Ultimate Coffee Date - March 2018

It seems spring has sprung here in the southeast and another month has come and gone.  Welcome to March, everyone!  Since I've been taking more time to unplug this month, it's time for us to play catch up.  Grab your favorite cup and fill it with some coffee or tea.  It's time for our March Ultimate Coffee Date. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: NoKey and I are moving back to Millinocket!  We were contacted recently pretty much out of the blue by Paul and Jaimie up at the AT Lodge.  After some serious discussion we have decided that after we hike the Mountains to Sea Trail later this month, we'll be headed back to Maine with all our pets!  We'll be taking on a management role at the Lodge and look forward to meeting all the AT hikers who are coming through in 2018. 

Home Sweet Home for 2018!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: My running has taken a serious hit in February.  After my most recent 30K at Whitestone, I've really scaled back on running.  In fact, I've not done any serious running in over a week.  I've been having some pretty severe pain and I've been seeing a chiropractor and doing some trigger point rolling.  Since my goal is to run 100 miles very soon, I'm taking it easy and making sure I get the rest I need to successfully complete my goal.  Speaking of that...

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm running my first ever 100-miler in only two weeks! (YIKES!)  The taper crazies haven't gotten to me yet, but I have run 290 miles since the beginning of the year.  I think I ran enough to get me through without losing my mind.  And speaking of running...

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I was accepted to run the New York City Marathon!  I didn't even tell NoKey I applied to the lottery this year because I was so sure I wouldn't be accepted.  In fact, on lottery day I didn't even bother refreshing after checking to see if my credit card was charged.  I had forgotten that when I put my name into the lottery my credit card was in the process of being replaced, so I used my debit card.  Imagine my surprise the next morning when I saw the email asking if I was ready to run the streets of New York City!

That pretty much sums up my February.  What would you tell me about your month? I'd love to catch up with you!

This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

Ultimate Coffee Date - January 2018

Hello readers and welcome to 2018!   Blogging really got away from me last year - both due to the business of my year and the fact that I wasn't truly feeling motivated.  This year is a new year though, and I've got some big things in store.  Let's catch up this morning.  Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in for our ultimate coffee date. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: that I am currently at Disney World! In fact, since you're reading this on Saturday morning I have probably just completed the half marathon!  I'm running the Goofy Challenge this year, running the half on Saturday and the full on Sunday.  I figured it would be great training for my next little tidbit...

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm running a 100-miler in March!  I'm super, SUPER nervous because I know I can finish 100 miles, but I just want to do it in a respectable amount of time and before the 30-hour cut off. Ha!  I'll be adding a few more races along the way during the winter, but being in the thick of training right now I'm not sure when I'll decide to do that. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I recently completed a 40.5-mile, 12-hour ultra marathon!  This was my first ever trail ultra and I ended up being 4th place female, finishing only a few minutes behind finisher number three.  This event was HUGE for me, mentally and physically.  I only have a few blisters and one really bad black toenail as a souvenir, but I'm officially hooked.  I'm thinking I'll be transitioning into more ultra events and fewer short races.  

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: you may have missed the fact that I'll be tackling the Mountains to Sea Trail in the spring!  Over a period of 7 weeks I'll be hiking and biking 1175 miles across North Carolina.  You can find the details about that hike over here. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: that over the winter months i'll be working on more original content for the blog, and possibly a few sponsored posts as well.  I've already been lucky enough to be accepted back onto the Altra Red Team for 2018 and I couldn't be more excited to represent this amazing company for a third year!  This year I'm hoping that I'll have more recipes for the backcountry to share with you all.  

That's about all I've got from the last month.  How about you? What's new in your world? Do you have any big plans for 2018? I'd love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below. 

