If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Funk-y PR

Wow - has it really been 32 days since a key was tapped on this domain???  As a matter of fact, it has and it marks the longest period of inactivity here since we started this blog in 2008.  So what in the world is going on?...

Generally and for the most part, business as usual.  Still running, though at times not nearly as much.  And some good runs - we have photos to prove it  Fairly healthy, though challenged as it has been the whole last year.  Then the holidays were mixed in there.  My (Steve) folks were out for 10 days, and as always is the case with them, they ran us ragged - 24/7 motion for them at 69 & 66 yrs old!  But it was a great visit as always.

Closed out the old year with 1440 miles run, another 350 or so on the bike, along with some XC ski and snowshoe outings and it was a pretty good 2011.  Fulfilled my obligation to race at least once in the calendar year, so I got that monkey off my back.  A good overall year on the feet.  Hoping for more of the same this year, but wishing to combine it with much better health for the better half of HT (and more company from her on some long runs!!). 

So here's some flashbacks from the previous 768 hours - enjoy:

Kathleen enjoying 60 degree temps at Cheyennne Mtn in December??
The joy of Winter running

Great day on the trails
Cheyenne Mtn State Park run  - 14.5 miles, awesome day and we finished at 62 degrees!!


Christmas Eve - a little different story
The Garden in dress whites

After 11 inches of snow at our place on the 23rd, our Christmas Eve run was mostly bike path and multi-use trails.  Nice 11 miler!
A New Venue
Arkansas Riverwalk Trail - Canon City, CO - notice the ice floating down stream
Bridge near the end of the trail
Royal Gorge Route train depot
Plenty of ice on the river

We had to make a quick trip to Canon City the day after Christmas, so we brought some shoes and took a quick run on the Arkansas Riverwalk trail before heading home.  Nice little 6 mile diversion that we squeezed in to a short time window we had available - nothing spectacular as far as trail goes, just a totally new venue for us!  It was also in the upper 50's again.


COLD RETURNS
Bear creek Lake Park - cold and super windy!!!
50 mph wind gusts and they're out ice fishing???
Small inlet at the lake

New Year's Eve (23rd Anniversary, if you are counting!!!) we had to make a trip up to Morrison, so we planned to shoe horn a run in at Bear Creek Lake Park while we were in the area.  It was 48 at 8 am when we left home.  By the time we hit Morrison, it was 31, spitting snow, and howling wind.  Problem was, we were dressed for 48....  We made the 6 mile Mt Carbon Loop and called it a day - we had to get in the car and head back to Colorado Springs!!  Lots of ice and big, frozen post-hole tracks in the trail on the north side of the creek.  Strained an old nagging groin injury that has been gone for more than a year - might keep me off the ice/snowpack trails for a while.  We saw two semis blown over on their sides on C-470 on our way out of Denver - sheesh!


Very cold early with some inversion - must have been "warm" on the peak!!
Pikes, majestic as always
Kathleen runs past the Siamese Twins
Cabin Canyon Trail
Niobrara Trail with stunning views!

This past Sunday we ran the Garden - ah, familiar trails and favorite places!!  It was fairly cold but manageable and there was barely any snow to be found, with just a few testy ice patches here and there in the shade and north facing trails.  After a double on Saturday for me, I was not sure what to expect.  I ran from home and met Kathleen at the Garden.  We had a great day and enjoyed the bright sunshine, ending up with 15 miles and maybe a little spark returning to the runs.  

Happy Trails!
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