In the mountains

I'm in Utah this week with the kids, visiting my parents at their mountain house outside of Park City. I've managed to get out for an hour or so everyday during their naptime, running on the snowy Deer Creek trail (with yaktrax) or huffing and puffing up and down the canyon roads. I'm in better shape now than I was when we were here last summer; the runs feel better, and my lungs aren't as much on the verge of implosion as they were before. My training of late has been somewhat consistent, although still a lot less than I was doing in California. Our schedule is just different, the kids are older, and I don't have an endless dirt trail in my back yard. But I'm making do. I had a nice 15-miler at Government Canyon last week at a fast pace, and I've been running to Grey Forest and back lots of weekends, to meet a friend who lives there. I run there, do 8-12 miles with her, then run home. There are some nice rollers on Babcock and Scenic Loop, and I'm not in constant fear of my life--or, er, another torn ACL--like I am in the GC backcountry. Hoss and I had a "date run" there a few weeks ago, and I spent two hours traipsing after him, trying to be date-worthy and stay on my feet. He's a lot faster than I am on the technical stuff. A lot.

I've also started doing a strength routine with Jill at the gym on Wednesdays. And occasionally yoga, too. The kids generally enjoy the child care center there. It's seems like everyone in our neighborhood and half of their preschool cohort goes to our gym, so they have other friends in captivity. I should really go more often and get in some extra miles on the treadmill.

The wind is blowing and I'm procrastinating heading out. I don't want to get blown off the mountain! Edit: the wind just blew in a wall of snow and sent the patio furniture hurdling into a ravine. Sitting on the couch is sounding like a better alternative.