16 scenes from the cabin and no wonder elites train at elevation!

I LOVED all of your awesome comments with advice yesterday!  Thank you so much and we really appreciate it!

We had a full day of activities yesterday at the cabin and so I thought I would share with you 16 scenes from the day:

1. The view from the cabin’s deck.  Not a bad sight to wake up to and you gotta love that slightly cold mountain air in the morning.

2.  I always find it amazing how kids absolutely love remote controls even when there are a million other toys to choose from.

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3.  We set out for our morning run and at .3 miles into the run we took a breather.  We are currently at 9,600 feet elevation which is way higher than back at home (4,500ish feet above sea level).  It took a few miles to get kind of used to it but it was crazy how hard it was to breathe while running here.  I can see why the elites train at high elevation… it is killer.  The gorgeous surroundings kept us distracted most of the time from thinking about how it felt like we were breathing through a straw.

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4.  For the last 1.5 miles of our run two of my nephews wanted to join and they were cruising.

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5.  It made me super happy to have them with us. They loved it and powered right up the hills.  Well done team.

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6.  After lunch we rented some RZRs to explore Brian Head for a few hours.

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7.  We felt quite adventerous and the kiddos loved it (well, after the first 10 minutes they did… and on the way back they actually fell asleep!?!)

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8.  First stop was Marathon Pass!

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9.  Second stop—> Twisted Forest… complete with a mini waterfall and a short little hike.

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10.  Family photo break…

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11.  Last stop—>  Mountain Pass which was absolutely breathtaking.

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12.  My niece in a field of wild flowers.

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13.  My brother from Kentucky and his wife are the best cooks.  They made a huge dinner for all us including amazing grilled veggies, parmesan Italian chicken, grilled pineapple and roasted potatoes.  I don’t know how they do it.

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14.  After dinner the kids went outside to get some major exploring in.

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15.  And then we watched Zootopia.

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16.  108 cookies made last night.  It was out of control how many of them were gobbled up.  Everything We Love cookies… you complete our family.

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What’s the elevation where you live?  Do you notice a big difference in your running when you travel to different areas?

Last movie that you watched?

Go-to cookie that your people love?

What’s for breakfast today?

-French Toast

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85 comments

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I’m in Florida so I’m pretty sure we’re right at or below sea level, :)

Last movie was Ashby and I highly recommend it.

Breakfast, Lots of fruit and oatmeal

The cabin is beautiful hope you have a fabulous time!

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I’m at about 2,000 feet. I’ve run several marathons at 6-9000 feet and haven’t had any issues with it, but it does take a bit of getting used to! I totally understand why elites train at elevation and race at sea level!

Breakfast today, probably a bagel. Favorite cookie – changes all the time, but snickerdoodle, peanut butter and chocolate chip are always at the top!

I want to see a group photo of your family! There are so many people!!! :)

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Good call… we will have to do one of those group pics today! That is awesome that you didn’t have any issues bumping up to the higher elevations for those marathons! Hope you are having a beautiful day Sarah!

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Beautiful scenery! I live at sea level, so I notice a difference even at just a few thousand feet sea level.

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Such beautiful views!! That looks like a really fun getaway. :) And elevation is certainly no joke. I remember the last time I went to the mountains and tried to take off running like it was no big deal. I was owned.

I recently made salted caramel peanut chocolate chip cookies that were a big hit! I need to try the Everything We Love recipe–those look like winners for sure. Thanks for sharing!

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I need those cookies right this second! HAHAH I love your explanations… yep, I felt owned yesterday too! Quite humbling haha!

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Last movie—Lion king, it’s been on replay for months! My little guy loves it!! :) Breakfast this morning was a mighty muffin with nut butter & berries! Just wondering where your shirt is from in the pictures above? :)

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HAHAH isn’t it funny how kids can watch the same movie dozens of times and never get sick of it?! It’s quite amazing ha! That shirt is from here http://www.soelboutique.com and I bought it a few months ago! GET IT!!!!

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I’m in south Florida and sometimes my runs show up as negative elevation, haha! I consider speed bumps to be mountains so when I am at any type of elevation at all it’s such a killer for me! I did my first marathon in Portland and that was such a struggle even though the locals call it a fairly flat course (hahahha)!

Looks like you are having such a fun time – what a cool summer family vacation with everyone there. I have a small family so something like this is totally not in my future even though it looks like so much fun!

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Where in South FL are you? We just moved to Homestead….there might not be elevation, but WOW HUMID!!!!!

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I had to check the elevation..in Pittsburgh it’s 1,223 ft. So yeah..pretty much would have passed out if I tried to run there!

Breakfast today is a deconstructed smoked salmon “sandwich”. All the toppings minus the bagel. So good!

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this looks so fun! I wish my family did big trips like this, especially to the mountains. It seems amazing.

Our family favorite cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip. my mom used to make them for EVERYTHING and they’ll always remind me of her.

Breakfast today was Kodiak Cakes with some peanut butter and a little syrup. too good to complain. yumyumyum.

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Oh wow, that is a lot of people in the cabin. It looks like you guys had a great time though. In New Jersey we pretty much live at Sea level. I’ve never really run at higher elevation.

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I watched The Waterboy with Adam Sandler last night because it was on TV. It never gets old
Breakfast today: English muffin with peanut butter and banana and oatmeal!

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Florida girl here so I’m running at sea level, I can definitely tell a difference when the elevation changes.
I watched Zootopia most recently too. Its cute, but really deep once you start thinking about it.

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We are at about 600 feet here in Indiana. I went to Mexico City last summer for a wedding and I had such a terrible run. I didn’t make the connection until about 3 months later that Mexico City is at 7300 feet and that’s probably why I was struggling so much. The last movie I watched was probably also Zootopia with my nieces–I thought it was super cute! :) Just had my favorite breakfast of oatmeal with peanut butter and banana. Yum.

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OH WOW… yeah that is a huge jump in elevation! I bet you felt miserable. Not much better for breakfast than the oatmeal, pb and banana combo. Enjoy the rest of your day Denise!

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Saw finding dory last weekend.
Pb and j for breakfast this morning

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I love love love your baseball tee…do you mind sharing where it is from??. I live in south Florida so instead of elevation I have humidity!!!! Lots of humidity!!!!! Your trip looks SO fun!!! I bet the kids love it! The last movie we watched was the new American girl movie? Lea.

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HEY!!! I got it from here http://www.soelboutique.com a few months ago!Oh Jen, I literally do not know how you handle the humidity, that would kill me off. You are amazing!

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Sooooo…. is that a Christmas tree in the corner?

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HAHAH it definitely is. We rented these cabins and that one has Christmas decor all over it… we’ve been wondering what’s going on this whole time haha!

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When I lived in Flagstaff (7000 feet), I felt like a superhuman at sea level. I thought it would be a bit easier to run now that I live in the Midwest but the humidity is killer. And I love all of these pictures! It’s so green and gorgeous. Makes me miss the West already!

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Is your Dad holding two little babies? Twins or just two lucky cousins that will grow up being the same age?

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Hey Lexa!! They are two lucky cousins that were born just a few days apart! Isn’t that crazy???

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I love it. One of my cousins is 11 days younger than me.

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the pic of the whole family watching a movie legit made me cry. I miss my family so so much!!!!

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OH Kimberly… I am so sorry that you are missing your family. I cried pretty much every Sunday when I lived away from my family and knew they were all having family dinner without me. DO you get to see your family anytime soon?

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gahhhh crying AGAIN!!! I have a crappy brain condition that prevents me from being in a car too long (from the surgeries I’ve had) and plane tickets are so dang expensive so probably not anytime soon. whyyyy can’t everything just be free?? haha!!

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I live in Denver so 5280 feet and recently ran in Michigan where it was 500 and it was fantastic!
It looks beautiful where you are!

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Um, excuse me, I think I found my new vacation spot.
Last movie watched: I think it was an episode of Band of Brothers or Downtown Abbey (Season 6!)

