Tackling Two 14ers

On the Summit of Torreys

Saturday I tackled not one but two 14ers.  A 14er is a 14,000 foot peak.  There are 54 of them in Colorado.  I did my second and third by hiking Grays and Torreys with four friends.  I'm still an extreme newbie to doing this and for two in our group it was first time to a 14er.  You start at an elevation of 11,280 feet in Stevens Gulch.  Round trip is just over 8 miles.  We took off in 44 degree weather.  The path was green and lush bursting with wildflowers.  As we climb of course it turns more rocky.  We decided to hike up Torreys (14,267) first then Grays (14,270).  Grays Peak is the highest peak on the Continental Divide.

According to 14er.com the trail is 8.25 miles when from Stevens Gulch to do both peaks.  

 

It's a pretty tough workout with the altitude.  We definitely savored the gorgeous day.  The views were spectacular, even with the clouds really rolling in when we were on top of Grays and heading down. 

My friend Chris, who does 14ers all the time, told me the only way to get faster and better at them is to do the climbs.  Everyone reacts differently to the altitude.  You definitely get a chance to push yourself farther than you think you can go.  For beginners plan on it taking 8-9 hours to do both.  There will be lots of breaks.  More intermediate hikers will do it on average in about 5-6 hours.  More advanced hikers and trail runners can do this route in 3-5 hours.  I was having stomach issues from the get go and was fully cramped out for descent.  I made it (barely after close to 9 hours on trail).  If you've seen the movies Bridemaids, there's a scene outside of the bridal shop that could have easily been me several times on the mountain.  I know TMI.

With the pushing yourself and then the views at the top, I can definitely see why so many are hooked on 14ers!

On the Summit of Grays with Torreys in the background.

   

Taking a Rest Day

Today is a rest day for me.  Hiking Grays and Torreys tomorrow.  That's two 14ers (14,000 foot peaks) in one day!

No Muffin Tops Allowed! Feel The Side Bend Squeeze.

Today was Pilates session with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  When I can I like to get in two sessions a week.  Today we focused a lot on core and abs.  But I gotta love when Erin says to me, "I know you did sprints yesterday but you're still doing jump board."  If you're wondering what the jump board is, it's a series of pushing out and back with different leg positions (parallel, feet together in a V, jumping jacks, single leg) while laying on your back on the reformer.  It definitely gets the heart rate up quickly.

We ended the session with a series of abs moves done on a mat.  One of those moves is the side bend...or I'll just call it the side killer.  You start on your side, top leg slightly in front, up on your forearm, and top arm up reaching for the sky.  As you exhale, lift hip, and reach top arm over head and toward the ground.  You really squeeze the obliques closest to the ground.  I love it because it's something I can easily do at home.

Here's Erin explaining how to do the move.

Ready...Set...Sprint!

When my friend Kim was visiting me this past weekend, she told me about a cardio workout the trainers at her gym in Dallas had turned her on to.  They say it will re-shape your legs.  Kim has been doing it a couple of weeks.  She has great legs to begin with, but she works for them.  So I decided to try one of her workouts today.  Like most females, I'll try anything to shrink to the thighs!

I'm super tired but I trudge over to Pura Vida Club.  If I head home from the station I won't get a workout done today!  So I downed some Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews and off I go to hit the sprints on the treadmill.

I did modify the workout slightly so I could also get some mileage in.  Sprints AND distance - guess who's going to be sore tomorrow!

Here's my one mile warm up:
Walk 3.5 mph for .25 miles
Walk 4.0 mph for .25 miles
Jog 6.0 mph for .25 miles
Jog 6.5 mph for .25 miles

Sprint Time!
30 second sprint at 8.0 mph then 30 second rest
Repeated at 8.5 mph, 9.0 mph, 9.5 mph

30 second spring at 10.0 mph then 1 minute rest
Repeated at 10.5 mph and 11.0 mph
Then repeat backwards to 8.0 mph

That's 13 thirty second sprints for right at 2 miles for me.

