The Dirty 30 - Numero Tres

Just thought I would sit for a moment to do an update on life.  I always feel like this is a good practice, stopping and thinking and writing a few things down for later perhaps.  We've been enjoying better weather in Colorado Springs for a bit now, it feels like summer and I've managed to start what could be considered a tan over the past two weeks.  It's hard to overstate my happiness to sunbath again.

Since I last wrote, I did find an apartment to rent and will be living close to downtown Colorado Springs later this month.  I sign my lease tomorrow in fact but I suspect with Captain's Career Course interrupting much of June I won't be settled until the end of the month.  CCC for reserve officers will be held at Trinity University in San Antonio and not at Fort Sam Houston as I originally thought.

I paid myself for the first time as a small business owner today.  It wasn't a lot of money but it was representative of two years worth of work and a dream.  You see I have this dream and I am one of those people who believe that the whole world is made up and we actually get to make our own lives. Said another way, other people created the world we live in today but if we chose we can re-create and make things better.  We don't have to do things the old way...unless the old way really works!

Recently I've had the good fortune to be able to take some more time in nature, which is probably my favorite thing in the world.  Melissa and I rode an "easy" 44 miles last weekend at the Cafe Velo Grand Fondo.  I say "easy" because I still felt the hills licked my legs.  But then again it was only my third bike ride of the year and the legs are still rusty.  The day started with the picture below...looking at the Pikes Peak Atlas while enjoying an expresso with lots of whipped cream.

So much amazingness in a single photo.

My bike to the left (aka No Name), Melissa's to the right (aka. Penelope).

Now as for enjoying day to day runs in Colorado Springs, this is what it's been like about half the days.  The other half we do have more clouds...but even then it's friggin Colorado.

A view of Cheyenne mountain from Stratton Open Space.

Today I ran up through Cheyenne Canyon and it was quite cloudy initially.  I even caught a little rain running up to Helen Hunt falls.  On my way back down the sky began to clear and by the time I'd reached the end of the run the sun was shining and quite perfect for sunbathing.  So instead of hoping in the Jeep and driving off I stuck around by the creek and watched the ducks.

Listening to the water is ridiculously relaxing.  I almost took a nap on the bank.

Time to slow down and appreciate the blue sky and the green world behind me.

So I made a "command decision" as we like to call it in the Army...instead of going to Reserve Drill this coming weekend I decided to run the Dirty 30 Ultra for the third year in a row.  Don't worry, I'm not AWOL, there is paperwork involved to do such a thing.  Also to be fair, I did not complete the entire race my first year of running (2014) due to pretty severe plantar fasciits.  Last year I completed the 32-mile distance with my friend Tim and had an awesome time.  It's like a party but instead of a hangover your feet are a little beat up afterward.  This year I had not planned on signing up but my friend Melissa wanted to do the race (possibly based on all the raving I'd done about it).  I couldn't resist.  It's a beautiful course and the director and volunteers do an amazing job.

From May 2015, Tim and I hiked a lot of the steep hills on the Dirty 30.  Check out that beautiful creek!

The signs along the course were hilarious.

Tim and I basically goofed for 7 hours and called it a workout.

My attempt at a Tim/Sam selfie.

There are lots of nice views along the Dirty 30 course.

One of my favorite signs on the course.

Couldn't help but get a photo with volunteer and hard-core pool party dude.

Chad and Tim enjoyed a free "ice bath" in the creek after the race.

So hopefully from those photos you can see why I might want to go back.  Maybe this will be the last year?  Training in San Antonio at sea level for two weeks will be very different than what I am used to so part of me thinks this last long run in altitude will help hold me over until I get back.  Perhaps I can "recover" in Texas versus "lose fitness."

I hope to grab some photos this weekend and post accordingly.  If the weather holds out I expect this year to be basically another big party.  Leadville training has been going fine but I do think that I will look to July's training as a better gauge of how I am doing.  I know that's a bit late, but to be fair, I've never trained for or attempted 100 miles before.  I really appreciate the journey to the starting line and hope to treasure every moment along the way.