First Tri in the Books

I competed in my first triathlon this past Sunday.  I raced the inaugural Curt Gowdy Xterra. Xterra's are off-road triathlons, so unlike regular Tris, the bike and run are on trails.  The distances for Xterra's usually don't fit into the neat little categories like road triathlons; my race was in between a Sprint distance and an Olympic distance event.

My race went well I think for my first Tri.  Bottom line - I had a ton of fun and felt like I learned a lot.  I got 2nd in my age group.  I finished 99th out of a total of 201 racers; 24th out of 57 women.  My time was 3:06:37.

Here's the breakdown of my race:

1200 meter Open Water Swim (23:10): I feel pretty good about my first foray into open water competition. The water was COLD - about 60, but a nice little warm up before the race got me comfortable.  I started in the second wave, predominately based on my mountain biking skills and not my swimming prowess.  I was a bit anxious during the first lap, but I didn't freak out and I actually enjoyed the second 600 meter lap, once the butterflies were gone!  I swam into a few people and a few people swam into me, but no horrible encounters.  I even drafted for awhile!  I finished 29th out of the 57 women - 116th out of 201 total and feel I could push the swim more next time.  

That's me starting out the swim! (photo cred Jesper Kristensen)

Swim-to-Bike Transition (3:01):  Three minutes, REALLY?!?! I certainly could have been faster on this transition.  The top women were all under or around 2 minutes.  And while a lot of racers had similar times to mine, I can be faster by simply practicing more (especially taking the wetsuit off quickly).

14.2 mile Bike (1:33:03): The bike section was fantastic and I really enjoyed it; I think I smiled the whole time!  The trail was hilly and technical/rocky with some fast swoopy and loose sections, which many a roadie turned weekend Xterra athlete was not happy about.  I saw several endos!   I finished 20th out of the 57 women and 89th out of the 201 total of men and women.  Although my bike was super solid, there are ways I can improve.   I had a bottle with fuel but couldn't find good places to grab it; either the trail was too technical to take a hand off the bar or if it was flat, I was gunning it to get past people or not be passed. It was mostly tight single track, so really tough to let your guard down.  Unlike the bike leg on a road Tri, the bike leg on an Xterra is NOT a place to relax and fuel I learned!  There were plenty of aid stations, but I ended up slugging large amounts of fluids at only a few times, vs. sipping my fluids and fuel over the hour and a half for the ride.  Next time I will wear a little camel bak type pack on the bike. 

 Enjoying the bike leg! (photo cred Jesper Kristensen)

Bike-to-Swim Transition (1:47): This was a decent transition and fairly close to the times for the fast girls.  

Bike-to-Run transition going smoothly (photo cred Jesper Kristensen)

5.3 mile Run (1:05:38):  The run was F'ing BRUTAL.  It was very hot (over 90) with not much wind.  The first part of the run was mostly uphill for about 3 miles.  My legs were heavy and my stomach was not happy with the deluge of fluids from the aid stations on the bike leg (hence my thought to wear a hydration pack next time for the bike).  Once I got to the flat, rolly and downhill part of the run, life was much better, but I couldn't make up the lost time.  I finished the run 36th out of the 57 women (ouch!) and 126th out of the 201 total.  Not so good...

 Happy to be finishing the run! (photo cred Jesper Kristensen)

What Went Well:  I feel like my general planning was pretty good for my first time. My Tri shorts and top, while not the most flattering, were very comfortable for the entire race, as was my choice of socks and hat.  My pre-race breakfast sat well on my stomach.  Due to my anal-retentive attention to lists, I didn't forget a THING!  My bike, which I had cleaned and tuned prior to the race, worked like a charm.  I felt as prepared as possible for the swim, due to the many lessons I've had over the last year plus and to my recent open water practice. I followed good advice to keep things simple and I didn't throw in any new shit right before the race (like the brand new spiffy biking shoes I bought a few days before the race...).

I received many tips from triathlete friends and family, all of which were helpful.  One of the last tips was from a friend with loads of Triathlon experience (age group winner at Hawaii numerous times):

• Focus on the Swim during the Swim
• Focus on the Bike during the Bike, and 
• Focus on the Finish Line during the Run

This was very helpful! I felt like I was in the moment during each leg (a perspective I have been known to lose in previous races).  Even if it didn't make me faster, this perspective made the race more enjoyable!  I had FUN almost the entire time (except for a couple/few miles of the run...).

Lessons Learned: Clearly my run is my weak link!  Who'd have thunk?!?!?  I need to do more bike-to-run sessions to get used to running on tired legs.  I need to run more fast, tempo sets (I get stuck in a rut running an easy pace with Strelka).  I should do more hills.  I could also lean up a bit without losing muscle mass to improve my running economy (just a few pounds would do the trick).

I can certainly improve my swim-to-bike transition with practice and familiarity. 

Although I had ridden the trails before, it had been years.  So, while I had a general familiarity with them, I didn't have intimate knowledge of them.  I think pre-riding the trails closer to the race date would help me shave off a few minutes from the bike.

On the fueling and hydrating side, I feel like I ate just enough - 6 Gu packets - and drank barely enough (if that).  If I wore a pack on the bike, I could bring in even more calories and fluids comfortably by drinking Endurox and be set up better for the run.


So, if I swim a minute or two faster, take off a minute from my swim-to-bike transition, bike a tad faster by wearing a pack and doing a real pre-ride, and knock off a few minutes from my run time, I should be able to do this race next year under 3 hours.  

I'm not disappointed about my race at all, but I have a goal for next time!!!  

"Training" Update

My "training" is going well this year.  As I mentioned in my last post, which sadly was months ago, I'm applying a flexible approach to preparing for my two Xterra races this summer.  Since I am racing in multi-sport events, I need to work out in all three race disciplines - swim, bike, run.  

Now to some people, that might sound like MORE effort than preparing to race in a single discipline race.  And maybe it is; but it is also more diverse and thus, to me, MORE fun!

The last two summers I did some big running events that had me focusing my work outs on one thing - running.  I LOVE running, but I also LOVE other things like swimming and biking.  Running almost exclusively for weeks on end got a little boring.  The best part about all the running was training last year with Jesper, but that wasn't the same as RIDING with him, which is more socially interactive. But I missed road and mountain biking with Jesper.  I missed the Thursday Night Gurlz Ride mountain bike group.  I missed the Redstone Tuesday Night mountain bike group.  I missed my swim classes.

