Me & My Thoughts

Running and Rosé

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:34:32 GMT

I've been MIA from IG and FB recently so I wanted to let you know what has been distracting me over the last couple of weeks. Some vaca time in France to celebrate my husband’s birthday with 12 of our closest friends and family! Iconic Adventures out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado designed the trip and handled everything for us. From booking hotels, trains, and dinner to shuttling us to watch Le Tour de France and to wineries. It was fantastic!

Of course, I made sure that the trip included some running for me. Running is such a great workout in that you can take it anywhere. Just pack your shoes and go. I love that about running! So, I packed my On Running Cloud shoes and went!

The first half of the trip was focused on Le Tour de France. We stayed in Annecy and based our day trips out of there. The boys biked Stage 8 and Stage 9 before the cyclists came through. And if that wasn’t enough, they rode Mont Ventoux the next day as well. The ladies watched those stages live complete with navigating unexpected road closures. There was a lot of waiting time but once the cyclists came through it was a sight to see. It was certainly an adventure and I would do it again!

We did get to enjoy the city of Annecy as well. Lac d’Annecy (Lake Annecy) is just breathtaking. I have never seen such blue water nestled among mountains. This picture is a view from our hotel room. While in Annecy, we rode bikes around the lake, ran by the lake, explored the city, and drank rose’ wine. Fabulous!

A few days into the trip, we moved further south to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. While Annecy is more of a city, Saint-Rémy is a relaxed countryside. It was definitely a treat. More running and rosé wine here as well. We explored the Alpilles range inside a national park by running and hiking to the top. We also enjoyed a day of visiting wineries. But it was so hot – the temperature was at 95 degrees - so we ended the day in the pool. We were there for the famous and fabulous Wednesday Market where local artists sell everything: food, art, jewelry, soaps, and fresh lavender. I came home with lots of goodies!!

Our last day and night we spent in Paris. It happened to be Bastille Day so we chose to avoid many of the touristy attractions. We did, however, take a river cruise and saw many sights from the Seine River including Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. I highly recommend taking one of these river cruises. Au Revoir!

I’m now back in the ATL and Blue Ridge and am ready to get back to running the North Georgia trails on my Trails and Brews Guided Tour. Come run with me! Book your tour today.

Bears, Sweat and Beers! Oh My!

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:34:32 GMT

This past Saturday, I convinced some of my friends to do a trial run (pun intended) of the Trails and Brews 5K. I dangled beer in front of them and they jumped at the chance. What we didn't realize is that it would be sleeting at the start. We had a couple of people skip the run because of the weather but they were all in for the beer. The weather actually turned out nicer than expected and the tree cover kept us dry from the sleet at the beginning. Estelle with Mountain Transportation provided our transportation to and from the trail heads. I call Estelle our Mountain Uber. She regularly takes us to and from our cabins to downtown Blue Ridge to enjoy dinner and drinks and keeps us off the roads. Back to the run, the trail starts fairly flat more or less and crosses a creek about half a mile in. After another half a mile, the hard work starts. I could hear some heavy breathing and realized it was me! As I tell everyone, on the uphills, you can't run any faster than you can hike. So...we hiked up an elevation gain of 700 feet for about a mile. It was tough but invigorating. The saving grace is the last mile is a slow downhill with some amazing views of the mountain ranges and Lake Blue Ridge. But the best reward was a ride back into town to Fannin Brewery for a few beers.

Work hard to play hard! Stay tuned as we officially launch the guided Trails and Brews 5K run in April. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @trailblazerrunning.

Running for Pleasure, Passion, and Purpose

-Michele

My Running Journey

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:34:31 GMT

I've been running for 20 years and plan to run at least another 20 years. I started running while working a full time financial analyst job at The Coca-Cola Company and I was also attending MBA school at night. Running developed out of a necessity to find a quick exercise that fit into my busy life at that time. Just lace up your shoes and go. Previously, I was mainly a gym class girl....think step aerobics! When I started running, I have to be honest, I hated every minute of it. I could not run a mile and it was very painful. Shin splints, chest pain, side stitches, etc. etc. But I persevered and fell in love with the joy of running. I've experienced the runners high and I will never give it up! I have a passion for sharing the joy of running with others and I'm excited to continue on my running journey. I hope you will join me on my adventure.