Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

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Archives for January 2020

January 24, 2020

Winter Running Favorites

It’s not always easy getting out and running when it’s dark and cold outside. But winter running can also be refreshing, calming and wonderful if you have the correct gear. Here is some of the gear that keeps me moving in the winter:

  1. Lululemon Brushed Speed Up Tight – These puppies are warm! I have worn them in less than 20 degree temps with driving snow and still felt comfortable.
  2. Boco Technical Trucker Hat – I have several of these hats from different races I have participated in. I love them and wear them all year. In the winter I still like to have protection for my face from the sun, rain or snow. I just add a headband over my ears on cold days.
  3. HEAD gloves – I am not too picky on my gloves so I grabbed these from Costco and call it good.
  4. Hoka Challenger ATR – I have tried many things for running in the snow; sheet metal screws, yack tracks, hope….but I have found that running in my trail shoes has been the best for comfort and traction.
  5. Ginger Runner Buff – This is what I put on over my hat to keep my ears warm, it’s also great to grab two and put one around your neck to keep yourself even warmer and pull over your mouth and chin if it’s really cold.
  6. Smart Wool Socks – These are great for keeping my feet warm as well as avoiding blisters on wet feet.
  7. Old Navy Fleece Jacket – There are a lot of great running specific jackets out there but if you want something that will keep you warm for a great price this is it! I have had mine for a few years and it has held up well to lots of miles and so many washes.

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Favorites, Run, Ultra

January 23, 2020

Emerald Catherine | 21 Months

Emmy is now 21 Months old, time is flying and I am trying to hold onto everything that makes this time so magical. Emmy is so silly and fun and full of personality. She still loves her mommy most in the world and often needs cuddles (I LOVE it).

There was so much to celebrate in the last three months. Emmy loved dressing up as Tinker Bell for Halloween. She really seemed to have fun trick-or-treating.

We missed Thanksgiving due to the flu this year and that was a bummer, but at least we were together and made the most of it.

We had a very merry Christmas and it was so fun, Emmy loved opening presents this year. It was a big improvement last year when she didn’t get to enjoy it because she was very sick.

We then celebrated New Years with friends with found thoughts of how great 2019 was.

EAT

Emmy is pretty open to eating most things now and is very good at feeling herself but she is so very messy. I am constantly trying to get stains out of her clothes.

Unfortunately she has taken to throwing her food and utensils on the floor and saying “uh-oh”.

I remember Cannon doing the same thing around this age so we just have to wait it out.

SLEEP

Sleep was a bit of a rollercoaster for Emmy the last few months. When we were in Europe Emmy just slept in bed with one of us or in her car seat.

When we got home Emmy had a hard time adjusting to sleeping alone in her crib again. There were a few weeks where she was not sleeping through the night and needed to be cuddled a lot. Luckily she adjusted back and is now sleeping through the night in her crib and can self soothe again.

Emmy goes to bed between 6:30-7:00 PM at night and wakes up between 6:00-6:30 AM. She also takes one nap a day in the afternoon. Many days her nap is only about an hour but once and awhile we get lucky with one that is over two hours.

GROW

Emmy is communicating more and more in the last few months, she knows so many words and loves to be understood. She can’t exactly say Cannon yet so she calls him “Ann-on” it’s so cute.

Cannon and Emmy are still best friends, and I really hope it stays that way.

Emmy has also come a long way in terms of learning to enjoy snow lately.

PLAY

In November we signed Emmy up gymnastics at first she didn’t participate much and just wanted to run around wild. Now she loves doing what her coach tells her to do. She isn’t a fan of the foam pit yet but I think in a few more sessions she might start to like it.

Emmy loves to be outside as much as possible and we try to get out for hikes whenever possible.

She loves playing at the playground when we pickup/drop off Cannon at school.

Going on adventures.

And playing at the museum, gym and friends’ houses.

She is silly and sweet and we couldn’t love her more.

Past Monthly Updates

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

15 Months

18 Months

Posted by bethcurtis 1 Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Baby, Emerald, Family, Monthly Update

January 23, 2020

Currently | January 2020

Currently Loving –This mild January weather that allows us to play outside.

Currently Melting Over –  these two hugging and being best friends.

Currently Eating –  Lemmon Pasta

Currently Researching – How to recover from Bronchitis.

Currently Training For – It doesn’t feel like I am training for anything at the moment since I am still having trouble breathing in general BUT I am in theory training for the Mt. Hood 50 Miler, please keep me in your thoughts 😉

Currently Shopping For – Little valentines Day gifts for the kiddos. Nothing big but I love to get them new books, usually themed about love and a few other little things.

Currently Reading –  The Ultra Mindset by Travis Macy. I just started it so I will have to report back.

