Our Little Climber

It is funny how each child tends to gravitate to their own activities. For instance, we are sitting at Kre's soccer practice where he is busily engaged in throwing the dirt clods left over from the aeration that has just been performed on the lawn. Brig is doing something similar, lobbing clods as far as he can - only occasionally hitting people. Keelyn on the other hand is single-mindedly practicing her hanging strength. She's been at this for about 15 minutes.

My Hot Ladies

Just thought I'd share a bit of the beauty in my life.

Why I Run

Why do I run? I'm asked this question even more often than "How do you run that far?" but not quite as often as I hear "I get tired driving that far" or some derivation thereof. So, I've always felt some sense of obligation to answer the question. I have never felt that I've really found a satisfactory answer for people who ask the question or really, for myself. But like so many things I keep doing it because I know it is good for me, I enjoy it and because someday I will discover a fulfilling answer. Today may be that day. And it is simple - as good things should be. I run because while I run I can see my own potential and it is always positive. I have never been on a run and thought to myself "Bard, you're going nowhere." I'm always going somewhere when I'm running. And I always see where I can go when I'm running. It is a meditation where I always see myself achieving something great. Finishing a race, achieving something in my personal life, doing something good in a relationship, fulfilling a life goal - you get the idea. Always good, even if it is only that I'm continuing to make forward progress when all the forces are against me. Running is the fermentation dish where good thoughts and self actualization breed. So run, spend time running easy enough to think good thoughts and see yourself going places.

Still Funny

Several years ago, when I first started my commute to Washington for work, I often found myself exploring new trails to run around Sammamish, Issaquah, and Redmond. On one particular day I was enjoying the warmth of a sunny day and the soft dirt that makes up most of their densely wooded trails when I was suddenly and without provocation attacked by a malicious - bloodthirsty owl. It is a funny story. However, ever since the incident whenever the Halloween decorations come out I find myself eating off the owl plate. Ricki smiles (and chuckles) every time and I do mean every time she hands it to me. I don't get a choice of plates, no matter what - I get the owl plate.

I hope the owl still laughs about it.

32 Years/32 Miles

I have started what some would consider simply an act of lunacy. On my birthday I run my years of age in miles. This year was by far the most difficult, but not just because it is one mile longer than last year. For some reason this year I simply have not been running the long mileage that I have in past years. Still, I really wanted to maintain the tradition. So I set out early Tuesday morning with clear expectations to finish. The run itself is a celebration of life and all of the possibilities. This years run seemed to embody my life as a whole. The run was difficult to start but pure stubbornness kept me going. Some miles seemed to fly by in a blur while some miles seemed to last forever. Uphill sections slowed me to a crawl and I got to cruise a few downhill sections. There were scenic overlooks where I stopped to enjoy the view and hot pavement where I simply kept running. There were a few points where I stopped to consider just what the heck I was doing and a few places where family members helped me keep going. It seems to me that running is a lot like life and long runs emphasize the similarities. So this week I'm continuing the journey, both in life and in my running. I hope anyone reading this gets to celebrate life with enthusiasm.

Mountain Time - Tour de Lakes

Today a good friend and I took off to the mountains to enjoy the amazing trails that are so close by. We ran the Tour de Lakes, a beautiful loop through a section of Rocky Mountain National Park. We hit the loop counter-clockwise seeing Bierstadt Lake, Cub Lake, Fern Lake, Fern Falls, Odessa Lake, Grace Falls, and Bear Lake. From there it was just a short hop back to Bierstadt and the trail head. It started dry but we ended up running through about two hours of rain. It didn't really bother me being July, but of course, as it was my first trip of the year into the high mountains I didn't bring my jacket. Duh. So I spent some time wet but eventually the clouds broke and we enjoyed the sunshine and some amazing views. The mountains were fantastic, flowers were out, and water was high. The falls were all raging, and we were nearly run off the trail by a moose. What a day. A bit over 15 miles, nearly 4k feet of climbing with about the same of decent. I've added some technical information so you can see the route and elevation plus some pictures. This is why I live in Colorado.

Lunchtime break in Colorado. A little warm, but fantastic trail running.

Enjoying the Beautiful Day

What a beautiful day. Brig is playing with a friend and we stopped by home for some lunch before heading out to get some errands done. We stepped outside and suddenly we find ourselves enjoying our amazing back yard. Kre is throwing knives at the lawn (it appears he will be following in his dad's footsteps) and Keelyn is sitting in a hole I need to cover up. Ricki and I are simply sitting here once again contemplating how wonderful it is to be able to do this.

Check Us Out - Name That Year

Taking the Time

I took the time this afternoon to have a water fight with the boys. I was outside grilling dinner and it was pretty warm out. The boys were taking turns dumping buckets of water on each others heads and asked me to join in. My first impulse was to say no. I wanted to get dinner cooked because I still have work to finish tonight. Instead I took the time to throw a couple of buckets of water around. The boys ran zigzags across the lawn in an attempt to dodge the water but shrieked with laughter whenever they got hit with a faceful. In the end I recognize that while I may not have spent the entire afternoon with them today they both had big smiles on when they came in for dinner. It made me feel better about myself. And I didn't burn the chicken either.