Life

eat LOCAL, eat CLEAN

Published August 4, 2018

After a MONTH of over-the-top TRAVEL, next 25 days of Colorado-only comes open-arm welcome. Appreciate the amazing opportunity to see/experience so many diverse cultures & landscapes – #luckyinlife super thankful – just missing my Rocky Mountain home. All ’bout Balance.

August 1^st – Colorado Day (1876 statehood), free access to all State Parks

August 2^nd– Grandpup Marty’s first day with Ro & Papa. Ash & Tom flew East Coast to see family/friends AND attend another summer wedding. Papa doubled his Pup count for a week; Ro gained a hunting partner. Rabbits. Squirrels. ALL MUST DIE. Morning/noon/evening walks ‘round our two local reservoirs, Hecla & Waneka. Kill count 2 this season.

Saturday morn – hometown Downtown. ATM-robbed my bank account then a personal best to self-support Louisville’s Farmers Market. Duck eggs, dried fruit, craft Kombucha & jarred pickles. BUY, BUY, BUY. Finished off the a.m. with breakfast at Huckleberry’s: corned beef hash & eggs. FAAANNNNTASTIC! A-ok to fall off the diet wagon every now ‘n then, right?

Late afternoon movie. No one outgrows Pooh, EVER. GREAT to be Colorado HOME! ❤️

: Louisville Farmers Market

: pickled PARADISE

: duck eggs & organics

: off the diet wagon – YUM!

: POOH Bear

: Marty Holiday

: Mystic Aquarium, CT

Farm to Feet – 100% American Made Socks

Wanna keep it USA LOCAL with your socks? My CT bestie forwarded the preceding link. Pricier than your average WalMart tube socks but 100% comparable to SmartWool (my personal choice in running/hiking socks) – AND they’re USA made 🇺🇸

Subject: socks
From: Dawn

This one gets their wool from US source also (Smart Wool doesn’t).
Have you tried them? If so, how do they compare to Smart wool ones?
Oh, and I think the guy in the video may be a kindred spirit to you.

As always, wish we were closer because I miss you.

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

VRBO with Pup

Published May 13, 2018

6 weekends consecutive marathoning – not sure who needed a mountain break more, me or Pup? Light-bulb idea💡 VRBO rental in the Colorado mountains, one where I could bring Ro. If I could spend hotel $$ in rural Midwest America, I can afford a weekend in Colorado paradise.

Friday night drive, 2 ½ hours due west. US 285 to Fairplay, 15 miles on Colorado 9 toward Hartsel. Pitch dark, no city lights. Dirt road, just short of the Divide. Creep’d along after Maps App crapped out – luckily, no more than 200 feet from my pinned location. Isolated, no cell service, COLD too!

Backpack, 2 bags of food. Pronghorn & deer [heads] mounted in the entry, written warning ’bout moose. I’d explore in the morning. Tired; shuteye calling. Are there bear here?

Vibrant pink start. GREAT day to be a dog: NO leash all weekend. Where first? Nearby snowbank or fast-flowing stream; Colorado paradise. I retreated inside for a jacket. 29 degrees 🙂

Hike. Afternoon ride into Fairplay. ‘nother hike, DirectTV in the cabin. Lazy mental retreat away. Couple of chipmunks, fish in the stream but notta lotta visible wildlife.

Warmed up 20 degrees during the day, warm enough for Ro to river explore. Brrr. After initially slipping into the water, Pup decided stream-drinking the only way to go. LOL>

On the drive home, explored Colorado’s oldest working courthouse (9964ft elevation). Colorado addicted: trail running & thin-air hikes ALL summer. LOVE LOVE my Colorado life ❤

