It's amazing what all one can do...

...if one is retired (thus not working 50-60 hours per week as per one's former life),
...if one's children are grown, independent, out-of-the-house happy adults
and
...if one is not training eight hours a day in preparation for some sort of crazy run.

For example!

One might make a summer wreath for one's 92-year-old mama who loves to decorate her home for every season but who was unable to find her summer wreath this year!

Paula & Deb - fun with crafts!

Holy smokes! We actually made a wreath!

One might be able to spend a few days cooking and planning for a visit from one's cousin who was going to be in the state for an Architecture Convention!

Kendall, Marcie & John, picnic at Chautauqua

Campus Tour (Fine Arts Building) (Marcie, John, Paula & Paul)

Campus Tour (Varsity Pond bridge) (Kendall, Marcie, John, Paula)

Dinner at the homestead (Paul, Kendall, John, Marcie, David)

Taz has a new best friend - John feeding him peanut butter cherry dog biscuits. fresh from Glen Arbor, Michigan!

One might tackle long-overdue home improvement projects! (Kendall's shorts used to be tan and his socks used to be white, I swear!)














 

One might be able to relax in the evening and gaze at the super moon with one's true love!













....and, of course, if one is a runner (says I looking in mirror), one might be able to fit in a lovely little run that included the excitement of a giant snake!

Ya' never know

You figure you've got all (most?) of your ducks in a row, you're (semi?-)successfully herding the cats, and then blamo! something goes unexpectedly, bizarrely awry at the zoo.  Say wha????

When such a thing happens (and given we really don't have control over everything do we, so such a thing is bound to happen some one day), one might be able to learn a lesson or two.  Here are my lessons of late:

1. Enjoy what you've got when you've got it.  The sound of birds singing, sunshine, rain, waking up in your own bed, choosing your own schedule, the chance to get out and sweat... whatever it might be, enjoy!
2. If an idea pops into your head - especially if there's repeat popping - act on it!!!!!  Ya' just never know what hiccup might derail your plans, ideas, inspirations...big or small.  So far today, seven (yep, count 'em, 7) check marks off the to-do list!
3. Look brightly to the future.  Right now might not be a bed of roses - may even be worse than a bed of thorns - but keep looking up.  So very often, the body, mind, and soul go where your attitude is pointing!

Meanwhile, yesterday was Kendall's birthday.  We happily woke up to eachother's smiles as we have for the last 40 years, enjoyed an early morning walk with Taz, ate ice cream for lunch, rendezvoused with Paul, skyped with Devon, had a scrumptious Mexican meal for dinner (followed by more ice cream!), and simply delighted in each other's company. 

Kendall - my anchor in the storm. Pic from the north shore of Lake Michigan, 1268.5 miles into my 1400 mile run to Petoskey

Hills and Books

Today Amie and I tackled the NCAR hill.  It's been a while since I've charged (or moseyed) up that hill.  It's quite a fantastic workout.  We ran about 22 minutes to the branch library then continued west up Table Mesa Drive, up the NCAR hill, around the NCAR parking lot, then back down past the branch library at which point I trotted on home.  From the library to the top and back is 5 miles round trip and a whole lotta hill.

But life is not just about running.  After the workout Kendall and I put the finishing touches on the Little Free Library we're building, called for reinforcements (son Paul), loaded up the library, the books, and the tools and headed for the neighborhood school where we had a post just waiting for a library to top it.  A few saw cuts, some grunting, a bit of drilling, and a whole bunch of book unloading later, we've now got a Little Free Library at 3740 Martin Drive in Boulder.  Weehaww!

Blooms along the trail

Today's run was why I run - and why I am so grateful I am able to run.
'Twas long, slow, and lovely.
The kind of run that livens the body, refreshes the soul and calms the brain.

Here it is in pictures (with my meager phone camera...sorry about that...) - from the Bluestem trail to the Mesa Trail and the Shanahan trails.  A simply wonderful day to be in the Colorado great outdoors.

What a bit of racing will do for ya'

I much prefer training over racing...I simply love to run...
However, during today's training session, the benefits of the occasional race were made clear. 

My running buddy, Connie, is building off of her Bolder Boulder training and race in preparation for running the Steamboat Classic in Peoria, Illinois where she will be visiting her son and his family in a couple of weeks.  Thus we met up for a bit of speed work on the trails this morning.  Having had that recent 6.2 miles of racing ingrained in my muscles and brain just five days ago really seemed to make a difference!  My body and brain both knew just what to do when we took off on our repeats at 5k and 10k pace.  Not only were body and brain able to tackle it, they were ready and raring to take on the challenge.  Way fun!  I should oughta remember this the next time I'm waffling over a race entry form...

1985 Bolder Boulder - 4-mo-old Devon in baby jogger, bro-in-law Andy on my left shoulder - back in the days I raced a little more often

Another Bolder Boulder in the logbook

Another Memorial Day in Boulder, another Bolder Boulder!

My times are getting slower. However, as you can see by the picture, my running buddies and running experiences still bring on the smiles.  

