The Back of the Pack

A Month Long Break...sort of

2011-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Whew! Fall quarter is over. All assignments are in and I am waiting to see my grades (life as student). I've graded everything and posted final grades for work (life as professor). Both NEU and teaching start up again on January 9th. In the meantime, I've got a month-long break.

Well, sort of. I need to develop the coursework for the class I'll be teaching in winter - such is the life of the new instructor. I also need to make some modifications to my Doctoral Problem Statement per my professor. I need to do that right away and submit it with my application for an advisor. Delaying would cause a delay in advisor assignment, which would trickle outward, causing a delay in beginning my dissertation. Needless to say, that is NOT going to happen! I will make the modifications tomorrow and get it submitted. Next quarter I am taking my final elective and the second of the three research classes. Spring quarter will bring the final research class, followed by the dissertation. I can't believe I'm so close! From what I hear and read, the dissertation requires a lot of self discipline - sitting down to work on it daily is a must. I must be a geek because I'm actually anxious to get going on it.

In other news, I ran another half marathon over Thanksgiving weekend (Seattle Ghost) and just ran a 25K yesterday. The race was at Deception Pass - an amazingly beautiful spot close to where I grew up. The views were simply stunning. Most of the trails were single track, though there were some that were wide and clear. We had some tough climbs and fast descents, lots of rooty, rocky, technical sections, and some soft, pine-needle cushioned clear trails. We also ran across the beach a couple times through deep sand and over seaweed crusted logs. All in all a wonderful, wonderful course. The highlight of the race was getting to run over the bridges twice. I've visited Deception Pass many times in my life - in fact I broke my arm on a camping trip there when I was in Kindergarten - and I've always wanted to run the bridges. I'll go back for this race again.

Let's see...what else? Web was home for Thanksgiving and Riley will be home for Christmas. Starting with this weekend, we have house guests for four weekends in a row. I'm excited and looking forward to all the visits. Life is good in Mukilteo!

Up and Down, Start and Stop

2011-10-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, once again a good chunk of time has passed without visiting my blog. I spend so much time writing that it's hard to sit down here and write for the sheer fun of it. I'll admit, a quickie post on Facebook - something that takes a minute or two - is more my speed these days. However, I don't want to give up on blogging! So let me catch you up...

As I mentioned in my previous post, summer was intense, with moving, residency and Riley off to the Navy. Once we got home from that trip, life settled into more of a routine. Condo life is good, both Eric and I really like it. Living near his job has huge benefits - we have much more time together than we've had in the past year and we are really enjoying it. We are 99% moved in - a few stray boxes tucked into corners are waiting for us to unpack them, and pictures are still wrapped and waiting to be hung. I'll admit it, we've opted to do fun things with our spare time rather than worry about those minor details.

Some of the fun things have included Eric successfully completing the Plain 100 - one of the toughest 100 milers out there. No aid stations - which means carrying a full pack, no course markings, crew at mile 58ish only, lots of climbing and this year's bonus - temps in the 90s. It was Eric's third (and, I hope, final) attempt. He finished in 35 hours and 10 minutes. Jenny joined me in waiting for him at the only spot we were allowed to meet him - we got there early and cooked grilled cheese sandwiches for any and all runners who wanted one. We got to hang out with race directors Chris and Tom, and Karen and George Wiggens while we waited. Jenny and I ran in Leavenworth the next morning, then she headed home while I went to the finish to wait for Eric. I teared up when he crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with three other hardy runners. Oh, yes. 25 starters, 11 finishers. Plain is just Plain tough!

Fall quarter at NEU started the following day. I'm in the first of the research series, and my 9th and 10th classes. After these are complete I will have only three left, then it's on to dissertation. I've been working on my DPS - Doctoral Problem Statement - which when done will lead me to the next step - getting an advisor and working on my DPP - the Doctoral Project Proposal. After I successfully defend that, it will go to an internal review board. Once approved there, I can start my research. Once that is done, I'll write it all up and then have an oral defense of the dissertation. If I pass that, I'm done! It is a long and kind of scary process, but I'm excited to be on my way!

I've had a few low spots where I wasn't sure why I signed up for this and if I wanted to continue, but with the help of some good friends, fellow students and a couple of professors - have pushed through and am still at it. Apparently, it's a normal part of the process when working on a doctorate. All I know is when I wrote about it on the NEU Facebook page, I got over 53 responses, many of whom reported feeling the same way! And one awesome professor who posted his phone number and told me to call him. You can't beat that kind of support. Not to mention the support Eric has given me, and Margaret, and Dr. Sara, and all my other friends.

A week after the start of NEU, I started my new job. Well, truthfully, I'd been working on it for two weeks prior because I had to design and set up my course. So far I am loving it. I am only teaching one class, which has been really nice in terms of time to study and time to hang out with Eric. I've got 10 students for the whole year, working with them on their student teaching. The difference from my old job is that I don't have a preschool - instead they are placed in sites around the community and I travel to them. The class is a hybrid, meaning we meet once per week, with the rest of the work done online (except, of course, for my site visits). So far, so good!

Last weekend was the Victoria Marathon and Half. Initially I felt kind of lame because I was only running the half, but it turned out to be the best thing ever! I ran the entire race with a wide smile on my face - mostly because I was outside, on a beautiful course, running with a friend (Jessica) and having fun. I had a blast and the distance was great. I had only run 10 miles once in training, but I had no problem with the race. It's the perfect distance time and training-wise while I'm involved in this doctoral program. We had a great weekend (I purposefully left my computer at home) - a three hour, 45 minute ferry ride each way, sharing a room with Margaret and Jessica (and yes, Eric), good dinners at various pubs, meeting up with other Puyallup runners that I hadn't seen for months, and walking everywhere. In fact, on race day, I calculated that Jessica and I ran 13 miles and walked 7.5 miles. Our hotel was 1.5 miles from the start/finish and we walked there, back to shower, back to greet Eric, another mile for coffee, back to greet Margaret, back to the hotel and then to a pub and back to the ferry. Whew! Anyway, it was a blast and a much needed break.

Next up is the Seattle Ghost half, a 25K on the trails of Deception Pass and 25K at Orcas. Oh, and maybe another half or two slipped in here and there. I'll actually have an entire month off from both job and school over the holidays - can't wait! I am going to try to devote 3-4 hours each day of the break to working on the DPP - otherwise I'll be busting it while trying to do other course work as well. It'll still be a break from the amount of time I put in now.

Um, what else? Riley is in Florida at A school - doing great and loving it. Web is in California, playing music, working a bit on the side and enjoying life. I'm back to my five days a week early morning running and loving that too. Eric is running and working and might be starting flight school soon. I think that might be everything. Hopefully I'll be back to write more soon, if not, I'll get back during my break. Happy blogging and happy running everyone!

One More

2011-08-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our Sailor

2011-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Eric, Riley and I

Riley's Division (with some lady cheering in front of us)

Riley and his sweetheart, Emily

We are in Chicago for Riley's boot camp graduation. It was an amazing ceremony. It's been quite a day. For those of you who have been reading this blog a while, remember the long-haired hippy kid who used to run cross country? Not such a kid anymore... No, that was definitely a man in that sailor uniform today - and not just a man, but a gentleman. Feeling pretty good about that young man right now. And, oh my, isn't he handsome? Okay, okay, I'll stop with the Mom stuff.

How about some updates?

Summer quarter is almost at an end - just one week to go. Our two week residency in Boston was intense. Lots of work, but also lots of fun. Just for the record, 53 is too old for dorm life! Though I did have it down, especially the night we had pizza delivered while we studied, then met our buddies at the local pub late that night. I vaguely remembered doing something similar way back in my undergrad days in the late 70s...

I worked hard to get six papers written in the two-and-a-half weeks I had between coming home from Boston and leaving for Chicago, but I got it done. I'm looking forward to spending the next few days exploring Michigan with Eric. After that I have two full weeks of freedom before I start my new job and fall quarter at school. I've got five classes left between me and writing my dissertation - hard to believe I've made it through eight classes already!

I love our new home in Mukilteo - it is wonderful. We met most of our neighbors last weekend at a social - that was really nice. Now I have names to connect with faces, plus they are a friendly group.

I got brave and signed up for the Victoria half marathon and the Seattle Ghost full marathon. Brave because my running has really suffered with all my schooling. I've been maintaining about 25 miles a week, five miles a day, five days a week. I really wanted to get some races set and these two felt do-able. If fall quarter gets too intense, I'll drop to the half at Ghost, but I have high hopes I'll be able to pull it off. We'll see.

That's it for now...saying good-night from Waukegan, IL!

Updates

2011-07-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

The list version of my life, because I still have too much to do to be writing in my blog...

Moved out of Puyallup: check.
Moved into Mukilteo: check.
Unpacked: sort-of check. Still have some work to do.
Started my regular run routine again, in a new town: CHECK!
Started regular Pilates routine again: CHECK! (These are both very excited checks!)
Finished up Spring Quarter at NEU: check.
Started Summer Quarter two days later: check.
Completed required three books in two weeks: 95% check. Still have a couple chapters in one.
Read six additional chapters in two other books in same two week period: half-check.
Critiqued a 175 page dissertation and wrote the eight page paper to go with it (same two weeks): check.
Visited my new place of work, had lunch with my new boss, gathered coursework for fall: Check.
Sent an excited Eric off to crew Badwater: check.
Leave for Boston on Saturday for two weeks of school: well, no, because that happens on Saturday!

Swearing In

2011-06-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

Swearing in...

With his proud parents.

Thumbs up, ready to go!

Navy Life

2011-06-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

It is time for yet another good-bye. Tomorrow at noon our 22 year old son Riley leaves for Navy boot camp. As with all the events happening in our life right now I find myself in that place of both joy and a tiny bit of melancholy. He is about to embark on his grown-up life, the beginning of many adventures. It's the day every parent strives for, that day of watching our boy walk away as a grown man.

In the parenting classes I teach, I tell parents that I don't believe in discipline, I believe in guidance. I believe in looking ahead to the adult I want my child to be - not the career I want them to have, or the school I want them to attend, but the essence of the person I hope they will be. I look ahead to the values I hope they will carry deep in their hearts, to the way they will handle anger, how they will treat others. I think about all these things as I set them on the path to adulthood. My job, any parent's job, is to guide them along that path, giving them a little nudge back to the path when they take a step off. Guiding is teaching. Teaching them through my actions, through the person I am, teaching them through problem solving, through natural and logical consequences, teaching them every step of the way.

I tell you about my philosophy because in these last few years, and in these final days before departure, I can see the man I envisioned. I can see the man we envisioned, because I was not alone in guiding our sons. Eric and I parented as a team. We looked ahead together, we followed their paths together, both of us offering guidance. We were (and are) the counter-balance for each other and the support for each other.

So...here we are. Not at the end of the path, because each of us walks a path through our life. I think of it as a wide pathway, where for many years, the four of us could walk along side-by-side, till the day we saw the path begin to narrow, and a single-track appeared off to the side. Web followed the new path, while Eric, Riley and I continued along on the old. Now another side path has appeared, and Riley is set to follow it, while Eric and I continue along our path. Imagine it...their paths wind and twist, flow up and down, sometimes parallel to ours, sometimes crossing ours, sometimes distant, sometimes far. Always near, yet never on the same path again.

I am ready for this. I am. But as with all the best things in life, it is bittersweet. The end of a season of our lives, the beginning of a new season. I'm excited for Riley, I'm proud of him and the man he is now. I will miss him, his gentle presence, his goofy sense of humor, his bright smile. I'll learn to live with physical distance, just like I learned it when Web left home. It's all good, very good. Elisabeth Stone said:

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

My heart has been wandering through Oregon and Tennessee and Florida, and now it turns out that my heart will also be wandering through boot camp and Pensacola for a while.

The countdown continues...Riley leaves tomorrow, and we leave Puyallup two days later. We have had a rich and wonderful life in this home. I will miss it.

So Many Good-byes...

2011-06-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Seventeen years of work at the college comes to an end tomorrow. Today, my wonderful friends gathered to send me off to my new adventures. Past, present and future gathered in one room, from Wynette who chose to hire a hippy-chick, homeschooling computer programmer to teach parenting classes way back in 1994 (what was she thinking?) to Marty, who has been working with me all spring in preparation for taking over, and everyone in between.

Isn't amazing how life's path meanders? I left college back in 1982 with a BS in Computer Science, determined to go out and conquer the computing world. It was fun and I was good at it. I spent seven years working on mainframes, designing and implementing systems, managing projects and writing programs. Once the boys were born, I really wanted to stay home with them, and after a couple of years juggling schedules and babysitters and working in our spare bedroom, I finally got to give up my job and follow my heart.

Eric's job led us to Puyallup, and I found myself casting around for a part-time job that would let me be at home with the boys, but supplement our income a little. Before we moved to Puyallup, we were enrolled in a co-op preschool where Eric and I got to attend parenting classes. It was so interesting and new that I started reading all the books I could find on parenting. Once we moved, I enrolled Riley in a co-op here and started classes again. It was part-way through our second year when I was invited to interview. I really didn't think I was qualified, but it was so interesting to me that I decided to go for it. Wynette saw something in me and decided to hire the computer programmer to teach parenting. And that was the beginning...

Along the way, I picked up a Masters in Early Childhood Ed - finally I was legit! I started teaching summer classes for the ECE side of the program, and taught more and more parenting classes. And of course, I was homeschooling the boys, too. Twelve years later, Wynette retired and I became coordinator, working almost full time. The timing was perfect - Web was living on his own, and Riley was finishing up high school. Three years later, the economy dived and our program was cut.

Wynette, Virginia and Lee Ann - those were some great years, and we had the best times together. Thank you for sharing them with me. Wynette, thank you for taking a chance on the programmer that day - you truly changed my life with that decision, bringing richness and fulfillment to me, and starting me down the path that I am still following.

That was when I moved to the lab school, where I've been for the last two years. It's been a dream job, and one I have enjoyed beyond words. Working with children is an amazing experience, a gift really. Working with student teachers is also a gift - seeing the growth, the blooming confidence, the love they are developing for the work. Every day, even the bad ones, has something to offer.

