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~ "Dirty Girl" musings on trail running, not running, life in general, and everything in between.

Tag Archives: exercise

Show the F— Up!

01 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Health and well-being, Writings & Musings

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

exercise, goals, intentions, Muse Camp, running, well-being

Where to start. I guess at the beginning. But seriously, where is the beginning? I think this may be a new beginning, so perhaps I’ll start here.

I haven’t written much lately, maybe you’ve noticed. Maybe you haven’t. No matter. The times, they are a changin’. Why now? What’s different? Something happened. I feel I’ve been given a reboot. I’m starting over in a few different areas. Maybe one restart generated the next.

So why now? What has changed?

 

The fire within is burning brighter. What started as an ember is being fanned into a flame and will hopefully ignite into a full blown, raging sea of fire.

But what has changed?

At age 49, I am finally realizing that it’s not enough to want to do something, to want something. To make it happen, you have to take action. I’m not dense, I’ve known this and even acted on this in the past. Just not recently. I heard a podcast a few weeks ago about planning. I’ve never been a planner, much to the dismay of my sweetheart who is a total planner. I’ve pretty much always flown by the seat of my pants and for the most part that has worked for me. But this planning thing, I think they could be on to something with this.

I’ve been so wishy-washy the past couple of years since I left my job in Las Vegas and moved to Bend. Relishing the complete freedom I suddenly had, I found it hard to commit to almost anything. Not that I didn’t or haven’t been doing anything, I’ve been busy for sure. But I opted to do things based on how I felt at that moment versus planning and showing up regardless. I’ve had a loose schedule, basically no schedule, for the past couple of years with a few small random commitments here and there.

Muse Camp helped or is helping. There was a lot of talk about setting intentions. There was a lot of talk about showing up. Set your intention and show up. Then take even just 1 small step toward your intention and appreciate yourself for that. Just showing up is a step in itself toward a goal. Who knew?!

Show up. This resonated with me, maybe because it was said over and over again. But it sunk in. You want to progress? You want to make some changes? Show the fuck up in your life.

So, that’s my plan. And I’m taking steps toward what I want by doing so.

I want to write more SO I joined a writing Meetup. I not only joined it but I showed up! That was the first step. Guess where I started writing this from? You’ve got it! And to continue with the showing up theme, I’ve decided to start posting on my blog again although I’m not sure what I’m going to be writing about. Of course, I never am sure of that initially but the words won’t show up if I don’t show up.

I want to create and perhaps even make some moolah SO I started to draw up some ideas I have. I followed instructions from the podcast I mentioned on planning and made a list of challenges I might face, then I turned those challenges into a to-do list. Those were more steps toward this goal. I took another step by looking at class schedules and I found a class that could get me closer to my goal. Look at all these steps I was able to take so easily!

I want to lose weight and/or tone up this 49-year-old body SO I started taking the dogs on longer walks and instead of driving to go do things around town I’ve been walking more. I made a point of actually showing up to my yoga class, I even walked to it, and I found a 2nd yoga class I’d like to take.  I also started running again.

I want to get back into running more and running longer distances, which means running consistently, SO I signed up for next years TransRockies run, a 6-day run through the mountains in Colorado. I showed up for a series of adventure runs at my favorite running store. I even signed on as a running coach for an upcoming training program.

I want to feel better during and after running SO I decided to be proactive health-wise, a novel idea, right?  I have been doing what my awesome physical therapist told me to do since March but I didn’t feel any better so I decided to try a different type of doctor. (So far so good. Wish me luck!) I also started using the foam roller for recovery after working out and, as I said earlier, I showed up to my yoga class and decided to do even more yoga.

SHOW THE FUCK UP. That’s what I’m doing. It’s a powerful thing and it is now rolling over into all aspects of my life. I am already seeing the results and am excited to see what else I can make happen.

Show up.

Be curious.

Try new things.

I looked for dance lessons, that’s on my list of things I want to do. I didn’t yet find anything but it’s there on my radar. I also want to check out the climbing gym and I found a couple of friends who would like to join me. Also on my list, piano lessons. Gotta find me an instructor. I want to get into meditating. I enjoy it and I need it. I’m looking forward to a book club and also a writing class I signed up for, they will be starting soon. Always so much to do!

