Weekend double

It has been quite a long time since I've run what I refer to as a "weekend double" - i.e., two fairly long runs on subsequent days (Saturday and Sunday to be an actual "weekend double"). The last double was the weekend prior to my birthday when I'd gotten it into my head that I should run my age in the seven days leading up to my birthday day, which resulted in a weekend double of 11.5 and 13 miles.  That was pretty much it for 2015 until this weekend when I was feeling like it had been way too long between doubles.

Continental Divide from the Singletree Trail

Yesterday: 11 miles running from home out to the Singletree and Meadowlark trails, meeting up with running buddies Joe and Connie on Meadowlark.

Wildlife along Bear Creek trail

Today: 16 miles from home to Longmont on a variety of trails, meeting up with Connie about five miles into the run.

Wild farm life in Boulder countryside

Both days: fabulous running, great company, and no better way to get the weekend rollin'!

The naming game

When I'm not running, I'm usually walking, sometimes taking the bus, and then there's the occasional ride in the car.  (One does not always have 57 days to cover the 1400 miles from Boulder to Petoskey donchaknow...)  A while ago Kendall started thinking we might be needing a new car as our old one was showing signs of age that seemed to indicate less than reliable transport for long road trips (as well as likely expensive repairs). So car shopping he went and we are now the happy owners of a Toyota Sienna - our first non-Dodge van in a string of vans. And my oh my did it ride nice on our trip to/from Michigan last week. 

Those of you who know our family know my brother is a major proponent of American car manufacturers and refers to all other vehicles as "foreign made tin cans." Needless to say, he is very displeased with our recent purchase. Those of you who know us very very well might also know that we tend to only name our cars when they go into semi-retirement after we get a new car and keep the old one around just for in-town driving. For example, two Dodge Caravans ago became "Old Reliable" when it went into semi-retirement after the purchase of our most recent Caravan.  Now that our current Dodge is being semi-retired, we've finally given it a name: "Old Blue."  However, in a major break from tradition, we've given our brand new van a name. In honor of my brother, our most excellent new Toyota Sienna has been christened "TinCan." ...makes me smile.

[picture above: TinCan in front, Old Blue behind]

The Pisces In Me

One of my running buddies mentioned, upon my return from my recent road trip to Petoskey, that all of my runs during the trip involved water. Huh! So true! I do seem to gravitate toward those running venues that include river trails, beach, lakesides, loops around ponds; if it's wet, I'm there!

And now I'm back in landlocked Colorado.  Fortunately, it too offers stellar running venues. Witness this view from yesterday's run through the high plains along the foothills of the Rockies.  Not too shabby, eh?!

Road Trip Running

I love road trips - seeing the countryside, finding hidden gems, and running in new surroundings. Our trip to Michigan from which we just returned offered plenty of opportunity for road trip running what with 6 days on the road for 3 full days in Michigan.  So here ya' go - a road trip travelogue.

June 3, pouring rain at the beginning of the day,
so stopped at a river trail along the Cedar River
in Waterloo, Iowa for a midday run and lunch break.





 

June 4, a sweet little run on trails 

around ponds  in an office park 

near our hotel in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 

(home to Beans N' Cream, our favorite Wisc. coffee shop)

June 5, back to Lake Michigan and a run east along the waterfront 

in Petoskey from the Bear River trail

June 6, a much sunnier day in Petoskey and a westward-bound run along Little Traverse Bay

June 7, a run along a favorite trails, the Little Traverse Wheelway along Little Traverse Bay

June 8, a quick early morning run before leaving town.  

Creations enveloped in fog...

(spider web, rock sculpture, Lake Michigan)

June 9, a two-run day. The first one, at sunrise in Dubuque, Iowa was just too short so I followed that up with a sultry hot (98-degree hot by the time I finished) but thoroughly enjoyable run along the Missouri River in Sioux City, Iowa










 June 10, Kendall's birthday - and a Wednesday,
which means hill day.
In Lexington, Nebraska that means repeats
on the pedestrian overpass
up and over a whole lotta busy railroad tracks.

So, yes, a lot of fun running. But the best part of the trip - seeing a happy healthy mom!

 

Me, Connie & Anita - post Bolder Boulder and 

all smiles

Summer is nigh and another Bolder Boulder is in the books. As mentioned in my last post, my stretch goal was to match my 1985 Bolder Boulder time when I pushed then 4-month-old Devon in a baby jogger and covered the course in 55:49. A stretch goal, indeed. I did not meet it in this year's Bolder Boulder, missing it by a minute-ten.  Disappointed? Yes, a bit. However! I did beat last year's time by 1:47, running this 2015 edition in 56:49. The best part? A spring of training with fantastic running buddies and a stadium full of smiles afterward.

The other best part? Now I get to run for fun - my most favorite kind of running!

Trotting through the quiet of country roads, exploring trails, dancing amongst the wildflowers, wandering hither & thither around town, delighting at critters, winding through neighborhoods, following bird songs, 

just .....running.

This past Saturday the gang and I ran on an east-Boulder trail with

spectacular views of the Continental Divide. 

This upcoming weekend, I'll be running on one of my most favorite trails along the shore of Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay. 

We runners...we are lucky people...