And the people...Greg, Judy, Krissy and Barb. I can't believe you let me do this! I can't believe you paid me to do this! These past two years have been unbelievable, and I've learned so much from all of you. You taught me grace (and Grace), and wisdom and nurturing and so much more. We've laughed so hard that it hurt, and then laughed some more. We've shared anger, we've shared trust, tears and worries and big ideas and big dreams. I feel privileged and honored to have worked with you all. Greg, you instigated this wild doctoral dream, and both you and Judy have supported me every step of the way. And Krissy, you are my doctoral-wanna-be-buddy, sharing the frustrations and some fun. We are going to have a blast in Boston this summer!

And finally, the families. Seventeen years of families. I've been honored to share their stories, their fears, their dreams, their tears. They trusted me with their children, a gift of the highest honor. They let me into their lives and believed in me. I cannot describe the value of that gift.

My final day is upon me. I didn't cry this afternoon, and tomorrow will be full of final presentations and graduation, and I hope I won't cry then. But...right now...I've got tears in my eyes. It's hard to say goodbye. Today has been full of them, and there are many more to come. I have a lot to look forward to: new home, new job, new adventures. I'm excited and I can't wait to get started, but that doesn't mean it's any easier to leave. Seventeen years, from age 36 to age 53...that's a long time, a lot of friends, a lot of families, a lot of love. I will miss it.

Michelle

Life at a Quick Pace

2011-04-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Holy moly! How has so much time slipped by? I'm not running at a quick pace, but life is slipping by that way!

Updates:

House sold, now renting.
Condo bought, Eric living there during week, here on weekends.
Minimal amount of moving occurred - just enough for Eric to get by.
Web (oldest son) came home. Yay!
Web took on task of emptying 19 years of crappola out of attic.
Garage is overflowing (see previous bullet).
Garage sale in future (see previous bullet).
Winter quarter ended at work. Schooling continued during spring break.
Spring quarter started at work.
Winter quarter at school ended. Work continued during spring break.
Spring quarter started (at full speed) six days ago.
Michelle suffers from too much stress and overload. Result: five days with no running while Michelle tries to catch up on everything.
Michelle finally gets a run in on Saturday morning.
Life continues...

There you go. Just put those bullets into a cycle and you have my life, though hopefully with more week day running. No races in my future - we need to get moved first. So...wrapping up my final quarter at the college, seven weeks left. Wrapping up living in Puyallup, ten weeks left. Sending Riley off to Navy boot camp, eight and a half weeks left. Maybe, after all that, we'll get back into a routine!

Despite being stressed and overwhelmed, I am loving my studies, my job, having both my boys home, our new condo and new possibilities. I'm looking forward to all that is to come!

Big Changes Coming Our Way!

2011-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

There are big changes coming for Eric and I - exciting and scary both! After 19 years in our house, in Puyallup, we're moving! We are heading north to be closer to Eric's job. He's been doing the killer commute, at least 1.5 hours one way since last June. On his worst night, it took him three hours to get home. Our offer on a beautiful condo has been accepted, and it looks like our house has been sold - things are moving fast!

I've given my notice for the end of spring quarter, and I told my families and students last week that I would be leaving. That was hard to do. I've been at the college 17 years - 15 in the Parenting program and two dedicated to ECE. I love my job, but I'm beginning to get excited to see what other doors might open for me. I plan to do a little volunteering, find some part-time work, and continue working on my doctorate. I also plan to be able to get out more often to run, and to do some Pilates again!

Best of all, we'll be within a couple of miles of Eric's job and consequently, we'll be able to spend time together again! Lately, between his commute and my studies, our time together has been short. We'll also be closer to both of our families, which is good.

I think we'll be doing a gradual move, with a goal of being all the way out of the house at the end of June - right after Riley leaves for the Navy. That date is creeping ever closer! Oh, and that's the other exciting news - Web is coming home for a visit at the end of the month. He'll be here for a couple months, be able to help us move and see his brother off.

Life is moving on!

(For those of you on Facebook, I'm writing this in my blog, which automatically feeds into FB, sorry if this news is a repeat for you!)

Reading List (and a race)

2011-02-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has run with me lately (or just talked to me) has been hearing all about the great books I'm reading in my Ethical Leadership class this quarter. I'm sharing the list here for anyone who is interested.

Why School? Reclaiming Education for All of Us by Mike Rose

I love this book - found it inspiring and insightful, and will read it again. (This was a book I selected off a required list)

Ethical Leadership by Robert Starratt

I love this one too, and I am sure I will be referring to it again and again. The middle chapters get kind of dense, but it is a must read for anyone in education. It reminds us of our common goal, and ties ethics to the pursuit of that goal. Love it! I made immediate connections to life in the classroom with both children and adults. (This one is required)

Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership by Howard Gardner

Okay, if you've read Gardner before, I know what you are thinking. But it's not that bad - it's quite interesting, and very easy to read. I'm only three chapters in, but so far it's a breakdown of characteristics of leadership, and I'm about to enter the good part - case studies of several leaders. I'm liking it so far. Gives me much to think about... (Another personal selection from a required list).

I also bought Happiness and Education by Nell Noddings with the intent to read it over one of my breaks (crazy, huh?)

Additionally, because I apparently can't get enough, I've been listening to books on my commute. Since January, I've listened to Switch, followed by Brain Rules for Babies (both great) and am currently listening to A Chance to Make History by the founder of Teach for America. It is not a history of Teach for America, but is about transformational leadership in Education, which fits right in with my other class this quarter: Transforming Educational Systems, which, by the way, also has two books that I'm reading.

It certainly is a good thing that whenever I'm asked about my interests and hobbies, right next to the first one, which is running, I list reading!

A quick note: ran the Woolley Marathon last weekend. A nice, flat course on gravel, with a stream crossing (twice) and a great medal. As far as my own run? Not my best marathon. In fact I've run a 50K faster than I ran (walked?) this one. I had a scratchy throat, a cranky hip and my heart acted up. Doesn't matter, I got it done - with Margaret's help - and all is good. I'm still looking at future races, though Eric is encouraging me to drop to the half distance for a while. We'll see...

Orcas Island 25K 2011 Version

2011-02-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

My favorite race of the year was this weekend. I worked hard all week to get school work done so I could go guilt-free. Friday was a blur - driving Eric to the vanpool at 4:30 am, heading back home, then off to work, from work back to Puyallup for Jenny, then to Greenlake for Margaret, then to Mukilteo for Eric, then we rushed to Anacortes hoping we could catch the 4:00 ferry. We were the second to last car in line, but we made it! I was feeling pretty stressed, right up until we drove on to the ferry. It is obvious to me that the ferry travels in a bubble of island-time, where everything slows down and becomes relaxed. Within minutes of stepping onto the deck, I could feel island-time taking over and all the stress fading away. We stumbled onto a lovely pub on-island and from there made our way to race-central. After a few minutes of socializing we headed for the condo and a relaxed evening of race prep.

We were back at the camp early so Jenny and Eric could take the early start. Margaret and I hung out till our start, an hour and 10 minutes later. The course started downhill - opposite of last year, and I'm not quite sure how, but it wasn't long till we were on familiar trails and deep into the forest I love.

Margaret and I had resolved to take our time and enjoy every moment. As Margaret said, "Why rush through this just so we can wait around at the camp?" Good point! I listened to a wonderful TED lecture the other day, where Bruce Feiler said something that really struck me - he said you can rush to the finish line and be there first, but you'll be all alone, or you can take your time and you'll still get there, but you'll gather a community as you go. I immediately thought - that's me! I get to the finish line much later than others, but I enjoy my passage immensely, and I usually arrive with friends in tow (well, okay, maybe I'm the one being towed!). Then he talked about walking a turtle. Apparently, in Paris a few hundred years ago, the rich would show how much leisure they had by taking a turtle for a walk, letting the turtle set the pace. Feiler suggests we slow down and enjoy the moment, that we walk with a turtle. The point is, I walked the turtle yesterday and it was a wonderful experience. We stopped often to gaze in awe at the old growth forest surrounding us, at huge chunks of bedrock, at twisted trees clinging to the edge of the lake, and stunning vistas of islands, the Sound and Mt. Baker. Margaret and I had deep philosophical discussions - I'm taking an ethics class right now and what better to explore with a friend? It was everything a day in the woods should be.

Today I'm so sore I can barely move, especially after I've been sitting a while. Tomorrow will probably be worse, but I don't care. Every time I go to Orcas, I'm reminded of the incredible beauty that surrounds us, of the gift that Nature has to offer, and the amazing camaraderie of our running community. I enjoy the precious time with friends, the time away from all that is electronic and the island-time bubble of the ferry ride. It is a simple reminder of the wonders of life, and a reminder I hope to receive year after year.

Vacation and Last Chance Marathon

2011-01-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Eric and I got home yesterday from a beautiful and relaxing vacation in Victoria BC. We enjoyed several pubs and local beers, running along the waterfront and a trip up the island to French Beach. We got back to Bellingham on the 30th, and ran the Last Chance Marathon - with Margaret - on the 31st. It was my 50th marathon and my 65th marathon and ultras combined. I had a so-so run - not feeling my best. I went to the doc this morning and it turns out I have an infection. I picked up some antibiotics and pain killers, so I should be better soon. At least I have an excuse for my slow marathon! Temps were 19 degrees F when we started and 35 when we finished. Skies were a beautiful and clear blue, with lots of sunshine peaking through the trees, and some stunning views of the Sound. We didn't get any pictures though, you'll have to settle for our vacation pictures!

Light house on one of the islands on the ferry ride to Victoria.

Distant ship.

Our hotel.

The Blackball Ferry arriving in Victoria.

Me, in the rain, at French Beach.

Farther down French Beach. We walked out onto these rocks, they were very slick!

Morning run.

Parliment.

Night view across the harbor.

Vacationing Eric

Mount Baker as we arrive in Anacortes, WA

Happy New Year everyone!

Birch Bay Ghost Photos

2010-12-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

Early start @ 7:15ish

There's Canada! (Actually, I think that's Blaine in the foreground, but the mountains are in Canada).

Balancing hawk.

Fueling up! That's Canada in the background.

Walk break.

One of multiple eagle sightings.

Glorious Mt. Baker - saw this out our front room window every day when I was growing up.

About mile...20 maybe?

Final miles.

Eagle eating duck.

About two miles to go.

Finish!

Stretch out the post-run kinks.

Finished and Started

2010-12-12T10:37:00.001-08:00

Finished: first quarter of doctorate program, fall quarter of teaching, Ghost of Seattle Marathon and Birch Bay Ghost Marathon. Started: Christmas break, the first of several novels, Christmas shopping and best of all, relaxing!

I ran the Ghost of Seattle over Thanksgiving weekend with Rob, Jenny, Margaret and Steve. Rob and Jenny were on day three of four marathons in four days! They both rocked it at the Seattle Marathon the next day, capping their "Quadzilla" with excellent times, faster than any of the previous three days. We took our time at Ghost, running easy and taking lots of walk breaks. I felt pretty good considering my training was minimal this fall. I've been able to maintain about 20-35 miles a week, with my longest runs around 10 miles.

Yesterday, I ran the Birch Bay Ghost with Margaret and Steve - wow, did we have fun! Again, we took it easy, just enjoying the day. We saw three bald eagles, one of them perched on a piling in the bay eating a duck! We also saw a couple of great blue heron, hawks, scores of geese, seagulls and ducks, plus another unidentified fishing bird. It was a gray day, but the cloud cover was high and we could see the mountains across the border in BC, plus Mt. Baker and the Sisters on our side. We laughed a lot, had some great in-depth discussions, did some Irish dancing (after watching a performance in a pub the night before), and of course, ran. Eric crewed for us - this small race offers one staffed aid station, and two self-supporting, so having Eric out there with our own stock of goodies was great. The three of us were his crew and pacer at WS100, so it was fun to turn it around and have him helping us. He even supplied mochas and tea at mile 18, which we poured into our water bottles to sip as we ran!

These two marathons brought me up to a count of 49 marathons, 64 combined ultras and marathons. I have one planned on the 31st that will round out my numbers for the year. I'm still trying to fit in one a month, working around assignments in school. We'll see how it goes...

Speaking of school, I'm done with my first quarter and I LOVED IT! Okay, maybe not so much when I was writing papers and trying to hit the deadline, but I loved the learning, the research, the discussions...it's great. School is so much different as an adult. Selecting a program that follows my own interests, feeling confident in my experiences and knowledge, and most of all, having a desire to pursue it - it all comes together into a powerful package. It's not easy balancing all the pieces, but it is worth it. Don't be afraid to go back to school!

I have a substantial break - three weeks from work, four weeks from school, and I intend to enjoy it. I won't have another break like this till late August. Next quarter will offer a new challenge as I add five more credits to my teaching load - meaning probably about 10 hours less study time per week. We'll see how that goes - I think I'll be figuring out a new balancing act.

I hope the holidays are wonderful for each of you, and I wish you a peaceful, joyful new year!

Checking In!

2010-11-06T18:01:00.001-07:00

Well, here I am again. I didn't get back to posting as soon as I thought I would - turns out there is a lot of writing in a doctoral program and consequently, I don't have many words left for my blog!

I ran Victoria Marathon on 10-10-10 and I loved it! Highly recommend, though travel to and from is long. The weather was supposed to be stormy with blowing winds and rain - and it was, but it was during the night. We had beautiful sunny skies for the race. I'm hoping to do it again next year.

I'm feeling better on all my runs, though I'm still a minute slower per mile than I was in July. Keep hoping it will come back...

School (me as student) is going really well, though it consumes all my spare time. I love it, even writing papers. I don't love the pressure of due dates, but other than that, it's all good. I can't seem to shut my mind off though - I dream about education, I wake up in the middle of the night immersed in scholarly thoughts, I think about it all the time. I guess that's good, right?

School (me as teacher) is going really well, and I love it too! It's great being back with the kids and my awesome students.

Next up: Ghost of Seattle Marathon, during Thanksgiving break, and the Ghost of Birch Bay on the first day of Christmas break. No concrete plans after that, except for my favorite - Orcas - in February.

That's it for now! I'll try to get back sooner next time...

I Wonder...