Yes I did feel like I was going to puke at 10.5 mph and 11.0 mph!  I'm sure I looked like an idiot to anyone else working out as I flying on the treadmill as fast as I can, focused, sweating, and breathing heavy then just trying to catch my breath and jamming to my tunes in the rests.  Just hope I didn't sing out loud!

Then another mile at 6.5 mph (9:13 mile pace) to finish four miles in 33 minutes.  I rounded out the cardio workout with an easy quarter of a mile walk at 3.5 mph.

As hard as it was I'm going to add this sprint workout in once or twice a week for awhile, build up to sprints up to 12 mph, and see the difference these make over the next few weeks.

Some days are long, slow, easy runs.  Others days, like today, the chase is on in full out sprints!

Just A Walkin'

I get it from my mom.  I love to go on walks.  Today was a walk day.  I put on my iPod and hit the Cherry Creek Bike Path to log a couple of miles.  After a tough workout yesterday I was due a rest day but it turned into a fast power walk down the path.  Blame it on the changing weather with storms moving in and me just plain old jammin' out to tunes.  With a little dancing bounce to my steps as I rocked out to the beat I'm sure I look like a workout dork at times.  But it's my time and that's the way I rolled today.

Doing the Pretzel

No I'm not the disco dance move, but the pretzel is a series of moves my Pilates and Kinesis trainer Erin at Pura Vida Club taught me today.   I'm already expecting to be sore tomorrow but when you're on a mission, you're on a mission!  I love that Erin tells me my blog and goal inspire her.  She so wants me to succeed and trust me she's certainly doing her part to kick my butt in workouts to get me there.

So last week I posted my first move from my weekly hour and a half workout with Erin.  This week we're adding video so you can try the move too.

So well into our session of her putting me through the ringer, she throws the series of pretzel moves at me.  For the record she did do the moves with me.  We did them with a ball but I also tried it with a 3 pound weight.  You can do either at home.

Running Along Gore Creek...and Checking Out The View

My Sunday morning run was along Gore Valley Trail.  I started out about 9:30am in 64 degrees weather. I decided I just wanted to do a nice leisurely jog, Facebooking and tweeting along the way while taking in the amazing scenery on a beautiful Sunday morning.  


It's a mile along the Gore Creek from Vail Cascade Resort to Lionshead Village.  At Lionshead I ran right through the Mini Golf course and by the chair lift then back by creek.  I popped up street side in Vail Village to check out the Farmers Market.
Jump back on trail on east side of Village on the Gore Creek Stream Walk, which is gravel, to Betty Ford Way and run to and around the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, the highest botanic gardens in the United States, and Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. 

On the way back I took the Golden Peak/Ford Park route back to Vail Village and connect back on Gore Creek Stream Walk.

I then had to go through part of Vail Village Farmers Market again to catch the Gore Valley Trail again to head back to Vail Cascade.

Straight shot from Cascade to Alpine Gardens is about 2 miles each way. I added some extra to hit over 5 miles.

After a post-workout lunch I was walking around with my friend Kim, who was visiting me for the weekend, and Chris, who lives in the Vail Valley.  Chris Anthony is an extreme skier and in ridiculous cardio shape.  As we walk over from Vail Village to the Alpine Gardens he made the comment jokingly, "You ran this far?"  Yes Chris I did.  Running is the only sport I could beat him at since his knees from years of competitive skiing won't let him do much more than a mile.  Now hiking up a mountain, bike riding, and of course skiing....I'm eating his dust!

Hiking Hanging Lake

Saturday was a hike to Hanging Lake.  It was just named one of the six new National Natural Landmarks in the United States.  Once you get to the top it's easy to see why with the shoreline composed of travertine rock giving the water a spectacular color.  The 1.2 mile climb is a short, steep scenic trail called a "more difficult" trail by the Forest Service.  It's quite steep in some areas, especially near the top and you have to traverse very rocky areas.

