#78 Rocky Mountain High

This weeks blog reminds me of one of my favorite albums growing up; John Denver's Greatest Hits. I remember buying it at Wagners grocery store in Bend, Oregon. My favorite song on the album was Rocky Mountain High.  Was John Denver referring to high altitude training? Likely, not...but that is what I think about as this is the second time in a month that I have been in Colorado swimming in high altitude. The first time in Colorado Springs and this time in Boulder. 

I had never been to Boulder. It is one of those special places I have always heard about and finally I got to go there. This trip was extra special as first I got two great swims in and second and more importantly...well I will get to that later.

Pool #78 was the Scott Carpenter Pool a 50 meter outdoor pool in a beautiful park setting. I swam with Boulder Area Masters. With the number of swimmers in the water for the first practice at 5:40am and a second workout to follow BAM clearly has a robust membership. Not surprising as Boulder is a mecca for healthy living. It was a solid 3500m workout and while I felt the altitude respiratory wise I also felt it with heavy legs. 

The second swim was an open water swim again organized Boulder Area Masters. It was at Boulder Reservoir at sunrise~beautiful! It was a fully supported session with two courses set up and kayakers with walkie-talkies watching swimmers. It was clearly a training ground for triathletes as many were going out for a bike ride post swim.

The second reason this trip to Boulder was so special and bittersweet was we were dropping Sean off at CU. Sean wanted a mountain feel to his school and a place that would complement his outdoors lifestyle. He found it with CU in Boulder. It is a beautiful campus at the base of the Flatiron Moutnains with Tuscan sandstone architecture. 

I will have a lot memories of this college drop off but the overriding one was seeing how happy Sean was from the way walked and looked around but mostly a silly smile he couldn't wipe off his face. 

(the silly smile)

We will miss his lumbering presence and big caring personality in Weston but know it will be used in Boulder to meet new people, do new things and begin to discover himself and what success means to him.

Sean we are very proud of you! #skobuffs

Looking forward to more Rocky Moutnain Highs and altitude training in Boulder.