Favorite family cookie: cornflake treats. They are the bomb, no bake, and they include peanut butter and butterscotch. What’s not to love?

Still can’t get over how adorable you and Andrew are! Can’t wait for your wedding. I’ll be celebrating over here, 9 months preggo and I’ll be sure to eat some ice cream or something. ;)

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This looks so fun! For 5-6 years we went to Virginia Beach with my Mom’s side of the family. We always has a blast.

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Colorado Springs is just over 6,000 ft and it took me a while to get used to it here!

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I am from the springs too!
:) Chris

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Looks like you are all having a great time! Run early this morning then I drank a Vanilla and Fruit smoothie on my way to work… Really wish I was with my family in a cabin instead haha Vacations are coming, just not fast enough ;-)

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Love all the pictures!!! Looks like you guys are having a blast with all the kiddos!

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I’m at about 1,200 feet. But when I go on holiday to the mountains in New Mexico I have to be super careful about the altitude – the first time I went I went for a run and wound up with a terrible migraine. Now I just focus on slow walking for a few days when I go somewhere with a much higher elevation.

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I live at about 7600 feet in Colorado and run anywhere between 7500-8000! My last marathon was down in Denver at 5280ft and even that small drop in elevation was awesome ? I couldn’t get over how much oxygen there was!

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The difference between Texas (where I’m from) and Chicago (where I live) is next to nothing. They’re both +approximately 600′ above sea level.

Forget cookies! We <3 SKOOKIES! (All thanks to you, haha!:)

Breaky today = Toast with jam, one egg, sunny-side up, and two egg whites, and a banana. Fat, carbs, protein, potassium. Everything I ever need.

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NYC so I’d pass out. :-) Funny story, my former boss’ wife, new to NY, was living in one of the high rise apartments and asked me if she needed to bake at high altitude. I tried very hard not to laugh, years later it still cracks me up.

Chocolate chips are my husband’s favorite and my mother-in-law likes my sugar cookies and snickerdoodles.

I went to the movies with a friend on Tuesday to see Me Before You. Loved it.

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I live in Colorado at 7,000. I definitely notice a difference both up and down. Running at sea level is awesome! But going up to the 9-10′ is SO hard!
I just rewatched “An Affair to Remember” – I love old Cary Grant movies!
Chocolate chip always! :-)
Oatmeal always. My daughter is into “pumpkin pie oats” for breakfast lately.

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There is so much joy, happiness, love, adventure….EVERYTHING in your pictures. I absolutely love this! You and Brooke were quite a dynamic duo before, but now seeing your pictures with Andrew and his little boy….I am just so happy for you (ya…and I do not even truly know you). Not to mention, seeing all of your family together is ridiculously awesome. Hope you have a fabulous little vacation!!

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DITTO TO ALL OF THIS. Your happiness fills my heart with all kinds of HAPPY FOR ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!! Your family is beautiful Janae. Enjoy your vacation!

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We’re at 315 feet above sea level here in Raleigh :) We don’t get the whole “breathing through a straw” thing here, but it sure feels like we’re breathing through a wet rag some days because the humidity is intense!

The last movie I watched was The Holiday (for the hundredth time :)

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Great pictures! You guys make the cutest family ever!

Face plain, fat-free Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and Chia seeds every morning. Love it! Cheap at Costco.

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Haha….I just noticed the Christmas tree too…Well, nothing like getting some Christmas photos out of the way as long as you are there. ;-)

Love the photos ~ and its probably not the first but first of MANY “family photos” you guys will be taking…once you get the dog in the picture that is, since you are a family of 5 now.

Breakfast…scrambled eggs topped with salsa and a kiwi…kept it simple today.

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Love the pictures. Looks like you guys are having a blast!

Last movie I watched was How to Be Single. So funny!
Favorite cookie the people in my life love: My Nutella chocolate chip rolo cookies. So many good things in one bite!

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I think here in NC it’s like 700 feet above sea level? I don’t know if it’s the asthma or what, but I can get really sensitive to air changes!