Currently Obsessed With- Going to indoor pools.

Currently Consuming – Lot’s of Elderberry Tea

Currently Wearing –  This sweater on repeat. It’s the perfect length to wear with leggings or jeans. It’s also soft and I love the rose gold accents.


What’s current with you?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Currently

January 22, 2020

Winter Family Bucket List

We are currently deep into winter now that it’s January 74th. Winter is not usually my favorite season, it’s harder to go outside, it’s dark but there is still lot’s of fun things to do together as a family.

We had lists for summer and fall and it was fun to work on checking things off and focusing on the fun.

  • Go Snowshoeing
  • Enjoy Hot Chocolate
  • Go sledding
  • Make heart shaped sugar cookies for Valentines day
  • Put together valentines baskets for the kids
  • Get a butterscotch latte from Starbucks
  • Go for a run in the snow
  • Build a snowman
  • Go to a Valentine’s Day Party
  • Run a half marathon

What is something you love to do in the winter?

Posted by bethcurtis 2 Comments
Filed Under: Uncategorized

January 21, 2020

Technical Difficulties…

It was my hope to post everyday in 2020 as a fun way to challenge myself to be more consistent. January 18th and my goal already hit a snag .

This photo has nothing to do with the site being down, she is just so cute.

We had an issue with our hosting service and it took four days to sort everything out and get this puppy back up and running. So…..goal already ruined? I am choosing not to see it that way. I wrote some posts while the site was down and will post them on the upcoming days to “make-up” for the days the site was down and then we will just move forward from there.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Happy Running =)

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized

January 17, 2020

New Favorite Morning Fuel

I recently found a new favorite bar to have before my morning runs, or really most other times of day.

These Verb Bars are amazing, they are 90 calories and have as much caffeine as an expresso.

I am a hardcore believer in coffee before morning runs:

You need to experiment and find what works best for you, some people need very simple food and no coffee, I can’t live without mine. For runs less than an hour I will usually just have coffee (with creamer). For workouts over an hour or if I am feeling particularly hungry I will have a little something. Some of my favorites include:

  • Cliff Shot blocks
  • Bananas
  • Natures Bakery Fig Bars
  • These protein balls

___________________________________

What are your pre run favorites?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Run, Ultra

January 15, 2020

Lung Recovery + Wishing for Spring

Just about 4 miles for me pushing the double. It feels good to start getting a few more miles but really feeling behind and wishing I could really ramp up my training.

My lungs are still not clear and I can’t sleep well because of coughing. Anyone have good ideas how to help lungs recover quickly?

Emmy decided yesterday that she is ready to go to school with Cannon.

  • Emmy’s Dress, vest and backpack – all on sale now =)

I am definitely NOT ready for her to go!

Last night we made Lemon chicken pasta, it was so good and made me wish for spring.

The trouble with winter is that I am ready for it to be over about mid January.

I looked everywhere on Family Circle’s website for the pasta recipe and couldn’t find it so here is a photo of what I tore out of the magazine three years ago.

___________________________

Have you made any great recipes lately?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized

January 14, 2020

How to Run 100 Miles….

Today I ran less than two miles, so I am feeling super ultra…. at least these two are cute.

I am still taking things easy while my lungs are healing. I am so hopeful that I will be running longer by the weekend.

[source]

I found this hilarious video and picture from REI about ultra running.

REI also has lots of other ultra content that are great and educational about trail running.

______________________

Found any great running videos lately?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Run, Ultra

January 13, 2020

Time to Plan the Race-cation

I am now officially signed up for the Mt. Hood 50 Mile race.

[Source]

We were planning a trip to Oregon to see family this summer so this race is just a bonus part of the trip!

I love a race you have to travel for or a race-cation if you will.

These two cuties hanging out in Moab for my race Arches Ultra last year.

I posted about traveling to races HERE . Traveling to an international Ironman takes less stuff then traveling with two kids.

Some of my favorite races I have traveled for:

Ironman Lake Tahoe, Pacific Crest Half Ironman, Boston Marathon (spectator), Arches Ultra and Berlin Marathon

I can’t wait to pack up my family and head to my home state to run further than I ever have.

__________________________

Do you love traveling for races or do you prefer to stay closer to home?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Run, Ultra Travel

January 12, 2020

And the Winner Is……

ME!!!!!

I got into Mt Hood 50 Mile race, I am so excited and equally scared. Please send me good vibes that training goes well.

It was really an amazing day, it started with a much needed massage. Set a very good tone for the day.

Then Cannon and I got to go to a friends lego themed party.

We had a great time and Cannon ate his weight in chocolate cake.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out as a family, it was pretty dang great.

