I Suck at Grocery Shopping

Since I got out of school for the summer, I have been trying to grocery shop "right." To me, that means always remembering to bring my own cloth bags, using coupons, and using the grocery store sales flyers to make the most of our money. I have gotten really good about making a menu and a grocery list using the sales flyers and my coupon organizer (yes, I have a coupon organizer. Shut up.). But it seems like every time I go (I take Noah with me), I either forget the coupons or I forget the cloth bags. So I finally put the bags in the trunk of my car. I was all happy today because I remembered the coupons, but when I got to the register, I realized the bags were still in the trunk. It was too busy for my to say, "Just a sec" and run out and get them. Oh well, wish me luck next week!

Strength Training is Boring

As part of my training plan for Pikes (and because I am getting old and I know I need to do this anyway to stay healthy and strong), I have added strength training to my exercise routine. I am shooting for 30 minutes 3 times per week, but let's be honest, I am lucky to get in 2 of the workouts. If I get in today's workout, it will be the first time that I've actually done all three in one week. It is just so boring, even though I do the exercises right in front of the TV. I would really rather be sitting on the couch. I can see the difference though, especially in my arms. And underneath the layer of fat on my belly, there is definitely the hint of a six-pack. Wow, someday if I lay off the cheetos and candy, I could actually have a six-pack (yeah, right, like that's going to happen).

Pikes Peak Ascent Training Update

16 miles today. I am leaving as soon as I am done with this post so I can get them in before it gets too hot. I can't wait for next week. I only have to do 12 for my long run and that is going to feel great. I've been getting a little bored with my routes so I am trying a new loop today. I'm doing a 2 loop deal so I can come home and refill the water bottle so I don't have the same problems I had on my 15 miler last week. I woke up with a horrid headache, but some Advil should take care of that. OK, better get going!

Pictures from the Camping Trip

Looking up at the sky:

Dan getting ready to fish: Noah, all done fishing for the day:

Dan and Noah fishing on the shore of Turquoise Lake: Turquoise Lake with the sunset shining on the mountains above:

Dinner at camp:

Work? In the Summer?

Yes, I had to work today. It's ok though because it is extra money. And Noah is in school on Tuesdays so it worked out great. The only part that sucked was that I had to go be part of a pre-due process meeting. Basically that means that parents are threatening to sue the district and I was one of the service providers for the kid. I think all my bases are covered, but some other people are kinda hanging out there. Scary! Two hours in a room full of lawyers, special education directors, and coordinators! I don't recommend it.

Turquoise Lake Camping Trip

So we finally got our act together and made it out of Denver at about 1:00 on Friday. Noah slept almost all the way to Leadville, so it was a nice peaceful trip. After a stop at the Leadville Safeway for some essentials (you know, marshmallows and stuff), we went straight to the lake and to our campsite. Father Dyer Campground is beautiful! All forested with lodgepole pine and a short walk to the lake. I highly recommend it if you want to camp at Turquoise Lake, but all the campgrounds there were gorgeous.

We got our camp set up, Noah met the neighbors, and we had dinner. While Dan was cooking the brats, I met our campground hosts who recommended that I run the Turquoise Lake Trail for my 8 miler in the morning. They were from central Louisiana and I think they thought I must have rocks in my head when I asked them if they had a trail recommendation for my run that gained some elevation. The lady was very worried and kept saying, "Don't you need to take at least a day to acclimate?" and "Don't forget to take water and energy bars." Very sweet!

After dinner, Dan and I took Noah to fish down by the lake. We didn't catch anything, but we had a great time and took tons of pictures. I am too lazy to download them right now, so I will post them later.

Two hours later, we were making s'mores and then it was bedtime. Noah slept the whole night and didn't even need to pee until about 8:00 a.m. That's the most he's slept in for ages! The morning was great because Dan got up and made coffee, pancakes, and bacon. I stumbled out of bed to a fully cooked breakfast and hot coffee. Heaven!

The weather on Saturday was not so heavenly though. I did my run around the lake trail and it was cloudy, windy, and not too warm (although it really was pretty good running temperature). While I was running, I saw 2 families hiking, one other runner who looked like some kind of mountain man with his long hair and no shirt in spite of the cold, and 3 mountain bikers. It was a great trail, a little elevation gain, and nice and rugged.