2010-10-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Shhhhh....Don't tell anyone I'm here. I'm supposed to be studying. I've been doing a lot of that lately - I started the doctoral program four weeks ago, taking two classes. And a week after that was the start of our fall quarter at work. You've caught me in an "up" moment - one where I think I've got the hang of it all, that I've found a good rhythm of work, study, running, family and friends. But the truth is, I have moments of pure panic - I wonder... what in the world I was thinking?!? I wonder...how will I ever read everything I need to read? I wonder...dare I take 15 minutes to write a blog post or read the newspaper? The other side of that same truth is that I LOVE it! Everything is so interesting, I love the way it's making me think, pulling my mind in so many directions. Up one minute, down the next - sounds like a post I wrote a few months ago...

My niece is blogging about her grad school journey, and it got me thinking I should do a little of that too. Just as I've been documenting my running life, maybe I could document some of my student life. I won't forget about the running though. Let's get started...

Eric came up with a brilliant schedule for me. Up at 4:00 am, study till 5:30, get ready and on the road to work by 6:40. Fall quarter, work till around 12:30 (I'll be adding classes winter and spring), home between 1:00 and 1:30, laundry, groceries, bills, running and studying till Eric gets home. Dinner together, a bit more computer time, a bit of downtime, and in bed at 8:30. It seems to be working for me. I don't feel stressed when I head off to work because I've already accomplished some school work for the day. I'm not sure I like afternoon running - you know I'm a die-hard early morning runner - but I'm working on it. I have a paper due next weekend, but I've also got an out-of-town trip booked, so this past weekend I worked on the paper. We wanted to go out with friends for a few hours on Saturday, so my compromise was to skip the Sunday run and coffee with the Y Runners, and run here at home instead. I got a run and a couple of hours of study in by the time Eric came home. Balance, right?

Running...ran Bellingham Bay Marathon on the 26th. Almost a personal worst, but I finished. I had serious doubts leading up to the race as I hadn't done any long runs since mid-July, and most of July, all of August and September I struggled with energy and my heart. I finished Bellingham feeling good, so I was happy. This weekend it's the Royal Victoria Marathon up in BC, thus the extra work on my paper last weekend. I'm going to shoot for one marathon a month, but will reserve the option to drop down to half marathons if I feel overwhelmed.

You probably won't hear from me often, but I hope to post occasionally. I haven't had any spare time to drop in on your blogs, and for that I apologize. Hopefully I'll find some time to do that once in a while. Now, it's off to the discussion boards in my classes!

Life Lessons

2010-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

In emailing back and forth with another blogger, I found myself crystallizing some thoughts about my summer. I decided to lift some of those thoughts from my note to him, to share with you, but also, to record for myself. I want to be able to come back and remind myself, once again, when I think life is hard, of all that it really has to offer, and of my current feelings. So here goes...

I can see that my parents are approaching that fragile stage, where every day of health is a day won, and I can also see that my sister's health has reached the same stage, even though she is only 41. I recognize that this brief encounter with cancer is probably just a battle in the war that her ravaged body will continue to endure. As our children have grown and are moving on, as our parents age, as I begin to really, deeply, understand that life will not continue as I have always known it, I find myself ready to embrace the sweetness, and to fully recognize and reach for what currently is.

My sister is a heroine. Without going into details, I will say that her life is difficult and she faces daily battles that you and I would cringe to face. But...her attitude over the past few days has been amazing - she faced surgery, cancer and the unknown with courage. She handles the pain, the hospitalization and all that follows with grace. For those who have not already heard, the cancer had not spread, they were able to take it all and she very probably will not have to face chemo (which is very high risk for her).

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend with both my brothers, both my sisters, their wives and husband, my parents and five out of nine grandchildren. We came together to celebrate my Mom's 75th, and with the underlying note of having a wonderful weekend together as a buttress against the unknown future. My parents literally glowed throughout the weekend, and it was in and of itself, very healing. Life is good, even when skirting the edge of illness.

I find myself with an urge to spin around wildly, arms out, dancing in joy. Even before we knew the results of the surgery, I found myself feeling connected, alive, loved and loving. I feel an energy all around me and I think it is from a summer of dancing on the edge with all that has happened - really from the WS100 experience, my sister's first hospitalization, my Dad's hospitalization, my own heart issues, right up through Friday night in the hospital with Sue. The potential for illness and loss has brought more than I expected in many ways - stress, yes, but also strength, joy and relationships. Life certainly is an adventure!

A Little of This, A Little of That

2010-08-30T16:59:00.001-07:00

Whew! Last week the temperatures dropped and I had three great runs in a row! I ran slow - over a 12 minute mile, and up until Saturday morning, stuck to the 4/1 run/walk. Saturday I bumped the timer up to a 9/1 and finished my run with energy to spare - yay! Hopefully, my pace will improve over the next few weeks. I find it amazing that having the temps right around 50 can make such a difference to me. Much higher than that and I start to have difficulties. I had another nuclear stress test, a 24 hour monitor and an echo a week ago, and though I haven't heard the results of the echo, the others were fine. Once again the cardiologist told me that they don't know what the problem is, but that they have eliminated anything like blockages. He also said (again) that joe average cardiologist doesn't usually get patients in my physical condition and that I blow away all their normal parameters. Without doing an invasive test, they just aren't going to find out what the problem is. I already knew that - I've heard it before. As Eric said, it had been four years since I had the last round of testing, and a year and a half since the last echo, so it is probably good to check it all again. Sigh...

After our run on Saturday we loaded up the car and drove into the mountains for the Cascade Crest 100. I have crewed there for the last five years, but this year we didn't have a runner in the race so I was able to help out at the aid station. What a blast that was! We arrived in Easton about a half hour before the start, saw the runners off, loaded up with aid station supplies, drop bags and a pacer in need of a ride, then headed off to a local burger joint. After lunch we dropped Jenny's car and the pacer at Hyak, then Jenny, Rob, Eric and I headed off to mark 15 miles of trail. Jenny and I ripped off lengths of marking tape and attached reflective tags, while Eric and Rob hopped in and out of the car to attach them to trees. We all kind of wished we could run the section, but time was short, so we drove. This is one section where the runners are on forest service road for quite a while, which is why we could drive it.

After that, we went back to Hyak and began setting up. More Y Run Club runners arrived, including one friend who brings a girls high school soccer team to help out. We set up canopies, multiple cook stoves, and tons of food. We laid out drop bags, set up an area for runners to sit if needed, and put cots and blankets in Eric's and my tent for sick runners. Thank goodness we never needed it. We saw the first runner right around 7:00 pm and the last runner around 2:45 am. We had a runner with an allergic reaction returned to our station to meet an aid car around 3:30 am. She was checked out and returned to the start with a friend. Tons of runners and crew in the hours between - it was so much fun!

The wind was blowing hard when we set up, but died down in the early evening. It stayed dry all night, though the temperature dropped to around 40. I had on two pairs of socks, running tights with sweats over the top, a shirt, a fleece pullover, a windbreaker, a coat and a hat. I also had hand warmers in my pockets and gloves. It sure felt good to finally crawl into a warm sleeping bag!

We crawled into the tent for about three hours of sleep before getting up to pack up the aid station and drop bags. Jenny and I went back to the start to return the gear and drop bags, just in time to see a friend finishing. Eric drove back up the course to take down all the ribbons we had put up the day before and met us back at the start a bit later. Jenny and I decided to head back home early, while Eric waited for Steve, who was pacing another friend. All in all, it was a great and fun weekend.

I start my classes at NEU two weeks from today, and my Pierce classes (that I teach) a week after that. We are heading north for a family gathering this weekend, then the next weekend I'll go up again - my sister will be having surgery, followed soon after that by the Bellingham Marathon. Life continues to be busy, so my posts are becoming farther and farther apart. I intend to keep blogging though, even if it is only once a month. In the meantime, I'm wishing you all a happy September!

Running is Down

2010-08-13T13:00:00.001-07:00

Well, the rollercoaster ride has continued. Last week I headed off to Portland for a girls weekend with Lorri. Steve and Eric were planning an overnight run on the Plain course, so we thought we might as well go have some fun. Running hasn't been going well for me since I had problems on the long run a few weeks ago, so I decided I wouldn't worry about running while in Portland. We got back Sunday afternoon and I unpacked and put everything away. Eric came home an hour or two later and shortly after that the phone rang. It was my sister calling to say Dad was in the ER with heart trouble. My sister and I were on the road north within hours, and stayed for three days. Dad had a stent put in, is recovering and has more tests coming up. My younger sister will be having surgery within the next couple weeks, possibly two surgeries. We won't know about chemo till after surgery.

Lorri and I in Portland.

I ran once while at my parents, and I struggled. They live in a very hilly area, but that should not be a problem for me. I am fit, and I run hills all the time. I ran here at home one day too, on a flat course, and I struggled. I made five miles both times, but slowly and with a huge effort - feeling like the last couple of miles were the last miles of a hard-run marathon. I know that I haven't had much rest, and that my stress levels are high, both of which have impact on my heart, yet I still feel worried about going from running 40 miles, a marathon and a 50K in just a few weeks, feeling comfortable, to barely being able to eke out five miles and feeling exhausted when I do. I have two marathons scheduled in late September and early October that I'm worried about. I haven't done a long run since the crash-and-burn 19 miles July 16th, and at the moment I don't see a long run in the foreseeable future. I felt a bit better this morning when I remembered that in the past, it usually took me about six weeks to get over a heart episode. It's been so long ago that I had forgotten that, so maybe there's hope I'll be running well again soon.

I haven't forgotten my post about all I have to be thankful for. I still feel thankful. My problem is that there is a lot of anxiety and worry in my life right now, for my Dad and my sister, and my usual method of dealing with that is running. So when I head out the door and it doesn't go well, it's not good - I end up adding that stress to the mix. On the other hand, I need the relief of running, even if it's hard. I'm trying to ease up a bit, go with the flow and recognize all the good things around me. Spending time with my parents and my sisters has been good, my weekend away with Lorri was wonderful, and once again, the support of family and friends is amazing. My middle sister and I have had some wonderful moments together through this, and we know that we are facing some intense weeks ahead, but we also know that we'll get each other through it. I am extremely thankful for Eric and all he does to help me. In the grand scheme of my life, running is major, but in the grand scheme of all things, running is minor. It will all work out in the end.

Rollercoaster Life

2010-07-30T15:18:00.001-07:00

Relaxing day in Monmouth, OR

It has been an emotional couple of weeks around here. Last week my youngest sister was in hospital, and I spent two nights by her bedside so my Mom could get some sleep. My Great Aunt Betty passed away while I was staying with my sister. Those lows were followed by a relaxing and fun weekend trip with Lorri and Steve to the Willamette Valley for some wine tasting. Monday brought a diagnosis of breast cancer for my sister. Emotional ups and downs followed as the news spread through my family, and we begin the wait for the next appointment and more information. It's been a low week, brightened by the caring of family and friends. And then, today, a high point - acceptance into the Doctorate of Education program at Northeastern University! Tomorrow the family will gather to say goodbye to Aunt Betty, and Tuesday the women will gather again to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of our young women. Down, up, down, up, down and up again. Life is full these days, full of sorrows and joys, full of family and friends.

Lorri and I being silly, midway through our wine tasting tour.

Finally, some Western States pictures:

4:00 am, pacer Steve, racer Eric, crew Michelle (photo by Margaret, camera crew) heading over to the start line.

Eric at WS100 start

Margaret and I, crew extraordinaire!

Reminders...

2010-07-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I spent the last two days being reminded of a fundamental fact - that I take freedom of movement for granted. The simple acts of lifting food to my lips, brushing my fingers through my hair, rolling over in bed, moving about the room, answering a phone, sitting in a chair, talking and being understood with ease, walking and yes, running, are not to be taken lightly. So what if I had a frustrating run on Friday? I ran. I ran for a long time and a long distance. I took deep breaths, and I moved my body through time and space in a way that some can only imagine and never experience. I came home and prepared myself a meal, I moved through my house, I washed my own body. I settled myself on to the couch to rest and I got up to move around afterwards. I typed a post about my frustration. I did all the things that most of us do every single day of our lives and I did it without giving any thought to it. I took all that movement, all that freedom, for granted. I'm ashamed to think about how frustrated I felt over such a minor thing as a difficult run. I'm humbled to think about the struggle that others face each day. I should not need this reminder - my sister fights this battle daily. We live a few hours apart, and I find as the days pass, my daily life fills my mind and I forget. I forget to be thankful for movement, for all the things I take for granted. These last two days have jarred me out of my complacency.

Today, I'm reminded of all the sweetness my life has, I am thankful for freedom of movement, for family, for love and support. I am awed by the challenges that my sister faces, and grateful that she has the care and love that she does. As the days pass, I will strive to keep one corner of my mind free of my daily life, and instead, full of these reminders.

Long Run Lament

2010-07-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

So here I am, being a good girl for once and not running any summer races. I'm actually sticking to the promise I made three years ago about avoiding running in the heat. I haven't gone to the Thursday night run since it's been warm, and I'm out early getting my miles in during the cool parts of the day. All good, right? However, as every good marathoner knows, I've got to keep my miles up. I mean, I'm used to doing one to two races a month and I don't want to lose that fitness. I have signed up for two fall marathons so far, so I've got to maintain in the meantime. All leading up to the long run...

I decided to take care of this by planning a 20 mile run around town for this morning. Jenny said she'd join me and we planned a 5:00 am start to avoid the heat. As luck would have it, it was cloudy and 53 degrees this morning - perfect! And all was well for the first 12 miles. We cruised along, sometimes chatty, sometimes quiet, just winding our way through parts of Puyallup. We ran into Lesa just as we hit mile nine, and ran a block with her before we turned off into the park where we typically run on Thursday nights. About halfway through the figure-eight, my chest started tightening up. We dropped the pace a bit, took an extra few seconds on the walk break, made sure to eat and drink, and started back up. My tight chest persisted. I changed the run/walk over to a 4/1 and we headed back across town. About mile 15 I told Jenny I was really bonking because my legs were so heavy and I was having trouble breathing. A short time later I felt it - the pain in my upper back, the cinched ribs, the inability to get a breath. Full fledged heart symptoms that I haven't felt since a year ago May.

