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Happy Thursday! This week it’s popped back into HOT weather, which makes me yearn for summer again! Here’s what I’m thankful for this week:
I’m thankful for the heat and sunshine. I’m bound and determined to enjoy every warm day and every ounce of sunshine there is because I know that in the not too distant future I will be wishing it was a bit warmer again. So, even though it’s been almost 90 most days this week, I’m thankful for that.
I’m thankful for a beautiful summer filled with great opportunities and memories. Because of my jobs my schedule is very broken into seasons, which is nice because it gives a regular chance to sit and reflect on the past few months. This summer season was absolutely beautiful, and I’m so thankful for everything that happened in the past three months.
I’m thankful for the chance to hike out at Custer State Park. Custer was one of my favorite things about my trip to South Dakota, and I wish I could’ve spent a week just hiking there. I loved the chance to get away from all noise except the noise I was making and the noise of nature. It’s so rare to get that, and I absolutely loved it.
I’m thankful for a job that I really enjoy. I can’t imagine having to go back to work at the end of the summer to a job I didn’t enjoy (it’s hard enough when it’s a job I love). I’m thankful that I have a job that I can look forward to going to.
I’m thankful for good food. I can’t imagine eating the same things day in and out for most of my life. I’m so thankful for the wide variety of foods, nutrients, and taste that I have in my life!
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
This is another post from my trip out West! When we headed out to Custer State Park, I didn’t know what they had for hiking, but I knew that I would like to hike, and I knew that I absolutely wanted to find some buffalo!
We decided to drive around the Wildlife loop to find the animals, and would stop at any trail that we happened to find. But first, we saw some buffalo out roaming. Because the buffalo are free to roam wherever they’d like in the park, one of the great things about driving through is that you never know where you’ll find them! The other funny thing- they walk through the cars and can cause quite the traffic jam!
So close to the cars!
Fun fact about me: I LOVE buffalo, and they used to be one of my favorite exhibits at the local zoo when I was little. I absolutely LOVED seeing the buffalo at Custer, and felt that little kid excitement as I took far more pictures than necessary.
They also have several burros that walk around the park, and are very friendly! They loved getting fed and getting pets!
We ended up stumbling along the French Creek trail, and decided to hike it. Unfortunately, there are several creeks that run through the trail, so we decided to hike until we couldn’t go anymore, and then turn around. That ended up being 0.3 of a mile, so we hopped back in the car in search of another place.
We stumbled upon the Peter Norbeck visitor’s center (just to give you an idea of where in the park the trail is!), and asked them for a good hiking trail recommendation. The lady pointed us across the street to a trail called “Lover’s Leap” (listed at three miles- it ended up being four), so we gave it a try!
The trail starts out as a quick uphill climb, and I was huffing and puffing about .3 of a mile into it. It doesn’t seem so bad to be working hard when the views are beautiful though! There was a big forest of pine trees, which smell absolutely delicious, so I was a happy camper as I gasped a bit for air. Somewhere around a mile or so the trail flattened out a bit, and the next mile or mile and a half seemed to be comprised of gentle uphills and downhills. It was beautiful, and we happened to be on the trail alone, so besides our own talking, we heard nothing but nature, which I loved.
Lover’s Leap has an excellent look out point across the forest and hills, so we took a moment to stop and enjoy the view and eat a snack!
I also took a picture of this fantastic sign :
I love everything about this 🙂
And then we were off. As we climbed down the other side of the hill in the Park, we entered an awesome little forest area with a winding creek in it, and to say it was beautiful was an understatement. Every few minutes one of us would say “Oh my gosh- look at how beautiful this is” and we’d stop to enjoy it. Again, pictures don’t remotely do it justice!
Like I said, the trail was listed as 3 miles, but it came out more at 4 miles if you walked back to the parking lot where you start. The last .5 of a mile or so is through camp sites and on the main loop through the park, so you won’t get the beautiful nature area surrounding you, but it’s still great.
If I remember correctly, this hike was listed as “moderate” difficulty and I’d say that’s accurate, at least for the first mile. The rest of the trail isn’t bad at all, but the first mile is steep and a bit more technical. According to my garmin, the elevation gain was 531 feet with a max elevation of just under 4700 feet.