I got back to camp just before noon and Dan and Noah were just setting up for lunch. Dan's plan was to have lunch and then ride his new road bike up over Fremont Pass. It started sprinkling just as he was leaving. By the time Noah and I went into the tent for nap less than an hour later, it was pouring. I was getting a little worried about Dan, but my cell reception was good so I figured he would call if he needed us. Noah and I both fell asleep and slept for about 2 hours. Maybe 10 minutes after we woke up, Dan called from the Safeway in Leadville asking, "Can you come get me?" He sounded horrible, like he was shivering uncontrollably, so Noah, Japhy, and I hopped in the car as quickly as we could and went to get him.

He was still shivering when we got there. He was already drinking coffee and that wasn't helping much, so we took him to the laundromat where he could get a hot shower. He also changed into the dry clothes Noah and I brought for him and that helped. By the time he finished the shower, he was doing much better. He said it was hailing on him as he was riding and getting colder and colder as he went up the pass, but he just kept thinking that it would stop raining any minute now....

It kept raining for most of the rest of the night, so instead of making turkey burgers in the rain at the campsite, we decided to eat dinner at this Mexican restaurant in Leadville called Casa Blanca. It was pretty good and their margaritas are crazy strong.

After another fairly decent night's sleep, Noah and I got up early on Father's Day and made coffee and breakfast for Dan: bacon, cheesy eggs, and whatever pancakes were leftover from the day before. Then we packed up camp, went fishing one more time (still didn't catch anything), and headed back to Denver. It was really nice to get away from the city and felt like a great mini-vacation. I came back very relaxed and very grateful that I live in Colorado.

Packing Up

We are packing up to go camping in the mountains this weekend. We're going to Turquoise Lake up by Leadville. Dan is going to do this huge bike ride up over Fremont Pass and I am going to do an 8 mile trail run that starts at 10,000 feet. I just hope there's not still snow up there on the trail.

What I Learned on my Long Run

I did 15 miles today. It was slow and painful, but I learned a few things:

1. Don't start a long run "only slightly dehydrated."
2. Don't wait until 9:45 to start a long run on a hot summer day.
3. My water bottle is NOT big enough for a 15-miler.
4. Those gels just make you want more water.
5. Don't "miss a spot" when you put on sunscreen.

On a more positive note, I also learned that these cute little lizards live by the new paved trail down by Plum Creek. And tons of butterflies! And tons of wildflowers! I also saw a mom and baby red hawk and one other lone red hawk. It's pretty down there, but I don't like having to run up at the end. I guess I'd better get used to it.

Noah's Visit to Dr. B

Dr. B is Noah's asthma doctor at National Jewish Hopsital. His last name is something like Bogdaniewiczqixmthduwkwofgfj, so he just has all the kids call him Dr. B. Works for me! Anyway, the wait was really long but Dr. B is always worth it. He is so great with Noah and he is one of the best asthma pediatricians in the world.

Truly.

I am not kidding, it's not just my opinion.

Anyway, Noah is doing great. He gave us a prescription for Pulmicort, but we're not supposed to use it again unless Noah has respiratory issues. YAY!

Sad News

A man died on the Manitou Incline on Sunday. It looks like he had a heart attack. Click here for the link to the story. The Incline is a trail that a lot of people training for mountain races use for training runs. It is in the same area as the Barr Trail and actually intersects the Barr at one point. I ran a little of it when I was there on Thursday and it is TOUGH!!! At least he died doing something he loved, but how sad!

UPDATED: Just found this update online.

Little Hiker Guy

I always knew Noah would make me proud in a million different ways, but I think I am the most proud of our first hiking adventure without the backpack carrier he usually rides in. Look at my little hiker!

We went to the Devil's Head Trail on Sunday. We go there a lot because it is under an hour from our house. And I love how you climb from the aspen forest through the evergreens and up to the rocks where the fire lookout tower is. Noah was a champ, but Dan and I (mostly Dan) ended up carrying him on our shoulders for probably 1/2 the hike. Considering it is over 3 miles round trup with 1000 feet of elevation gain, I think he did pretty well. Nevertheless, we will be bringing the carrier next time... just in case.