Jesper is not planning to do any races this year.  I want to make sure my training includes getting out to have fun with him.  He's not running much now, so that means mountain biking and road riding with him and being available to do home improvement projects together on the weekends (yes - I think home improvement projects together are fun).  So, I run in the mornings with the dog before Jesper gets up. I swim over my lunch break during the week.  I ride my road bike to and from work once day a week. 

I'm leaving weekends and some after work days open for quality time with my honey.

 Quality Time in the Mountains with my Honey (photo cred. Jesper Kristensen)

Looking to the Future

With 2011 getting ready to sneak out the back and 2012 shoving its nose through the crack in the door, it's that time when I reflect on the past year and look toward the upcoming one. I don't really make resolutions so to speak, but I do like to make plans and set expectations. These are my 'sporting' aspirations.

In 2011 I learned a new 'sport'; swimming. Although I officially started swim lessons in December of 2010, my progression in swimming really took off in 2011. Learning something new is a theme for me and I try to do it every couple years; it works my brain, engages different muscle groups and produces a steep learning curve that reaps huge quantities of satisfaction. I went from barely being able to swim two lengths to being able to complete a hard, hour-long swim workout of up to 3000 meters. Pretty satisfying! I am proficient in freestyle and the back stroke and finally getting decent at the breast stroke. I still struggle with the fly, but who doesn't?

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

More important than being good at it, I simply LOVE swimming. I am a little surprised how much I love it. I'm not really an indoor sport person, but being in the pool is different. I enjoy working hard in my Tuesday/Thursday Masters Classes, 'competing' with the other swimmers and pushing myself through the sets. I enjoy quiet swims by myself, often in the morning before work, where I work on my technique or endurance without feeling the need to compare myself to others. Regardless of the type of swim workout I do, I am usually WORKED afterward! That being said, swimming is a nice compliment to all the hard running and biking I do; it is not pounding on my joints and it stretches me out. Finally, I feel like I have added an activity to my 'quiver' that I will be able to do long into my old age. I plan to continue my swimming in 2012 and to add open water swimming and triathlons into the mix (more on that below).

2011 was also a year to learn of limitations; MY limitations to be specific. I got sick this June with pneumonia. It happened while I was training for an ultramarathon; a trail run of 50km (31 miles). I developed a chest cold that would not go away and I stupidly jumped back into training before fully recovering. It took two rounds of antibiotics, a round of steroids and an inhaler to get the illness under control. But even once the pneumonia was under control, I was less than 100% all through the summer and fall (I am almost there now).

At first it was frustrating to get winded doing things I had previously taken for granted. But after talking with my doctor and other people who've had pneumonia, I realized I was lucky things were not worse. I began to feel a deeper appreciation for my previous good health. I vowed NOT to make my condition worse or allow myself to get pneumonia again (as several friends did) by pushing things too hard while my lungs healed.

So, I stepped back and took things easy. When I ran, I did not push it. When I rode my bike, I dialed it back. I put swimming with my class on hold for a while, since its difficult to do the class without pushing hard. All to keep myself from irritating my lungs and coughing. I wanted my lungs to HEAL.

I'm almost back to 100% now and able to push myself hard again without gasping for breath. Although I am still competitive (I doubt THAT will ever change), over the summer and fall I learned that it's OK and even fun to take it easy some of the time.

Because of my pneumonia, I was unable to compete in the ultramarathon and in what was to have been my first triathlon. I was disappointed, but at least I got to cheer Jesper on to his first, very successful ultramarathon!



Now, with my healthy lungs back, I have signed up for two XTERRA triathlons for the summer of 2012! XTERRA triathlons are held off road, so the biking is with a mountain bike and on trails and the run is a trail run. Since I am pretty decent at trail running and mountain biking, XTERRA's seem like a good entry into triathlons.

The first race is in late June up in Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming. The XTERRA Curt Gowdy Triathlon features a 1200m swim (~3/4 mile) in Granite Reservoir. Then it's on to a 14 mile singletrack mountain bike over every type of terrain imaginable; aspen groves, open meadows, narrow evergreen trees, and even slick rock. I've ridden there before and it is fantastic and beautiful! To finish the race, the 5.5 mile run will cover many of the same singletrack trails.

The second race, held at the end of August, is just up the road at Horsetooth Reservoir. This event, called the XTERRA Lory Triathlon, features a 1/2 mile swim (~800 meters) in Horsetooth Reservoir; it's reportedly one of the most scenic swims in the state with canyon walls on both sides. Then it's on to a 12 mile singletrack mountain bike over rolling terrain. I'll get to finish things off with a fun and challenging 5 mile run on a steep and rocky singletrack trail, finishing the race on a Slip-N-Slide!

I might squeak in a trail half marathon in early June; the 12 mile version of the Dirty Thirty. In 2011, this was the only race I was able to complete, since it was before I got sick. I thoroughly enjoyed it and did pretty well, even though I did it as a training run. I like this distance, since it is easy to get enough miles in to be well prepared without dedicating my life to running.

To 'train' for these races, I will continue to take the twice weekly Masters Swim Classes at my club and then I will get my butt into Boulder Reservoir as soon as I can in the spring to practice open water swimming. I have a wetsuit and will be hitting up all my triathlon friends to give me pointers! I have been running and will continue through the winter to maintain a solid base. Then in the spring, when the snow goes away, I'll ramp up the running to incorporate hills, intervals and speed work. Finally, I'll throw biking into the mix, maybe even do some spin classes over the winter. As you can see, I don't really have a 'formal' training plan and may not ever develop one beyond what I've described, with the foremost goal to have fun! And the great thing about 'training' for multi-sport events is that I get to do a whole bunch of things, things I love to do anyway!

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

Photo cred Jesper Kristensen

I'm curious to see if I will like triathlons. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a new phase for me. Or, I may decide to try something else completely different in 2013.

Argentine Pass

It's 8:35 on Friday night; Jesper and I are in bed, ready to tun the lights out. Yes - we are party animals! The alarm beeps at 5:00 am the next morning. Gotta get to bed early if you wanna play in the mountains.

We load the bikes on the Durango and leave the sad-faced dog, promising to take her for a hike the next day. We are headed to Silver Plume to ride up through the glowing yellow aspens of autumn. Our goal, other than to see amazing fall foliage, is to reach 13,200 foot Argentine Pass, the highest pass on the Continental Divide in North America.

Way back in the summer of 2005, we first attempted to reach Argentine Pass on our bikes, but were denied by afternoon hail and thunderstorms; we turned around less than half a mile from the pass, disappointed but confident we were making the prudent choice. We knew we would be back.

