Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

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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, Project 366, Run, Ultra

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: Project 366, Run, Ultra

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: Project 366, 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: Project 366, Run, Ultra Travel

January 11, 2020

Time vs. Distance + Wish Me Luck

Todays “run” consisted of both kids in the stroller, out feeling way colder than I expected. I am keeping things short and easy while my lungs heal (like my doctor suggested). I have decided to track time instead of milage for the first few weeks. I don’t want to get caught up trying to run too much, or comparing now to years past. Time on your feet counts!

Hopefully next week I will be back on schedule.

ALL the drugs….the inhaler is helping a lot!

Especially since the lottery drawing for the Mt. Hood 50 is tomorrow

*yikes*

there was a 66% chance of being drawn the day before so the chances are likely even lower now. Fingers crossed!

Today we took Emmy back to gymnastics. She went last session between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wasn’t sure about signing her up again because she didn’t always follow directions, but this time she loved it and I am so glad we stuck with it. She is so stinkin’ cute trying to hang on the bars and jumping around.

Throw back to Cannon when he took gymnastics at this same(ish) age.

Baby Cannon!

_________________________

Do you track your time, milage, neither?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Project 366, Run, Ultra

January 8, 2020

Core Work for Runners

One of my tasks for Project 366 was to do core work every day. It’s something I really need to work on for my overall health as well as running ability. I have done lots of research over the years and found great core routines. One of my favorites is The Dozen Oiselle.

[Source]

It’s recommended to do these exercises 3 times a week so on the other days I will just be doing a few planks, crunches and whatever else feels right.

_____________________________

Do you have a favorite strength training routine? For now I am mostly doing body weight exercises at home but I would love to learn how to use the weight room at the gym with more success.

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

August 5, 2019

Running in the Dark

It’s not feeling much like fall here at all, but the sun is taking it’s sweet time to rise in the morning. The weather around here doesn’t show it but it will be fall running season soon (my favorite!)

One of the best ways to be sure of your safety is to run with other people. We have started a run club in the mornings and will run with them a couple times a week as a group. On mornings I can’t run with others I like to take the following precautions:

  • One of my pieces of gear that makes me feel the most secure is my Run Angel. A Run Angel is a wearable safety alarm that is quite loud. If you set off the alarm then through your phone it will send an alert and your location to your angels (people you set up to get the alert). Wearing the Run Angel makes me feel much safer while out in the early morning hours on my own.
  • This might be a given, but I always run with my phone on me. I like the idea that I can stay in touch if needed. Also it’s great for run selfies and podcasts.
  • Visibility is really important so I like to wear running gear with reflective tape and a reflective vest for extra visibility, I got this one for a really good deal and it doesn’t bother me at all while running.
  • A good headlamp is also key. I really love my Petzl it has worked for me for years.
  • I use an app called Glympse, it sends my location real time from my phone. I send my location to my husband when I leave for a run. This is great piece of mind for him knowing he can check in on me and be sure I am still moving in the direction I should be. This just gives me extra assurance if something were to happen someone would know about it.
  • My favorite one that I currently don’t follow but hope to in the future. Run with a dog! Research shoes that you are much less likely to be attacked if you have a dog with you. I would love to get a breed of dog that can run with me, unfortunately the French Bulldog just isn’t down for morning runs.

________________________

Any tips for safety while running in the dark?

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

August 3, 2019

Headlamp Season + Treats

Up early this morning to get a run in before an appointment at 7 am. I have been getting up a little later while sick and hadn’t noticed the creep of the sunrise but this morning when I was getting ready to head out the door I realized I needed to grab my headlamp.

I have had my Petzl headlamp for years and it still works great.

It was a gorgeous morning for an easy 5 miles.


I love listening to podcasts while out running and it’s always fun to find new ones. Outside Online posted this list of outdoor podcasts, I haven’t heard of many of them but there looks to be some good ones on there.

After getting home from my appointment I decided we needed a treat we grabbed some doughnuts on the way to the park, something not on our bucket list but it should have been, the kids loved it.

We spent some time playing before it got too hot and it was time to get Emmy down for a nap.

Later we went to Cory’s work to have lunch with him and play a little. The kids had lots of energy but it felt much too hot to be outside so we went to the children’s museum.

We bought a membership to the museum back when Cannon was a baby and it has been a great place to take the kids year round. It’s great in the winter when it’s too cold to be outside and summer afternoons when it’s too hot!

