j-lyn's corner

"...and I think to myself, what a wonderful world" 

Sometimes, everything clicks. And it's FUN. If you run for fun, ultrarunning isn't your sport. Unless you're willing to suffer for the times it is more than fun.

After a few runs of pre/post flu misery, I felt excellent today. I had the freeing feeling of being released after being trapped. I was actually able to, almost, keep up with the boys today. Ran with jun, Scott, and Matt. I'll either die trying to keep up with them or get a whole stronger. Probably both.

Ran the Avenues Twin Peaks this morning. Got to sleep in til 5am. I feel pathetic that I was excited to "sleep in."

We rose above the inversion level, and it was warm and beauitful. Elk were spotted and coyotes were calling. I was warm, did I mention that? What a novel thing, to be warm in on a dark winter morning.

I must say, when we summitted the first peak, and quickly came do to run up the second, I questioned why I was doing this but after summitting the second one, I remembered.

What a positively wonderful way to start my day. So much that, who knows, I might just head back there tomorrow. (I do have 45 miles to get in before my flight leaves Thursday morning). 

Check out the sunrise, over the mountain tops encompassing the big city. I really did try to dislike Utah.

45 min of chest, shoulders, and core. bleh.

Ran the twin aves twice. Had a blast, saw entrails, gave myself a migraine running in red air, and met up with a few friends. Feeling to lazy to write about it here. Full report on the new, unfinished blog: http://jennilyneaton.blogspot.com/

I don't know what's worse, the fact that the exercise room in a giant hotel is smaller than a Starbucks, or that out of thousands of people staying at the hotel, only a handful of them are exercising. Suffered through dripping sweat for 12 miles on the dreadmill. It took 10 miles before my brain shut off. Reasonable or not, I paid my $20 allowance of snack money to run on that treadmill (stupid resort fees). The first 10 miles I lied to myself to pretend I was trail running. I did irregular footfalls, steep hills, and imagery. There's a trail I would run from our home when we lived in glenwood springs. It took 3 miles to get to the good stuff- soft high altitude dirt, sun peeking through thick trees, and the rare overlooks on the steep mountainside. This is my favorite memory to harness. Now I vary that memory with friends from the valley and the trails I've run with them. I used to feel guilty that when I am under discomfort or pain, like when I had my wisdom teeth removed while awake (no laughing gas) that my go to calming memory doesn't involve family or kids. Just trails. I'm over feeling guilty. It's an integrate part of me, a part that regardless of my circumstances, can't be taken away. I love my kids and family. But the trail therapy takes all my crazy away and gives me me. I would expect no less if it is, and has been, such an important an time consuming part of my life. Ok, I'm at work a a conference in vegas. Time to get back to it.