This time around, it is October and we are not especially worried about the weather building up. Nevertheless, we arrive at the trail head early just in case. Besides, the early morning lighting is magical and certain to light up the aspens, which should be about at their peak. Starting at 9,200 feet, we ride up an old railroad grade used during Silver Plume's mining heyday. The road, reverted to single track in some wooded sections, climbs steadily and gradually for about 10 miles.

Jesper climbing in the early morning light

Other than the consistent ascent and the thin air, the riding is not challenging. This is good, since Jesper and I are both gawking at the brilliantly lit up trees, framed by a stunningly blue sky.

Jesper under clear blue skies

We stop a ridiculous number of times for Jesper to snap pictures. He has brought one of his big cameras and tries out all kinds of photographic techniques. The trees and I are willing subjects.

Surrounded by golden aspens (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We stop at a historic building site, the old dance hall used by the miners to let off some steam. There, underneath the still standing chimney, we set up the timer on the camera and snap a few pics of us dancing.

Waltzing away in the old Dance Hall (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

It takes about two hours of riding for us to see any other people; a family on ATVs (it is a 'road' after all). On the way up, we will eventually see a few motos, a couple other bikers, several 4-wheel drive cars (most of which do not go to the top) and two hikers. Still, considering the brilliance of the aspens in this area, we are surprised not to see more people.

Fantastic fall foliage

At about the same time, we notice a buildup of clouds. WTF?!?!? According to the forecast, there is only a 20% chance of rain, but is is rapidly looking like the forecast was optimistic. Although we have brought extra layers, jackets, leg warmers and skull caps, we are not expecting cloud cover, let alone rain. However, as they often do, the mountains have other plans for the weather. It begins to rain; just a drizzle that doesn't dampen us too much. Clouds obscure the sun and we arrive at the old Waldorf Mine site, surrounded by the stark beauty of the alpine tundra.

Up above tree line near the Waldorf Mine site (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We are at about 11,600 feet and have over 1,500 feet to climb in less than 2 miles to reach the pass. As we set off up the incredibly steep and loose trail to the top, it begins to snow a fine dry graupel. However, other than it being cloudy and snowing, the weather seems fine; it's October and we are not overly concerned about storms.

The steep slog up to the pass- (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

This last push up to the top is mostly hike-a-bike; super steep and loose rock, all between 11,600 and 13,200 feet. There is not much air. Jesper and I both 'try' to ride as much as we can; however, we manage only to travel short distances on wheels. So, we push our bikes most of the way, sweating in the increasing cold and wind. I am pleased that the last 50 feet or so to the top is rideable; it seems more gratifying to reach the top of the pass on the bike rather than pushing the bike.

Riding the last little bit to the top under ominous skies (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

I arrive at the top shortly after Jesper. The views are amazing! An immense valley falls beneath our feet on the other side of the pass. Grays and Torreys stand tall to the northwest. I can see sheets of snow coming at us from the north and west. We both begin to get very cold and start putting on more clothes. Then something weird happens; Jesper's helmet starts buzzing (WTF?); I pick my bike up for a summit photo op, Grays and Torreys in the background, and my bike is sizzling.

Jesper - my bike is sizzling!!! (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

BOOOM! We hear the thunder. Holy shit! We are at 13,200 feet, the highest point around and completely exposed in an emerging LIGHTENING STORM! We high-tail it off the pass as fast as we can safely ride on the loose steep rocks, ignoring our frozen hands that can barely hold onto the bars.

Hauling ass down from the top (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

Back down at the Waldorf Mine site, I am super duper cold, despite the fact that I'm wearing everything I have: short sleeved jersey, arm warmers, long sleeved jersey, jacket, skull cap, shorts, knee warmers and full fingered gloves. I wish my socks were taller so the 2 inches of skin between my knee warmers and the top of my socks was covered. But I am essentially completely covered from head to toe in one or more layers.

At this point, it looks a little bit like the weather is clearing. We have a secondary goal for this ride to go up another road that would take us to more impressive views of Grays and Torreys Peaks. We decide to give it a go; however, we don't make it very far before I hear thunder again. We decide not to push our luck and turn around for the bomber descent.

Usually, we don't stop often on the downhills to take pictures; we don't want to slow down and spoil the fun. But this time, we are interested in taking more photos of the amazing aspens. I'm still wearing all my clothes and must look odd to the hikers and cyclists coming up wearing shorts! We make it to the car just as another storm comes in.

Coming back down the way we came, it's still beautiful, just not as warm (courtesy Jesper Kristensen)

We end up riding almost 25 miles and climbing over 4,000 feet.



Once again, the mountains have shown us their might; being caught up high in an electrical storm is serious. We are super happy to have made it to the top of the pass, six years after being denied, and especially happy to have made it safely, albeit just barely. Had we not started so early, we would have been compelled to turn around before the top a second time!

Later that night after dinner and a beer, we soak in the hot tub and crawl into bed. It's 9:05 on a Saturday night. Yes - we are party animals!


Post Script: We did take the dog for a hike the next day.

The Waiting Game

Diagnosis - PNEUMONIA. Not good.

My condition is relatively "mild", if pneumonia can ever be mild. It's sometimes referred to as Walking Pneumonia, or maybe in my case, Running Pneumonia.

My Doctor prescribed antibiotics, which I dislike taking, an inhaler and a narcotic cough syrup that knocks me out like a rock at night. I've been on the meds for three days and feel a little better, especially in the mornings. But by mid-day I am super tired again and prone to fits of coughing. I still cannot take a full breath without coughing. Not the stellar improvement I was hoping for. However, my Doctor said I should not expect to know if the meds are going to take this down until tomorrow or the next day - five days of meds.

So, I am on hold for knowing if I will be able to race next Saturday. My Doctor said it is not out of the question if the meds get at what ails me. I give it a 50% 50% chance at this point.

I am not going to get worked up over this though. My goal in doing this race was the training part. The joy of running with Jesper. The pleasure in running long distances, getting far from the trail head on my own two feet. Seeing my fitness improve as I pushed my body further and further. Gaining satisfaction from sticking to a plan, even when that entailed getting up early and running in the rain.

I hope I am able to race, but if not, I will be there to cheer Jesper on, knowing that I have already succeeded!

Think I spoke too soon...

I thought I was OK, but I was wrong. I wasn't just tired from hard training. I was sick and all that high mileage running was preventing my immune system from bouncing back.

I caught a cold in early June while traveling for work. I took off from my training plan for a few days and then, feeling better but not great, jumped right back into my regularly scheduled runs. The cold dropped into my chest and then just hung out there as a low grade cough. I continued to ramp up my mileage, tipping over the 50 mile per week mark, which each Saturday comprised of a 20+ mile run. After three weeks of that, my little cough developed into shortness of breath and severe coughing.