I get caught up in staying active, fearing that if I’m not busy doing a bunch of things then people will think I’m lazy. But I’ve come to realize this past year that I really need down time. I need the quiet time to allow thoughts, ideas, and creativity in. Not only to allow them in but I need that time to muse with them, to be quiet and sit with them for a spell.

That being said, saying yes to anything and everything that comes at you isn’t the same as showing up for the things that you are curious about or that mean something to you. So when you show the fuck up, which I hope you eventually do, make sure you are showing up for all the right reasons – most importantly, for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

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Durango to Moab Hut-to-Hut Mountain Bike Trip: Day 7

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Endurance events, Mountain biking, nature, Photography, travel, wildlife, Writings & Musings

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, cattle, cool stuff, endurance, exercise, Geyser Pass, Hut-to-Hut, Moab, mountain biking, mountains, nature, outdoors, photography, recreation, scenery, trails, Utah

Day 7 stats as listed on the hut-to-hut site:

35.6 miles, 2142′ ascent, 7473′ descent, max. elevation 10,552′

Today was a long one, a tough one for me. We added in an extra 4 miles or so by having to go down to pick up our bikes where we’d dumped them in the trees because of the muddy slog. Before we could even take them back up to the hut to begin today’s actual ride, we had to clean them. This entailed chipping and scraping off dried mud to even get the wheels to roll. And the dried mud was everywhere. Once the wheels could spin, we pushed them the 2 miles back up to the hut and finished cleaning them off there. Following breakfast and hut cleaning we hit the trail, eager to get in to Moab.

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JOJO HEADING OUT ON OUR FINAL DAY.

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THE REST OF THE GROUP GATHERING AND GETTING READY TO GO.

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FINALLY GETTING READY FOR SOME DOWNHILL.

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GETTING CLOSER TO MOAB!

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Somehow, instead of going straight down into Moab, we ended up riding up above and doing several more miles. I think there was some miscommunication about our route and, like the cattle we soon ran into, we followed along without thinking.

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CAUGHT IN A CATTLE DRIVE

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THIS ONE GOT SCARED AND TRIED TO RUN AROUND US BY GOING UP THE HILL RIGHT ABOVE US.

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This ‘other’ route took us to the Kokopelli trail and added several extra miles to an already long day.  We rode on with what little energy we had left and watched another thunderstorm rapidly building nearby.

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Chillin’ in the beer cooler of a  convenience store upon our arrival in Moab… and pretty damn happy about it.

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STORMING IN MOAB THE EVENING OF OUR RETURN

I don’t have much to say about this day and didn’t even write anything down that night after we got in. We were busy eating, drinking, and enjoying the storm from a safe location. I will say that it was a LONG day and it got pretty toasty warm. I tried to enjoy the scenery as we cruised down through the beautiful slick rock areas outside of Moab but I was spent.

 

 

 

 

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Durango to Moab Hut-To-Hut Mountain Bike Trip: Day 5

14 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Endurance events, Mountain biking, nature, Photography, travel, wildlife, Writings & Musings

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bedrock, Bedrock Store, Catch 'Em Up Trail, cool stuff, exercise, fun, Hut-to-Hut, La Sals, mountain biking, outdoors, Paradox Produce Company, Paradox Valley, San Juan Hut Systems, trails, Wedding Bell Hut, wildlife

Day 5 stats as listed on the hut-to-hut site:

32.3 miles, 3100′ ascent, 4190′ descent, max. elevation 6990′

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THE ROAD TO AND FROM THE WEDDING BELL HUT

There were no signs at all this morning that anything had happened overnight. Had I not shared the experience with 6 others, I might have thought the storm was just a bad dream.

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THE WEDDING BELL HUT, AS VIEWED FROM ABOVE, WHILE WE CONTINUED ON TO THE PARADOX VALLEY HUT

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It was another long ride today and another hot one and I didn’t feel nearly as physically strong as I did yesterday. It was a pretty ride though, winding along dirt roads, past old mines, overlooking a beautiful canyon. There were huge boulders and rock formations along the way.

