You know the day – the one where you wake up and distinctly know there has been a shift. The air is cooler than it’s been in months. The light looks just a bit different coming through the window. Summer is being kicked in the butt by big sister, Autumn. Autumn says, “Move over, bitch. You’ve been around long enough this year.” And Summer, feeling dejected and used up, starts to slither away.
I couldn’t be happier. Bring on the crockpots, the throw blankets, the hot tea in the afternoon, watching the Broncos lose.
September is my favorite month in Colorado. The nights are quite cool, but the days are still warm. Thunderstorms are generally a thing of the past, yet snow hasn’t started t move in. Each and every day has about the same temperature: 75 to 80 degrees, the sun shines, there is little wind. It is like crack for cyclists and runners. It takes absolutely no motivation or will-power to hit the road. You look outside, feel the air and are simply DRAWN to go.
About a mile from my house. I know, totally sucks.
I nearly hit my head on the ceiling jumping out of bed for an early morning ride. Big cup of coffee, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a nice dump and we were out of here.
This is a good time to tell you that I never promised I was taking a week off in this post. I just told you it was suggested to me, but I’m not doing it. I am however, taking a self-imposed 7-10 days off from running to give my body a break. This is a VERY big deal for me. I have not done this in the past three years unless I was injured. Please be proud of me. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
We did a 30 mile ride up to Lyons, Colorado called the Fruit Loops. It is called this because you are required to go out 15 miles, sit down on the side of the road where someone has stored a box of Froot Loops, eat a bowl (you have to bring your own spoon, bowl and milk), then head home.
Just kidding. That would be really stupid. In fact, it is just two separate loops that you take once you hit the foothills. Someone really cool coined the ride “Fruit Loops.”
Ken and I did the ride at a nice clip (1:40) and got home in time to see Sam dig into his bowl of Cap’n Crunch. Next weekend we will do the Cap’n Crunch 50 miler if I can find someone to hide the cereal.
I then made a pumpkin cheesecake, and got all this major loot at the farmer’s market for $7.00. (1 cantaloupe, 3 tomatoes, 10 small potatoes, 1 green pepper, 3 zucchini, 1 cucumber, 1 onion). No shit.
We gathered the kids and headed up for a short hike outside of Boulder. Everyone around here needs a divorce from technology. Seriously. Sometimes I wish I just lived in a cabin in the remotest of mountain areas where there were no cell phones, internet, nothing. But, who am I kidding? I would miss Target and Wifi and Starbucks and end up driving 50 miles for these things, thereby wasting a lot of time and gas so it is better to stay here and just try to unplug every once in awhile I suppose.
I look so good with hair in my face.
A teenager very happy to be on a hike with his family:
Here is a picture I tried to take of a tandem recumbent bike (never seen one of those before). One of the riders, a lady, had only one leg and was moving herself with her arms and her one leg. My timing sucked and I didn’t get the photo, but use your imagination.
I love it when people do not allow themselves to be limited. If I lost my legs or arms or both I KNOW I would find a way to still move my body and be the best I could be. Easy for me to say since I have all four limbs, but I just know myself and this is what I would do.
Then you could call me Matt or Bob or Ilene or Art. Or, if I was between two slices of bread you could call me Patty.
What’s your favorite month of the year where you live?
Do you sometimes hate technology or get overloaded with it? How do you handle it for yourself and your family?
What’s your favorite no arms and no legs joke? (if you think that kind of thing is funny. If you don’t, sorry to offend you).
What’s your favorite thing about Fall?
SUAR
PS: The winner of the YMX by Yellowman running shirt is #157 Colleen from Running 1 mile, 13.1 times. Email me at beth@shutupandrun.net for your prize!!