This so frustrating! I know that it can and will happen, I know that I can manage it, I know that I am a strong runner and that when it happens I need to let go of my plans and accommodate. I know all this, but I have such difficulty doing it. Jenny and I discussed how hard-headed I can be, as we kept moving toward home. We took a route through the college that would give a mile of gentle downhill - and as I ran down, I could feel everything easing and I could breathe again. So...we decided to try a one mile lap around the lake (my stubbornness (or maybe obsession) strikes again). I switched the timer over to 1/1 and off we went. Not so good, everything came back. We lapped the lake and headed home - our house is about a half mile away. And we walked almost the entire way, ending the day with 19.23 miles.

Some will read this will not be able to understand what drives me. For that matter, I'm not sure I understand. There are moments when the frustration overwhelms me and I am ready to drop all long distances. Settle in at maybe the half marathon, or ten mile distance. But then I think, no. No. I can do this, I've been doing it for three and a half years, I love it, I love the distance and the challenge and I won't give it up till I have to. "Have to" is when there is evidence that it is damaging my heart, or when the natural and expected degradation of my defective valve won't allow me to run. Until then, I'll deal with the frustration, with the occasional bad episode, and I'll savor the good runs. Really, when I think about it, it's been over a year since I last had a bad day. That's pretty good.

In thinking over the factors that played into the run today, I suspect a few things. First, I didn't really take a break over our vacation like I thought I would. I ran more than expected (I had to counteract all the good food and beer), we hiked thirteen miles into the lodge, ran eight the next day and hiked thirteen back out. (Yes, my husband is a stud. He ran a 100 miler on Saturday-Sunday and we hiked five days later). I ended last week with 47.5 miles and already had 30 miles in for this week when we started our run this morning. I've also spent the last three weeks in high temperatures - ranging from the low 80s to over 100. Temperatures like that give me a knot in my chest whether I am running or sitting. I seldom have problems and run my best when it is 30 - 45 degrees, so even 53 is a bit warm for me. I guess the cumulative toll of too much heat and too much running caught up with me, or maybe it was too much running in too much heat. Jenny and I discussed it and decided a rest week is in order. I'll run no more than five miles a day this week, which will put me in the 25 mile range. We are supposed to have a bit cooler weather so that will help too.

Wow, if you are still reading, you are dedicated! Sometimes I write these posts to share, but sometimes, like today, I write them for me. I write to let go of frustration, and as a record for myself. I go back every now and then, and read over posts from the past to remind myself that my health has been worse, that I've dealt with these symptoms before and that I am still running. It's all good and I feel better now that I've written it out. I might even be able to keep the whine out of my voice when I talk to Eric in a bit. Thanks for letting me vent, and I'll see you out on the run!

Crewing for WS100

2010-07-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

I can see that I am not going to find time while on vacation to get a post up about Western States. This post is for those who haven't seen the good news on Facebook. I'll cut right to the chase: FINISH! Eric finished at 27:23:51. It was an awesome experience all around - crewing was a blast! I can't begin to explain how great it was to have Margaret and Steve there to help crew and pace. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun without them, and Margaret's mad map skills and midnight driving saved the day.

Highlights for me: hiking three miles down to the river at midnight under a full moon, then getting to hike back up with Eric and Steve, and pacing Eric the last mile to the finish line. It was one of the best moments ever - I teared up then, and I'm tearing up now thinking about it. I also can't believe the relief I felt when we heard he'd passed the Devil's Thumb checkpoint - where he dropped the last time. Once he passed that point, I was certain of a finish. He went into this race with bruised ribs from a fall the week before on a quick little five mile run, and he battled blisters for 70 miles, but he pushed through it all. Amazing. There are so many amazing stories in this race, each runner has one to tell.

We spent the two days after the race with friends at Lake Donner, and are now in Redding, soon to be leaving for Grants Pass, Oregon. Tomorrow we'll begin a three day hiking adventure on the wild and scenic section of the Rogue River. Yep, despite blisters that cover the entire ball of the foot on both feet, Eric is ready to hike. Unbelievable! Anyway, that's it for now - have a great week!

R2R 2010

2010-06-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been a wild few weeks. We've been wrapping up spring quarter at work - now in finals week with graduation on Friday. I'll walk as faculty for the first time ever! These last few weeks of the quarter are always intense. Just to add a bit of fun...we had R2R going on. As Mrs. Assistant Race Director, I helped out when and where I could: hosted packet stuffing at our house, created a timing spreadsheet and entered the racers and corresponding data, managed packet pickup for one afternoon, shopped for food for 11 aid stations, boiled and cut up 50 lbs of potatoes, cut up 12 watermelons and helped stock and organize aid station tubs. Now, just imagine what Eric and Rob were doing! I got a full night's sleep on race night because Eric insisted. He got a whopping two hours of sleep, and Rob decided it wasn't worth it and got zero hours of sleep. They did it though, they pulled off a great race!

Oh, and in the midst of the potatoes and watermelons, our computer died. Really died, like gone, gone, gone. The day before the race and we have no email. And, our old dog was having a bad spell, so we had to fit in a run over to the vet for a prescription - thank goodness they refilled without having to see her! So, you know, a little of this and a little of that, and I was one tired old runner the night before the race. I told Eric that I thought it was possible that all the prep was more work than the 50K.

As it was, I had a lovely race. The sun was out (after two weeks of rain), the temps were up (not so good), Margaret and Abi were there to run with me on one of my favorite courses, and there were friends everywhere I looked. My run went well till right around mile 15 - by then I was hot and out of energy and my chest was tight. We played around with the timing, trying to go to a 3/1 run/walk cycle, but that did not help. Just as my breathing became more difficult, Eric called to see how I was handling the heat. His phone was cutting in and out, and I thought I heard him say "work through it", which I will admit, surprised me. I repeated it back to him, and got the actual message loud and clear: "don't over do it!" He knows me all too well. I immediately switched to a 1/1 cycle, and took a few minutes to walk and get some food in. I sat for a minute at the next aid station, and ate more food. It probably took another mile, but I finally got my second wind.

Right after we left the Puyallup aid station, a 50 mile runner caught up to us. He said he was exhausted and asked if he could hang with us a while. He ended up staying with us the rest of the race - slowly coming back from the edge and finishing strong. Margaret encouraged him to run the last quarter mile and finish on his own - which he did, then he circled right back around to run in with us! It was so awesome. Greg, if you ever happen to read this, you did great!

Right now, my race calendar is blank until October 10th. I know - I'm not very good at keeping my "no races in the summer" promise. Eric has been giving me gentle reminders for the last few weeks, hoping to get me to stick to it. Intellectually, I know I should not run, but holding off is awfully hard. I'm going to try...I'm looking for a September race, but am going to try to stay out of any for the rest of June, July and August. I'm volunteering next week at the Lake Youngs 50K (and running one early-morning 10 mile loop), and of course crewing at WS100 (coming up in just a couple weeks!).

There you have it, the latest and greatest from Puyallup. R2R was my 60th combined marathon and ultra...45 marathons + 15 ultras. Happy days!

Redmond Watershed 12 Hour

2010-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

40.5 miles with 19 minutes to spare!

I went into this race with a goal of running for close to 12 hours and 40 miles. My minimum goal was a 50K. I knew the weather forecast was for around 70 degrees, which is a little warm for me, plus I knew I slowed down a lot after the 50K distance at Pac Rim, so I wasn't really sure I could get to 40 miles. I kept thinking that it was only nine more miles and I ought to be able to do it. I also kept in mind that each year at Pac Rim I struggle to get to the 50K point, then it seems like I get a second wind, and my legs and feet don't hurt as much. I was hanging on to that thought all day.

At the end of loop one, still fresh. Photo by Jane Herzog

The Redmond Watershed is a gorgeous forested area with some beautiful wide trails. Rocky in places, but not too technical. We ran a 4.6 mile loop then right before the aid station veered off for a .7 mile loop for a total of about 5.3 miles. Everyone runs the 5.3 mile loop till the last two hours. At that point a runner can continue going out on the large loop, but if they do not make it back by the 7:00 pm time limit, they lose the miles of that loop. The other option is to switch to the little loop when you know you can't complete a large one. However, this option only becomes available at 10 hours. I ran seven large loops and four small loops to reach my goal.

I started the day running nine minutes and walking one, plus I did a bit of extra walking on the hills. I ran two loops by myself, then Jane joined me for two. Jane is recovering from breaking her ankle eight months ago. It was pretty severe, requiring a plate, pins and screws. She's a fast walker and is walking with short running breaks right now. We went out at the 9/1 pace for the first loop, then I was ready to cut it back to a 4/1. It was good having Jane with me. That first loop we chatted away, making it go by really fast. The second loop, she kept me moving and reminded me to eat and drink. As we neared the aid station, she said she had one more loop in her and asked if I wanted her for the next one (loop five) or wanted her to sit one out and join me for loop six. I opted for loop six. By this point it was feeling warm and I was worried I wouldn't make it to my goal. As many of you know, the heat adds stress to my system, which causes my heart to act up (tight chest, skipping beats, short breath). In an attempt to manage both the heat and fatigue I reset my timer to a 2/1 just before the end of that loop. It worked well!

I went out for the fifth loop alone. Though I say I ran alone, what I really mean is with no partner. There were plenty of other racers out on this course that I chatted with as we passed. Scratch that, most of them passed me! I did pass the occasional runner though. We also shared the trail with a few bikes and horses, and quite a few local runners and walkers. Jane joined me again for the sixth loop. Midway through that one, I changed my timer to 1/1. It worked really well for the heat - one minute was not long enough for me to overheat or to raise my heart rate too high. I must say, it's nice to have some one fresh out there with me - Jane talked some sense into me more than once. I have a tendency to wait for the aid station to eat, or to change my clock over and she convinced me that acting immediately was a better idea - that it was prevention. What a good idea!

After the sixth loop (32 miles) I took a longer break - probably 10 minutes. I had some soup, almost a full pepsi and some fruit. I contemplated whether I really wanted to keep going. Turns out I did. I had the aid station lady make me a pb&j wrap with the addition of pretzels folded in. Best food ever! I walked out eating it, then gave myself another five minutes of walking to let all the food settle. I finished that loop - number seven - and had about an hour and 40 minutes to get 2.8 miles - four little loops - in. I dropped my pack and my water bottle, grabbed a pepsi and headed out. My plan was to walk one loop drinking the coke, then mostly run the next three. Jenny had stopped earlier at 32 miles and was in comfy clothes and crocs. She said she'd walk with me. When I came in from that first loop, turned around and started running, Jenny was right behind me - running in her crocs! She ran the last three loops with me in those crocs - I couldn't believe it. I finished 40 miles and still had 19 minutes till the 12 hour deadline. I thought for a second about one more lap, but decided to call it a day.

Eric and Steve finished the day with a 100K - 62 miles. It was their fourth weekend in a row of racing, all prep for WS100. Eric will be running and Steve will be pacing him.

It was a great day and I think I just might be out there again next year. We'll see!

Tacoma City Marathon 2010

2010-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

The early start. Picture by Dawn Bellevue

Short story - a fun race. Ran well and felt good all the way through. The weather was cool and quite windy, but no rain till we were done. Margaret, Jessica and I ran together all day, and Rob was with us for the first 11 miles or so. He was Volunteer Coordinator, so he began with us at the early start and checked in with all the volunteers along the way, then waited with Steve (he was a course marshal) till the last runners came through, then they swept the course. All in all, I believe Rob probably talked to every volunteer on the course today.

This was my fourth TCM in a row, and my 45th marathon, bringing my marathon-ultra combined total to 58. I am still amazed by this. I remember watching Eric's marathons and dreaming of the day I might do one marathon. Just one, I thought. I was struggling with heart issues then and having difficulty with anything beyond five miles. I remember running Portland in 2006, my first marathon and how hard it was. And how sore I was after. I wanted to be a Maniac, so I thought two more to qualify and that would be it. By the time I ran those two, I was hooked. Here I am, three years and seven months later, finishing 45 marathons and not only that, but a few ultras too. I still can't believe it. Now Lesa is trying to convince me to do a 100 miler. She wants me to find a 48 hour race and she's convinced I can do it. I don't know...maybe if everything fell into place just right...

Next up is the 12 Hour Watershed where I plan to do at least a 50K, followed by the 50K at R2R. However, both are contingent on cool weather. If it's too warm, I'm out.

For today though, I am content. I'm smiling and I'm feeling good!

Here are a few pictures:

I carried that Pepsi 21 miles! It was so worth it. Picture by George Koski

Margaret, Jessica, me, about mile 23 Picture by George Koski

Whidbey Island Marathon

2010-04-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

We had quite a running weekend at our house. Eric signed up for a trail race out on the peninsula, with the intention of running 50 miles there yesterday and the Whidbey Marathon today. We were a bit concerned about timing since we were dependent on ferry schedules. The plan was for him to finish in 10 hours, then I'd pick him up and we'd try for the 6:45 ferry. I was on my way to get him (an hour and twenty minute drive) when he called and said he'd dropped at 40 miles because he knew he wouldn't make 50 in time for us to catch the ferry. Thank goodness he did! We are used to the big ferries and didn't realize the one we were catching was small and generally required reservations. We were told we might get on the 6:45, otherwise it would have been the 8:30. Luckily, we were one of the last few cars to make it on - and that was because some people with reservations didn't show. If we had pulled up at 8:30 and needed reservations, we would have been doomed to drive around - probably a four hour drive. We did make it though, got a fast-food dinner and then met up with Betsy and Matt at their friend's condo. It was so nice of them to offer to share with us! We were right next door to the bus pick up and finish line for the marathon, which was pretty nice.

