June 13, 2017

Weekly Rundown – Leadville Silver Rush 50 Peak Week 2

I will admit that last week felt really difficult and it seemed really challenging to get the miles in that I wanted. As much as I would like to always be consistent and effortlessly bang out 70 mile weeks, getting in 60 miles took all of my will power.

Cannon came down with a virus on Wednesday and was fighting a fever through Sunday. I can’t complain since Cannon is normally such a good sleeper but he was really not feeling well and woke up about every two hours. I think I averaged between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Poor little guy had such a sore throat it would wake him up and made him miserable. I tried to keep up on my running but on Thursday all I wanted to do was be with and try to comfort him. There definitely are priorities in life and Cannon comes WAY above running or any race.

Cannon’s fever broke on Sunday and is feeling much better, so now just two more big weeks before taper!

———–

Monday: Unplanned rest day. I had hoped to get a few miles in after the 50k over the weekend but life got in the way, I had a lot to do for work.

Sweet Boy

Tuesday: 4 miles in the morning, up with the sun, then 4 more miles on the treadmill in the evening after Cannon went to sleep.

Wednesday: 5 miles that felt like garbage, lack of sleep was already starting to get to me. Strength training in the evening.

Thursday: Nothing, just cuddles with Cannon after a particularly difficult night.

Friday: Cory had Friday off so I had more time to get out on a run. I didn’t want to lose much time with Cannon so I got up early and drove to Heil Ranch to get some trail time for 19 miles. Even starting early it was HOT. Summer comes on fast here in Colorado.

Saturday: We spent the morning taking Cannon into the doctor since he had a fever for over three days, he was diagnosed with a virus. We ruled out Strep so there wasn’t much to do other than try to keep him comfortable and hydrated. Both Cory and I wanted to get runs in so after Cannon went to bed for the evening Cory headed out for 21 miles around the neighborhood while I took the monitor down to the basement treadmill. I finished my run around 9:45. I grabbed a cheese stick for dinner and passed out.

Sunday: Again I wanted to get my run done early so I could have more family time. When my alarm went off at 4am I wasn’t feeling very enthusiastic. I got some coffee in my system and forced myself out of the door. The first mile was a death march but after getting warmed up I settled into the run. I am so lucky to have nice trails very close to my house that make these runs easier to get done. I got in 20 miles to top off the week, then spent the rest of the day with my family.

Totals:

Running: 60.2 miles, the goal was 65 but I feel good about what I was able to fit in while still caring for Cannon as best I could. Now that Cannon is feeling better I am hoping for 70+ miles this week, again there will be challenges since Cannon’s birthday is on Saturday (How is he going to be 1 already?!?!?!?!?) and Father’s Day on Sunday. Wish me luck!

June 8, 2017

Colorado Marathon Race Report – 2017

Back in May, Cory, Cannon and I packed up and headed North to Fort Collins. I signed up for the Colorado Marathon as a catered training day in preparation for Leadville Silver Rush. I have completed this marathon twice before in 2011 (my first marathon!) and 2013 and love it. It was a little sad heading out to the buses without Cory as we ran this race together in 2011 and 2013. But I was excited to get to see him and Cannon around mile 20.

For the Colorado Marathon you are required to pick up your race packet on Friday or Saturday before the race on Sunday. Fort Collins is about an hour north of where we live so it wouldn’t be too terrible to dive up and back twice but my brother lives in Fort Collins so it was fun to just crash with him overnight. Packet pick up was smooth and easy this year. There is a very small expo where you could pick up anything you might need for race day. Easy in and out without much excitement.

The Colorado Marathon in a point to point race so they load all the runners up on nice tour buses and drive you up the Poudre Canyon. I was lucky enough to sit by a really fun family of a father and his daughters who were running the race together. It was nice to chat with them and tell them a bit about the race. This year the weather was much warmer than it has been in past years so I was way overdressed for the morning wait for the race start. The race organizers provide a bag drop so you can send all your morning things down to the finish. I got to the start area about an hour before the start time so I took my time milling around and waiting in line for the bathrooms.

Sunrise in the canyon

Soon enough we lined up for the start, ready to get the party started.

The first 10 miles are my favorite part of the race, you run down the canyon, right next to the river through the pine trees, it feels amazing.

In years past the early miles have just clicked by without any effort. This year after just a couple miles I already felt a little tired. I could really feel the lack of taper but I was having fun regardless, I just kept reminding myself that it was a training run and just to take it easy. Since I wasn’t racing I decided to wear my hydration pack as that is what I will be using for my summer races.

We passed the half-way mark and made our way out of the canyon and started making our way towards town. My brother and parents were waiting for me at about mile 18, it was such a great lift to see them. Cory and Cannon were waiting for me a little further along, it was the best thing to see my little guy.