I finally got smart this weekend when Jesper and I were at the race venue, Buffalo Creek, to do our last big run; a 25-miler. I started the run and promptly began hacking up yellow gunk. This is DUMB, I said out loud to no one but myself. My poor immune system would certainly not benefit from another long run. I stopped running at three miles and turned around for the car.

In retrospect, I think the training volume would have been OK but for my catching a cold. Because my training plan did not have a lot of wiggle room for achieving my top mileage, I stupidly jumped right back into to training. Instead, I should have allowed a week or two of "fluff" in my training. That way I could have taken a full week off from running and then eased back into my mileage and still have had time to reach my longest run distance before the race. It's all a learning process...

I am hopeful at this point that I have simply started my taper a bit earlier than planned, but within an acceptable time frame for this length of a race. However, after three days of complete rest, my cough is no better and may be worse. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.

The final push!

I am in the last couple weeks before my Ultramarathon and I am TIRED. Tired body and sleepy tired mind. This week will be the last of four 50-plus mile weeks. That's a 200 mile month - no wonder I'm tired!

I've decided to bail on all other forms of activity at least for this last big push. No swimming and no biking this week. Only running (and yoga).

Next week my running mileage will go down while I taper for the race. I am looking forward to the taper. I'm not accustomed to being so darn tired. I day dreaming about tapering! I cannot wait for the extra boost of energy I'll get from my reduced running volume. I look forward eagerly to my rest days; previously I hated them and only employed them because I'm supposed to. Friday, blissful Friday, is my next rest day.....

I think I'm OK though, and that this is exactly how I'm supposed to feel at this point in my training. My running feels pretty good - not super fast, but not too slow either. I am uninjured and amazingly un-sore. I am sleeping well (really well and a lot).

I hope to write a post soon that tells of how spaztic I am with all the energy from my taper. I have faith that my training program will deliver me rested and full of energy to my race!

Are you there Internet? It's me IttyBittyBetty.

Blogging has not been the same since Facebook and my job with Ayuda. I see it in some of my other blogging friends too; we all get busy and Facebook is so easy and quick. We post pictures and brief updates. The blog falls to the wayside.

But Facebooking is not writing and I have missed writing. So I am back to blogging, at least while work is not crazy busy. Here's what I've been up to since my last intermittent posts:

Ayuda
Work has been very good and goes through very busy periods interspersed with more sane times. I still completely love my job and have been given more responsibilities as our small company grows. I just got through a few weeks of intensive travel and fire-drill crises projects; but right now things are relatively calm and thus I have some spare time to write over lunch.

Learning to Swim Competitively
My younger sister Chris learned to swim a few years back and raved about how wonderful a work out it was. She touted its benefits as a low-impact, all-body work out that would compliment my other more punishing sports like running and mountain biking. I'd like to be an active old lady some day and swimming seemed to be a sport I could incorporate into my routine and do for many, many years. So, I decided to give it a try.

This past December I started taking swim lessons at my fitness club, Lakeshore Athletic Club, located close to my office. Lakeshore provides Masters swimming classes and the Tuesday/Thursday lunch-time sessions are heavy on coaching and geared toward adults just starting a swimming program.

I knew how to swim before, in that I could splash around in the water and not drown. But I certainly knew nothing about technique or swimming efficiently.


I've come a long way since my first lessons where I was floundering and hyperventilating in the pool, choking on mouth and nose-fulls of water. It was quite humbling at first to be unable to complete a workout when other swimmers in the class, clearly less fit than I was, were kicking my a$$.

But my learning curve has been steep and I have worked hard at my swimming. No doubt when stacked up against a serious swimmer, I am still not fast. However, I can complete the workouts right up there with the faster swimmers in my class and my stroke has some semblance of efficiency. Best of all, I really enjoy the classes and my solo pool sessions.

I've signed up for an Xterra Triathlon in late August, so now I need to learn to swim outdoors!

Whole Lotta Running
Last year I ran my first official Ultramarathon, the Northfork 50. I completed the 50K version and had a great experience with the training and the race itself. This year, I've signed up to do the race again and will be joined by Jesper, who decided that all that running looked like fun! Having a race like this on the calendar is a serious motivator to stick to it; you cannot pull 31 miles on rocky mountainous trails at altitude out of your a$$.

My training took a slight detour in March when I began a process to resolve my long-standing piriformis syndrome. I embarked upon weeks of PT (lots of stretching and exercises), trigger point dry needling, a gate analysis and finally gait modification. It wasn't until May that my 'new' gait started to feel 'normal'. I think my new form is faster, but my real hope is that it is more sustainable.


One of the negatives from my training last year was that I ended up spending so much time without Jesper. This year has been different. During the week, we each do our own runs as they fit into our busy work schedules. But for the weekends, we synched our training plans so we would be running the same distances. On Saturday mornings we head off to a trail head and run the same course. We run at different paces and Jesper finishes a bit before me, but not so much that he's waiting bored out of his skull. We catch glimpses of each other throughout the run and get to chat when we pass each other at an out-and-back. Afterward, we hop in a cold river or lake for an ice bath together. Then we have a post-recovery meal together. We also both go to bed pretty early together! We sometimes do our shorter runs together, but just knowing we are both doing a 10-miler the day after a 22-miler engenders togetherness without us needing to be on the trail at the same time and place. Yep - we like doing things together!

We are up to 22 miles for our long runs and almost 55 miles per week total. All on trails. Lots of it very hilly and rocky. We are both amazingly injury free and feeling pretty good! The big race in in three weeks (on July 16th). Wish us luck!

New Sports
Once again, Jesper and I have added new sports to our already full bin of outdoor activities. We've taken up Stand Up Paddle Boarding, otherwise known as 'SUPping'. This is a sneaky way to get an awesome whole body workout in without you even realizing it!


The Front Range of Colorado has seen an explosion of bike parks over the last year or so. The newest, Valmont Bike Park, is very close to our house. Jesper got us both dirt jump bikes to ride the slopestyle, dirt jumps and pump track at this amazing new FREE venue right in Boulder. No pics of us yet, but stay tuned for AIR!

I hope to write more about our upcoming race and the other adventures we have planned for the summer!

Progress!

I am happy and astounded to say my butt feels so much better I can hardly believe it! In fact, I now realize how much discomfort (pain) I had become subconsciously accustomed to; all day long discomfort, not just during running and such.

