mt. bike guide with running dreams

In Sedona with some great reddirt. So red orange it is like a fake tan. I'm only here for one day and yet I can't decide if I want to run or not. What do you do? Great trails, sun or listen to the body which feels like the horsepower could use a day off to recharge. mmm 

Was going to run but it only warmed up to -4 degrees. burrrrrrrrr

I ran 8.5 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes. my first two miles in under 15 minutes. It was cold which i think encouraged me to run faster to warm up and all that rest. Also I am still in Flagstaff at 7,000 ft. but i don't think it has registered with me yet because i can breath just fine.

i never ran yesterday and ran into a friend who did. She is still cold and totally turn down a run with me today. Not her style. People in town call her crazy Melissa because she is always off doing something, running up this mt. biking down that one. However i don't blame her, she could of got frostbite.

p.s. 8.5 miles :) my longest yet this year and feeling strong

I was driving back up to moab today when i decided i'll stop at Hovenweep National Monument and see what kind of trails they have to offer.

First, i ran an out in back equaling 8 miles on the Holly trail. It was peaceful, still a bit snowy so yes i was postholing in spots and searching for the trail. The ruins are massive and built on top of these giant boulders. IT WAS SO COOL!

Second, I ran and walked the little ruin canyon. AMAZING! I'm soo glad i finally visited.

So while running the Holly trail i noticed a lot of animal tracks including this very large 4 pawed pad with claw marks and then i ran into a ton of coyote poo full of juniper berrys mmmm. Wow there are some big coyotes in this area. When i went back to talk to the park rangers they also said there have been Couger sightings just the other day.

I'm glad he told me about the cat after the run because i might not have gone. Honesty, i never want to run ( or be hunted) by a giant kitty. ohhh gives me shivers.   

I left for the run this morning thinking i'd make up for my missed mileage and run 13 miles. Ha my legs felt like lead. I'm glad i turned back early because i don't think i would have made it.

So my reasoning to this fail in two parts.

1. who am i kinding i'm pushing to much too soon. be smart and stay around 30ish miles a week or two longer.

2. i didn't eat dinner and i went to run before breakfast. I think if i did have some food in me i could have made it but again pushing that much milage now is supid.

on a happier note i am feeling much fitter then i have in a long time. I can also see my legs changing ( however slowly) which is encouraging. :)

p.s. thanks for the help with the picture, hopefully i get that up soon 

In WA visiting my folks and little sister. They are pretty awesome and I always love coming "home".

So much on my mind while i'm out breathing hard. hear is just an idea.......my family wants to ride road bikes across the US but they are also very nervous about it and novice bike riders so how do i prepare them so they are successful? My mom is freakin' out a bit and decided she woudl rather drive an RV then ride...how do I talk her out of this because i know in the end she'll love riding.

the other thing that is driving my crazy is......Rob (my boyfriend) is proposing a new tour for the company we work for Rim Mt. Bike Adventures :) and put together a three day ride with our boss and some other people. Well one of the invited riders, invited the boss of are competing bike tour company because they want a job at that company. I am sooo pissed! Rob and I have been working on this for the last month keeping it hush hush and this dummy girl in her own selfish world is fu^&^(*^(* us. i know this has nothing to do with running, yet i cAN'T get it out of my mind! the thought that this might get taken away is heartbreaking.

On another note I think I found the course for my first trail race. Down on this very same trail. Hopefully I can work some majic with the BLM and get us both the events we want to put on.

I missed yesterday. I got up early to run but then chicken out. i was awake, the cold or dark scared me off. i'm gonna have to get tougher and just go. then i went on a 2.5 road bike ride with my mom and sister. mellow but we did go 16 miles. soo at least i got something in

so i went out and ran it today. i ended up close to a track at the end of my run and was feeling fiesty, so i ran a tempo mile to see what i'd clock. about 6 in half minutes. i don't have digital watch yet sooo the seconds are a bit blurry for me. anyways i feel like a rockstar. i am coming back faster then i imagined. i might evven have a mile pr in me for this old lady! i thought maybe the fast short distances pr would be over but now i'm hopeful.