We ended the day with tacos and peaches in the backyard, summer has been good to us this year.

_______________________________________

Do you run in the dark, stay inside or wait for the sun?

When does school start where you are?

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

July 31, 2019

Kickin the Cold + Pre-Run Food

Up and out early to run yesterday morning and was greeted with this amazing sunrise:

My last few runs have felt very difficult. I am still trying to recover from my cold and my lungs feel full of fluid. My breathing is shallow and wheezy and it never feels like I am getting enough oxygen. Anyone know ways to get over this kind of chest cold?

After the morning rush we headed to a friends house to play and splash in their backyard. It wasn’t too hot at 10 am maybe in the high 70s but I felt SO HOT in the in the sun. Full mile high sunshine is something else.

We made it home for lunch time (home made “lunchables”) and nap time.

After naps we needed to make Costco run. I am getting good at collecting and giving out samples with one hand and pushing the cart with the other.

We love Costco for getting snacks for the kiddos. We buy these Natures Bakery Fig Bars multi pack.

They come in Blueberry, Raspberry and Fig. My favorite is the Raspberry, they are the prefect thing to eat in the morning if I am running more than an hour. They are easy to digest and always leave my stomach happy.

__________________________________

Any suggestions for kicking the cold for good?

What’s your favorite pre run food?

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

July 28, 2019

Families That Fall + Snakes!

I was hoping for longer miles this morning but Cannon shared his cold with me last week. I started to feel awful last weekend and I thought for sure I would be better by now. I do feel much better than a week ago but my lungs are still not functioning well. I decided not to cancel class this week and was attempting to teach while coughing in my students’ ears (sorry!). My students are all nurses pursuing their BSN and they encouraged me to take Mucinex and drink lots of water, they are so sweet!

They really saved my other classes, once I took their advice my symptoms were much better and I was able to get though my other classes with much less coughing.

Poor Cannon and Emerald have come down with this cold too and are also on the mend. Emmy had her well check yesterday and her doctor said her ears Looked good and lungs sounded good so hopefully they will both be feeling better soon. Emmy needed a couple shots so after her appointment we took the kiddos to a little ice cream shop.

Feels after getting shots

Even though Emmy wasn’t a fan of the shots she took it like a champ and enjoyed sharing ice cream with us.

Even with the medication my runs have been suffering.

6 am light

I felt like I couldn’t breathe and my lungs were full of junk, 4 miles felt like it cold have been 20. I am hoping my lungs clear up quickly and I am back running and feeling like I can breathe.

I did run across this sign:

I really appreciate that our city is putting out informational signs about snakes. I have seen so many people be afraid and try to harm snakes. While I don’t have a strong fear of snakes, I have been surprised and hot footed away from a rattle snake a time or two on the trails. I understand being afraid of snakes but hope that everyone can respect them and know that they are an important part of the natural landscape we love to run in.

I made it home without seeing any snakes but I wasn’t watching my step close enough and rolled off the side walk. I rolled my ankle and went down hard on my hands. I run on technical trails all the time and rarely fall, but apparently I can’t handle flat concrete. My ankle seems fine it just my hands that seem injured, I am fairly sure there is no real damage or fractures but we will have to see as the swelling settles down. Worse than my fall (by far) was Cory crashing his bike on the way home from work. In typical Cory fashion he got up straightened out his handle bars and rode home with blood running down his leg. We could have easily gone and picked him up but he is tough and stubborn 😉 So now we are an odd parenting duo with bandages and swelling a bruises.

After getting home and having breakfast with the family we decided the kids needed to get some energy out so we took them to a park we love in Boulder near the hospital that they were both born in.

This park has a great rock/cave structure for kids to climb on. Cannon loved climbing and exploring, he also decided it was better without shoes.

both kids had fun playing and climbing.

Arapahoe Ridge Park is worth a visit if you are in Boulder!

[Source]

After getting some energy out we went home for lunch and nap time for Emmy. Cory has been feeling pretty tired (probably fighting this cold) so he ended up napping with Emerald. She is the best cuddler and the chair in her room is very comfortable to nap in.

Chair is from IKEA doesn’t look all that comfortable but it is!

Then it was off to Costco to grab some things for dinner. When we got home there was a little rain falling.

Emmy’s jacket is much too big because the smallest they had was 2T, she’ll grow into it =). Both kids love rain so they were running around in the driveway.

We had Costco chicken and and Cesar Salad kit. So easy and so good.

