Taking It to New Heights — Literally!

Well, it’s finally happening: after all these years living in Colorado, I’ve officially committed to climbing my very first 14er — Mt. Bierstadt — at the end of August! 🥾

Yes, I know… it’s almost a rite of passage out here, and somehow I’ve never done one. But that’s about to change, and I couldn’t be more excited. Mt. Bierstadt is known as a great “first-timer” peak — beautiful, challenging, but manageable — and it feels like the perfect place to start this new adventure.

This climb is also part of my bigger training journey for the Manitou Incline, which I’ve been slowly (and stubbornly) chipping away at. I’ve committed to four climbs this year — one in April, one in June, another coming in August, and then the big one, “for all the marbles,” in October. That October climb is the one I’m training hardest for — where I’m aiming to finally crush my goal of completing it in under an hour. 🕒💥

My June climb with Di!

To get there, I’ve been building strength with stair repeats at Paradise Cove — I’m up to 4,500 stairs and counting! And at home? I’ve brought back a classic: step aerobics. Yep, I bought a step and found an amazing YouTube trainer who makes it so fun I actually look forward to sweating through the full hour. That is not how I feel when I run. Running takes serious mental gymnastics just to keep my feet moving. But step aerobics? I’m moving, grooving, and sweating to the oldies, and honestly loving every minute of it. 💃🔥

So here’s to new challenges, quirky training methods, and proving to yourself that you're stronger, more capable, and more persistent than you thought.

Please wish me luck, send all the good vibes and positive energy, and stay tuned — I’ll be sharing pics from Mt. Bierstadt soon, and a celebration post from the October Manitou climb when I hit that under-an-hour finish! 💙🌄 Till then, here's a pic of Mt. Bierstadt from the web.