Happy Birthday Motown!

Today is Motown Record's 50th birthday, one of the greatest labels to exist and a predominant provider of to many of today's tunes. I know that the Jackson 5, Supreme's, Marvin, Gladys, The Four Tops and sooo many more have melodically carried me through heaps of my runs. I often claim that I was born a couple of decades too late for more reasons than just music, but thanks to the LP, CD's and MP3's I can relive these decades through some classic music. Here's to you Motown! Here's their website if you care to view: http://www.motown.com/

Short sleeves, dry dirt and dusty pants...

Great running weekend! Did an 8 mile loop at Hartman's that was the most memorable run of the weekend. The roads and 80 percent of the trails were dry as a bone, even a bit dusty. About 5 minutes in stripping off my jacket and for goodness sake short sleeves the whole rest of the run! Just one of those days that was breathtaking as I crested each hill with a slight breeze, but not wind and lots of other smiling faces on the trail. I didn't realize that I needed the dryness and sun-soaking that awaited me there, which makes me very excited for the spring/summer that awaits ...so many single tracks and so little time!

Peace

When I Started Running...

So I thought I should tell a little tale about how I developed my deep love for running. My younger sister started running cross country when she was in middle school and was and still is a wicked fast little runner. Sooo, she inspired me and I decided to join the cross country team my junior year of high school. Practices began in late July and August before the school year to get our fast pants going. For anyone who hasn't been in Indiana, where I am from originally, in July and August the humidity can be somewhat of a bear. It is at times similar to being trapped in a small laundry room with the dryer vent unattached from the wall with the dryer running. Any who, so I go to all of the practices and am really diggin' on running. After being only a swimmer for six years, it was exciting to have a new passion. School starts and it's time for our first meet, which was an invitational that four schools were invited to including ours. I'm stoked, the race begins and I'm out on the course noticing that I am quite alone, but I'm no concerns. My mom comes to see me at my first race and happens to get there late. So, there are runners already coming into the finish. She is looking and looking for me, but to no avail. People are milling about and actually kind of spreading away from the finish line as if things are done and the announcer comes over the the amp saying "Attention everyone, if you could please stay where you are we still have one more runner on the course." My mom thinks, no way I've just missed her. As I come running up the the final hill it's like something out of the movie Rocky people cheering and clapping on both sides, you'd think I'd just run some major race. Then the announcer comes on the amp again and says "You can do it, great job! Keep it up!" I finished and was damn proud, even though I was by far the slowest runner out there. One of my friends that ran the race as well obtained the nickname "Chuck" that race and you can imagine why. SO, I was just stoked to not have been made fun of in a name. I came in last place in numerous other races at the beginning of that season, but nothing quite that spectacular. Something strange began to happen as the season progressed and I wasn't coming in last anymore. This photo was taken at regionals where I totally cruised by multiple folks and kicked some ace and took some names. At the end of that season, we had a dinner with the team to celebrate and the coach presented books of clippings, ribbons, etc. to each of us. When he called my name, he chuckled and said that he had to admit that he swore up and down that I would quit after three days of practice, but I perservered and there I was at the end of season banquet. I am still a slow runner and have come to terms with the fact that I probably always will be, but the fact is I LOVE to run and I am thankful each day that I have these big legs to carry me through each dirt road and trail that I find. It is my therapy, sun-soaking, contemplation and getting the rage out time. I just can't imagine what a state I would be in if I never would have started running!?! So, here's to all of the runner's out there slow or fast it's how much your heart is into it!

These other photos are just of a beautiful sunset and a frosty tree because I don't have a good running photo for today.

Peace

The town in which I live...

