Mt Evans Ascent

This past weekend was full of lots of activities all surrounding the Mt Evans Ascent running race on the 19th of June. The weekend started out on Thursday night with my good friend Jen flying in from Austin, TX. After picking her up in Denver, we headed for dinner and beer at the Vine Street Pub near City Park (see above picture). This brewery is run by the same people who do the Mountain and Southern Sun in Boulder where we both frequently visit when we are in the area. After a yummy beer and buffalo chicken sandwich we headed back down to the Springs. I was able to take Friday off work so we could hangout and get ready to head to Denver. Jen had never been to Manitou or my place. I showed her around the Garden of the Gods as we did a very slow 3 mile run to get the legs moving and Jen's lungs a little used to altitude.
In the Garden with Pikes Peak in the background.


The rest of the day was spent packing, eating, and running errands. We left for my cousin Heather's place in Denver late afternoon and finished the evening off with a big pasta dinner and salad before crashing early. Before heading to bed I did get word from my mom that Jenny was in labor with my second niece or nephew. I woke the next morning to find out I had a new beautiful healthy nephew Russell Benjamin. It was a great wake up! At 530 am we were off to the Morrison park and ride to meet my friend Wendy who was the sports photographer for the race.
It didn't take up long to get up Floyd Hill, stopped for potty break at Idaho Springs and we were at the start at about 645. Gun time was 730am which was plenty of time to warmup, get race packet and to find a tree for another potty break. The weather was perfect with blue skies and a very slight chill to the air.
This was my second year running this race but it was Jen's first. It is a 14.5 mile race on road taking you from Echo Lake which sits at 10,600 feet and climbs to the summit of Mt Evans at 14,264 feet. It was great to have both Wendy and John cheering us on. We both successfully finished the race and I was able to improve my time from last year finishing in 2hr39min07sec and 11th overall female. The winning female came in at 2hr01min37sec (a course record) and the winning male at 1hr41min21sec. Jen didn't finish too far behind me. Upon finishing, I had to put warm clothes on immediately despite still having blue skies. While waiting for Wendy and John at the summit when tried to stay warm by making our way to the actual summit. The race does not finish right at the summit. We walked the 500 feet up and took some summit photos. Then we passed the time with people watching and animal watching.
The lone scruffy bighorn who thought he was a mountain goat.
At the finish.
A hungry marmot.

The mountain goats were everywhere and could care less about all the people.
We did it! This was my first official time a the summit because last year I didn't go the extra 500 feet because the weather was so bad (wind, snow, fog).
Wendy and John finally made it to the top and Wendy of course had to take more pictures at the top. We headed down the mountain shortly thereafter but it took a while driving down waiting for slow tourists. We also had to pull over and stop because her brakes were too hot and quite stinky. The post race party was at the start which included food and the awards ceremony. I just barely missed an age group award as I got 4th. Oh well! There were a ton of great runners this year. Jen, however, won a raffle prize which was exciting. After inhaling our food, we made the trek down I-70 to my car and then headed up to 12 Mile for the night. We met some other friends up there including Tom who had finished a 100 mile mountain bike race in Bailey that same day. My dad was already up there with the dogs which was nice because it was Father's Day on Sunday. So we had lots of celebrate-finishing running races, mtn bike races, and fathers! We had a feast of a dinner: ribs, sausages, corn, beans, and watermelon margaritas that even my dad drank! The next morning I took all the ladies on a 90 minute run up to Sheep Meadow. They all did great and the dogs had a blast. The run was quickly followed by a huge brunch of pancakes, scrambled eggs with sausage and fruit.
Oliver and Fisher hanging out!
Fisher sporting the sunglasses.
The hummingbirds went crazy.
Our run up sheep creek.

Happy Father's Day Dad! Glad I could spent it with you! Love you lots!

What a great weekend!

Sage Burner 50K-Gunnison, CO

This posting is a little overdue but better late than never. Memorial Day weekend we headed down to Gunnison for my first 50K race. The race is sponsored by Western State College and is in its 3rd annual running. The race takes place at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area just outside Gunnison. It is a huge area with over 40 miles of single track covering 8,000 acres winding through lots of sagebrush and granite outcroppings with little shade. The primary sport in this area is mountain biking but also great for running. The weekend was full of other events as well. Along with the 50K run there was a 25K option both starting early morning on May 29. That same day there was a 24hr climbing event and then the next day the Growler Mountain Bike race took place in the same area with a 32-mile option and 64-mile option. In town they had live music, beer, and food going on throughout the weekend.