I am sure the two weeks plus of diligent stretching and strengthening exercises have helped, as I could feel less tightness just by doing my assigned PT. However, the real improvement came this week after my first session of Trigger Point Dry Needling.

The procedure itself was a tad painful and my butt and low back were sore for the rest of the day. But the next morning when I awoke, my backside felt completely different and that's when I realized how bad the situation had been. I still had some tightness and discomfort, but NOTHING like before. Sitting at work and in my car was comfortable - no need for the tennis ball wedged under my right butt cheek. Walking, standing up, swimming - everything felt untight in a way I haven't felt for a long time. I even tested things this morning by going for a run long enough to have caused my piriformis to flare up in the past (said run recommended by my therapist to see how treatment was working). Six miles and all I felt was a slight sensation in my butt, whereas before my right backside would have been super tight and I would have had a deep dull pain in my ass.

The difference in my butt (and low back and hamstring) now vs. before is almost as dramatic to me as the day I had lasik and went from blurry vision to crystal clear in a moment!

I am even more motivated than before to keep up with the PT. I also can't wait for my next dry needling session! Gotta go and do my stretches!

PITA - PT

One week in and my Physical Therapy (PT) for my Piriformis Syndrome is going well. I'm supposed to do the prescribed exercises and stretches twice a day; I get a reprieve on some stretches if I do yoga that day. Twice a day is time consuming; like almost an hour a day of PT!

Nevertheless, I've been pretty good about sticking to my schedule. Even when it means getting up really early to do my PT BEFORE heading up to the mountains to ski. Even when it means getting up super early to do PT BEFORE running BEFORE work. The evening sessions are the toughest to fit in. I try to do some stretches at work to cut back on how much I need to do before or after dinner. I can see how easy it is for people to fall off the PT wagon; part of my reasons for posting this is to keep me honest about doing everything my therapist prescribes so I get better.

I am scheduled to undergo a session of Dry Trigger Point Needling this week. I'm pretty sure it's not going to feel all that great. Then I have a gait analysis scheduled for later this month to see if my running form is contributing at all to my problems.

I'm still running, swimming, biking and skiing, so all is good!

Pain in the Butt!.

I've had a pain in the butt for years. No, it's not Jesper - he's the antithesis of a pain in the butt! It's a dull ache in the middle of my right buttock, with pain sometimes extending down my leg to the back of my knee. I've had a pretty good idea what it is for some time now, but today I finally got around to having an official doctor's diagnosis.

PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME!

For a tiny little muscle, that darn piriformis sure can cause a lot of problems.

Piriformis means "pear shaped", although I think it looks more leaf shaped. There it is, highlighted in a posterior view of the right buttock and leg. It can get inflamed/irritated from activities like running and become sore. It can also press up against the nearby sciatic nerve and create shooting pain down the back of the leg. Trust me - that's no fun! In addition to the pain, the syndrome causes diminished strength and range of motion.

I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to see a doctor about this; probably because I think I should be able to fix this myself through smart training and stretching. But I haven't been smart enough to fix it and I was beginning to dread the havoc it might wreak on my training for another ultramarathon this summer. Already, a hard day of skiing, running or swimming leaves my butt hurting. Last year while training for my first ultramarathon, it bothered me most of the time (day and night), although oddly enough, it rarely impacted my mileage. However the problem is not getting any better andI fear it's only time before it causes a whole host of other imbalances that will result in injuries that limit my ability to do the things I love.

So, I finally went to the doctor. As a first step, she prescribed PT, mostly to address lack of flexibility and strength in my hips. I can't wait to get started (how many people actually look forward to PT?). The best thing is I don't have to stop or slow down on my many activities while I do therapy! I am hopeful this takes care of the pain in my butt!

Vail Weekend with L&C

Jesper and I just had one of the nicest weekends in a long time. Of course, we skied, which always makes for a good time. And we skied with Lynnette and Carmen (L&C), two very good friends who are some of the finest people I know. L&C are very talented mountain bikers from way back when I was a newbie on the bike. They live in Arizona and, although they are relegated more to dirt than snow, they ride the heck out of their snow boards whenever they come to visit us in the winter.

We met up with L&C last September to downhill mountain bike at Winter Park for a few days and decided that a ski trip to Vail was warranted in early 2011. We reserved a condo smackdab in Mid-Vail and made a three day skiing and riding trip out of it. L&C had never been to Vail, so Jesper and I showed them as much of the best we could in three days. We skied most of Saturday, ALL DAY Sunday and all day Monday.

Carmen and Lynnette getting ready for the first big run on Saturday

The snow was awesome, due to almost 50 inches of freshie in the week leading up to our trip. Best of all, Blue Sky basin was closed on Saturday (after five inches of snow on Friday and lots of wind on Saturday) and then opened on Sunday after 13 more inches on Saturday. Of course we were there when they opened Blue Sky to try out the foot and a half of untracked powder ! Dang it was GOOD! We focused on Pete's Bowl and skied the hell out of Lovers Leap, Hornsilver, Resolution, Big Rock Park, Grand Review, and the Star til Blue Sky closed that day, only stopping to grab a quick snack al fresco. Once Blue Sky Basin closed, we continued to ski until all the lifts on the front side closed.

Carmen riding through the trees in Sun Down Bowl

Lynnette in the VASTness of Vail

Monday was another great day. Although there was not much new snow, the temps were perfect for keeping the huge amount Vail had gotten in the past few days fresh. We showed L&C some more Bowl action - Game Creek Bowl, Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, China Bowl, ... We finished up with tired legs and drove L&C straight to the airport in Denver.

Jesper skiing down Ptarmigan Ridge

There's plenty more of Vail left for them to sample. More bowls and much more on the front side. I think they'll be back!

Check out my pics here!

Morning Run

I run in the mornings before work with Strelka two to three times a week; typically Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I usually run a four mile loop near my house. Mentally, it's a great way to start the day and it's physically good for both me and Strelka. I get up at 6:00 am, while Jesper is still sleeping, and am out the door at about 6:10. I take Strelka sans leash, since she knows the route well. We slip out the back gate and run 0.15 miles on pavement to the trail head to the City of Boulder Open Space near my house. From then on, it is all dirt.

As fall approaches, the mornings are getting cooler and the sunsets more beautiful. In the heat of summer, the sun is already way up by the time I head out. But now, it I start out in the coolness of dawn.

