Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Colorado Relay

Running through the Rocky Mountains from Friday morning to Saturday morning really had an impact on my life. I cannot even begin to explain the feeling of running in the mountains at 2 a.m., just me, the Eagle river to my left, snow capped mountains to my right, a full moon and stars brighter than I've ever seen reflecting off of the river. All I could hear was my foot steps, and my mind telling me, "this is what life is all about."

The 174-mile Colorado Relay adventure started at 7 a.m. Friday morning in Georgetown. Runners 1-5 were in van A and runners 6-10 were in van B (my van). I was runner 9. After meeting in Morrison at 5 a.m. my van drove to exchange point 5 where our 6th runner would take the bracelet from runner 5. My first run was at about 4 p.m. in Breckenridge. It was about 6 miles and it was snowing and cold! I had a great run though and I felt really good. After our first legs we went to one of our teammembers parents house in Frisco and hung out. The house was amazing and we all drank hot chocolate, ate some food and took a nice nap. At around 10 it was time to drive to our next exchange point to meet the other runners again. My second run was the run I described earlier - about 12 miles on highway 6 around Eagle, CO. I was alone for most of the run and my iPod was out of battery, so it was just me and my footsteps. It was amazing. After our second legs we slept in the van at the next exchange poing until about 7:30 a.m. My third and final leg was about 6 miles on an uphill dirt road toward Carbondale. About halfway into the run a cow was standing in the road blocking my way! I had to wait for him to move over and let me pass because there was barbed wire on either side of the road. It was scary! We finished in about 27 hours in Carbondale and the weather was perfect.

But now it is back to Ironman training! I missed a long bike on Saturday because of the relay (it was worth it) so this weekend im in it for the long haul.

Home in a week :)

XOXO Cori

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Hannah, Colorado Relay, VMA's


Hannah got spayed yesterday. I dropped her off around 7:30 in the morning and picked her back up at 4:30 in the afternoon. As soon as I got her home she started throwing up, and after the fourth time I called the emergency veterinary hospital to ask if this is normal. They told me to bring her in because it isn't normal. So after $411 for the spay, I had to pay another $180 for her emergency visit where they pumped her with fluids and antibiotics. Ugh, I am officially broke. But I would rather be broke and have Hannah alive, than Hannah be dead and I have money. This morning she is doing better, but is still pretty loopy. I got her to eat some turkey lunch meat and take a few licks of an ice cube. I am Hannah's personal nurse. :)

The Colorado Relay is coming up on Friday. I am meeting my team at 5 a.m. and we start the race at 7 a.m. We should be done running about 170 miles through the Rocky Mountains Saturday morning. I am very excited to meet my team and make some new friends! My left groin area still hurts from the bike crash at the 5430 half iron race, but I think it will be good to give it a break from biking and just concentrate on running this weekend. The race starts in Georgetown and ends in Carbondale, CO. My team is an all-woman team. Each team has 10 runners and I am runner 9. Each runner runs three times. For more information go to http://coloradorelay.com and check it out!

Each year I get really excited for the MTV Video Music Awards because I am a big dork and I follow all that celebrity stuff because I think it's fun. I was excited to watch this year because I love Rihanna and she was part of the opening act. Also, lots of crazy stuff always happens. I think I've watched the VMA's every year for the past 10 years I would say. However, this year was repulsive! The host Russell Brand, a British comedian, ruined the show for me as soon as he started talking! All he did was rip on President Bush, make fun of the Jonas Brother's purity rings and other things that I just couldn't believe! Believe me I am not a a republican and I don't wear a promise ring, but honestly, who approved that guys act? I think its awesome that some teenagers these days choose to wear a ring and not have sex until they are married, what is wrong with that? I also think it was wrong for a foreign comedian to make fun of our country's president at an award show in our country! Whether someone is republican, democrat, liberal or whatever, I'm sure people with any political view were offended by this guy making fun of our president like that. Booo I hate Russell Brand. Rihanna, though... awesome! Christina Aguilera too!

Well, it's off to the gym this morning and then taking care of Miss Hannah the rest of the day :)

XOXO
Cori

Monday, September 1, 2008

When life throws you curve balls


... try and hit them out of the park. That's what I have been telling myself this week. Lots of changes have been happening in my life, both at work and mentally.

First of all I am leaving my job personal training at Bladium for various reasons I wont write about on the internet, except that I am not a sales person. However, I love my job as a BCOR boot camp coach in Wash Park so everything will be OK.

I am also really, really excited to go home for one of my best friends from high school Danielle's wedding. I am going home September 25 and couldn't be happier. I miss everyone and everything in IL so much. I know that IL is where my heart is, and I have been thinking about that constantly lately.

This holiday weekend was great. On Friday I saw "Tropic Thunder" and it was ridiculously stupid. I hate those cheesy comedies! But it was ok because the restaurant, Cuisine of the Himilayas, made up for it. It's up in Evergreen and... awesome! On Saturday I was going to ride with the Laura and the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club, but when I got on the bike my groin was still bothering me a bit so I wanted to stick close to home in case I had to stop biking, so I biked for 4 hours and 15 minutes on my own and then ran 40 minutes. Everything went good and didn't feel too bad. I also ate at Chipotle twice this weekend, went out to breakfast on Sunday morning in Evergreen after an amazing 14 mile run and tried the Kolashe Factory today! Yum yum yum! haha a weekend of eating! Kolashes are like dinner rolls stuffed with eggs, cheese and whatever else they put in there. They are so yummy! I ate three of them!

On Thursday I met Jill, one of the girls I will be running the Colorado Relay with in two weeks, and we ran about 5 miles around Wash Park after boot camp. I am so excited for the relay and it sounds intense! It's all through the Rockies and ends by Aspen. I am the 9th runner and will run three times, just like the Ragnar Relay in Arizona. This time there will be less Cacti and more mountains!

Time to take Hannah to the lake!

XOXO
Cori