The 50K course (31 miles) included 5200 feet of climbing through some technical singletrack with lots of undulating ups and downs and as I mentioned before no shade. So it was VERY HOT and DRY. When i finished the course I think it was almost 80 degrees and when you are racing between 7700 feet and 8390 feet in elevation that is HOT! Aid stations occurred every 5-6 miles and very fully stocked with very helpful volunteers. I have never drank so much fluids during a race and almost ran out of water between aid stations. For me, the toughest part of the course was the first 15 miles where I struggled to get in a rhythm with the constant quick and steep ups and downs which killed my legs. After I took quite a fall (going uphill) at mile 10 because my legs felt like lead, I was questioning whether I could finish. Luckily, I battled through it and after about mile 16 the course seemed to mellow out a little with more steady terrain. I started to feel better, got into a rhythm and actually passed a bunch of people plus the wind picked up a little which helped dissapate some of the heat. I finished 36th overall and 9th female in a time of 6:20:04 in a field of about 90 people. The winning female came in a 5:04:06 and the winning male 4:23:06. John and Fisher were patiently waiting at the finish for me capturing a few pictures. I was so thankful to see them and be finished almost in one piece minus a bloody knee, giant blister in between my toes, quite the dirt tan and feeling like I had been scorched by the sun. We quickly left the finish and headed down to the Gunnison river to let Fisher swim and soak my legs in the cold water and then back to an air conditioned hotel room which I think shocked my body. After showering and bandaging up my knee, we headed into town for food, beer and live music and to meet up with my running friend who had run the 25k race. The evening finished off with inhaling three giant pieces of pizza, some red wine and passing out in bed around 9. A great end to the day!

The next day we headed to 12 Mile for some recovery time.
At the finish line, ready to get out of the sun.
The aftermath.
The dirt tan.
At 12 Mile celebrating the next day.
A BBQ feast at 12 Mile.
A recovery hike up 12 Mile Creek. nice and slow.

Collegiate Peaks 25 Mile Trail Run, Buena Vista

The season for running races has started. On May 1st, I bared the chilly temperatures (lower 20's) but blue skies in Buena Vista at 6:20am with 300+ other runners waiting for the start of the Collegiate Peaks Trail Run. The day brought two distances (25 miles and 50 miles) with everyone starting at the same time and following the same course with the 50 milers making a second loop in the opposite direction. Despite a chilly start, the weather was perfect. It was a great, non technical course with two major climbs and views of the snowed capped collegiate peaks most of the way. We started at about 8,000 feet and the first climb was 10 miles long topping out at about 9,200 feet. These first 10 to 11 miles flew by because I ran them with this very pleasant girl named Becca who I met in the first mile. We chatted most the way before she took off on the downhill and the next time I saw her was at the finish (8 minutes before me). From that point, I found myself quickly descending almost 1,000 feet over four miles which was a nice recovery period. I took it easy as my knee was starting to bother me a little. The next climb brought us from about 8,400 feet to 9,400 feet in 4 miles. These couple miles were definitely slow going but I managed to run most of it. It was sure a great feeling getting to the top of that section knowing I had mostly down ahead of me. At that point, I had made it almost 18 miles. I made a quick refuel at the aid station (Heed drinks, water, pretzels, chips, M&M's) to prepare for the last 7 miles. The wind started to pick up a little but the sun was still beaming down with no clouds in site. It must have been in the lower 40's. Although the down was fairly easy on the feet with soft dirt and few rocks to navigate but by the time we hit a flatter section 3 miles from the finish, my knee was aching a bit, I had very tight hamstrings, achy hips and an overall jelly like feeling. I was still able to finish strong in a time of 4:16:22 good enough for 11th female. John plus Fisher and Willie were patiently waiting for me at the finish. I had a ton for respect for those 50 milers that headed out for another loop. There is no way I could have done another 25 miles. Maybe one day. The winning 25 mile male time was 3:05:13, 25 mile female was 3:24:32 (3rd overall), 50 mile male was 6:52:05, 50 mile female 8:08:44.

Food was definitely a priority after finishing once I put warm clothes as I quickly cooled down as you can see from the above picture. The food at the race didn't sound that appetizing at the time so we headed down the street to the Eddyline Brewery and chowed down on really fresh yummy food. John had nachos and I had a tasty buffalo burger. I would definitely go back there again.

After making a couple of stops in town, we headed back to the Cottonwood Hot Springs where we were staying the weekend. It is 5 miles west of Buena Vista towards Cottonwood Pass which would eventually take you to Crested Butte although it is not open in the winter. It was a great spot in the canyon next to the creek. We were staying in a cabin with a full kitchen, king bed and bathroom. The best part was that we had a private hot springs just next to the cabin. It sure felt good to soak my tired body in the pleasantly warm water with a bubbling creek behind me and nobody to bother us.
Not an bad outdoor living space. We found these pieces of art work near the brewery right up from the river.
The Cottonwood Hot Springs. The fish pond outside our front door.
Our private hot tub.
The dogs hanging out while we soak.
Bighorn sheep just up the road from the hot springs.
They weren't too shy.
On Sunday, we left the hot springs about 10am with the sun brightly shining and drove up towards the pass to the Colorado Trail for a short hike to get the legs moving. It quickly turned from sun to snow as you can see. We headed out anyway. The trail quickly climbed up and if we had stayed on it we could have summited Mt Yale. Instead we went up about 45 minutes before turning around. We had to get back in time to check out a 1pm. It felt great to get out.
The snow didn't last for long.
It was enough to cover the trail and the dogs loved it. Here is our turn around spot. If it were clear you could have seen the summit of Yale.
Patiently waiting for their treats.


