Just Plodding Along

So it would appear that is has been about a year since a blog post happened. Why? I don't know maybe because running had been causing me so much pain that I didn't really feel like a runner anymore. Even though I was still trying to run. Or maybe it was because I didn't have a big goal for running any more. And this was first and foremost a running blog. So not much to talk about. Whatever the reason, I feel like sharing again because 1) I have finally started to run (reality check: run/walk) again and 2) I have a big goal for next year that involves training like I have never trained before and this blog has always helped keep me accountable and making progress in the right direction (more on the big goal later).  So to catch you up, in the past year: We made it to Mount Rushmore! and Badlands National Park my bestie and I ran together (the last time I seriously ran anything) at the Twin Cities 10 miler. Running with her is always the best. Since...

Life in Colorado is going pretty well. We have settled in our apartment and slowly learning our way around. I have found a running group to join called the Sunrise Striders. They are ridiculously fast (as in their warm-up pace is faster than my race pace), they regularly win age groups and races outright and all look like they belong on the cover of Runner's World. All of this would be really, really annoying if they weren't so nice, and warm, and welcoming, and encouraging and happy to share advice about the area. I really enjoy running with them in various places around the Springs and am sure if I can stick with them I will eventually be a better runner.  I have also been swimming with a master's swim team which meets four times a week. They are also nice and easy going. There are the serious lanes full of sleek, seal like people and then there are the lanes of people just trying to get the workout done. I am in a lane just trying not to drown. Luckily, I am natural...

After spending the night in Port Angeles we drove the few hours to Tacoma to meet D's best friend for lunch. He was an awesome tour guide of beer based Tacoma touring. If you like craft beer Washington is the state for you. If you like craft beer and specialty hot dogs then The Red Hot is where it is at.  The week we were in Tacoma we sampled lots of local brews and hit up some of the waterfront restaurants.  We went up to Seattle for the day to meet some friends for dinner but arrived at lunch time specifically to go to Piroshky, Piroshky. Russian pastries at their finest.  We wandered through the market sampling fruit, looking at art and taking in the sights. After we had seen all there was to see we wandered through downtown Seattle towards the Space Needle. Since it was super crowded and a pretty penny we were content to stare up. After wandering the streets for a few hours we headed back towards the marke...

(We are back in Colorado  after cutting our trip short and some exciting stuff is going on with that but I am so behind on blogging about our travels that we are just gonna pretend that we are still adventuring. The good news is I can use a computer now, though that is no guarantee the quality will be any better.....) After we dropped our cute little nugget of a lost dog off with his peeps we hit up Portland for some fun. We headed straight for a farmers market. There is a farmers market in Portland everyday you just gotta find it. It would be so hard not to spend all your money at them if you lived there. Everything looks amazing and delicious.  We wandered around tasting samples and handing our money over for cherries and grabbed some pizza from a food truck for lunch. We headed over to our airbnb accommodations when we were done. We had never used airbnb before and the idea of renting a room in someone's house seemed odd to me but it was actually super aw...