Foggy morning

It was quite foggy and gray when we got out for our run this morning. Not quite what you would call a motivational sight for runners but we needed to at least get some leg turnover, so out we went. It was hovering in the single digits with some ice/snow mix blowing so it was difficult to keep the glasses clear - we decided on staying mostly on the multi-use dirt paths around our neighborhood.
Kathleen is running along Flying W here - there were not many tracks in the snow yet but we did see a couple brave runners out.

We did get in a few trails along the outer bluff of Ute Valley Park...

... and ducked in to the front side of UVP for a few minutes. We stopped frequently to clear ice off the glasses - don't want to trip and fall on a cold morning. We saw some people out for a quiet hike and their dog ran with us for a minute, so we had a little pacing partner!

It was almost a black & white landscape - pretty cool how the color stands out!

The trail heading back up toward our house - the fog was more dense closer to the mountain. We got in a pretty mellow run, but the scenery was cool and it was quiet and peaceful on the trail. Weather man is calling for sun tomorrow - we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Shoes - K Nike Air Terra Ridge w/screws
S Brooks Cascadia 2 w/screws

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We had some of our regular "visitors" stop by this afternoon. Our local herd of mule deer came through to forage our yard - and the bird feeder! They make their rounds and are really not too scared of us if we're by the windows. This gal below was standing on our front porch looking in our window - they are fun to watch!

Outdoor Stairmaster

Why do pictures make all things hilly look flat??? It's NOT flat!!!

Deb and I headed over to the Manitou Incline this morning for our mile long, 2000 foot elevation gain outdoor stairmaster workout. It was SUPER DUPER windy today - 38 to 60 mph - yuck - BUT, THANKFULLY, the Incline/Barr Trail ended up being sheltered so we were happy climbers! I did it last Monday by myself and with ipod induced speed managed to tie my fastest time ever - that time coming about 5 years ago - a 32 minute mile! YAHOOOO! Certainly not close to the really speedy folks but fairly respectable. Today, being the chatty day with Deb, was not speedy but a good climb with good company! I reached the top a few minutes in front of Deb and walked to the side to take in the spectacular and expansive views to the north and east. I was suddenly startled by a mournful coyote howl and looked in the direction the howl was coming from. It continued, long and mournful. Well, it wasn't a coyote. It was a very normal looking lady whom I had passed on the way up. She threw her head back and continued her howling, in a very convincing, genuine coyote sounding way. Hmmmmm. V.E.R.Y. I.N.T.E.R.E.S.T.I.N.G. Now, I am prone to bouts of silliness at times but her howling seemed a little extreme, even to me. A little hoot or even a short howl MIGHT be a possiblity but the prolonged nature of the howling got me worried. A little panic set in as I began to wonder whether or not I had missed the memo requiring a long coyote howl when reaching the top of the Incline. I scratched my head and my palms started to sweat as I awaited Deb's arrival to the top and listened to the Coyote Lady. What if Deb let out a coyote howl when she reached the top??? If she howled, I would know I had definitely missed the boat, as she is not as prone to bouts of silliness as I am. My relief was magnanimous when she crested the final step with her normal "Deb look" and no head thrust back and howl emanating from her vocal chords. We didn't linger at the top, choosing to quickly leave Coyote Lady, who was now in a rather meditative looking state, and hightailed it down the trail. The run down Barr was uneventful but rich with our girlie chit-chat. Days spent with friends are always rich and memorable (Coyote Lady making it all the more memorable today!) and I strive to treasure each one. Happy trails to all this week and maybe cut loose with a little gleeful hoot and holler while out enjoying the trails!

K - shoes - Asics Gel Trabuco

Gray day but it's all good!

It was cold and gray when we headed over to Garden of the Gods for a run this morning. Most certainly today was one of those days when the Chamber of Commerce was hoping we would post no pictures - but we do get one or two cloudy days in Colorado! The Peak always looks cool ringed with clouds - it almost makes it look more massive than it normally does. We have had no snow for quite a few weeks, so our trails are mostly clear. It was supposed to snow today but most of the day was just gray, with few flurries starting around 6 PM.
The red rocks sure stand out on a cloudy day. This is a good vantage point on the Palmer Trail, with the red spires against the gray skyline.
Here Kathleen cruises another section of the Palmer Trail, with some pink highlights to brighten the day!

Kathleen descending the back side of Cabin Canyon trail above.

Steve on another section of Cabin Canyon.

We had intended to get in 12 miles today, however, we both felt like laying down on the side of the trail to take a nap after about 40 minutes! So we did an 8 mile loop and called it all good for the day. We both have had decreased motivation to get out the last two weeks, so it must be the mid-winter blahs!!! It was a good run, we made it outside, and we are healthy, so life is good - Happy Trails!

Shoes - K Montrail Odyssey
S - Asics Gel Trabuco

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Howard Thurman

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We also finished our exhausting car shopping journey on Saturday. After the Explorer was totaled, we have been narrowing our search for a replacement that was both safe with long-term reliability, as we like to keep our vehicles A LONG TIME. We were down to the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot - we came home with this nicely maintained pre-owned Honda as our newest adventure transport! We hope for many years of trail access from this vehicle. (Plus it holds LOTS of stuff AND we could sleep in the back if needed!!!) :-)