We had to get one more soak in after hiking in the snow. It sure helped my tights muscles!

Good time for a nap!


The inside of the cabin.
After checking out of the hot springs, we headed to town to the Evergreen Cafe for some food before making the trip home. The drive home brought wet snow most of the way. Overall a great weekend and definitely a race I would do again! Thanks to John, Fisher and Willie for the support.

High Drive-Bear Creek-Buckhorn-Captain Jack's-Sesame Canyon Trail Loop

After a busy Saturday morning of working at the office, I was able to get out on Sunday for a long leisurely run with John and the doggies. We headed up high drive to the Bear Creek Trail. Didn't hit the slushy snow until about 1 mile up Bear Creek. It wasn't too deep but certainly slippery and wet (no ice though) and lots of mud where the snow was melting. The temps were in the 60's with clouds rolling in and out with the wind. Warm enough to wear shorts. It looked like it was going to rain but never did. Instead up continuing up Bear Creek to Jones Park we made the crossing at the bridge (see picture) which took us up to the Buckhorn ridge where we could look down on the upper gold camp road. As we headed our way over the the top of the high drive, we were greeted by the lovely noise and gas smell of several dirt bikes. They had kindly torn up the trail trying to get through the snow unsuccessfully. Fisher was quite nervous and he had to make a large detour off the trail to avoid the loud scary bikes. Upon hitting the high drive, we crossed over to Captain Jacks Trail, continued for a mile before descending down Sesame Canyon. This canyon is only about a mile but quite a steep descent. It was clear of snow though which made for easier footing. This trail is not well marked and so it doesn't get much use. I have done it several times now (and on weekends) and have never seen anybody on it. Today however, we encountered two hikers with their dog and ironically one of them was the sister of a friend I went to high school and did girl scouts with. Small world. After a quick chat with her, I continued down the canyon trying to catch up with John. Back on high drive and then to the car. The dogs finished it off with a wade in the creek. A well earned 2 1/2 hrs!

Mt Sopris

This past weekend, my parents and I spent the weekend in Carbondale with the intention of getting one last ski day in. However, we bailed out of the skiing after waking up to a gloomy, cloudy, rainy day saturday morning. So instead, we headed into Glenwood and up Red Mountain (some of us). Well, my mom went shopping as her knee is not up to par (you'll get there soon, mom), my dad hiked up the mountain and I ran. It climbs 2,000 feet in 3.5 miles. The weather cleared a bit which was nice. It was a great workout and gave awesome views of the valley. We had a yummy lunch in Glenwood afterwards, followed by some more shopping and then back to Carbondale! Sunday, I went on a 2 1/2 hr run near Mt Sopris with the dogs. I didn't know how the conditions were going to be. Ended up running on some jeep roads in the national forest that were essentially clear of snow and mostly dry until you got higher up where I ran into some large snow drifts. Surprisely, ran into a few other runners and a couple hiking with their dog. Saw a herd of elk too! Made it to the top of the ridge after 80 mins of climbing and more great views of the valley including the above picture with Mt Sopris in the background! Couldn't ask for more!
Thanks for the fun weekend mom and dad!

Kimberly's Wedding Shower

Saturday April 10th I made the drive up to Evergreen Colorado to the Tuscany Tavern to celebrate my good friend Kimberly's marriage to Cy. It was a small gathering at a cute Italian restaurant with yummy food and wine. It was great to see Kimberly and catch up especially since I will not be able to attend her wedding. After being a Colorado girl for so long she is know living in San Diego and is training and doing research on dolphins! I hope to be able to visit her in the future.
Good old Eltron Friends. Me, Kimberly and Gina back together again.

Bride to be and mother of the bride to be

Carbondale Winter Getaway

I am finally getting around to downloading these pictures from our extended stay up in Carbondale (longer than a weekend) back at the beginning of March. Our days were spend enjoying many different snow sports as well as relaxing. I spent a day of alpine skiing at Snowmass which is where the above picture came from. I skied so hard and took a minor fall that I could barely walk the next day but all worth it! We also did a long run up a snow packed jeep road that is closed to cars in the winter with the dogs of course. An another day was a snowshoe adventure up to Dinkle Lake just at the base of Mt Sopris (dogs included). The rest was spent eating, relaxing, reading, and watching movies! It was a great winter getaway!
Attack of the two Golden Retrievers!
Please can I have some too! Drool!
More from Snowmass!

This above picture is not from Snowmass but was taken in Colorado Springs at the Trinity Brewing Company. Some friends were visiting from California!