After dinner we played outside and enjoyed some mild weather after so many HOT days. Then it was bath/books/bedtime.

Cory and I then iced our respective wounds while watching more of Le Tour de France. Pretty great Saturday (well except for the fall) if you ask me.

_____________________________

What are you doing for your Saturday Night?

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

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Happy Earth Day 🌎 we hope you find time to go e Happy Earth Day 🌎 we hope you find time to go enjoy nature and do just a little bit more to protect this planet we call home ❤️ #earthday #protectourplanet
Birthday week continues with a trip to the aquariu Birthday week continues with a trip to the aquarium. The kiddos loved it and it was a nice break from the snow 🥶 #denveraquarium #familyadventures
Dinosaur National Monument was a great place to vi Dinosaur National Monument was a great place to visit for Emmy’s birthday adventure. She loved all the dinosaur bones and hikes. Our baby is now officially three #emmyisthree #dinosaurnationalmonument #familyadventures
Last day of being two was epic. Happy Birthday Swe Last day of being two was epic. Happy Birthday Sweet girl, you are a dream come  true 💗 #Emmyisthree #happybirthday #dreamcometrue
Lunch with a view 😍 #familyadventures #birthday Lunch with a view 😍 #familyadventures #birthdaytrip #emmyisthree
Birthday adventures are the best 🥰 #dinosaurnat Birthday adventures are the best 🥰 #dinosaurnationalmonument #familyadventures
We like to hike! #1000hoursoutside #familyadventur We like to hike! #1000hoursoutside #familyadventures #52hikechallenge #gohike
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter (if you cel I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter (if you celebrate 🐰 you can’t tell behind the masks but the kids were ecstatic to go to an egg hunt.
✅ adventure ✅time outside ✅family time ✅d ✅ adventure 
✅time outside
✅family time
✅dirty hands
✅full hearts 

Spring break well spent! Where will we be off to next?!? 

#familyadventures #1000hoursoutside #52hikechallenge #springbreak
The kids getting to find and touch real dinosaur f The kids getting to find and touch real dinosaur fossils was such an amazing experience for us. 🦕 Now the journey home. Sad that it’s over but very excited to see family and friends. #trailthroughtime #familyadventures #springbreak
Our plans had to change due to snow and low temps Our plans had to change due to snow and low temps in Bryce Canyon and Zion. We spent the day enjoying Goblin Valley State Park. We loved this stop so much. The best natural playground for the kids! We are sad to miss a couple stops on our trip but that just saves something new to come back for! Already dreaming of our next visit to Utah 💗 #familyadventures #goblinvalleystatepark #springbreak
Capitol Reef doesn’t get as much press as other Capitol Reef doesn’t get as much press as other national parks in Utah but we loved it. Great hikes for kids and amazing views! #capitolreefnationalpark #familyadventures #utahsmighty5  #springbreak
My favorite two little campers 🏕 on our way to My favorite two little campers 🏕 on our way to Capitol Reef! Anyone been? Suggestions on things we must do? #springbreak #familyadventures #capitolreefnationalpark
A real life wishing tree. The kids loved our after A real life wishing tree. The kids loved our afternoon hike at  White Rim Overlook Trail. It was nice being in the park later in the day with less crowds. We didn’t get to see as much as we wanted so we are headed back in the morning for one more hike before heading out to Capitol Reef National Park. #canyonlandsnationalpark #springbreak #familyadventure
The views here in Canyonlands National Park can’ The views here in Canyonlands National Park can’t be beat but my heart is at home with my family and friends. News of another mass shooting so close to home is heart breaking. Things must change.
A magical day in Arches National Park! We loved it A magical day in Arches National Park! We loved it all and Cannon hiked the entire hike to Delicate Arch that is rated difficult 🤩 #familyadventures #springbreak #archesnationalpark
Utah trip day 2 Fruita > Moab. Woke up to amazing Utah trip day 2 Fruita > Moab. Woke up to amazing views 🤩 feeling grateful and excited for our adventure #familyadventure #utahsmighty5
First night camp site #notbad #utahsmighty5 #sprin First night camp site #notbad #utahsmighty5 #springbreak
Enjoying our blizzard conditions stay at home day. Enjoying our blizzard conditions stay at home day. Gotta love Colorado in the spring ❄️ #snowday
Weekend not wasted #1000hoursoutside Weekend not wasted #1000hoursoutside
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