Family

family hike & air band jam

Published April 23, 2016

Swim, bike – hike…triathlon Colorado style.

Limited to only swim & cycling since St. Louis. Tough knowing the exact right thing to do (while injured), to successfully prepare for next weekend’s 50 State Quest finale – a double marathon weekend: 2 states, 2 days, 2 marathons, 2 time zones.

Physical rehab 4 days a week. Lap swimming. Cycling every other day. Running? No miles, nada.

Technically, no one prohibited hiking. Not as much knee impact as road running, but the downhill return over boulders & trail debris – probably not ideal physically. Mentally however, I needed a mountain hike as much as I need air.

trivia nite w/ Tom’s folks

Fair weather week so hoped high altitude sunshine had burned off much of last weekend’s snowfall to make a (8000ft) Boulder Flatirons hike possible. [Still another month/6 weeks before Continental Divide hiking would be doable.]

Street parked at Shanahan Ridge trailhead, met up with Ash & Tom for a fido-friendly hike; today’s destination: Devil’s Thumb. Hadn’t successfully summited this peak since my 52 hike year, 2012. Honestly, not even sure it’s still day-hike accessible since the 2013 Boulder Flood. Never mind trail destruction, road damage from this epic 500-year flood still exists today (County Road in Louisville remains closed ’til 2017).

Overcast cool start. Pups were LOVIN’ an off-leash day. Whole lotta mud – hike day would mean ‘bath’ day later 🙁 Followed Mesa Trail to Shadow Canyon, took the split toward Bear Peak (& South Boulder Peak, 2 bagger possibility here).

Sloppy seasonal swamp gave way to ice & exposed snow as we increased elevation.

If you’re ever short on time or expect an early afternoon weather change, Boulder summer hikes are definitely the way to go. Short mileage, but killer incline – I’ve tagged our trails: ‘butt busters’. Half-mile stretches where each step UP is slightly higher than comfortable, a real glute workout.

Bushwhacking & possibly ropes now required to top Devil’s Thumb. Trail ascent to Bear Peak moved/shifted ~100ft since the Flood; the original trail a maze of battered rock & fallen pine. Snapped a pic, closest we’d get (route no longer dog-friendly).

Up, up, up another 500ft – over ice & snow, toward Bear Peak. Clock stuck 11 & we called it. No summit this day.

First hike of the season: timing slower, steps a bit more labored, lack of oxygen still noticeable. Mentally though – FAAANNNTASTIC! Nothing like snow, thin air & Ponderosa pine. Happy day 🙂

: Marty blazing down Mesa Trail

: the Flatirons

: remnants from last weekend’s storm

: snow & ice trek to Bear Peak

: Devil’s Thumb

: off-leash hike happiness

: mountain therapy, Colorado-style

Wed April 27th: More Than a Feeling

Tom’s parents in from New Jersey for a family wedding. First night in Colorado? Trivia night at one of Ash & Tom’s favourite local brew haunts. As luck would have it, tie score. Solution? Air-band playoff. Humiliating…but memorable 🙂

Ashton • April 27 • Brought in reinforcements for trivia!! ❤ these people!! — feeling determined at 4 Noses Brewing Company.

Ashton • feeling proud • Sooooo won an air-band play off to “More Than A Feeling” at trivia tonight. With our parents. It was epic.

The Care Bears vs The Fates
Scotty Danger

Be careful what you say at Quiz, the Fates are always listening! Care Bear Elite had some parents in town tonight, and they brought them to Quiz. Then I went and opened my big mouth about, “how this one time, at Quiz…” Anyway the story was that another team had parents in town and how funny it was that they ended in a tie for 2nd, hence they forced to get up and rock out in an Air-Band Competition for the decision. Haha, laugh laugh, I said, “so just know that there’s that possibility…”