Sooo, these ads are from our little local paper and we get our papers on Thursday of each week. So, as last week was April Fool's Day on Thursday, these were are few installments from the annual April Fool's Day paper, which I thought were just a crack up. Shamus and I were talking though and laughing about what if The New York Times or Boston Globe had an installment such as this. The first 4-5 pages of the paper are all fake articles and ads, but if you

were an out of towner picking up the paper you might think that we are all freaks in Crested Butte, which might be the case on any other day for other reasons.
A friend said that he used to live in Apsen and they do this there as well and had a "faux" article a couple of years ago that told everyone that there would be free parking for the day and everyone got parking tickets....HA!

So, any who I thought this would give some insight as to the small town in which I live. Crested Butte is an 1880's historic mining town and is located about 230 miles Southwest of Denver with a year-round population of 1700 people. We are a ski resort town so we get a large influx of people from Thanksgiving until last weekend and then from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Crested Butte is also the "official" Wildflower capitol of Colorado, gorgeous photos to come in July and August. Any who, for your geography lesson of the day... I often laugh because I am from a very small town and couldn't wait to get away from the small town-ness and now here I am living in an even smaller one! Oh how I've come full circle with an appreciation for walking to do my mid-day errands, smiling and exchanging with familiar faces, riding my bike or walking to work, April Fools day silly papers and the other joys of a small town.

So, I know that I've said that I'm a trail runner and love it, but recently the weather has been true spring crapness (i.e. snow, wind, mud, ice, etc.) and someday I will write about an adventure on the road...sorry none as of yet though!

Peace

Survey says...

So, I have been taking surveys online for a few years to make a few extra buckaroos. I feel like it's a different way to get your voice heard for random crap, but in recent months I've come to a realization. I believe that I am definitely not in the demographic that they are looking for in most surveys, as I have been weeded out of probably 75%. After thinking about this a bit, I am not your normal person, which I am dang proud of, but here is why:

• I live an hour and a half from the closest department-ish store and around 3 hours from the closest mall. There is a Wally world 30 minutes away, but I don't roll with that. I know most of you might say that Target is the same ding dang thing, but if you read the next bullet that's rare in itself and I have to draw the line some where for goodness sake.
• Shopping and I don't get along very well. Because we live so far away, sometimes after a long while I think to myself ooo I could got to that store and check things out. Then, I go and I get completely overwhelmed and maybe kind of go into a trance-like state even going into Target.
• We haven't had a tv for about a year and a half, which is EXCELLENT, but again not normal.
• Trashing the celly in about a month when the contract is up.
• Eating out is also something of a rarity because we live in a resort town. So, it's definitely a treat not an all the time deal and nooo chain eateries within a 30 mile radius.

So, that's it in a nutshell why I'm Abby Normal (amongst many other reasons)...

'Til next time, happy weekend...peace

First day as a blogger

Well, what a day! My first day blogging on April Fool's Day. A day that is typical Crested Butte for spring: winds, snow, etc. I am training for my first trail race on my 30th birthday in Greenland, CO...I have to make sure that I include the Colorado on there because I've had people think that I'm wicked cool and going to Greenland, the country, which darn the luck, but no... So, as I described the weather above it's trying sometimes getting the runs in. I've embraced the fact that "trails" won't be open for a bit as we still have 2-3 feet of snow in places...it just makes me all the more excited for when they do! So, it's dirt roads for now, which I'll live to tell about.

On a side note with running, I just found out through a blood test that I am iron deficient. I very well may be the slowest runner in all the world, but this deficiency made me feel as though I was just a slug and so bloody out of shape. My brain and I often have discussions, sometimes arguments, and I with this I was bartering often about making it to the next road sign on a run. It's great to have answers though and to be making strides to correct it! Not quite up to par and feeling like superwoman, but Rome wasn't built in a day now was it... Lack of energy, can't catch your breath, dizziness, cold natured, pale color can all be signs for various things, but iron deficiency is one of them. So, to anyone who might read this make sure you keep track of your health and note what your body is telling you! Here is some info on iron deficiency because I feel as though it's important for people to know: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ida/ida_whatis.html

I will get some stellar photos going on here, as well just need a few to get organized...peace