This was a point-to-point marathon - they shuttled us to the start, where we huddled around outdoor heaters for about an hour (we were on the early bus). It was great chatting with other Maniacs while we waited, plus hanging around the heaters allowed us to meet many new people. Whidbey Island is a tough course - it's hilly from start to finish. I enjoyed it though - beautiful views, miles and miles along the water and through farmland. Apparently we ran through the Navy base, but somehow I failed to notice the gigantic arch stating we were entering the base when I went under it. Imagine my surprise when everyone was talking about it afterward! I can't believe I ran under it and didn't even see it. I guess I had a bad case of marathon brain.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, but didn't get too warm - there was always a cool and gentle breeze blowing off the water. By the end of the day I was running in short sleeves and felt great. The best part of the day was about mile 24 when I was feeling pretty spent. I looked up to see Eric running up the hill towards me. It was wonderful having him run me in the last two miles. I had to laugh though, that he chose to run out and meet me the day after a 40 mile run and after completing his own marathon. I guess that tells you that his 100 mile training is going well!

I ran this race solo, but met several new friends along the way. It was fun running a mile or two with someone new, especially with people from other states. Conversation about our corner of the world flowed and I was told repeatedly how lucky I am to live here - and I have to agree. Whidbey showed our state off to perfection today!

I have had slow recovery from Pac Rim. It's only been three weeks and it took till last weekend to begin to feel normal on my runs. Before that I'd be worn out after four or five miles, plus felt clunky and heavy-legged. I felt pretty tired be the end of each day and generally worn out. I had some doubts about the marathon, but announced it would take me about 5:40. My time today was 5:40:52 by the garmin - pretty good prediction, huh? And I feel pretty good tonight. I think I'll be ready for Tacoma on May 2nd.

Marathon number 44 is in the books, bringing my marathon + ultra total to 57. Cool!

Pac Rim 2010

2010-03-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

I did it! I met my basic goal of running, well, let's say moving, for 24 hours. I ran 67 miles - not quite the 70 to 80 I had hoped for, but I'm very happy. If I'm honest, I'm mostly happy to be done!

Everyone I talked to seemed to find the race especially challenging this year. I'm not sure what it was, but many of us were off our times from last year. Maybe the heat? The weather was in the high 30s at the start and moved into the high 60s by the afternoon. I think it affected everyone - though beautiful and gorgeous, those temps are unusually high for this time of year. Most of us are used to running in the 40s to low 50s right now, and aren't yet acclimated to high spring temps. For once I managed the heat well, staying hydrated, keeping my pace down and my electrolytes up. I worked at keeping my pace slow, knowing that I had to make it through the night.

I ran 50K with Jessica and Abi, then was on my own for a while. I didn't wear a watch or my Garmin, and although I caught an hour nap since I've been home, I've pretty much been up for 36 hours, so everything is kind of fuzzy around the edges. I am not sure exactly when Jenny waited for me, but she was sitting in a chair when I came into our personal aid station, waiting to run with me. I know after Jessica left, it seemed like it took hours to get through the 30's and up to 40 miles. I don't remember the 40s much, but again, it took hours to get through the 50s. I started the day running the long sides of the mile loop, walking the concrete bridge on one end, and through the aid station area and a ways beyond on the other end. Towards evening, I added a walk break in the middle of each long side. Sometime in the evening I also elected to walk two laps in a row - it really helped. It seemed to work all the kinks out and leave me ready to run again. I found myself doing that off and on for the rest on the race. By 7:00 am, I gave up on running and walked the rest of the laps. Technically speaking, I really stopped at 23 hours and 42 minutes - when I came in from my last lap, they told me there was 18 minutes left. Obviously, I could have complete the lap if I ran it. Equally obviously, there was no running left in my legs. I had just walked a lap in 21 minutes, so I was done. And happy!

As long as I've been hanging around ultras, I've heard of people falling asleep while running or walking. I always wondered how that worked. Well, I found out last night. I can't quite remember when, but there was a point where I told Jenny I had to have a short nap. I went into the tent and slept for 10 minutes - it was perfect and I came out ready to go (you should have seen me getting up from a sleeping pad on the ground - it was a laborious process!). Seemed like that refreshed me enough to get around five laps in. During that time Jenny decided she needed a nap, so I began running on my own. I think I was at 60 miles with a goal of getting to 65. Jenny was ahead of my by about five miles at that point. I was fuzzy-brained, so when she told me to wake her up when I got to 65, I took her seriously. I found myself trotting through the dark on my own. Pretty soon, I found myself staggering during walk breaks, literally dozing off as I walked. My eyes would cross, I'd see double, and I'd weave all over the path. I sat down on a bench to rest for a minute and fell asleep with my elbows on my knees. A passing runner woke me up when he asked if I was okay. I staggered through the next half mile, then went into the restroom. I fell asleep on the potty. I was aware enough to realize I needed a nap, so I went into the tent. Abi was curled up under a blanket and Jenny had the sleeping pad and sleeping bag. I sat down in a chair and started to doze off - Jenny was awake and though I was mostly incoherent, managed to get me to lie down under the sleeping bag next to her. I had my watch hanging on my bag so I set the timer for 10 minutes and went to sleep. I forgot to mention that by this time a cold wind was blowing and it was raining off and on, but I was so tired I flopped down in my wet raincoat and hat. The timer went off and I began the slow process of getting to my feet. I went back out and started trotting around. That went pretty well for three miles, then the whole stagger thing started again. I came weaving into the aid station, and there were Abi and Jenny, ready to go out with me again. I mumbled something about sleep and dropped onto the mat again. I think Jenny let me have five minutes. Then it was up and out. When I went into the tent it was just beginning to get light, and when I came out, it was finally daylight. Having my friends with me again and light in the sky made all the difference! I was at 63 miles and we had two hours to go.

I also forgot to mention two great things. Rob ran 50K, and when he was done, made a Starbucks run. That was wonderful and came at a perfect time. Jessica finished her 50K, then went off to clean up and rest, and came back with more Starbucks, which again, couldn't have come at a better time. Then she cooked us perogies! She went to sleep in her car after that, and came out to join us for the final few laps. We couldn't have asked for a better crew and cheerleader! Thanks Jessica.

Also, many thanks to the volunteers at the race. There's nothing better than to come in from a lap and have the lap counter call out your name and tell you how great you are doing. Many thanks to the graveyard shift lap counters: Amy, Joe Lee and Sarah. Joe and Sarah had a couple of encouraging conversations with me when I was tired and on my own. You two really helped me out!

I'm always reluctant to post mileages because I'm afraid I'll get it wrong or forget someone. Of course, I'm going to do it anyway! Eric - 100 miles, Steve -100 miles, Tony C. - 100 miles, Arthur - 100 miles, Jess Mullen - 116 miles (second overall, first woman), Tim Englund - 121 miles (overall winner!), Van and Lisa B - I think around 103 or 104 miles?

Blister report: Ball of left foot, big toe and second toe of left foot. Big toe of right foot. That's all. I didn't really feel them till I took my shoes off and put my Birkenstocks on. Then I felt them! I also have a red rash all over my feet, from the top of my socks to my toes. I could feel it itching and burning around my ankles at night and stopped once to change socks, and once to apply Vaseline. Other than that, just normal post-race stiffness.

That's it - my goal race for the year is complete. It's all fun and games from here out!

PS. I knew I'd forget someone! Linda W got an incredible 80 miles, Alison got 102 and Owen 100. You are all amazing!

PSS. And, Allison with over 100 and Owen with 100, and how could I forget... Jenny with 70, Abi with 45 and Jessica with 34? Plus, the title now reflects the actual year of 2010.

The Deep End

2010-03-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

I'm jumping into the deep end. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to swim there, or at least tread water. No, I'm not taking up swimming, nor am I entering a tri. Nope, I'm taking on a different kind of challenge - an intellectual one. I'm applying to begin work on a Doctorate of Education. Crazy, huh?

Let me tell you, less than a month ago I said that me getting a doctorate was out of the question. No way, no how. Not gonna happen. Then one day a colleague made an off-hand remark about finding a doctoral program that might work while working full time. He suggested that the three of us currently working in our ECE department sign up and get to work on it - kind of a mini-cohort of our own.

The seed was planted. I was excited. Then, over the weekend, I began to have doubts. Would it be possible to have any kind of a life outside of work and study? Would I still be able to run? Would I still be able to race? Did I really want to sign up for three years (or more) of intense work? I'm part time right now, and once a full time position opens up, my current education and experience gives me a very good shot at it. I don't really need a doctorate. It doesn't increase my potential salary much (at least in my current area of work). Is it worth it? Heck, I'm 52 years old. I'd be 55 when I finish - that's kind of late isn't it?

I started soliciting advice. Eric gave me his whole hearted support. He's been encouraging me to do this for years, but I've been reluctant. I asked Dr. Sarah and she told me I liked to do hard things and should go for it. I asked Marie, who recently returned to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. She just finished her first set of classes and I wanted to know how she did it. She was encouraging. I asked Margaret, deep in the midst of her MBA program. She offered wisdom that really moved me forward. She told me that things don't stay the same, and that the more tools I have in my tool box, the better I'd be. She talked to me about how it would open up so many options for me, and if nothing else, the intrinsic value of education makes it worth it. She mentioned a change in world view and simply being better at what I do. I thought about my age, and how I've never wanted age to be a barrier to anything I do, so why was I even thinking about that? Today my colleagues and I went to lunch to discuss it. When we left, I knew I was going to go for it.

I've started the application process, filling out forms, requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation. If I get in, I'm hoping to start next fall. I'm hoping I can keep a semblance of balance in my life, and I'm hoping that my running holds steady. I'm also hoping that this is where marathon and ultra running pays off - that the mental toughness required to keep moving when I am really tired, depleted, hurting, or just down, translates to real life and will help me complete this challenge. That's a whole lotta hope in one bucket!

Invest in Youth Six Hour "Fund" Run

2010-03-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

Today was the six hour run to support youth for the Snohomish Y. The goal is to rack up as many miles as you can in six hours - on a 2.5 mile out and back (five mile total). I went with the intention of running a marathon - since on a good day that takes me around 5:40. I managed it in 5:52 - not bad. We spent some time at the aid station at the end of each five mile segment, usually between three and five minutes, so my time was definitely in the usual range.

It was a gorgeous sunny northwest day, about 37 at the start and probably in the high 50s at the end. Lots of our running buddies and fellow Maniacs were present and of course we'd see each other on each out and back, which makes for fun times. Eric, Steve, Jenny, Rob, Linda and I all rode up together (it's about an hour and 15 minutes north of us). The trail is paved and goes gently uphill on the way out and gently downhill on the way back. It winds past little farms, woods and green fields and offers a view of a few snow-capped peaks of the Cascades and beautiful foothills. Really, really gorgeous.

Jenny and I ran together all day, with Rob joining us off and on. Things were going pretty well till the last out-and-back. I warned Jenny that I was getting tired and it would be a little slower, but we were still making good time. Right up till about mile 22 or 23, when I suddenly felt my piriformis (according to Jenny) seize up. My leg kind of buckled, but I recovered and kept moving. Then it happened again. I slowed to a walk, and when I touched the spot to show Jenny, it cramped up again. After walking a bit, we started running again, and my leg suddenly buckled again, this time causing me to visibly stumble. We started walking, and I finally told Jenny I had to stretch it out. I got down on the wet grass beside the trail and stretched it - left knee to right hand. That seemed to take care of it, and though it felt tender for the rest of the run, I made it. I was stressing a bit about making sure to hit the marathon distance, but Jenny kept me moving at a good clip. We made it with seven minutes to spare! My 43rd marathon, bringing my overall total to 55. Cool!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that after I told Eric I was having a "butt cramp", he and Steve chanted "butt cramp, butt cramp!" repeatedly whenever they saw us. That and monkey-calls. They had a good day, racking up 37 miles. This was in spite of the fact that Eric forgot to register and pay, forgot his salt, gels and water bottles. He's awfully lucky that Rob had a spare bottle, Jenny spare gel, and Steve spare salt tabs. And that Kendall knows us and believed we'd mail him a check when we got home! I must also mention that the incredible Shawn McT ran 43 miles in six hours for the woman's win. She is awesome!

I suspect one of two things caused the cramp. I will admit I wore brand-spanking new shoes and insoles. I bought them yesterday and wore them to the grocery store. I didn't think it would matter much because they are the same models I've been wearing for years. I think the real culprit was the trail - it had a definite slant towards the creek, and I was feeling it on the last couple loops. Who knows? It feels fine now. I'll rest it a couple days before I run again and we'll see. I was planning to taper down to Pac Rim anyway. I want fresh legs there, but more important I want lots of rest, because you know, it's hard staying up for 24 hours at my age!

Meta-Cognition

2010-02-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Quick running note: I hit 54 miles this week. Instead of multiple 50 mile weeks since January first, it's only my second. My weekly mileages have been hanging in the mid-thirties, with a couple of low 40s weeks. I haven't been able to pull off the mileage and training that I planned (that whole life is busy thing, plus a three week cold, followed by another one two weeks later), but I still feel pretty good about where I'm at. I think I'm ready for Pac Rim. Plus, today, I ran five miles at a 10:50 pace, including one minute walk breaks! Whoo-hoo! Speedy! One more race before Pac Rim (a Six Hour Run next weekend) then it's taper time. Hard to believe it's here already!

Joe's post prompted me to think about thinking - meta-cognition, for those of us in education. Someone asked Joe what he thinks about when he's out on long runs. I've been asked that question, usually following "How can you run without music?" My answer is that I love the way my thoughts drift during every run, wandering around, drifting and dreaming. I can think through problems, plan, fume, explore, contemplate, imagine, create and wonder. And... sometimes I don't think at all, I just exist. Does that make sense? I run on auto-pilot and the only input or output is sensory, I hear my footfalls, I hear my breathing, I run. I think that is the only time my mind ever goes completely quiet - even in sleep, I'm dreaming. I find it essential to have time like this, time to think. I would even venture to say that it is important to be able to spend that kind of time with your own thoughts.

Now, I know this one will get me in hot water, but really, I think that it is vital for every one of us to have some time in a day where we can think about anything and everything. I think that our world provides too many distractions: ipod, facebook, blogging, TV, radio, video games, movies, work, commuting, family, friends, meetings and more. I believe down-time is important - it's how we consolidate our values, our philosophies, solve our problems, fit new things into our existing schema. For me, that time comes during running. And yes, I've run for hours and hours - 19 hours last year at Pac Rim - and no, I never listen to music. Even though much of that time is spent in conversation, much of it is not. I've run up to 7 hours by myself, no music, nothing but the sounds of me moving through space, and no, I don't get bored, and I would even say it renews me.