When my friend Kim and I started out it was 10:30am and already very sunny and warm.  Within 15 minutes we're both drenched with sweat.  But as we climb higher and get in more shaded areas we don't sweat as bad.  It's definitely a workout climbing the rocky trail.  In the shady spots right by the stream the temperatures drops as much as 5-10 degrees.  On the way up I'm shooting video and stills so it takes us about an hour to do the climb.  On the way down, only 35 minutes.  But going down was just as much a workout as going up.

It starts at an elevation of 6387 feet and ends at an elevation of 7323 feet so it's an elevation gain of 936 feet..  But the trail meanders alongside a stream originating from the lake and the waterfalls at the lake and the higher Spouting Rock waterfall are refreshing after the strenous hike up.

Top of the Mountain

On Friday headed up to Vail and did the Top of the Mountain Tour.  We did a jeep tour to the top of Vail Mountain.  It's about 11, 200 feet.  It's lush and green this year from all of the snowpack.  There are so many great trails to hike or bike on Vail Mountain.  We did some hiking around but pretty leisurely to enjoy the view!

Be A Mountain Diva

A good friend flew in to Denver yesterday so workout was walking all over downtown.  It's such a pedestrian and cyclist town.  Sometimes you see unusual folks in town.  We'll I had a first.  We saw a guy in business suit cruising down the sidewalk on a skateboard.

This blog is titled "Be A Mountain Diva" because my story on the Mountain Divas workout in Vail aired in Good Day Colorado.  Two-time Mount Everest summitter Ellen Miller teaches the class.  I participated in early June and was hooked!  We did interval runs up Vail Mountain.  Any level can participate.  Working out in nature is fantastic.  Heading off to Vail today for a little hiking in the wildflowers this afternoon.

Enjoy this story on Mountain Divas in Vail that aired in Good Day Colorado on Fox 31 Denver.

Running in the Rain

I love it when I get a chance to run in the rain.  Not downpours but the gentle showers that sometimes fall.  Today was one of those days.  I'd wanted to get an easy run in to work out some of the soreness in my quads from Kinesis on Monday.  Well it was another hot day so I wanted until the rain started getting close and I took off at the perfect time.  I love watching rain showers come in.  See the rain shafts in the distance moving closer to you.  It's kind of metaphoric of life.  Sometimes skies are bright and sunny and other times cloudy to stormy.  There's just something so refreshing about rain moving in.  The smell, the wind picking up, the sky changing - I just love it.  It was a run just to let my mind wander as I cruised down the path, pretty slowly today.  May not be able to solve the world's problems in that run but certainly made some headway in my list of things to think about.  The bonus, enjoying the soft rain drops falling on me as I finished the last mile.  And one of those things on my list - should I do the Denver Rock 'n Roll half marathon in October?  My answer - yes.  Looking forward to my next run in the rain.

No Workout Day

Tuesday was a no workout day.  Just didn't happen.  Getting one in today!

Curtsy My Way to a Great Butt

That's right...curtsy my way to a great butt!  Well curtsy, releve, squat, lunge, and run and up and down stairs my way to a great butt as was decided by my Pilates and Kinesis trainer Erin at Pura Vida Club this afternoon.  My normal Monday workout is a tough hour and half.  Today we did 45 minutes Kinesis and 45 minutes Pilates.  She did some new moves with me today and I decided we should post a new move every Monday.

So today she had me do a series of three moves using yoga blocks.  The first, lean over with hands on blocks, engage quad of standing leg, then lift other leg back and up, and down to tap on the outside of other foot.  The second, same move but add a ballet move called releve, or going up on the ball of your foot, with standing leg.

And the third move, take the second but instead of just tapping on outside of standing foot, go all the way into a curtsy.  Talk about tough!  Here are the keys factors to move, engage standing leg quad, really go up on ball of the foot in the releve, use your abs, and lean on blocks as much as you need to. 

Let's just say two and a half hours after workout I'm already feeling it!  It's going to be fun moving around tomorrow....but I love the new moves and adding curtsy my way to a great butt into my routine.

