Green Mountain!

Today was AWESOME!

Bear with me as I know I can sound like a broken-record saying that :)

Today Zach, Shannon, and myself decided to head up towards Boulder and ascend Green Mountain!  Green Mountain has been on my bucket-list ever since seeing this and because we had a few hours to kill before we could check-in at our hotel we decided to do it!

Unfortunately upon arriving the storms and conditions over the past few days had really taken a toll on the lower trails rendering them to a soupy, muddy mess....  Mud so deep and thick each step almost stole my shoe! :(

The beginning was beyond gross...storms had rendered the trails to a soupy mess.

Thankfully once we started up the mountain and into the treeline the trails firmed up which made the ascent infinitely more enjoyable!  Heading up the mountain we identified a noticeable change in temperature too - something visually apparent when little pieces of ice started dropping from the trees around us!

Found a little chipmunk friend :)

The ascent took us about two hours.  I use to do quite a bit of climbing and hiking back in the Eastern Sierras but I had forgotten how strenuous ascending peaks at altitude can be!  I wore my Ravenna 6's this time and though they held up perfectly fine my ankles did take a bit of a beating from a few twists and slips...

Me!

Zach and Shannon!

This was bolted to the cairn at the top of the peak, on a clear day you could identify these various peaks in the distance from the summit!

The hike down was infinitely easier and quicker than the ascent up.  It did start snowing on us a little bit which I thought was really cool as I hadn't 'seen it snow' in well...before I can remember....  Though our ascent was pretty lonely, on the way down we did start seeing quite a few runners which was awesome - especially those rockin' new Cascadias!

Heading back to the truck....

 After getting back to the truck we all headed to SINK - one of the oldest restaurants in Boulder - to warm-up and replenish the lost calories!

Fried chicken and waffles?  #Nomnomnom

I decided to forgo the group run tonight at Boulder Running Company.  Between my run this morning and Green Mountain my legs and ankles are thoroughly shot.  It was great to be scrambling up a peak again though!  Now that Green Mountain has been conquered I'm looking into tagging another before my stay is over - Bear Mountain perhaps?

Today I also learned some ROCKIN although bittersweet news....  With the tour coming to an end, it was brought up that perhaps it'd be best if I flew out of Denver to San Diego on May 27th after our last event in lieu of riding with Zach and Shannon back to Seattle.  While Zach and Shannon have family back in Seattle and the DSD has to be returned there, I have no reason.  I'm STOKED to be getting back into San Diego in time for Bike To Work Day and Rock 'n' Roll San Diego but I am a little sad it's all coming to an end!  The past three months have literally flown by.  I'm really thankful now though that I kept this blog :) as it'll be cool to revisit and look back on such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Even if nothing else amounts from this experience, I am so thankful to Brooks Running for allowing me to be part of it.  Right now I'm hoping for one last hurrah by helping out the other Run Happy Island (Ray!  Remember Ray?!) at Rock 'n' Roll San Diego!

Until tomorrow ya'll :)

#RunHappy

Colorado!

Today we're finishing the drive to Colorado for BolderBoulder next Monday!  Less than 5 hours on the road today!

I'm really excited!  Once there I definitely want to find my way to Green Mountain and do some running and even look into the possibility of bagging a nearby 14k'er :) a trip to REI may be in order....

I'm hoping we have fair weather for the duration of our stay.  It'll be cool to just explore downtown for a day and scout out local coffee shops!

Today before hitting the road I was able to get in a little run along the path adjacent to our hotel.  Beautiful little path!  It feels good to be consistently running again but can definitely tell my legs are still getting use to it. 

Path near our hotel in Nebraska.

That evening...

We're here!  Denver, Colorado!  While we were originally going to stay in the Westminster-area the hotel we were scheduled for was overbooked so they moved us to another property in downtown Denver.  We did manage to get 30,000 Hilton Points out of the deal plus a free-night which will be GREAT in keeping our per-diem down so it's a win-win situation :) We'll be back in Westminster tomorrow.

I'm SO EXCITED FOR TOMORROW!  I'm familiarizing myself with Denver-RTD right now as there's a station right next to our Westminster hotel.  I'll be able to take the bus directly into Boulder to do some exploring!  Think I'll even take Zach's bike along :)  Also I found a group run at Boulder Running Company I'm going to try to attend tomorrow evening!  Zach and Shannon seem to have some plans of their own so it'll work out perfectly.  One of my good friends - Sarah Swiss - who use to work for Brooks Running (and was on a previous tour...) will be in the area Thursday-Monday for BolderBoulder too!

Well it's time to wrap this up and start a foamrolling session.  Super stoked to be in Colorado and can't wait to make the most out of the next couple of days :)

#RunHappy

All we do is drive, drive, drive (the sequel)...

