Mountain Monday- Flat Top Mountain & Hooper Lake

Happy Monday! Yesterday it was just Stella and I (Alex was working at an outdoor show in Telluride since Thursday) and we had a craving to drive up to the mountains to go for a hike and check out all the Fall colors, so we headed up to the Flat Tops Wilderness (about 30 minutes away). It's gotten SUPER chilly over the past few days and dips into the low 30's at night. We also got our first snowfall in the higher elevations (above 10,000') on Friday and Saturday! This hike did bring us up above 10,000' and we did get to see some snow! Stella was really excited and loves snow. I don't think she'd do too well if we moved to the beach....oh well. I guess we'll save that for another life!

This hike brings you to either up to the top of Flat Top Mountain or to Hooper/ Kenner Lakes and over the saddle of Flat Top Mountain. Our goal was to get to the lakes, but we only made it to the first one (Hooper) before deciding that it was getting a bit late and the clouds were not looking too happy (so we turned around after that). You gain over 1,500' of elevation over the 2.5 miles to the lake and it was definitely tough! We met a few hikers along the way, including two gentlemen who said they lost their dog up there last weekend and said that he is wearing a collar if we find him. It always makes me really sad when I hear of someone loosing an animal (especially in the wilderness) because I could never imagine how terrible that must be! We never saw his dog, but I kept thinking of him the entire hike (and also kept Stella on a leash because well... just in case).

We came across a few ponds on our hike (which Stella loves to wade in) and finally made it up to the saddle and the views were incredible. It really is so beautiful out there and we came across many snow spots! There was even a snow ridgeline on the top of one of the mountains that I think is still from last winter (it must never melt). We also came across two backpackers who said that they got caught in a pretty bad snowstorm Friday evening and even had some snow showers this morning! 

After we took in the views (around 2 miles in), we headed down the ridgeline (on the other side) in search of the lakes. Unfortunately, there was a sign missing so the trails to get to the two lakes wasn't well marked (another reason why we decided to turn back after finding the first lake). I think that it's much more common to come across trails that are more remote here in the rockies as opposed to hiking trails back in the White Mountains of NH (they're very well marked/traveled). 

We left the lake and stopped at the top of the ridgeline to eat lunch and rest for a bit (around 4 miles in). It began to SNOW, so that was our cue to head down from the higher elevation. When we started to hike back down from the saddle, the trail began to get covered with snow and we couldn't see the footprints well enough to follow the trail and ended up bushwacking a small section! It was really scary and I honestly could see how some hikers can get lost when snowstorms come along on remote trails. Luckily, we saw the trail down below and just took a diagonal path (and honestly maybe a shortcut) to get back on it! Phew! That was pretty intense and shortly thereafter the snow stopped and we hiked back down to the car. 

This hike was SO beautiful and it was just under 6 miles for us roundtrip (but we only went to the first lake and definitely took a shortcut on our way back down). I highly recommend doing this and bring some friends (and a map)! You generally have pretty poor service for most of the hike (until you get to the saddle), so keep that in mind and have a plan b if you do get lost or stuck in a snowstorm. Hopefully the weather will get warmer because I'm not ready to go straight from summer to winter just yet!

Did you do any adventures this weekend?

Any fun runs or races that you did?!

Last hiking trip- good or bad experience? Have you ever gotten lost?

Hole Half Marathon Recap & Life Updates

My HOLE HALF MARATHON RECAP is here! Shimmy on over to my Race Recap page to check it out- you definitely don't want to miss how amazing the finish venue looked and where I finished in my age group!

I'm sharing some of my favorite photos that I took over the weekend from Yellowstone up on the blog tomorrow, so make sure to check back. Here's a little sneak-peek ; ) 

I finally feel like I'm starting to get back into a groove-again after our vacation in July. It's so crazy to me how long it takes to get back on track! No wonder why so many of those who suffer from addictions or weight loss or irregular workout plans struggle so much- it's really HARD to get used to a schedule and stick to it. After 8 weeks of marathon training, I finally feel like I've gotten adjusted to it and am not nearly as exhausted as I was when I first began training. 

Hanson's Marathon Method definitely takes a lot out of you and is a really big time commitment compared to other training plans! I'm just hoping all this running pays off on race day (it's only 66 DAYS AWAY!!!!- that's only a little over TWO MONTHS!). 

We've been so busy trying to fit in camping and hiking and backpacking on the weekends and squeezing-in as much fun summer activities as we can. We just got our second kayak fixed, so hopefully we can take both out on the lake this weekend!

