Moving & Grooving & Some Snow

Christmas:
Christmas morning didn't start off like any other day, Shadow Boy & I were up early, like 4:35am early, to chauffeur the shuttle to the airport. The rest of the time before the sun came up was spent vacuuming & dusting the furniture. All the happy planets received a soaking of h2o. The smoker was up & running by 11:30am. Well, I set up the smoker & started the briquets by 11:30ish. My friend Renee stopped by w/a wonderful granola treat & a cutting off her Christmas cactus. Last time I was over to her place, I commented, hopefully complimented her plant & by gosh she was paying attention & hooked me up for Christmas. We invited our friend Kim over as well as he & his wife are taking a break & my brother was looking at about a 3pm arrival. Renee didn't stay all that long as her family was having a dinner & our plans were to head for the radio station & socialize for the evening. I pulled the Pork Loin Roast & Ribs off the Smoker by 4pm & served all the fixings. Wild rice w/veggies, mashers, & a fresh that day picked salad goodies. After eating like kings, maybe more than your average kings, we headed for the radio station. My brother had whipped up an apple OJ cider mix in the crockpot & pulled out some of his homemade kahlua that set the tone for an evening of music & story telling. The night was capped off w/a few games of cribbage & Willy Wonka Mashed Up Primus Factory.

Training:
While I was born w/long-limbed, thin build, but far from a world class athlete, I have been playing w/my technical efficiency. Stride Length has become an important issue for me. I know that I was an over-strider this season by just the sound of my foot strikes. Like I had posted before, I was hitting the brakes, my strides were just too long. My Cadence was way too low because of my longer strides & heel strikes, i.e. THOSE DAMN BRAKES!!! I have worked on quicker steps & shorter strides & hope to start targeting about 90 strides a minute. I can tell that my body position has improved dramatically because I find myself loosening my shoulders quicker, walking taller, & much stronger legs under my frame. I know that my body as a whole will be much faster & stronger in 2015 because of the Boy Dog on his leash. I know he pulls me sometimes & we have to wait on cars if we do our no excuse loop instead of a trail run. I read an article while I was at the library address arm motion & matching hip rotation & I realized how I really never play w/this. I can recall back in August hiking w/my bro & pumping my arms up some climbs. This test of arm motion will come into play when I head back to Stoker Stadium. Something else from that article that caught my eye was Leg Recovery?!?! Not even on my radar!!! Get This, I Don't Just Yet, But I Will Soon, a slightly bent leg requires less power to bring the leg through the recover phase of a stride. Which means, I Think, is the faster I run, the higher I lift my heel on recovery. Something I am going to play w/this week & hopefully have a better understanding of it. With the core routine that I have been using, BTW, fit mommy deleted her post, the shedder abs routine, what a bummer. After two weeks of practicing her layout, I had to modify from what I could recall, my windshield wipers are coming along nicely & I am able to do 3 full sets of 10 now. I really like laying on my back w/ my legs in the air & push up hips up towards the celling. I do these very slowly & controlled & sometime I forget the count. I can flutter kick for over a minute now. My planks aren't that impressive yet but my push ups flippin' rock!!! The burpies are coming along & so are the mountain climbers. I also do them very slow & controlled. Still stretch, some yoga, & high knees every morning. Overall, I pretty damn pleased w/how my body is reacting during & after each workout.

Goals:
My goals for this week are very simple & totally achievable!!! Monday is quite the full day w/a a 6am radio show, 10am meeting w/John from MAD Racing, & not one BUT two new clients at the office. SCORE!!!! Also this week I want to reevaluate & log my schedule on this blog regarding my training from this week ahead. I will also clean off the 8GB drive so that I can record Monday & Thursdays show. And as always, pick up another new client from a referral & on my own merit. And depending on weather & time & head space & other excuses, I should hit the pool at least twice before the year comes to an end.

Commuter Bike:
Still riding my commuter w/my helmet on. That means that I have successfully remembered my helmet for over 2 months. I was still hitting 100 mile weeks until the week of Christmas. I will bring those number back up but I have enjoyed the time in the car the last few days. I was even at a Boxing Day Open House Party & a friend of mine asked w/an eyebrow up," Did you ride here tonight?" And I didn't ride on Christmas because I cooked & my brother offered to drive Shadow Boy & I on down to the station. But no fear, I will be riding Monday, I refuse to drive to work, always have.

Radio Shows:
A big heads up about the next couple of shows that I will be subbing for!!!! This Monday Morning I will be hosting the Morning Muse from 6am - 9am Mountain Standard Time Zone. I will be playing some more chill & lounge type of music as folks will be most likely easing into their work week. Plus, it is a cool time slot & I know a lot of listeners follow that program. Then, January 1st 2015, will be my 1st show of the New Year!!! Hell Yezzzzzz!!! I will be subbing in for Uncle Karl Thursday Night at 6:30pm - 9pm. I really enjoy hosting the Yellow Dog Radio for sure. I dig that time slot & the general public seem to engage during that show. And as always, I will be updating the NFL schedule, weather reports from around the globe, & upcoming events for New Years Eve entertainment. Tune In & Turn It Up


www dot kafmradio dot org

I Won… I Flippin' Won

b

MAD RACING:
MAD ( Mountain And Desert ) Racing held its last of 6 cycle cross events this past Saturday. The day started off w/a crazy killer Colorado sunrise, as it does before a storm front pushes on through. By 10am, the Fun Run 2 Laps was under way, kids race, citizen race, B's, & A's & the whole kitchen sink. Super fun day had by all & NO INJURIES!!! Not-A-One

SNOWSHOEING: 
The Boy Dog and I will be heading up elevation this week. ITS SNOWING RIGHT NOW!!!

Radio Show:
Thank so much to all of you that streamed the Primus Show last Thursday. I mixed in Primus covering the Chocolate Factory and some other way cool new music to the station. And YES, I recorded the show so copies are available. When I looked up streaming on the KAFM web site I only started w/4 listeners and then I peaked out at 15 on-line listeners. That is such a rush!!! Phones calls, texting, CrackBooking, and streamers = Most Excellent Hobby

 Building Towards 2015:
As you know, March 21st will be the Canyon Lands 1/2, all towards a goal of the 10th running of the Silverton Marathon this Aug, is the main focus during this "off season" rest. I have been playing around w/my cadence and strides these past few weeks. And it cracks me up how many times I will find a sweet groove and a damn cat runs out in front of us and Shadow Boy and I are on a whole new pace. But the good news, from what I have been investigating, my foot strike has landed better. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!?!?! It simply means that I have focused on NOT heel striking, meaning, hitting the breaks w/every STOMP. My hips are fluid sooner after starting out, I know my hams are strengthening, and my quads are becoming more reliable. If you have read la chanson de ma vie, http://ariavie.blogspot.com, you will know that I have no idea what real quad power is. She put her quads to the test during the North Face 50k in SF,CA. Every morning has brought a new AHA moment, like, the foam roller under my IT band. Or following along Fit Mommies 5 day core shedder program. Plank position w/my perfect push ups. I love that equipment. Stoked to be building a stronger core for the upcoming racing season.