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THERE WERE SOME AREAS ON TODAY’S ROUTE THAT LOOKED LIKE THIS. ALTHOUGH IT ALMOST LOOKED LIKE THIS DIRT WAS GROWING, I THINK IT WAS JUST FROM THE POUNDING RAIN AND RUNOFF. WEIRD. MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE WILL BE ABLE TO ENLIGHTEN ME.

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One of the scenic highlights was this wash that dropped into the canyon below.

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It would be very cool to see this during some hard rainfall, I’m sure there’d be an amazing waterfall.

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STANDING ON THE ROCKS AND FACING INTO THE CANYON

I certainly wouldn’t want to be standing at this spot if there was any flash flooding around.

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ANOTHER CAR

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PARADOX VALLEY

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TAKING IN THE VIEW AS WE REST FOR A MOMENT ABOVE PARADOX VALLEY.

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PARADOX VALLEY

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CATCH-EM-UP TRAIL

We ended up dropping down into Paradox Valley from the Catch-Em-Up Trail, a very steep, rugged, narrow and rocky trail – a cattle trail, I believe.

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A CHALLENGING CLIMB DOWN

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IT ALMOST LOOKS RIDABLE HERE, BUT IT’S NOT FOR YOUR AVERAGE RIDER FOR SURE!

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PASSING BIKES OFF

It was a little hairy at times trying to get down over the rocks with our loaded bikes and backpacks, especially while wearing bike shoes. It was all a hike-a-bike for us. At times we formed a line and passed bikes down from one person to the next.

As we got about half way down or so we started hearing thunder and could see the rain sweeping into the far end of the valley.

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THESE TWO WERE HEADED UP THE TRAIL.

Nearing the bottom we came across this guy walking with his stunning horse, they were on their way up the trail. He had rescued the horse and was training it, getting it accustomed to all the things it had been fearful of and working on making it a stronger climber.

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YABBA DABBA DOOOOOO!!!!!

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We finally made it down the trail with sore feet and bruised ankles, stopping at the Bedrock Store (closed and for sale) for a short rest and a photo op. A lady that pulled up to take some photos told us this store had been used in the filming of Thelma and Louise. Also parts of the movie were filmed in the La Sals, where we are headed next. I will definitely need to go watch that movie again.

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Last night at the Wedding Bell hut, Glenn had a great idea. Since we had cell service there, he called and made reservations at this placed we’d heard about through San Juan Huts – Paradox Produce Company. The owners, Greg and Marty, will make you a dinner for a very reasonable price and even shuttle you to and from the hut if you want.

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We hadn’t scheduled to be shuttled but after riding 6 more miles from Bedrock to the hut, none of us really wanted to ride the 2 1/2 miles from the hut to their place to eat. We wanted a shuttle at that point but no one had any cell service to call and ask them for a ride. Since there was icy cold beer at the hut, we sat in the shade and drank beer until it was time to ride over to dinner.

Once there, we were actually able to hose ourselves off quite thoroughly and clean up with soap!  Their only rule for hosing off was no nudity, and we were happy to comply with any rules just to get cleaned up.

After “bathing” we sat outside under an easy up and had the BEST dinner. These people were awesome, so friendly and nice, and the food was delicious. They made us big, juicy hamburgers with peppers and mushrooms and cheese, a huge salad full of all kinds of veggies, and 2 potato salads. (The menu can be changed for those with restricted diets, allergies, or special requests.) There was ice cold soda and water and they even brought us ice cream cones! Such a treat after 4 days of riding and eating canned foods.

They sat and chatted with us while we ate. Marty wanted to know about everyone. It turns out she loves Bend and Black Butte Porter – that’s my kinda girl!

They had a sweet, black feral cat named Oso that reminded us of a neighborhood cat (Jack Black) that spent a lot of time at our house last year. He lounged in a chair at the table with us until dinner was served.

