Weekend Roundup and Mid-Week Motivation

I was even worse than normal about taking pictures on this weekend's cross-training hike.  So, I was at the mercy of my friends' timelines for posting pictures before I could bring you these beauties.  That's why this weekend round-up is a little late in the week.

Cross-Training Hike
We started out hiking a Class 1 trail for about 1.5 miles.  After that we scrambled for about a mile along a sandstone ridge.

After the sandstone ridge, it was mostly Class 2 and Class 3 scrambling.  A couple tricky places where the footholds were kind of hidden, so it was helpful to have someone telling you where the good footholds were located.

We even had to climb through a "rabbit hole" - it was a tight squeeze, but it was fun getting through it and helping others in the group get through too.

Eventually, we reached Black Velvet Peak, which overlooks the gorgeous Black Velvet Canyon.  It was a long, long, long, way down to the bottom.

We had a great day with a really supportive group - and, dang, my friends B, J, and D took some *fantastic* pictures!!  It still surprises me when I see such beautiful plants in desert, especially when they're growing out of what appears to be solid rock.

The hike was even more refreshing because, with the exception of an awesome workout at the gym with my friend (let's call her "J.Crew Friend") on Wednesday, I'd had a pretty solitary workout week.  For that reason, it was especially nice to burn some calories with a group of people that love being outside as much as I do.

Final Note - Mid-Week Motivation

It has been a busy week, so I'm in need of a little mid-week pick me up.  My 3-mile run helped a little.  But I've been working so much and trying to fit everything else in that I didn't get to run until 9:00 PM, which means that, despite the gorgeous low-70s weather that we had today, I was relegated to a treadmill run.  However, my Runner's World Daily Calendar reminded me this morning that any day that I run, no matter how it feels, is a good day. 

Each day that we're on the road (or on a treadmill) gets us one day closer to achieving our half/full marathon or other fitness goals!!

♥ Wishing You Merry Miles ♥