Lots of Work & A Little Play

Wow!  I can't believe it's October already!  Things have been extremely hectic since school started.  I'm excited about my new tenure-track position at TMCC -- I love my job!  I'm also taking two classes this semester, which I enjoy.  But ... all the prepping, grading, reading, writing, and committee work has put a damper on some of my extracurricular activities lately.  Gone are the occasional naps. My DVR is quickly filling up with unwatched episodes of How I Met Your Mother.  There hasn't been any time for "fun" reading -- blogs, magazines, etc.  And, until now, I felt as if I had neglected my own blog.  (Sorry!)  Throw in running a household, family obligations & activities, and marathon training and you can see why there's not much of a social life happening.  Luckily, my awesome running group knows how to have some fun.  A few weeks ago I was able to take a break from the daily overload and attend NSET's annual wine tasting event.  It was fun to step out of my running shoes and let the ponytail down! 

The rest of my "social life" also revolves around running.  Early morning runs with Karla and Michelle (with a little Kaia FIT thrown in).  Speedwork with the NSET New York-bound gang.  And, of course our weekend runs.  Long runs are great for catching up with everyone, even our favorite aid station buddies! 

A special thanks to Rachel, Sam & Ranger!

The best aid station ever!

Well, time to wrap-up this mini-hiatus and get back to the grind! 
                                                                      Until next time ...

Balloon Run!

Just a quick post to share a couple of pictures of our super fun run this morning.  Great group and great run!  The Great Reno Balloon Race is one of my favorite Reno events.  No better way to experience it than on a long run!

Stay Strong!

Wow!  August just flew by!  School started this week, and tomorrow is the first day of September.  Where did the time go?!?

The beginning of the school year marks another season in our house.  Gone are the lazy, no-schedule summer days.  It's back to routine and a schedule.  Hopefully this week was an anomaly and not the norm because I am exhausted!  Not only did I start a strength training program and some serious speedwork, but throw in a hectic work schedule and keeping up a household and you've got some very  l-o-n-g  days!  It feels like a lot right now, but things will fall into place soon.  I am grateful for the extra day this weekend, though.  After getting caught up on work and stuff, I hope to get caught up on sleep! 

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend!

 

 

Happy August!

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  July was a fantastic month full of many amazing, scenic Tahoe trail runs.  While there are still a few weeks before school starts, it's time to get back into a routine and start focusing on my big race this fall.  Look out, NYC!  November will be here before we know it, so it's time to start some serious speedwork and log some long runs on the roads!

Here's one big hoorah to a great summer! 

on the Tahoe Rim Trail (Kingsbury to Spooner) with Rach

Ultra Fun!

Once again I got to be a part of an amazing ultra run -- the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Run.  I jumped in and ran with Cynthia for the last 20 miles of her first 50-miler.  She did awesome!  All of the TRT running buddies did well today.  Way to go, Sara, Jim, Andy, Paul, Jenny (& the other pacers, Vicky, Jim and Liz)!

A quick shout out to all the volunteers, too, but especially the rockin' Tunnel Creek Aid Station!  Thanks, Micheline, Mike and the Capels for all your help out there today!

I am really impressed with the ultra running community.  Everyone is so friendly and supportive!  And, if you're not quite sure if you are ready to take the plunge into the world of ultra running, pacing is a great way to get your feet wet.  I might just be looking for a few pacers myself next year!  ;)

 Bringin' it home!

NSETers!  Happy to be done!

Runner's High

This month just keeps getting better!  Four more fabulous trail runs were logged this week.  I'm grateful my friend, Sara, is around to show me all these treasures!  (Hi Sara!)

Incline Flume

Cyn, Sara & I ran into my friend, Tim, on his bike (again).

Castle Peak

A group of 9 of us took on this majestic mountain!

Running in Tahoe is breath-taking -- literally & figuratively!

A true runner's high!

Into Thin Air

July is off to an awesome start!  Three fun Tahoe runs this week already.  My fingers are crossed that I can squeeze another one in tomorrow, too!  The best part is we are staying in Tahoe for the next couple of weeks.  Running in Tahoe every day = a dream come true!

Fourth of July Run to the Beach 10K
1st in my age group!

A little Desolation Wilderness fun with the ladies!

Another epic Rim Trail run with my TRT buddies!
Mt. Rose to Brockway

Lovin' every minute and every mile!
Looking forward to many more!