We slowly and happily returned to the hut with full bellies to prepare for an early start on the next day’s brutal ride. Only 22 miles but we were to climb from Paradox Valley up to the La Sals. Ugh! The weather here was great, we didn’t get rained on and the temperatures were much lower than usual. We were almost back to the hut when we spotted a coyote. I’m sure there were tons out there and lots of other wildlife around that we weren’t seeing.

I had a few other pictures taken with my cell phone while we were at dinner but, sadly, I think they inadvertently got deleted.  😦

 

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Durango to Moab Hut-to-Hut Mountain Bike Trip: Day 4

09 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Endurance events, landscape, Mountain biking, mountains, nature, Photography, scenery, travel, wildlife, Writings & Musings

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

adventure, Colorado, cool stuff, Dolores River, Dry Creek Basin, endurance, exercise, Hut-to-Hut, mountain biking, mountains, outdoors, photography, recreation, scenery, trails, Wedding Bell Hut, wildlife

Day 4 stats as listed on the hut-to-hut site:

33.5 miles, 2500′ ascent, 3320′ descent, max. elevation 7294′

We woke to a beautiful morning. Clouds far off in the distance moved in quickly, but thankfully they were just little ones and not the storm gathering clouds we’d been dealing with so far.

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THIS PLACE WAS JUST BELOW THE HUT IN DRY CREEK BASIN.

We dropped into a basin as we left the hut. There were lots of puddles and mud bogs. Serious mud bogs. Jo Jo went through one and ended up coating his bike with thick mud.

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LOTS OF MUDDY SPOTS ON THE ROAD OUT.

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JO JO TRIED RIDING THROUGH THE FIRST ONE. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

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SUPER STICKY MUD!

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SEMI-DRY MUD

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A BRIEF RIDE ON A PAVED ROAD, THE ONLY TIME WE SAW ANY OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS DAY.

We rode a LONG way on on dirt roads with no one around anywhere until we had to briefly ride on a highway. We saw 2 or 3 cars along that route and that was it. There seemed to be no one other than us out there.

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SEE THOSE MOUNTAINS OVER THERE? THOSE ARE THE LA SALS. WE WERE TO EVENTUALLY PASS THROUGH THERE BEFORE DROPPING INTO MOAB.

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WHERE THE ANTELOPE PLAY!

We saw an antelope today, all by himself. So beautiful and so nice to see some wildlife in this seemingly desolate area.

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A HOT, DRY RIDE.

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THIS WAS MY STRONGEST DAY OF RIDING. PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS FLAT MOST OF THE WAY.

We stopped to eat lunch finally with only 8 miles to go on this 33.5-mile ride. It wasn’t the nicest place to stop – by a natural gas pipeline – but there weren’t many other options. At least there a little shade there under a tree. Apparently some cattle had once enjoyed the shade there too as our dining area was decorated with dried cow pies.

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NOPE. THEY’RE NOT ANY CLOSER. I JUST ZOOMED IN A BIT.

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THE DOLORES RIVER, WAY DOWN THERE!

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THE WEDDING BELL HUT

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AT THE WEDDING BELL HUT

When we got to the hut today we went off to check out an old car that is nearby. How it got there and how they got this hut here is perplexing. The roads are not really roads, they are pretty rugged and very narrow in places with crazy drop offs.

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THERE WAS A LOT OF MINING IN THIS AREA.

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SPECTACULAR VIEW!

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The views from the Wedding Bell Hut are outstanding! There are layers of plateaus below us, dropping down to a rugged canyon that the Dolores River carved out. The La Sal mountains loom off in the distance. They rise up tall on the skyline and look quite imposing, likely because that’s where we are heading.

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HIDING OUT FROM THE HEAT IN THE ONLY SHADE AROUND.

We hid in the shade alongside the shelter, reclining on stadium seats from the hut and rocks that had been stacked to form little chairs and a love seat.

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THE ROAD IN, AND OUT.

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A MINE COVERED UP WITH A GRATE.

There are mines nearby. Lots of rusty pieces, parts and cans around.

