Winding It Down

Hike up Tenderfoot Mountain

August 2014

 

Hey y'all! I just got back from the Farmer's Market here in Dillon. It's been one of my Friday highlights. Love, love a farmer's market! I've just bought some of the plumpest corn I've ever seen. The farmer said, "This corn is the bomb! It's from Pueblo." HaHa! Hope it doesn't explode in the microwave. Have you ever microwaved your corn, shucks and all? I'm telling you, it's the way to go. Just throw a ear of corn in the microwave, left completely in the shucks, and heat for 3 minutes. It will be steamy hot when you pull it out. I grab it with a paper towel and peel back the shucks and the silk just pulls right off. Perfection!

 

Anyway, I was actually going to keep this post short, but as it turns out, I have lots to tell you. Cliff and I are winding down our Colorado trip. I know I sound like a broken record here, but this place is breathtakingly beautiful. There is 360 degrees of pure gorgeousness! I love how one minute you are in long pants and a jacket and the next, you're in shorts and short sleeves. I've learned to be prepared when stepping out the door. I've gotten caught in the rain several times, also. As a matter of fact, right now, the sun is shining so brightly and it's misting rain. We have slept with the windows and doors open every night. And let me tell you, it's been in the 40's every night. But, we just snuggle up and enjoy it because we know before long, it's back to the heat and humidity. I could definitely get used to the climate out here. However, the thin air is another thing. I am looking forward to being able to breathe again, without effort.

 

Last weekend, Whitney and I did our last long run....9.1 miles. We ran down the second crookedest street in the world.....and of course, it was all downhill. Remember, the one I called switchback city? So anyway, we went 5 miles out and turned around at Cliff's triathlon spot and headed back. The closer we got back to the condo, the more the clouds were rolling in. And just when we got back to switchback city, Cliff and Jason pulled up to take us home. I really wanted to finish the 10 miles, but they insisted that we were getting ready to get caught in a big storm with lightning. So Whitney and I called the long run, done!

 

On Sunday, Whitney, Jason, Cliff and I went on a short hike up Tenderfoot Mountain. It was an easy hike, and once again, so beautiful! This trail has reported bears in the area. I'm sure glad we didn't see any, but I was hoping to at least see a moose. They frequent the area around Lake Dillon. But, no moose sightings, either. The picture above is one from the hike with Lake Dillon in the back ground. You see what I mean? Isn't it breathtaking?

 

Here are a couple more pictures from that hike:

 

The Tenderfoot Mountain Trail meandering off into the distance.

Tree stumps, wild flowers and the lake in the background. Ahhh!

 

More wildflowers. I love purple flowers of any kind! Oh, by the way, do you see the fallen trees in the background? There's a pine beetle infestation here that's killing off the pine trees. I don't know how they are treating the problem, but we have seen so many dead trees standing and some cut down. It's so sad!

 

 

 

Oh, wait! On a run the other day, Cliff and I saw runners coming toward us with numbers on. We saw a group cheering on the runners and stopped to ask about the race. As it turns out, there was a Ragnar 200 Relay Race going on.  The leg these guys were running was 10 miles. They began at Copper Mountain and raced all the way around that chain....through Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Frisco and I think, finish up at Vail. Two hundred miles of running hills is not for the faint of heart, but it was a relay race so I guess it wasn't too bad. They seemed to be having a ball.  This particular group was from Utah. I don't know any of them in this picture, but who knows....maybe someone reading this blog will. I wish I had gotten their email so that I could send them the picture....it turned out pretty good. And of course, that's Cliff in the back.

 

So, that's it for today. The Revel Rockies Half-Marathon is Sunday.  Ready or not, Whitney and I will be there. To top it off, I have been battling a cold all week. I could barely breathe, yesterday, on my run. I hope this won't be an issue. But honey lamb, nothing is keeping me from this race. I've been looking forward to it all summer. Worst case scenario, I won't have a PR (personal record). I am feeling better today, fingers crossed that I'm on the mend. So, it's off to Denver tomorrow for packet pick-up and then to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Yum!!!

 

I'll be back with another post highlighting the half-marathon next week. For now, have a great weekend!

 

Running the Rockies,

Laurie

 

P.S. On one of our rides, Cliff and I found a cemetery unlike any I've ever seen. I'm going back to take pictures. I'll post those soon, too.

