Monday; Sept 5th: It was out the door at 430am this morning! No, not for a run but to travel to the Springs to head up Aid Station 13 for the ADT Marathon...and then to work! We had an awesome crew this year with about 6 individuals who cheered the runners with nonstop enthusiasm, "magic water," and "gogo gu." Thanks to all those who came out to support this annual event and make the day for many who were attempting that first marathon or half marathon or were just attempting to get the finish line!
What a great setting to cheer the runners on with water, Gatorade, and much hootin n hollarin!
Tuesday; Sept 6th: After yesterday's long day with the race, the commute, and a short workday (ending in Jackson Hole, WY), one would think of sleeping in....well, that did not work out! Out the door by 6am for a nice run through town and then out onto the elk refuge for a total of 7 miles. Then, a quick change of clothes and it was back out onto the trails near the lodge for some easy hiking. This was a rare opportunity of time with nothing else on the agenda and it was a nice outing to just enjoy the woods.
Wednesday; Sept 7th: In bed at 1am last night produced the usual slow day. A brief 6 miles was all I could muster, although the extra cool temps and quite a bit of rain made for a nice outing.
Thursday; Sept 8th: With a rainy night behind us, it was down to the gym for what is most likely to be the only weight lifting session this week. Abs, back and shoulders were the order of the day and then out the door with Traysen for a nice and very cool 10 miler.
Friday; Sept 9th: In Atlanta this weekend for a three day eventing horseshow with my Mom and Dad. (No, just as a spectator, not as a competitor....the ole wallet could never afford this sport!!!) Today was the dressage portion and what a beautiful event with the horses performing a set pattern of specific foot placements and pace changes.
As for running today, it was a 7 mile outing in the very early dark morning. The hot 90 degree temps have left the southeast and I was treated to a nice 55 degrees and not much humidity.
Saturday; Sept 10th: Day two of the horseshow lead us to the cross country portion, which consists of about a two mile course with various jumps and one interesting water feature for the riders/horses to navigate. Except for the spills of horse and rider (luckily neither were ever hurt), a very relaxing day sittin' on the grassy lawn in a comfy chair..
As for the run of the day: Wow....did I have fun!!!! Even though I didn't start til about 830am (and that was a bit late and warm), the area around the show grounds is amazingly beautiful with plenty of lakes, trails, woods, and some very small hills (small by Colorado standards). It was quite easy to put a great 10 miler while enjoying the serenity of Chattahoocee Hills.
This link below is the area where the horseshow took place....
http://www.chatthillseventing.com/about.html
And a pic or two:
These types of trails went on for quite a ways and usually wrapped around a lake.
The horse says, "Hang On!!!! We're goin' in!!!"
Sunday; Sept 11th: The last day of the horseshow consisted of the stadium portion, which is the show jumping competition. Very beautiful to watch as horse and rider blaze through a tight course of 5 foot high jumps.
The run today was much like Saturday; a wonderful 10 miler through the woods and trails at the show grounds. What a nice treat to run in such a beautiful area!
A couple more pics:
The stadium jumping matches horse/rider with 3-5 foot high jumps; all jumps must be completed and in done so in a certain time.
Sunrise at Chattahochee Hills.
Summary: Despite a very busy week, it was still a good week of running with 51 miles. The highlight of course was spending the days with my folks, watching the horseshow and exploring a new area of running!
Great photos! Thanks for sharing your week with us, Sarah.
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