Colorado Parkour National Jam/Apex Movement Invitational

How many people go on vacation with their significant other, then spend their days alone, having two separate vacations? Jesus and I certainly do. The whole reason we came out here was for the national parkour jam happening here this weekend, and so Jesus could take a coaching certification class. The fact that the event began on his birthday and ends on mine seemed to signify to us that we needed to come.

I've enjoyed my personal time during the day while Jesus has class. We meet up for lunch and have the evenings to ourselves. Usually this means searching out new places to eat or walking to the Y for a drop-in shower. Last night, though, we stayed at the gym to watch the Apex Movement Invitational--a parkour competition that included several obstacle courses and physical challenges. The gym--a huge warehouse filled with wooden structures, rails, tumbling mats, ledges, and more--was just built, so many of the competitors aren't yet familiar with all the obstacles.

About 20 traceurs competed, each running the initial obstacle course twice. Their fastest time was scored and the bottom seven were eliminated. Because there are so many aspects of parkour, no course run was the same. Each competitor put their own unique spin on it, making sure to hit the required marks. We spectators sat back in awe at the speed, grace, and heights the competitors reached.

After the primary obstacle course came the challenges. Competitors had 20 minutes to complete 5 challenges ranging from jumping from rail to rail, swinging from rail to rail and landing on another rail, and jumping from one platform to another. In these challenges, the floor was "lava" and touching down meant points were taken away.

Last came the final obstacle course, filled with heights and army crawls, leaps and feats of balance. The competitors got two runs again, but by the end of the night their exhaustion showed. Still, they broke personal records, the quickest run clocking in at just over 22 seconds.

What I enjoyed was the camaraderie and good sportsmanship--every completed course got loud cheers and any special stunts the competitors pulled off were met with loud shouts and whistles. The competitors themselves were each others biggest cheerleaders, giving hugs as they finished. When anyone had difficulties on the course, the entire gym started clapping and encouraging them. At one point, a competitor scratched, meaning she wouldn't place. She still wanted to finish the course, especially its huge jump to the final platform, one that required a crash mat on the ground below because of its height and difficulty. She paused to catch her breath and the crowd started cheering her on. She went for it--and made it. The whole gym erupted in cheers. Even I wanted to run up and hug her.

Boulder Public Library/Farmer's Market

Today I'm seeking shelter from the rain in the public library. It's been hot all week, so the rain is welcome--and gorgeous. Boulder gets a lot of sun, over 300 days a year on average, since the mountains usually block most of the precipitation. I'm guessing when it rains, it pours, if the current weather is anything to go by. It's been falling solid for half an hour with no sign of letting up.

Boulder Creek

No matter, Boulder Public Library is large and beautiful. They have free wifi, plenty of tables and electric outlets, and my view is awesome. The building is split into two parts: library and art museum. A walkway between the two runs over Boulder Creek, where people were fishing and inner tubing before the rain started.

Last night, Jesus and I walked around the Boulder Farmer's Market. It's a lot smaller than Madison's (though we heard the Saturday market is bigger than the Wednesday market), but still filled with fruit vendors, people selling granola, organic baked goods, homemade wares, and even shakes and smoothies that you blend by pedaling a specially refurbished bike.

We had bike-blended dessert first, then went to the local Whole Foods, a crazy popular hangout, for sushi and sandwiches. More people are starting to show up for the parkour event and we got to play around a bunch on the new gym structures (trampoline, foam pit, ledges, rails, walls, and anything else you can imagine to climb around on). We are sunburned and sore, but appreciating the change of scenery!

Happy Birthday Jesus/Rachel in the Rockies

Happy Birthday to Jesus today! He is 25 and feeling all of it. His birthday plans include starting his first day of parkour training certification and hopefully exploring Boulder later today. I, on the other hand, have the whole day to myself to explore. And what am I doing? Sitting in the local Starbucks, mooching their free wifi (and hopefully some electricity eventually...waiting for the guy next to me to free up an outlet). I need some Internet/lazy time before I head out and see what Boulder has to offer.

Yesterday was a long day--and I'm not even exaggerating. With our flight west we gained an extra hour, so what felt like a 25-hour day actually was. We began the day before the crack of dawn, watching the sunrise from Midway. Jesus and I both slept most of the flight to Denver, and once we arrived, luggage in hand, we set out to find some food.

I had several "buy a drink, get a bagel free" coupons for Einstein Bagels, so we checked with the front end manager if we could use them at their airport location. He approved them, but our cashier was unsure how to ring up the discount, so we ended up getting breakfast for free. So far we like Denver.

