks the truth about candy, music, and family. At the conference he even told the audience how much money he made in a year as a freelancer; it was an audience question. None of the other speakers would say [Cheryl Strayed].

Here is the link to the story:
http://catchingdays.cynthianewberrymartin.com/2016/01/01/how-we-spend-our-days-steve-almond/

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Annie Dillard

 The website and story made me think about how I spend my time. When I’m not working, I’m training, outside, reading, writing, and admittedly I watch shows on Netfix (probably too much).

I like my life. I like how I spend my days. I wish for a few things I don't have right now, but for the most part, I get to spend the days how I’d like.

My friends tease me that I’m a homebody. They tease me about making plans. Little do they know that I have to make a plan, I have to have goals, and I need long-term plans or I will be a homebody all year-long.

I like having structure to my day. One of the best things I’ve learned from being an endurance athlete is when you wake up in the morning you must have a plan – a plan of all the things you want to accomplish – then you will most likely get them all done.

When you don’t have a plan – or you don’t list the things you need to do – most likely you will not do them.

This weekend I did most of my plan: I hiked with the dogs, I snowshoed, 

I went Nordic skiing 

and I wrote a blog post. 

I finished a few work tasks. I read a few chapters from The Big Rock Candy Mountain.

I ran out of time to buy and read the New York Times but will try again next week.

I didn’t run.

This is how I spend my days.