The last movie I watched was Finding Dory :)

Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies for sure are my (and my people’s) fave :P

I made a green smoothie with spinach, naval oranges, blueberries, strawberries, and a banana for breakfast today.

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I’ve been wanting to watching Finding Dory!

The last movie I watched was the Conjouring 2. It was pretty good; a lot of jump scares but they’re not always cheap jump scares so the movie was still intense.

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Your family is the sweetest thing.:)

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Running in elevation is the best/worst. I was in Colorado a week before a 10 mile race, and even though my runs in Colorado were a sufferfest, they made me so strong for the DC-located 10 miler.

Looks like such a lovely family vacation.

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I can’t believe how many people you’re able to pack into that cabin & gotta love the Christmas tree in the background. Gorgeous views!

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Any time we go on our family camping trip, I make sure to take my running shoes because my mom and I (and sometimes my aunt or a cousin or two) will go on some trail runs. I’m always prepared for how hard it’s going to be to breathe for the first little while, but then it always surprises me how hard it is haha.

Our go to cookie recipe is my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Everybody loves them and it’s a frequent request.

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I checked and our elevation level was at 760 ft.
Seems like we live in the mountain side of the island so it is definitely cooler than downtown Honolulu! I definitely feel the difference in the heat and humidity level when we race in town.

Cookies- sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies!

Breakfast- toast with Nutella and banana slices. I know Nutella isn’t the best healthiest option but I just can’t get over it….. Should replace that with peanut butter though!

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I live at 7,000 feet in Flagstaff, so I get to see (in a blur as they whiz by) all the fast runners who come here for altitude training. There’s nothing quite as cool as seeing Shalane Flanagan running the same trails you do! Running at sea level makes me so insanely happy.

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Oh I bet that is amazing to see them in your area and running your favorite places:) 7000k feet… yeah, I bet sea level running feels like heaven!

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Your little family is just the cutest thing EVER. Is Brooke so happy to have a brother now?!

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She really is. It makes my heart to so happy:) Hope you are having an amazing day Annie!

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Those grilled veggies look dellliiiish!! Your family seems like so much fun :)

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I always go straight for chocolate chip! It usually is a win! That looks like a beautiful way to spend a vacation!

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What a fun cabin trip!!

I live at 300 feet elevation but have been contemplating moving to Denver. How long does it take to get used to elevation?

I watched “insomnia” two days ago.

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My daughter made some CC cookies two days ago and I realized yesterday. “hey, why didn’t I get any of those yet?’ I remedied that last night.

Last night my wife, M-I-L, and 2 yr old daughter finished watching The Walk (with Joseph Gordon-Levitt). My older daughter only watched the first half and baby was sleeping. I was surprised that my 2 yo sat there attentive the entire time – though it’s not clear how much she understood. It’s a very cool, inspiring movie.

I had post-run scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee at the company cafeteria this morning.

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That cabin looks amazing!! Makes me wish we didn’t live in the middle of the desert lol.
This morning my toddler woke up crying around 5 am, so we cuddled in my bed and watched The Peanuts Movie until he went back to sleep. I wanted to get up and workout, but sometimes postponing a workout is worth the snuggles, especially since he’s a big boy who doesn’t like to cuddle much anymore…
My new breakfast trend is breakfast salads lol — I hate starting the day cooking because my boys are always trying to touch the stove and I can’t do dishes until naptime or my youngest tries to climb into the dishwasher and pull out every dish as I put it in. If I keep hard boiled eggs and precooked, crumbled bacon in the fridge, I can make a big salad with lots of eggs, some bacon, and lots of other veggies, and the only thing I have to wash is a single knife and dish. Plus they’re super yummy!

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I agree… snuggling > workout:) But 5 a.m…. a little early for anything haha. So I am going to copy you with the breakfast salad idea. That sounds super yummy and a great way to start the day!

