High on Life

Training is often demanding and not necessarily fun, but it should always be rewarding! Jack Daniels

Mt. Yale Summit

I spent the first week of August training in Colorado, courtesy of my favorite Aunt. I holed up in Buena Vista at the base of the Collegiate Peaks and got in a great week of mountain running, with some hiking thrown in for good measure. I explored new trails, all at 9,000'+ and revisited trails I ran in 2007 during the TransRockies race. I summitted Mt. Yale at 14,196', ran along the Continental Divide at 12,000', and ran from Turquoise Lake up Hagerman Pass. I ran through the rain and mud, but when lightening came, I played it safe and retreated to lower ground! 

At the start of this run, I wanted to stay in the car and listen to a book on tape.
But soon enough I was smiling!

I soaked in Cottonwood Creek to ice my legs and slept like a baby every night. I had visions of watching movies and cooking gourmet meals, but the miles were slow and the days were long, and I don't regret any of them! I had a blast running trails with my friend Jacob at Rampart Reservoir near Woodland Park, who was kind enough to slow waay down for me. Visiting the Olympic Training Center where he works was an unexpected bonus. My Aunt surprised me with an appointment at her favorite massage studio at the end of my visit-- the perfect ending to a solid week. Miles logged: 90

Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs