Counting down the days

It is crazy I haven’t updated in 2 weeks! Everything has been so crazy!

My training has still been going really well! It would be way too long to update it all…so here are a few highlights! I have gotten in 3 runs per week. This week I only had one swim and 2 the week before. It was also bike to work day this week so my bike miles look larger! 2 bikes this week, and 3 last week!

Weekly totals (week of June 18^th and June 25^th)

Run	10.75	miles
Bike	28	miles
Swim	2050	meters
Other
Run	9.5	miles
Bike	48	miles
Swim	1250	meters
Other	Hiking

Thursday June 21^st

I completed my second stroke and stride! It went WAY better than my first! I finished the swim over 2 minutes faster! And then run I improved my pace by 45 seconds! So overall I shaved almost 5 minutes off my time. I am hoping to go this Thursday again which will be the final time before the tri next weekend.

stroke and stride results

Friday June 22^nd

Tink came to visit! We headed up to Dillon to bike around the lake. It was an awesome day with great views, and she did SO well with the altitude! She was coming straight from sea level J I also threw in some pics from camping (camped at Guanella Pass – awesome!)

Lake Dillon with Tink!

Riding, Riding

Our awesome site - Guanella Pass

Climbing things

Early morning wake up...

Tuesday June 26th 

Kickball – Tattoos and Tutus = Tat-tutu

Tat-tutu day!

 Wednesday June 27th 

Bike to work day! It is 16 miles to work and I took a different route home that was about 13 miles. Here is a pic Aaron took before we took off, it looks like I am going to my first day of school!

Bike 2 work day!

It is a great event that Denver tries to promote biking to work. I read their aim is to get the people that drive 1-3 miles to bike. While my 16 miles is a bit outside the range, it was still fun. They had some breakfast stations along the way to stop for food too!

Saturday June 30^th

Hike Mt Sherman! 14er #5 for me J

We had a great crew – 7 of us. Aaron and myself, our friends Jen and Jason (first 14er),  Kat and Kels and Sally. We were celebrating Kat’s last 14er of the season as she is moving to NYC L Her and Kelsey have done all 9 of the 14er hikes together! I’ve done all 5 of mine with AA and Kels and Kat too.

Anywho – it is located just past Fairplay, so we took 285 there Friday after work (2+ hours). We got to camp around 9 PM and were planning on rising at 3:45 AM (Jason thought it was a joke). After not the best sleep (forgot my sleeping bag) – we were ready to go at the trailhead at 5 AM. We summited at 7 AM. It was probably the easiest 14er I have done, but was still so great. The views were amazing and it was great to do in the early AM. On our way down everyone going up was already sweating bullets. Here are a few pics!

Sherman Route and Elevation

Sun coming up - Jason and Jen

Being Goofy

Group shot - Mt. Sherman!

Cool shot

Kat, Sally and Kels eating bfast!

Someone else came to the top and could take our picture

Heading back down - notice layers gone!

Sunday July 1^st

After napping for 2 hours after the hike, and getting 9+ hours of sleep, AA and I were ready for some more activities on Sunday! We headed to Evergreen in the AM to do the tri bike course again and ‘tri’ out the run!

We finished in about the same time ~1 hour but this time seemed easier and we did not stop at all! The first hard part is once you turn on to county road 475 all the way to Stagecoach.  Once you turn to Stagecoach just remember there is a downhill coming up so push it! The second hard part is right before the crazy downhill – my watch wasn’t working so I don’t have the mileage but it is right after you pass Greystone Rd around mile 7 – it might have been because I told AA the hardest part was over and there was one more climb. After you do this – the downhill to Elk Mountain Open Space is crazy. There is a tiny uphill to get to the entrance but you have a lot of speed so it is not bad!

Next we went over to Evergreen Lakehouse to start our run. It sort of started out in crazy sorts because there were troopers there and as we were walking to the start he pulled up and told us there was an Elk (cow-mom) just over the hill and that she was charging at people because the calf was near by. Of course our running course went right between the Elk and her baby. The trooper drove up and we inched behind him and luckily made it through OK.

The start of the run in UPHILL – it was HARD. After the first .75 miles and 200 ft elevation gain the rest is flat and downhill. Well – minus the staircase you have to run up! We aren’t quite sure, but I think we followed the course – and we ran on the small trail around the lake – so it could get crowded, but it will probably be thinned out by then. Both the biking and running are such a beautiful course. We saw the Elk and baby again as we were finishing. I told AA to go up to take a picture and when we looked down the hill his eyes met with the Elk – needless to say we didn’t get the picture.

AA running on trail at Evergreen Lake

Evergreen Lake

Then we stopped off in Golden and brought sandwiches and sat along the river. There were tons of people just hanging out by the river and lots of people tubing! It has been so hot in Denver and this is one great way to cool down!

Golden River

Tuesday July 3^rd

Brick workout at work (inside)

20 minutes on the cycle bike then 2 mile run on the treadmill.

I think I am still feeling it from the weekend and last week – I was TIRED! It was good to get in the workouts back to back though.

I may bike up to kickball tonight and then I’ll take tomorrow off (maybe just weights).

Unfortunately I DO NOT have tomorrow off for the 4^th of July from work! It is quarter end so my department has to come in. I’ll try not to be jealous of everyone in Wash Park and the BBQ AA is having at the house J Hopefully I will get out early!

So the Tri is quickly approaching. The next 2 weeks I want to keep the same frequency but drop the intensity. Thursday I will do the stroke and stride if I can get out of work. I am in Chicago this weekend for a wedding so I’ll see if I can get in a run. Next week I’ll just do shorter swim/bike/runs to be ready for Sunday! I am getting NERVOUS.