I got the opportunity  to meet my new fellow marmot teammates a few days before the first race of the Triple Crown Series that we where all going to blog about together.

We met father marmot Tim at the Garden of Gods, the venue of the first race, for our team photo shoot. I’d tweaked my knee a little bit at work that day after teaching yoga, spinning, and then a step aerobics class.

I felt a little ridiculous limping through the photo shoot trying to…

7am, Manitou Springs City Hall. A scaffolding of banners overhead, beautiful sunny day. Crazy runners crowded onto the street, nervously looking up at the summit 13.32 miles away, trotting back and forth anxiously for quick, last minute trips to the port-a-potties. A goosebump-raising singing of America the Beautiful, a rush of adrenaline and at last: the gun- the moment I’ve waited 365 days for, the official beginning to the celebration of my favorite weekend all year long.

Four…

For years on many runs, I’ve asked myself, “WHY?” Why do I spend hours upon hours, miles upon miles working and enduring pain, frequently to come to an injury? (Knock on wood that won't happen again this year!) I started out my Pikes Peak running with that thought – why in the world am I doing this? When I could be peacefully wrapped in a dream? When I wouldn’t have to be trudging after my mom, vowing to myself that after this ‘stupid’ Ascent, I’ll never set foot on this dumb mountain…

Two down, two to go in the Triple Crown. The Summer Roundup on Sunday morning kicked off the week with such a great start. After returning just two days before the race from Alaska and a whooping 22 feet for three weeks, the Roundup was at the back of my mind. Going to bed, I was stressing about getting into medical school (somehow not the race the next morning, for whatever reason).

Piling the family in the car to drive to Bear Creek Park, I was getting more excited…