As much as I do enjoy snow (indeed it is the reason I’m here in Minnesota, there, I said it), I love, love LOVE summer weekends. We just had another good one, even though it’s so hot and sticky that I’ve got prickly heat for the first time since I was about eight years old. There were good movies, good food, both out and in (I made my first batch of sourdough waffles!), and some new fruit has appeared in the garden (tiny little Ahaheim pepperlets!). I taught some yoga, fit in two short runs, and I got some good interval & strength training in, at my regular Sunday morning “boot camp” class.

Steve and I also put in a nearly 2-hour long hike, as some training for our upcoming trip in the Grand Canyon. We plan to hike down to the bottom from the North Rim, then back up again, over three days. Next week!

I’m aware that 2 hours of laps on our steepest nearby hill are not likely going to prepare my feet for the abuse of the Canyon’s steep decline & incline, but hopefully my cardio and strength training will at least make up for some of that. We’ll bring as much blister-care supplies as we can carry.

Sourdough!

Despite all the great entertainment, delicious food, vitamin D absorption, and fitness, however, the best part of the weekend is that I’ve made peace with the race that didn’t really happen last week, and have refocused on the next one. July 4 proved to be too steamy of a day to allow me to beat my PR on a half-marathon. I’ve got the Ragnar Relay coming up in August, so I’ve adjusted my training for that very different type of race.

As for that goal: My best time for a half was on an October trail half, so that very race may be my best chance of beating my PR. And, there may be another new race or two that I can do, before then. The trails, roads, and adventures await!