Next, we found a bus to take us into downtown Denver. The first thing I noticed driving in was how Denver's simple skyline is dwarfed by the Rocky Mountains. Several skyscrapers, as impressive and beautiful as they are, cannot compete with a mountain range. Their arrangement at the foothills served to complement Mother Nature's grandeur.

It didn't take us long to realize Union Station is under complete renovation, so we had to schlep all of our stuff to the next major bus depot to figure out our plan of attack for the day. The end goal was Boulder, about 45 minutes north, but there was no rush. It was only 11 AM and we had the day to explore Denver. Unfortunately, we also had several heavy bags each. The solution was simple: we rented a locker at the Greyhound Station a few blocks away. For $5, our load was lightened for the day.

At this point, we also learned that Denver has a free bus shuttle that runs along a pedestrian mall. We used this to our advantage the rest of the day, hopping on and off at our convenience and interest. We checked out Skyline Park, home of a fountain that has been on Jesus' parkour bucket list for about four years. It was nice to play around on this fountain, which begs to be climbed, soaking our tired feet in the cool water (me) and honing our athletic craft (Jesus). At one point, another kid came around and started running, jumping, and flipping on the structures. Surprisingly enough, Jesus met another parkour friend who was only stopping in Denver on his way to Wyoming from California for a family vacation. His dad, mom, and brother watched from the edge of the fountain as he got some monkey play out of his system and they were on their way.

We also got to see the Capitol Building, Civic Center Park, and more of the 16th Street Mall. There are restaurants and retail stores, food trucks, interesting art installments, and free pianos. Making our way back to the bus station, we decided it was time to head further north, to Boulder. We found an express bus and got there in about 45 minutes. After showering (a homeless man gave us a pro tip to check out the YMCA since the gym we are staying at doesn't have a locker room/showers), we dropped off our stuff at our home base for the week, Apex Movement. We found dinner at a small drive-thru/walk-up burger joint. The food was great, reasonably priced, and we ate on their outdoor patio. At some point Jesus found his second wind and he spent the night exploring the gym, which is a giant warehouse converted into a traceur's heaven. I found my sleep mask and crashed on an air mattress in a semi-private corner.

We will go back to Denver this weekend, but our first impressions are that it's clean, pretty, and NICE. People on the street approached us if we ever hesitated at a corner, asking if we needed directions. Cars slowed wayyyyyyy down to let us cross the street. All of the bus drivers and station attendants were well informed and gladly directed us what lines to take, where to get off, and even if we needed change for fare.

So far Boulder has been similar. Trees and flowers line the wide, newly paved streets filled with Jeeps and Subaru Outbacks. Bikers abound. Everyone is pleasant. We've not even been here 24-hours and I already know the lay of the land, for the most part. I was able to give a biker directions earlier, to my own personal delight. That's what happens when you spend the week before your vacation studying maps and researching your travel destinations.

Since Jesus is doing his parkour certification, I have today, tomorrow, and Friday during the day to explore, read, write, relax, and take myself on all the day dates I could ever want. This afternoon I hope to take a tour of a tea factory. I'm also looking forward to discovering parks, pools, farmer's markets, and museums. Oh, and getting closer to these mountains.

As the Coloradans Do

First:
At the height of summer, I love living in the city. The whole place is alive and there are always things to do, even if what I actually choose to do is binge on Netflix shows.
But:
At the height of summer, M goes to sleepaway camp, meaning I have more free time and flexibility with my schedule.
And:
At the height of summer, My boyfriend's birthday and my birthday are five days apart.
And:
At the height of summer, there is a national parkour jam in Boulder/Denver, Colorado.

Did you put it all together? While it seems silly to leave Chicago during its best season, sometimes one must get out even as millions of tourists pour in. Jesus and I are set to fly out to Colorado early Tuesday morning to spend the week flipping, jumping, hiking, sightseeing, and exploring in the foothills of the Rockies.

Traveling on a budget means we will stay at the parkour gym, shower at the local rec center, and milk the heck out of free birthday swag at local cafes and restaurants. Jesus has a three day training certification course, so I will have several days to wander downtown Boulder (population ~100,000). I'm excited to take myself on dates and have already planned an excursion to a tea factory, plenty of coffee house chillaxing, and self-guided biking/walking tours.

No worries, I won't hog all the fun touristy things to myself--I'll make sure to include Jesus in nature walks, checking out new places to eat, and obligatory scenery-gazing. Before all that happens, though, I have to do laundry and pack...or watch another episode of something on Netflix.