The 14'er and Take Your Pick....12, 13 or 15 Miles

Cliff, Whitney, Jason and two of their friends hiked Mt. Elbert (elevation 14,433'), Sunday. Their total roundtrip was 8.5 miles. It is the highest peak in Colorado, highest in the Rockies, and second highest in the contiguous United States. I didn't go. So, I can only tell you what they told me. The trail was good...as in well maintained...but, it was steep! Their research online named this climb a Class I (easy). However, this was Whitney and Jason's third 14'er and they said that it was far from easy. The temps up that high was possibly in the 30's or 40's, but they had plenty of sunshine. Descending was harder than hiking up. They felt they did not have complete control of their footsteps. You can imagine trying to walk down a sliding board.....I'm sure it felt much the same except that you had loose rocks to traverse, also.

Their plan, once at the bottom, was to stop in Leadville, CO for lunch. But, Leadville was having some sort of festival and finding a place that wasn't overly crowded wasn't happening. So, they headed back here to Dillon. Good thing I decided to cook dinner early because they came in tired, limping, quiet and HUNGRY! I cooked a huge pot of chicken pilau (pronounced per-lo), string beans, salad, pickles and for dessert....punch bowl cake (strawberry and angel food cake mixed with lots of other goodies). They feasted, then crashed. Ha!

Here are some pictures from their hike:

 

On their way up....hiking through an Aspen grove.

 

Coming through the tree line.

 

Steep and rocky. That's Whitney in the middle

and her friend Suzan in the yellow top.

Jason found some snow or ice or both.

Cliff and Jason, resting.

 

A view on the way up Mt. Elbert.

Another view and probably their destination.

Twin Lakes in the background.

 

They made it! This was Whitney and Jason's third 14'er and Cliff's first.

 

P.S. I have a couple of videos that Cliff took, but for the life of me can't get them to load here. I'll keep trying and post them at a later date, if I can figure it out.

 

************

 

12-mile run route. Dillon to Keystone.

 

I had my long run yesterday. Twelve miles. I was worried. I was having flashbacks of the eight-mile run last week that ended with me hugging the toilet. I wondered if I was truly acclimated or if running that far at an elevation of 9100' was a mistake. But, I had to try. My half-marathon is in two weeks. I started out feeling bad. I was feeling lethargic and my stomach was feeling a little nauseous. For the first one to two miles, I was breathing hard and I started thinking that maybe I should cut this run to ten miles. However, I started warming up and my breathing settled. Now, mind you, this run was an out and back and the out was almost all uphill. The uphill portions were not very steep at all, but enough to take what energy I had right out of me. My legs grew very tired. But, the scenery was gorgeous.

I ran from Dillon to Keystone and back. So, I had the mountains on my right going out and on my left coming back. The path mostly ran beside a river and because of all the rain we have had lately, the river was running extremely fast. The sound of the rushing water was so soothing that I almost didn't mind how tired I was becoming. Again, the oxygen up here is not as plentiful for this low country girl, so I'm sure that was a big part of my lethargy. The run back to Dillon was much easier as it was almost all downhill. It was a gentle descent.....that was surely welcomed and was also good training for my half. It is supposedly all downhill.

Cliff was flanking me on his mountain bike with oranges and Gatorade and some of his special brew that he uses on his bike rides. I can't remember what it's called. Normally, I don't like it, but yesterday it was like manna. I also had my favorite GU gels - Espresso Love.  I am quite ashamed of myself because Cliff was being so good to me and I was in such an ill state that I may have smarted off at him a couple of times. But, thank God, when it comes to him.....love is blind. He overlooks my moods and he even picked up a rock for me out of the river. Bless it!!!

Remember that steep, steep hill I told you about the other day that was at the foot of the condo? Well, yes, I had to climb it at the end of this very tiring run. I'm so sorry, but I just couldn't run another step. I felt like crawling, felt like lying down on the path for awhile, felt like leaning up against the rock wall, felt like crying, felt like lassoing a rope around Cliff's bike and having him pull me up and I felt like I was just not going to make it. But once again, walking very slowly, I couldn't stand up straight, I couldn't talk and I could barely breathe, but I made it!

Now, the distance is not conclusive and this makes me crazy. I am detail oriented and I want my mileage to be exact. My Garmin watch said 12 miles. I had to run around the condo parking lot to make it an even 12. Ha! See, I'm telling you....it has to be dead on. And then, when I checked the Map My Run app on my phone, it said I had been 13.37 miles. OMG! So, I did what any runner would do that has to know for danged sure their exact mileage....I went to Google Earth and measured the path and Google Earth said it was over 15 miles. OK.....now I am truly going crazy. For my peace of mind and to put this thing to a rest, I am calling it 12 miles. Although, for the records, I believe that due to a test Cliff and I did on my Garmin and the Map My Run app a few weeks ago, that the actual mileage is closer to the Map My Run app because of the amount of points it plots on the map. Technical stuff that I know not much of......and to keep my sanity, I chose to go conservative and use the mileage on the Garmin watch.

