Now that I'm in my 40s, paying for bougie vacations is apparently a thing I do. Now that I pay for bougie vacations, I realize that they are totally worth the money. The two months that I spent in Buenos Aires were all a precursor to a running vacation across Patagonia that I booked a … Continue reading Why I Really Went to Argentina
Category: Peak Performance
The Next 100, In Record Time
I had originally titled this post to be more about running, but running wasn't a thing for me most of the summer. And then I just started to get back into in North Carolina when - bam! - major injury number three for the year that has me grounded yet again. I'd give up permanently … Continue reading The Next 100, In Record Time
Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight
Even though I wanted to get out of Colorado for so long and finally did with my new nomad life, I had to come back for a month in the summer to reach the summit of more 14ers. My target was the San Juan Mountains, nearly the most beautiful mountains on earth. So I booked … Continue reading Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight
Return to The Top of The World
I've had a pretty rough spring/early summer. As long-expected as it was, the death of my dog affected me more than I wanted it to. Lingering in bad feelings is not my thing. I'm very much a "life is too short, buck up and move on" kind of person. But my subconscious fought me on … Continue reading Return to The Top of The World
Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!
July has been a mountainous month for me. Colorado is a popular state in any season and mountain rentals are expensive, so when friends have one, you don't pass up the opportunity. After coming back from Glacier, I spent three weekends in a row rallying down to the geographical center of this state for all … Continue reading Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!
What Fresh Hell Is This?
Earlier this year, I ran a mountain relay race and it did something to my brain. It made me want to up my running game. I mean, distance? Yeah that's kind of cool. Maybe someday I'll run a marathon. But running uphill at 12,000 or 13,000 feet where you're struggling for oxygen and then being … Continue reading What Fresh Hell Is This?
The 14,000 Foot Summits of 2019
Despite the late start to 14er season this year, due to the massive amounts of snow over the winter, my friends and I managed to get in just as many peaks as in other years. Dedication to the cause! Not that I ever plan to hike them all—Class 4s with full climbing gear are definitely … Continue reading The 14,000 Foot Summits of 2019
Faster Every Year
After basically not running all winter, I ran three races in four weeks and hit some exciting personal bests. But doing well makes me want to do even better, so I've signed up for the 14 mile Devil on the Divide race on September 7. It features 3,300 ft of elevation gain with a summit … Continue reading Faster Every Year
Running Season
On March 7, I went for my first run since October 21. That's right, the woman who claims she is now a runner went almost five months without running at all. But when my first half marathon of the season was only nine weeks and two days away, it felt like time to get moving. … Continue reading Running Season
Well I Would Hike 500 Miles
My two year unofficial hiking project is complete. Yeah, I missed my mark by a few weeks (February 19, 2017 to March 9, 2019) but close enough. In just about two years, I've completed 100 distinct hikes. I use word "hike" loosely in this context to mean anything from a two mile stroll up a … Continue reading Well I Would Hike 500 Miles
Jennifer A Swallow 