A few days post-snow storm and the sun is doing it’s duty out on the trails. Shady areas are still snow packed but most of this morning’s running route was either wet mud, or ice, or both. A few hundred yards in I took a tumble as I completely lost my footing. This was not a day for finding purchase.
After that first slip I sensed my body tensing up, becoming rigid, doing what Continue reading “Slipping and Sliding”
Trail running has its minor risks, and I’ve seen my share of sprained ankles, skinned hands from tripping, and bug bites. But that’s usually about it. Aside from the wear and tear on these aging knees and hips and the occasional lung burn that inevitably accompanies an uphill run at altitude, Continue reading “Once Bitten Twice Shy”
One of my favorite expressions in the mountains turns out also to be a pretty nice metaphor for moving through what I hope is the middle of my life. One of my first friends in Colorado, Brent, introduced me to mountaineering, and we’ve been up several mountains together, including Continue reading “Nexus”
There are 53 mountain summits in Colorado that are officially over 14,000 feet. There are an additional 5 “unofficial” peaks that appear on most summit lists like this one. It took me 16 years (August 2000 to July 2015) to make it up all 58. Most of these majestic giants requires a full day outing, Continue reading “Colorado 14ers”
Humanality is a famous multi-pitch climbing route located in Railay, Thailand. Set in an incredibly gorgeous location along the shoreline, the route is exposed and technical. With a grade of 5.10d this route is good fun for experienced climbers, intimidating for intermediates like me. I was not Continue reading “Humanality”
Today I took a tour through Doi Inthanon National Park near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Some sightseeing, hiking (called ‘trekking’ in Thailand), swimming, shopping and lunch. Our guide was a freelance tour guide named Tee. I barely remember the company I booked through (Wild Continue reading “Missed It”
One of the best moments hiking toward a mountain summit is gaining the ridge. A mountain usually has 2 or more ridges descending from its summit, and sometimes (but not very often) there is a route that picks up the ridge much lower, down at the forest floor, and it’s possible to hike all the way to Continue reading “Gaining the Ridge”
When I wrote about the positive impact run/walk has had on my life, I focused on the physical benefits. There is a psychological benefit, as well.
When I’m out running, either in an organized event like the Bolder Boulder Continue reading “Run/Walk Part 2”
I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2002. Prior to that, I had trained multiple times for a marathon and after a few months of training had to stop running due to painful chronic injuries – usually my knees produced a bright white pain just beneath the kneecap, my hips felt a dull burning Continue reading “Run/Walk Part 1”
Something about performing music always brings me precisely into the present moment. There’s a difference between expectation and experience. Expectation is what we hope for, what we long for. Experience is what’s actually here. Letting go of expectation so we can stay focused in the Continue reading “Expectation vs. Experience”
I’ve been a long-time trail runner, never competitive but steadfastly committed to the sport for over 20 years. Three years ago two friends and I completed the Dirty 30 and Imogene Pass trail runs within a few months of each other. Dishearteningly, my aging knees never recovered from these Continue reading “Zero Drop”
I live in Boulder, Colorado and I love to run on the open space trails. Having done so for the past 19 years, I thought I knew every major trail, minor trail, and connector link in the system. I was wrong.
This summer I had the pleasure of participating in the Walk2Connect Boulder Walk 360 walking tour around Boulder. I completed one leg Continue reading “Pay Attention”
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