Here are a few pictures I took while running:

They actually have golf courses up here. It is beyond me! This bridge ran through it.

View from the bridge.

Breathtaking!

And, Cliff took this one. He got up close and personal.

Most likely, this is where he picked up my rock.

So, the adventure continues and I'll post again soon. Stay tuned.

Have a Happy Day,

Laurie

Summer 2014

Lake Dillon, Colorado

Hey y'all. Remember me? What? You thought I dropped off the face of the earth, didn't you? Nope, I'm still here. I have just had a busy, busy summer. Actually, I'm sort of on top of the world right now.....literally....at an elevation of  9100 ft., to be exact. Yep, Cliff and I are in Colorado. We are staying on the beautiful Lake Dillon....not far from Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper and Vail ski slopes. As we speak, I am looking at the mountains draped with clouds. The sun is actually peaking through today and I can see snow patches on the tops of a few of the mountains. You wonder how in the world, especially with the intense sun, can snow still be on the mountain top. Well, here at 9100 ft. it has been in the 60's during the day and 40's at night. I can only imagine how cold it must be at 14,000 ft. They call these 14'ers, by the way. Whitney and Jason love to hike them. As a matter of fact, they are taking Cliff on a 14'er hike this Sunday. They are going to hike Mt. Elbert. Apparently, at an elevation of 14,000+ feet, it is the second highest peak in the lower 48.

I'm not going! I didn't even get invited. Hang on, you'll see why.

Coming from sea level to 9100 ft. proved to be somewhat of an issue for me. Immediately upon arriving, I got a headache and couldn't breathe well. Then came some nausea, fatigue and not much of an appetite. After consulting with WebMD, I discovered that these, indeed, are symptoms of altitude sickness. I need to contact WebMD to let them know that there is another symptom.....bloodshot eyes.  The treatment is to take it easy, stay well hydrated, take something like Advil and even eating a high carb diet. If the symptoms don't subside in a couple of days, then they recommend going to a lower altitude or get this, go to an oxygen bar. Did you know they had those? Me either! But they do. And, you can buy cans of oxygen at the local sports store. Well, I am happy to report that I didn't need to go to the oxygen bar. I followed WebMD's advice and Jason bought me some altitude sickness pills. They helped, too.

We came here for exercise and training.....and well, to visit Whitney and Jason, of course. They are spending the weekends with us. This place is a mecca for exercise. You can literally walk right out of the door and be on a bike/run/walking trail. Our trail goes all the way around Lake Dillon, which happens to be about 18 miles. Great for Cliff's Ironman training for sure. He wasn't bothered with the lack of oxygen until he decided to do a triathlon in Silverthorne only 2 days after arriving here. He said he just could not get in enough oxygen on his swim. He probably felt like a fish out of water. It took him way longer than usual to finish the swim. I was starting to get worried. But alas, he emerged and was off on his bike. I knew he would recover on the bike....that's his thing. And the run wasn't too bad either. He placed 3rd in his age group. Go Cliff! 

Cliff and me at the finish of his triathlon...the Highest Triathlon in the World.

 

This little guy has a great sense of humor!

Even though I was experiencing some altitude sickness, I really wanted to try running. So Saturday, Whitney and I went for a 4-mile run. I say run loosely, of course, because I had to walk a lot. I was just coming back from a 2-week recovery break because of a hurt ankle. Not to mention, the running path was hilly. Uphills are a challenge anyway, but to run them in a 'lack of oxygen' state is far beyond challenging. It's downright brutal. We managed to finish the run and our time wasn't too shabby, considering. Downhills rock! And, the scenery....OMG! I don't know if there is anyplace any more beautiful. Well, maybe. But good land, this place is pure gorgeousness.

On a 4-mile run at Lake Dillon, CO.

 