___________________________________

How was your day?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Mt Hood 50, Project 366, Ultra Training

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We are having so much fun learning to ski as a fam We are having so much fun learning to ski as a family! Ski traffic I could do without 🫠
✨2022✨ I can honestly say this was the best ✨2022✨ 

I can honestly say this was the best year of my life. So many adventures. I am loving the ages of these kiddos and cherish our time together. 

Very unsure if we can top this in 2023 but we are sure going to try!
We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄 We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄
Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not h Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not hating winter this year! ❄️
We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the N We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the North Pole and seeing Santa! 

The kids had so much fun and it was way cuter than I was expecting. They said it was better than Disneyland 😂 @northpolecolorado
Happy Halloween!!! Cannon really wanted to be To Happy Halloween!!! 

Cannon really wanted to be Toad from Super Mario this year so we tagged along. 

Scroll to see 2021-> 2020 -> 2019 -> 2018 -> 2017 -> 2016 🎃
We finished up our tour of France with a couple da We finished up our tour of France with a couple days in Disneyland Paris. I love Disney Parks and visiting Disneyland Paris was a dream come true. We had such an amazing time on our entire trip. 

We are trying to plan our next trip. Where is the best place you have ever been? Do you have a favorite trip? I would love to hear about it. My parents say that Ireland was their favorite so UK tops the list currently but Italy or Costa Rica are on the list too.
In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus tour to see the major sights. Our favorites included walking the entire Champs-Élysées and climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We missed out on seeing the Catacombs because we didn’t get tickets early enough. c’est la vie, I guess we will have to go back 😉
A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing our trip to France 🫠 better late than never! 

We spent our first day back in Paris with a trip to Versailles. We loved the gardens so much and particularly enjoyed Marie Antoinette’s little farm. The history here is incredible and the opulence overwhelming. We walked over 10 miles on our visit!
Before our long drive back to Paris we did the thr Before our long drive back to Paris we did the three castle hike in Ribeauvillé, France. We climbed up the side of a hill to three castle ruins from the 14th century. It was really fun to explore and a great way to burn some energy before a long drive.
While we were in the Alsace region of France we vi While we were in the Alsace region of France we visited the sweet little village of Riquewihr. Rumor says this was the inspiration for Belle’s village in Disney’s Beaty and the Beast. Can you see it? We could and kept singing Bonjour while walking through town.
After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colma After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colmar. This sweet little town in the Alsace region of France near the German border. We loved all the half timber buildings and winding streets. We had some great local food and wine. Colmar was a lovely place to get lost for an afternoon.
It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person. The peak was never fully clear of clouds while we were there which was a little disappointing but it was still majestic . We took a cog train and gondola up then hiked about five miles down on the five lakes trail. It was a beautiful day and we got to enjoy lunch mid hike. We loved the little (car free) town of Zermatt. We enjoyed some fun Swiss playgrounds in town before dinner. I love Switzerland and it’s mountains!
With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a go With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a gondola and cable car up Le Brévent. We enjoyed hot chocolates and crepes at the top with views of Mont Blanc. 

Next it was time to drive on to Switzerland 🇨🇭
We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Cha We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Chamonix to Montenvers to visit the Mer de Glace  glacier. At the top you can take a gondola a little way down then MANY stairs to the glacier. It was sad to see the markers of where the glacier was in years past and how much it has shrunk. We did love exploring an ice cave that they dig out each year. We had to try twice to get into the ice caves as the first time it closed right as we arrived due to a storm. It was worth taking the train twice.
After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we sto After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we stopped half way down for a couple mile hike and a stop at a mountain hut for lunch. This might have been my favorite lunch ever. The views were amazing and the weather was nice. The mountains here are STUNNING!!! #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explo We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explore the French Alps. The experience we were most excited about was taking the gondola up the 
Aiguille du Midi (highest cable car in France). You switch cable cars half way up so you can enjoy the views. The top outpost is incredible perching on top of the mountain. I’ve never seen anything like it! 

The day wasn’t completely clear but the views were still incredible. #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
After a long drive across the French countryside w After a long drive across the French countryside we landed in Annecy at the foot of the Alps. 

Annecy was such a pretty little town on the bank of a gorgeous turquoise lake.  We got to enjoy lunch at a canal side cafe, wander the streets, enjoy ice cream and playground hop our way through town. 

Very excited about our next few days in mountains of France + Switzerland.
We drove into the heart of France to visit the Go We drove into the heart of France to visit the  Gouffre de Padirac. A large cave system including an underground river. I don’t have many good pictures given the lighting and lack of patience. We loved climbing down into the cave and riding a boat along the river. Probably my favorite cave that I have visited. Kids loved all of it too and are so good about us dragging them along with us across France.
After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire to visit Château de Chenonceau. It was stunning and the gardens were fun to explore. The history here is so rich!
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