We must be crazy!!!

So..., on September 6th myself and several friends will be participating in the Imogene Pass Run. The run in 17.1 miles, starts in Ouray, CO and ends in Telluride, CO. The start of the race is at 7810 ft and finished in Telluride at 8820 ft with a mid-point summit of 13100 ft. From Ouray to the summit, it's 10 miles of climbing. Then 7 miles down into Telluride.

Check out the web site for the race - http://www.imogenerun.com/

My weekly training routine so far has consisted of 3-5 runs of between 4 and 8 miles of trails. My plan is to try and get up to altitude where I can do some training up where the air is thinner. From what I've been told, the hardest part of the race is the 7 mile downhill at the end. Here in Colorado we have some of the most beautiful mountains so once the weather becomes a bit more stable, I'm hoping to get out and hike as many of Colorado's 14ers and 13ers as possible before the race.

Wish us luck!

After Academy

Well, fire academy has been done for a few months now and it seems like each day is more and more busy. Currently I'm taking a Hazardous Material (HazMat) Operations class. It's known as the hardest class you'll ever take as a firefighter. Last month I completed a 5 day wildland firefighter class that ended in a day at a local summer camp for kids where we assisted with a live burn of almost 5 acres. I'm hoping to have some pictures soon.

The implementation of the ALS service has gone much smoother than originally expected. Here are a few pictures of our ambulances and the other two on my shift, Shawn and Adam. Shawn is an EMT/Engineer and has been with Louisville Fire as a volunteer for a number of years. She's trained to drive each of the Engines and works as the EMT on the ambulances. Adam came to Louisville Fire with no fire experience but has been a Paramedic for roughly 6 years. Both are awesome.

Enjoy