I originally asked for an Ipod for Christmas so I could download a book to listen to during the 24 hours of Pac Rim, and I've been using it to listen to books during my commute. Lately though, I've been reconsidering that idea. I may load one up just in case, but I'm afraid I might find it more stressful than entertaining. I might actually be the only person in the world that finds listening to music an irritant rather than a calming experience. I find that it often puts me on edge and I much prefer silence. Over the years, I've come to realize that is an unusual aspect of my personality, and I don't believe I've met anyone else who shares that feeling yet. In some ways, it's just too much audio input, and as I've listened to books in the car, I've found that even that can be too much. However, the sounds of children playing or the hours-long conversations with friends don't feel that way to me. Strange... maybe it's because those sounds are the sounds of life?

I read an article once that said that scientists had discovered that when some people listen to or perform music, the entire top part of the brain lights up, and that when other people listen only a tiny portion of the brain lights up. I suspect I'm one of the tiny portion people. I guess those differences are what makes the world go 'round right?

So, see what happens when reading blogs with the morning cup of tea? Meta-cognition and a rambling blog post. I'll get back on track with a race report next weekend, promise!

First Annual Y Run Club 50K

2010-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

We hosted the first annual (I think) Y Run Club 50K and Marathon (and other) yesterday. We lucked out with beautiful sunny weather - about 28 degrees at the start, warming up to the low 50s by the end. Our course took us around the lake at a nearby park, a short jaunt across a field and up the back road of the local college. A lap around the perimeter of the college and back down the road to the park give us a three mile loop. Do that ten times and add an extra loop around the lake, and 50K was in the bag! I should mention that from where runners entered the back road to the main entrance of the college is about one mile, and oh, by the way, that's all up hill. On the other hand, heading back to the park gives a mile of down hill. Around the lake is mostly flat with a couple of rollers on the east side. This is one of my favorite running courses, though one I don't get to do often enough. The park and the road are wooded on both sides, and when campus is closed the road is closed to traffic. The campus itself is ringed by woods as well, and fairly deserted on weekends and early mornings. I don't think it's a wise place for me to run alone in the pre-dawn hours. Yesterday however, was a different story. There were runners and dog-walkers all over the place!

We put this up as a self-supported race. It was free, and I had it on a couple racing calendars, with an online link. We did not provide food, water, or bibs. We had a designated and lightly marked course, some maps (thank you Steve!) and a log for distance and time. It was the runner's responsibility to track laps and log results when they finished. We also had waivers to sign - and 36 people signed in. That was a surprise - originally I thought we'd probably get ten runners, and as we got closer to race day, the number creeped up to 30. We had nine 50K runners, 11 marathoners, five half-marathoners, and six others at distances from three to 18 miles. We also had six runners who didn't log their time and distance.

Since this was kind of a loosey-goosey fun run, we said runners could run the official 50K or marathon, or any other distance they chose. We also offered an alternative route that included one mile of trails. And, we said if the hill got to be too much, running repeats of the small lap was an option. We tried to be flexible and keep it fun. And, by all reports, we succeeded!

I know I had a blast. Jenny and I ran the entire 50K together. Rob joined us for several laps, too. He started out with a faster group, and by the time he joined us, was four miles ahead. Then he broke off towards the end and ran several small laps before rejoining us for the final three mile lap. Rob, Jenny and I make for a lot of fun when we run together - once again, I found myself laughing so hard I could barely run. Thanks you two! Jenny and I stuck it out on the big lap - running that hill ten times. The best part? I got a 14 minute PR! Jessica popped in to run a couple of laps with us as well. Eric and Steve ran the 50K too, utilizing the trail option.

One of our goals in deciding to offer a self-sufficient race was to have no need for volunteers. Our running group volunteers extensively at the Tacoma Marathon, The Grande and at CCC100, and some will be helping out at Rainier to Ruston (now that Rob and Eric are the race directors). We did not want to ask them to work at another, plus, we wanted them to run. But guess what? Patch and Sonya came by in the morning to cheer everyone on, and when one day-of-race registrant commented that she hadn't brought food or water, they went to the store and bought food and water. Other Y Run Club members dropped in and out all day, some running, some offering support. Our running club is the best there is!

All in all, it was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, the runners enjoyed the course, we saw each other multiple times, it was the best!

Orcas Island 25K, Year Four

2010-02-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

I probably should have taken an ice bath. Problem is, we didn't get home till after 10:00 and I just wanted a shower and bed. As a result, I'm moving a tad slow today, though I did run four miles this morning. But, let's go back to the beginning - I ran the 25K solo, did not get lost and got a 21 minute PR! And to top it all off, it was perfect weather, clear, moderate temps and simply beautiful.

As I have said in the past, this is my favorite race ever. It felt a little different this year, with 350 participants, compared to the first few years when it was small. There were so many people we didn't recognize, while in the past it was like a racing reunion. Though really, the same old friends were there - they just weren't as easy to spot. Eric, Steve and I were able to get away by noon on Friday, making the long trek to Anacortes to catch an early ferry. I think this was the first time we got to cross in the daylight, and it was a warm, sunny day with stunning views of the islands. It's a long ferry ride, about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on stops at other islands. We kicked back and enjoyed our down time. After we arrived, checked in and cooked dinner we headed over to race central for some socializing. There is an option to stay at the camp (think summer camp), so there are plenty of people hanging out, and a big pot-luck style dinner. As usual, we chose to stay in some nearby condos, with all the luxuries, and just drop in on the festivities.

The next morning we were up bright and early for the race. Eric and Steve took the early start with a bunch of others and I had about an hour to kill till my race started. Fortunately, plenty of friends were around and the time passed quickly. Once the regular start 50K crowd moved out, it was our turn. We had a good-sized crowd, and I moved to the back with some other friends. It was an uphill start on a gravel access road, then a turn onto the trails.

Even though this was my fourth year of running this race, I was feeling anxious. I've always had a buddy with me in the past, but not this year. Given my left-right deficiencies and my lack of spatial skills (map-reading) I was worried about getting lost. Eric even took the directions I had printed out and drew left/right arrows on it for me - just to be sure I really knew where I was going. James (RD) assured me the course was well-marked and that I would be fine, and he was right. The other runners I knew are all a bit faster than me, but one of them introduced me to a friend of hers who was running with an injury. That was wonderful, as we leap-frogged all day. We were usually out of sight of each other, giving me the sense that I was alone in the deep, dark forest, but I could see his distinctive foot prints ahead of me most of the time, or if I was ahead, I knew he wasn't too far behind. Even if I did get lost, I'd have someone lost with me, which in my mind, made it all better!

This is a tough race - for the 50K runners, there is over 7000 feet of climbing. For the 25K runners, there is over 3000 feet of climbing. According to my Garmin, we climbed about 2000 feet in the first six miles, then dropped about 1300 feet in 3.5 miles, then back up 800 feet in the next 2.5 miles. Then back down to the start. It's no wonder my quads hurt today! At the beginning some of the trails are wide and smooth, but most of the trails are rocky, rooty single track. I passed one guy who was cursing a blue streak as we climbed at the beginning - he appeared to be upset about the big climb. I wondered how a person could sign up for a race that takes you up to the top of Mount Constitution and be surprised about climbing! I was glad to get past him. There were two sections where our race shared the trail with the 50K racers for a short time, going in opposite directions. I got to see Eric and Steve once, and heard their monkey calls the second time. I got lots of encouragement from all our friends as we crossed paths each time.

The highlight of my day was as I finally made the ridge that leads to the peak. The trail climbs out of the woods, opening to a view point. I stopped for a minute, all alone, to look. The only sound I could hear was the wind rushing through the trees. To the north, I could see Canada, straight ahead, across the Sound, the Islands, Bellingham and Mt. Baker, then the line of the Cascade Mountains leading all the way to Mt. Rainier in the south. It was an amazing moment of satisfaction, beauty and serenity. Then I turned to tackle the rest of the climb to the top. The trails follows the cliff side with sheer drops to the water below on the right. It's a spot where caution is essential, yet the view kept catching my eye whenever there was a break in the thin line of trees. Simply amazing.

I made it to the look-out tower and the aid station. I grabbed a Pepsi from my drop bag and headed right into the tower to climb to the top. I didn't stay long up there because the wind was fierce and cold. Back down, grab a snack at the aid station, a quick trip to the restrooms and I was out. I'm sure my PR came from two things: first, the trails were beautiful - no snow this year and barely any mud. Second, since I was alone, I kept moving. No potty breaks, no picture breaks, no hanging out at the tower. It was nice to PR, and I'm glad I ran it alone for the boost in confidence it gave me, but I'll take slower times and running with friends any day!

Running into the finish line made me feel like a rock star - the sun was shining, everyone who had finished was sitting on the lawn, the post race band was playing outside, and many of the runners were shouting my name as I crossed. What an experience! James knows how to take care of runners: a band, a massage therapist, soup, bread, and beer. It's awesome. I waited for the guys to come in - they PR'd as well, then after they cleaned up and enjoyed some of the post-race atmosphere, we headed for the ferry line. Another buddy was there ahead of us, with the roof up on his camper-van, ready to cook and party. He made everyone breakfast burritos, and all the runners in the ferry line hung out and socialized. Again, the ferry was full of racers and the post-race party continued. It's no wonder I love this race!

Finally, my training for Pac Rim hasn't gone as well as I hoped. I've gotten the races in, and I've managed to keep a base mileage of about 35 miles a week, but I had a nasty chest cold that lasted two weeks and had me missing runs and sleeping lots. I was relieved to wake up Friday morning feeling good, with a slight cough, but no sign of the sore throat I'd had. I'm hoping it's all past now and I can get back to some serious training!

Pigtails 50K 2009

2010-01-24T17:17:00.000-08:00

This will be an amazingly short post. I just spent five hours in front of the computer reading and grading in my online course and I need to step away from the keyboard for a while.

I ran the Pigtails 50K yesterday, improving on last year's time by two minutes. Not quite a PR though, the first year I ran it I was six minutes faster. I'll blame rain and muddy, muddy trails for the slower time yesterday. I felt great the whole time and really enjoyed it. Yesterday's 31 miles topped my week out at 52.5 miles, and I got up and ran four miles at a decent pace this morning. I think all my hill training is paying off, and I also think my Pac Rim training is progressing well. I seemed to be back to normal energy levels this week. That's it! I'm getting off the computer for a while...maybe I'll go read the Sunday paper...

Tired, So Tired

2010-01-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

I am a little slow in more ways than one. It took me all week to figure out that the H1N1 shot I got on Monday was the probable cause of my extreme exhaustion. My cardiologist recommended I get both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccines. He said a flu virus won't damage a heart valve like a strep virus will, but it will put added stress on the heart and can lead to congestive heart failure. That did it for me - I overrode my normal tendency to avoid shots and got both. I got the seasonal shot back in November and didn't feel any effects. I was told to wait for the dead virus H1N1 shot rather than the live virus mist, so I just got around to that this week. Riley got both the seasonal shot and the live virus mist back in November and was pretty much exhausted and generally feeling "off" for about a week after. I did not feel sick or achy this week, but I could hardly keep my eyes open. The drive back and forth to work all week was causing narcolepsy, and I pulled over twice to nap on the way home - and it's only a 30 minute drive! I sure hope I'm past it now.

I compounded the exhaustion by logging 45.5 miles this week. I thought it was kind of strange that the high miles were making me tired because I am always floating between 30 and 50 miles in a week. I put it down to the start of the new quarter and kept going. Like I said, I finally connected the exhaustion to the vaccine on Friday. Anyway, I'm happy with my training for this week. Next week is Pigtails 50K - hilly 10-ish mile loops, mostly on trail. Repeat three times and add a little out and back. Jenny and Jessica will be running with me - a fun day for sure!

I also tried yoga for the first time ever this week. Eric got me a new DVD for my birthday from my favorite Pilates source: Pilates Infused Yoga - I loved it! He also got me this one, but I haven't tried it yet because we seem to have misplaced our ball. We deflated it and put it away but neither of us can remember where. If I don't find it soon I'll have to get a new one. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to working on my yoga skills.

That's it for this week - thanks for checking in!

The Next Goal

2010-01-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

I started training for my next goal today. Pac Rim. The first year Jenny and I ran 50 miles in about 14 hours. Last year we ran 62 miles in 19 hours. This year my goal is to run for 24 hours, and I hope, about 80 miles. So how in the world do I train for that while working and spending time with family and friends?

Well...first off, many of my friends are runners, so that makes it a little easier. And those who aren't runners themselves have always been supportive of my crazy ideas. One good friend in particular, Lorri, even takes care of the crazy runners she knows - cooking for Eric, Steve and I, and spoiling us after our runs. I think the friends part will be okay. And of course the family part... Web's off in Tennessee, Riley's pretty busy, but is here at home with us, so I get to see him often, and as for Eric...I have to say his training schedule is more of a worry than mine. He is going to have to run more and longer and harder than I do, so we'll both have some balancing to do. And then there is my work. It is very important to me that it remains of the highest quality that I am capable of providing. I'm passionate about my students and my preschoolers and I really don't want my other passion to impact that. And so I work around work. How so?

Three days a week, I get up earlier than you can imagine to get my morning runs in. In addition to running doubles on Thursdays, I'm adding an evening run on Tuesdays. I can only manage five miles in the mornings and still get to work on time, and since I'm trying to balance life and running, I'll limit the evening runs to five or six miles. Weekends, I intend to either be at one of the races I've entered or to get some hilly and/or longer runs in. My original goal was at least 50 miles per week, but in the last few days I've come to realize that might be more than I can manage. So I'm going to aim for somewhere between 40 and 50 miles per week, with a rest week every third week or so. I'm also committed to Pilates at least twice per week - Mondays and Fridays are rest days from running, therefore they are perfect Pilates days. Will this plan get me to 80 miles and 24 hours? I think so. I am sure it will get me to 24 hours, not so sure it will get me to 80 miles, but I'm gonna give it a shot!

