Rock Repeats Again: Don't Eat Yellow Snow!

This morning I woke up at 4:45. I have no idea why. I was having weird dreams again, seems like I remember bits of more work nightmares. Sometimes I wonder if the whole experience of nursing doesn't give you PTSD to some degree.

Since I was up, and it was hill day, I decided to take advantage of the timing to get out before sunrise and take some pictures.

I drove up to Horsetooth Mountain trailhead and watched the sunrise from different turnouts along the road, until I got to the park and then took a ton of pictures on the first two switchbacks of the Southridge Trail, where I do my Rock Repeats.

Today the agenda was just one time up and down. I'll build up to more later, but after being so sore last week, and this being my low mileage week, I thought I'd better hold back.

The trail was incredibly icy in places- all the flatter, easy sections were a slick sheet of ice. The steep parts were dry. Once I got to the top, I had to turn around, and going down was worse. I was trying to keep myself from biting the big one, as I slid down the short little pitches, I passed this pile of snow. Literally trying not to eat yellow snow!

I should have brought the MICROspikes! I didn't even think of it, because I've never seen the trail so icy. Then it occurred to me that this time of year I am usually not up there, I'm usually recovering from Across the Years and my Rock Repeats don't generally start until February or March.

I made it to the bottom without too many near-wipeouts, and drove home. The wind was picking up again and it was colder than when I started.

I got on the scale, bravely, this morning. I was really afraid to. I was afraid I would see no, or very little, progress. But I lost 7 pounds so far! I am down to 125 pounds from 132 at New Years. I still have a bit more to lose. I'm only about halfway there.

Tonight is my first opportunity to "cheat". I will allow myself to do that once a week. That includes a beer or a margarita, and a meal where I can have whatever I want to eat. But then it's back to business the next day. It's funny, I haven't been missing anything food-wise, but I have been missing beer. I don't know why but a very cold, almost frozen, Isolation Ale sounds so good. And tonight I can have one.

Funny that the past two days there have been articles in our local paper about drinking in Fort Collins. Stephen Meyers followed up today on the news from yesterday with this. He quoted me at the end, too. Of course we're youthful in attitude. Only a Fort Collins ultrarunner would plan a 50 mile run that ends up at a brewery for their 50th birthday.