Patience

Learn the art of patience.  Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal.  Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure.  Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. 

Brian Adams

Here's a quick run down of what has been happening....

• The past three weeks have flown by...not sure about you, but I can't believe April is almost here!
• I'm hoping my pictures appear in this post...having some trouble with blogger...
• A few Saturdays ago, instead of lacing up the running shoes...I joined Team Nutty for a bike ride from Golden to Morrison and then back.  It was a wonderful change of pace and I think I held my own with the boys.  Now, I can't get the Queen song out of my head..."I want to ride my bicycle."  You know the song...
• Uphills with no bike fitness require patience.  It also helps when you have the encouragement of others.
• Downhills on the bike are scary. Folks coaching me on the downhill have to have a lot of patience - it is possible to go slower on the downhill than the uphill...
• My core and my bike fitness is not as strong as I would like it to be.  A few hours on the bike resulted in exhaustion and throwing out my back.  Who says riding a bike is easy?
• A few days of rest can cure just about anything.  So can a proper sports massage.
• An eighteen mile run turn around should always have views like this:

• Patience can bring fun to a long run. 
• Patience can also help when you take a wrong turn during a long run.
• Patience is key when you take a 12 mile run with 2000 feet elevation gain...and it helps to have a running friend for the first 1000 feet elevation gain...
• Powerbars can bring needed energy to a long run.  It's amazing when you are dialed in with your fueling during a run - clear mind, strong legs...
• Surrounding yourself with beautiful views of an 8 miler the day after an 18 miler helps to fend off tired, heavy legs....I forgot my camera, but the following trails around Boulder were awesome to be on: Dowdy Ditch and Springbrook.  So close to the Flatirons...
• The benefits of eating well are really priceless - I started slipping into a lot of processed stuff but turned it around this past week and I'm always amazed how good nutrition impacts your wellbeing, workouts and sleep.

Week of March 7:
Monday: 5.16 miles
Tuesday: 7.01 miles
Wednesday: strength training
Thursday: 6.57 miles
Friday: strength training
Saturday: 16 mile bike ride
Sunday: 8.03 miles
Total Miles: 26.77 miles

Week of March 14:
Monday: REST DAY
Tuesday: 4.0 miles
Wednesday: strength training/4.03 miles
Thursday: 7.06 miles
Friday: REST DAY
Saturday: 18.5 miles
Sunday: 8.0 miles
Total Miles:  41.59 miles

Week of March 21:
Monday: REST DAY
Tuesday: 6.50 miles
Wednesday: strength training/6.05 miles
Thursday: 6.70 miles
Friday: strength training
Saturday: 12.5 miles
Sunday: 12.43 miles
Total Miles: 44.18 miles
Happy Running!

Laura

Sometimes it's nothing more than your shoes are tied too tight...



From the top of Green Mountain


4 miles into my run this morning, I was concerned because I felt pain in my ankle.  I hadn't remembered turning it and immediately I wondered what could be wrong.  I'll save you from reading all the things that crossed my mind...thankfully, I firmly believe my shoe was tied too tight.  Yes, you have my permission to laugh.  It's happened before...is it just me?  Anyhow, it got me thinking...sometimes I jump to the worst possible scenario.  And 9.9 times out of 10, things are just fine.  So I'm going to remember to first go to the simple solution, often times it is all we need - a little tweak, not a major overhaul.

It's my 100th post!  Que the marching band!  Throw the confetti!  In its honor, I'll cover all three topics of this blog!




Fun to run down!

RUN

Yesterday, I went long - longer than I've gone in a while - 16 miles.  In fact, I looked, longer than I've gone since October 3, when I ran my 50km.  The first 10 miles were great.  The last 6, not so great.  But there is an upside.  Today's run at Green Mountain was wonderful.  I fully expected it to be a death march.  And while Jeep Road was incredibly hard, it was fun to come down the mountain with nothing but mountain bikes slowing my descent.  Strong legs still - thanks to my strength training!



porta potty?



EAT

Oh, have I been eating.  Yikes!  It's Denver Restaurant Week.  For $52.80/couple, a three course meal can be found.  Most of the restaurants are some of the fine dining establishments around town, so it gives you an affordable way to try out some of the places.  I went to Kevin Taylor's at the Opera (not so great - but the dessert was divine - malted chocolate creme brulee), The Palm (great service and wonderful crab cakes), Union (well worth the drive to Castle Rock - shrimp, lobster tail and bread pudding - oh my!) and the very sublime Luca d'Italia (sigh, it was all wonderful).  Yes, I will be fasting the rest of the month. 

Over the weekend, I made a few things to keep me fed during the week- couscous salad and grilled chicken.  And one night this week, likely when a spring snow falls (Monday or Tuesday) I'll make a version of the Pumpkin Soup recipe from Oh She Glows.  I'm substituing low fat coconut milk for the cashew cream sauce to cut some calories and fat.   I'll let you know how it turns out!  Maybe I should make it this evening...

DATE

I'm just not sure I have the energy right now.  I want to find a man to share my life, but this has been a hard journey of late.  When I described my last date to a friend, he suggested that the spirit of my date was reflected in the Saturday Night Live skit "The Continental."  This was a reoccuring skit starring Christopher Walken.  Click on "The Continental" if you'd like to have a glimpse.  And yes, you have my permission to laugh.

And on another dating note...if you are trying to impress your date, please do not ask her to pick up your dead dog's ashes because she'll be surprised at how heavy they are.  While she may be surprised at how heavy they are, she will most likely be creeped out. 
Week of February 21
Monday: 5.56 miles
Tuesday: 5.57 miles
Wednesday: Strength Train
Thursday: 5.0 miles
Friday: nada
Saturday: 5.0 miles
Sunday: 6.54 miles
Total Miles: 27.67 miles

Week of February 28
Monday: 5.05 miles
Tuesday: 6.51 miles
Wednesday: Strength Train
Thursday: 6.25 miles
Friday: Strength Train
Saturday: 16.35 miles
Sunday: 6.19 miles
Total Miles: 40.35 miles (woo hoo!)

Happy Running!

Laura