Hello, My Pretty!

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Run Happy Team, I received a complimentary pair of the Brooks Ghost Max in exchange for social shares. I really do love them!

So much prettiness again this week! My sister and I wrapped up our trip to Banff and headed home on Monday. Luckily, we had decent weather in Chicago, which helped ease the landing. Work was insane, but I was still riding the wave of a nice trip with my sister. Even better, our fall colors are peeking right now, so there's plenty of beauty right here at home. We headed up to the lake on Saturday where the colors are spectacular. There was a little bit of sunshine, but the clouds blew in and kind of dimmed the glow. It was still pretty for my run!

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Emerald Lake hike 4 miles, sightseeing

Monday: travel home :(

Tuesday: yoga

Wednesday: run 6 miles

Thursday: strength training

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: Ice Age Trail run 10 miles

We wrapped up our sister trip on Sunday (if you missed the first installment, you can catch up HERE) by hitting all the final spots on our must-see list. The first stop was Emerald Lake, a must-see and definitely a rival for the most beautiful stop! We hiked around the lake and took tons of photos. The first half of the hike was easy but the second half took us into a very moist forest--lots of moss, mud on the trail, and tons of tree roots to keep us alert. We also hiked up a short hill to a little waterfall. We spent half the day here--it was that beautiful! The cover photo above is also from Emerald Lake.

Our next stop was Peyto Lake, which is another must-see. Getting there took us on the scenic Icefields Parkway which spans from Lake Louise to Jasper. Peyto Lake is accessible by a steep hike to a platform that gives a bird's eye view from above.

We next stopped at Bow Lake, which is a very large lake surrounded by large mountains. We also saw Crowfoot Glacier while we were there. The bright sunshine made photographing these places very challenging!

We made our way back to Canmore, where we stayed, and since it was such a beautiful day, stopped to see Three Sisters, the iconic triple peaks. 

After a goodnight's sleep--10 straight hours--I woke up Wednesday morning ready to lace up my new--speaking of pretty- Brooks Ghost Max and take them for a run. While my legs still felt fatigued, the shoes did not disappoint. The beautiful weather didn't hurt either! 

On Thursday, I met with SJ for my weekly strength sesh. We're kicking off a powerlifting cycle, which I am very excited about. I got to the gym early to loosen up. SJ had me start out with banded side steps, 2 sets. I also did some banded pull-aparts to open up my back and shoulders. Of course, she had deadlifts programmed for me! I did 4 sets of 10 at 120#. I alternated those with 3 sets of 8 ring rows. After that, I did 3 sets of 8 strict presses. 

I headed out into the dark on Friday for my bike path run. It was the first time I'd run in the dark since last winter! I wore my headlamp and some RunVisible gear. A few unlit runners ran towards me, which was a little creepy. While it did get lighter out, it was a cloudy morning, save for a few peeks at the sunrise. I was lucky to catch this brief break in the clouds on my way back!

With 16 miles left for the Mammoth Challenge, my goal was to get them done this weekend. On Saturday, I took my running shoes to the IAT segment at Devil's Lake State Park, hoping for 12 miles, some fall colors, and pretty views. I got all those things, but as I ran along the bluff above the lake, it started to get very crowded. And very noisy. At one point, I encountered a group of women and one of them started laughing--loudly. It was an unpleasant cackle and she kept doing it. Her laugh reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. That was the final straw! I took off into the woods in search of the alternate trail back to the parking lot. You know I love my trail time, but I like it peaceful.

I completed 8.5 miles by the time I got back to my car and I didn't relish the thought of running almost 8 miles again on Sunday. I was meeting my hubs and his dad for lunch in Baraboo and still had some time, so I crossed the street to the Merrimac Segment for another 1.5 miles. It was peaceful and pretty and I felt much better after I again returned to my car. I can still hear that cackle, though...

How was your week? Did you see anything pretty this week? Are the colors peaking by you? Are you finishing up any challenges?

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.