Add to the bottom of every post: This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

Ultimate Coffee Date - August 2017

July came and went so quickly it felt like a blink of an eye.  Of course, it always helps my month along when I leave for vacation for half the month!   While I didn't do a ton of work in July, I definitely have a ton to talk to you about - so grab your favorite mug, your favorite beverage, and join me for August's Ultimate Coffee Date!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: That I'm halfway through my busy season at work now!  I'm almost counting down the days to the off-season at this point.  After backpacking a little on vacation I can't tell you how much I miss being able to do my own thing.  Leading trips is great and I love teaching people the 'how-to's' of being outdoors, but being able to enjoy it for myself is so fulfilling. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: Our vacation was definitely a mixed bag.  We had to scrap our original plan of thru hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail due to NoKey's dad getting sick and being in the hospital.  Thankfully, he's doing much better now, but he was in pretty bad shape and we thought it best to head out to see him and then make a road trip out of it.  Unfortunately,  I also lost a diamond earring in the White Mountains and blew a tire in Connecticut, leading me to have to buy four brand new ones.  We also discovered that there was a class action lawsuit involving my model year of vehicle due to tires always blowing out (I've blown three in three years).  Unfortunately, I missed out on the lawsuit, but I will be getting the part fixed soon. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: Not all things on the trip were bad.  In fact, we spent some time in Delaware (the last state I needed to visit on the east coast!) hiking and kayaking, drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and then did a road trip with hiking every few hours on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The vacation was a great break from the norm, but not quite the thru hike I was craving and needed. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm so incredibly thankful for my friends and family who helped us make the trip possible.  Being a "mom" to five cats and a dog, all of whom are getting older and have their own set of issues, going out of town and off the grid for periods of time can be really difficult.  If not for my parents, grandma, and a few close friends it would be nearly impossible.  

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm looking forward to the off-season this year.  I've decided to pursue a few things that I've been interested in for a while now.  I'm also trying to decide between attempting to finally get that sub-4 hour marathon time or attempt my first ever 100-mile race... Stay tuned for that!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm so thankful for those of you still reading the blog.  This project started out on Tumblr as a way for me to keep track of my hiking miles and has turned into SO.MUCH.MORE.  Without my readers, I'd be lost!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: In case you missed it, I'm really proud of this post I wrote before I left for vacation.  I've really been not too happy with how I'm looking physically lately, and honestly I'm old enough to know better ;) 

How was your month of July? What would we talk about if we met up for a coffee this morning? I'd love to hear about it!

This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

Ultimate Coffee Date - July 2017

Another month has come and gone and the year is now more than half over (and my hiking season is getting close to that too!).  Time to play catch up with all you guys and let you know what is going on in our neck of the woods.  So, grab a cup of your favorite morning beverage and let's have our coffee date!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: that June was a great month for me.  I was able to get back into running a bit and I've proven to myself that I haven't lost my fitness level too much!  Since I started seeing a chiropractor back in April I've really cut back on running to allow my body to heal after my marathon season.  I'm finally back to feeling great with very minimal pain. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I didn't have much time to focus on myself last month, however.  I led a lot of trips, some of which were added to my schedule last minute.  I got to run one of my AT Shakedown trips and that was such a blast!  I love seeing former clients go to the next level of backpacking.  I was so proud to see how much she had accomplished.  

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: our vacation is looking like it unfortunately might be a bust.  It looks like, at this time with less than 20 days til go-time, that some parts of the Tahoe Rim Trail are still covered in more than 8 feet of snow.  We are going to make a decision soon as to what we might do instead.  I'm pretty heartbroken that my planning might be for nothing.  While I love working as a guide, I really need some time to get out and hike the way I want to hike. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I've got some new backpacking gear coming in the next few days for said vacation.  I finally decided to try a Zpacks Arc Haul and we made the switch from a single walled Tarptent to a double walled Nemo Blaze.  The only thing sad about that is my new gear won't be here until after I get back from my final guided trip before our vacation, so I won't get a chance to try it all out under a load of weight.  

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm toying with signing up for my first ever hundo (a 100-mile race) in March next year.  The race, the Pistol Ultra, is normally over New Years' weekend, but had to be moved due to the host school's schedule this year.  I don't really want to run an ultra in southern spring heat though... decisions, decisions!

While I'm definitely looking forward to a busy July, I'm also really looking forward to some "us time" on vacation.  What are your summer plans shaping up to be?  Are you planning an epic end-of-summer trip? 

This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

Ultimate Coffee Date - June 2017

It's the first Saturday in June (June, seriously?!) and that means it is time to play catch up with all of you guys.  Check out all the happenings behind the scenes over here at Sprinkles Hikes.  Grab your favorite coffee or tea and let's catch up on everything I've been doing over here. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: My season is really starting to pick up! I spent the month of May out on a few glamping (front country camping) trips as a camp host instead of as a hiking guide and I have absolutely been loving it.  Honestly, I spent so much time out in the backcountry last season that I don't mind spending a few hours out in the front country this year.  