THANK YOU:
Sunday was the Solstice, as you are aware of, many thanks to be handed out. I must start by thanking everyone that has believed in my Ortho journey. I thank Shadow Boy for spooning me during the night and the encouragement and motivation to take the next step forward. I thank Ol Grandpa Smokey for reminding me that everyday has something to be thankful for. I thank John from MAD Racing for leading the charge and following through. I thank Foot Prints Animal Hospital for the opportunity for making money for OB classes, i.e. tiling their building. I thank Sara for holding my right knee after the Lead King 25K. Which reminds me, I should totally thank the beautiful state of COLORADO!!! I must also thank all the new 2014 clients that have walked into the office.

LAST MAN STANDING:
I Won!!! Still can't believe it!! For the recap here, this was my 1st year I didn't buy a fantasy football team. I have been playing fantasy football since 1988. So my brother talks me into playing Last Man Standing this year. I fought it as I just wanted to watch football for what it is. This past summer, I really thought that the Saints had a strong chance in the Playoffs and maybe even all the way to AZ FEB 2015. Man, they looked like SH*T this year. Anyway, LMS is were you pick one team ONE TIME and each week you pick a new team to win. After your third loss you are out. The 1st week I took THE BEARS on the thought that they would be strong during the beginning of the season and then do their usual implosion and miss the Playoffs. Well they lost that first game AT HOME. So week two I took the 9ers to beat the BEARS because it was the 49ers first game in their new stadium.. MY SECOND LOST!!! The 3rd week, my Saints & I took our 1st win of the season and I continued to win out!!! So we were down to the last 3 owners left this past weekend. Randy took the Bills over the Raiders, Karen took the Rams over the G-Men, and I took Seattle over AZ. So while doing not much at all, I watched my Saints forget to show up at home vs the Falcons, took the Boy Dog for a walk in the snow, and heard that the Rams where losing. WoW, I thought!!! But it didn't click right away. My brother told me that Randy took the Bills on the road after an emotional win vs Green Bay. So I looked up that score and it was 19-10 Oakland. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!!! And I had to wait for the Sunday Night Game. But truth be told, I knew that Seattle DEF would destroy that SDSU Aztec QB. Bottom Line….. I picked 14 straight winners…. After Going 0-2….. 14 owners @ 10 bucks buy in… Shadow Boy & I SCORED!!!!! This $$$$ Will Pay My Entry For The Silverton Marathon!!!!

So life is going well, Shadow Boy wakes up happy, I am looking forward to 2015's race schedule, & I say," Bring on New Years Eve!!! "

Running Shoes, The Boy Dog, & Fuel. Any Questions???

Cheers

Dog Days

Grandpa Smokey

I am way fired up about my RADIO SHOW this Thursday!! On Thursday December 18th, at 6:30pm Mountain Time Zone, I will be host the Yellow Dog Radio Show. At which time, I will be playing a tribute show to the 1971 Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Sound Track!! The Band Primus produce Primus & The Chocolate Factory w/the Fungi Ensemble and its crazy twisted up awesome. I also have a bunch of New Music to the station to mix in and out. I will have an NFL run down, weather from around the US, and random facts about how knows what.

He Is Trying To Get Some Shut Eye

 Please Stream Live www dot kafmradio dot org 6:30pm - 9pm Mt Standard Time Zone. Thank You!!!

Nothing Like A Standard Montage Of Dog Photos!! Here are some more photos of the boys.

After A Walk

Watching For A Treat As I Head Out

One of my favorite photos for sure. Shadow Boy wanted to be on the couch so bad and Ol' Smoker claimed the middle. Shadow Boy's ears are the best and that look is priceless!!! And this photo below turned out….. Well…. You Tell Me…… Its Shadow Boy's Shadow 

And one photo of me and the Boy Dog. We just returned from an outing and he is patiently waiting for me to mix yogurt, grains, and magic potions. Him and I are still on a 2-day walks!! We head out before my tile job, just under 20min walks, he claims the couch, I do my morning routine, sure works for us.

My newest routine came from a blogger Diary of a Fit Mommy. Sometime ago, while training for the Lead King, found her blog. She writes about food, motherhood, & work outs. So I commented that it would really be easier if posted photos from exercises that she is explaining. And a few days ago, there they are, a 5 day work out w/photos and a description. Totally stoked me out!! Today was day 3. Focusing on the core this week and really digging it. I backed off some of her number of reps but still pulling off 3 sets. Maybe I Just Might Snap A Photo Or Two?!?!?

I am grouting my last 4 wall fronts tomorrow and will be done will ALL vertical tiling. WoW, I am damn proud of that accomplishment. Photos, time lapse, and updates will be mix in iMovie soon. Bring On Thursday!!!

The foam roller has been awesome on the ham's and calves. My IT Band can take all my weight now and my quads feel GR8!!! Been taking some extra time while stretching and playing more w/my diaphragm. And all of this has contributed to longer bike rides or commuter cycling. The other day, rode down to the river for the second day straight. Light head wind on the way out but I didn't feel defeated. In fact, just the opposite, I worked on full range of motion in my lower half. And Yes, still have the helmet on. So to sum up December so far, wake up, walk, eat, tile, walk, eat, sleep. Now I understand how its already the 17th.


www dot kafmradio dot org

Righteousness

 http://youtu.be/NqUwunDZEFo



_________________________________________________________________________________
TIME LAPSE VIDEO:
           Super Stoked about this project. Talk about Fall Weather Conditions in Colorado, it really is this arid this year. A number of high and mid level clouds but no moisture until 12/13/14!!! I did a CrackBook posting about hour I was going to send positive vibes from 12:34pm on 12/13/14 for the rest of that hour, obviously encouraging others for a sit in. More on that later. This video was mixed in SoundBooth, iMovie, & Quick Player and converted into 720p HD. So Click Full Screen, Turn Up The Turns, Yes