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WATCHING A STORM BUILD

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GORGEOUS SUNSET

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ANOTHER WITH THE FILTER

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ENJOYING THE SUNSET WITH THE TEMPERATURE STARTING TO DROP

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THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

As the sun was setting, the wind came up strong. It had changed direction and was blowing from behind us, coating us and pelting us with dirt just as the temperature had finally cooled enough to enjoy sitting out front at the picnic table.

We ended up moving around to the back of the hut on the little deck where we were sheltered somewhat from the wind and blowing dust. From there we were able to enjoy a colorful sunset and a storm forming seemingly a long ways away. Gradually this storm moved closer and by 10:15 p.m. it was very close by. The wind howled and gusted so hard that the little hut shuddered and rattled like crazy. Each gust of wind felt like a wave crashing into the hut. Lightning flashed all around. The roar of the wind, for the most part, covered up the sound of the thunder but you could hear it echo and roar in between gusts.

It was scary for awhile there as we sat in this metal hut perched on this little plateau – propane tanks right outside. I was wishing I’d stuck in my earplugs and gone to sleep before the storm arrived but I had been engrossed in a very good book. The lucky guys who fell asleep before the storm hit were obliviously snoring away in their bunks.

I found it so odd that throughout the storm the crickets chirped constantly as if it was a peaceful summer evening. The rain started falling and smelled so good!  I lay awake in unease from the severity of the storm, thinking about the clay roads we’d be riding the next morning and hoping the rainfall would be short-lived.

 

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Durango to Moab Mountain Bike Trip: Day 2

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Mountain biking, nature, Photography, travel, wildlife

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, challenge, Colorado, cool stuff, endurance, exercise, Hut-to-Hut, La Sals, mountains, outdoors, recreation, San Juans, scenery, trails

Day 2 stats as listed on the hut-to-hut site:

29 miles, 3722′ ascent, 4450′ descent, max. elevation 11,420′

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Morning fog at Bolam Hut

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Setting off on day 2 of riding.

The weather gods were on our side today, although it didn’t seem like it at first. We awoke to clouds and a very cold hut and there was fresh snow down low on the mountains around us. We were rained on just after we left the hut and it stayed chilly for a while.

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Yikes!

This first of 3 crashed/destroyed old vehicles we saw on the trip.

This first of 3 crashed/destroyed old vehicles we saw on the trip.

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Hut #2

Black Mesa hut.

Hut #2

Typical hut scene.

Trail behind hut leading to sweet view!

Trail behind hut leading to sweet view!

Taking it all in.

Taking it all in.

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Happy to be there.

Glenn made us some nachos when we arrived. JoJo (not his real name) made Mac ‘n Cheese with spam for dinner (don’t judge- you use what you have available up there – and it was good!) and peas, and Cresen made a peach and pear cobbler on top of the wood stove.

Unfortunately, there were tons of mosquitoes out, so we spent most of our time there INSIDE the hut. Another good reason to choose those you do this with wisely!

Day 3 photos and notes to be published soon!

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Photos from Hut-to-Hut Mountain Biking in the Mt. Hood National Forest

06 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Good Stuff in or near Bend, mountain biking, Outdoor Sports, Races & Endurance Events

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

adventure, Bend Oregon, cool stuff, Dog River Hut, exercise, Fivemile Hut, fun, Hut-to-Hut, mountain biking, mountains, mt biking, Mt. Hood, mtb, nature, Oregon, outdoors, photography, recreation, scenery

 

Mt. Hood as seen from the Dog River Hut on our first night.

Mt. Hood as seen from the Dog River Hut on our first night.

The Dog River Hut

The Dog River Hut

A much clearer view of Mt. Hood in the earlier morning light.

A much clearer view of Mt. Hood in the earlier morning light.

Time to relax and enjoy the view.

Time to relax and enjoy the view.

Breathtaking scenery.

Stunning scenery

Not sure if this is Mt. Rainier or Mt. Adams

Mt. Adams peeking around at us.

Five Mile Hut, our accommodations for night #2.

Fivemile Hut, our accommodations for night #2.

At the end of the trip, heading back to the truck.

At the end of the trip, heading back to the truck.

