Weekend Recap

No crazy adventures were had this weekend (thanks snow...), since we had a giant stack of wood to pile, loads of never-ending laundry,  no food in the household, and bathrooms getting dirtier by the second (glamorous I know..); but we did manage to get out and enjoy the outdoors for a small amount! 

On Saturday, we took Stella out for a walk on one of the trails in town and enjoyed (probably) one of the last days of the beautiful Fall Foliage...

I also took Stella with me for a run around the lake that afternoon after helping stack some wood (not recommended)- I was SO exhausted after those 7 miles.

We made the Run Fast Eat Slow High Altitude Bison Meatballs and paired it with some spaghetti and sauce. Soooo tasty!

On Sunday, more chores, cooking, and stacking wood (boo...), but we also managed to get out and play with the kayaks for a bit! This was the first time that both kayaks were fixed so we could go together (one had a crack in it that we got fixed). 

There was a crazy amount of wind on the lake, so we stayed out for maybe an hour (luckily our kayaks were made for ocean-weather so neither one of us capsized!). 

Any plans for the upcoming weekend? #workingfortheweekend

We have our 3rd year anniversary weekend coming up and are still deciding where to go for dinner! Alex wants more of a fancy dinner and I'm really just wanting some good Mexican or Italian eats...What's your preference?! Settle this for us!

Kayaking...yay or nay?

Mountain Monday- Pearl Lake

Ugh Monday hit me like a load of bricks today. We got some snow here, so no outdoor running for me this morning and tomorrow morning it's expected to be in the low teen's, so I may have to suffer through another treadmill run again (but at least i CAN run- am I right?!?). 

There's no better cure for the Monday blues than reminiscing on one of my favorite WINTER hiking/ Yurt trips to Pearl Lake State Park (it's around 30 minutes NORTH of Steamboat)! We rented the Yurt for one night in February and it was beautiful there! They have twoyurts on the lake that are available for rent year-round and we stayed really warm and cozy inside. It was so great to wake up in the morning and be able to take our snowshoes out for a little hike around the lake with our coffee. The road getting out there definitely is an AWD-type of road, but it's really well-marked and there's ample parking (either in the Winter OR Summer). 

We've done the hike around the lake (around 3 miles round trip) several times in all different seasons (definitely don't recommend going when it is muddy out), but there's something serene about the wintertime out there. Everything seems quieter and more peaceful than the bustling Summer days. 

Also having a fire outside in the winter is not something we get to experience everyday! What a treat that was...

The hike is very gentle and I would highly recommend for almost anyone of any age (you always have the option to turn around as well, so you can go out as far as you'd like!). 

What is your favorite State Park?

Ever stayed in a yurt? 

Favorite wintertime activity?

Travel Thursday- Pics from Maine!!

Sharing a few of my favorite pictures that I took during my trip in Maine last weekend visiting family. 

The Fall Foliage was just starting to peak and it was SO beautiful everywhere we went. 

We went Apple Picking and I got my fill of Apple Cider Donuts and HOT apple cider! Both are soooo good.... I wish I could have more...

We went to the Fair on Sunday and got to see all the cute Animals! Including these Alpacas:

And these JUST BORN THIS MORNING baby piggies! They were so cute & sleepy...Also can we please talk about how pigs can have 10-15 babies per litter? That is INSANE. This one had 14 and she should get a medal for that. Plus some vacation time too...

We also got to see the Fryeburg Health Care Display at the 4-H buillding and they displayed my Grandfather's veggies that he worked so hard on this summer! How delicious do they look?

The Ferris Wheel looked amazing! I may have ridden this a few times when I was younger...

The display from Sherman's Farm was beyond perfect. I just love all the varied colors in it. Quintessential Fall! 

Running & Traveling- mixing them together?

I've shared before a few tips that I have to fit in running while on a road trip, but I wanted to share with you a few tips that I learned how to fit in traveling when you're NOT training for anything in particular (also remember that it's always best to run where you either know your environment or run with a friend/ indoors)​.

1. Do some research on the most popular running routes and either know how far you want to run for or just "wing it" if you can!​

2. Pack for all weather conditions. You never know when it could turn to bad weather or get really cold! ​

3. Look up a running group where you're going. I've never done this, but have always wanted to! Report back if you do (or have done this)!​

4. Find a gym that has treadmills if the place you're staying doesn't have one. I did this when I was in Las Vegas for a conference and had a membership to Anytime Fitness , so I was able to go to another Anytime to get my run in safely!

5. Leave all expectations at the beginning of your run. You may be jet lagged/ exhausted/ eating different foods- just have fun and enjoy the experience!​

6. Find a great trail or nature path to explore while you're running​

7. Check to see if there are any local races going on and sign up for one! Bonus​ points if it's a half marathon! ;)

Any other tips you have to fellow runners when they travel?​

Anyone else wish there was an AirBnB type of platform where you can look up and meet new running friends when you're traveling?!?​

Running back-to-back half marathons

Thinking back to when I ran back-to-back half marathons (one was on a Saturday & the other one was the following Sunday), the Emerald Bay Half-Marathon and the Rock 'n Roll Denver Half Marathon. This was the first time that I've ever ran two races so close together and I learned several things that worked and a few things that I would recommend not doing! I ended up PRing at both races, beating my first race PR by a minute and then beating that PR by 4 minutes! 

DO:

• Fuel properly between races (eat healthy, get a good mix of protein/carbs)
• Get extra sleep that week
• Drink extra fluids (with electrolytes, not just water)
• Limit your travel/ time on your feet
• Add in a few easy runs between races
• An easy strength training/ yoga session between races to ease stress (only if you normally do this; try nothing new during this time)
• Foam roll often!
• Legs up the wall everyday
• Keep your race expectations in-check. Maybe utilize one as a training/recovery run and the other as a potential PR/hard-effort. Listen to what your body needs.

DO NOT:

• Travel in the car for many hours between races (yeah, we drove back from California after Emerald Bay and then I drove to Denver the next weekend..not the best idea)
• Eat lots of sugar/ junk food between races
• Drink excessive coffee
• Skimp on sleep
• Run hard between races
• Not run at all between races
• Have high expectations for both races! Have FUN!