My brother and I both agreed that this is in the top three trails that we hiked up in the South Dakota/Wyoming area, and would top my list of places to hike again if I were to visit again! If you’re in Custer State Park at any point, I would definitely encourage you to hit the trail and enjoy the views and nature around you!
(if you’re interested in other hikes from my trip, check out the Incline on Pikes Peak! More hikes will be posted here in the following weeks!)
I’ve been talking about Truest on my blog for the past few months, and have been anticipating it’s publishing date of September 1st for a LONG time! THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED where you can go and buy Truest online and in stores, and I’m so excited for my friend Jackie on this huge accomplishment!
If you’d like to know more about Truest, you can check out my book review here and you can read more about it on goodreads. I also did an author interview with her a few weeks ago, so you can check that out here! You can find her blog/more information about Truest here. If you enjoy young adult fiction, this book is for you!
Congrats Jackie on your big day! I’m proud of you 🙂
Going back to work at the end of the summer is bitersweet- I absolutely love my job, but I hate to leave the freedom (and HEAT) of summer behind. As is my usual practice, I like to spend a few minutes reflecting on the last three months, and all that my most favorite season of the year has given to me!
This summer I continued to build up my endurance on the bike, increasing my personal distance record to 70 miles! I had some wonderful other rides too: Bike Ride to Mackinac Island, a bike trip that included a stop at the pie shop, I biked in the 317, I ran into some flooding during a ride, the one where I almost got hit by a deer while biking, and the one where I got to explore new roads.
I spent lots of weekends at Melissa’s and at my friend “L’s” house, which I’ve absolutely loved!
I’ve read lots of fantastic books! Some of my favorites from the summer include: All Fall Down, The Rosie Project/The Rosie Effect, Inside the O’Briens, Big Little Lies, Killing Lincoln, and Eleanor and Park!
I’ve had a lot of fantastic runs as well! I loved the Run (317) race I ran in June, the run I had in Central Park, My 4th of July race (I got to run with my cousins!), the one I ran in Minnesota, and a beautiful morning run I had in this flyover state!
Central Park
I also fell in love with hiking this summer as I visited my brother out west! I hiked the incline on Pikes Peak, all around Custer State Park, Harney Peak, Palmer Lakes, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands- and many more! I hiked over 30 miles in the week I was out visiting him!
Hiking at Devil’s Tower
Hiking at the Badlands
At the top of the incline on Pike’s Peak
I traveled more this summer than almost any summer: MANY many weekend trips to Indianapolis, a trip to Minnesota, an overnight trip in Chicago, a trip to Florida, a trip to Kansas and Missouri over the 4th of July, a trip to NYC with my parents, a trip out West (Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska), and a trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan. In total I was in 13 states this summer, which is crazy! I’m so thankful for the incredibly cheap flights I was able to find and the family members I was able to see this summer.
Marco Island, Florida
Blueberry Picking in Missouri
This summer also had a lot of firsts and “big moments”! I moved into a house, made a new biking PDR, bought my very first flat screen TV, mowed the lawn for the first time this millenium, and some big work news (which I’ll share in the coming weeks!).
Goodbye Apartment Living!
Somehow in between all of that I’ve managed to spend lots of time with friends, go to work (I still keep one job that I do two evenings a week in the summer), go on lots of walks, and work in my yard. Unfortunately, unpacking is still a process, as I have hardly been home since I actually moved!
I’m ready to get back into a routine now, but not ready to give up the freedom that my summer schedule provides, my long bike rides, the extra hours I have to read, and all the mornings that I don’t have to wake up early (I still was awake by 7:15 or 7:30 most days this summer). But most of all, I’m thankful that the summer has granted extra time to do things and see people that I love.
Here’s to another year at work!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s been a few of your highlights from the summer? Did you have a “first” this summer?
Disclaimer: I received the compression sleeve shown and discussed below from Zensah to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! I received this product for free, but received no other form of compensation; all opinions are my own.
If you’ve been around this blog very long, you know that I’m a big fan of compression! I love feeling like my muscles are getting a little hug- especially during recovery! When I was offered the chance to review Zensah’s thigh compression sleeve, I jumped at the chance for two reasons: 1- I love Zensah, and still wear my Zensah calf sleeves almost weekly, and 2- I was looking for something to help my IT bands a bit (they get tight pretty easily).