Ortho Classes:
            Another successful rounds of OB classes. On Paper, I have complete all my units!!! Do you know what that means???? THAT MEANS, I have taken all my required class in order to Graduate from a 2 Year Orhto- Bionomy Practitioners License!!! Two Year Program, Check!!! I have my 40 units Residential in Moab, Ut in March, a few consultations, one demo on video, and a feed back from another Advance Graduate left to complete. YES

BOY DOG WALKS:
              Shadow Boy & I have been adding up the timed walks. I haven't been bothering w/the Garmin for Pace or Miles. The Boy Dog & I are just going w/it for the rest of this month. Our no excuse loop continuously clocks in around 15 min and thats almost twice a day. Our longer loop took 47 min early this morning but we had some random traffic come our way as well. The warmer temps earlier in the week brought out the stray cats in deed. My quads have been feeling powerful again, my hips are rotating much better and sooner, & my knees are beautiful. I have been taking more time for warming up w/ankle lifts, slow stretching, & hydrating before hand. Back on the "perfect push ups" and core exercises after we walk. Would you wanna see my latest routine??? Its also been crazy watching the random houses begin to glow with decorations. Photos Soon!!! Some of these folks really drop a pretty penny to show off for me and The Boy Dog. YES

RADIO SHOW THIS THURSDAY:
             Talk About Oh Yeah, do I have a show prepared for Yellow Dog Radio!!! Denver Chris told me about the band Primus creating Primus & The Chocolate Factory w/the Fungi Ensemble. DC went on to say that Primus stamped LP's and only 5 golden records as well. If you are the lucky recipent of one of these precious LP's, tickets for life to all Primus Future Shows!!! So on 10/10/2014 the radio station KAFM scored a copy for our new music rack. After previewing this CD a number of time and VERY familiar w/the 1971 OG Soundtrack, WHAT A TREAT!!! The CD follows the Original to the T but w/a sweet Primus twist. DISCLAIMER HERE….. Not putting down Primus but I real am not much of a fan. Some of their songs are OK on my ears but not a big true Primus fan….. But this new album rocks!!! I have some DJ SK Radicals, Afro-Mystik, Bassnectar, Wax Poetic, & Gangstagrass to mix in and out of the Primus Factory. This will take place Thursday December 18th at 6:30pm mt time zone. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stream live at www dot kafmradio dot org I am really anxious about this show. Its going to be a gem. YES

TILE:
             Made some real progress this past week. I am now down to 19 walls for grouting. I am only grouting the top capped tiles, which requires taking off the damn gates FOR THE LAST TIME!!! I am really hoping to have all my ducks in a row & FINISH the grouting for good on Tuesday. Vertical walls tiled, grouted, & gated!! YES

Commuter Bike:
             We have a new challenge here folks. Still wearing my helmet, which brings up paranoia, been more cautious about my surroundings, which is a good thing. We all see the normal pull out in front of you stuff and cell phone situations but here is a new one on me. I am riding south on 6th street and a driver ( no sex, no age, no prejudging allowed ) is driving north on 6th street but is looking down and towards the passenger floor board. This car is veering into parked cars but not really THAT close when the driver glances up and all I see are his eyes….. DEER IN HEADLIGHTS…. You see, the driver is smoking an oil pin while driving, jerks the car back into the middle of the road and only sees me through the side window, which is 3/4 the way down. Folks, I almost went down from a "hash head" driver. Unreal. May I point out something??? Think about 70's pot smokers, most of them didn't have proper diets and abused alcohol, but the point here is how their cardiovascular systems have suffered. Then the higher grade Mexican Brick Weed hit the market and now we see the effects on the Cardio and Endocrine System over the years of daily use. Then the higher well grown weed hit the market and I began wondering what that generation's out come will look like, little did I know, Hash OIl, Wax, Shatter, What ever they call it, would take over high schoolers. What will those health effects be on this generation in 3 decades???? Are we talking ultra short term memory??? Lung Transplants before your 30 years old?? I have no idea what those effects will be later in life & but I do know this from what I have seen, OIL is the heroine of the marijuana market. I will even go further & say to parents " Invade your high school child's life." I do not have kids so that makes be the BEST parent in the world, right? ( Rolling my eyes here) But truly, don't allow your kids to spend money and precious time smoking pot, buds, wax, oil, shatter, etc. Get involved & stay connected. YES

JAM SESSION AT THE JUKE JOINT:
               Our wonderful friend Renee hosted a pickin' jam from noon to 3pm on 12/13/14. At one point my brother counted 11 people w/instruments in their hands. Renee told me later that she counted a bakers dozen. During that 12pm hour is when I set up the GoPro and hung out to experience the Winter Storm of 2014. We finally had our 1st snow storm after having record highs for months now. And YES, we really are that dry out here. This is what Gore pointed out 10 years ago, really. So anyway, back to the story, a woman I have known for many moons told me about her accidents from the past 6 months. While she was explaining how each situation played itself out, I was thinking her pelvis must be off and she finishes by saying," And now I have bursitis in my hip." I was in Ortho land and BAM does it hit me. I DROVE HERE!!! I have my damn table w/me. I ride bikes everywhere and completely forgot I had even drove. So the rest of the jam I worked w/folks in the main house. IT WAS AWESOME!!  Snow, Rain, Music, Friends, & New Faces coming together on 12/13/14 and having real no idea what little microcosm we were about to create. Wish you could have seen all the smiling faces, people standing up and leading w/their hearts, and happy necks and watching them roll their heads around. They were stoked and I hand out cards. They will tell their stories and people are going to be coming in. Thats how Ortho works and I know Ortho works. And why didn't I set this up as my Demo Project for School??? Thats Me, 1,000 Answers After The Fact!!! YES

LAST MAN STANDING:
                  I AM STILL IN!!!!! Our group is down to the last 3 of 14. Me & the other guy took NE & the other took The G-Men!!! And 3 goes on to pick again next week. Oh Boy. I just want the Saints to best the Chi-Town Bears on MNF!!! Both teams suck but COME ON SAINTS!! Carolina can't lead the NFC South. The whole division sucks BUT COME ON SAINTS!!! Just Win Out & Roll On!!! There are 6 NFC teams that have the best record and one on them won't make the playoffs because of the NFC South. Wild year this year in the NFL. YES

Inspiration from other bloggers:
           WoW, some of the writing I have been reading this weekend has been outstanding!! A majority of them recapping the North Face Endurance Challenge out in California. What a journey, what an event, & some killer stories w/rocking photos. GOTTARUNNOW posted a number of other bloggers recaps. I also follow Steve Tilford's blog and he was just playing around w/planks. A number of followers chimed in w/their 2 cents. Caught up with Crazy Pinguin's world & sent her healing vibes via the Jet Stream. Fast Cory and his ever blistering blog. And others that are rapping up their racing 2014 season. So many wonderful stories, beautiful people all over the globe, & memories shared that inspire others without even being aware to it. YES
       

First Day Of December

Hello All,
Hope your Turkey Week went well. My Turkey Day was awesome, smoked a 14.78 pound bird, the video clips have been sorted through on iMove, adding music soon, posting here when I finish up THAT project. The youtube clip from above was shot just after I had added some apple wood chips to the smoker. Loki has been trying to get Shadow to play w/him for years & the last time they were together they had a break through. So this time I was able to record it & share it w/u all.

