Great Day for a run in the Park Today’s trail race was the second of a four part trail running series here in Colorado Springs. This is my third consecutive year running the series, and I just love it! We have a race every two weeks, and they get progressively longer, plus each race is provided with a bit of an obstacle course… The first race they have you running “up the creek” – literally, for the last 1/2 mile. In this second race today, they have you climbing via ropes to get to your finish destination.

They are short runs – starting with a 3.5 mi., and ending with about a 7.5 mile.
Fall Series I was at Monument Valley Park, and this today was Bear Creek. It was about 80 degrees – hot hot hot, and dry… It was a beautiful fall day, but it felt more like a summer run.. Trail racing as many of you know – is nothing similar to being a road race runner. Who wants to run the roads, breathe in the fumes, and see people everywhere, when you can hit a trail, breathe in the fresh air, and unless you happen to be in the middle of a trail race, like today, you typically see animals instead of humans…
I was proud of my results today — my overall series results have me placed 5th in my age group. Perhaps I can bump it up to ending the series in the top three…
It was a splendid day, a splendid run, and all leads to a splendid life! — on the trails!!! You’ve got to love to rock the rocks!

Climbing via rope to get to my finish...

Check out the little guy trying to catch me

Well I’m back blogging again… To Blog or Not To Blog… That is the question.. Last year, when blogging consistently, my post was, “To Run or Not To Run”….  Even though I gave it up for some time… , I hadn’t given up running.  In fact, since my blogs of the past, I have run to the top of two mountains (Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak – both 14,000 ft. peaks), completed a 1/2 marathon (Fort Collins) with a PR, and ran my 2nd marathon (Boulder Marathon).  I was awarded a trophy for coming in third in my age group for a trail series I ran – which included the Pikes Peak Ascent, and I have for the third consecutive year registered for the Colorado Fall Trail Running Series.  It feels great to run!  It feels good to write about it.  Sure, unless you are one of “us” who gets their “fix”, your “high” on the trail, your sense of freedom, and newness that the fresh air brings into your lungs, you might not fully understand the depth of what the trail brings to our physical and mental being.  What is that draw that brings us to the trail time and time again?  There is so much to it, yet it is so very simple.  Feet pounding the ground, heart pounding in your chest, breathe in, breathe out, inhale/exhale…. “audible sigh”…..  Thoughts begin to meditate within your psyche.. “it’s all good… so good”… no matter how you may be feeling prior to that run… the sun, the clouds, the trees, the ground, the wildlife — the all encompassing nature surrounding you on the trail brings an innate spiritual sensuality that cannot be disguised for anything else.  You can begin the process to reach to your higher power on your trail run..; connect to your inner self, which in turn allows you to exude a positive light that you can gift to others… and not only transform yourself, but help transform others to become the best that they can be.  

So — I simply say to myself and to others… “If It Feels Good…Just Do It!”