Trading TX Heat for CO Heat

While I was in San Antonio Thursday through early this morning (6:30am flight) temperatures were 97-101.  I expect that there in July.  But what's kind of funny is that when I returned to Denver today, the high was 94, above the normal high of 88.  I had grand plans of getting off plane and heading out on my bike this morning.  But I'm going to blame getting caught up in the British Open and then Women's World Cup for not being so gungho to workout in the heat, especially after two hard workouts Friday and Saturday.  But I did manage to sweat in the sunshine with an hour fast walk this afternoon.  Even dog tired from traveling and not sleeping well I still got out there.  Tomorrow...can't wait to hammer it down in Pilates and Kinesis!

Sweating on the Salado Creek Greenway

Courtesy: San Antonio Parks & Recreation

Saturday morning was a total sweat fest in the San Antonio heat and humidity.  But that's no excuse to not got a good workout in during my long weekend visit.  Definitely a good morning to hit the trail and sweat on a run with my close friend Christy.  We jumped on one of her regular routes, the Salado Creek Greenway, for a nice run/walk.  It turned out being more a run with a couple of walk breaks.  We hit the trail off of Huebner and ran to Harberger Park, named after my favorite former mayor of San Antonio.  It's 2.3 miles each way.  There are actually 23 miles of the Greenway open.  this was my first chance to run on this section.  You can definitely see the signs of drought but thanks to clouds we had a great run.  It's such a treat for me to run with a great friend since I do a lot of my cardio workouts solo.  So we went down and back then ran at least another mile to meet some friends walking the Greenway.  We did at least 6.6 miles, walking about 1.25 miles of it.  Not bad for a Saturday morning outing!

One note if you do the Greenway.  Take water.  There are no fountains or access to water along the way.  On a humid morning you'll be thankful you have your water bottle with you.

Get your sweat on and head over the Salado Creek Greenway.  It's a great path to run, walk or bike!

Strength of a Trainer

Since I traveled to San Antonio on Thursday I didn't have time to workout.  But being in heels for 19 hours certainly counts as a workout!

This morning I worked out with my longtime trainer and friend Gregg Bell.  It was a full out core, legs, and booty strength training session of cable pulls, kettlebell, squats, lunges, chest presses, and abs.  When I lived in San Antonio I would workout with Gregg two to three mornings a week.  I relished the workouts because for me they were always much more than just a physical strength training session.  It was friendships that developed in our morning workout crew.  It's amazing how close you can get with people when you are pushing your physical and cardiovascular capabilities.  So today was a great chance for me to workout with that morning crew and catch up.....and get my butt kicked by a great friend.

I titled this blog "Strength of a Trainer" for a reason.  There have been many ups and downs in life and fitness has always been a priority and in many ways an outlet for me.  For 10 years, during those workouts with Gregg he truly was (and still is) an inspiration, coach, teacher, friend, counselor, cheerleader, and sometimes just shoulder to cry on.  There have been moments where he's just let me sob while on the spin bike....yes there have been a few of those days crying over boyfriends as the relationships don't work out.  But also those moments of going on a run and sprinting to finish line, even if it's just part of the training session.  It's those moments of pushing yourself with someone else cheering you on and believing in you, even when you don't necessarily believe you can.

Gregg is the one that got me into cycling and I'm forever grateful because I love the sport.  Never would I have thought when I walked in to Gregg's boot camp class at the Concord Athletic Club in San Antonio that I would be ten years later continuing to push my fitness limits in this year long challenge.  They say that it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, in this year long challenge in a sense it takes a village to keep me inspired and motivated.  I'm lucky to have the strength of a trainer in a longtime friend....that's willing to kick my butt every time I'm back in San Antonio!  

Rained Out

My workout time today got taken over by weather.  Stayed late at station just making sure nothing developed.  My to do list was (and still is) a mile long.  Started knocking out blogs, logging video, cutting audio and stuff for my Swept Away website/show.  By time I was done the storms were moving in.  Got in a nice dog walk today but rest of my workout was rained out.  Oh well....guess I can blame it on the weather.

