Hazy November Morning

The overhead clouds trapped in a sort of hazy mist over the valley this morning. The photos can't really do justice to the beauty of the foothills that were masked in a silvery sheet of fog. It's a nice lazy day for some tea and puppy snuggles. And, unfortunately, HOMEWORK! Boo..

Tofurkey Trot

I did NOT go up the huge hill on 5-

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. I don't really know why, but it probably has something to do with all the food. I cooked my vegan Thanksgiving food on Tuesday and have been thoroughly enjoying it all week.

I was going to head out to one of the local Thanksgiving Day races yesterday, but I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than be on the trails for the morning, especially since I am pup-sitting for my friend. Having three dogs around is a lot easier if they have all had a nice run! I headed up Rocky Canyon Road to do the Watchman Trail loop, which is about six miles. It was chilly in the shade, but as the sun popped around from the other side of the hill, the temperatures were perfect, and I had a perfect run on the trails with the dogs.

The water has finally made its way back into the creeks, and we crossed water about four times. The dogs all have completely different approaches to the water. Rosie flops down in anything wet she can find. Jake doesn't care about the water so much, but he will play if Rosie is enticing him. Gracie, who looks like she should love the water, is a princess and tries to avoid getting wet at all costs. (For which I am very thankful, since she is the one that is attached to me on the waist leash.) Goofy animals!

Photo Credit: The sagebrush that served as a camera stand.

End of Season Celebrations

With my last race a month behind me, I have been thoroughly enjoying the off season. I jog when I want to jog. I hike when I want to hike. (Frankly, that isn't too different from my on-season, but I don't have any big runs in between.) Part of the end of the season for the last two years has been the awards ceremony for the Idaho Trail Ultra Series. This series and all the races involved hold a special place in my heart. When I started ultrarunning in October 2011, I made some lofty goals that I was somehow able to pull off in 2012 by completing all 6 races in the series, plus an additional 6 ultras that were elsewhere.

What a fantastic group! (Photo Credit: Tempus Photo Design)

King and Queens of the Mountain! (Photo Credit: Tempus)

I was able to get back out to most of the ITUS races again this year, so I managed to rack up enough points to put myself in the second slot of the Dirty Dozen again. It was another fantastic year with some tough trail miles, beautiful views, and amazing company. A huge reason this party is so enjoyable is the fact that I am able to see all the friends with whom I have shared the trail over the last year. It makes me incredibly appreciative of the running community that I have here in Boise.

Huge thanks is always due to the organizers of the series and of the individual races. Runners, always remember the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and be sure to give your RDs some love!

Reflecting back upon the past few years, I think that the big takeaway is persistence. I always express to people that I am not an extraordinary runner by any means, I am just stubborn. I sign up for races, and do my best to kick my butt to the end of it. Fast or slow, I usually get there, and I enjoy the journey.

Brrrr!

Boise downtown from Sidewinder

Getting out of bed this morning was ROUGH. Not only was it the first day off in many, many busy

days, but the temperature was about twenty degrees. It was hard enough to think about pulling myself from under the covers, let alone step foot outside. I had to remind myself that it feels like this at the start of every winter, and that I would feel better when I started moving. I layered up with my Gore-Tex tights and Under Armour top, and braved the outdoors. (I am quite a wimp the first few cold runs.) The first few minutes were rough, but as the sun continued to rise, I warmed up and had a lovely run. 

The dogs were happy to be out after all of the rain that we have had the past week, which was keeping us off the trails. A great benefit to waking up early and getting on the trails in the cold is that they are still frozen, and therefore usable. Once the sun hits more, I am sure that there will be a few wet spots.

Jake showing off his coordination on the ice.

Ahhh, Idaho.

Fresh Air

I think that everyone should have the opportunity to start their day with a dose of fresh air. If you have the chance to do so and do not take advantage of it, I highly suggest that you give it a try. Whether it is going out and pounding many miles on the trail or taking your coffee out for a ten minute walk, I assure you that your day will start off with a bit more mindfulness and peace. I enjoy my mornings, and I hate to spend them rushing. Giving yourself time for a little air will just slow you down for a moment before you start your day.

Just some thoughts!

Is it November?

I enjoyed a nice lazy morning with the dogs this morning: some toast, some tea, some extra time in bed. It snowed yesterday morning, so I was anticipating that the trails would still be soggy and in need of some extra sunlight to dry out. Unfortunately, there was still a bit of moisture that cut my run short, but I was able to enjoy a little time on some of the drier and sandier trails.

Governor's mansion to the left, with those beautiful snowy foothills in the background

Whenever I talk to people from out-of-state about the winters here, they assume that winters in Boise are much more harsh than they actually are. Unlike McCall, which is just a few hours north and gets slammed with snow every year, Boise is high-desert, and the snow doesn't stick around for long. A unique thing about living in Boise is that you can be walking around in town with a tee-shirt and looking at snow up in the higher foothills. Today was a perfect example of that: I went out for my run in a running skirt and long-sleeve and wound up ditching the long sleeve very quickly. It felt like spring!

I want to make note of something that I have observed in the past few years. Since I have moved to Boise, I have met people who have some of the oldest dogs I have ever seen. I came across a man walking two dogs this morning, and one of them was running along very happily, but very slowly. I asked the man how old the dog was, and he told me that he was thirteen. But, he said, the other dog was going to be twenty-two in a few months. TWENTY-TWO! And he was plodding along as well as any of the other dogs I see on the trail. "Dry food, and a walk every day," was the advice that the man gave me.

Gracie Girl sits long enough for a photo for once!

I think that part of this phenomenon is that most of the dog people I meet are out on the trail, which indicates that they are staying active and keeping their dogs active. It is just one more thing that makes me appreciate the community where I live!

Vertical Therapy

Gracie, looking for something to chase I am sure.

Jacob!

Whew! The past week, I have been completely bogged down with assignments for school, and I felt like the entire week went by in a blur. I struggled to get myself out and on the trails, so when my schedule finally freed up yesterday, I took advantage of it and spent a bunch of time on the trails. As soon as I woke up, I leashed up the pups and headed over to the Highlands to Hollow trails that I had been eying longingly for the past few days. Ahhh, it feels good to get to the top of stuff!












A bit later in the day I had a break of time and went for a quick hike on the trails around Castle Rock. I don't think that I had been out that way since I got dogs (2+ years ago).

Boise's East End.

Castle Rock has some interesting history that I am going to research a bit and post about later.

Some rocks...

Ahhh, the colors!!