Anita (age group winner!), Connie, and me - all smiles after cooling down a bit post-race

Anita, Connie and I have been training for the Bolder Boulder together each of the last few years.  In fact, Connie and I were training buddies back in the early-mid 1980s before kids and careers jumbled up our schedules for a couple of decades.  Retirement does have its benefits!

Now that I've got a 2013 race under my belt, perhaps it's time to devise a bit of a running plan for the year.  So far, all I know for sure is: build more base, run more hills.  Beyond that, under serious consideration are: run the Heart & Sole  Half Marathon in August, and give the Monument Marathon in Scottsbluff, Nebraska a try in September.  Long range, well.... on my bedside table lies a book that Paul gave me for Mother's Day: "A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk - One Woman's Trek Along the Shorelines of All Five Great Lakes."  Now does that sound like some absolutely fabulous running potential or what?!

Perhaps if I start updating this blog more than once every six months, these "considerations" and "potentials" will become actual goals - and perhaps those goals will actually be achieved.  We shall see!

A chilly start to the year

Looking west at sunrise from Singletree Trail

Most days of this year of 2013 have begun in single-digit temperatures.  But as my running buddy, Schaef, adamantly proclaimed, there's no bad running weather, just improper running gear.  Thus I've tried out every combination of cold-weather running attire that I own working up to two layers on my legs and five layers on top for the 5-7 degree days.  Today, however, was a relatively balmy 15 degrees when I left my house.  The bigger challenge was the 6 a.m., pre-sunrise, departure time with some concern about visibility on ice-packed roads as well as my visibility vs. any traffic that might be out there.  But, again, it was all about proper preparation.  This morning's gear, from the bottom up:
- trail shoes for the ice and snow
- semi-high-cut socks for cold and snow
- one pair of warm tights
- one mid-weight tech shirt, a heavier tech-shirt, warm hooded polypro pull-over, bright yellow reflective jacket
- neck warmer (what a good investment that was a few years back!)
- warm hat
- reflective running cap with a blinky light in back.
'Twas quite the sight, I'm sure, what with the warm hat pulled low, hood up (most effective piece of gear for warming the entire body, in my humble opinion), all topped with the bright yellow blinky cap!

And it was all worth it.  The run started with about 4 miles on fairly quiet almost-country roads then continued with about 6 trail miles that took me up high enough, at just the right time, for a spectacular view of the Continental Divide at sunrise.  The picture, via my very inadequate phone camera, does not do it justice.  The glow from this sunrise, however, warmed my entire day!

Whoosh! November and December fly by!

When I last posted, our bags were packed and we were about to set off for Australia.  What a trip we had!  Melbourne, Dandenongs, Great Ocean Road, Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, total eclipse!, Sydney.  All fantastic!  Far too many tales to tell, but perhaps a few photos will give a taste of our adventures.

A few of the many surprises of Melbourne:
the Melbourne library (State Library of Victoria) reading room (looking down and looking up),
the Yarra River so full of activity,  the architectural mix of old and new and oh-so-unique,
brilliantly colored birds everywhere, and some of the best signs I've ever seen!

From Melbourne we went on to the hills, forests and gardens of the Dandenongs.  Delightful!

National Rhododendron Gardens, Olinda, Australia

 Next up: the Great Ocean Road!  "Great" doesn't even come close to describing this magnificent journey along the Great Southern Ocean.  We saw everything from lawn bowling to kangaroos and  koalas to penguins to spectacular ocean views - not to mention the spaghetti jaffle for breakfast (not quite as tasty as most of the food we had been enjoying - like pumpkin pinenut feta salad - but so out of the ordinary that Lysa and I just had to try it) and the continued spottings of humorous signs.   Marvelous!

Mort, Kendall, Lysa, and me at the Twelve Apostles - awaiting dusk and returning penguins

After our tour of Victoria we flew to Queensland where wonders abounded.  Rain forest!  Great Barrier Reef!  Crawling critters!  Swimming critters!  Flying critters!  And last but oh-so-far from least, the total solar eclipse.  If you ever ever get a chance to put yourself in the path of a total eclipse of the sun, DO IT!!!!!  And, of course, more marvelous food (tropical ice cream!  yum!) and eye-catching signs.

 

 

Spider at Cairns Botanical Garden

3-meter Croc in river near Cairns

Flying Foxes - lots & lots of flying foxes in trees in Cairns (then they all fly off at dusk)

In awe of the Total Solar Eclipse (me, Lysa, Mort, near Mount Malloy, Queensland, Australia)

 

The ocean!!!  Happy! Happy! Happy!

Our Australian Adventure concluded with a few days in Sydney - and delightful surprises continued!  Fantastic museums, free historical tours, and a whale sighting!!!!!

"The Rocks" area of Sydney - where the convicts first arrived

Sydney already prepping for Christmas

Whale sighting! Off Manly Beach

Australia, you were very very good to us!

Sampling pavlova in Sydney, after another marvelous day

 Can you stand more?   2012 adventures continued beyond Australia with:

Thanksgiving! with both boys and Corinne joining in the celebration.

An early December trip to Michigan to visit mom in Petoskey.

 And a Boulder Christmas!

Paul's Christmas tree (he got the top, we got the bottom)

And one of the major highlights of 2012 - Taz puppy! 

Adopted one year ago.  We are a lucky family!