Backing up some, last Monday as a matter of fact, Papa T at 94 years old finally fell asleep & started his new journey. The Saints were playing MNF vs Balt & there was a BBQ already planed for the night. Papa T passed just after the noon hour Pacific Time Zone & not much after that I started my 6 day bender. I didn't know it at the time but thats how the week went. I drank New Belgian's Ranger IPA for most of that day & toasted w/a bottle of Pendleton's Whisky once my brother showed up. Needless to say….. We finished the bottle.

I hosted a Turkey Dinner on Thursday, my brother, The Blue Z, & myself went over to our friend Renee's house for a Friendsgiving dinner on Friday, & was totally surprised on Saturday at another Friendsgiving dinner. Now, on Friday, while I was drinking more than the average other party goer, I never brought any attention to myself & didn't share the news. I have always been a happy drinker, I love playing board games, & I DID NOT drive!!! The Friday night party was radicle & some very cool folks for sure. Most of them I had never met but we were all finding common ground rather frequently. Which is always nice. The last group of us divulged into a Crazy 8's game that was a hoot. Lets just say it was a really late night.

Saturday morning was odd because I woke up feeling pretty good. I started doing my random Saturday chores. The weather was been gorgeous all week but after I walked Shadow Boy…….. It all caught up to me. I felt like sh*t. Well, not really, I just felt really toxic. I did a soak out back & rehydrated like a nut job. My brother showed up around 4pm as we were carpooling on out to Janet & Uncle Karl's for another dinner. Funny, my brother & I agreed that we wouldn't pick up any beer & just drive out to Palisade. Famous last words because when we walked in……. Denver Chris was standing in the living room!!! I couldn't believe my eyes & everyone was in anticipation for my arrival. I think the world of DC & I haven't seen him sense New Years last year. Another dear old friend from way back when, Jamie Vidia was out from SF,CA that I was also unaware of. Plus T-Bird & Sylivia were also there. We all sat & caught up during dinner & I still wasn't drinking. After dinner, after more conversations, DC says," Oh Yeah, I got you something." He had picked up a growler from the Pal Brewery of a beautiful Belay IPA. So after we put that down, the tequila started flowing, another late Turkey Dinner Party was to be had. And what a blast it was. Jeff ended up driving my brother & I home at who knows what time frame that was. All I know is that I had a Gr8 night & I was so stoked to be around so many TRUE friends.

Sunday mornings walk w/Shadow was rough to say the least. Throughout my week of drinking, Shadow never missed a walk. We didn't always do two-a-days like we had been but the really morning walks have been awesome. Its so damn beautiful out here in Colorado. Now, I had totally forgotten that I was hosting the Donkies Game Sunday Night. So what else do you do while BBQ'n out back??? You drink really good beer. So back on the Ranger IPA program. My brother brought over some fantastic lamb chops that he marinaded all day. Plus, I had some andouille sausage that I needed to cook because I didn't use them in the Friday Night's dinner dish & I made up another 4 patties of hamburger for the grill & The Donkies beat KC.  IPA + Friends + Epic Food = Successful Night of Entertainment

And This Is How I Found Shadow Boy Early Morning Monday. He wasn't in bed with me when I got up for an after midnight wizzzzzzz. I walked out to the living room & this was what I found. Shadow Boy had been on duty taking care of me for the week & finally went off duty he says. Is that some funny sh*t or what!?!?!? Love that eye looking at me & soon after I took this shot…… He went & jumped up on my bed…… I Love This Guy

DECEMBER GOALS:
First week of December I am back in school for Ortho-Bionomy.
Pick up another new client.
Hit the downtown gym during lunch breaks.
Add some single track mt biking into my rides if we don't have any snow SOON.
Do a mile for time at Stoker Stadium.
Video a demo of Ortho in front of a group of people & get it turned in for credit.
Attend the Light Parade.
And Last But Not Least….. Walk Shadow Boy Every Morning

Now, pleased don't comment about how sorry you are for my loss. No need because Papa T was way old. He was the last of 8 siblings & I was very fortunate that my grandparents raised me & my brother. He was living pretty well for his age until about the beginning of Oct. He just started to check out for some reason & wasn't all that happy in Nov. He had always been a real jokester & full of life. So that fact that he was able to simply close his eyes & pass was awesome. Really, no pain, no fuss, no tears, just done.

 8/22/20 - 11/22/14  Rest In Peace Papa T
 8/02/21 - 11/19/09  Rest In Peace Moo Moo

Winter Wonderland of 2014

And the Grand Mesa looks beautiful as always!!! So many " moments " have just happened this week. Like really random events. Saw an old client that has moved on down south of here. I was riding the commuter bike ( w/helmet ) and saw him walking the old hood. Gr8 to catch up and relive the Lead King 25K. Check Out youtube "lead king 25k " if you missed it or have the time. http://youtu.be/Z2O4ir0aPKw

Picked up a totally random new client!! He is a referral from a current client. His just suffered a heart attack in Sept and has been experiencing all kinds of issues ever sense. He is in the beginning steps towards a personal transformation. Really pleased for him. I found myself wanting to jump ahead but was able to meet his model of the world and built really good rapport during our first session. We had some success w/his shoulders and pelvis but were only able to calm his neck down. His liver was on fire and his spine responded to gentle rocking and lower back releases. I wish I had a camera to capture his face when he got off the table. He stood as if he grew 5 inches and was clearly leading w/his heart and he was able to notice this w/o me pointing out the obvious. 

Caught in epic sunset a few days back. Where was the GoPro you ask?!?!?! I Know, rookie mistake!!! However, the pinks, clouds, purples, mountains, trees, reds, and yellows were a full on BoB Ross Painting. Speaking of the commuter bike, 114 miles for the week, another 21 miles on the GT pulling the BoB Trailer, and 19 miles walking w/the Boy Dog. I didn't take any GPS or Garmin during the high country get-a-ways so they are not included ( like batteries ) in these calculations. Plus, 3 miles of snowshoeing is nothing like walking just 3 miles. Do I necessarily need to know the elevation gains and loses from the day???