Some Days Workouts Just Don't Happen

Today is one of those days...workout just isn't happening.  Not because I didn't want to.  Just sometimes you can't get it into the schedule.  Since I'm super sore from Pilates and Kinesis yesterday, I'm probably due a rest day.  But it's a bummer when you want to workout but can't.  One of those days with watching storms develop, haircut and highlights, then an early evening event....just couldn't get my sweat on today.  Tomorrow.....Wash Park here I come.  It's a run day!

Kick Butt Pilates & Kinesis

Monday workouts for me mean I'm going to get my butt kicked by my Pilates and Kinesis trainer Erin at Pura Vida Club.  I've been working out with her almost every Monday since November.  It's an hour and a half workout starting first with 30 minutes of Kinesis then hour Pilates.  Erin is a former collegiate Lacrosse player and did her Pilates training in California.  She's a combination of competitiveness, caring, and just plan old going to push you farther than you think you can mentality.  So today Kinesis starts with jumping rope then quickly into a series of moves with cables, lunges, squats, core moves.  Kinesis is a resistance training that has strength, cardiovascular, flexibility, and balance benefits while burning up to 30% more calories than traditional strength training.  I was an absolute sweat monster after 30 minutes.  We did some new ab moves using bench and Bosa ball so I'm probably going to be sore tomorrow!  In Pilates we did today's session on a piece of equipment called the Cadillac.  Lots of focus on hamstrings, abs, and shoulders today.  Plus a lot of stretching including splits....not quite as flexible as I used to be so the stretching is huge for me.  If you're looking for a workout that will kick your butt and get strength, cardio, and flexibility in the session then the combo of Kinesis and Pilates is for you.  Erin kicks my butt but I love the training!  And yes I'll be sore tomorrow....

Running For Coffee!

One of my favorite times of the week is Sunday morning.  It's even better when it's a beautiful morning and I'm up early.  Today was the perfect run for coffee morning.  When I worked the night news shift in San Antonio, I ran for coffee several times a week.  It's that extra incentive to get up and get moving.  So today I headed out on the Cherry Creek Bike Path for a nice 45 minute run.  Even sprinted to my finish line....the Starbucks at REI at Confluence Park.  Then it was time to relax and enjoy one of my other joys of a Sunday morning - reading the paper.  Running for coffee is a great way to start a new week!

Climbing To New Heights

Today's workout was all about climbing to new heights.  I'm actually afraid of heights but will challenge myself to face that fear and today it was rock climbing in Breckenridge.  I'd rock climbed about two weeks ago in Estes Park.  Other than that, I'd repelled as a child so my rock climbing skills are limited.  It's a workout physically, mentally, and emotionally for me.  There are four of us climbing including two boys, 8 and almost 10.  Of course I was picked to go first.  I started out great...and then about 25 feet up I have my moments.  But I listened to my guide Eric from CBST Adventures and after several catch my breath moments I made it to the top, which was about 40-45 feet high.  It's interesting that the lower part is easier for me that the climbing mentally.  Some folks don't like the feeling of sitting back and walking down the side of the rock.  The whole process of climbing and lowers takes me about thirteen minutes.  Once down on the grounds I still have some shakes but glad to be back on solid ground.  In order to do this climb there's also a hike in and out.  It's about a 15-20 minute hike through rocky terrain and some forest in the White River National Forest.  The view overlooking Windy Pointe and Prospector campgrounds and Lake Dillon with the mountains in the distance is definitely worth the hike and climb!

Outdoor Fun in Breckenridge

Well here I am not even a week in to this blog and already behind on entries for two days.  That's because I'm on working vacation in Breckenridge.  So the workouts Thursday and Friday have been all about kid fun!  Thursday was somewhat of a rest day with the drive to Breckenridge then an afternoon running around the Breckenridge Fun Park with an 8 year old and almost 10 year old. From running through the maze to riding the Alpine SuperSlide it was a fun few hours.  Then Friday it was a day of fly fishing with Mountain Angler, going 1100 feet underground then riding the 55 foot ore chute slide at Country Boy Mine, then bike riding on mountain bikes through town and along the Breckenridge Bike Path.  We even raced the rain back to the Patagonia Store on Main Street.

