Friday, September 30, 2022

September Running

We're getting into my favorite running season in Idaho. I LOVE fall! September was a great outdoor month for us!

Women's Runs:
We had the best women's run of all time in September. I hosted a bridal shower running extravaganza for Amanda, and it turned out so awesome. We all got thrift store formals, and we set out running in them around the river. So funny! Nate Reese even offered to come and be our photographer, and got some fantastic pictures. We got lots of cheers from cars driving by. 😁 After the run we headed to my house for desserts, drinks, and presents. I love that I run with such fun people.

This is my new favorite running picture of all time. I love it so much! 😂

We're all so excited for this beautiful bride-big shoulder pads and all!

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I love this one too! I made sure my dress matched my shoes!


Congrats Amanda! I can't wait for the wedding weekend! 

We went plugging for the other women's run! There were people shooting at our usual spot, so we had to clean up a different road. A lady that lives in the area drove by, asked what we were doing, and when we told her, she thought it was so great. She thanked us, and offered to take our filled bags for us. It's nice to know we can make a small difference.


There is never a shortage of trash on the dirt roads.

Tablerock/Hurricane Pass/Alaska Basin:
This was an epic adventure! I've been to all these areas, but never combined them the way that we did on this run. It was amazing! Ashley, Michelle and I climbed Tablerock (4 miles and 4000 feet of gain), then went off the side of it down to Hurricane Pass. I've never done that before! I'm not the most coordinated person, and we came straight off the side of a mountain over big rocks, so I was a little worried about that part. I loved it! Hurricane Pass has always been my favorite view of the Tetons, and what an awesome way to get there! We ended it by going past sunset lake, and taking a shortcut that I had never done down Alaska Basin and Teton Canyon. Beautiful day!

Final stretch to Tablerock. Check out that sky!

We made it to the top!


We picked our way down the mountain, and I was quite proud of how I did.

Ashley and Michelle- I was in great hands!

The view of the Tetons as we made our way to Hurricane Pass.

I came down that! 😲

This was the coolest area!

I love exploring new areas!

Ahhhhh! This view right here is what I was waiting for!

Hurricane Pass!

On our way to Sunset Lake.

These are some tough ladies!

Sunset Lake has always been one of my very favorites.


There is nothing like that sound!

Cooling off for our last few miles.

Amazing 15 miles!

Kelly Canyon Loops:
Joyce and I met for an 11 miler in Kelly Canyon. Now that I live in Ririe, I'm so close to so many trails. I love it so far! We didn't take any pictures together, but I sure got one of a cute cow. 😂

Playing chicken with a cow.

The fog over the river from Hidden Vista.

Wolf Flats:
Mark and I spent the weekend moving and unpacking, but we still needed to get some training miles in. I felt like I had a pretty good handle on the elevation training, but I needed some consistent running miles. We headed out in the evening to do Wolf Flats. We did 13.5 miles, and I ran all of it. We knew we would be finishing in the dark, and that was actually quite fun. I had a fun game going to see how far I could get before I had to turn on my headlamp. 😆 I only had to have it on for the last couple miles.

This is such a great training road, and I love living so close to it now!


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the sunset reflecting off the river was cool!

Sidewinder:
We did our Tuesday hill work on Sidewinder. This was my first time running all the way up it without having to stop or walk. Woot! Woot! The best part is, it didn't even feel that hard! I'm starting to feel the training kicking in.

It's always a great place for an amazing sunset.

We need to start remembering that it doesn't stay light for as long anymore.  We finished in the dark with no headlamps.

We got to the top just for the last little bit of light. We ran about half way down before we were in the dark. Such a fun downhill run!

Little Kelly's Lookout Loop:
I had never done the lookouts up Little Kelly's, so Mark made us a map, and Joyce and I went exploring. We had a beautiful cloud day! We also made friends with three very large snakes. Luckily they were the harmless kind.

Love the clouds!

Lookout number one.

Joyce trying to be Merilyn Monroe! 😂

Another lookout!

Joyce almost stepped right on his head!

Such a pretty day!

Devil's Staircase/Alaska Basin:
Mark and I dropped our trailer off in Teton Canyon to save Amanda and Paul's wedding spot. Since we were up there, we decided to get in our long run. We did almost 17 miles in one of our favorite places. We pushed our pace up Devil's Staircase, and it felt good! Fall has popped up the canyon, and everything was gorgeous! We really tried to keep a good consistent moving pace the whole time, and we both felt really good about it. I'm never super fast coming down Alaska Basin, but that is just because it's so rocky and technical, not because I'm tired.

We saw two moose right at the start.

Fall has exploded and it's only going to get better in the next few weeks!

So pretty!

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Looking back down Teton Canyon.

Tablerock and the Tetons had snow!

This is one of my favorite parts of the trail. So fun to run down!

This bush reminds me of Christmas.

Mark crossing the creek.

Cress Creek Hill Repeats:
We have to try new things now for our Tuesday hill work since we don't live in IF anymore. I have always had my usual hill workout spots, but now we'll have to mix it up. We did 10 hill repeats at Cress Creek, and it ended up being a great workout. We had to dodge a lot of people, but we plan to go back and try other hill stuff there; seems like a good option.

We finished in the dark again. If you look really close at my picture, you can see the little sliver of moon above the water. It looked really cool in person.

Buckskin Morgan/Rolly Polly Loop:

Steph and I ran in Kelly Canyon because she got off work early on Friday. Good run to end the month. Fall is just starting in this area, so everything looked pretty. We also had a moose run across the trail right in front of us on the rolly polly section.

Hi cute moose!


The trees are starting to change. 😍


Thursday, September 29, 2022

Nora Rae: 5 months

I can't even believe our little Nora Rae is 5 months old! Holy cow it's going by too fast! I hate that we have to miss so much, but Bailey is amazing at sending us pictures and videos every day. We love it!

Speaking of Bailey, I just need to do a shout out about her. She is full swing into her second year of law school, working, and still managing to be a kick butt mom. Props to her for being super women! The first week she was back to school as a mama, Mason came home and took the picture below. 😂 

Sometimes it's just all too much! 😂

Bailey has been making these little sensory activities for Nora to do while she's on her tummy. They are so cute, and Nora loves them. This one is glittery water with a bunch of goggley eyes. So fun!

I love how she concentrates!

This one is just toys in a sheet pan of water. She loves the water.

Bailey and Mason finally moved out of their very first apartment, and into a 2 bedroom. This is cute little Nora saying goodbye to her very first home. She looks so tiny in that empty room.

She gives a whole new meaning to baby blues. Check out those eyes! 😍

I could just die! She doesn't even look real! She's like the cutest little doll I've ever seen!

Nora got to go to her first (of many I'm sure) BSU football game! She's a total fan!

Go broncos!

She's a crowd pleaser!

Our cute little mini bronco!

So fun!

Nora learned how to unfasten both tabs of her diaper, and is obviously pretty dang proud of herself. 😂

Are. You. Kidding. Me!

Workin' the church life!

She got a new toy, and loves it!

My friend Amanda had Idaho Falls Trail Runner shirts designed for our women's running group to wear. When Nora was born, she got Nora a matching onesie, so she would be part of the group too. 😊 Nora and Bailey go running almost everyday, so now they can be winners, and rep the IFTR group from the other side of the state. So cute!

Twinners!

This picture cracks me up!

Jogging with her IFTR gear on!

You can see the logo in this one, after it has been sufficiently drooled on.

Happy 5 months baby girl! We sure love you to pieces!




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