Really good news…… Their is a Half Marathon in Moab during my residency in March!!! So I am looking at the Canyonlands Half Marathon March 21st and the Silverton Marathon in August.
SCORE!!!

And I Am Still Alive In Last Man Standing!! THANK YOU GREEN BAY PACKERS!!! We lost another member of our tribe on Thursday night. Who takes the Chiefs on the road????  Chiefs at Arrowhead makes sense, but in Oakland????? THE BLACK HOLE??? I really wanted to take Cleveland over Atlanta but that would be picking more w/my heart as I need the Saints to win Monday night. So I took the Packers on an "easy" pick. A Win Is A Win, right???

I brought it up so I should elaborate a little more about the Garmin. I have been having this unknown hang up over " Should I start recording my minute per mile" or " Work a baseline w/o time" or just stop over thinking it???? Should I just always speak in quotation marks??? No, really, am I over thinking this and setting myself up for over training during the winter??? Sure, I will stay active, but should I start pacing myself at the track. Is my mind set ready for track work??? Should I spend some more time on the road bike??? Yes, right?!?!?! 

 All I do know is that my legs were on fire, my lungs were screaming, and the Boy Dog was stoked. He couldn't give two sh*ts about time. The track is close by. I can start walking stairs again. And w/a the food on the horizon, I might wanna head towards the track.

This Week: Grout- A- Thon on Monday AND Tuesday. Wed is my volunteer a Crossroads Gym. Thursday I am smoking ( will be making a video ) a turkey and other random kitchen duties during the 3 NFL games. Friday will be spent in the office and then attending Friendsgiving Dinner. Saturday will be back in the office and the Janet & Uncle Karl's annual dinner party. And if I am still breathing on Sunday, I shall blog about what I ate during the week. 

High Country

And it couldn't have gone any better, well, maybe a few things could have happened, but damn, life is wonderful out here in Colorado!!!

I am completely amazed by how time has jumped on a jet plane and flown on by. Can you believe that next week is Thanksgiving and a blink later it will be New Years Eve?!?!?!

I guess working 3 jobs will have this effect. My commuter bike has been seeing some real miles and my legs feel GR8!! I have noticed that the 22F early morning rides cause my shoulders to creep up around my neck but I am able to catch this early and correct it. This in fact, ripples on down my body!! My feet will relax, my ankles extend to a full range of motion, my knees relax and my quads kick in, my hips rotate much smoother, and then my diaphragm opens up as I lengthen my core as my shoulders drop. And boy did 47F feel warm riding home last night. Half way through my ride, that would be a stop by the drive-thru library drop off, I had to take off my jacket and winter gloves.

Shadow Boy & I have been back on the 2-a-day walks. We have an early morning walk ( mid 20's ) that is just over a mile. We then have the evening walk of 2 miles. Thats when all the wild stray cats are out and dogs in their backyards bark w/jealousy. These walks brought on the endurance for a 10,000+ft snowshoe hike. That post hole hiking. Its not the Boy Dogs favorite because he walks behind me. Every now and then, he takes the lead but struggles in the knee deep snow. He gives me that look while I pass him and then hops back in behind. I always reassure him w/kind words like " Good Boy " or " Best Boy " or " Thanx for hiking w/me Boy " as to keep him confident. The air was so clear and clean, nobody around for miles, fresh tracks, and we felt as if we could hike all the way to Denver. The longer we were out, the stronger both of us got. I think the highlight for the Boy Dog was when I opened up my bag of food and the Boy smelled my peanut butter banana sandwich. He sat & gave me the BEST DAY EVER look.

Training for the Silverton Marathon has begun!! I pulled out my training logs from the Lead King 25K and started reliving them days!!! They reminded me of were I was and also hinted to me that I should start some interval training at Stoker Stadium again. I always play w/high knees while walking the Boy Dog and I have been practicing sitting into my sit bones while walking as well. Its fun playing w/the speed and/or cadence. My legs are responding very well to the foam roller again and I can put pretty much all my weight on my IT Band as where they were so tender a few months ago. I find it really easy to stand and stretch during commercials on TV. Just feeling really good!!

And YES, still riding the commuter w/a helmet. Coming up on a month of riding everyday w/my helmet. The fear ( False Evidence Appearing Real ) is fading away. You know, NOW THAT I HAVE PROTECTION I WILL GET HIT. That feeling. Anyway, I got to get going!! Cyclecross Racing this weekend, working at the office, and BBQ'n on Sunday Night. I could care less about Sunday Nights Game but I love BBQ'n in the snow!!!  Thanx for stopping by!!!!

Stay Strong,
Cheers

Little Snow… Some Cold…. Still Riding

And the head wind BOTH ways during the commute has begun. The pressure gradients are in motion and the patterns of moisture are changing. We had a 40% chance of rain Thursday and Friday but just wind. Saturday we received that styrofoam looking snow early before the sun peaked out. Our highs are only in the 30's but the sun is out most of the time. Old Grandpa Smokes has be napping out back during the day. We should hit 0F by Tuesday this week.

I Dont Understand This Photo

The Paonia Singletrack Society ( PSS ) released a new map with trail names!!! From the parking area, its ALL climbing, the views are amazing, super fast descents, all in one fun park. I am excited as all get out about this because I am heading there for a run on Monday. The timing couldn't have been better!! The Blue Z is heading for Paonia & I asked to jump a ride. He is going to do his thing for a few hours while I enjoy the Gr8 outdoors at 22F. And I Am Stoked About It!!!!

This photo was just published in our local Grand Valley Magazine. What is so damn crazy about this shot is that Shadow Boy & I were just on this trail outside of Palisade & I bitched myself sideways for NOT remembering to bring the GoPro. But absolutely noway in hell could I have captured the moment like this this photo has. Its incredible, RIGHT??????

Back in August, Renee, Jason Smith, & myself were at the Radio Days benefit for KAFM, the three of us agreed that the Friday at the end of August would be Cribbage Night. Renee & I have held Cribbage Night once a month ever sense that night WITHOUT Jason. He has never made it!! How funny is that?!?!?! So last Friday was a Cribbage Night. What a blast it was. Renee hosted & what a group. We had 14 people show up for our largest night so far. We had so much fun. Everyone brought a dish, loads of spirits, and let the games unfold as they may. During the night, Renee gave me a photo from last summer's Color Party. L-R Renee, ME, Jazzy Jill, & The Blue Z.

