A week of bliss with my two best friends from college and their families.
The weather couldn't have been better. It was sunny and warm during the day, cool in the evenings, with not even a hint of humidity. Heaven!
The view from our back deck was stunning, and our cabin in the countryside was peaceful and relaxing. When the four children were asleep, that is. I kid, I kid.
 |
| View from our back deck |
We went whitewater rafting, ate good food, shared too many laughs to count.
 |
| At Ice Cream Alley. For maximum fun, just add sugar ... |
My girlfriends don't run, but thankfully one of their husbands does, and was willing to let me tag along. Thanks Jeff!
The icing on the cake was a cool morning run on the trails at Ponderosa State Park. And by cool, I mean 47 degrees. What a treat in July!
 |
| Lily Marsh Trail |
I hadn't thought about elevation. It's a little over 5000 feet there.
My lowlander lungs made even the smallest moehill feel like a mountain. I take some comfort from this Runner's World article which claims "Anything above 5,000 feet is considered high altitude training by elite athletes' standards."
 |
| I'm kind of glad I didn't bring my heart rate monitor on this run. |
Still, I won't be moving to Colorado anytime soon.
Are you going anywhere interesting for vacation? Have you recently run in a scenic place? Do you do better running in humidity or at altitude?
Happy Summer, wherever you are.
Beautiful pics! I had the same reaction last year when I went for a trail run in Colorado. My sealevel lungs were dying. I felt so slow!
ReplyDeleteWow, you found 47* in July? That's quite a beautiful area. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little bit obsessed with Idaho. I've never been there, but Steve and I always talk about how we want to retire there. Your pictures do not dissuade me. Looks lovely, and sounds deliciously cool! Also, my experience with the Bolder Boulder 10K a few years ago illustrated that 5,000 feet is a BIG deal when you're coming from sea level. A big, big, big deal.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! After spending a week with my best friend from college and her two boys, I can definitely relate to tons of side splitting laughter and that "peaceful and relaxing while the kids were asleep" comment. Ha! Altitude definitely has an impact. I took off from our campsite last week at Tuolumne Meadows (8600 ft.) for a little jaunt up the John Muir Trail. Within minutes my head was pounding and I was walking. While I loved the cool temps and low humidity out west, the altitude slowed my roll for sure.
ReplyDeleteKeep channeling that Idaho weather for the next few weeks as DC summer comes on with a vengeance!