Week in Review (December 30 - January 5)

Tuesday (13,423 steps) - Peloton and Olive walk before going to work. Went to the gym at lunch and did StairMaster, strength training and a mile at 12% incline. 

Ben and I met up at Costco, which neither of us enjoys doing. Took Olive for another walk when I got home, stretch and sauna time! More Welcome to Derry.

Wednesday (14,859 steps) - Took Olive for a walk and then sadly had to go to work. Only nice thing is basically zero traffic. Walked to REI at lunch so I could try something on, only to discover it was not even available in store. Not a totally wasted trip, the weather was really nice, especially for December. 

I got off at 2 and did a few deliveries. Tips were really great for once. Met up with Ben at 4 Noses for a drink (still NA for me, and a Topo). Went home to start dinner, took Olive for a walk and more sauna time! 

Welcome to Derry since we couldn't find any streaming service that was actually showing anything for New Years. 

Thursday (30,867 steps) 

Took Olive for a walk before going to Morrison for the 6th (!!) annual New Years Day run I've organized at Red Rocks. This was probably our biggest turnout since the inaugural year. 

Ben was hoping to run, but he threw out his back a few days ago and gave up on running and did his own thing after about a half mile. 

We had unforeseen issues with our route when we discovered that Red Rocks was having some construction done and every access point was blocked off. 

We had about 40 minutes of wandering around and looking for other ways to get where we wanted to go, including going up the backside of Dakota Ridge. I never mind going on trails, but I wasn't wearing the right shoes for it at all. 

Only Jandy and Maureen were up for the full route we had planned, so we continued on. 

Last group picture before we all went our separate ways

I actually felt way better than expected on the last 3-4 miles. Almost all of us walked over to the Holiday Bar / Mill Street for the tradition of burgers and beers, although just a diet coke for me. When we got home I took Olive for another walk before more sauna time. I am just loving the convenience of having this, and I really think I'm getting my money's worth. More Welcome to Derry, although this finished up the show for us, already. Ariel joined us for a short time for charcuterie before she went to home. 

Since Ben has now watched the prequel, we of course had to watch It, since he had not watched it previously. 

Friday (11,059 steps) - Once again, sad I had to go to work. Took Olive for a walk before we went into the office. 

Just like I expected, it was very slow and no one was working. Went for a walk at lunch. 

After work I met up with Ben at 4 Noses for happy hour. Headed home to take Olive for a walk and then sauna. Cannot remember what was for dinner, and pretty sure we finished It and started Chapter 2.

Saturday (29,192 steps) - Down to Lakewood for the season opener of Runners Edge! I had mapped out a few different route possibilities, but my main goal was to get double digits. Ben planned on starting with me and then walking whatever he might need to if his back started to act up. 

Only picture I took...

The loop was 7 miles, and he managed the whole thing! Right before I got back to the store I turned around to do the back half of the loop in reverse. I got in just over 10 miles at a much faster pace than I normally do, so I was happy about that. The store was offering 50% off all apparel, so I shopped a bit - even though I really AM trying to weed through my closet and stop buying things. UGH. Went home and showered, walked Olive. We stopped to pick up Panda Express on the way to Rails End. Stayed there for a bit and then pack home for sauna time. Watched Final Destination: Bloodlines with A. After she headed out we finished It: Chapter 2. 

Sunday (18,845 steps) - It was really nice out, so I went for my run while Ben went to pick us up Dutch Bros. 

It's actually as warm/nice as it looks!

After I showered we took Olive to the dog park. It was insanely crowded and we had to stalk people to find a parking space. 

On to Rails End. 

We got a snack and stayed until the Broncos game started. 

Pretty much right when we got home we got a phone call from Ariel that her clutch was overheating. I didn't even know that was a thing, and in all my years of driving, and 6 vehicles that have had a stick shift, I have never had a clutch got out. Thankfully she was with a friend and they were able to hang out at her house while we waited for a tow to get the car up near us. Unfortunately that was a whole "thing" and it took over three hours. UGH. Did my stretches and sauna time. Started watching a new show "The Following" - although I definitely was getting a sense of deja vu that maybe I have watched this before, but can't remember it well enough to stop watching. 

Monday (17,693 steps) - Work from home. Shortly after the shop opened I got a call from the service manager that Lucy will definitely be needing a new clutch and flywheel. Since they were closed for 10 days over the holidays he wasn't sure if he was going to get a full diagnostic done, but this wasn't good news for any of us. UGH!!!! We literally just paid for new brakes and rotors in November. Took Ariel to Dutch Bros and then went on my run, where I also had my first big fall of the year, scraping up my palms and knees. 