 

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2014 TransRockies Run 3

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Endurance events, Outdoor Sports, Races & Endurance Events, Trail Running, TransRockies 2014

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventure, endurance, exercise, outdoors, running, scenery, trail racing, trail running, trailrunning, trails, TransRockies, ultrarunning

Just a few weeks ago, I was seriously considering taking a hiatus from running.  I was midway through day 3 of the TransRockies Run3, a 3-day stage run. During the first two days of the event I’d covered 34 miles and climbed 5700′ at elevations ranging from 7000-12,000′.  Here I was, on day 3, somewhere along the 2nd half of a 24-mile course and having stomach issues. Yes, indeed, thoughts of not running for a while were making me very happy.

Although the TransRockies Run had been on my calendar for over 2 years, I hadn’t been on any runs longer than 16 miles and half of that 16 miles was an uphill power hike.  As far as back-to-back long runs go, I’d done two in preparation. My anxiety was exacerbated by the weather forecast as I watched it roll out a series of thunderstorms, typical for summer in the mountains of Colorado. To fill you in, you should know that I’ve developed some post traumatic stress issues over the past few years from being out and about in the wrong places during some wild thunderstorms, so as I headed off to run the TransRockies I was opting for a bear encounter (or several) over lightning, as if I had a choice.

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The starting line in Buena Vista

 Stage 1 (20.8 miles, 2500′ of elevation gain):

This stage is typically a hot one although it was definitely cooler this year than it has been in years past. At a much lower elevation than the remaining stages, the course seems to primarily follow double track or dirt roads, meaning there are many open areas without much shade to be found. I have a very unhappy relationship with blazing sunshine after having lived in Las Vegas for 25 years. Although I recently moved away, I still haven’t quite recovered.

We started out on Stage 1 from Main Street in Buena Vista and from here ran briefly on pavement to a footbridge crossing the Arkansas River. A traffic jam was created as the crowd funneled onto a narrow footbridge. On the other side of the footbridge was a singletrack, uphill trail. Runners were packed in tightly on the trail with no room to run. We were all forced into a march up the hill until the course opened up into double track.

Checkpoint 1 was 7 miles from the start and also at the highest point of the course. It seemed to take me forever to get there. Two of us girls waited there for our 3rd girlfriend who was struggling up the hill as I had been. Upon her arrival, we quickly headed back out with about 14 miles to go.

CP1 volunteer

CP1 making things fun!

I don’t remember much in detail about the course from CP1 to C2 and CP3. I do remember that it was sunny and quite warm, we went through sandy washes and up over rolling hillsides, through an area with a creek or marsh and lots of mosquitoes, and that there were some really great views. Between the sun exposure and the dirt roads/double track, I have to say that this was definitely not my favorite stage. No matter how beautiful I found the scenery to be, I struggled.

The last 4 miles, from CP3 to the finish, were flat and on a wide dirt road. There was a bit of vehicle traffic on this road but all were cautious and polite, and they tried to not dust us as they passed by. We were fortunate on this section to have some clouds occasionally drift in front of the sun, giving us a little break. Even so, I ended up power walking this entire section in to the finish. No matter how badly I wanted to run and be done, I couldn’t get my legs to move much faster. Even so, I managed to pass a couple of people on this section and upon hitting the finish line I headed straight to the river to soak before catching the shuttle to camp.

Stage 2 (13.4 miles, 3200′ of elevation gain):

Having been allowed to run stage 2 a couple of years back when I was an “embedded trail reporter” for GORE, I was super excited to be doing it again. The scenery is spectacular and this stage feels a bit magical to me.  I’m not sure if it’s the spectacular course, the elevation, the views, or knowing of those greats who’ve been there before. Likely, it’s a combination of all of these.

This stages starts from Vicksburg, about a 30-minute shuttle ride from camp. We ran a gravel road approximately 1.7 miles to CP1, which lies at the beginning of the singletrack heading up to Hope Pass. The last time I ran this, the gravelly road section seemed to go on and on but this time it went by quickly and I soon found myself caught in the slow flow of other heavy breathers trudging along in a zone that didn’t offer up room enough or adequate oxygen for passing.  We stayed together in a little group. When the person in the front got tired they would step aside to let the rest of the group pass, then they would fall in line at the back of the pack. We worked our way up to Hope Pass in this fashion, gradually spreading out farther and farther apart as we neared the top.