My body has been feeling relaxed. I am still finding smaller sore spots in my calf when I use the foam roller but my IT Band had improved immensely. My early morning walks w/the Boy Dog have been loose & rather comfortable as well. My quads feel much stronger during my commuter rides & I have really focused on my ankle ROM from time to time during the ride. Looks like I will be adding my Bar Mits to my commuter bike as this morning ride to the office was almost too much to take on my hands. YES, using gloves. YES, ride w/a helmet. Yes, another 100 mile week. I will be curious to see the numbers after this week coming up. Shadow Boy is asking if its time. It must be in his model of the world.

Any of you have advice for me or others about how you foam roll your body?????

Next Radio Show 11-13-14 At 9PM Mt Time Zone

How Cool Is This???? Shot in HD, Click Full Screen, & Turn It Up!!! I thought I was going to film a time lapse that was all about ME, but Mother Nature stole the show!!! Check Out Those Clouds!!!

Anyway, training is going very well. My legs feel Gr8, my hips are loose, & I might have found my cardiovascular system. Shadow Boy & I have been really enjoy the high 20's Fahrenheit walks in the morning!! Really!! Nobody else is out walking their dogs & the stray cats have all disappeared for shelter. And the sunrise the other morning, well, its another reason why I choose Colorado as my home.

RADIO SHOW…… Cant Wait…… I am covering the Mid Life Crisis show tomorrow at 9pm - Midnight…. And its going to be some of the craziest music that you have ever heard…. In A Good Way…. Loads of cover tunes…. Some Reggae…. 70's Classic B - Side Rock….. And some amazing stand up comedy clips from George Carlin, Bill Engall, Steven Wright, etc…… Plus my wacky take of the NFL sunday Sunday SUNDAY games….. Kafm's web link is www dot kafmradio dot org…. From the homepage you will see the Listen Live link

So thanx so much for stopping by my blog!! Hope you will stream some of the radio show!! Have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Cheers

The Padre

Time Is Rolling, Wait, Flying On By

The video from above was created from photos I took, some web shots for radio shows & what nots, & the very last photo is Moo Moo ( RIP ) & Papa T ( 94 years old ) wedding shot. The music is from a live UM Live Show.

Some of the " things " from the past few weeks:

Started riding w/a helmet again. A client of mine is an ICU Nurse & expressed her concern for my safety after our last session. She told me how a hit-&-run didn't turn deadly but the brain injury the person suffered is life taking. Now, I have been riding bikes forever, BMX, Mt, Road, Tri, & even own a tandem bike, I always ride as if every driver is SH*T Faced Drunk AND Texting While Driving. But I totally understand accidents happen. My 1st few rides w/my helmet really screwed up my rhythm though. I rode slower & had a few not really close calls but thoughts about the "What If…" kinda stuff surfaced.

Speaking of the commute, kicked a$$ on miles again, 103 miles ( Mon - Sat ) as I didn't ride on Sunday. Still blows my mind!! If you had asked me about how far I ride during any given week, my answer would have been MAYBE 50 miles?!?!? But 100, UNREAL!!!

Shadow Boy - Yes, he is doing well. On Sunday morning, I woke up just as he was drifting off into space about a foot away from me. I wish I had a photo of his face when he felt me looking at him & woke back up. He rubbed his face under my pillow, pushed up against me, rolled on his back, stretched out his legs, back on his back again, & we just had our moment of awesomeness!! He is such a happy damn dog!!! And we have been walking our no excuse loop every morning ( 30F ) and 3 different times during the evening this past work week. 

A huge score was another new client!! Totally scored!! This new client will be having BOTH hips replaced in Feb. I started selling Ortho to her a few weeks ago & then offered a free 30min session to just "see" what OB is all about. Before she came into the office, I created a GOAL Schedule on an old calendar. How to walk in the pool, goals for Dec ( riding the bike at the gym ), goals for Jan ( Yoga and/or pilates), & 3 OB sessions for the month at a very fair rate of $150.oo. The free session completely blew her mind at how gentle I was & she felt as if I had done nothing. BUMPER STCKER IN THE OFFICE READS: Ortho- Bionomist Do NOTHING Better. She even asked, " Was that it?" That was on Wed & she came back early Saturday morning for our "1st" planed session for the month & told me how she hadn't been able to walk up the stairs of her home in years. She could only take a step, then step up w/feet together, and so on, Wed night she walked up her stairs " like a normal person " and grabbed her husband to show him. She called me & asked if we could get started THIS Saturday. Totally awesome for the both of us. Today I am meeting up w/them at the pool to discuss range of motion while in the pool. 

NLF: I won again this week!! I am still alive in the Last Man Standing!! Plus, I am on an 8 week win streak!! Who Knew?!?!?!

I had a very frustrating beginning of NOV because of the elections. Some people can really get under your skin, right?!?! I mailed in my ballot weeks before the election & became so sick of the whole thing by Nov 1st. "Get out and vote. Go Vote. Vote" Blah Blah Blah....

To vote, you should have to be capable of answering at least 5 of these 10 questions....I bet the majority of people leaving the ballots can't. These are non-partisan questions - just a basic understanding of how government works regardless of affiliations:

1. What is the difference between a debt and a deficit?
2. Who are your two current US Senators?
3. Who is your current US representative?
4. What type of government was the US founded upon?
5. Please explain the difference between a Constitutional Republic and a Democracy.
6. What is a bond and who is responsible for paying them and the interest on them?
7. Which branch of government controls the budget?
8. What are your personal current tax rates at the local, state and federal levels?
9. What is the difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction?
10. What is the difference between a right and a privilege?

If you can't answer at least 3 of these and you are out there pushing buttons, you are part of the problem.

THIS WEEKS GOALS:

Swim 3 times, Finish grouting all the vertical walls, Help another NEW client, Pay my deposit for the Residential in March 2015, Take the Boy Dog out to the desert, finish the rest of the winterizing before the arctic blast shows up, Buy a couple of Tony Furtado tix, & adding some miles up on the Midnight Racer. This Friday is another Cribbage Night at Renee's Place. I heard that we might have 3 new folks join the group. How super cool is that!?!?!?! We are growing. 

Last But Not Least…….. My high school buddy…. My one true childhood friend…. My college roommate…. My old co-worker….. Not only competed in the Half Ironman Lake Havasu last Saturday…. But Took 10th Place Overall….. HITs Triathlon posted results this morning….. Gr8 Race Tim!!! Love Yeah Bother!!!