Heading east toward Gunbarrel Hill - you can barely see Strelka in the shadows

As we run up toward Gunbarrel Hill, Strelka sniffs everything and usually poops along this stretch. Then we head into a more open area with no houses nearby, just wide open rolling plains and scat evidence of coyotes and bears. While I've never seen the owner of the bear scat, we often encounter one or two coyotes in the morning as well as deer. But not today; only bunnies, prairie dogs and lots of birds.

Strelka posing as we get into the wide open prairie

As the sun comes up, the air gets warm fast. We are on our way to a 95 degree day and I am happy to be getting my run in before we reach that high. We run north up the series of rolling hills, the top of each presenting a view of the Front Range mountains to the west.

Strelka posing on the top of a roller with the mountains in the background

Then we get to the BIG hill up to the water tower. I prefer to do my running loop in this direction primarily because I like to run UP this sucker, sometimes doing hill repeats.

Chasing my shadow up the BIG hill

Strelka "dogging it" up the BIG hill

Since I do the same run every week, I meet up with many of the same neighbors out walking and running with their dogs. We are all on a schedule to get to work, so we end up passing each other in almost exactly the same place every day. There is always time to play when we meet up with other doggy friends of Strelka's.

Strelka and Sadie, her Cattle Dog friend, chasing each other in the prairie grass

Sometimes we see "the BIG Dogs" out on the trails. Strelka is not sure what to think about these critters, but I hold onto her collar tight just in case she thinks about running up to them.

Proof we live out West!

Strelka and I finish up the run with a drop off of her pooh in the bear-proof trashcans at a the main trail head. We continue down the trail and then onto the pavement and in through the back gate, arriving back at home a few minutes past 7:00 am. I wish I'd have taken a picture of the smile on Strelka's face when we finished!

Alaska!!!

The mosquito bites still itch, but I don't taste the DEET anymore when I lick my lips. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, I was on a ridge overlooking Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), worried about a large black bear that seemed to think we were camped out on his berry patch.

I just returned from vacation in in Alaska with Jesper and his Dad, Ole. It was amazing.

Jesper and I have wanted to do an epic, active, outdoorsy trip with his Dad for several years. At 65, Ole is in great shape and he loves to hike and play in some pretty rugged terrain, so we were free to plan a physically rigorous trip. We selected Alaska because Ole, who has been almost everywhere on the planet, had not been there yet and Jesper and I had it on our "list" as well. We have been talking about a trip together for years and began making firm plans as early as late 2009, researching where exactly to go, then booking flights and reserving gear.

No - we did not go on a cruise. Our trip had two very active and outdoorsy phases:

1. Sea kayaking (and overnight camping) in Prince William Sound among the glaciers

2. Backpacking (and overnight camping) in Denali Sate Park just outside of Denali National Park, with views of Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the Alaska Range

Both Jesper and I (and his Dad) have done a lot of backpacking. We all felt pretty confident about what to bring and what to expect on that phase of the trip. None of us had done an overnight sea kayaking trip, especially one of several days in what could be an inhospitable and remote area. Well, I have done several overnight paddling expeditions, but in the context of adventure racing, where the objective is to go fast and not carry much. For our vacation, we were much more interested in traveling in comfort, relatively speaking. Some of our planning worked out very well; some of it not so well. Suffice it to say, we learned a lot for our next sea kayaking trip.

Jesper's parents flew to Colorado from Denmark a few days before Jesper, Ole and I needed to fly to Alaska. We spent the time introducing Vibeke, Jesper's Mom, to Strleka, our Rhodesian Ridgeback. Vibeke, who has no interest in tromping around for days with a pack on her back or paddling a kayak filled with gear, would be staying at our house watching Strelka while we were off in the wilds. We cannot thank her enough for taking such good care of our puppy and our home.

Early in the morning on Saturday, July 24th, we gave Vibeke and Strelka hugs and kisses and headed off to the airport with an enormous pile of gear. The luggage fees were going to add up on this trip. We flew directly to Anchorage and arrived to cloudy weather, just ready to spit rain. Apparently, the weather this summer in Alaska had been inordinately rainy; maybe we should have planned our trip on a Non-El Nino year.

We spent Saturday in the booming metropolis of Anchorage, enjoying fresh seafood and one of our rare nights in a hotel this trip. We awoke very early Sunday morning to make the drive to the small fishing village of Whittier on Prince William Sound. There we met up with Perry from the Prince William Kayak Center, where we rented kayaks and other essential gear we did not bring with us. A steady drizzle had begun and Perry concurred that it had been a very rainy summer. In addition to boats, paddles and PFDs, Perry and his staff provided us with additional dry bags and a big black tarp to use to help stay dry and to ward off the mosquitoes; apparently the bugs are attracted to to the tarp and not your body. Perry also outfitted us with Helly Hansen waterproof fisherman's bibs (yes - just like the kind the seafood counter guys at Whole Foods wear) and rubber boots. These items were life savers!

Finally, we had everything and we headed down to the marina to meet up with Capt. Gerry Sanger of Sound Eco Adventures. We had booked Capt. Gerry well in advance for a combination glacier/whale watching tour and water taxi out into Prince William Sound, from where we would take 3 days to paddle back to Whittier. Unfortunately, the conditions were worsening and Capt. Gerry made the call to cancel the tour part of the excursion. He was able to taxi us and our boats/gear out to a beach close to our originally selected drop off location, where he unloaded us on a rocky beach. We were bummed not to go on the tour, as it would have been a great opportunity to see some areas we would not be able to paddle to. However, we understood the priority of safety first and appreciate that he taxied us out in such bad weather.

Unloading the kayaks on a lonely stretch of beach

So, there we were on a cold, rainy beach in a remote area of Alaska, miles from civilization. We were a bit stymied as to what to do, since we were at our drop off location hours before we had intended to get there. We scoped out what looked like a decent place to set up camp and decided to stay put until the next day, hoping the weather would improve. It did not. In fact, it continuously rained hard and harder, a cold 45-ish degree rain.

We set up tents and the big tarp and then gathered 'fire wood'. Everything was saturated from the weeks of unending precipitation. I had brought along a jacket I thought was waterproof; however, it was clearly only water resistant and that was not enough for the kind of rain we were experiencing. And I had an insulating layer made of down, which was useless once wet. Big mistake; cold water soaked into the layers beneath my jacket. Wet to the skin, despite my waterproof pants, I sat under the tarp while Jesper valiantly attempted to start a fire. Jesper is very good at starting camp fires, but the sopping wet wood and the continued torrential rain proved his downfall. I would have given anything for a roaring fire....