Heading up to Hope Pass

Heading up to Hope Pass

At the pass, cameras were passed around and many a picture snapped; no one wanted to miss out on such an amazing (what may be a once-in-a-lifetime for some) photo op.

Me, at Hope Pass, looking back toward the side we came up.

Me, at Hope Pass, looking back toward the side we came up.

Selfie at Hope Pass facing, our way back down in the background.

Selfie at Hope Pass with the trail we would be headed down on in the background.

One might think the uphill climb to the pass is the toughest part of this stage, it certainly would appear so, and I think that’s the part that most of us were worried about. However, the remainder of that stage wasn’t exactly cake either. Rocky, gravelly singletrack and wide open exposure teamed together with gravity to pull you down from the pass– ready or not. It was slippery, steep, and loose but only for a short while. When the rocky steepness eased up enough to allow for longer strides, my feet pounded that trail so hard it seemed the ground should be shaking. At times I felt like a train, churning down the hill and picking up momentum as I went.  Other times found me engaged in a graceful dance with the terrain beneath me, the rocky trail as my partner effortlessly guiding me along.

There was so much downhill during this stage that this dirty girl and lover of the downhill actually started enjoying the little uphill segments that came along. They allowed me to ease off on the concentration game and also gave my legs a much-needed break.

Having taken so long to complete this stage the last time I was here, (I had been taking pictures and video along the way) this time I wanted to finish it out a bit quicker. I’m happy to say I did just that and was quite pleased with my performance, especially so following my incredibly long, 21-mile slog the day prior.

After crossing the finish line, we grabbed some snacks and went off for a short soak in the lake. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a few raindrops hit while we waited in line for the shuttle to take us to camp.

Stage 3 (24.3 miles, 2700′ of elevation gain):

The Stage 3 start line in Leadville

The Stage 3 start line in Leadville

Day 3 was finally here, it had been taunting me for days. I’d barely done any back-to-back days ever and here I was about to start on the third day in a row of long, challenging runs. I had no doubts about finishing, just uncertainty as to how long I’d be out there, how my legs (which felt great so far) would hold up, weather, etc.

It was chilly in Leadville at the start but a beautiful day it was. We headed out from downtown Leadville on pavement, connecting with Highway 24 and running alongside it. I think I mentioned before that I’m not a lover of pavement runs, fortunately this only lasted for about 2.5 miles before we started climbing on a dirt road. While the rest of my body felt great, just a bit tired, my stomach decided it was done with this race stuff. It felt heavy and made me completely uncomfortable, which slowed me to a walk for more miles than I would have liked.

Scenery during stage 3

Scenery during stage 3

 

More gorgeousness from stage 3

More from stage 3

We dodged many a mud puddle during this stage and went through long sections of muddy roads with mud so thick in places we would slide around while struggling to remain upright. There were also a few more significant creek crossings along this stage but my shoes (Brooks Adrenaline ASR 11) and socks (Icebreaker) drained well and dried quickly, keeping me from getting any hot spots or blisters.

The Continental Divide

The Continental Divide

CP2 was at Ski Cooper and we left there on a short section of pavement, crossing Highway 24 at Tennessee Pass on the Continental Divide. I was super excited knowing we were running the Continental Divide/Colorado Trails and my stomach apparently was happy too as the discomfort faded away here. Luckily so, because we got onto some singletrack trails so beautiful and fun that I would have cried had I been forced to walk them. They were flowy, yet at times root-filled and rocky, fun stuff to run. I snapped back to life here.

For the last hour and a half or so of my run, rain fell steadily but softly. I got into a groove behind a male/female team and stayed with them as we hauled butt down some sweet trails and in to CP3. From here it was only another 3 miles down dirt road to the finish line and camp.

