Earning my bRUNch: it’s time to start running in Colorado!

Been a bit of a crazy week, work-wise, since we are approaching the end of our fiscal year. This year’s performance review season is making me second guess so many things, and I’ve been a bit of a stress ball as a result. But on the plus side, I am flying home today, for the first time in two weeks! And, the even more exciting thing is, it actually does feel like flying “home.” Hooray for settling in Colorado! Tonight, I’m headed to a Rockies/Phillies game at Coors Field (though sorry, I am not enough of a Denverite to actually drink Coors) with my friend Kelly, which should be a ton of fun. Then afterward, we’re going to hit the bars in LoDo and check out the scene there. Craft brews galore, I can’t wait 🙂 As for the rest of the weekend, my plans are pretty up in the air. Sunday is Easter, so I do know that I plan to both go to church and resume eating ALLTHECHEESE that I gave up for Lent. In the morning, though, I’m thinking about making my entree into the Denver running scene by checking out the Westminster Half Marathon. It’ s a trail run, but supposedly “flat and fast” and an “EASY course for beginning trail runners.” Hi, beginner right here! I’ve done a few trails, and even gone to trail running camp, but I definitely need to get some experience before I can even think about hanging with the likes of Heidi and Lynne. Lynne is currently in the midst of an awesome program on basic mountaineering, and her detailed recaps are super impressive but also kind of scary to me. I may call Colorado home, but I am not yet nearly as outdoorsy as everyone else here.

Plus, although I’ve been keeping up with Tread classes in Dallas pretty religiously, I haven’t run distance in a very long time (well, except for the NYC Half). When I’m home in Colorado, I’ve also been kind of scared to run at altitude. My friend Caitlin said it took her six months to get her pace back up to what it was on flat land, and since I’m only in Colorado on weekends, I’m worried it’s going to take me a lot longer. I know that when I hit the elliptical at my apartment gym, I was huffing and puffing without much effort at all! But one thing I’ve signed on to do that’s going to help me make friends in Colorado really requires me to get used to the idea of running at altitude. I first heard of bRUNch Running when my friend Adam told me about their Phoenix chapter, and it sounded awesome. Group runs start and end at a brunch location, so you really get to earn your meal and then indulge in a drink or two as well. Two weeks ago, when I logged onto the bRUNch Running website to sign up for a run or two, I saw that they were looking for leaders of their new chapter in Boulder (which is closer to me than Denver anyway). I applied, interviewed, and was accepted, so now I get to lead the inaugural Boulder bRUNch Running Club run from Dushanbe Teahouse! I am so excited; this is a great way to get in a great workout, meet some new people, and also try a delicious new (to me) restaurant. Any Colorado runners out there who want to come join the fun? Hope to see you there!