Tag: weather

#TinkRuns2024

Marathon Miles August 2024

2chicksandapen

It’s the month of walking.

5.3 miles here. 4.6 miles there. 9.7 at the peak. Time on my feet they say. It’s training. It’s so much time I say. It’s slow. It’s a mind challenge! Maybe even a mind fuck of sorts.

I didn’t track walking miles at all this year so I don’t have a quantity to give you but I did walk a lot. I walked because I could. I also walked because I knew I would have to walk a portion of the marathon thus my mind agreed I’m still training. I’m slowly increasing the time I spend on my legs even if it’s just a walk vs. a run. Sidelined from running until September. I feel I’m getting better but also falling behind in training. The quandary.

I shed the cast which lightened my load, however, I feel I need to trash a pair of shoes because they seem to lean to the side I had my cast on. That was surely an unplanned problem. The cast removal gave me a small victory to celebrate however the realization of the recovery outside the cast was a defeat. My walking pace is still a work In progress. I’m just not a fast walker. I’m more of a social walker. Both are very different paces. The hip shake needed to be an advanced walker is just not my thing. I much prefer a strut vs. a shake the tail feather. Walking unfortunately is my main training focus that may have not been designed but is now a required part of my training. Speed walker here I come!

Strength training is still a slow go until my wrist fully heals but each week I can tackle a little more. Lots of hand exercises with a squishy ball are in my future. Physical therapy for the lower extremities and occupational therapy for the hand. Aren’t I a lucky girl. It’s definitely frustrating to have three of four limbs injured at the same time. Different symptoms yet they can flare at the same time. Rest is overrated for sure. 

The 10k for this month is still questionable. Walk. Attempt to jog. Forward progressions. Will this be faster than my 10k in a cast? It’s a night race which should mean it’s cooler. That’s a positive. Maybe the only positive. 

Oh wait I get to wear my lighted vest so that’s a bonus. All geared up. Let’s hope the legs want to go go go to outer space!

Change of plans! Got all the way to the start line and a huge storm rolled in. Thunder. Lightning. Torrential downpour. No dry spot on one’s body. Rain delay. Rain delay. Cancellation. Walked a couple miles to and from the car but that’s about it. Got drenched. Even got nailed with water from passing cars on my trek over a bridge. Dirty, gross water. I guess it really wasn’t meant for me to do this race. At list I got a bib to write did not start/did not finish on it. That’s a first for me on a race day. The path below was one of the few race day pictures I got since it was too wet to use my phone.

Back to walking for my training.

Hoping September is a turning point in my training.

adventure

First Timer

2chicksandapen

I’m a first timer. A virgin of sorts. New skill. New form of fitness. New level of cold. New land to explore. New. New. New.

I guess I should let you in on the secret. I’m wearing an apparatus that I thought was going to resemble a tennis racquet on my feet as I trek through snow. To my surprise I had something more modern and practical. They call this snowshoeing and I’m paying for this form of torture just to say I did it! I must be a little nuts but I love completing unique excursions whenever possible.

I obviously love to share my stories in case one may want to try said activities. I also like to catalog my crazy adventures for the years ahead when I am not physically or mentally able to complete such crazy things. So here goes. Snow is on the forecast for today 1-3 inches. Cold temps and strong winds. That is just the start.

I’m layered up and ready to tackle the unknown. The initial climb is a few switch backs that get the heart rate going while you get used to your new footwear. I loved the bottom of mine. The claw-like bottom gives you so much traction in the snow. It was definitely an experience.

Hiking through the trees was my favorite part. Every corner was a little different. We traveled around a mine site and learned a little about the area history. We hiked near cliff hanger house that was being built with million dollar views. We got pretty close to an avalanche area and saw how the path changed.

I didn’t use poles for my hike but my pal did. I’m sure I could have benefited from them but I felt the traction from my snow shoes gave me the stability I wanted. I guess I opted for less baggage on my trek. A little more vigorous than hiking is what I would explain. If I lived somewhere cold I think I would definitely have a pair of these to kick around town in.

This view was amazing although the picture doesn’t do it justice. The skies were grey today due to the stormy weather but the climb yielded some amazing views of the city and the ski trails. If you are ever in this area, you should give snow shoes a try. Just because.

adventure, travel

Park City, Utah

2chicksandapen

It’s the end of 2022. I spent way too many days out in the cold this year, but somehow I booked a year end vacation in the tundra. Cold for me. Snow for me. The destination was selected. Park City, Utah in the chilly month of December. 

A few hours by plane gets me to the powdery land of snow-filled adventures. Time to play in this winter wonderland and document all my favorite spots. The picture below captures the frigid temps that I am about to endure.

The crazy began with packing. How many layers would be needed? Do I pack the big puffy jacket or lug it through the airport. Do I have enough heat packs? The list of doubt goes on and on. I guess you will read on and find out how I fared on this spectacular adventure. Just two bags. Ready to go on Southwest. Just two bags was important. I need one just for extra layers.

We didn’t get too far into the trip before chaos erupted. A lost bag. Tears for hours for the one with the missing bag. Big ugly tears of loss. Fear of the unknown. Regrets galore. It was awful. The tale of the white suitcase will not be forgotten anytime soon. Reunited 48 hours later with a lesson learned along the way is the best way to sum up this unexpected fiasco. A lot of help from those along the way.

After a long trek, food was a much needed requirement. Before actually reaching Park City, we hit a notable dive from the Guy Fieri TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives… called the red Iguana. A tiny hole in the wall known for their mole sauces. I was definitely excited to try their sample mole plate after watching a documentary on how mole sauce is made and the variations. Not to mention the chocolate involved. A neat pit stop to check off the foodie list. Killer nachos was my choice for the day and it didn’t disappoint.