every day i run and blog the more i feel like this is something real :) rather then a joke

downpour in WA all day. chicken. tomorrow i fly home to Utah and i need to get a run in. and maybe do a double run later this week. the goal is to break into 40 miles.

maybe run tonight? and tomorrow morning? ok yes

Back in Moab and running up to Slickrock to met Heidi at Fins and Things. Got horrible sick and I thought I'd have to have her drive me home without really hanging out. Sad. however I walked a little and the cold breeze took my fever and cooled me down enough to continue. Never before have I made such an amazing recovery. Remember this

went back up and ran Fins and Things from Tracy's to complete the loop I was attempting to do yesterday. It felt a bit long at the end however i made it :) Good day

the loop from Tracy's. I've been feeling tried today. and the weather kind of grey like my mood too. 

I road biked out to the Red Hot 33K and 55K. Watched Heidi come in first from the 33K. It was sooooooo awesome to see your friend come flying in 1st! OMG! I was thinking about sneaking away and going on a run too. It didn't happen. I think I felt bad wanting to take the time for myself when I said I would volunteer at the race. I ended up doing almost nothing except cheering runners in and maybe having a few surly things to say. 

The road bike home was windy and raining however I had the most fun. I even thought I'll jump out the door and run when I get back to Tracy & Ryon's house ( where I'm staying at). And then again I ended up not because the look on there face at met for riding in the rain and I didn't want to hear what they would say if I went on a run. Like I don't like the attention.  Almost as if I might turn into the crazy Moab lady who shields her face and yells at people not to look at her. 

  Then when I looked at my mileage I was pissed at myself. I didn't even come close to breaking 40 miles. I'm totally slacking. 

However, there is nothing I can do now and the road bike ride did put the hammer to me. Sooo next week I'm breaking into 40 miles and if I'm feeling dangerous maybe even into 50. yeah yeah I know. don't increase your mileage too soon to fast. and the story is in the end I always listen to my body and take the time I need. and my heart it is solid. cheers

Run with Heidi on Amasa back Jacksons. Sunny

Pipe Dream trail from Angela's house, sunny

Earth Scorch on 2 hours. Heidi showed me the way. Her number one favorite run. It is beautiful. and sooo fun. warm up on the road then long hill climb onto the mesa, followed with a breath taking view on the north eastern part of Canyonlands national park. then a run slightly decending wash following trail to some narrow slots and a rock face that could kill you if there was an ice sheet there. and then boom back on Amasa Back. Almost feels like a secret place. Heidi I heart you for taking me. I also heart you for turning on the gas while climbing the hill back to the car. you left me and I soo didn't want you to but my legs just wouldn't turn over fast enough and then you where gone. I felt a bit like Pre might of felt when he held his juice to sprint to the end only to be past. I'm an attack the hills runner and then a hold the pace runner and a bat out of hell downhill runner however i am not a sprint and pass everyone at the end runner. I get left behind :(

Sooo when that next race comes. Know that i need to act earlier and be as far head as I can been in those last stretches to have a chance at out winning the sprinters

:) Pipe dream with Heidi and Jesse Dog. Stoked about my mileage!

more like 6 total, i was looking for a lost dog and there was lots of stopping and looking and whistling. Found some cool new trails. 

Parked the car at the Moab Rim trailhead and then ran down the road as a warm up ( and later cool down) to Amasa Back, RockStacker and Jacksons. Thinking about the Amasa race in April and I really want to do well.

need to get ride of the guilt i feel when i pass a friend and instead look at it differently like i"m pushing them to there fullest potential and myself. All in. I want to be all in.

Also stocked at last weeks mileage and gonna run equal or maybe a little more this week with my first hill workout midweek and gonna focus on eating more veggies this week and makeing more meals instead of a bar or crackers when ever i get the munchies. :) ohh and drink more water.

I was thinking of running out on slickrock but i ended up back on fins& things. left leg is a little sore from yesterday. I did roll my ankle and stretched the muscle i think. But nothing bad. i'm pretty much gumby flexible.

what would be a fun name for a trail running goup in Moab?