I can’t beg to express how special it was to have these wonderful friends of over 30 years in town for my birthday weekend! MJ Soisson and I have been getting together for each other’s birthdays along with our friends Eileen Kravetzand Pat Silvestre all those years too. We met at a play group just after all of us moved to Portland in 1996. Zack and Joe were born in 98 and were best buddies when they were little. We had lots of family gatherings over the years, sometimes big gaps between but MJ and I met fairly regularly all those years. Sunday night I went to bed with a full and grateful heart! 🥰🙏
The last 2 trail adventures out and about Fort Collins with some awesome humans! The first half is at Devil’s Backbone in Loveland, and the second half is at Horsetooth natural area, Fort Collins. Quite diverse landscape not too far from each other!
Four fun trail races later (Gnar Runners Lory State Park Summer Race Series), I’ve learned that if I want to race faster, I should probably start training to run faster. Groundbreaking exercise science. 😂 I also accidentally learned how to do a “race face” but not sure how much that helped except for being able to laugh more about the experience! Haha!
But what a beautiful place to get humbled and to do it with my son, Zack, and friends ! ⛰️🏃♀️
Thanks to Terry Grenwelge for the professional race photos including my official race face! 😆
Apparently this is my race face 😂. You’d think from this photo I was about to contend for the podium. Yeah, I didn’t come close…unless they had an over 60 woman’s category, and in the case, all 3 of us women would have had a spot! 😆🙌
Check out Noah’s new hairdo! Stars ⭐️ & a unicorn 🦄 !!! He’s such a good boy! His equine therapy rider couldn’t make it today so we played some soccer ⚽️ instead -which is good for his brain! I wish I would have gotten some video but I was able to get a few shots. He’s my new favorite soccer player! I found out that he’s a rescue that got trained for equine therapy. He’s obviously quite loved at the @templegrandinequinecenter where he works, plays, and gets plenty of hugs, treats, sweet talk and kisses🥰! Thanks for helping/coaching/guiding me today, Mattie of @my_heroes_therapy! 🙌
Happiest birthday to my beautiful friend, @schuler_tiffany! Love you so much! I treasure all the wonderful moments we’ve spent together and look forward to many more! 🥳❤️🤗😘
Another fun Gnar Runners Lory Summer Series race - this time a 5k “Into the Hills.” No joke about the “hills” - 700 ft elevation gain to start, which was challenging but, I loved every minute, especially the 700 ft down! Zack did amazing and looks a bit more serious than I do here 🙌.
Let’s just say I am not yet podium worthy (Masters is 40+!) and a 10 year old running with his dad, was ahead of me (sporting what I believe might have been a Thomas the Tank Engine hydration pack)!
That said, if there was an over 60 division, all of us (2) women would be on the podium 😂. Still, I’m grateful that my body is strong enough to do this and it lights me up. I dare say I see a little glimmer of adjusting to the altitude here in Colorado!
Also pictured here is one of my awesome fellow Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado, Suzanne Moore and my new friend, Bella, who, along with her friends have been warm, friendly, and fun at all the races I’ve seen them at. Last week Belle shared that she was thinking of wearing her tutu this race and I said if she did, I’d wear my Sparkle Skirt! She showed up also sporting body glitter and offered and encouraged me to wear a little and so I did. 😆
Race 📷: Terry Grenwelge
Thank you, Sandy Barnes! Love you’ 🥰🙏
FROM EVIDENCE (2009)
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” -Mary Oliver
[From the card deck Instructions for Living: A Deck of Daily Devotions]
The beautiful greeting card is from Primitives by Kathy: A Peace of Work by Eliza Todd
Last night’s @gnar_runners “Into the Hills” 10K with 1700’ elevation gain was quite challenging and equally humbling for both me and Zack. Of course he still finished way before me and his finishing time was still quite impressive for not ever running on a trail that technical let alone many trails before last week’s run and just a little in much less technical Forest Park, Portland. I can at least say I was #1 female over 60, haha. Impressed and encouraged to see a male age 69 who placed 29th through! I am in total awe of my fellow @trailsistersfoco_ who run 50, 60, and 100ks on terrain even more challenging than this! Such admiration and respect!
Nevertheless it was fun and I loved every minute of it. I even made a beautiful new friend, Susanna!
So much fun running 🏃🏻♀️ with awesome fellow Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado and these sweet charismatic donkeys 🫏 full of personality and more…lol. Also, this incredible scenery!!! 😍❤️ A big thanks to Lindsay of The Donkey Way running and to her regulars who are all so welcoming, encouraging and helpful. This reel is a complication of photos and videos from fellow sisters and Lindsay. Much appreciated, everyone! 🙏🙌
This guy (my youngest son, Zack) placed 9th out of 127 last night at the Gnar Runners Lory Summer Series
5k! So impressive given he’s a casual runner and hasn’t been trail running! My heart swelled when he suggested we do this! Why of course! I haven’t been speed training since moving to CO and was far behind him but my heart was full and I finished with a smile. The course is quite lovely too! This was just before the start.
Beautiful day with my lovely, incredible, sister from another mother forever friend, Sandy Barnes.
Happy birthday to our son, Jacob! 🥳🎉
Thoughtful, witty, lover of animals, super fun cousin who is asked for by all the littles and SO much more…how can we not be bursting with pride?! We love him so much. We also greatly miss him since he lives far away from us on the east coast. This photo is from a fun mishap of an adventure we experienced running on a portion of the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park this summer! We took a wrong turn and went much further than planned but thankfully it turned out better than expected!
Such fun this morning at Devil’s Backbone with the @trailsistersfoco_ ! Although half of us ran right past a baby rattler 🐍 right in the middle of the trail, sound asleep without even noticing (myself included)! 😮 Guess we assumed it was just another a rock to jump over!? Thank goodness all is well! Soul is nourished, heart is full. 🥰❤️🙏
Nourishing all parts of my heart and soul in this rewarding role at Colorado Sate University Temple Grandin Equine Center! Such an incredible facility and staff. Amazing horses and ponies. I can’t believe I get to volunteer here. Pinch me. My heart is overflowing!
Celebrating these incredibly strong, impressive fellow Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado today as most of them in these pictures here are taking on the Never Summer Ultra in Gould, Colorado!
High elevation, boulder fields, and crazy ridgelines... these women are the definition of badassery. Since moving here, these ladies have welcomed me enthusiastically with open arms and encouragement. Training with them has been nourishment for my soul. I aspire to be at the level of fitness they are so that I can one day join them for a future ultra!
Cheering hard for everyone out there today. Crush it, Trail Sisters! 🙌🏔️🏃🏻♀️💪
Running (& walking due to heat 🥵🔥) with these cutie pie sweet therapy donkeys via with Lindsay/The Donkey Way, Loveland, CO. Did this run with fellow Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado trail sister, Michelle Haley Mead! So fun and rewarding! Can’t wait for the next one! 🫏🏃🏻♀️❤️🥰
Medicine Bow Peak, WY with some of my beautiful fellow Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado…wow, just wow. Felt like I was in an animated Disney movie with the most magical scenery. It was a bit tough but also so rewarding. Most of the flower pictures here are from Jessica Levy - she’s got a special talent of capturing their magnificence! I had over a hundred photos, it was so hard to choose just a handful! What an epic adventure! Nourishment for my soul, indeed!
Celebrating Zack’s birthday today! We couldn’t be prouder of our youngest son. 🥳
View during this morning’s Trail Sisters Fort Collins, Colorado run 🏃🏻♀️! 😍