The photo below gives a little snapshot of each of these sauces for those unfamiliar with mole and with curious minds. Ignore the prices. Focus on the descriptions.

A short drive from Salt Lake City to the final destination of Park City, Utah. Gorgeous mountain views. Snow-capped mountain tops. Cool crisp air. All were welcoming signs that we had arrived. More posts will follow in the coming days covering food, adventures and whatever else doesn’t hit the cutting room floor. I hope you enjoy the winter adventures through my eyes. For me, I may be in a winter wonderland one week and basking in sunshine in Florida the next week. You just never know which way the wind will blow me.

For now you are getting the wintertime snowy adventures, while next time you may see more sunshine. Either way travel documents many life experiences. The dagger-like icicles are a nice reminder by my window each morning. Should the air warm up those daggers may fall and cause some injuries. I’ll be treading with caution in the days ahead.

Stay tuned as I explore this winter wonderland in the days ahead. While I’m packed and ready for the cold I am hearing of the storm of the century hitting every other part of the US and it seems I may end up being in the warmer climate during this trip. What an irony.

adventure

Foggy Friday

2chicksandapen

It was Friday night close to midnight. I was catching a late night flight. The fog set in just as we were taking off. The flickering light on the wing had a halo-like glow in the misty air. The southwest colors shined a little brighter on the wing. The simple picture was worth a snap or two. For I just wanted to remember the moment. I would normally share the photos but I unfortunately deleted them in error.

A tropical storm was coming up from the south. Torrential rain was at my destination to the north. The fog of Friday seemed ever so light despite the murky air and wet forecast for my weekend away. This cloudy, misty, miserable state somehow seemed relaxing after the long week leading up to this weekend getaway. So much to think about in the stillness of the foggy air.

I’m not tired yet, but I should be catching a nap. Instead I wrote. I drifted off into the creative space that I find joy in. I had just reviewed an article on oppression. It gave me a moment to pause and think about today’s society in comparison to the slave era. What has changed? What suffering still lurks? Just some banter for myself on this late flight.

Of course I had my adventures in people watching at the airport prior to boarding. This time I played a little game and aimed for people listening in addition to watching. I heard the singers in the air. I heard the couple complaining. I heard young people conversing about school work. I even heard some offensive comments. Maybe not directly spoken at me, but at a class of people I mirror in a way. I thought I’d hear more about the latest elections but not so much. The World Series didn’t seem like a current topic anymore. Just funny to hear what’s around you in the airport.

The mix of people. The mix of where people are from. The mix of where people are going. The tired people. The hyper people. The angry people. The weird people. Not really much to report in this post. Rather it’s just a summary of observations. A look through my lens. The way I see what’s around me. 

Travel is always about adventure. The unknown. The known. The plan. The unplanned. For I just experienced my first unplanned, unwanted, and unlikely scenario on trip. The spill. The spray. The laptop. Oh my. The girl next to me unknowingly opened a Sprite bottle while watching a movie. Her momentary lapse in judgment caused a decent mess. Followed by an “oh shit” moment.

The laptop had a puddle on it. The movie was still going. The bottle was still spraying. She was trapped in the window seat: The awkwardness and chaos hit at the same time. The blank stare. Really. I hit the call button. My call button. Don’t I look stupid now that the bottle had been moved to my tray table to help ease the stress and I asked for the boat load of napkins. I was a bit humiliated in the moment. I ended up looking like the hot mess while I really was just the innocent seat mate in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A little sticky. A little damp. For now I just have to cut this post short to be sure I’m not transferring the sticky goop onto my keyboard. For that would just make me a little aggravated. Off I go to really try to rest this time. And of course avoid any future encounters with exploding Sprite bottles. 

From observations to oppression to perception. This post really went from a-z in no time. That in itself sums up my day to day life in a nutshell.

nature

Storm Watching

2chicksandapen

I spent a few hours storm watching on a recent trip. It wasn’t planned but I ended up enjoying it enough to write about it.

It all started when I was at the beach. Friends and I were bickering back and forth on whether the rain was coming or not. One side was super clear skies while the other side looked like a nasty storm was brewing. The weather app was not showing either view throwing logic out the window.

Back at the vacation spot we sat and watched the clouds in the distance. We heard sounds of thunder near and far. We felt the breeze pick up then die down. We saw single lightning strikes in the distance then flashes that lit up the sky. It was almost like fireworks in the late afternoon but not a drop of rain.

We moved on to a stroll in town before heading back to the beach for sunset views. More strange clouds appeared and almost looked fake. The heavens were about to open up. Our stroll was cut short. Ice cream may have fallen on the ground in the scurry to the car. A sad face appeared after getting wet and dropping the freshly scooped favorite ice cream. Somehow the frown turned upside down.

Back again to the vacation spot to see the sky and a glimpse of sunset. It ended up being amazing. The sunset was different and reflected perfectly off the water. The reflection along with my burning candle made the moment a view to remember with the sweet aroma of my candle floating in the background.

A short distance away on the pier there was another view to admire. As the darkness of night fell the glow of the lights under the dock shined green. The water had a glow. The sky was full of random clouds by now. The sky was painting its own Picasso image tonight. Just breathtaking.

The sky lit up in the distance again. I had tried so hard earlier to capture the flickering lights in the sky or the single bolts of lightening to no avail. Then finally the perfect moment appeared in the distance. The strike was finally captured in the perfect setting.

When you see the beauty of the photos and hear the story I wrote, it is my hope that you feel the experience the same way I did.

Nature is amazing. The sights. The sounds. The smells. When you can immerse yourself in a moment or day outdoors you can feel a different kind of being alive. A true immersion therapy of sorts. Refreshing the soul. The mind.