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: With that being said, I am really looking forward to my first backpacking trip of the season (with clients) in two weeks!  I am leading an AT Shakedown hike for a repeat client and her friend, plus a woman who wants to go hiking out in the Rockies.  As much as I love backpacking, I did so much of it last season that I'm really enjoying the fact that I'm not out all the time this season. 

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you:  I've been seeing a chiropractor now for six weeks and I finally have gone more than a full day without any hip/shin/knee pain!  This marathon season I had been complaining of tight hips that never loosened up despite miles of warm ups and cool downs and stretch sessions.  With this most recent session, my doctor used a device called The Activator.  While it was initially uncomfortable, I've actually been hip pain/tightness free in 36 hours!  I've also stepped it back on running once again and I'm opting for low-impact cardio options at the gym and doing strength training at home.  Strengthening my hips will be a priority for my winter running season!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you:  how fast this season is going!  We have booked everything for our Tahoe Rim Trail hike and now I really need to get on top of the food thing.  Thankfully, this trip is only 10 days in the backcountry and not a few weeks or months, but I've found that planning a menu for only 10 days can be just as stressful!  I want to make sure we'll enjoy our meals without getting bored.  We will also need to mail ourselves our food and fuel for our trip, so I do need to set up a hotel in Reno for that purpose.  July will be here before I know it!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you:  I'm doing a giveaway this month!  I have one Believe Logbook signed by Lauren Fleshman and I think it would be perfect for those of you with fall marathon or half marathon goal races!  Check out my Rafflecopter giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Add to the bottom of every post: This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

Ultimate Coffee Date - May 2017

The month of April is finally over and I'm back at it writing again.  It's time to play catch up with all of you and share what has been going on over here behind the blog.  It's time for our Ultimate Coffee Date - May edition!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I'm starting to feel a little better than I was when I last posted.  It's still taking a lot of energy on my part to sit down behind the computer and write posts, but I've been working on a few different ideas and I'm going to start getting more active by posting archival posts on Facebook and Twitter in the coming months.  Look for the "Best of Sprinkles Hikes" coming to social media near you soon!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: It seems like the Tahoe Rim Trail thru hike is sneaking up on me!  I'm going to have to get on the ball and purchase plane tickets (they say 55-65 days from the trip you'll get the best deal), maps, apps, and finalize our food for the trip.  I'm definitely planning on doing a lot of our own home-dehydrated meals again.  Logistics, like getting to the trailhead from the airport and stopping by an outfitter for fuel on the way to the trailhead, are definitely near the top of the list.  I'm going to have to work on this soon!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I've started seeing a chiropractor for the aches and pains I've been dealing with since finishing up my marathon training this year.  Post-marathon blues really hit me hard and I've been having major FOMO following the ultras my friends are doing.  This training season really wrecked my body and I worked so hard (running a 20+ minute PR in my marathon) to improve my times and stamina.  I'm hoping to feel some improvement soon!  I've gotten back into running again and I did nearly 15 miles this week.  I'm hoping to run three days a week (one long run on my day off) and possibly get in a day of strength training.  Since my FedEx days I've definitely lost quite a bit of arm strength!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: I recently went on a campsite scouting trip for the company I work for.  We are expanding into other areas to offer more trips for REI Adventures.  This meant I got to go out without clients and take a hike at my own pace and camp where I wanted to!  Granted, I chose a poor campsite (due to bear canister restrictions) and ended up doing my first ever night hike at 1:15 a.m. to sleep in the backseat of my car, but I was able to hike 30  miles and find some great places for a trip!

If we were having coffee… I’d tell you: NoKey and I recently celebrated our 5th anniversary.  It's hard to believe it's been five years since I was out on the AT.  I cannot believe how much I've learned about myself and changed in those five years.  It seems like every single year brings a new adventure and a whole lot of self-discovery!

What would you tell me if we were sitting down for a cup of coffee today?  I'd love to catch up with my readers!

This post is a link-up with Coco @ Got 2 Run 4 Me, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!

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