The last few miles meander into town on a bike path, it’s still nice but as usual the last 6 miles of a marathon feel long. The last mile seemed to go on FOREVER, and according to my watch the course was half a mile long, guess I need to work on running the tangents LOL.

I was happy to cross the finish line and make some deposits in the training bank for the Leadville Silver Rush 50. After finishing we all headed to The Rio for Mexican food and margaritas. Last year we all came out to cheer my mom on when she ran the Colorado Marathon, it’s become a tradition that we head to The Rio, I was almost 9 months pregnant last year so there was no margarita for me. This year I so enjoyed having my margarita and celebrating with my family. Cannon was a champ, but really tied after his morning of cheering, he cuddled with his Grandpa during lunch.

Cannon LOVES his Grandpa!!!

And with that, marathon #6 in the books, I love this race, I hope to run it many more times in the future. Maybe even with my kids one day just like the Dad I met on the bus on the way to the start….life goals.

Three years of the Colorado Marathon

June 5, 2017

Weekly Rundown – Ultramarathon Week!

It’s been a while since I posted a weekly rundown, the week of my ultramarathon seems like a good time to bring it back to life. The last I updated this I ran the Desert Rats Trail Marathon since then I have been trying to keep my milage up but I haven’t gotten the time in that I would like.

Last week I didn’t mean to taper for my 50k, I was hoping to keep my milage high, but my mental game wasn’t strong and with summer semester starting I let it slip. Just five weeks until Leadville Silver Rush so I have about 3 weeks to keep the pressure on, then taper.

As usual I am linking up with Jessie at The Right Fits and Jess Runs ATL to recap last weeks training.

———–

Monday: On Memorial Day Cory and I decided to take Cannon for a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked up to Emerald lake, it was beautiful, but the trails were mostly still covered in snow. I was so glad that Cory thought to pack our Yak-tracks.

Tuesday: 6.7 mile run a 1,000 meter swim, I am so happy that our neighborhood pool has opened for the summer.

Trying to decide if I remember how to swim…

Wednesday: Nothing, sad……but it was the first class of the semester, which is always crazy so I am going to give myself a pass.

Thursday: 3 miles on the treadmill, nothing exciting.

Friday: Nothing again, my father had hip replacement surgery, everything went well but I wanted to visit him and prep for my race.

Saturday: North Fork 50k!!! About 33 miles of gorgeous miles. More details coming soon in a race report so for now I will just say that this is an amazing race and you should totally do it! The weather was perfect and I had a great time.

Sunday: Nothing again, we spent the day celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom. She was off riding bikes in Tuscany in May so we all celebrated her in June.

Totals:

Running: 42.6 miles

Swimming: 1,000 meters, impressive, no?

This weeks goal is 65 miles, let’s see if we can make this happen!

May 31, 2017

Cannon // 11 Month Check In

Cannon turned 11 months old this month, I can’t believe we will have a one year old so soon!

Cannon is now 21 lbs 4 oz (59%) and 30.25 in (84%) such a tall boy!

This month Cannon is constantly on the move, he loves to craw everywhere, walk with his push toys and climb up the stairs. The thing Cannon likes the least is sitting still. Lucky for all of us he is still a champion sleeper.

We have really enjoyed this month since I had most of it off for summer break, we really enjoyed being outside as much as possible, exploring new parks and playing in the grass.

Cannon’s hair was getting so crazy that I talked Cory into letting me get his hair cut. Cannon did a great job and even had fun in the car chair.

Cannon also traveled up to Fort Collins to hang out with his uncle Erik and cheer for me at my 6th marathon.

I think his favorite part was hanging out with his Grandpa and eating Mexican food after the race.

We also got to celebrate Mother’s Day this month, Cannon and Cory made my day amazing. We had such a great time, went hiking and even saw a moose!

Such a great month, I am feeling a little sad that our time with Cannon as a baby is quickly coming to an end, everyday is so fun, I just love his personality.

Past Monthly Updates:

May 19, 2017

Desert Rats Trail Marathon – Trail Running Festival Race Report

In April I ran my first marathon since having Cannon. I worked hard and got on as many trails as possible during the winter months in Boulder. When searching for an early season trail race Desert Rats Trail Marathon seemed like a good fit. I came in feeling ready for the distance but I was a little fearful of the hills and the heat.

We packed up the car, with what seemed like everything we own (9 months old need a lot when traveling!) on Friday morning and started heading west to Fruita, Colorado.

Fruita is a really cute small town with a big focus on mountain biking, it reminded me a lot of Moab. We rolled into Fruita in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Fruita Comfort Inn which was everything we needed for a place to crash before a race and was really affordable. I particularly liked that the room had a microwave and a refrigerator, this was great for traveling with a baby. Cannon was stoked on the king sized bed.