I've got a heavy course load this quarter, but I intend to stick to my once-per-week posting. I'll let you know how training is going and more importantly, if I'm able to keep some balance in my life. In the meantime, if you want a little taste of Pac Rim, I'm going to send you back to my reflective post from last year's race. Wow - when I pulled up that post to get the link, I stopped to read it. Then I read the race report. I got a little scared - I think I forgot how hard it was to run 62 miles. But then, since I was reading old posts, I read this one. And I remembered this - I'm 52 years old now. Many years ago, a doctor predicted valve replacement for me at 52. But hey! I think instead of valve replacement I'll go out and run me a few miles... just because I can.

52x52

2010-01-01T17:52:00.001-08:00

I reached my goal of 52 marathons by my 52nd birthday, running the 52nd marathon today and turning 52 tomorrow. I kicked around the idea last summer and finally made the decision in mid October. I had to run 5 marathons in nine weeks to do it. It wasn't too hard and I found I really enjoyed the process.

Today's marathon was the First Call, a small, free marathon put on by one of the Maniacs. There was a 50K option, a marathon and a half. Eric and Steve are running a 50K tomorrow, so they volunteered today. We had a great time out there, running in a pack of Y Runners. Rob, Jenny, Margaret, Jessica, Abi, Rick and I ran together, shifting back and forth all day long. It was a lot of fun. There are no pictures to share though, because our camera gave up the ghost at Pigtails two weeks ago. Now we have to buy another...

There is no rest for the weary, because I'm on to the next goal: running the entire 24 hours of PacRim. I suspect I should be able to hit 80 miles at a minimum in that time frame. Of course, that means I've got a bit of training to do. My planned races are on the sidebar. Of course, we've also got some WS100 training going on at our house, so it's going to be a busy six months.

And finally, for those of you who didn't see it on Facebook, here are my 2009 stats:

Mileage: 1866
Races: 1-5K, 12 marathons, 2-50K, 1-100K

Happy Running and Happy New Year!

One more to go!

2009-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

We ran the Pigtails Flatass marathon yesterday. Started in a drizzly rain, ran in a drizzly rain, finished in a drizzly rain. I'm here to tell you that a drizzly rain can soak right through to the bone!

I ran with Jessica, Jenny and Abi. It was Jenny's first marathon since her CCC100 injury back in August and she did great! I wore my new shoes and Superfeet, and my foot felt fine. I checked - my old pair had 606 miles on them. I thought I bought them just before the Portland Marathon in October, but it was really back in late August. My shoes are usually good for about 500 miles, then my feet start to hurt. This was a good reminder to pay attention to my shoes!

I have one more race to go to reach my goal of 52 in 52, but as was pointed out yesterday, I also made 51 in 51!

We have lots going on at our house. Even though I'm supposed to be on break, I've been working like crazy setting up for next quarter. I have the preschool classroom set up for the first week and now I have preps to do for the two classes I'm adding to my load. Eric and I spent Friday night working up a training/race plan to get me to the Pac Rim 24hour (where I have a goal of running the entire 24 hours) and him to WS100. I'll get that up soon. Of course, we are also getting ready for Christmas - today should wrap up the shopping with a few last minute items, and I still need to wrap and bake. Best of all? This afternoon we make a trip to the airport to pick up Web - he's home for a week. We'll have all four of us here in the house for the first time in two years! We haven't seen Web since last January, so we are all excited.

That's the current status of the Barnes household. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Ghost of Birch Bay, 2009

2009-12-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Eric and I at the start, Birch Bay behind us. Photo by Margaret B.

The Ghost of Birch Bay Marathon might have just moved up to "favorite marathon" in my book. There are several reasons, but the biggest reason is that it took place in Birch Bay, home of many of the adventures of my youth. Camping with my family in the 60s, staying in cabins in the summers during the 60s and 70s, my first real job (besides picking berries and babysitting), where I met Eric, where we cruised the bay for hours on end at 10 mph, rollerskating, swimming, hanging out with friends, clam digging, crabbing, the house where Eric grew up, summer holidays with Eric's large extended family, visits with our own children, camping with our own children, visiting Eric's Mom with the boys...so many memories and I probably have left out half of them.

It's not very often that I run a marathon where I know every single inch of the course, forwards and backwards. That was fun too! Margaret and I ran together and she patiently listened to all my stories and looked at everything I pointed out. We lucked out on the weather - we've had record breaking cold temperatures for the last week (for our area) in the single digits and teens. There was a slight chance of snow, and Birch Bay is often windy. Yesterday, the temp was around 30 when we started, the skies were gray, and it was perfectly calm. Other than a brief spitting of snow pellets, it stayed the same all day, though I think it may have got up to a high of 37.

The only thing that gave me trouble on the course was my right foot. It started cramping in the arch and mid foot, top and bottom, around mile six and continued to cramp off and on for the entire run. There were a few stretches where it was bad, but I found if I dropped to a squat, it would stretch it out and I could continue. Just that morning I had remarked to Eric that it was probably time for a new pair of shoes - pain in my feet is always the first sign. The race confirmed it. On our way home we stopped off in Bellingham, and went into Fairhaven Runners, where I got an excellent deal on a new pair of shoes. I bought the new model Asic, the 2150s, and I got a pair that had been returned for only $50! That's a good deal.

Ghost of Birch Bay was my 50th marathon/ultra. Two more to go to achieve the 52 by 52 goal. Next Saturday is Pigtails, and on New Year's Day I'll run the First Call Marathon. On the 2nd I'll turn 52, after that...who knows?

Eric is In!

2009-12-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

Eric made it in to WS 100. The fun starts NOW! I do believe this news caused him to update his blog for the first time in months...

A Nightmare and A Dream

2009-12-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a week of roller coaster emotions here in our area, a nightmare that is real. Four police officers were gunned down just a few miles from here and though I didn't know the officers, the depth of emotion I feel is overwhelming.

My running buddy, Rick, is a member of the Lakewood Police Department, as were the murdered officers. Jenny's husband went to high school with one of the officers, my co-worker has a family member who works for the Lakewood PD. Another friend of ours works for the State Patrol, and another, the Tacoma PD. Everywhere I went, it seemed like there was a connection to the officers killed, or to law enforcement. Even if there wasn't a connection, everywhere I go there is mourning. Tears flow freely, and an aura of grief permeates all gatherings. Community, connections, the ripple effects of lives intersecting. Our town, our county, is, at it's core, a small town. We support each other, we reach out, we stand together.

I ask myself, as does everyone, how could this happen? How? How could a life become so corrupted that there is satisfaction is taking the lives of others? I will never understand...I had this thought the other day. I had a vision of the murderer as a small child. I saw him as a little guy of two, three, four. And again, I wondered. How did that child grow into a monster? I don't understand.

I don't have any answers, I don't know how to fix someone who is so broken. I do know though, that everything we do, every day, affects others. I do know that how we treat children, and teens, and each other, matters. I do know that children need the influence of adults in their lives - adults with values and positive attitudes, adults who know how to be serious and who know how to be fun. I know that adults need each other. We need support and love and companionship. We need friends who care, and more, we need strangers who care.

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to speak at a YMCA volunteer event. Here are a couple of ideas that I spoke about that are resonating with me again today:

A group of local service clubs, in conjunction with the local school district conducted a survey of 1500 6^th, 8^th and 11^th graders.The questions were based on the 40 Developmental Assets that have been found to help children thrive and succeed. One of the questions on the survey asked if the youth felt valued by the community. Only 23% answered yes – leaving 77% or 1150 kids that did not feel valued by the community as a whole. Another question asked if the child received support from three or more non-parent adults. 45% answered yes, leaving 55% or 825 kids with less than three other adults in their lives. A third question asked about positive adult role models in their lives – 34% said they had those role models, leaving 66% without – that’s 990 kids who don’t feel they have positive adult role models. Bear in mind, this survey only covered a small portion of the kids enrolled in our district.

These statistics are several years old - I spoke in 2005 and I think the study was a couple of years old at that point. I'm including the information here to make the point that we - adults - need to make an effort to connect with our youth. The next idea is about how that happens - and although it is referencing the Y, it is true of anywhere that we gather:

The Y is all about relationships. We each walk in the door with an established sphere of influence – that is a circle of people we know, that we exchange thoughts and ideas with on a regular basis. Our sphere of influence might be through the schools, through church, scouts, 4H, sports teams, and clubs like the Rotary, book clubs or your own neighborhood. As we make connections and build relationships those spheres of influence broaden and intersect – creating a complex web of relationships that expand beyond the Y. That is called “building community”.

It is through building community that we can make a difference. It's the relationships that make a difference, it's the little things that make a difference - reaching out to a stranger, sharing a smile, a bit of small talk with the person in line behind you, swapping stories of parenting, looking the teenager with the wild hair and loose pants straight in the eye and saying hello, those are the steps.

This post isn't what I sat down to write. I sat down to talk a bit about running, maybe share something about the great time I'm having at work, all the regular stuff of life...but these thoughts needed an outlet, they've been swirling in my head since Sunday. My heart aches for the families left behind, for the friends and coworkers, for police officers everywhere. Call me what you will, but my heart also aches for a little boy lost, who somehow stepped onto the wrong path. The man was a monster, a murderer...but the little boy was just a little boy. My dream is that we can reach all the little boys and girls...and that we can help them grow into wonderful, caring adults...that's my dream.

Quick Report: Ghost of Seattle 2009

2009-11-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

Number 49 is in the books - and I logged my third best time ever! 5:29:12. I continued my run/walk time experiment and went 22 miles today at a 9/1, then switched to a 4/1. However, I was feeling so good that we skipped a couple walk breaks after we switched to 4/1.

I ran the first half with Margaret and Jessica. Jessica ran the half today, and is running the Seattle Marathon half tomorrow. Margaret and I finished the last thirteen miles together. Though it was gray and windy, the rain held off all day, which was really nice. Best of all though, I felt great from start to finish. At mile 22 I told Margaret that I was a little shocked at how good I felt so far into the race. I'll tell you - it's the carrot that keeps me going, that idea that eventually all marathons will feel that good and that the difficult ones will become the exception. I remember when I wondered if a four mile run would ever feel easy...eventually it did, and now 10 or 15 can often feel easy. I'm waiting for the day when that's true for the majority of marathons!

So there you have it, my quickie report. Three more to go to make goal: 52 by age 52!

Drinking a coke on a walk break. Photo by Steven Yee

A Slow Paced Life

2009-11-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Even though I've been back in the work force for three full-time years, and am currently working part time (about 25-30 hours a week) I still find myself adjusting to the pace of the work world. I guess after 20 years of working on a part-time basis (only about 6-9 hours a week) and being a full-time stay-at-home wife and homeschooling Mom, a slower daily rhythm became ingrained in my soul.

As much as I love my new job, I miss quiet mornings at home. I like a slow start to the day, I like empty stores and streets (which are easily found around 9 am), I like getting everything done around the house by noon and having the afternoon stretch ahead of me. Now, since I have admitted to being a morning person, it should be obvious that having a work schedule that begins around 7:30 and ends around somewhere between 12:00 and 1:30 means that I am in my work world at my peak performance time. That's a good thing. But it also means that I'm at my peak lazy time when I get home. It's awfully easy to talk myself out of chores, or errands, or class-prep or grading or Pilates or even another run.

I know how incredibly lucky I am to be able to work part time, and I am not complaining at all. In fact, I love my job and would jump at the chance to work full time. Really, it's more that I am a homebody at heart - I could hang around the house for days on end, with an occasional foray out to the world for food and books and visits with friends, and be very happy. I also realize that all of the things I've described are probably on the wish list of everyone who works full time. Maybe what I feel is a simple longing for days gone by, when the boys were little and we were all home together.

So, even though I expected to be adjusted to a new daily pace after more than three years, I find I still need quiet, slow days at home, days where I can move at my own easy tempo. I find myself building easy days into every month to keep myself centered - this weekend is one of them. I'm looking forward to it.

As I think about this, it becomes apparent to me that my running rhythm matches my natural life rhythm: slow and easy. And maybe that's why I like small marathons - smaller, friendlier crowds. Funny, the more I think about it, the more I realize that running is an echo of my life - built in rest days each week, high mileage for a couple weeks, then a low mileage, easy week...I wonder which is a reflection of which? Life echoes running or running echoes life? It doesn't really matter because whichever way it is, it works for me!

Friday Night Melodies for My Mind

2009-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

My favorite passage from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran:

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Every so often, this passage floats into my mind and I have to go read it again. It reminds me of an important concept, that the lives of my children are theirs to live. In fact, the only life I can live is my own. I gladly share my life with others, and they share theirs with me, but still, I can only really live mine. Tonight, I've been in search of thoughts about teaching, searching for something profound to share with my students. I turned to The Prophet to see what was there, and although the passage was good, I was once again drawn to the thoughts about children. My mind turned away from teaching, back to the core of my adult life, to family and parenting and children. And that lead me to my other favorite passage, another that I read and reread faithfully:

Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Beautiful words to ponder, to live by. Words that reach deep inside me, that resonate within me. Words I will read again and again.

Halloween Marathon 2009

2009-11-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

I ran one lap in this outfit, then I gladly stuffed it back in my bag!

We had a great run up in Bellingham yesterday. It was pretty stormy the night before, with high winds and buckets of rain, and the forecast was for showers. Instead, we got a beautiful, sunny fall day - slightly breezy, but sunny and dry. This marathon was the same course as last summer's Wild Thing (the one where we wore dresses and performed a task at the end of each loop. This time there were no tasks, but there were costumes). It's ten 2.6 mile loops around Lake Padden, mostly on a wide gravel trail with lots of rolling hills. I decided to experiment a little, since it was a looped course. I normally do a 4/1 run/walk at marathons. I decided to see how far I could go on my typical training pace of 9/1 run/walk. I figured it was no big deal if I burned out and had to walk, and a low-key, fun marathon was the place to give it a try.

