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!!!) :-)

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Scene 1

We had a nice weekend and a couple good runs, mixed in with frantic consumer research and car shopping. (Thankfully, Kathleen had an uneventful drive to work this Saturday morning!!) So we are a little behind on blogging and are covering two days in one shot! We got out early Saturday and headed down into Ute Valley Park to avoid the high winds we were having - instead of running from home, we "cheated" the wind and parked near the trailhead. It was surprisingly pleasant for getting out right after sunrise.
Kathleen heads over the ridge into the park, with sunrise adding a little spring to her step. We are very glad that the mornings are starting to lighten up a little earlier. We are ready for longer days so we can start to get more mileage in mid-week!

Pikes Peak bathed in morning sun!

There was still a bit of time needed for the sun to reach the valley floor, but all in all it was a great early run. We got in a quick six miler, all on trails, and had some balmy temps for 7 am in the middle of winter. Also, I received no phone calls that stopped my breathing - WHEW!

Shoes - K Asics Trail Sensor
S - Montrail Odyssey

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Scene 2

Sunday's forecast was for rain turning to snow and cold temperatures. The weather man was WRONG again, only this time it was in our favor - sweet! Aside from a crisp wind, it was clear bluebird skies and fairly mild temps and we took advantage of it. We headed over to Palmer Park for some trails - we had not been there since the New Year's Day road/trail race we ran. We even tried out some new trail areas in order to create a longer loop and not do much doubling of trails. Here is Steve running the Kinnickinnick Trail - hope that one does not come up on the spelling bee!!!
We looped around to the top of the mesa and headed out Grandview. Kathleen runs in front of one of the cool rock formations - Palmer Park is full of these.

Grandview Overlook - looking across town to the Peak, grand indeed!

Kathleen watching her footing on the Templeton Trail.

Palmer Park has a nice mixture of everything from buttery smooth - as seen here - to technical rocks, roots, and deep sand.

Steve heading out on the Palmer Point Trail.

Finished for the day after a good 12 miler! We headed home, got cleaned (and fueled) up and left for our traditional Super Bowl get together with some dear friends. Definite good times and Happy Trails to all this week!

Shoes - K Montrail Odyssey
S - Asics Gel Trabuco