6 Month Rewind.

As I stared at the snow covered Pearl Street cobblestones from the inside of the empty candy shop tonight, I realized that a week or two ago marked the 6 month mark for me in Colorado. I asked myself: "A half a year in Boulder: What have I accomplished and where am I going? Is this what I expected and wanted? "

Since I arrived at the doorstep of the daunting flatirons that first week in August, one thing has never and will never change: the beauty of this place. It doesn't matter what kind of mood I am in, the minute I stare into the distance at the Rockies, I am experience a peace of mind. I love that about Boulder. I can walk out my door and be on some kind of trail in the wilderness in 1 mile or less-there arent many places in the US that are like that.

I have already moved once within Boulder city limits and plan to do so again this fall when I get my dog (which I am counting down the days). Since I have been here for a few months, I have experienced most parts of this "city" and know where I do and do not want to live. I absolutely LOVE the place I live at on Maxwell Ave, walking distance from downtown and work. I hope to stay in the downtown or Northern part of Boulder when I look for my new place this summer.

Which brings me to my next decision. I will be staying in Boulder at least one more year for sure. But recently I made a career decision that has brought me some peace of mind and has given me some direction. I have decided that this November 1st, 2010 will be my deadline. For what you ask? My deadline for Physical Therapy school. I can hear my mom breathing a sigh of relief for that has been her suggestion to me since I was in undergrad. :0 ) PT has always been on the radar in my life, but for some reason I have pushed it to the back of my mind. I have always loved helping people achieve goals or get better, so why not combine my love for fitness, people, and goal accomplishing? I would love to specialize in sports medicine physical therapy and possibly even get a background in massage therapy. And I am not holding back on this decision. I have already made some arrangements to shadow a physical therapist to get hours in. This summer I will be taking two Psychology courses at CU to fulfill the only prereqs that I need. I will be applying to the Denver College of Health Sciences this fall, placing my odds on only one school-kind of risky, I know. But I moved out to this state to experience it, and I want to be sure I have enough time here! If I dont get in for the entering class of 2011, I will broaden my application to many of the PT schools throughout the US. I think that my background in running and coaching, as well as this shadowing, will be a huge asset to me. I finally feel like I am going in the right direction career wise, something that I set out to do when I came out here!

Another aspect of my life that hasnt quite figured itself out yet: Friends. I am convinced that this move to Boulder has been one of the truest tests of my character in my life. I find myself constantly experiencing lonliness and periods of homesickness out here, which I barely even experienced in college. There is something about being 1700+miles away without a family member or familiar friend even remotely close that constantly weighs on my heart. As I have talked about many a time in previous blog posts, my friends mean the world to me. I recently read my friend, Jay's quote "No man is a failure who has friends" and was reminded of what I have struggled so much with out here. There is no other way to explain it, than Boulder is the hardest place I have ever been to make friends. Im not talking about everyday acqaintances that call themselves your friends. Im talking those people that call you to do things, that are there for you through thick and thin. And maybe its just the situation Im in: Not in graduate school and not in a professional job. Either way, its been frustrating. Every day I see the Charlotte Running Club members or my former Richmond teammates encouraging and joking with each other online and I become sad. Why havent I found that out here? Im not going to whine and complain and say I dont have anyone. Of course I have a few co-workers, a few running buddies, and a few church goers that I consider good friends. Could I call on them if I really needed? When it ultimately comes down to it, a few of them, yes. But with the exorbitant number of people out here that I meet on a daily basis, and the effort that I put into calling and organizing things, I just get frustrated and worn down when calls arent returned or when I get flaked out on. So what am I really looking for? I think I have figured out that what I would really like, is a group of people (runners or non-runners) that hang out together, do runs together, do outdoor things together, and that have similar beliefs, goals, and interests. I just am at a roadblock as to how to get there. Maybe Im just a dreamer and need to accept the people that I have in my life for who they are and try to make the best of the situation, but when I constantly see myself with my future dog being my best friend out here, I think there is a problem there. But then again, maybe I just need more time...


