Archive for August, 2009

Hiking near Evergreen

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Anyone living in the Front Range of Colorado can testify that Saturday was absolutely beautiful outside. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and hit the hiking trails near Evergreen. Jefferson County has countless wonderful hiking, biking, and running trails and the Aldelfer/Three Sisters Park Open Space area has to rank among my favorites.

The great thing about the Three Sisters Open Space is that many of the trails are designed into loops. Consequently, you can loop out as far as you want. Then, when you coming back to the parking lot, you can loop back and not have to hike the same trail twice.

Once back towards the parking lot, there were several covered picnic tables. These are perfect for a picnic lunch. Since they are covered, they give a little relief from the strong afternoon sun – especially for people who have been out hiking or biking all morning.

I cannot commend Jefferson County enough on a job well done on their parks and open spaces. We usually gravitate towards Boulder County; however, Jefferson County is keeping up with them. Beautiful open space and a great hike!!

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Posted in Hiking, Mountains | No Comments »

The Quest for the New Bike Helmet

Friday, August 21st, 2009

It’s been a while since I’ve been on my mountain bike – like 4 years. So, I recently decided that the time had come to hop back on and go for a ride. I was excited! The weather was beautiful and I knew exactly what trail I would do first.

The next step was finding my bike helmet. Where was that bike helmet? Probably out in the garage. I found it rather quickly and went to put it on. As I bent down, I noticed something brown and, well, flat. What IS that?

I took a closer look and dropped the helmet. It was a DEAD mouse. As soon as I dropped the bike helmet, the mouse flipped out, along with a bunch of mouse droppings. YUCK!! Now what!

I guess I have two options: wear the bike helmet or buy a new one that was not the deathbed of a rodent. I’ve always thought of myself as being one tough cookie; but, there is something about knowing there was a dead mouse where I am going to put my head that causes me to cringe. If he was alive, I could overlook it…but not all shriveled up, like a raisin.

So, bottom-line…I am now on the quest to find a new, inexpensive bike helmet. Preferably, one that is part of the “end-of-the-season” bike helmet sale. Any ideas?

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Posted in Mountain Biking | No Comments »

Lookout Mountain Nature Center – Fun for All

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Waking up this morning, we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. Something outside with the kids was definitely in store, but what? I was inspired to go hiking, found the perfect family hike, and then looked at the weather forecast – it looked like going to rain in that area, so we opted for something a little closer to home – the Lookout Mountain Nature Center.

There are two ways to get to the Lookout Mountain Nature Center from where we live. We took the beautiful, winding road on the way up, and the quicker, less scenic route on the drive down. Either way, at the top, we were pleasantly surprised.

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center has a gorgeous building made from recyclable materials. The volunteer on duty explained that the floors were made from recycled boxcars and the ceilings from pressed Aspen shavings that would otherwise have been thrown out. Other parts of the building were made from recycled glass and recycled rubber. It is really an amazing building that everyone should see.

Inside the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, there are hands-on exhibits that teach visitors about the natural habitat of local animals and conservation. Throughout the building, there are reminders of ways to conserve, recycle, and reuse various items. It is a great educational experience for people of all ages.

There are two loop trails at the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, as well. The Forest Loop and the Meadow Loop can be done separately, or combined into one large loop. The hike was nice with plenty of beautiful flowers. The best part was my young children could walk the vast majority of it on their own – about 1 ½ miles. The hardest part of the entire hike was that my one-year old daughter wanted to stop and point out EVERY SINGLE flower on the trail.

Although there are so many remarkable hikes in Colorado, sometimes it is nice to find a hidden gem in your own backyard. We will definitely be returning. Something new and something fun for everyone – all at Lookout Mountain Nature Center in Jefferson County, Colorado.

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Posted in Hiking, Mountains, Recycling | 4 Comments »

Running Inspiration - Grand Teton Races

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

I know I’ve mentioned that I want to train for a 10K Race. The problem is…I haven’t started…yet. I’ve been consistently running shorter distances, like 2-mile and 3-mile runs. I only wish I would have increased started my training sooner.

Why sooner? Well, I recently came across an amazing set of trail running races in Jackson Hole at the Grand Tetons, Wyoming. They are held over Labor Day weekend. Although there is a 10K race, there is also a Marathon, a 50-mile course, and a 100-mile course. So really, the 10K race is the “fun run” – how’s that for motivation!

I know there is no way that I can be ready for a 10K trail running race in Jackson Hole in time for Labor Day. I should have started weeks ago – but what is done is done. Plus, not only would I have had to increase my mileage, but I’d also have to dust off my older than old trail running shoes. There’s always next year and the Grand Teton Races will be my inspiration.

On a side note, if anyone is planning to run the Grand Teton Races, let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear the details and a little extra motivation is always nice. But for now, it’s time to set up my training schedule for my 10K race in the Fall.

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Posted in 10K Race, 10K Training Schedule, Running, Trail Running | 2 Comments »

Running and Calcium

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

I have to admit, I’m a water drinker. Given the option of drinking water, ice tea, or milk, I usually opt for water. (Not including my other favorites of wheat micro-beers and various wines). Unless, of course, I’ve had a late night and need a caffeine kick during the day – then, it’s ice tea for me. But this is about to change – as best as I can. I am about to become a milk drinker.

We all know the importance of drinking milk – strong bones, strong teeth, it does a body good, etc. But, knowing and doing are too different things. Recently, I met a mom who pushed my knowing, into doing.

Like me she had two small children. Like me she was trying to become a runner. Unlike me, she had been having terrible pains in her hip.