Having heard me say that, Murphy, the Fates, and I’m pretty sure some mischievous garden gnomes decided it was going to happen. Swear to Quiz, I did nothing to rig it, but after a 13-point Round 8 with a Joker, guess who ended up in 2nd place, tied with Christopher Robin had No Friends. Anyway, at that point I had to reprise the original encounter, so Air-Band they did, and to none other than the greatest of Air-Band-able songs, More Than a Feeling, by Boston. Classic, simply classic…

The video is now in my own personal archives, and I will enjoy it when I’m feeling down and need to laugh and someone trying to play air… oboe? I’m not really sure what was going with Christopher Robin, they seemed to be just going down a list of instruments throughout the competition. But congrats to the Care Bears who took it by applause. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t wish they had a good memory of Air-Banding with their parents!

The rest of the night was fairly status-quo, which for us means a better time than most would have on a Wednesday evening! Good Beer, Good Teams, Good Questions, and Good Doggies all around the bar.

Oh, except for Eve and her bunch who decided to ruin our new “Silent Seventh” tradition. Don’t worry Eve, I’m coming for you…

Stay Dangerous, people,

Scotty Danger…

Posted in Boulder County, Family | Tagged hiking | Leave a comment

St Louis DNF

Published April 10, 2016

Based on the header, ya’ll know this tale doesn’t end well – but no worries, that’s only half the story 🙂

Kicked off the weekend talking smack with Sis over social media ‘bout this weekend’s marathon. Should she BQ (Boston Qualify), I agreed to down her complimentary can of Beet Juice. Tried this once during last year’s Fargo Marathon – one word: DIS-GUST. Like a can of liquid dirt. And that color – let’s just say: what goes in, must come out. DIS-GUST.

Saturday morn sunshine. First stop Rockwood Summit High, where nephew Jack plays volleyball. Yep, soccer & track weren’t enough – signed up with friends. No previous knowledge of the game…rules, scoring – great to be young, no hesitation, no fear.

While Sis’ had her fill of carting kids to sporting events, I rarely get the chance to join a family cheer section. Nephew won his first tournament game, so the Team plays on. Super FUN. In-law Bro stayed behind, Sis & I headed to Purina Farms to attend a dog agility show. Watched Ro’s agility doppelganger, an Airedale, complete the course twice before we shifted to view the smaller dogs. LOVED LOVED it! Finished at the diving pool where NO dog completed the task. Each ran hard down the short runway but all stopped short of jumping in its chilly water. Tennis balls, duck decoys, Frisbees – didn’t matter what the object, no takers today. HA!

Dinner, lazed around with family. FAAANNNTASTIC!

National Siblings Day

Early morning start, my 2nd St. Louis Marathon. Left knee still tight from my first marathon double 2 weeks ago, followed by last weekend’s Rockin’ K trail run – I drug all downhill stretches in Kansas.

Snagged a B corral start (based on last year’s finish time). Sis had her own plan today – BQ — also running 26.2, paced by members of her local Fleet Feet group. Sis runs with a pack.

Warmed up, started on pace, but unfortunately everything tightened by mile 3. Focused on reaching landmarks I remembered from last year. Highlight: Running thru Anheuser-Busch again (miles 8-10). Forest Park – mile 15. Walk, run. Pain shot up my left leg, knee throbbed. Weird, cruel injury – uphill no problem, it’s downhill stretches which hobbled my spirit. Crossed the timing map at mile 20, only 6 to go.

Sharp shooting pain continued up my left leg, ankle to knee. Just past Mile 21, I went down – could no longer hold weight on the leg. Have never DNF’d. Ambulance transport to the Med Tent near the Finish Line (an hour later). Whereas all major marathons have doctors on staff, this was a St Louis fail. Couldn’t walk, received nothing for pain. Paramedic wrapped my knee in ice. Luckily Sis is a doc & provided meds – yep, same sis who just finished the marathon. Shower, pasta & drugs. Made my night flight home.

Body damaged. Spirit broken. What to do? Races booked every weekend thru June.

Stop, turn it off. Breathe. Tomorrow’s another day.