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Lol my husband gets up for work at 4, so I’m always up that early unfortunately. Probably part of the reason I hate cooking breakfast…

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I got my appreciate for training at elevation when a group of us were at conference in Denver and then took a few days at the end to go up to Breckenridge – it has an elevation of 9600 feet and I could feel the difference just lying in bed at night. While there, we went and hiked the second highest peak in the contiguous US – Mt Elbert. It’s 14,440 feet. The last 200m of the climb, I pretty much had to stop and catch my breath after every step – it was incredible!!

I live at an elevation of 230 feet. lol!!

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Oh my gosh i can’t even imagine that elevation! I’m on the east coast so any elevation is painful for me!

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I run mostly on my treadmill so I don’t really know what effect the elevation here would have on me. I’m in Southern California so the elevation isn’t too bad.

Last movie I watched was Zootopia. It was so cute!

My dad and I love chocolate chip cookies. I prefer mine without nuts and he likes his with nuts.

Breakfast today — hot cakes from McDonald’s

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All those kiddos lined up!!! So cute!!!! They definitely out number the grown ups. The baby in your dad’s arm is so sweet.

I am actually at elevation (Bavaria) *compared* to home (Portland, Oregon). I noticed it moving here and when my family visits they talk about it during our runs.

Last movie was Finding Dory. Too cute. Oh, my daughter and I watched Revenge of the Bridesmaids but I fell asleep so it doesn’t really count.

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I live at sea level but love running the mountains. I came across an article that talked about what happened when you adapt to low oxygen levels and you can mimic that by running in heat (evidently it activates similar stress hormones). So I run after work when it is 90+ outside and that usually translates into a good running time at altitude (probably helps it is usually 30 degrees cooler too LOL)…the catch is it only works for the first couple days and then the altitude comes to collect!

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I live in Colorado at an elevation of 6,035 ft so I feel your pain!

Last movie I watched was Beauty and the Beast :-)

I love all of your positive blog posts and your down to earth attitude!

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Hi! I LOVE the shirt you’re wearing (Get Lost on Purpose). I found it online, but wondered if you could tell me how it fits. I want to order it, but there’s no sizing chart on the website. Thanks so much!

I adore your blog! Congrats on your wedding and finding a stellar guy!

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HEY JESS!! I’m so glad you found it online. I wear a small usually and got the shirt in a small. It is a little shorter than most shirts I wear but I love it and so comfy! Thanks so much!

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I live at 6,300 feet. I was sooooo humbled when we hiked and biked in CO a few years ago at 10,000 to 14,000. When I get to run at sea level I feel like Wonder Woman!

Love the big family gathering, so so fun!

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Running in higher elevations is definitely a killer! This seriously looks like such a fun, family trip. :)

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Your family vacation is so sweet. What a nice tradition to have. If we have kids, I want to do the same Sunday dinners and annual family vacation.

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I’m at the same elevation as you in Utah, and I’m not quite sure what that’s at. It definitely made a HUGE difference when I ran the Dopey Challenge at sea level in January.

Your trip looks totally fun! Glad you are enjoying yourself! :)

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800 feet above sea level. Skiing in Utah is pretty rough for the first day, I can’t even imagine running. It is so frustrating to take a deep breath, but get no relief.

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we’re practically below sea level in MD. but we have a ton of mountains so I could drive north and be in higher altitude. I totally notice a difference when i travel to the mountains in CO or UT! Last movie was Zootopia as well, loved it! So adorable.

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Great photos! Catching up while babies sleep :) Can you tell me where you got the green long sleeve in the top pic? Love it on you!!!

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Ditto to the green long sleeve! Thanks!

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We live at 30 ft… hahaha…. I definitely feel elevation changes when we travel :)

Also, I want Brooke’s messy bun. It’s perfection

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Hey, your Get Lost on Purpose shirt….is it from No&Yo? And if so, how do you find the fit and size (it only comes in Mens, right?)

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Nevermind, I see that someone else already asked this question and I see your answer ;) I JUST bought a car window sticker with this same phrase on it last week so it’s funny that I find it on a shirt now. We live at sea level (gulf coast of FL) and I had trouble hiking an elevated trail at 6500 in the Smoky Mountains a week ago (my exercise induced asthma did not enjoy the added challenge).

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