Have a wonderful week, thanx for stopping by, & many thanx for your comments!!! Cheers

Trail Run In UT… Zombie Prom…. Game 7….. Radio Show

Rock- Tober has been flying by!! Don't get me wrong, its been a Gr8 month!!! And after our local Grand Mesa has dropped all of its leaves, the temps begin to drop into the 20's, what do you do??? Easy, head for Southern Utah. Last Saturday, the weather was unreal and flipping gorgeous as can be, the high hung around 79F for the day. The clear skies opened up stargazing and the happy Moon wasn't quite half full which allowed for beautiful Mars viewing.

I was actually in Utah for a wedding and took advantage of the landscape. The Fall colors are in full swing around these parts and truly highlighted the already amazing cliffs, bluffs, and book cliffs above.

My Trusty Co-pilot 

I am currently procrastinating on rifling through all the photos from the wedding and mixing them with a Time Lapse and a sound track as well. My original plan was going to mix and add during the World Series but I ended up carving pumpkins and hosting a BBQ. I only bring this up because I love playing cribbage and will BBQ in any kind of inclement weather but will soon be posting a "movie" from the wedding soon. Later on after the wedding, Shadow Boy helping me navigate through the valleys of beauty, we arrived in the Big City if GJ in time to throw on some make up, catch some of Game 5, and jump on the bike and head downtown for Zombie Prom!!!! Last year, Zombie Prom opened up a whole new avenue of Halloween Costumes. How many of us have done the Wizard Of Oz thing?? Well now we can Zombie-Fi the Wiz!?!?! I took on a Charlie Sheen last year, told everyone that I was 3 days into a 7 day bender. I even had some tin foil in my pocket as a prop. Thats a whole other story if you wish to hear more or maybe we should let that rest. Yes, rest.

AND NOW FOR THIS YEAR:


Can you dig it?!?!? The Mayor Of Vegas ( on the left and my brother ), Contemplation Of Suicide ( Cliff in the middle ), and Zombie Road Rider ( Me on the right ) took over the Mesa Theater's upper bar. Now the Mesa totally sucks and I haven't been inside since the Bruce Hornsby show and I blogged about the Umphrey's McGee show that completely turned me off from the Mesa. So just off to the left of the upper bar was a photo booth and the three of us hung out and complemented everyone that was lined up for their photos. The night was amazing by how creative the younger generation have become and their Zombie look was outrageous!!! We saw so many half A$$ done nerds so the ones that took some time really stood out. Some of them really brought out death and others took the PROM aspect of it to heart. Man, the whole night was visually stimulating for sure!!!!

Notice the different shoes, socks, and gloves 

Simply Crazy

Love The Depth 

 

A Nerd I Liked But His Date Needed More

                                The Gal On The Right Took Fake Finger Nails & Glued Them To Her Cheek

Love This Zombie Look Of Death

And can you believe that crazy Game 7 last night!?!?!?! What A Game!!! A huge congrats to all of my California friends and congrats to Mr Bruce Bochy!! Bochy and I go way back to the early 90's and I am way stoked for him AND his family!!! Also, he now holds the distinct title of being the VERY FIRST MANAGER to Challenge a call during the World Series AND win that challenge. Fill that away for trivia later on. Keep this in mind, I would have been happy to see KC pull off the victory. Really! And during last nights game, count them, TWO pumpkins carved, two more to go. Along with the wedding video to come, I will post pumpkin photos as well.

And Last But Not Least…… Drum Roll Please…. I Am Hosting The Orbit Lounge Halloween Morning…. Cant Wait!!! And you can stream live at www dot kafmradio dot org from 6am - 9am Mt Time Zone. I have something like 4 hours of Halloween music to mix into a 3 hour show. Its going to be awesome!!!!! I record my shows so feel free to ask for a copy and I will make sure you receive a copy. Spreading music makes my day. Almost as much as when I receive a sticker from somebody. Yes, I am a sticker nut.

Tonight:
1) Watching My Saints Battle Another NFC South Team.
2) Streaming My Friend The Blue Z At www dot kafmradio dot org
3) Carving Out Two More Pumpkins
4) Finish Calling The Rest Of My SF Giants Fans
5) Getting Shadow Boy Out Before Tonights Game
6) Being Present

Along with the wedding video, pumpkin shots, I will be updating my training schedule for the Silverton Marathon very soon. Saturday Nov 1st might be that day.

Have a wonderful week, Thanx for making a difference, & Allow yourself to comment on my photos.

Cheers

Time Lapse From Mother Nature & Doing Some Chores

Hello All,

Fall is in the air, colors paint the Grand Mesa a golden fire red, cooler temps in the morning, and the sunrise has cascaded light rays at impressive lengths. Which brings me to the Boy Dog. Shadow Boy and I have been walking in the early morning and have been treated to all aspects of Fall. We walk under a canopy of yellows, reds, and holding on greens and now the streets are blanketed with the fallen yellowish leaves. Love That!!!

My legs feel quite stronger than a year ago while training for the Lead King 25K. My hips have more movement or better rotation and I loosen up much quicker than in the past. Yes, its the foam roller, its the stretching, the yoga, and sure, the water consumption. All of it is making a difference and my moods are much more upbeat as well. Nice byproduct of exercising.

The time Lapse above is from my tile job. I set the GoPro ( 10sec 5mp & wide ) up out back while I worked inside. Grand Junction was in the 60% range of seeing something from Mother Nature but as you can see, we just see cloud formations and wind. I mixed in some Blue Man Group and I really like the results. The time Lapse from below ( 5sec 5mp & wide ) was from Monday as we have a GREAT free service here in town where the city picks up leaves and compost them at the Green Waste Facility. All you have to do is rake up, drop off out front on the street, and away they go. Its Awesome!!! So in the video, cheering felt appropriate, you will see Old Grandpa Smokey. Smokey came from Roice Hurst Humane Society last December and what a case he was. Don't know where he came from and I didn't know his name. He was such a sad damn dog, he literally just stood in his cage, droopy eyes, and a bad back right leg. I mean REAL sad. Ready for this, he was only 44lbs when I picked him up. Old Smokes walked into the house, took a short trip down the hallway, sniffed around, found his bed, he slept for 3 full days!!!! I would scoop a full cup of dog food and he would eat maybe a 1/4 of it and would just drop his head back down. I gave him a month and figured that he would happily pass on. Took him to my vet and they said he was OK and just getting old. I began doing Ortho on his bad leg, gave him treats when Shadow Boy needed one OR two, and played music for him when ever he wanted. FAST FORWARD, Old Smokey is now 71 solid pounds, pulls when walking on leash, prances when its breakfast/dinner, and the vet could believe his eyes. They commented on how beautiful his coat is, how he now stands on ALL four of his paws, and how he tracks w/his eyes. Old Grandpa hit the jackpot!!!