Took Olive for a long walk after. Ariel needed my car to get to work so I wasn't able to go driving. Instead, took Olive for a walk and then read and used the sauna while I waited for Ben to pick up pizza.

More Following.

Stats:

• 135,938 steps
• 28.75 miles run
• 19.56 miles walked
• 35 minutes of cardio
• 61 minutes of strength (11+ minutes of planks)
• 190 minutes of sauna

Week in Review (September 30 - October 6)

Tuesday (14,328 steps) - Peloton ride and Olive walk before going to work in the office. I was on the fence as to whether I wanted to run or just do inside gym stuff. Ended up doing a brisk few miles on the treadmill (walking, not running) and some weights. After work went home to let Olive out before meeting Ben at Costco for a long overdue grocery trip. Dinner and Wednesday! Dressed Goosie up for Halloween, isn't she adorable??

Wednesday (17,446 steps) - Up early and walked Olive before going to work. Went for a run at lunch, doing intervals. 

Stopped at REI mid run to check out the dry bags that I might use for my next race. Spoiler: they are going to NOT work at all. I'll have to return. Ben and I took Olive for a walk. Only Murders in the Building

Thursday  (17,299 steps) - Work from home. Ariel called to let me know that her tire light is on (AGAIN) so I met her down at Big O. We ventured to get "coffee" from Ziggi's since we both had coupons and took Olive for a walk while we were waiting for her car to be done (it was just the sensor, but we didn't feel the need to spend $90 on a new one).

Did my run at interval run at lunch, it wasn't bad, but another activity where I'm ever so grateful for the bathroom at the trailhead! Took Olive for an afternoon walk and then met Ben at Torchy's for dinner.

More Murders!

Friday (16,711 steps) - Wash Park with the gang! I wasn't sure if I was going to go because I've been really tired and lethargic all week, but since I woke up before my alarm, off we went. I was glad to see everyone. Skipped Stella's so I could get to the office a bit earlier. Olive and I walked to REI at lunch to return the dry bag I had bought earlier in the week. It was hot hot hot, unseasonably warm, nearly hitting 90 degrees today!

After work we met up with Ben at 4 Noses for happy hour. I had their new NA beer and it was not the best, so we left pretty soon after that. 

Saturday (19,369 steps) - Up early to take Olive for a quick walk - although we ended up doing a bit longer than usual since the sunrise looked like it was going to be extra pretty, we headed east instead of our normal west route.

We headed over to Golden so that we could run the Homecoming (Blaster) 5k! Last year we didn't register in time and missed it, so I was much more on top of it this year. We found everything pretty easily and had plenty of time to use the bathroom before starting. We found Ariel and her friend/roommate Margaret before the start and got this picture with adorable Blaster! 

Could Blaster BE any cuter??? Wearing the race shirt and his own bib!!!

I had told Ben we should do our own thing for the run, so I had one earbud in so I could listen to music. I knew the course was going to be relatively hilly and I had a (lame) soft goal of sub 35 minutes. Well, the course starts as an uphill and I took my first walk break like a half mile in. There was some crowding on the bike path and this stupid woman was running with her two kids, holding at least on of their hands and taking up most of the trail with zero situational awareness. Second break maybe 1.5 miles in, shortly after I saw Blaster (yes, he ran the whole 5k!!) and Ben. Ariel and Margaret caught up to me and we walked together for a minute. I started to run again around 2 miles in and did pretty well until the last hill up to the finish - what a cruel finish!! Official splits 11:04/11:01/11:41/10:21 for a 34:39 finish. 

Finisher pic with Blaster!

That felt stupidly hard. Trying to give myself a break since I haven't done speed work in AGES and I have been sick for a week or longer. Anyway. Ariel and Margaret finished just a few minutes after me. We got a sno cone and a burrito to take home for later. Ariel had to head out for additional Homecoming activities, and we had to head home as well. Did some reading while Ben took a nap and then took Olive for a long walk before we headed down to Bear Creek for our volunteering shift at the Bear Chase races! Bear Chase was my first 50 miler in 2011 (!!!!) and I ran varying distances there for years up until Covid - this was my first time back since! We arrived right on time at 1:00. The weather seemed to already be rolling in and it was cloudy and windy when we arrived. Stella was volunteering, as was Jim. Well, it was quite an adventure out there. The wind only got worse as time went on. We ended up having to tape everything down because full containers of food would blow off the table. We even got some rain and I wished I had brought more clothes!!