Today is day two of our three day drive westward to Colorado!  We should be somewhere in Nebraska by sundown!  Today should be a little bit of a shorter day than yesterday.

Had a great run this morning and ready to get on the road!

Later that day...

We're here!  Not Boulder, but Kearney, Nebraska where we're staying!  Beautiful little trail path back behind our hotel :) can't wait for tomorrow!  Time to foamroll and stretch before bedtime...goodnight ya'll!

#RunHappy

West Coast Best Coast

I always wait until the very last moment before settling in the truck for a long day on the road....

Today we start the drive to Colorado!  Tentatively we're aiming to kill about 550 miles today; arriving in in Boulder Tuesday evening.  IM SO EXCITED!  I'm ecstatic to explore Boulder but just as excited to head westward and closer to CALIFORNIA!

Goodbye Cleveland!  Hmmm...tasty...

Before starting the drive today I did manage to get in a little morning run, taking it to a cemetery just down the road from our hotel.  Definitely a little humid; 4 miles at about a 6:40/pace, I was soaked.  Gotta admit, I was feeling bad for those people out there running the Cleveland Marathon today!

Well then....

Later that day...

We're here!  Iowa!  Tomorrow is a little bit of a shorter day on the road and one-step closer to Colorado!  Looks like the hotel we're staying at is near a quarry.  Think tomorrow morning I'll do some exploring before breakfast :)

#RunHappy

Cleveland Marathon Expo Day 2

Today was good.  I am exhausted and thankful.  Tomorrow we start the lonnngggg drive to Colorado!  550ish miles planned or 8 hours of driving...BRING IT! 

Down for the count!  Just two more events before the 2015 Run Happy Island Spring tour concludes! 

Hoping to get in about 4 miles before we take off tomorrow :)

#RunHappy 

Cleveland Marathon Expo Day 1

Today was the first day of the Cleveland Marathon expo!  Once again, we had Blaize and his fiancee - Shannon - in town to assist us as well as Fleet Feet Cleveland!  Anyone who has ever worked a major marathon expo knows that the first day is always substantially slower than the last - today was no exception.  Though a bit on the slow side, we still managed to stay fairly busy and had lots of visitors come through our prize-table and gait-analysis!  :)

We just got back to the hotel and are about to grab dinner and a drink at the Winking Lizard Tavern (what a name...right?).  Looking forward to tomorrow!  Sometimes I think these events wear on me a little differently than most....  I love to interact with the visitors and even when my throat is scratchy from talking for 8 hours straight I still derive so much satisfaction from each engagement.  Maybe I'm just lonely?  Or crazy?  Who knows.

Until tomorrow...

#RunHappy

O-H-I-O!

Today was AWESOME!  So many things to say and write about but then again pictures are worth a thousand words and I have plenty of those!

This morning was the day we were to deliver the DSD to the expo-hall for the Cleveland Marathon expo tomorrow!  Downtown Cleveland is quite the character....  Narrow roads, looping pathways, and  drawbridges seem to be the most ubiquitous characteristics of the city.  One thing I do love about the older cities (St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, etc) we've visited is the presence of all the old brick and ironwork; it really gives the urban landscape a unique charm.  Once abandoned - unlike modern buildings that would undoubtedly fall into disrepair rapidly - such structures simply stand derelict like remnants of a forgone greatness.

Approaching downtown Cleveland through the Tremont neighborhood...DSD AHOY!

C'mon...you're smiling too...

We took about two hours to unload and clean-up the DSD for the expo tomorrow.  I was very thankful to discover it wasn't as gross as I was expecting!  Everything was still a little damp and musty from the rain we've been having but nothing a good wipe-down and some Febreeze couldn't fix! :)  After unloading and exploring downtown Cleveland for a bit we all went and grabbed some of the most delicious, gut-busting, grilled-cheese sandwiches for lunch you could possibly imagine (no pictures)!

Key topper?  Knife guard?  You decide.

As I mentioned yesterday, there is a national park/nature preserve just about a mile from where we're staying outside of Cleveland.  Today I was determined to do some exploring  after my lunch settled down.  

After napping for about an hour I laced up my Glycerin 12's and started my run to Cuyahoga National Park!  The whole area was BEAUTIFUL!  Lush greenery, hard-packed dirt trails, and a river cutting through the entirety of it.  Not quite as technical as I was hoping but an awesome experience nonetheless.  

Mmmmm.... :)

I'm trying to think of a clever caption for this but I'm at a loss.

Ombre' Glycerin 12's - my mileage shoe 

10k at about a 6:20/pace.  Feeling GOOD!

Tomorrow is the first day of the Cleveland Marathon expo!  I'm excited to get back to work - I love my job and I love staying busy plus Blaize and his fiance' will be back with us!  

Next week at this time we'll be in Colorado...imagine that....

#RunHappy