The weather (despite the current wildfires that is creating a constant smokey, haziness that is unfit for any extended outdoor activities) has been so beautiful with mid-80s during the day and low 40s at night. Perfect for early morning or late afternoon runs : )

September is a VERY busy month for us and we only have one weekend free (which I'm sure we're going to fill-up with a camping or backpacking trip). Alex is working at the Telluride Blues and Brews festival next weekend (hoping I can go down and camp there/ spend time with him, but still up in the air) and I will be going back to Maine at the end of the month for my grandfathers service. This weekend is a bit crazy as well because I am volunteering at the Run Rabbit Run 50 & 100 mile races from 4-10am (sleep will definitely be off) on early Saturday morning. 

That's all that's been going on with me, what about you?! Any fun plans for September? 

Favorite season? Mine is definitely Fall- bring on all the apples and layers!

My Running Wish-List Right Now & Tips to Fitting in High Mileage!

I kinda wish every week was only 4 days long because it's already Thursday and tomorrow is FRIDAY! I used to work at jobs where I would always get Fridays off and I kinda think I need to start that trend at my current job too- having that one extra day is really REALLY nice! Then we have one day to relax, one day to do errands/ cook, and one day to do something fun. It's a win-win-win. Hmph, someday !

I wanted to share with you a few things that are on my running wish-list right now because it's Fall and that means we need some new running gear heading into the cooler months (AKA winter). 

• Brooks Ghost 10 - Because running high-mileage means I need another pair of these Ghost 10s (and they are seriously SO amazing). I wish wearing running shoes to work was appropriate. 
• Brooks Juno Sports Bra- Finding good sports bras is difficult and I've had some in my dresser for ummm... 6 YEARS?!? If only I had all the money in the world I would try this highly recommended sports bra and when I found the perfect fit, I would purchase 10 of them and just throw out all my other ones. Someday....
• Oiselle Flyout Long Sleeve- I live to layer on the run and this long-sleeved tee has the perfect cuts and thumbholes
• Oiselle Caty Lady Racerback Bra- This just looks so amazingly comfy and warm that I know it will become a part of my wardrobe this upcoming winter season. I actually could picture myself wearing this in the summertime too because the girls are always a bit chilly...
• Oiselle Wazzie Wool Base Layer- Another fantastically warm-looking base layer from Oiselle that I know I would live in come Fall/Winter/Spring (these seasons kinda just melt together here in the Mtns...). Perfect for those chilly runs or on the mountain or I would definitely wear this to work too. It's on sale right now, bonus!
• 2xu Compression Run Socks-  Coming upon sock season, these are a must-have for recovery and I also really love to run/race in them. These are also on sale right now and look super cute when paired with a costume!

Kinda was a mistake for putting together a wish-list because now I know how many of these things are on sale and now I just want them all! But hopefully you are able to enjoy them for me and let me know how fantastic they are for running.

I also wanted to leave you with a few tips that I have for increasing your mileage since I've gone from consistently running 30-35 miles per week to 45-55 miles per week. 

• Follow a training plan and slowly build up to your 1st week of training. Do NOT just jump into a training plan unless you've been consistently running that mileage each week. I like to put together my training plan calendar then go back 3-4 weeks from when actual training starts and take a few miles off from week 1 of training each week until I am at a normal weekly mileage for me at this point. 
• Know yourself and when works best for you to fit in your runs. For me, I know that I tend to find more excuses if I wait to do my run later in the day. I also know that if I want to sleep in that morning, then I need to get my run in later in the day and plan everything else around that. Be flexible. I sometimes switch around my rest days too if I have something upcoming on the calendar that I know will be difficult to run on that day or maybe I'm just not feeling it. Know that it's OK to not stick to your training plan day by day. Each week is a new beginning!
• Have a great support system. Alex is really great with knowing that I need to get my run in and I like to not put it off all day on the weekends, so he helps me get it in. Whether that means picking me up 8 miles down the road an hour later or dropping me off, running some errands, then picking me up somewhere else. 

Race recap of the Jackson Hole Hole Half is coming to the blog tomorrow! Get excited to hear all about it and don't forget to add it to your race calendars next year!

Have any tips for fitting in higher mileage weeks while training?

Favorite running gear? Did I miss anything that you LOVE to RUN in?

EASY run days & thoughts on your 20's??

Happy weekend! This week sure flew-by for me!

It feels like forever since I've done a life update! I have been very busy with work, running, trying to fit in strength/stretching/foam rolling, sleep, and outdoor summer activities! I'm hoping to do a "what I eat in a day" post here in within the next few days, so don't forget to check back!

I went on an easy run yesterday morning (my first run outside since Sunday!) and really struggled with keeping my pace super easy. Now that I'm starting to gain more fitness and feel stronger than ever, I really want to play with my paces more, but I have to keep reminding myself that now is NOT the time to play with paces! I can play with my paces on my long/tempo/speed runs, but definitely not on the easy runs. The easier my runs are, the more I notice that I can recover faster and I'm gaining more fitness. 