Rest Day, Fun Day

With friends in town it's a rest day, fun day for me!  Although walking around downtown Denver counts as exercise.  So does dancing at Kenny Chesney concert at Red Rocks tonight!

Sometimes You Just Have To Do A Quickie

Today is one of those days when I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get it all done.  We all have them.  Originally I'd scheduled a Pilates session at 11am so I would get the workout in but my trainer had to go out of town.  Then I thought I'd do a nice run at Wash Park before the rain moved in.  But instead I left work close to noon and trudged home to get a few more things done on my list....yes I'm still way, way behind. 

Tuesdays are always the hardest day of the week for my on this insanely early schedule I live on because of television news.  It does help that the past two nights I've been blasted out of bed by fireworks at 10pm.  That 2:45am wake up comes WAY early.

But still no excuses.  In between writing, chores, and trying to get ready for a weekend shoot in Breckenridge (well it's vacation but of course I'm shooting video and blogging), I made myself get out for a run.  Just told myself to do a quickie.  Just get it done. 

So off I went on a run for time, not speed.  Just wanted to get 30 minutes in of nothing but me, the pavement, and the sounds of tunes on my iPod.  Pretty darn nice having the clouds around, temperatures in the 80s and watching some rain showers in the distance. 

There's usually one song that sticks out during my runs.  Today it was Journey's "Be Good To Yourself." Guess I can say for at least 30 minutes today I was and can check run off my to do list!

Race Ya!

Race Ya!  Well not exactly how my brother phrased it.  He actually said "Race your a**!!!" in a email to me yesterday once I told him what I was doing.  Here's the deal - he's on a quest to loose 17 pounds by Christmas.  My brother lost over 100 pounds by watching his diet and walking while he lived in Northern Ireland.  Now that he lives in Shenyang, China, it's a little more difficult for him to do the workouts he wants.  Guess he'd better hit the gym because it's GAME ON between siblings!

So Day 2...I had hoped to get out after the AM show a little early but that didn't really work out.  I get up at 2:45am so sure I could use the it's hot and I'm tired excuse today but I thought about my friends that have crazier schedules than me with kids and still get their training done.  So in a nut shell my excuses went out the window!  I debated going to gym or hitting the bike trail.  Opted for the later.

Talk about a hot one!  It was 95-97 degrees during my ride.   So this is when the meteorologist in me comes out with reminders about working out in hot weather:

• Don't forget the sunscreen, sunglasses, and lip balm
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - if you start feeling thirty, you're already showing signs of dehydration
• Slow the pace - no need to go gangbusters, just get the workout done
• Take breaks

I'd plan to ride for an hour or hour and a half.  As any cyclist will tell you as you're getting back in the saddle you have to build up seat time.  Your booty, back and hands need time to build up to longer rides.

So off I go on the South Platte Bike Trail - one of my favorites in Denver.  It's easy to jump on it Confluence Park and there's ample parking near REI flagship store.  Because of the heat there were very few walkers and runners but there were some folks of bikes and others resting in shady spots along the river.  And yes there were the occasional homeless folks that are always on the bike paths but they usually leave you alone.  Other than it being hot, it was a nice ride.  With the heat I decided to ride at a slower pace and get 20 miles done.  Which I did in an hour and a half riding about a 12.9/13 miles per hour pace.  Definitely not hammering it down, instead getting the distance and workout done.

I loved seeing the signs along the way Mary Carter Greenway Trail (South Platte Trail feeds into it) that say speed limit 15mph.  Yes I did hit over the speed limit a few times.

I'd noticed yesterday on my ride that my right shoe clip seemed to be sliding.  Well today it was all of the place.  When I got home I noticed two of the three screws holding the clip plate to the shoe are gone.  Glad I didn't need to clip out and make a quick stop!  Guess I'm heading to REI tomorrow to get it fixed.

