You know it's summer when...

you see a snake while on a hike.

Yup, saw my first snake yesterday. A tiny little garter snake that was more scared of me than I was of it (which is kind of amazing, knowing my fear of snakes!) I was hiking Eagles Peak at the Air Force Academy and saw not only the snake but a roaring waterfall, the requisite chipmunk, lots of flys, bees and other bugs and of course, many cadets. It was a perfect day for a hike and I enjoyed every minute of it.

That night I went for a bike ride with Jody, a friend I met through the orienteering club. We parked near a local trail head and took a beautiful, mellow trail to downtown Colorado Springs, where we proceeded to get sick on a big bowl of Josh and John's ice cream (actually, I got sick - she was smart and got the small bowl). It was a perfect summer evening and reminded me of when I was a kid, when your only means of transportation was your bike - I remember riding all over the place, not having a care in the world. That's how the ride felt - just a casual, fun, relaxed ride with beautiful scenery and great company.

I seem to have turned a corner in my workouts - I'm finally feeling like I am progressing and getting stronger. I'm regularly riding 20-30 miles on the bike and actually sticking with my workout schedule. I'm pretty disciplined in getting in my workouts, but I've never been very disciplined when it comes to following a schedule. I am going on week 3 of my training for my race in July and it's been easy and fun to follow. If I can keep this up until the race, I just might feel prepared for the race. Let's all keep our fingers crossed - I don't want another repeat of the last race!

One thing I have been working on is how to avoid another dehydration/bonking episode. I've been trying different ways to get in electrolytes, which I know was part of my problem last time. I hate sport drinks, way too sweet for me and tends to upset my stomach. Instead I've been experimenting with Sports Jelly Beans, which are working really well. I've got a big workout planned Friday with 20 miles mountain biking and 10 miles hiking and that will be a good test on how these really work in the long term.

Other than that, the only other new adventure has been my new job. It's quite a change, going from a fairly large place to one that has 8 people. It's been a fun challenge - I've hit the ground running with lots of projects that need a quick turn around and I'm enjoying that. I love the challenge and I'm definitely not bored!

That's all I've got - hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! I'm finishing the weekend with an ATV ride outside of Woodland Park. Get out there and enjoy the summer, it is going to disappear way to fast!

A Special Thanks to the snake at Lair O The Bear Park

I've been asked many times "Why did you start running?" or "What made you decide to climb a 14'er?" The little known answer is that I began my pursuits after an encounter with a certain snake.

It was this past July and I was checking out a trail for the next group hike I was planning. I wasn't paying attention to the trail when out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move... no, not move, slither. Slithering in that gross, horrible way snakes do. Without a moments hesitation I turned and ran; ran in my big, klunky hiking boots the entire mile back to the parking lot.

What exactly does this have to do with my above mentioned goals, you ask? Before I answer that, you have to understand that I don't have a fear of snakes, I have a FEAR OF SNAKES. As in, I'm terrified of the ugly, slithering things that plague this earth. I have been known to hide when I see a snake on television. It all harkens back to my childhood and a run in (literally) with a snake near my playset. Suffice it to say that snakes and I have never been friends.

However, sometimes fear can be a good thing. And this time, this one time, the fear of snakes propelled me to do things I never imagined I could. Running back to the parking lot made me realize I can run, and I haven't stopped since. My desire to not see a snake again pushed me to pursue hikes at a higher elevation (the wonderful place where snakes never appear) and I just kept climbing higher and higher until I reached the top of a 14er.

I have lots of other fears that have stopped me from pursuing many of my dreams. I will be facing many of them next week during camp and I have to admit that unnerves me a bit. But then I remind myself of the affect that one snake had on me and I think, maybe, just maybe, something good can come from those fears as well.