Then, while he cooks, I shoot some more.
And sometimes, when he aims, I shoot at the same time.
Quite often, I let him shoot while I make yet another attempt at the unassisted, outdoor handstand.
But really, I shoot to remember. And to appreciate.
My birthday weekend retreat is over…as is my six-week Paleo challenge. Thanks to a thoughtful friend, I didn’t need no stinkin’ cake in order to celebrate my birthday Paleo-style. Just some pomegrante seeds and a candle.
Over the last three days, my birthday celebration has been rejuvenating. Amazing how spending time with friends old and new, doing more jumping lunges than I can count, skiing long powdery tree runs, baking Paleo-friendly muffins, hanging with the big dogs and ending it all with a soak in the hot springs can really make a girl feel refreshed.
I spent a lot of my birthday weekend alone and there was one thought, in particular, that made me smile. I’m happier, stronger, healthier, more in love and more confident than I was ten years ago.
Take that 34.
Inspired by the intriguing TLC show and almost as ridiculous…
I thought the kitchen looked a little greener than usual.
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And I couldn't believe the sweet outdoor spot we scored for brunch.
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Not to mention that breeze as I slept...and the fact that our bed felt harder than it normally does.
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It's not weird to repackage your food. And only eat things easily rehydrated.
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Wait...so that's why my back was hurting?
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Here I thought our plumbing was acting weird. Why else would we be pumping our own water?
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It seemed like we had a little less privacy than usual.
I’m a little embarrassed. But if telling my story helps other women to know when it’s happening to them, then I’m glad to share.
(Also, TLC, if you’re reading, let’s talk reality backpacking shows. Think a little less Survivorman and a little more Animal House. Have your people get in touch with mine.)
This is Day 7 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to deprive myself of sleep and to express my gratitude for living where I do. I saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (my very first blog crush) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…or very close to Boulder*…
Larabar, oh Larabar, wherefore art thou Larabar?
Normally, around this time of the year (Bolder Boulder/Memorial Day weekend), I have lots of Larabars stashed around the house. We pack them on ski trips, snack on them during backpacking trips and stuff them in our pockets on summit attempts. Larabars seem to have a presence at most of the races I participate in and the small sizes of their samples make for excellent on-the-go munching during long runs.
Flavors of Larabar I love include Cashew Cookie (there are really only two ingredients, cashews and dates, and it seriously tastes like a cookie), Banana Cookie (which almost makes me think that such a thing actually exists) and one of the newer flavors, Coconut Cream Pie (which was easily better than many of the real coconut cream pies I’ve had). I haven’t had the Peanut Butter Cookie yet, but I have a feeling that it will easily join the list of favorites.
I’ll be eating a Larabar tomorrow, probably around mile 4 of the Bolder Boulder and most definitely at the end of the race. If you like the Larabar, what’s your go-to flavor and where have you taken them?
*These are made in Denver, which isn’t too far from Boulder. Interesting side note: This company was bought by General Mills a year ago and I don’t feel like I’ve seen a difference in the product. I consider this a compliment to Larabar.
21-Day Salute, Blogging, Boulder Love, Mountains, Running | 
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A few things that crossed my mind today:
Denver Half Marathon. I ran it last year when the weather was awful (cold, rainy, miserable) and swore I would never run it again. It appears that the desire for a new challenge has clouded my memory because I just registered for the race and want to beat my time from last year. The six-week training program starts tomorrow morning.
Altitude. As much as I try, I always seem to struggle with it. On a hike up Roger’s Pass yesterday, after sleeping at around 10,000 feet, I started feeling the beginning effects of the altitude around 11,000. Slight dizziness and a headache are indicators for me. I drank a lot of water and had only one wobbly moment, but I made it up to the top of the pass, topping out at 11,900. It frustrates me that my body and my mind can’t be depended on at a certain point. So what do I do? Make plans to summit a fourteener next weekend. The only way to get better at something is to do it more often and like Mountain Gazette says, “When in doubt, go higher.”
Backpacking. Still love doing it and long for the day I can do another long trip. As I hike, I think about how similar the trail is to life. The obstacles you encounter, instead of hindering you, can actually help you progress down your path. You carry what you need on your back and if you bring too much, you end up hurting yourself. Picking good company to walk with is important in insuring you have fun when it rains. There is something about being able to pump your own water, catch your own dinner, and survive a storm that makes you stronger.
Gossip Girl. I can’t believe how excited I got for the premiere of a TV show. That isn’t Lost. I came out of the GG closet tonight and showed my fiance the (dark? shallow? trashy?) side of me that LOVES this show. After watching it with me, he called it a teenage version of Sex and the City. And he’s not too far off. What can I say? A girl’s gotta have her guilty pleasures and I cannot get enough of Chuck Bass.