: 2 days away

: Colorado paradise

: quiet, peaceful, no drama weekend

: open Western sky

: GREAT day to be a dog 🙂

: NO leash weekend

: vibrant early morning pinks

: Colorado’s oldest working courthouse (circa 1874, 2 years before Statehood)

mountain retreat, Fairplay CO

Posted in Continental Divide, Rowan O'Roark | Leave a comment

Race of Champions Marathon

Published May 6, 2018

Another Friday post-midnite arrival, airport hotel sleeps. Free shuttle return in the a.m., rental car pickup. Things to do, people to see AND of course, ‘nother East Coast marathon (state count creeping over 30 now) 🙂

Saturday, play day. Birthday-celebrated with Michaela, afternoon’d in Hartford’s Elizabeth Park. Bit early in the season for roses but gardens of multi-coloured tulips they got. Warm temps, beautiful sunshiny day. Spring has sprung in Connecticut.

Trip to the Disney Store (can always count on Dave) then went our separate ways. Tough to say goodbye. Heart tug 💔

Race of Champions Marathon. Easy hour drive north to West Springfield Mass for bib pick-up. Motel check-in, watched the Kentucky Derby at Roberto’s in Northampton – PIZZA dined, taste buds WOW’d (& boxed leftovers). Highly recommended.

56th Annual Marathon & 4th Annual Half Marathon

Sunday May 6th, 2018 8:00am

America’s 10th Oldest Marathon and the 19th Oldest Marathon in the World….

The race is a full marathon, 26.2 miles. The course is USATF certified and can be used as a qualifying race for entry into the Boston Marathon. The course is very scenic including country roads, both dirt and paved.

Never previously marathon’d in the Berkshires but lotta personal history here.

Hundred years ago I left the South & resettled here (seems a lifetime ago). Springfield, Chicopee & Holyoke – had apartments in each. Took classes in 5 local colleges/universities, pooled my credits, finished 2 degrees in 3 ½ years. Ash was born, Michaela 3 years later. Lotta history, soooo much spaghetti, college poor. Bank teller employed, unloaded planes for UPS, delivered Sunday newspapers AND finished university. 5 years later I’d be working in Russia, travelling Europe kids in tow. Crazy wonderful life.

Sunday morning drizzle, again. Made peace this year, have become a HUGE FAN of RAIN. Cap, light jacket, keeps Spring temps cool/manageable. Bring on da RAIN, this runner fades in heat. Late 8am Start, no chance for a post-race shower. No YMCA with Sunday hours, seeing an airport splash bath in my afternoon future. Sorry fellow travellers. LOL>

One mile of Highway 5, then two miles UP UP UP Reservation Road to Mt. Tom [former ski resort]. Forgotten ‘bout hills. Can suck leg strength dry beginning of a run (lactic acid tight). Today however, really good head space. Slow & steady pace.

Never looked at the course, didn’t know how long this would last…and then, mighty nice surprise. DIRT. Run medicine. Three laps of rolling up-n-down trail, miles 5 thru 12. LOVE LOVE LOVED. Hardest of the day’s rain fell while canoped by tall leafy forest.

Small lake, rocks, lotta tall GREEN TREES. Super scenic.

Next 10 or so miles, road-ran thru small New England towns. Cows grazing/horses/quiet country farms. Folks sleeping, lulled lazy by Sunday’s morning rain. Digged today’s course. Really good head space.

Few congested Holyoke streets before directed on the town’s bike path. Built alongside a stretch of railroad/lotta trees though no canopy (LONG memorable patch of downpour). Shoes SOAKED, feet smacked pavement. Started seeing late Halfers sharing the course. Talked with 2 inspirational Halfers. Lotta weight loss, both ladies HUGE life changes. Not easy to get off the couch & MAKE CHANGE!

Last 2 miles ‘long Highway 5, relegated to urban sidewalk. Lotta roadside trash. It is what it is – but whatta shame, BEAUTIFUL 20+ miles of New England only to FINISH in ordinary. 15 minutes slower than last Sunday. I’ll take it, no frown. WHOLE LOT hillier.

Burgers/dogs/potato salad: HUGE post-race FOOD stretch AND a new Massachusetts PR. I ❤ New England.