When I received the sleeve, I was excited, but slightly nervous. I had ordered the S/M size, but knew that I was right on the edge. The fact is that my thighs are a lot bigger from May-November than the other six months of the year due to an increase in biking, so I wasn’t sure what to do. When I tried it on, it was just a little too tight. It fit up my leg, but it was not at all comfortable. I reached out to the company and they generously sent me the L/XL size.
This size definitely fit better! I immediately took it put it on as I sat in my office for a bit and worked (just to break it in a bit), and I loved the amount of pressure that it provided! It’s definitely different to have compression above my knee, but I think I can get used to it pretty quickly.
Walking with Zensah and plantronics wireless headphones!
Next step was to take it for a walk. I definitely enjoyed the increased compression in walking, especially after my bike ride to Mackinac Island (and spending two nights “sleeping” in crunched positions on a bus).
One little complaint with the sleeve- the top band rolls down (I’ve heard this same complaint from a number of Pros (but some aren’t having this problem as well), so I know it’s not just something weird with my thigh). This gets really annoying while moving, and makes me feel even more like I have “sausage thighs” (unpleasant image, isn’t it!).
So how do I envision using this product in the future? Well- I’m just starting to train for my fall half marathon, and you better believe that I will be wearing this sleeve after my long runs to aid in recovery!
Relaxing on the couch
I might end up wearing it for some walks- we’ll just have to see. But when I sit on my couch the top band doesn’t budge, and it provides just enough compression to make it work without being uncomfortable!
Let’s give three cheers for compression!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your must haves as you head into a new training cycle?
Happy Thursday! It’s been a busy week with my trip to Mackinac Island and then trying to catch up on life since I’ve been back!Here’s what I’m thankful for today!
I’m thankful for another safe trip. Taking almost 100 people on the road biking for the day (especially when most aren’t bikers at all) is a scary thing, and I’m thankful that no one got injured. We drove through two nights, and I’m also thankful for safety in driving and travel.
I’m thankful for the views I got to see. Nature is an absolutely wonderful thing, and that is absolutely the case in Northern Michigan. I loved seeing scenes that were different than others I’d seen this summer, and they were absolutely gorgeous. The deep greens, brilliant blue of the water, and beautiful flowers on the side of the road made the ride just amazing.
I’m thankful for some solid time on my bike. The weeks of my really long rides are coming to a close, so I’m thankful I’ve had the time to bike 100 miles this week- and most of them in absolutely beautiful areas. I’m so thankful for the time I get on that bike each week.
I’m thankful for time with my friends. Seriously- they are so important to me, and I’m thankful that I have time in my week to see them.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
If you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you might remember that last August I had the opportunity to go on a work bike trip to Mackinac Island, and this past weekend I had the opportunity to do the same thing again! We take about 90 people up to Michigan, sleep about three hours on Thursday night, and then bike all day Friday!
On Friday I woke up at 6:30 am (again, after sleeping 3 hours), and got ready for a long day of biking with several co-workers. They brought in Starbucks, fruit, and donuts for us, and we were on the road by 8:30 am to bike from Petosky, Michigan to Mackinaw City, Michigan.
Pic from last year- but the same scene, except less long sleeves because it was warmer this year!
Like I mentioned last year, most people riding aren’t bikers, so the ride takes a good chunk of the day, instead of about four hours like it would take me (but seriously- I’m so impressed that people who don’t bike at all can hop on the bike and make it that distance in the day!). The first 8ish miles are slow as everyone is trying to figure out breaking, shifting gears, and getting used to biking in a pack. Honestly, the ride is difficult for me in terms of riding with a group! I love the company and having people to talk to, but I bike alone so I’m not used to watching for others swerving into me, etc. At 8 miles we wind to our first views of the lake (along with some GORGEOUS houses), and you can feel everyone’s mood lift!
Just like last year, I biked in the front of the pack, and loved getting to know the new people who were riding up there this year! At mile 10 is a long, winding hill (I don’t do a ton of hill riding, so this is a great ride for me in that!), and at the top a van is waiting with gatorade, granola bars, etc. It’s a great stop after the hill, and I grabbed a gatorade at that point.
Someone in my group took this picture as she was bringing up the rear. This is the little pack I rode with (I’m up front in the bright yellow jersey). It was a truly beautiful day!
Then it’s time to enjoy the views! Northern Michigan is so different in terms of scenery than I am used to, and it’s great to mix things up! The views of the lake are absolutely gorgeous, and when we’re not biking along the lake we duck into the woods and go on winding roads there.
