Life on the Run

Wow, August 3rd already - July was a whirlwind of friends, travel and family!  I have not had much time to put my legs up, sit and type but I would not trade a single, busy moment:) Last month was full of adventure and enlightening activities.

Quick recap:

I was finally able to hike in the Adirondack Mountains.  I have been begging Mrs. Bartlett to take me to see some of the sights the great state of New York has to offer and she fulfilled my wishes.  We did an amazing (and surprisingly tough) 4 mile, round trip hike up Blue Mountain.

(view from the fire tower at Blue Mt. summit)

Who knew 2 miles would have me sucking air?!?  I checked Wiki and there is an elevation gain of 1,559 feet to the summit.  Hmmmmmmmmmm, let's see... the last time I ran in Florida there was an elevation gain of 124 feet (and that is only because the route included an overpass which us Floridians call "hills").  Enough said, ha! 

This hike wet my appetite for the outdoors.  I want more!  It was scary and slippery and exhausting and breathtaking and an accomplishment all wrapped up in half a day.

Looking to my guides (Grube & Wendy) for more adventures next New York trip!

We also visited Chittenango Falls State Park which has an incredible waterfall. A beautiful, serene place which seems the perfect spot for a picnic--next time;)

So if the hike didn't test our legs and lungs enough; Wendy's bestie, Kelly invited us to her Method 360 class.  Holy moly, workout on crack!!!  We lunged, ran, jumped, lifted, punched, balanced, pulled, pushed and sucked more air:)  Sweat was flying and we were smiling (I think) most of the time!  Nothing says friendship like a shared stream of perspiration.

What a great start to our day and awesome to see a friend as motivated as us about pushing the limits of the body and mind!

I want to return and do the whole NY trip over again!!!

I was sure to have post traumatic trip depression were it not for a visit from my one and only nephew, Alec.  Alec was flying and staying with us for the first time.  I was so excited and nervous at the same time!  I was like a kid on Christmas Eve.  I was eager for Alec to explore Clearwater yet nervous about 3 dogs overwhelming him, enough food in the house for a teenager, and just being lame.

My nerves were washed away when his smiling face met us at the airport and the conversation flowed.  Gone was the boy I see twice a year (if I am lucky). With us in the car was a recent high school grad.--a smart, funny, sensitive, caring, considerate young man!

The dogs loved our new house guest and he loved them right back.  On day 1, the 3-pack broke Alec in to a "dog's life" with an excursion to the dog park and a dip in the ocean. Alec's presence was definitely a catalyst this day as Sugar swam for the first time (so proud of my 'lil baby:)

The typical Florida sunshine played hide and seek during Alec's visit but his disposition was always positive, not one complaint!  Although the weather was precarious, we managed to squeeze in two kayak excursions over the course of the week.

Alec's smile on the water was contagious and reignited my passion for paddling!  

We were the only two people out on the water and it felt as if we were the only two people in the world.  The water was smooth and calm, ideal paddling conditions!

One of Alec's first questions off the plane was, "can we see dolphins?"  I told him one way or another (with a sure fire secret weapon--Winter at Clearwater Marine Aquarium).  I was hoping not to use the Winter card, but after an hour of paddling we had yet to see anything.  So, we stopped our paddles and drifted for a bit.  

Sure enough when we became quiet and tuned in to nature, the ocean responded. First, we saw the wings of some stingray pop up and swim around us.  This roused our spirits and stimulated a healthy stingray discussion.  We sat still awhile longer to see mullet jump and ospreys perched on nautical signs.  However, the dolphins remained enigmatic.  

Reluctantly, we began the return trip paddle.  Alec zipped back in the kayak with his double sided paddle while I took my time on the stand up board.  I love the feeling of looking out over the water--it is serene and empowering.  This was another day I did not want to end.  I sat back down on my board for one last tête-à-tête with the ocean.  Just as I was about to head inland a pod of dolphins welcomed Alec to Florida.  Perfecto!

I wished we could have been on the water every day, but work and rain kept us hustling.  Alec was a trooper and amiably engaged in some valuable job shadow opportunities with me and Wendy.  At this point in time, it is safe to say, Alec does not want either of our jobs--LOL;)

Alec kept me company on a run as my bike partner and also made it through one of Coach Putulin's bootcamp/boxing classes with me.   

I enjoyed sharing my active lifestyle with Alec and really appreciated his company.  He never blew me off for his phone, texting or video games.  He involved himself in the moment and participated in every crazy event we tackled!

I hate to sit still but doing so allows me to reflect on these wonderful memories.  I cannot believe this all just happened less than 30 days ago!  I already had trouble recalling some facts and feel grateful to relive the experience via writing.

So many more stories and friends and events that took place in NY (i.e. Darren's high school graduation-big shout out to D for his perseverance) and FL; and still much more to explore...

Stay hungry my friends!