After checking in we headed to packet pick-up at the Fruita Community Center. In true trail race form packet pick-up was low-key and easy to get in and out of. After we had my shirt and bib we went to The Hot Tomato for pre-race pizza. The Hot Tomato was really cute but it was standing room only on a Friday evening so we put in our order and took Cannon back to the hotel so we could relax and get his dinner. We ate in our hotel room, got Cannon ready for bed and all turned in early.

Race morning was really easy, the trail head was just 15 minutes outside of town with plenty of parking. We got to the start line before the sun was up.

The start was nice and low key with plenty of bathrooms which is key to a successful race start! The race director reminded us to carry water as the aid stations were 5-7 miles apart. The marathon and 50k started together, there was only about 70 runners in each race so the start was easy to navigate and find your pace group. You also run the first 2 miles on a jeep road before turning onto single track so there was no worry of getting caught in the wrong place in a conga line. The first climb was pretty long but afforded us a great view at the top.

The course was beautiful and kept us entertained with views and varying terrain.

Lots of smooth single track and rocky technical sections.

[Source] – Race photos were free with entry!

There is over 3000 feet of climbing and basically no flat sections to this course so if you are looking for a fast time, this race is not for you.

My favorite part of the course was where you run along the edge of a cliff above the river.

Then you get to run along the ridge above and see where you just were.

I took my time on the course, for me this was not about setting a PR, the course was difficult and it was hot!!! I just wanted to have fun so I did just that and took lots of pictures along the way.

My least favorite part of the race came right at the end, there is a really steep long climb along the highway on a jeep road, it’s not as pretty as the rest of the course. I was also cooked and ready to be done. Running in 70-80 degree heat after training all winter is a shock to the system.

The finish was fun, with lots of good food, Gemini Events knows we want more than a stale bagel and half a banana. They had the grills going and everyone was having a party.

I was tired and SO SO SO happy to be reunited with my boys.

Finisher medals were dog tags, nice little reminder of the race. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for an early season trail race. They have the marathon and 50k on Saturday and a 10k or half marathon on Sunday.

May 8, 2017

Cannon // 10 Month Check In

Double Digits! Cannon is now 10 months old, and the coolest little dude.

Cannon is really growing into his personality and seems so much more like a little boy than baby already!

This month’s big development would be figuring out how to crawl. Cannon had been practicing for a while but this month he really became an expert and can get around like a pro. He also loves nothing more than to stand up and cruise around, getting ready to walk.

We had a lot to celebrate this month and Cannon loves nothing more than to be around lots of people and out doing things. Early in the moth we celebrated his Grammy’s birthday.

And enjoyed Grandma sneaking him a bite of cupcake

We took a fun weekend trip to Fruita Colorado so I could run the Desert Rates Marathon

We celebrated Easter

Cannon’s First Easter Basket

And enjoyed meeting the Easter Bunny

So stoked to meet the Easter Bunny

The weather has finally started to turn so we have enjoyed playing outside at the park

and in the grass

Cannon also loves playing with his puppy

We just love this little guy so much, everyone tells you but you just can’t know until you KNOW.

Past Monthly Updates:

April 20, 2017

Weekly Rundown – Marathon Week!

Marathon week has come and gone! I am a little late getting this recap up, but I wanted to get this last week posted to finish this marathon training cycle. Race week was pretty uneventful and I felt flat and lazy. I couldn’t wait for the week to be over so I could get out there and race!

———–

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: Evening 4 mile run, trying to keep things light and easy

Wednesday: Another evening run after Cannon went to sleep for the night

Thursday: Quick 2 miles before work, felt heavy and slow, taper is the worst!

Friday: Travel Day! My mom and I headed to the salon for race day nails in the morning (she ran Boston!) then we packed up the car and headed west towards Fruita. Cannon is a champ in the car but we do have to make a lot more stops. I unfortunately was too distracted by a cute baby and did a terrible job hydrating. regardless we made it to town with plenty of time to check into our hotel, go to packet pick-up and grab dinner.

When you have a king size bed to yourself….

Saturday: Race day!!!! The course was challenging and so so so beautiful. More details in a race report soon. After the race we jumped into the car and headed home.

Sunday: Full rest day! My legs have definitely felt worse after previous marathons but driving for five hours after running didn’t help the situation. I enjoyed being lazy and eating lots of candy.

Now to start building back up and getting serious about Leadville training. Sunday long runs will soon be Saturday AND Sunday long runs…

Totals:

Running: 36.8 miles

April 10, 2017

WEEKLY RUNDOWN – MARATHON TRAINING WEEK 15

Week 15 of marathon training is done and in the books, now less than a week until race day and I can’t wait! It’s been a little difficult to cut back on running this last week. I had gotten into mindset of trying to run as much as possible so it’s hard to remind myself that it is important to cut back and let my body absorb the modifications.