The good thing with the slowing-down that I'm doing is that I can really take-in the scenery! It was so beautiful out and had that "early morning summer dew" smell going on- I kinda really wish there was a candle that had this smell because it always makes me think of summer mornings, waking-up early, drinking coffee on the porch, fog lifting from the valley floor, and cooler-temperature runs. 

Another thing that I'm thinking about is how there is so much PRESSURE on young people these days. I honestly feel like I've had more trouble with putting pressure on myself (and from others) in my 20's rather than in my middle and high-school years. Does anyone else feel this way? I'm sure some personalities can really thrive on this type of "flailing lifestyle" where everything is kinda unsure and up-in-the-air, but definitely not my type-A, OCD, obsessive planner self. It is nice to be a big day-dreamer and have so many goals, but if you look at them in the bigger picture it really is daunting and intimidating! I guess that's why we should really just focus on the smaller tasks (like my post yesterday?) and chip-away towards those bigger goals. 

I also feel like cherishing these times in our life are super important because we always want what we don't have or no longer have, right? So, I'm trying to embrace this stage in my life more and know that it will just make me a stronger person in the end. 

I have a ten mile run at my long-run pace (9:31 min/mi) on tap this weekend and I think I'll just see how I feel whether I do it today or tomorrow. The other day will be a rest day! We will also be resting this weekend (I think the past two weekends of camping really took a lot out of us) and hopefully a date night and maybe some paddle boarding! 

What are your weekend plans? Is anyone racing this weekend?

Thoughts on easy runs? Love them? Hate them?

What were your impressions of your 20's versus teen's? Which one was better or were they both just different?

Backpacking on the CDT

Last weekend we went backpacking on the Continental Divide Trail to the 6 Fishing Lakes in Routt National Forest and it was amazing! We had previously done this hike (but camped on a different lake this time) and last year, it was raining/lightning almost the entire time. We got lucky and had spectacular weather the entire time! 

We decided to begin our hike earlier than we normally do backpacking (we typically don't start our hike until 2 or 3pm, but went out at around noon) and this gave us so much time in the afternoon to just relax and read and fish. We set-up our camp 3.5 miles into the trail at the 3rd lake we came to (Lake Elmo) and were the only ones there the entire time. The trail passes by our campsite a bit, but it was nice to have some passersby once and a while and still feel like we had the entire place to ourselves. 

At first, I was a little skeptical towards backpacking as being out in the woods by yourself and far enough away from anything & everything is a bit scary, but this trip was SO wonderful it really began to change my outlook towards backpacking. I also think this is a great trail for beginning backpackers (I've gone on maybe 10 backpacking trips & still consider myself a beginner) because it's not so remote that you feel helpless if something were to go wrong, but it's also a good distance from anything. 

We arrived to our campsite by 2 and cooked up some lunch (we typically just pack along some snacks and a few mountain houses to make clean up easy and keep our packs light) then set up our tent and relaxed! I think I probably read about 100 pages in my book on the trip and we saw maybe 30 fish jump (but sadly caught nothing...I'm beginning to think that there's some consensus between all the fish to not latch onto just our pole because others around us ALWAYS catch something). We also saw a giant moose pass about 200 meters by our campsite- it was so out of the blue that I didn't even have my camera on me to take a picture!

Sunset views from our tent

The views were so wonderful and my photos definitely do NOT do it justice! We got up the next morning around 7:30 and I headed out for my solo trail run shortly afterwards. I ended up getting stung by a bee on the top of my ankle about a mile in, but luckily I had my compression socks and that really kept the swelling down and I managed to get in 4.5 miles and reach the final 6th fishing lake, Long Lake (the biggest one) at an altitude around 9,200 feet (we camped at an altitude of just over 10,000 feet). 

The wildflowers were in bloom throughout our entire hike and the trails were really well maintained (it's a popular mountain biking trail as well). I'm so glad I was able to fit in some trail running because that's been on my wishlist to do for a while. This trial is also part of both a 10k that our local running series puts on (I'm thinking about signing up) and their annual 50/100 mile trail run! It's pretty cool to say that my training run was along these routes, as well as on the CDT. 

Overall, this was a perfect backpacking weekend. We got back to our car around noon on Sunday and that gave us the afternoon to do (what seemed like) a million loads of laundry and meal prep for the week ahead. HIGHLY recommend doing this as a backpacking trip if you're ever in Northwest Colorado- you can tie it into a loop hike for higher mileage (10 mile or 20+ mile round trip) if you want to. Happy hiking and trail running!