As for the marathon training, its going well, I am only walking and/or hiking w/Shadow Boy, still working out the base training. This weekend will be a timed mile at Stoker Stadium. Next week I will be back to swimming and should hit a few miles on the road bike. Added up the miles from the commuter bike last week, hold on, 77miles!!! Thats only the commuter bike to work ( tile and office ), store runs, and trips over to social events. If asked, I would have responded w/20 or so miles, maybe?!?!? Not 70+ miles on the commuter for the week. Can you say bike maintenance soon????????? Would you wanna see a time lapse of that????????

Old Grandpa Smokey… He Is A Happy Old Guy…. He Can Melt Your Heart 

New Race…. New Ideas…. Super Stoked

So I am just a weeeeeee bit fired up for Halloween this year because I will be here to celebrate Halloween AND its on a Friday AND getting spooky w/the dogs!!! The video above is time lapsed by the GoPro, music from the String Cheese Incident, & posted in HD mode. Feel free to click full screen and turn it up and wait for the apparitions to melt down into view.

What a month so far, I mean this in the best way possible, another week of Ortho Bionomy classes, finally found the right guy to plan a racing schedule with, had a blast of a radio show, Shadow Boy & I have been walking the miles every morning, and I am still alive in the Last Man Standing.

Lets start with that one: Last Man Standing ( L.M.S. ) is a bet during the NFL season. I posted about not participating in Fantasy Football this year and my brother talked me into L.M.S. and this year they gave everyone three losses because they only made it to week 6 last year w/two losses. Basically, you pick ONE NFL team each week to win BUT you can only pick that team once. MEANING, you pick 17 different teams throughout the season and you can only suffer three strikes. Week One, I picked the damn Bears and they lost, I was running the Lead King 25K during week two, told my brother that I pick whoever plays Chi-Town, that game was in SF to play the 9ers, promptly chalked up my second strike, been picking winners ever since. This past weekend knocked two people out because of their third loss. I think we are now down to 12 people and everyone has at least one loss.

Radio Show: I hadn't expressed my hobby over the airwaves in quite some time and hosting a late night show was awesome. I cranked up the tunes, played some twisted tunes, worked in some stand up comedy from Steve Martin, and blew through 3 hours of music. Received a number of phone calls and two callers in particular stood out because I didn't recognize their voices. One of them couldn't believe what they were hearing and asked where did I find this stuff and the other caller was about 10min before I was rapping up for the night and they said," Padre, that was some of the most fucked up funny ass shit." And Yes, Thats A Direct Quote!!!! I recorded the show, as I always do, so let me know if you want a copy. Plus, I just simple enjoyed myself.

A Recycling Run This Weekend

Ortho Classes: WoW, were do I begin????? How about w/Monday??? Monday's class was an Advance Neck and Shoulders. The class went by so fast as we learned how to work w/the C7 "door knob" while marring the nuchal line near the occipital bone. We also balanced the SCM, Upper Traps, and brought in the 1st three ribs as well. Great class!!! Tuesday/Wednesday classes simply blew A$$ because it easily could have been condensed onto a one class and Thursday was a Study Group class as well. The name of that class was Demonstration Skills, which I understood as showing demo's all day. NO, it was a language class for explaining Ortho, two damn days of this?!?!?! Near the end of day two, we found out that we are required to video tape a demo that we will perform. Can you imagine how the group SH*T themselves?!?!?! Classic!!! This is fine w/me but I was quite upset that it took 2 days to cover this and its butted up against a study group day. Friday was a better day as we introduced Reflexes and worked w/them. So Monday & Friday were awesome but not worth the amount of money.

Meeting With A Race Director: This was been a sweet break through!!! I am super stoked w/the potential of this opportunity!! I meet w/some previous so called race directors that really let me down, but this guy relates to me on so many levels. Our philosophies are very similar and we were on the same page on a number of topics. We missed our chance on BLM permits for 2015 but we have some killer Cyclocross events this Nov AND December!! The Forest Service AND City Parks are totally supportive for our races in 2015. Oh, and the LLC name, M.A.D. Racing. Mountain And Desert Racing!!!! Our Grand Valley offers Alpine Single Track on the Grand Mesa, Cyclocross events in Fruita, GJ, and Palisade. And we hope to host multi day events w/cooperation w/the BLM folks. I will keep you posted!!! For Sure!!! And I am Super Stoked!!! Last weekend we timed a Cross County race for CMU and it went over VERY well!! We timed the Downhill w/o a hick up!!! Overall statement by the CMU Event Coordinator was, PROFESSIONAL!! YES!!!

And Now For My Personal Big News: Me Me Me Time!!! Look At Me!! Me Me MEEEeeeeeee.

I found my next event! This August, I will be running a marathon!?!? Me, running a marathon?!?!? Its hard to believe that I just wrote that. Let me write that again, I will be running a marathon August 2015. WoW, That Is Awesome!! That Felt Gr8!!

Setting | Silverton, Colorado is nestled in the midst of the Silverton caldera at an elevation of 9,318 feet above sea level. The mountains only go up from there, climbing an additional 4,000 feet directly around town.   The area has been heavily mined since the 1880′s, leaving behind a rich history of ghost towns, mining structures and wild stores.                                                     Course Summary
Follows Alpine Loop mining road counter-clockwise linking historic mining ghost towns, Howardsville, Eureka, Animas Forks & Gladstone. High point is 12,930 ft atop California Pass. Low point is Silverton at 9,318ft. Total vertical gain is 3,800 for the marathon and 4,400 for the 50k. The 50K runners will complete an out and back to Niagara Gulch before joining the Marathon course.

Silverton Colorado Winter 2013 

I did a copy/paste from their website regarding the Course Summary and Setting. The photo to the right, I captured this one last winter, sleepy little Mt town of Silverton. Something else that excites me about this event is that the marathon race starts before the 50K runners. I totally dig cheering on other races and will have plenty of chances to see the studs fly on by me at sub 9 min mile paces as I stumble along at 12min mile pace, if I am lucky?!?!!? 

2015 is going to be AWESOME!! 

Thank You All For Stopping By My Blog!!! Many Of You Have Been My Inspiration!!! Fast Cory, Crazy Pinguin, Discom- BOB- ulated, run this amazing day, Fit Swiss Chick, TRAILMOMMA, Fitness Fatale, Catching my Breath, pittbrownie, Hang Nine, la chanson de ma vie, and folks like yourself. Thank You Thank You Thank You