She went to the doctor and it turned out she had fractured her hip and leg bone…from RUNNING! Apparently, since having her children, and then breastfeeding them for many months, she had not been consuming enough calcium. Her bones had become weak and her attempt to lose the baby weight by doing longer runs had caused them to fracture. Terrible!

Bottom line, I decided to look into exactly how much milk I should be drinking each day as a woman and as a runner. Studies show that calcium can only be absorbed 500 mg at a time, so any milk that I consume should be consumed throughout the day – not all at one sitting. Most women should consume between 1,000 mg and 1,800 mg of calcium per day. Since one cup of skim milk contains about 300 mg of calcium, I need to consume 3 – 6 cups of skim milk each day.

I know that I can get calcium from other sources like cheese, yogurt, and even spinach. I’m sure I will try to have a yogurt for breakfast many mornings now – it has to be better for me than my cinnamon toast. However, I like the idea of drinking a few glasses of milk each day – and - it will do my body good, right?

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Posted in Health, Healthy Living, Running | No Comments »

Aflac Iron Girl 5K Race – WOW!

Monday, August 10th, 2009

On Saturday I ran the Aflac Iron Girl 5K Race in Denver. It was awesome! It was so inspirational to be running with nearly 1,300 other women of all ages. I would love to travel and run in the Iron Girl 5K races in other cities, too - it was that great of an event.

Held at Denver City Park, the course was flat, except for one minor hill. Unfortunately, I went full speed ahead down that hill and then had to walk for a few minutes afterwards. If I had only listened to my own advice and took it easy the whole way I think my time would have been even better by several minutes.

That being said, I was really happy with my time – 32:37. I placed 335 overall. Not too shabby. Much better than the 5K race I completed a few weeks ago – YEAH!! I guess my training has paid off. (Plus, the fact that there were hardly any hills and the elevation was actually slightly lower than it is where I live).

I have to admit the things that gave away were great too. A fitted running shirt, astuffed duck, and a finisher’s medal were among my favorite items. Throw in a few Luna® bars, natural potato chips, and energy drinks and my bag was full. I will definitely be competing in this race again next year!

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Posted in 5K Race, Running | No Comments »

Motivation to Run

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

After having a very unsatisfactory run the other day, complete with tired muscles and a cramping side, I was not as motivated as I should have been to run today. Sometimes, we all need a little extra kick to get motivated. Luckily, my 3-year old came to my rescue. It all began last night…

As I was getting him ready for bed, I asked him what he wanted to do the next day. He responded that he wanted me to “do my exercising” and he would cheer for me. It definitely put a smile on my face.

I wasn’t sure if he would remember his suggestion by the time today rolled around. He had a busy day of playing outside, putting together puzzles, and even making muffins. Finally, it was time to put his sister down for a nap. It turned out he remembered since his response was, “Then, you can run!”

So, we headed down to my treadmill in the basement. Sure enough, I had my own cheering squad to begin with. Then, my son proceeded to jog around the basement, doing his “exercising” – a mini-me. I actually got a little over 3 miles in before we decided to stretch our muscles and head back upstairs.

The whole event made me feel great for many reasons. First, I got a work-out in mid-day. Second, my son realizes the importance of running for me…he wants his mama to be a runner. Third, he realizes the importance of exercise for him – he said he felt great when we went upstairs, too. Lastly, it was a cute opportunity to bond in a different way – beyond markers, books, the park, and the local swimming pool.

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Posted in Running | No Comments »

The Next 5K: Aflac Iron Girl Denver 5K

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

I’ve signed up for my next 5K race – the Aflac Iron Girl Denver 5K. It’s this Saturday and I’m already excited, even though its only Monday. My only concern is the little plush, stuffed duck that I get as a registration gift…one duck and two young kids…hmmmm. I guess it will become yet another lesson in sharing.

I went for a run this afternoon after taking a few days off…and it was tough. My muscles were tight and I ran out of steam sooner than usual. Hopefully by the time the Aflac Iron Girl Denver 5K rolls around, I’ll be ready to go!

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Rocky Mountain National Park: The Bear

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Last weekend, we packed up the car, the family, and the dog and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was my son’s birthday weekend and his cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents were in town for a few fun-filled of the great outdoors. As we pulled into the check-in station at Moraine Park Campground, we were informed by the park ranger that we MUST put all food items, coolers, and other food containers in the car. He said the bears have been wandering the campground on a weekly basis and that he has been reminding ALL campers of the park rules regarding the storing of food.

I love the fact that the bears are in Rocky Mountain National Park and I want the bear population to thrive. Since I was a young child, the importance of keeping the food away from the bears has been instilled into me with little sayings like, “A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear”. So, on with the story…

Around 2 am, I heard a noise. It sounded a lot like a large animal snorting, snuffing, and grunting. I knew right away, it was a bear. I could tell he wasn’t at our campsite, but I could also tell he was nearby. The next morning, the shrapnel indicated exactly where he had been – at the campsite up the hill from ours. My father and brother-in-law also heard the thrashing of the cooler and the snorting of the bear.

Apparently, one campsite full of campers decided that the park ranger’s instructions to put their food away in their car did not apply to them. How sad! They left a packed cooler and a food container outside on their picnic table. Items like marshmallow, candy, and chocolate were consumed by the bear. Again, how sad!

The ranger picked up the empty plastic bags, the broken cooler, and the lid to the food container (the container itself was never found), the next morning. She said it was clear the damage was the handy work of a bear. She said this was the exact thing that could cause the bear to become a menace – all because some people chose not to follow the rules. I’m not sure if the errant campers were fined, I only hope they were…rules are rules.

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