FREE shoes

Hey friends!  You have a chance to win a free pair of Altra Running shoes.  The new Torin 2 shoes are out and all you have to do is send me your most beautiful, awe inspiring, exhilerating, photo of you enjoying the trails.  I will be the judge of the photo:)  Whoever wins will be mailed a pair of awesome shoes!!!  Below is a link to learn more about the Torin 2.

https://youtu.be/c_oYKik83ts

New Paths and Friends

It's been so fun running this spring!  Met new friends to run with and love running with my good friend Selina.  Selina and her husband will be pacing me at the Bighorn 100 in July.  I'm excited for this race that has haunted me the past two attempts.

Can't believe my first race is already next month.  I have enjoyed the trails here and there are so many I have not explored.  The last few weeks have been a little muddy running and sometimes slick.  But doable for sure.  I think in a couple of weeks I should be able to make it to Mt. Baldy!  First race is end of May, called the Dirty Thirty just outside of Boulder.  I did it a few years back and it is so beautiful.  Megan is an awesome race director.  Kind of a funny story about the morning of the race.  My friend and Altra teammate Nick Clark was going to pick me up at the hotel around 4:30am.  So I went outside and here pulls up a car with a couple runners in it and I figure Nick sent them to get me. I mean it's 4 in the morning right? I forget what the name of the girl was that they were picking up but for some reason when they asked are you so and so I said yes!!!!  I still don't know why I said yes!  We left for the race and about 10 minutes later Nick calls and says where are you!?!  I said Oh my gosh(well maybe not that exactly) where are you?  Long story short the car I was in was supposed to pick up another girl at the same hotel and that girl was outside the hotel with Nick.  Luckily there was enough time and we switched cars and made it to the race.  That was pretty dumb of me and I know Nick will never let me live that one down.  Don't Get Into Cars with Strangers!!!!!  Duh!

Running a lot of mileage now. Snowed a lot recently so I ran alooooonnngg time on the treadmill Friday but was able to run yesterday on the trails. Miss all of my friends from Casper. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Beartrap Canyon

Latest snowfall

Great new friends to run with!

Beautiful Bozeman

Transition

Well I spent awhile yesterday doing a new post and somehow I posted an old one and deleted the new one!  Arrrggghhh!!!  So here we go again.  I'll start off by talking about my "just ok" season.  My first race of the year was the Quad Rock 50.  Great race that Nick Clark puts on.  I peaked a little early at this race and broke the record and won against some awesome competition.  That was the best race of my life.  Next was the Bighorn 100 of which I did 50.  I had stomach issues along with family stuff that was going on.  Not my race.  Next it was Speedgoat 50k put on by Karl Meltzer.  I've done this race several times and done well.  This time it was ok and I placed top ten still.  Since we were in the middle of moving up to Bozeman I decided to do Hurl Elkhart 50 outside of Helena in August.  I won and almost got hit by lightning and ran into a badger.  Yikes!!!  But it was an awesome and rugged race.  A lot of the time we followed game trail.  The elk and other animals I guess like to take the ribbon, so the race director used pink duct tape!:)  The last race was Steamboat Springs 100 of which I ran 38.  Excuses excuses here.  My neck had been strained while either lifting at the gym or moving boxes.  Who knows.  My head wasn't in it and I had issues with eating.  I couldn't wear a pack and carried 2 bottles and just didn't stop to eat.

So after the race I took time off from running and worked out at Fuel Fitness gym in Bozeman.  We officially became residents of Montana September 2nd, the day school started for the kids.  Many of you know I have taught classes for a long time at various gyms in WY.  I love to teach hard bootcamps and was asked to teach a couple times a week.  I lovvvveee to make people sweat!  

I also got back into skate skiing and did a couple races.  I placed well and enjoyed getting back to my first endurance sport.  I started to train again for running in January.  I still lift and do the step mill a lot.  That machine is torture but it gets you in shape quick for the uphills.  I truly believe in mixing it up when training.  Cross training has so many benefits.  Saves your joints a little longer for one thing and for me it keeps running fresh and new.

So skies are put away now and I have dove right into downhill training at the M in Bozeman.  Ran for 4 hours and tested the quads out.  Well hamstrings are great but it still hurts to walk from Friday.  Quads are soar to the touch!!!  Love it!

So sorry about the previous post on FB!  I thought I did the right one!  I'll be updating a lot more now, so check back!!!:)

Very busy lately!  Just bought a new house that will be done August 28th in Bozeman.  School starts September 2nd for the kids, so I decided to switch my last race from Wasatch 100 to RRR 100.  First race is coming up quickly.  Very little dirt training but thats how it goes till end of May.  I feel good and am excited to go to my friend Nick Clark's race May 9th.  He does an awesome job and he even has a race for the kids.  Race is the Quad Rock50 or 25 mile.  I think its full but you can check it out gnarrunners.com

A lot of you have asked about my shoes lately.  Altra Running Company has a very informative website and goes into detail on their shoes and describes zero drop.  Go to  altrarunning.com.  They also have an athletes link that tells you about some of us on the team.  I absolutely love the Olympus running shoe!!!!  It feels so natural to run in them.  Super cushy and comfy!!!  Bruce at Mountain Sports will be carrying them soon.  Feel free to ask any questions on the shoes!

Quick note on training.  I have helped my friend Amanda in her training for Bighorn coming up.  She is doing the 30k.  We all have our own way of training but thought I'd give you an example of my training regimen.

Monday is normally an easy day of 7 miles running.  I do a leg workout and 10 minutes abs.

Tuesday is an interval day, either on hills, or on the step mill.  I go for an hour to an hour and a half.

           Repeats of 1-3 minutes with half time off.  Usually I repeat 10X2min and rest 2min, then do it   

           again.  I also do an arm workout and 10 minutes abs.

Wednesday is my mid long run, 2-3hours, with one mile 10k effort and half mile easy repeating this.

             Or I do a pyramid, 10min on 5 off, 15min on 5 off, 20min on 10off, and repeat back down.

             10 min abs

Thursday is longer interval day.  There is a long hill here in town and it takes about 5:30 up and down 

             it.  So I do 10 or so repeats, with 1:30 off between.  This ends up being about an hour to an 

             hour and a half.  Leg day again, and abs.

Friday is my long day of up to 6 hours or so.  Drop kids off at school and go.

Saturday is my back to back day of 2-3 hours cross training.

Sunday is off.

I do feel cross training is very beneficial!  So I will mix it up with the step mill and some rowing.

Also yoga 4 times a week.  

Hope this helps and if you have questions don't hesitate to ask.  

Here are some pictures from the last 2 weeks of running.  Snow is melting quick thank goodness!  We need some dirt!

East End Road

Crimson Dawn Road

Muddy Mountain

Muddy shoes:)

Bridle Trail Falls

Crimson Dawn Road one week later

Muddy Mtn one week later

view from mountain to Casper

  

Finally Started a Blog!

Well I am starting a new blog.  I'm excited to share my thoughts, adventures, etc.  And photos of course.  Also since we are moving this summer to Bozeman it gives me a chance to stay connected with my friends in Casper.

Short but sweet first post.  

I'm very excited to say I'm part of the Altra Running Team.  Love their shoes!!!!!  Especially the Olympus.  More posts to come on this!