Almost There!!

Totally amazing day people!

I almost made it all the way! Peak 8 is such a reality...I can hardly stand it!

(Heading back up!)

Now, I had not anticipated making it as far as I did but I cannot be happier that I went those extra steps today. When I took off this afternoon, I really only wanted to get about 1/2 way up the mountain and then turn around and reassess what I would have to do/need to make it all the way to the summit. I took off at a slow pace and really just tried to get a feel for the trails and the twists and turns a long with way. I won't lie... my legs and lungs burned! The hills were so rocky and steep. Each time I got to the top of one I would peak over, hoping to see some flat ground, only to see another set of rolling rocky hills!  It was hard to get discouraged though. Each time I thought I wanted to rest, I would just look straight ahead and see all the beautiful snow ahead. It was literally calling me. I cannot wait to stand on the very top and look all around!

(Trails)

(Lots of rock)

Tonight is calling for more snow at the higher elevations, so my next trip up could be very different than this one. I doubt I will see another 59 degree day with bright sun and high winds. I only had to wear a t-shirt and long pants on this run. The trails were dry and the snow was isolated to the very top of the mountain. If it snows again I will have to figure out how much and what type of clothing to take. Today's run only consisted of a hydration belt. If the temperature drops and I have to carry extra clothing I may have to carry my Camel Bak for storage. One things for sure, I will be taking more water. I went up with my UD hydration belt with one bottle of water. I had finished it just about 1/2 up. Tonight I purchased a second bottle with a hand belt, so hopefully I will be better prepared.

Anyway, after returning home from my amazing experience...things changed (but turned out wonderfully in the end.)

Now, if you read the blog from yesterday then you remember me mentioning that Team Grand Timber would be splitting up, with both the fun run at the Vertical Runner and a special event being covered for this entry. Well, turns out that we only have the fun run to share. Yesterday, I placed a call to the Boulder Running Company and left a message explaining that I wanted to reserve 2 tickets for Kilian Jornet's Q&A, but would be making a 2 hour drive to get there and could not just run in the store and grab them. I thought we were good to go until last night when the BRC website was pulled up and I was informed it was SOLD OUT. Yes, if you heard the sound of something breaking, it was my heart hitting the ground here in Colorado. I was crushed. I feel bad to admit it...but I got teared up. Now, as self proclaimed #1 SOML fan, I will admit...I had no clue. I really had not been paying attention to anything like that and never would have thought something would pop up in Boulder. Turns out they had 300 tickets to sell and I may have missed the boat. I got a call this morning from BRC and was told they had "skipped over some messages" and were now trying to figure out what to do, as they were "shocked" that it sold out. They told me they would call at 3:00 and let me know if they could do anything. Turns out they could not, so if you heard a random squishing sound at around 5:00 EST, it was my crushed heart being mashed into the floor.

So, as you can imagine, I was forced to "put on my big girl panties" (much love to Melodie) and get over it. That may have been the best decision I made all day.

Tonight we made it down to the Vertical Runner for the fun run with Sage Canaday and Ian Sharman. It was such a great event. Scott Running was also there and had plenty of demo shoes (both road and trail) to try on. Their reps were super knowledgeable and the runners even helped with fit and style questions. It was so neat to interact with them in such an intimate setting. To be able to discuss what I had done earlier in the day, what the conditions were up there, etc...with someone like Sage Canaday...it was just mind blowing! Oh...and let me tell you...his sister (who is also a coach)...is the greatest person on the planet. What a great group of people! Now,my legs were trashed from my little adventure today, so I only ended up taking some Scott demo shoes for a "run around the block"...but a group of about 15 or so got to take off and run the beginning portion of UROC. Now, it was described as a "casual fun run", but I was in awe of Ian Sharman when he literally took off like a rocket towards the trails! I also can't say enough about the Vertical Runner team and Scott Running. They made everyone, no matter what level of runner they were, feel like an elite. I am really going to miss that shop when I go home!

(New Stuff!)

After that, it was off to the Breckenridge Brewery and then a nice walk through downtown before heading home. Such a wonderful evening....it just keeps getting better!


For now that is it. I am forced to quit typing. In the past 10 minutes I have had reject Star Wars (Lego edition) from being allowed on the TV and now my skiing ability is being made fun of as Late On 8 is on showcasing Skimo. I can't win on somethings!