On the upside, the number of outdoor activities that are out here, beckoning me to try them are endless! I have been skiing about 7 times at various resorts in the area, and I have to admit, I am so much better than my first day at Copper! I absolutely love skiing. It really reminds me of hockey, and Im convinced, flying down the mountain is one of the best feelings in the world. Winter Park has to be my favorite resort thus far, so Im glad that I got the dual pass to there and Copper! I cant wait to see how good I can get before the season is over! Hiking around here also proves to be a fabulous experience. I hope to hike some great 14ers this summer as well as experience many of the underpopulated other trails in CO. In a few weeks I will have my first snowshoeing experience under my belt, which I am pumped for and also have goals of trying climbing in the near future. I would also like to go on an extended backpacking trip this summer with mini vacation trips to the desert in Moab, the sand dunes, and some Southern Colorado exploring!


Running wise, I am no where near where I want to or thought I would be. I just thought that the minute I came out here, there would be a plethora of training partners and trails to motivate me. Well, the trails are there, but thus far the training partners have been few and far between in Boulder. People are either privately coached or they run recreationally. Fortunately, joining the Fleet Feet Women's Racing team, as well as posting an ad on craigslist has brought me two great training parnters, but up until the beginning of January, my motivation was lagging. Now, though, I have a set plan, and Im training for the Colorado Half Marathon in Fort Collins on May 9th, as well as the Bolder Boulder of Memorial Day. So Im excited for a fresh start to my running, even if my number of training partners is small.

So the past 6 months have been eventful to say the least. I have a plan for my career, which is good. Im loving the weather and the outdoors, a few other pluses. Im mainitaining positivity on the friends, and Im convinced that eventually everything will come together. For now, Im just trying to enjoy the ride!

Frostbite?

As I returned from my run this morning, I jumped in the shower and stood there for 30 minutes as I tried to warm up. The run had been in sub 20 degree temps at 7AM on the South Boulder Creek Trail with my training partner, Saul. 15 minutes into the run, we ran by a woman that had glasses on that were completely iced over. That should have been a sign to me that I should turn around and bundle up more, but nevertheless, we continued on and about 30 minutes in my eyelashes and hair were frozen. As I returned to the car, after about 50 minutes, I couldn't feel my calf muscles and I had trouble seeing with all that ice on my face. After my marathon shower, I thought I would thaw out, but to my dismay, my left ear and right calf were red and burning with a sensation that would cease to leave me. Frostbite. Now, you would think I would have learned the last time I got frostbite on my finger in January, as I watched the skin painfully peel away. But no, I didn't, and for the second time in my life, I have frostbite. Hopefully my ear doesn't peel off! And who ever heard of frostbite on their calf muscle?

Running wise, I just finished my 3 month training plan for the Colorado Half and Bolder Boulder 10k in May! I also am excited to be a part of the Fleet Feet Boulder Women's team! I am hoping through this team that I can help to promote a community of running through Fleet Feet as well as establish some new friendships and training partners. I have a new training partner that I also met, named Saul, who is about the same level as me, and will be doing the same training and racing plan, so I hope that we can both accomplish our goals for the upcoming spring training season. I will be doing my first race in Denver on St. Patrick's Day-a 7k-with my friends Jaime and Brandon so Ill be excited to break out the racing shoes in Colorado!

Colorado continues to amaze me with all of the beauty and outdoor activities that it has to offer. I went skiing at Winter Park this past weekend with my dad and former high school cross country coach and it was absolutely amazing. While up there in the Rockies, I just couldn't help but think how lucky I am to be out here taking advantage of what this state has to offer. Skiing has become one of my new loves. Being out there almost just transports you to another place of euphoria. For me and many others ski season has just begun and I cant wait to see what it has to offer! In a few weeks, Ill be embarking on my first snowshoeing experience, which Im sure will also prove to be simply awesome. I definitely have goals of visiting the sand dunes, hot springs, and going on an extended backpacking trip within the next year. Now to find the people to go with me...