We stopped for lunch at the same place we did last year, and enjoyed a picnic there. Unfortunately I got bit by some ants, so that made the time less relaxing. And after lunch we have an easy 5 mile ride to the beach, where some people get in, but I enjoy just standing and looking at the views!
Again- picture from last year. Nothing has changed.
Then we have another 12ish mile stretch to an ice cream shop that we stop at. This stretch has some really bad roads, and there were several corvettes and motorcycles that sped past really fast and VERY close to us- it was a pretty scary moment for us! After weaving around pot holes for a few miles, we pulled in and everyone I was with got some ice cream and I got skittles (lactose intolerant here…). 10 minutes off the bike and we were back on for the last 7ish miles into Mackinaw City! I think it’s around 55ish miles or so (I said 52 last year but I think that was low), and it was a really great ride!
We’ve made it!
After showering and eating dinner, we spent some time walking around the town and eating funnel cake!
That night we slept on the cement floors of a building near the water (I was so tired I didn’t even care), and then continued the bike ride the next day on Mackinac Island (all our bikes were sent over on the ferry). The views there were absolutely unreal as well! I’ll talk more about my time there soon!
This ride to Mackinac Island is by no means the most difficult ride of my summer, and is far shorter than my recent 70 miler, but it’s gorgeous and includes a lot of people, which makes it really fun! Mostly this trip makes me want to take more bike trips in the future!
Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever been on a bike trip before?
Disclaimer: I received a pair of Plantronics wireless headphones to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
One fun fact about me is that I have something to listen to almost constantly when I’m not at work. I love podcasts, audiobooks, youtube channels, and Netflix, and all of those things tend to involve something else: headphones! So, when I was given the opportunity to try out Plantronics wireless headphones this summer, I jumped at the opportunity! I loved the idea of not having to carry my phone around with me and still get to enjoy things like doing dishes while listening to something, cleaning, etc.
At first I was just thinking about using the headphones for working out, but then I realized that they fit into my overall lifestyle. The first time I tried the Plantronics headphones, it was while I was in the process of moving, and I wanted to be able to listen to something but also have the freedom to move room to room. I had my phone charging in the living room, but could move from room to room with ease since I had my headphones on!
I’ve also loved using the headphones while mowing and doing yardwork! They fit snuggly in my ear and I can hear whatever podcast I’m listening to without having to blast my poor ears like I do with some headphones.
just filling up the mower with more gas…
Now onto exercise! Once I got the headphones, I started to think about how it goes against what I typically do while exercising. It’s been important to me to only have one earbud in while running and biking on the street so I can be aware of my surroundings (someone coming up behind me, a car about to come around me, etc…), and with these headphones you can’t really do it. I automatically nixed the idea of using these for biking, but decided to give them a try on my birthday run! I would only use these on streets that weren’t busy/that I knew really well since they drown out a little more noise.
Birthday morning run!
However, I’ve loved using them for walking! I thought they might bounce around, but they really don’t! They seem to be just a little too big around my ears, which bugged me at first, but I don’t notice that at all anymore- and the buds stay in my ear well. The only other complain that I have about the headphones, other than the fact that I have to have both ear buds in, is that after an hour-hour and a half, my ears start to hurt with the buds in them. If I was going to use them on long runs or bike rides, it would be difficult to do so because they wouldn’t be comfortable. For what I’ve used them for, however, they’ve been great!
Getting in some walks! This picture shows how they fit around the back of the head and with sunglasses
The headphones are easy to charge, and just plug into a USB port on my computer! They hold the charge well, which is also nice! OH- and they are waterproof, which is also awesome! The headphones also come with a carrying case for your headphones which can turn into an armband to put your phone in while you exercise! Isn’t that awesome!
Carrying case on the left
Overall, I love the Plantronics wireless headphones, but I can’t wear them on longer runs or on any bike rides. However, I’ve still found plenty of ways to use them a few times a week! If you want to find plantronics online, you can find them the following places:
Website: http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/backbeat-fit
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Plantronics
Instagram: https://instagram.com/plantronics/
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one way that you would use wireless headphones? What’s one new workout product you’ve gotten this summer?