Our first kayaking campsite during a brief lull in the torrential rain

We decided to get dinner going under another tarp located away from our sleeping area (for bear protection). We dined on our only fresh meal of the trip; steaks that had been frozen and thawing all day, sautéed veggies and instant mashed potatoes. As all meals are when you are out in the elements, it was quite tasty.

After dinner, we crawled into what we thought would be a warm dry tent. Unfortunately, the saturated ground beneath the water proof floor of our tent (under which was a brand new tarp we had purchased from REI in Anchorage that had holes in it) was soaking up through the floor. The result was that our sleeping pads, then our sleeping bags and finally our dry clothes gradually became wetter and wetter. Note to self - do not bring down sleeping bags (all we have), or down ANYTHING on a trip to Alaska ever again. It was not a warm night, but Jesper and I zipped our bags together and managed to get some sleep.

We could hear the rain on the tent wall all night and we woke up to what had to be even worse weather than the previous day. It was raining harder, it was colder and we could hardly see anything around us; we were that socked in.

To say I was cold is such a complete understatement; it's hard to describe the intense feeling of being wet and cold to the core for hours on end, teetering on the edge (over the edge) of hypothermia. I am no wussy, but if the weather didn't improve and allow me to get some of my clothes dry, I was considering paddling straight back to Whittier. In the end, my desire not to ruin our long-planned vacation lead me to agree to paddle away from Whittier, down into Blackstone Bay. We figured the paddling might get me warm. I was hoping we would not need to use the 911 function on the SPOT as a result of our decision to go further away from the warmth of civilization.

We dismantled the tents, loaded up all our gear into the kayaks and took off paddling in a windy downpour. We were not yet into the protective waters of Blackstone Bay, so the water was rough with choppy waves and wind. Visibility was not good. Nevertheless, the padding generated body heat and I was almost warm for the first time in more than 24 hours. Harbor seals, undeterred by the weather, came close to the boats to check us out. We paddled to the location we had originally scoped out in our planning sessions for the second night and found a good spot for the tents on drier ground than the first night's campsite.

I cooked a curry dinner that I had pre-packed back in Colorado. This meal, and all the others, was one of the successes of the trip. Instant rice, dehydrated veggies, dried coconut and curry powder and prepackaged chicken. I went to bed in a damp down sleeping back with damp clothes on, hoping my body heat would dry things out. Ha! I was cold, and progressively colder. Jesper and I had our sleeping bags apart (more comfortable to move around), so I didn't have his body heat to steal. I began shivering uncontrollably. I was so cold, I could barely think straight. I finally woke Jesper up, whimpering about how cold I was. My honey took charge! He commanded me to get out of my damp clothes. He zipped our bags together. Then he laid on top of me - a human blanket - until I was warm enough for him to spoon. I was too cold for this to be sexy...

The next day was not raining! I could not believe it! I wouldn't call it sunny, but it was not raining and we had good visibility to reveal that we were in an amazingly beautiful place of steep cliffs running straight down to the milky grey-blue glacial water. The air was warm-ish so we hung out clothes to dry and they complied quickly. The previous day, we had hung our clothes under the tarp but they stayed sopping wet from all the humidity in the air. We decided to leave the campsite set up with our drying laundry and paddle down to the end of Blackstone Bay to get up close and personal with the several glaciers that terminate in the bay. It was a beautiful day to kayak; the water was a smooth as glass and it was warm enough that everyone got delightfully overheated. I didn't even where my neoprene paddling gloves!

We could see a large glacier hovering over our campsite; we knew it was there but the visibility had been so bad the day before we could not see it. As we rounded a point of land jutting out into the water, we had a clear view of the glaciers at the end of the bay. Wow Wow Wow!!

Ole and Jesper kayaking past one of the many impressive waterfalls in Blackstone Bay

As we approached the end of Blackstone Bay, we passed scores of impressive waterfalls rushing down steep cliffs into the water. Once we reached the end of the bay, paddling among the icebergs calved off the glaciers was one of the highlights of our entire trip! We saw more harbor seals as well as sea lions; a large group of them lounging on a big iceberg. See otters also checked out our boats. There were so many different kinds of birds, diving into the water to pluck small fish in their beaks. The break in the weather could not have come at a better time.

Jesper paddling among the glaciers of Blackstone Bay

We spent hours exploring this magical place; enjoying the deep blue color of the glaciers, listening to the subtle tinkling sound of the water melting in the icebergs, touching the ice, trying to get close to the marine life. Many photographs were taken!

Glaciers and Icebergs

Finally we decided it was time to head back to camp. We planned to dismantle it and paddle some more to our next location. Good thing for the LONG daylight in Alaska in the summer! We ate a late lunch and, loaded up with all our gear again, paddled back out and across Blackstone Bay. We saw bald eagles, more sea otters and seals and what I think were Dall Porpoises and reached our final kayaking campsite at Decision Point hungry and tired, but still thrilled from the beauty of the day's exploration.

Snack time on the way to Decision Point - starburst and Danish licorice!

The Decision Point campsite was built up with sleeping platforms and elevated walkways over the wet ground of this rain forest area. There was even an outhouse! Ordinarily, I would eschew such man-made amenities on a camping trip, but after the overly wet conditions we had experienced for two days, I was thrilled with the prospect of a guaranteed dry night in my tent! We enjoyed a nice meal of pesto tuna on the beach and went to bed under a very late night twilight.

Outhouse in the mossy woods of Decision Point

Ole filtering water at Decision Point on our last foggy morning paddling

The next morning it was socked in again with clouds and drizzle. We felt lucky to have gotten a break the day before for tour among the glaciers. We dismantled camp and loaded the kayaks back up with our gear. At this point, we were back in the main channel into Whittier and we started to see a fair bit of commercial boat traffic. Around 3:00 pm, we paddled into the harbor we had left 4 days before, met back up again with Perry and unloaded/washed all our gear. Then, with dry clothes on, we sat down for the finest fried fish meal I have ever enjoyed; fresh Rock Fish caught earlier that very day, excellent salty french fries and a quenching Alaska White wheat beer. Simply delicious!

We had originally planned to drive straight to the Denali area and start backpacking into the wilderness that night, but we decided to make a stop in Anchorage, which we had to go through anyway, and stay overnight in a hotel. That way, we could wash and, more importantly, dry our very stinky clothes. We could also stop at REI in Anchorage and get me a jacket that was truly waterproof, as well as another layer of fleece I would save for campsite use only. In hindsight, I don't know what we were thinking when we planned to go straight to the backpacking leg from the kayaking leg.

