MyCOLORADOLife.net

hot dog & a smile

Published May 2, 2014

Batter, batter, swing. Baseball season again — must be summer (ok, not quite…but it is May). Snagged Rockies tickets via Groupon to Friday night’s game. 3 years in a row have watched BASEBALL at Coors Field – good streak to keep alive 🙂

Seemed fitting to invite my resident East Coast transplants to a Mets game. Gotta say it really didn’t matter who the Rockies were playing. Going to a ballpark is much more than the game – it’s about food, fun & sharing laughs.

Started with chili dogs & beer (Ash & Tom), followed by 2 bags of peanuts (lost the battle to Tom – 6 nuts short of success…lotta shelling & eating in a short amount of time – LOL>)…finishing off with cotton candy late in the 7th (Ash).

So how was the game? FAAAANNNNNTASTIC! Crushed the visiting New Yorkers 10-3.

Friday night in Denver, for the second night in a row the Rockies made quick work of a Met starter, this time Zach Wheeler as the Mets lose big 10-3.

Wheeler lasted just 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 7 runs, 6 earned walking 2 and striking out 1. Trailing 7-1 in the top of the 6^th Curtis Granderson got to Jorge De La Rose for a two run homer (2) to make it 7-3. The Rockies made it a laugher as they got to Carlos Torres for 3 runs in his 2 innings of work to close the scoring.

Sports, food & friends – bestest combo ever.

best·est bestəst/ adjective 1. the very best.

2014 – Rockies 10, Mets 3

2013 – Rockies 10, Padres 9 (bottom of 9th homer)

2012 – A’s 8, Rockies 2

: game face

: Friday nite lights (check out that sky)

Road Biking: Louisville to Lyons

Published April 26, 2014

3^rd time on the bike – time to do some distance. Still kinda nerved from car traffic but gotta get out & make peace with the bike if I’m gonna be ready for Ironman Boulder this August.

Day 1 – tour of my neighborhood & Waneka Lake

Day 2 – Lafayette, Erie, Community Park, Coal Creek Trail & downtown Louisville

Day 3 – How ‘bout a 26-mile ride (52 miles roundtrip) along the Front Range to Lyons? Louisville to Boulder, Hwy 36 to Lyons. Hills, lotta cars but you can’t fail if you don’t try, right?

Rode Valmont into Boulder – a bit out of the way but chose this scenic farm road to avoid traffic. Boulder to Hwy 36 – lotta cars, stayed alert, did not panic. Met up with my friend Matt. Not doing it alone made the trek much more doable. Thanks!

When I first moved to Colorado, I rode Hwy 36 to Estes thinking I would be travelling to Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park every weekend. Life happened, adopted Ro but still remembered the many cyclists on 36 & thought ‘someday I’m gonna do that’.

(hearing ya) You’re scared of 65 mile an hour traffic, what did you like?

The almost canvas-like landscape of our foothills, country farms, horses & the sheer distance one can travel on bike (vs running). ALSO, I’m crazy good at climbing hills – soooooo much easier than running UP.

AWESOME breakfast at the Stone Cup in Lyons; highly recommended.

Nothing noteworthy on the uphill return from Lyons. Humbling (& a bit disheartening) being passed by entire groups of riders – just my 3^rd time riding outside but it’s like I was standing still. Argh.

Ok crazy — what’s next?

Just signed up for my first Century on May 18^th, a 100 mile bike ride in Santa Fe, New Mexico — one week after attempting marathon #7, a hilly run up & down the Maine coastline.

Life’s meant to be lived. I’ll rest next decade 🙂

greek scrambler w/ hash browns

Salt Lake Marathon

Published April 19, 2014

7am race start – woke early & took advantage of free train transit to U of U campus.

Most scenic marathon start-to-date, locale blanketed by the towering Wasatch Mountains (Utah’s Rockies). 6,500 participants, caps off for [singing of] our nation’s Anthem – and pop, we’re off.

My legs felt tight at mile 3 — not sure if caused by running a half marathon 6 days ago or running with my Thursday night group just 2 days prior. Just a twinge but still came as a surprise.

Checked out the elevation map in advance (lesson learned from last month’s Georgia Marathon) – running solid to mile 10. A steady 5 mile climb to mile 15, then one last hill at mile 20. Paced my first half 1:56 & gutted up the top of mile 15. Pushed to mile 17 but that was it – empty, no more in the tank.

Water break.

Started running tandem with a young guy from Ogden. Running, walking, shuffling but ultimately finishing what I started. Along the way Timothy encouraged another runner, Natalie, completing her first marathon. Tears streamed down her face as we neared the finish – only .2 miles away. Super emotional day – I’m a better person for having finished with these folks.

Crashed an hour in Washington Square, showered, then up & off to Temple Square. Gait wasn’t pretty – more of a stumble – but enjoyed showing my friend Matt Temple Square & soaking in Spring. Flowers were colourful, wildly vibrant.

6 down, 44 to go. Next month’s marathon – Maine (Kennebunk to Biddeford, along Maine’s rugged coast).

Salt Lake City Marathon — Saturday April 19, 2014

469 K R Haga Louisville, CO 4:41:23

UPDATE

Early flight on Sunday meant spending Easter at home – just in time to start a new tradition, outdoor dining at Casa Alegre, our first Mexicana holy holiday feast 🙂

TRAINING UPDATE

Signed up for a 25k trail race (15.5 miles) in Larkspur Colorado the week before my next marathon. Then no running or cycling for 6 days, only swimming. And Nutella — it’s baaaack for 3 weeks thanks to Ashton.