Merry Christmas 🎄!
I've had such a full autumn for 2023!
As we head into winter, I'm reflecting on what a fun and joyful season it has been for me, despite being so busy!
I had fun running on Thanksgiving day with the Sunrise Striders, and then went to the first Incline Club run of the season, which is always on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 😁.
I have done a lot of strength work, several longer efforts and a few "push" sessions (like the Incline). I did two runs up Dixon Trail and several larger loops in Section 16, as well as spent a good amount of time on Barr Trail!
And I started December with a 50k+ jog on my favorite loop around the base of Mount Rosa! 🏔️ I last did this same loop on Memorial Day. This time around, I added a little extra high altitude distance by including a new overlook. It was challenging to do this loop in the winter, and it took me over 9 hours with icy trails, when my summer time was 7:20.
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Here are a few photos from the last two months!
Nov 5 - Dixon Trail
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| I ascended Talon, North Talon, and Dixon Trail on Nov 5. |
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| It was a beautiful day to go up, and very warm! I easily made the overlook and spent more than enough time on top. About 15.8 miles total. |
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| The next day, we took our children to the Denver Art Museum. I painted my interpretation of Cheyenne Mountain from yesterday! |
Nov 10 - The Incline & Barr Trail
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| Dionne and I did the Incline, and ran up to the 7.8 metal sign on Barr trail. I was happy with an Incline time of 34:15, and we saw Jim on our way down! |
Nov 12 - Section 16 Loop
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| About 10.8 miles total today. |
Nov 15 - Dixon Trail (again)
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| My second trip up Cheyenne Mountain this month was marked by whispy clouds and a crisp autumn bite in the air. |
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Wildlife was abundant. I ascended a different overlook this time and got a little shorter distance, 15.4 miles.
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Nov 18 - Butterfly Pavilion
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| We took the kids to the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster. We saw so many bright colors! |
Nov 23 - Thanksgiving Incline with the Sunrise Striders
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| What a fun day! So many blessings to be thankful for! I got a little extra mileage by going up to the "7.8 mile to summit" sign afterwards. |
Nov 26 - First Incline Club run of the season!
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| A big group showed up for a nice weather day after the snow. It was great to see my friend Russ! |
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| The snow was so charming, that I decided to the Experimental Forest loop today for a little extra mileage. |
Nov 27 - Blossoms of Light (Denver Botanical Gardens)
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| We toured the Blossoms of Light with the family. What an impressive display this year! |
Nov 30 - Section 16 Loop (with Paragliders)
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| It was really neat to see some paragliders setting off on their flight today when I summited the Section 16 overlook. |
Dec 5 - My 50k Loop Day!
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| I set out up High Drive on this clear day. From the saddle of Mt. Buckhorn, I could see part of my icy return path on Gold Camp Road. |
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| I encountered winter obstacles, like this frozen stream. The Pipeline trail crosses somewhere underneath this ice slick. |
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| I saw my favorite view of Mt. Rosa, with the small pond I love in the foreground. |
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| Devil's Slide on my way down Gold Camp Road. |
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| I was on the non-motorized portion of Gold Camp Road when the sun receeded behind St. Peter's Dome. |
I finally made it back to my car after my phone died, over 9 hours later and between 31 and 33 miles!!
This run was challenging, but I felt more able to push through. Despite some icy conditions, I just kept moving. I felt like this was a great way to knock out the last ultra-length run of the year.
Dec 18 - Garden of the Gods with Dionne and Pippin
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| A fun casual day in the Garden. Dionne joined me, and I brought Pippin along! An easy, recovery-paced jog. |
These last two months have been great. A jump start to the season, and a big finale of the year with my favorite 50k loop.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy holiday season!