Thursday morning after breakfast, we got back in the car for the 2.5 hour drive from Anchorage to Denali We were doing a point-to-point trip, so we had to figure out a way to get the car to point B and get us to Point A with our gear. We opted to drop Ole off at Point A, the Little Coal Creek Trailhead, upon which Jesper and I drove down to Point B, the Byers lake Campgound and then hitched a ride back up to Ole. It was Thursday afternoon and we finally began our hike of the Kesugi Ridge in the 325,240 acre Denali State Park, which lies to the southeast of and adjacent to Denali National Park. The hike along Kesugi Ridge provides impressive views of 20,320 foot high Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range.

Not that we could see any of the bigger mountains in the Alaska Range at the time; fog still hung low, obscuring the tops of the tall peaks. But the rain had abated and we were optimistic about getting some views of "The High One". We had originally planned to hike for 5 days (3 full days with two partial days on either end), but made changes to our intended mileage to accommodate the hotel stay prior and a hotel stay the last night. Although this cut out a full day of hiking, we felt confident we could make it up by hiking half days each on Thursday and Sunday and full days on Friday and Saturday.

We hiked up and up onto the ridge until we came to a large bowl area with relatively flat ground and somewhat out of the wind; this would be our first night's campsite. We dined quickly on Mulligatawny, as it was chilly out. I luxuriated in my warm fleecies and my dry tent that night.

The next morning was once again socked in with fog and a slight drizzle. Boo! We were up upon the ridge now and anxious for some views of Denali! As we hiked, it slowly began to clear, finally affording glimpses of more and more of the big mountains to the east. It was glorious!!! We still couldn't see the top of "The High One" yet, but we were hopeful.

Jesper and Ole hiking along the Kesugi Ridge

The hiking was fairly easy up on the ridge. I felt great and must say that running an insane amount of miles every week is excellent training for backpacking! Poor Jesper was suffering already from the bane of his hiking existence - blisters! He was such a trooper, as they would only get worse and worse.

Denali trying to show her face to two weary hikers

The trail rolled up and down along the ridge above the tree line. I LOVE the tundra and find it to be one of the most beautiful of landscapes. Rugged rocks thrown here and there. Teeny tiny miniature flowers. Brilliant green and yellow lichen. All intersected by stream crossings and waterfalls.

Lichen and tundra shrubs

There were also a shit ton of low, scrubby berry shrubs everywhere. This place was one gigantic berry patch! Soon we had our first bear sighting. A very large brown bear was sauntering along to the south of us, parallel to our trail. He was about 125 yards away and didn't seem to notice us. Did I mention he was very large? We were thrilled to see him but happy he didn't get any closer. We saw another bear, this one a black bear a bit further away, later that day.

We hiked about 9 or 10 miles on Friday and stopped when we arrived at a magnificent site for the night. It was high on a prominence overlooking the ever-clearing view of the Alaska Range. It had ample flat areas for placing the tents. It had a babbling stream running nearby for filtering water. The temps had warmed up all day into the comfortable realm and we had stopped early enough to enjoy a relaxing dinner of chicken polenta with wild mushrooms, along with some wine and beer. As we dined and moved onto dessert of biscottii and whiskey, the summit of Mt. McKinley finally showed her face (Jesper and Ole got some nice pics)! It was the perfect backpacking evening!

The next morning was somewhat cloudy again - dang! But we were happy to have had our little window of opportunity the previous day and especially the evening's unveiling of "The High One". We hiked up high for a bit and then finally arrived at a trail intersection with a sign, revealing we had gone a mile or two less than we had thought. We would have a LONG day of hiking on Saturday, since we wanted to be back to the car on Sunday by 3:00 pm.

Finally, after mostly hiking on the ridge, we began to go downhill into a large drainage area. We had entered an overground, boggy, spooky land with spiky Devil's Club plants and slippery steep slopes. It was NOT my favorite place to hike.

Overgrown bottom lands

Because of the difficult terrain, it took us a long time to make our way through this area back to the other side where we finally hiked back up to our beloved tundra. During this time, Jesper's blisters and raw spots really began to hurt him. Although the rest of his body was able to hike at a brisk pace, his feet rendered his pace to a shuffle as the long day of hiking continued. We were all happy to be back up above tree line again.

Jesper tending to his blistered feet

At about eight o'clock, we finally felt like we had made it far enough to call it a day. We were beat. Jesper's feet were chum. We set up camp on the summit of a prominence with good views of the Alaska Range if the clouds would go away. I went down to a nearby lake to pump water while Jesper and Ole set up the tents. As I prepared dinner (corn chowder with smoked salmon) a good distance from the tents, we observed our third bear, another black one and made note that there sure were a lot of berry shrubs in the area.

The next morning we actually set the alarm to ensure that we got going early, however our plans for a quick camp tear down were somewhat derailed by another visit from a black bear. It may have been the same bear from the night before. This time, he was approaching closer and closer and he most definitely knew we were there. His presence and direction of travel prevented me from pumping the water we would need for the rest of the trip, so we waited and waited. After half an hour or so, he finally ran off in the opposite direction. Like I said at the beginning, I'm pretty sure we were in his berry patch.

Last bit of Tundra before heading down to the car at Byers Lake

The trail planners for Alaska do not get the concept of switchbacking! Steep stuff!

We only had 5 or so miles to hike but we wanted to be done in time to make it back down to Anchorage before REI closed at 6:00 so we could return the bear canisters we had rented. So we pushed it. We hiked along the tundra until the ridge line dipped back down into a drainage area that lead to Byers Lake where our car was parked. It seemed to take forever, even though Jesper was setting a very good pace despite his blisters. It paid off and we arrived to back at the car around 2:00 pm, early enough to celebrate with the one beer left in the car and to stop for sandwiches in Trapper Creek on the way back to Anchorage.

After we dropped off the canisters at REI, we cleaned up in our hotel room and then enjoyed another fine meal of fried salmon, halibut and cod, all fantastically fresh and washed down by a cold beer. I must say, I have never eaten so much fried fish in my life, but Alaska does fried fish right!

The next day was filled with three flights back home. It was a long day but we were happy to have a day of rest.

This was a great vacation, despite the rains, but clearly not something everyone would appreciate. We most definitely plan to return to Alaska! We learned so much on our first overnight kayaking/camping trip; we know we can make the trip more comfortable next time. For the next Alaska visit, we plan to ski the Chugatch for several days and then kayak/camp for several days in the Prince William Sound Area. Sometime in late May, which should allow us to catch the start of the whale migration. I think we'll plan it during a non-El Nino year!

I will post more pics to my Picasa site soon. Here is Jesper's first post of our trip.