Blogging from Boulder:

More Lemonade... Boulder flavored Lemonade.... yummy!

my running has been less than frequent
going running does not make me a runner
yet, while in Colorado my outdoor adventures must be sans bike
as my finger is still not mountainbike worthy
actually my finger is still not bike worthy at all
still hanging mellow on the bike as the inability to brake with my left hand leaves me little escape in a "worst case scenario"
thus leaving hiking and running as my outdoor options

landed/rented a car/drove from Denver to Boulder
got a little lost
but I always get a little lost on the freeways that circle the Denver area
got to experience a taste of Rush Hour in Denver
kept entertained by looking at the different people out here
no shortage of freaks... sure we have freaks in DC... but the freaks are a different breed out here

eventually I was on Route 36 running along side Boulder Colorado
the mountains were the same as they were last time I was here.... beautiful
but the growth and development was mind boggling
rather than guess my way to a trail head I stoped at a running store
at the door was a map with a list of various running trails in the area
guess the question, "where is a good place to run around here?" had taken the sales persons time oh too often
so there was a stack of print outs at the door
I still ventured in... looked around.... marveled at the instore CROCS shoe selection
till this point I had only seen these shoes online
before I left I scanned the bargin bin for "must haves" saw nothing I needed
then scanned the store for liquid refreshments... again, nothing...
no Red Bull, no Gatorade, no Aqua
so I drove out towards the one of the trails and stopped at the next gas station to satisfy my hydration and energy needs

just out of the gas station my phone rang, it was Rocco
he was leaving work
we balanced our time and I figured I still had time for a run
Rocco made a trail reccommendation that was closer than the trail I had selected
it was all good..
we agreed to reconnect after my run/once he gets home

the sun was falling low over the foothills of Boulder
dark storm clouds were gathered in parts of the sky in the west
while the sky in the east was more blue with a gathering of cotton ball clouds
at the trail head I changed into something for running. slammed a Red Bull, chugged some water, stretched for 4 seconds and started towards the hills
it was georgeous
the temperture was cool... maybe low 70's with zero humidity
my legs moved slow as I tried to warm up my body
unsure of the trail and its potential for a loop or my potential for completing a loop in with my limited strength and limited day light I set 26 minutes as a turn around point

while running I started to warm up fast
the Red Bull did more than its buck ninty-nie worth
the surroundings invigorated me as well
as I ran I tried to scan the surroundings
taking in glorious vistas and the vast expanse
the wildlife was abounding
yet for the most part I focused on the trail at my feet
conveluted earth and rocks make for great ankle buckling potential

at 20 minutes into my run I started to feel that this trail was not going to loop as I had felt Rocco had implied
but I kept to my arbitrary 26 minute mark
then as I started to move quickly up a tad steeper grade I felt the trail may be promising
thought maybe it was going to turn itself into the hill then double back
then all of a sudden.... my right calve locked up
hard as a rock... stiff as a board
I tried to massage it
but it did not feel like it wanted to move
so I slowed my pace to a walk in an effort to lossen things up
then I crested this brief incline and found my trail ended with a chain link fence and private property
so I turned it around
roughly meeting my 26 minute turn around goal

the up and back had its advantages
the run up gave me a great perspective of the foothills in the west
while the return gave me a fantastic view of the flat plains of the east
it was everyday Boulder... but it looks celestial to me

walking a brisk pace was fine
stretching did not feel good
running did not feel like an option
so I marched
the phone rang.... it was Rocco... he was home
he opted to meet me at the trailhead
Rocco and Suz were going to join me for dinner and put me up for the night

my 20 plus minute run turned out to be a 40 plus minute march back
it was a bitter sweet glass of Boulder Lemonade
a great way to spend my firts afternoon in Boulder
the evening was just as splendid
Rocco, Suz, and I went for dinner and chatted late into the night
my energy was high... a combination of Red Bull still in my veins, excitement to be in Colorado, and my usual chatty cathy manic mind

day one down
now it is morning of day two
lisa gets in around noon