Like I mentioned last week, my brother and I spent 10 days traveling out west in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota (and drove through Nebraska as well), so I thought I’d share some of that with you, beyond the individual posts that I’m doing about some of the hikes!
The first few days we stayed with some friends in Colorado, which was great because we could hike during the day and they would have dinner ready to go when we got back! We had some fun shooting a pellet gun at a sign on their property- each night we had to “shoot for dessert” and couldn’t have dessert until we got a hit!
Aren’t the views from their house amazing?
We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets and campfires (along with great conversation!) each evening!
We started the morning with huge breakfasts of potatoes (or hasbrowns), eggs, bacon, and fruit, along with french press coffee.
Besides two hikes that I’ll share more about (Palmer Lakes and Pikes Peak Incline) , we also hiked Spruce Mountain (in Larkspur, Colorado) the morning that we left, and got some final, beautiful views of Colorado!
If you’re in the area and looking for a relatively easy and beautiful trail, this 1.8 mile round trip trail is a great one!
Besides the hikes I’ll be sharing more about in South Dakota, we also did some touristy things. I’m actually shocked that the Rapid City area has quite so much to do. Even being there a week I felt like I still had a long list of things we could’ve done!
Of course we went to Mount Rushmore, and enjoyed looking at the carvings before walking the Presidential Trail there. I was expecting to be underwhelmed by it, but I was actually REALLY impressed, especially as I learned more about how they actually got the faces there.
We went to Crazy Horse, which wasn’t so impressive as it’s still in the early stages of being worked on. I definitely would say that it wouldn’t be worth it to pay to see it, as you can see it almost as well from the road.
On the day that we went to the Badlands, we also stopped by Wall Drug, which I was definitely impressed with! There are a ton of stores there, some delicious food (we got donuts and 5 cent coffee there), and enjoyed taking some pictures. They also have a splash pad there that kids were loving! A trip to Wall Drug is definitely necessary, especially since there are a ridiculous amount of signs out there pointing to it!
I found another buffalo there!
One afternoon we headed out to a little “mountain lake” and beach with a group of people, and enjoyed time standing around in the water talking. I didn’t take pictures of it, but it was definitely the most beautiful lake I’ve ever been to!
There is an air force base out in Rapid City that was having an air show one of the weekends, so we enjoyed going out there to see several planes!
But most of all, even with the beautiful nature I saw, hikes I had, and fun netflix shows at night, I enjoyed seeing my friends and brother the most. It’s a trip that’s been hard to adjust back from, for sure. I didn’t know much about South Dakota before this trip, but I would absolutely go out to the Rapid City area again!
Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever taken a trip “out west” before? What’s been your favorite thing to do or see out in the mountain region there?
Happy Thursday! I’ve had a crazy past two weeks, and I wish I could sit down with each of you and tell me all about my time traveling out west! I’ll be doing various posts about my trip throughout the next few weeks, but for today, here’s what I’m thankful for today:
I’m thankful for all the beautiful places I got to hike over the past week and a half. I saw some seriously beautiful and breath taking things during all my hikes, and while I took pictures, they didn’t remotely capture what I was actually seeing. To be out in nature, many times without any other noises EXCEPT nature, was absolutely amazing and grounding in ways I can’t describe. I’m thankful I discovered a new love while on vacation.
I’m thankful for the chance to add a new state to my “have traveled to” list! I LOVE to travel, and I’ve made it a priority in my life. This trip I was able to add Wyoming to the list of states that I have visited, and I absolutely loved my time there. The views were pretty fantastic- I had no idea it was so pretty there!
Hiking in Wyoming
I’m thankful for time with my brother. I hadn’t seen my brother since Christmas, so having a 10 day trip where we spent most of the time hiking and talking was really fantastic! I’m so thankful that our schedules lined up in such a way that we were able to make this trip happen!
I’m thankful that I was finally able to hike the incline! Like I mentioned earlier this week, this has been on my “to do” list for almost a decade, so to be able to finally climb it felt really wonderful.
I’m thankful for all the buffalo I got to see! I LOVE buffalo (I have as long as I can remember), so to see them free roaming about Custer State Park was thrilling. They walked right up to cars (more in between cars causing little traffic jams!) so I got a front row view to their antics, and I left feeling a bit sad that I can’t have one as a pet! They’re adorable 🙂
I just want to pet one!
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for? What’s one animal you wish you could have but know you can’t ever have?