Good sauce. However you define the good stuff, I had lots of it this weekend. Pushing my body to achieve more. Playing cribbage. Eating fish caught out of a nearby lake. Drinking hot chocolate and laughing. Disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with friends. Napping in a tent while it rains outside.
There’s nothing better than a three-day weekend to remind you what all that labor is for…
As I begin this new year and blog, I wanted to start things off by looking back to a trip I took up the mountain. Early in fall, I successfully summitted Mt. Huron, a 14,000 foot peak located twenty miles outside of Leadville, Colorado. I got to the top but not without some struggles. When reflecting on the lessons learned, there were some ideas that stood out as being important for making it up the mountain and, really, for achieving any goal.
You talkin’ to me?
My mind can be a tricky one. It likes to tell me that I’m not physically or mentally capable enough to do something. (I know, I know… your mind doesn’t do such devious and self-defeating things!) While normally ignored at lower elevations, something about the lack of oxygen on the mountain amplifies this small voice and makes it much more convincing. This is when I rely on a combination of methods to help me deafen that mind-noise of negative thinking. Part of me simply ignores the bad stuff while another part of me begins to remember the numerous times that I’ve pushed myself and succeeded. Doing these in equal parts along with a sprinkling of cheesy theme music and I’m suddenly making the choice to not listen to that voice.
Now, you…you are talking to me
Massage school taught me how to listen to my body. Before that, I’d ignore the pain I felt, the tightness of certain muscles and the knots that indicated more than tension. But the thing is, once you start listening to what your body has to say, it’s hard to stop. On the way up the summit, my lungs were telling me that they wanted more oxygen while my legs were letting me know they didn’t appreciate the steepness of the trail. By tuning in to these messages, it became easier to figure out how I was really doing. As the sum of many parts working together, I like to listen to my body because it always has something important to say.
Repeat as needed
Breathe. Looking back on every physical challenge that I’ve undertaken, from running a marathon to backpacking 500 miles, remembering to breathe has been critical in my successful handling of difficult situations. When you’re above 13,000 feet, the air is much thinner and there is not much to be had. If you forget to breathe, you start feeling dizzy right away. It sounds silly, but with that kind of instant physical and mental feedback, you have no choice but to breathe as much as you can.
Ain’t nothing too small to celebrate
At about 13,500 feet, I started hitting my wall. I wasn’t feeling well but could see the summit. Adam suggested taking a short break to drink some water. As I sat down, he pulled a Payday candy bar out of his pack. The angels started singing and suddenly I felt like maybe, just maybe, I was going to make it. While I hadn’t made it to the summit yet, celebrating the achievement of making it that far helped me to muster the strength to get to the top.
Wear a skirt
Make it fun. Dress it up. Put yourself in something that makes you feel like kickin’ ass. Whatever the challenge, having your superhero outfit on (metaphorically or literally) helps you to play the part. I wore a dress up the mountain because I loved how I felt in that dress. The wind between my legs was exhilarating and motivating as I hiked the trail in my summit skirt. When you feel good about what you’re wearing, you can accomplish anything. Just because I hike with boys doesn’t mean I have to look like one. (I’m a big fan of the local company, SkirtSports, that makes an awesome line of functional and funky fitness skirts. This was the same dress that I wore to run the Denver half-marathon!)
With a little help
The support system that you surround yourself with is critical. Not only will they show you where to go but they will also point out the best way of getting there and help if needed. With extreme physical challenges, your support crew is of utmost importance. You want to have people around that you trust, like and can still deal with if frustrations run high. Friends and strangers alike helped me to summit Mt. Huron, reminding me along the way to take it one step at a time. After we got off the mountain, the celebratory beer tasted even better with the knowledge that we had bagged the summit together.
All of the above lessons are ones that resonated with me as I tried to put some meaningful thought into what I want this online space to be. As a mission statement/clarification of purpose, talltara will be a place to document my offline adventures, whatever they may be, and to experiment creatively, whatever that might mean. Some of my initial goals…
In 2008, I’m returning to the stage to indulge my stand-up tendencies. I thought it would be interesting to share tales of my comedy journey and stories from the stage.
On the photographic front, I’m participating in Project 365, which involves taking a picture a day for all of 2008. I’ll be showcasing my daily photos here but will be continue posting other pics on Flickr.
Other topics I’m interested in pursuing and playing with…backpacking trips, triathlon training, sustainable design, community building, learning to juggle, conscious consumerism, and whatever new projects/obsessions/passions happen to cross my path.
Thanks for joining me and my work in progress. And a super big thanks to James Carrington for the pictures and to the Remabulous Caroline Donahue, for a much-needed creative kick in the pants.