Some days you race it.  Some days you just get it done.  And some days you just need to float....like the folks I saw on the Platte River.

Happy Fourth of July!

Run and Ride to Start the Workout Warrior Year Challenge

So I woke up today, my 39th birthday, early of course, with plans to run and ride my bike, not with a year challenge on my brain.  But funny how things work out.

I'm a traveler, a meteorologist, and a fitness chick.  Yes I've had my obsession moments with fitness like being a kickboxing instructor and training for marathons, 150 mile bike rides and even recently climbed my first 14er (14,000 ft peak), but I'm far from being a fitness fanatic.  That's not what this is about.  I'm never going to be fitness model shape or waif thin like supermodels.  This is about challenging myself to get in the best shape I can in 365, try some new activities, and have fun. 

So I opened the gift from my mom.  Part of it was a pair of earrings by Linda Espy (from Summerville, GA which is close to where my Dad grew up ironically) that are called "Race for the Prize."  She put in the note, "I fell you are always racing and you and Jimmy (that's my brother) were Dad's and Mom's prize."  Sign one of a new journey for me.  This is definitely a case of sometimes you should sit back and let the journey come to you.  She also gave me a novel titled "Hurricanes in Paradise" but that's a whole different story!

So off I go on my run - nothing too major just a nice 30 minute run.  It was really one of those moments of sometimes you just have to wake up and run.  That's all I set out for.  But something starting happening during that 7am run..  Maybe it was the beauty of a quiet sunny Sunday morning with only the sounds of the South Platte River, the beat of a few other runners, and the occasional whisk of a cyclist going by.  My brain was wandering as it usually does on a run but this day is different.  I ponder where I am in life and the biggie birthday of my 40th coming next year.  Since my birthday is the day before the Fourth I'm used to it not really being a big deal but next I want it to be.  So I was trying to figure out what is it that I could do or accomplish to make turning 40 extra special.  My 38th to 39th birthday was such a trying time for me with a lot of life changes.

So since I'm a traveler I decided that instead of my 40th birthday just being a day that it should be a journey.  As I finished my run and grabbed a treat at Starbucks - grande soy latte of course - I geared up for the next activity of the day a bike ride.  I've been sporadic on the bike lately to say the least but I love to ride.  So off I go with plans of one hour on the bike.  You've got to build up seat time!

As I cruise along the Cherry Creek Bike Path it hits me that I should do a Workout Warrior Year to Forty blog.  So here it is.  Guess it's kind of like a food log.  If you write down everything and have to show it to someone then you'll make smart choice!  So on this bike ride I have a "Squirrel!" moment.  If you've seen the movie UP then you know what I'm talking about.  Lucky for the squirrel and me on the bike that the squirrel had a head start.  That happened at mile 6.3.  At my turn around point it was fitting that there was a little rest area over looking the banks, water and trees.

On the way back I stopped on a bridge to take this picture.  It's the perfect omen for this journey.  The water rushes as it runs through the rocks and the trees rustle in the wind as the sunshine shines down.  Hoping that means I'll get faster on the run with longer distances and ride like the wind with a sunny forecast of completing this journey.

So my starting place is a 30 minute jog then a 16.1 mile bike ride in one hour and three minutes averaging 15.2 mph.  Not bad for day one and felt I could go much farther doing both.

This blog is 365 of workouts, activities, and yes there will be some two word blogs - Rest Day as I go on this journey to get in the best shape of my life.

I actually happen to be one of those people who works out to eat.  So it's pretty fitting that after my workout I met a couple of friends for a birthday brunch at Shells and Sauce.  The Benedict Florentine is fantastic!

Of course I told them my blog idea.  And my friends Stacy and Travis made the suggestions of doing lunges all around Wash Park (it's 2.6 miles around!) and doing a Polar Bear Plunge (not exactly sure how that counts a workout...but ok).  So game on for a year of workouts with some being out of the ordinary!

Oh and to the three guys I blew past at 20.2 mph on the bike at around mile 14....I am woman, hear the roar!