I am in love...

...with the Barr Trail. That's the trail that runs up Pike's Peak. I am racing on it August 15, just in case anyone forgot. Debbie (my running buddy) and I went there today to test out how prepared we are.

The answer: pretty good!

I actually think that if we ran the race today we could beat all of the cutoff times and make it to the top. That means I've got 2 months almost exactly to work on my speed. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better I've gotten at running on the ups. There is no way I will run this whole race (no one does), but I will be able to post a decent time. I am sure of that now.

We got to the start of the trail at about 10:30 today because Debbie had to drop off her kids. This is a really late start and we paid for it later. It was overcast and about 55 degrees. You couldn't even see the tops of the nearby hills because the cloud ceiling was so low.

We started at a pretty decent pace up the part called the W's. They call it that because the switchbacks literally look like W's. That means it's pretty steep. The average grade of the section we did today was 13.4%. Ouch! We stopped every 1/2 mile or so for about a minute to stay hydrated. It was beautiful! About 45 minutes into our ascent, we were literally in the clouds.

The bummer was when we started to hear thunder when we were 3 miles up the trail. I didn't want to stop, so we did another 1/2 mile. Then it started to rain and lightning so we bolted back down to the trailhead. All told, we did 7 miles, which was a bummer because we were shooting for 12. Oh well, we'll just go back in a couple of weeks and try again. Next time we will get an earlier start so that we can avoid the storms that get more common later in the day.

I would love to do a section that is higher on the mountain next time. But there is still a TON of snow up there and the trail is impassible farther up from what I have heard without special equipment. That might have to wait for late July.

Three Year Checkup

Noah had his three year checkup today with his pediatrician. Dr. Lisa's verdict is that he is a healthy, happy, and smart kid. His lungs sounded great and he has been off the Pulmicort for months now! He has what hopefully will be his last appointment with his asthma doctor next week to confirm!

Dr. Lisa said he is ahead of typical development in every area but fine motor skills (he is smack in the average range for fine motor). I knew he was pretty smart but it's nice to have a professional confirm it. ;)

He is in the 98th percentile for height at just shy of 3'4" and in the 100th percentile for weight at 39 something pounds. He has actually thinned out a little from his last appointment, believe it or not.

I am so grateful to have such a healthy little guy! We are very lucky and I appreciate this every time we go to the doctor and he is doing well.

Big Head Todd at Red Rocks

There is nowhere in the world I'd rather see a show than Red Rocks. And seeing a Colorado band there is just the best! The Big Head Todd show there on Saturday night was no exception. They played a good mix of their old and new stuff including "Bittersweet" and my personal favorite, "Broken Hearted Savior." It all rocked!

My friend Jen and I started the night with Margaritas at the Morrison Inn on their roof-top patio. It was a perfect day, not too hot and not too cold. And it was bright and sunny. With all of the afternoon rain we have had here, I was a little worried. It did get a little windy when we got to the show, but all in all, I couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. After we finished our Margs, a buddy we work with took us up the hill to the show on the back of his motorcycle. There is no better way to go to Red Rocks, for sure!

After the show, we walked back down the hill to Morrison, and went to a bar called Vinny's to finish out the night. Then we split a cab back to my house (and we didn't get home until after 3:00). It was definitely the craziest night I've had since college and I am way too old for this crap. But it was fun!

Dan and Noah are home safe and sound now after a tornado-ridden camping weekend in Nebraska. They had fun though. I missed them so much and I am so glad they are home.

What Not to Wear???

Why is it that I can never decide what to wear anymore? I used to just go into the closet (or laundry pile) and throw on whatever came out first. Now I swear that whenever I go out (which is really quite sledom) it takes me three clothes changes and a trip to the outlet mall to get ready. I am off right now to my pre-Big Head Todd-concert trip to the outlet mall....

Girls Weekend

Dan and Noah are going camping with Dan's parents this weekend. So as of about 3:00 today, I am a temporarily free woman. Tonight, some of my buddies from my old job at Kunsberg are coming over for cocktails. Then tomorrow, my friends Kate and Jen O and I are going to Big Head Todd at Red Rocks. Should be fun, but I am not sure if I will be able to handle all that partying. I am getting old.