As usual I am linking up with Jessie at The Right Fits and Jess Runs ATL to recap last weeks training.

———–

Monday: Rest day, feeling very antsy, wanting to get out on a run.

Tuesday: 4 easy miles on the treadmill since I wimped out of running outside in the rain/snow.

Wednesday: 5.6 steady miles in the morning around the hood. It was beautiful and sunny after the storm.

Thursday: Speed work on the treadmill, 4 half mile repeats and 4 quarter mile repeats.

Friday: Cory and I decided it would be nice to have a morning coffee shop date with Cannon so we made a plan to include running and coffee (could it get better???). I ran form home to the coffee shop (7 miles) and Cory drove there with Cannon. We had so much fun hanging out with Cannon and drinking amazing coffee at Cannon Mine Coffee. When we were done Cory ran to work to get his miles in while I drove with Cannon. We are thinking of making this an every other week(ish) tradition.

Saturday: Full rest day, we took the extra time to go meet the Easter Bunny for the first time. I was a little worried that Cannon would be scared of the giant bunny but he had a great time.

Sunday: 15 miles at Heil Ranch in Boulder, it was a bit windy but still a perfect day on the trails. The miles ticked by easily and I loved being out on the trails. Starting to get excited for my marathon.

Totals:

Running: Just 36.7 miles now to just not do anything stupid before Saturday….

April 5, 2017

April 2017 Goals

I can’t believe it’s April already, but I am excited to see spring popping its pretty little head up here and there with promises of longer days and better weather.

I started this post at the begining of March as a recap of how February’s goals went and document March’s goals. I think one of them was going to be to post more (HA!) so that was a miss but I did set a goal of running 175 miles in March and actually ran 201 miles so one miss and one win.

I will go ahead and recap how February now and just skip March.

1. To run 120 miles. This may not seem like much, especially since I am in the thick of marathon training but I am determined to build up slowly so I don’t get injured. I set a goal of running 100 miles in January and just made it with 102 miles. – check! I actually ran 156 miles, so I call that a total win =)

2. Run everyday in February. I don’t think that a “run streak” is necessary but for me I like the idea of not thinking about when to run and just setting up really good habits of running everyday. It doesn’t have to be long, just 20 minutes to count in my book. This is a fun goal but one I will give up on if I feel that I am going to get injured. – again check! Some days it wasn’t even 2 miles but I ran, every day.

3. Strength train at least twice a week – Miss…..I don’t know WHY this is so hard for me, I had two weeks where I only got one session in. I guess I will have to keep trying.

4. Try to post on the blog at least twice a week, three would be better but I want to be realistic. I really want to remember this time in my life and documenting it here means a lot to me. I would like to include marathon training updates for my first big race back after baby. – I got 9 posts done in February, so I hit my 2 posts a week goal, but not the stretch goal of three times a week.

5. Continue to prioritize and put family first. January was pretty crazy with some life changes (more on that later) but I was happy that I was still able to be present and prioritize time with my family. This one is a bit intangible but I think I will know if I have been successful. – This one is hard to say, it’s getting harder as work is getting more involved, training is ramping up and other obligations pop up. On a day to day, Cannon is my priority but I would still like to have more time with family and friends.

For April I have 2 main goals:

Taper well and finish my marathon with a smile on my face. I truly don’t have a time goals for this race. The terrain is so unknown to me and reported to be very difficult so I just want to finish my first real post baby race.
recover from my marathon and get serious about ultra training. I have big goals for the summer and it’s time to start getting after them!
Go to at least one baby group a week. It’s important to me that Cannon and I get out of the house and he gets time to interact with other kids. We did our first Library story time this morning and it was a lot of fun. I have been finding more and more groups/classes to join so I am happy about that.
Post on the blog more…trying for this one again. This is a stretch goal but I really want to remember this time in my life and documenting it here helps with that.
Lastly I would like to lose at least 6 pounds in April. I don’t want to focus too much on weight but running long distances will be a lot easier if I have less weight to carry over 50+ miles. I have been able to lose all the “baby weight” and a little more but I have a little ways to go to get to my ideal race weight.

So that’s it, wish me luck for April!

April 3, 2017

Cannon // 9 Month Check In

This update is SOOOOO late but better late than never, right?

Cannon is such a sweet happy little guy, I am thankful everyday that I get to hang out with him.

Cannon is now 19 lbs 12 oz (52%) and 28.75 in (67%)

He still doesn’t have any teeth, but he still eats really well. His favorites are bananas and berries. He absolutely hates oatmeal, even when mixed with banana, the face he makes is hilarious.

Cannon is scooting and rolling and getting where he wants to go, I wouldn’t call it great crawling but I think we will be there soon!