Earlier in the day, I’d offered up to the weather gods a pummeling on these last 3 miles in (I was even willing to suffer through a thunderstorm on this last section) in exchange for lightning staying at bay during the early parts of the stage when we were higher up and more exposed. So, it was no surprise to me to find headwinds pushing against me and raindrops pelting my face as I left CP3.

Camp Hale

Camp Hale

Nighttime at Camp Hale at the close of Run3 just before the skies opened up and dumped rain.

Just a few of the tent city tents at Camp Hale

I could see the finish line way off in the distance and I broke down and cried for a minute. I was almost done. We (my 2 girlfriends and I) had done this. I knew one of my friends was ahead of me and likely done already and I knew one was still working her way along behind me and that she would eventually power her way to the finish as well. I was filled with pride for all of us. We had gone into this with each of us tormented by our own fears; fears of not having trained enough, of not making time cutoffs, of our bodies breaking down, of bears, of lightning, and we came through unscathed, stronger than ever.

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Oh, and back to that running hiatus I mentioned, within a day of returning home I signed up for a local 50k. Yep, that’s how I roll — onward.

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Food, Gear and Beer in the Grand Canyon

10 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Hiking, Photography, Trail Running

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adventure, cool stuff, exercise, Grand Canyon, hiking, nature, outdoors, running, scenery, trail running, trails, travel, wildlife

 

 

 

 

 

 

My latest at Breathe magazine:   Food, Gear and Beer in the Grand Canyon12783989555_ea64b401af_b

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Running Inspired, Unfazed, and Warm

28 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Trail Running, Writings & Musings

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cold weather, exercise, freezing fog, ice, inspiration, motivation, outdoors, promises, running, self discovery, trailrunning

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I saw you this morning, barely. It was 5 a.m. and dark, but there you were – a silhouette in the fog. The icy mist didn’t stop you. The sign at the fairgrounds said 20 degrees. The weather man said freezing fog. There you were, running, unfazed.

I stayed in all day, occasionally checking the temperature outside. It seemed to be stuck at 25. The frosty white surface of the patio kept catching my eye. I was cold even inside the house, or maybe just inside my head.

Restless we were, the dog and I. I had promised myself I’d walk her regularly. And so we walked, one of us with many layers of clothing on, wimpy from years of Vegas sun.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the girl head our way. She came bounding past us wearing running tights and what looked to be maybe her grandma’s old sweater. No hat, a buff covered her ears. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked warm.

As I stood there waiting for the dog to finish up, the cold crept in along my neck and stung my face. I wanted to be warm too. I wanted to run.

Back at the house I wasted no time, fearing the warmth and comfort of home would seep into my mind, melting it back into passivity once more. As I gathered my gear, the cool gray skies glared at me through the windows like a big bully just daring me to step outside. The light grew dimmer, it seemed the sun was being bullied too.

But I had another promise to uphold. Not only had I promised myself I’d walk the dog often but I also promised myself I’d run regularly. With that in mind, out the door and down to the river trail I flew, inspired by those who came before me this day, seemingly unfazed, warmer with each step, and hoping to perhaps inspire as well.

Where do you find your inspiration?

No polar vortex here in Bend, just the usual mix of winter weather alternating between sunny days and pogonip. And, as of today, freezing rain that turned the roads into ice skating rinks. This post stemmed from yesterday’s events. I know there’s a lot worse weather out there that runners are dealing with.

When you have challenging weather where you live, where do you find your inspiration?

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Angel’s Rest, Columbia River Gorge

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by dirtylittlerunnergirl in Hiking, Trail Running

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adventure, exercise, fun, hiking, nature, Oregon, outdoors, recreation, scenery, trailrunning, trails, waterfalls, wildlife

Stunning views while hiking with my big brother today along the Columbia Gorge just outside Portland, Oregon.

Glad we challenged the threatening skies and headed up the trail, the weather turned out to be beautiful. Warm sunshine broke through the clouds on occasion, heating up the damp forest, which in turn emitted some of the most amazing scents. If they could only be bottled!

In addition to sweet views, this trail provided a great little workout with an elevation gain of 1582′ on this 4.25-mile roundtrip hike.

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Angel’s Rest, Columbia River Gorge, a set on Flickr.

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