Sunday, I rested after Cliff's Triathlon and then Monday, I needed to run 8 miles. I'm still in training for the Revel Rockies half-marathon....remember? I knew I would need some time to acclimate to the lack of oxygen, but I felt like after running 4 miles Saturday and not having any trouble that I could probably handle 8 miles. I started out slowly and was doing well. I ran around the lake to the dam, over the dam and into a very wooded area that led to a campground. By the time I got to the campground, I had ran about 4 miles and my water supply was gone. I saw a bathroom...decided I may as well and then was off to look for some water (primitive potty...no water). Surely, a campground would have some water. Well, everywhere I looked was primitive camping; no water hook ups. And then I saw a sign for the Camp Host and decided to take a chance. Sure enough, there was a water spigot outside his camp and I was able to fill up. I ate a GU gel and drank some water and was on the way back. Cliff was out on the bike, somewhere. He was finishing his ride and tracked me on his phone (we have an app called Find My Friends - great app!).  He saw that I was in a remote area and came looking for me. He found me just as I was leaving the campground, made sure I was ok and had plenty of water and then went on his way. It was a little warm that day and in hindsight, I think I may have been a little ambitious attempting 8 miles only three days after arriving from sea level. When I got back to the condo, I started feeling bad. I was getting nauseous. I showered, went straight to bed and tossed around like a beached whale trying to get back to the sea. And then it hit me......my breakfast, water, Gatorade and gels wanted out. And up they came. OMG, I was sick! I went to bed and rested for a long time. Physically or should I say fitness wise, I felt fine. I just needed oxygen. I felt bad for the next couple of days and then the altitude sickness seemed to just go away. I have acclimated, mostly! Yay!

Do you see the fox on the log? He was not afraid of us, at all.

Just going about his business of hunting dinner.

Yesterday, Cliff and I went for a bike/hike/run. It was so beautiful. We biked to the trailhead, then hiked through a meadow with wildflowers. We saw the fox, pictured above, pouncing on mice and he didn't even mind that we were there. We saw cute little chipmunks and small squirrels. And then, we entered the wooded portion of the hike, up the small mountain. At the top, we could see gorgeous views of the lake below and the surrounding mountains. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We took our time, stopped at the overlooks and finally made our way down on the other side to a dirt road that led back to the trailhead. We hiked up the hills on the mountain and ran the downhills. And, we ran the dirt road leading back to the trailhead and bikes. Back on the bikes now, it was starting to get chillier and the wind had picked up....and then came the rain. It didn't take us long to get back to the condo, but I was huffing and puffing just the same. There is a very steep hill as the path approaches the condo. I didn't think I would be able to ride the bike up, but Cliff told me how to gear the bike down and make it easier to pedal. I made it....I couldn't breathe, couldn't talk or even sit up straight, but I made it. And the thought of vomiting again was real. But, I didn't even do that. I was tired, but felt fine afterwards. I had made a breakthrough. Who needs oxygen, anyway? Our total miles for yesterday was 7.94 miles.

Here are a few pictures from our hike........

The meadow with the Lake Dillon in the background.

There were pretty wildflowers scattered all around the meadow.

You can't see them very well here.

 

A close-up of some of the wild flowers.

Cliff at one of the overlooks.

The trail back down the mountain.

The dirt road that leads back to the trail head.

You can vaguely see the condo in the background, across the lake.

And a view from the condo looking towards a part of the mountain where we hiked.

 

I have so many pictures that it is hard to pick and choose. I want to show you all of them, but I would be here until next week trying to download them. So, I'll have to share a few at a time.

Today, I am going on this neat run that is all downhill. I ran part of it Wednesday and then it started raining on me. You know The Weather Channel's motto....turn around, don't drown. I figured I better heed their warning. Anyway, have you ever seen the "crookedest street in the world" in San Francisco. Well, this section of the running path is almost that crooked. It's like switchback city and it's all downhill. Loved it! Hopefully, I can make the whole 5 miles today without getting drenched, again.

UPDATE: Today's 5-mile run was rained out. Figures. I need to get an earlier start. However, after lunch, Cliff and I did go on another short hike between rain showers. We are going to do the whole thing next week. It was another pretty one, so I'll be sure to bring my camera and share those pictures soon.

Well, after catching you up on the last few days, there is still so much more to tell. I'll have to do it in spurts. I don't think any of us can handle the whole whopping summer all at once. And I'll continue to share our Colorado adventure with you along the way.....pictures and all.

But for now, I'm going to bullet the summer highlights, thus far. I'll go in depth with those a little later on.

June and July:

• Lidia and Sawyer spent a whole lot of time with us this summer...LaLa Heaven!
• I've been running a lot. Had to take a couple of weeks off, early July, due to some tendonitis in my ankle....I'm better now and rearing to go.
• We bought a lake house on Lake Greenwood in SC....A total shocker.
• Lidia and Sawyer are now avid fisher children....Just wait until you hear this story.
• Lidia and Sawyer learned to kneeboard.....It was Deja Vu and pure joy.

Upcoming:

• Cliff, Whitney and Jason's 14'er on Mt. Elbert near Leadville, CO.
• Revel Rockies Half-Marathon - Whitney and me.
• Cliff's Ironman in Louisville, KY.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. I sure am!

Talk to you soon,

Laurie