By mid afternoon the wind had gotten exponentially worse - to the point where all four of us were hanging on the canopy to keep it from blowing away. 

We were able to head out shortly after the last runner at 8:45 pm. I cannot believe how exhausting this was! Had hoped to get food on the way home and we were way too tired. Ate some leftovers and sat on the couch for a few minutes before bed. What a long day.

Sunday (22,920 steps) - Definitely exhausted when I woke up. Crazy how much volunteering takes out of me! Took Olive for a walk and then we headed up to Louisville for our long run. I didn't look until after we got back home, but it was my longest training run in MONTHS. 

Apparently the only picture I took all run

Pretty sad that I haven't run double digits outside of a race in who knows how long. Guess this means I need to get back to work on base building, as 9 miles seemed REALLY tough towards the end. I had worn long sleeves for this since it seemed chilly when we left the house. It was partially perfect, but any time the sun came out it felt really warm. On the way home we stopped at Torchy's for lunch/snack. Went home and took a shower, read for a bit and then went out to do some driving. By the time I got back it was raining so Olive did not get an afternoon walk. Ben had Panda delivered (YUM) and we started "No Time to Die" but between Ariel showing up for a surprise visit and the length of the movie, we weren't able to finish it. Goodbye weekend?

Monday (18,227 steps) - Work from home. I had to run to the obgyn to get my IUD replaced, fun times. Picked up a coffee from Dunkin' as a reward. Took Olive for a walk before taking her to get groomed. I went for my run on the US36 bike path. Really not bad at all! I also had to wear tights and long sleeves as it was pretty chilly. Never gonna survive winter!! After work I did a few deliveries and then took Olive for a walk before dinner. Ben ordered Domino's, which we haven't had in ages. Finished "No Time to Die."

Stats:

• 126,300 steps
• 25.95 miles run
• 16.43 miles walked
• 15 minutes of cardio
• 5 minutes of strength

Week in Review (April 1 - April 7)

Tuesday (14,764 steps) - Olive walk before work. Drove to REI so I could return the bigger pack I wasn't going to be using and did my my short run before going back to the office. Had time to actually do some stretching before going back to work. Walked Olive when I got home and finalized my packing!

Wednesday (13,411 steps) - Walked Olive before Ben drove me to work. Since I was taking the train to the airport I didn't want to leave my car at my office for that long. I picked up Heidi's for a late lunch to eat when I got to the airport. I left work around 1 to take the train. Dropped my bags (thankfully, they were SO HEAVY) and breezed through security. I had to work right up until we boarded, and unfortunately it was REALLY irritating as I had some documents to finalize - why could this work not have come in while I was still in office?? 

The flight was uneventful and I watched Yellowjackets. Bags came pretty quick and car rental was onsite and fast. Also, my hotel was about a half mile away, so thankfully didn't have to go far. I wasn't super hungry but went down the street to the gas station to get some beer. Finalized all my drop bags. 

Thursday (12,600 steps) - Got everything loaded up and checked out of the hotel. I had errands to run but first I stopped at Tropical Smoothie for breakfast.

Started the drive south and after getting a bit lost I found somewhere to walk, even though I basically had to park in a ditch because there was no trailhead. 

Picked up some supplies from Walmart then continued the drive south. Stopped at Copper Brothel Brewery and had just one beer - as planned!

The rest of the trip is logged on the Monster 300 post.

Friday (82,427 steps) - Monster 300

Saturday (120,311 steps) - Monster 300

Sunday (93,622 steps) - Monster 300

Monday (121,247 steps) - Monster 300

Stats:

• 458,382 steps
• Let's guess around 160 miles run
• 4.87 miles walked
• 0 minutes of cardio
• 10 minutes of strength

Week in Review (March 25 - March 31)

Tuesday (16,750 steps) - Peloton and Olive walk before going to work. Gym at lunch - stairmaster and strength training. 

Walked Olive after work. So I had discovered, unfortunately one day too late for REI member coupons, that the pack I planned to use for my race was NOT going to work??? Like putting the mandatory gear in was leaving me with only room for about an extra liter of water. So, I ordered a ridiculously expensive pack from REI (think fastpack meets hiking pack).

Wednesday (18,900 steps) - Olive walk before work. I had a workout to do at lunch and planned my run so that I would end up near REI to pick up the pack I ordered and then would be able to WEAR said pack for my cool down jog back to the office. First, still not 100%. Yes, it's been two weeks of feeling pretty cruddy. My workout was 5 sets of 2x easy/medium/fast paces. The first two sets were "fine" and I did not take any walk breaks. By the third set I walked the first minute of the easy pace to get my heartrate down and get my breathing under control. Overall, this went relatively well, all things considered.