On another note, I ran almost 13 miles yesterday and my shin splints only bothered me slightly. YAY! I am not running another big run until Debbie and I go to Pikes Peak mid-next week to try out the trail. I should be completely healed by then.

Webinars are Dumb

Ok, so my boss's secretary called me on Tuesday and said that there is a mandatory webinar Thursday morning for anyone who wants to do summer enrollments for extra money at 9:00 am. I am scheduled to do summer enrollments so "Could I possibly participate in the webinar?" I say, "Well, I have a doctor's appointment at 9:50 that day, but I can be online from 9-9:20 and then do the rest via conference call." Fine and good.

Except that I committed to that thinking the webinar would have ACTUAL information we needed for enrollment.

It was boring and full of information we already knew. No, I take that back. There were 2 pieces of info I didn't know. But the conference was an hour and those two pieces of info took MAYBE a minute and 18 seconds to share.

Thanks for cutting into my nice summer day for NO GOOD REASON!

Inside the White House

Dan and I watched Inside the White House last night (we tivo'd it...of course we had to watch Rescue Me first). I loved it! You get a nice picture of how things run there and I thought Brian Williams did a great job explaining things that were going on. It was nice to see the more human side of the staff. They eat M&Ms and put their feet on their desks just like anyone at their average everyday job. I can't wait to watch the second half of it tonight. I think Michelle Obama is going to be on more tonight and I am looking forward to that. LOVE her!

Swimming Lessons

Noah had his second day of swimming lessons for the summer today. It was freezing! 46 degrees, rainy and windy. Noah had a great time in the nice warm pool though. It was steaming hot. He is now putting his face down and floating by himself! I am very excited about that. He would always go underwater but would never put his face down like in a swimming position before now. Right now he is only signed up for this week, but I think I am going to sign him up for next week too. They go every day, but he loves it so why not. I thought he was going to hate it because on the first day he was whining and complaining and saying he didn't want to go. He was fine once he got there though and in fact, he cried when it was time to leave.

Randi and Sophie's Visit

Last week, my friend Randi came to visit us from Phoenix with her daughter, Sophie. I am happy to say that Noah and Sophie totally hit it off. Randi is a friend from my wild days in college so it was really a trip to watch our kids playing together. And it was really cool.

They got in at 11:30 or something on Friday night. I was so excited to see her and Sophie that I really had no trouble staying awake. The next morning, we all slept in (as much as you can with 2 kids around) and then we went to the outlets so Randi could check out the Coach store. Neither one of us bought anything, but it was fun anyway.

That afternoon we went to Garden of the Gods down by Colorado Springs. Randi had never been to Colorado before and I think she was in awe of how green everything was. Here are some pics from the hike we took down there. It was a short one because of the rain that kept moving in and out, but that was probably the perfect length for Noah and Sophie anyway.

Sophie and Noah:Noah:Randi and I with the kids:Randi and I:
That night we went to the Rio for dinner (the Rio with the ridiculously strong "Limit 3" Margaritas). That was fun and Randi and I both got crocked.

On Sunday, we went to Idaho Springs and Mount Evans. We were planning on stopping at Red Rocks on the way back, but it was pouring rain. Here are some pictures from Mount Evans. We couldn't get all the way to the top because there was a massive snowstorm up there.

Noah hiking near the Mount Goliath Area: Dan and I: Randi and Sophie at nearly 13,000 feet in the snowstorm:

After our trip up Mount Evans, we had dinner at Tommyknocker Brewery. I love that place and I hadn't been there in a long time, so it was nice to have an excuse to go.

The next day was Memorial Day, and we went downtown to the Denver Fine Arts Festival. It was a great festival, but once again, it was pouring rain. We're in a drought and it has to rain constantly when Randi comes, right? Anyway, Randi said the rain was a nice change from hot, dry Phoenix. After a soggy attempt at the festival, we had brinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I know, cliche, right? But Randi had never been to one.

All in all, it was a fun visit. I can't wait to take Noah and Dan to Phoenix to visit Randi. Not in the summer though. December would be a good time!