Ran into REI and got the pack. It seemed fine while I was running the mile-ish back to my office. A much more feminine color than I would normally get, but it was the only color option that was in stock. I spent most of the run back messing with the billions of straps.

Took Olive for a walk when I got home, and then met Ben at 4 Noses. Since the weather was nice I brought Olive with me and we sat on the patio.

Thursday (19,575 steps) - Peloton ride before logging in for work. Took Ariel to get coffee and then had to stop at FedEx on the way home so I could drop off her laptop to send back to Lenovo. Thank goodness for that warranty!!! Took Olive for a long walk.

Went for my run, and it was warm, but at least overcast.

Finally got my first "heat acclimation" score of the season from Garmin. Wooo! Took Olive for a walk, then we actually sat out on the patio for a bit since the weather was so nice!

Friday (13,472 steps) - Wash Park! I hadn't been in over a month, so it was nice to see everyone. Headed into work with Olive.

Saturday (25,339 steps) - Dressed Goosie up in her new spring/summer outfit.

I had loaded up my new pack and planned to test it out on a longer trail run. The weather started out really nice, almost a bit warm.

Once the clouds rolled in it was pretty pleasant.

I really should have run with a full pack prior to this activity. First off, the pack felt EXTREMELY heavy. I only carried 2L of water and my mandatory gear and it felt like I was a sherpa carrying gear for 10 people. By the time we finished the run I told Ben I wanted to go to REI and see if I could exchange for the 20L version of the pack. Unfortunately, the smaller pack was not in stock at any locations. We still went to REI in Boulder to see if we could find any other options. I wore my pack in to see if I could load up something else. Unfortunately, it was a bust. I finally decided to just order the smaller pack off Amazon and hope for the best. Texted Larry and Terri and met up with them at Murphy's for a snack and quick beer. Stopped at 4 Noses for one beer and it started POURING rain. At the risk of being cliche - we need the moisture! Watched a movie that was kinda blah, I don't even remember what it was.

Sunday (15,782 steps) - Finally laid out all my gear with drop bag locations. Ben helped me to pack everything up. Getting real!

Still somewhat undecided on what/how I'm packing what I'm starting with, so currently most of that is sitting on the kitchen table.

I had a "hike" on schedule, but with getting 12 hours of rain (that switched over to snow overnight), the trails weren't going to be an option. We decided to talk Olive for a long walk (on pavement) and then went to a new brunch place near the house. It was delicious! And popular. There was about a 40 minute wait to be seated, but we squeezed in for bar seating without having to wait that long.

I headed out to try and do some deliveries, but as has been the case lately, nothing going on. Picked up some stuff from Target and headed back home. My new pack showed up and is almost identical, just smaller frame and capacity. Did realize that one of the side pockets is no longer zippered (why??) so we ended up on a mission to find some sort of small bag that I would be able to attach to the waist strap. We went a few places and struck out, so we ordered something off Amazon that would hopefully work. Trip to 4 Noses and then home for the night. Watched "The Order," which was ok, but not overly exciting.

Monday (16,291 steps) - Since Ben had sprayed weed killer all over the yard I took Olive for a walk before logging on for the day. I only had a very short run on schedule, so I went out and did that before taking Olive for her walk. We went by the lake and it was muddy, but not as bad as I feared, which was nice. I took my laptop and went to Big O to get my tires rotated, which thankfully there was virtually no wait for. Finished up the work day while getting my gear finalized and gathered some of my non-running stuff that I'll need to take with me. Went out to drive and actually got an order. Home for dinner. Started watching the show "Dark Matter." Exciting thing of the evening... I had noticed a funky smell ever since dinner and assumed it was the new cleaning product we got to soak pans before washing them. When I was taking Olive out for bed I noticed it still smelled awful and commented the same to Ben. Headed to bed. Ben asks me to come back downstairs and he noticed that when the stove got "turned off" that the knob had pulled out and while it LOOKED off, the actual knob had not shut off, so we had been having gas coming out for over FOUR HOURS. Thank goodness I had SAID something to Ben and that he figured it out, I don't know that I would have. So....we are here to live another day. We had to open the back door and all the windows to air out the house and were able to get it shut off safely. Scary stuff.

Stats:

• 126,109 steps
• 21.09 miles run
• 19.69 miles walked
• 55 minutes of cardio
• 20 minutes of strength