I ran seven loops (18.2 miles) using the 9/1 pacing. By that time I was starting to get tired so I switched over to 4/1. The first 5.5 loops I ran alone, then Eric joined me for the back half of my sixth loop. Just as I was heading out of the aid station, I saw Abi coming in - she'd arrived at the marathon late and had been trying to catch up with me. I was pretty far ahead of her in terms of loops because I started an hour and 15 minutes early and she started a half hour late. She planned to run with me for my remaining loops, then finish up on her own. On our first loop together I noticed the pop machine by one of the restrooms and commented that I'd love to have a coke right then. Next time through the aid station, Abi came running out with a fistful of dollars, so we picked up a Pepsi from the machine - absolute heaven on earth. I swear, it was the best thing I ever had in my life! The sugary Pepsi revived me and gave me new energy for my last loops. I finished in 5:48 - not bad for a hilly trail type course with lots of stops at the aid station.

After the marathon, we headed to my parents for a home cooked meal and to spend the night. Eric cooked us all breakfast this morning, then while he watched half a football game with my Dad, my Mom and I laid plans for Thanksgiving and caught up on our assorted and large family. We had an easy drive home, capping off a wonderful weekend.

Eric as a "man on the run" and me after one lap in costume.

Fall in the PNW

2009-10-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Emu by the trail. Photo by Eric.

Photo by Eric

Mt. Rainier photo by George K.

Another mountain shot by George K.

The Carbon River runs next to the trail. Photo by George K.

Walk break. Photo by George K.

Rick, Me, Jessica Photo by George K.

The Y Runners. Photo by George K.

Post-run coffee. Photo by George K.

I've got a plan...

2009-10-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

As long as it doesn't snow! Here is my current race plan, designed to get me to 52 combined marathons and ultras by my 52nd birthday on January 2nd.

10/31 Halloween Marathon at Lake Padden
11/28 Ghost of Seattle Marathon
12/12 Pigtails Flatass Marathon
12/19 Ghost of Birch Bay Marathon
1/1 First Call Marathon

I didn't want to do the triple this year (three marathons in three days - did it last year and I'm calling that good), didn't want to do a double (two marathons in two days - did that last year too, good on that one too!) Instead I'll do two in two weeks - that'll give my getting-older bones a chance to rest. Last year we ran the entire 26 miles of the Flatass in frozen snow, and about four miles of First Call in snow (plus we did the same at the Last Chance the day before). I have no desire to repeat those experiences, so I'm hanging on to the option to bail out on snowy courses. Though I'd like to hit 52 at 52, it's just not that important to me. The prediction is for a warm winter, so maybe it won't be a problem. We'll see.

The only plan I have for after the first of the year is to run the entire 24 hours of Pac Rim. I don't have a training plan laid out, I'll work on that later...

I've been a little tired since Portland, fought off a short-lived cold and have kept up with Pilates and running and work. And, I'm back on my healthy and sane eating plan. It's all good around here!

A Few Portland Photos

2009-10-10T21:21:00.001-07:00

Joe and I at Starbucks on Saturday.

I think that's Joe in the famous yellow singlet in the middle of the pack - start of race.

Me, start of race.

Jessica and Rob

Jessica and I, about 10K in.

Me, Margaret and Jessica, not sure where.

Abi and Rick

Jessica and Rob

Jessica, me, Margaret, about mile 21? Not really sure about that.

I rested Monday and Tuesday, then ran Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and night and today, using the marathon to boost my mileage for the week to 50.5. Gotta take advantage of the long run when I can.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about the worst moment of the marathon. Does anyone remember my porta-potty story from a couple years ago? Where I dropped my gloves in the suspicious puddle on the floor? Well, this one is worse. I went in to what had to be the single most disgusting porta-potty on the course. The kind I would normally turn around and walk right out of. But there was no line...and I hate waiting in line mid-race. So I stayed in it, setting my water bottle on top of the toilet paper dispenser, where it promptly slid off and hit the floor, spout first. I was totally grossed out and all I could think about was having to carry the nasty thing for 20 more miles. I decided I'd try to clean it by squirting the hand sanitizer all over it and rubbing it down. Once we were back on the street, I couldn't force myself to drink from it. I squeezed some water out into my cupped palm and tried to wash it some more. Still couldn't bring myself to drink from it. At the next water station, I grabbed a cup and poured it all over the lid. This whole time, I'm fretting about it and Jessica is laughing at me. Finally I decided I had to take the plunge - I took a big swig. I continued to drink from it for the rest of the day, warning everyone that I was likely to become deathly ill soon. So far, it's been an entire week and I'm still healthy. Guess I've got a pretty sturdy immune system after all!

Finally, be sure to check out Joe's blog for some more great pictures.

Portland Marathon 2009

2009-10-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Portland Marathon 2006 was my first marathon, making last Sunday's race my third anniversary of marathoning. Portland Marathon 2009 was marathon #37, and #47 if you add in ultras. I'm counting down to #50, and thinking about trying to hit 52 by my 52nd birthday on January 2nd. That goal flexes on a daily basis depending on how energetic I feel.

I had a fantastic marathon weekend - coffee with the running club Saturday morning, the drive down with Eric right after, visiting with friends at the expo, stopping by Bob Dolphin's 80th birthday party (where he also celebrated the running of his 452nd marathon!) and a wonderful visit and coffee with Joe at Starbucks. We followed that busy afternoon with a quiet evening with Margaret at her Portland condo, a great home-cooked meal and a good night's sleep.

After some debate, we decided to have Eric drive us down to the start. The bummer was we got there just after security guards were posted and Eric wasn't allowed to enter the start corral area with us. Jenny and Sonya got there just before that happened, so they got to wait with us. Margaret and I met up with Rick, Abi, Jessica, Rob and his wife, also Jessica, plus another local friend. We chatted with several Maniacs and huddled together to stay warm.

The marathon went very well for me - cool weather and solid pacing really helps. Jessica, Margaret and I stuck together for the entire race. My only slight issue was with fueling. I didn't manage it quite as well as I could have and started feeling the lack of energy at mile 23. I kept plugging away though and stepped across the finish at 5:37, my best time so far for 2009. I had a major drop in energy immediately following the race, but that was fixed up with a black bean burger and fries shortly after. Altogether a wonderful weekend!

On a sad note, Eric and I had to take our sweet cat, Charlotte, in for the final good-bye last Friday afternoon. She was 14 years old, a major part of our family and our boy's childhood. Charlotte spent many a homeschooling day in special castles, nests and tents built for her by the boys, or curled up beside them while they studied, occasionally listening to read-alouds, or listening to all the secrets little boys have to tell. It was hard for us to let go, hard to say good-bye, but her kidneys were shutting down and there was no other option. It is simply the price we pay to share our lives with beloved pets. We will miss her.

Now, to end on a much happier note, I absolutely love everything about my new work with the college and Eric is just as happy with his new job. It is exciting to go into work each morning, to watch the growth and development of both my little and big students. The beginning of the quarter rush has settled down and we are all finding our rhythm. Life is really, really good!

Fall Quarter

2009-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is the first day of fall quarter and I am submerged in prep for my new classes. I can't remember if I've mentioned what it is I'll be doing this fall, so I'll fill you in. I'll be a part time professor in the Early Childhood Ed department, on our other campus. I'm going to be teaching the practicum course, which means working with five student teachers and 20 preschoolers in our lab school. The preschoolers will remain in class for all three quarters, the student teachers will rotate through, five each quarter. In addition I'll teach one parenting class to the parents of the enrolled preschoolers.

Mentoring and working with adult students on lesson prep and delivery, on classroom management, planning a rich and inviting environment, observations and parent conferences, building professional portfolios, understanding the guidance and development of young children. Working with three to five year old students, helping them explore their world, experience rich and satisfying explorations in math, science, art, music, dramatic play, literacy and the big outdoors. I have landed what has to be the most rewarding and fun job imaginable - I am really, really excited and think I am going to love it!

On the running side of my world, I didn't give myself much of a rest after the marathon. I logged 46 miles that week, and 36 last week. I felt it too - I was dragging around the house and dragging through my runs. Thankfully, it all came together again this past weekend and I was able to run ten-milers both days and feel good. With my new commute comes an even earlier morning run - I'll see how that goes. Next up on the agenda is Portland - which will be the three year anniversary of my first-ever marathon!

And, speaking of anniversaries, tomorrow (September 22nd) is our thirty-year anniversary. Last year we celebrated with a 50K on the trails, this year it kind of crept up on us and we didn't make any plans. I know, I know - this is a big one and we should be celebrating big. Well, we will - we're thinking about a weekend away - both destination and date have yet to be determined. In the meantime, we'll go out for a quiet and lovely dinner tomorrow night on the waterfront. Thirty years...it's gone by in the blink of an eye, college, first jobs, babies, more college, new jobs, teens, young men, ups and downs, big news and small moments, empty nest, shared nest, and woven through out, an enduring love. The boy I met the summer I was sixteen has grown into an amazing man, and I am blessed to have him as my husband. Thank you, Eric, for sharing my life.

Plain Weekend 2009

2009-09-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Plain is an epic run. I'll give you the end first, in case you don't have a lot of time to read. Eric and Rob made it to Chikamin Tie, approximately mile 77. Eric missed the cut-off by six minutes, Rob by a bit more. They both know that they gave it everything, and they are already discussing next year. Read on for the crewing story, with perhaps a bit more of the runner story woven in...

Our weekend started Friday morning about 10:30 when Steve rolled up in front of our house, trailer in tow. We quickly loaded up about half the contents of our house. Seriously, two bags for Eric, a cooler, a cook stove, a lantern, two crates of food and cooking implements, a bag for me, another bag with my road shoes and trail shoes, another bag with towels and blanket, our pillows, water and propane. In addition to the house trailer, Steve had the chairs, tables, another lantern, more food and all his gear. Once we were loaded up, we began the three hour drive to Plain. We met up with Rob and his family in Easton, where we hit our favorite Cascade Crest burger joint before continuing on. We made it to Plain about 15 minutes before the mandatory runner meeting. Steve and I dropped Eric off and found a campsite. We walked over to the meeting, listened in for a bit, then went back to unhook and set up camp. After the meeting Eric and I enjoyed the pre-race spaghetti dinner put on by the fabulous crew of Plain cooks, while Steve went off to find his Dad and grab some dinner with him.

Morning came awfully early - 3:30 am. We all got up, Eric race-prepped, and we walked over to the lodge for the pre-race breakfast. Bob (Steve's Dad) joined us there. I think there were 34 racers signed up, and 32 people at the start. Finally, race time rolled around at 5:00 am. It's cool to see the runners standing on the lodge steps, flashlights and headlamps beaming toward us. There was a quick countdown to start, a shouted "go" and they were off. Steve, Bob and I spent the next half-hour or so helping clean up and stack tables and chairs, then we headed off on our own adventure.

Steve had run most of the course with Eric and Rob on various training runs, so he figured out a couple of sections for us to go out on a run. We had to get RD approval though, as any support or contact with the runners would cause the runner to be disqualified. Our plan was to run on the opposite loop each day, and we got RD approval to do so. At eighty-something, Bob is still in love with running and trails, though he's a little slower than he used to be. His plan was to go out an hour, then head back, while Steve and I were shooting for about eight miles. Steve selected a fairly smooth trail with rolling hills for us and it was gorgeous. Eastern Washington offers a different type of forest and foliage than we get on the west side, and I really enjoyed the diversity. The trails are a bit beat up from motorcyclists, with lots of whoop-te-doos (kind of like moguls in skiing), and unfortunately, kind of trenched from the bikes. Apparently we were on one of the nicest sections of trails the racers would encounter and due to the damage, the footing wasn't easy. We were out there just as the sun was coming up - it was much colder than I expected, but the added bonus of seeing the early morning sun filtering down through the trees made every minute worth it.

We whiled away the afternoon with a visit to Leavenworth for lunch (and Starbucks), napping, reading, and prepping for the evening crewing. We wandered over to Deep Creek, approximately mile 55 on the course) around 5:00. Even though we knew it would be much, much later than that before we say the guys, we also knew it would be fun to hang out with the other crews. The crew area is just a wide spot on the road, and I'd guess there were about eight or ten of us set up there. We set up our table, the cook stoves, the lanterns and chairs, made sure the bags and food were ready, and settled in to enjoy the evening. It was really warm back at the campground, but here, at just a bit higher elevation it was cool. I had my jeans, socks, shoes and two layers on within the half hour. The first runner came in right before we arrived - on track for the new course record, and two more arrived right after we got there. After that, there were long periods of time between runners. We tried to help them all, offering grilled cheese, grabbing drop bags, anything they needed. We knew several of them, or had met them and their crews the night before, so it was a very social and fun experience.

Our friend Shawn was the only woman starter, and the first of "our" runners to come in. Steve and Karen concentrated on helping her restock her pack and care for her feet, while I cooked her a sandwich. I also had added soup to the communal pot, and had hot water for whatever was needed. There was a little confusion from the radio guys when we asked about Eric and Rob's status - they could tell us Rob had passed the last checkpoint, but not Eric. Then Tony came in, our second runner, and said Eric had been having trouble on Signal Peak. We tended to Tony, and just as he was getting up to go, we heard the monkey call echoing down the road - that's the signal Eric, Jenny, Steve and I use to let each other know we are on our way in. We knew it was Eric and felt some relief knowing that he was okay - it was just a miscommunication from the SAR checkpoints.

They were in right on schedule - 19 hours, as planned. Eric told us about his big bonk, changed his shirt, and said his feet were fine. We helped them restock, fed them sandwiches, soup and hot cocoa and they were gone. By this time it was after midnight, there were only two runners behind them and we were fading. We packed up our gear and headed back to camp. No worries about those two runners though - there were still people left to support them.

Next morning we slept in till eight, then headed out for trail run number two. We went up to Maverick Saddle - driving all the way up. The road was horrible - narrow, rocky, rutted, with a mountain on one side and a thousand foot drop on the other. It amazed me to realize the runners had come down that road during the night - I can't even imagine how they kept their footing. We decided to run for an hour out, then an hour back because we wanted to get back, shower up and break camp. We enjoyed the run along a beautiful creek - though there may have been more walking than running. It was much warmer than the day before and I was much more tired. As we drove back down we talked to the SAR guy at Deep Creek (where we had crewed the night before). He told us that there were only five runners left on the course, that several had dropped at Chikamin Tie. I had a bad feeling about this news, so when we reached the paved road, I hopped out and ran the quarter mile to the lodge while Steve and Bob drove around.

I got there to find out that Eric and Rob were in - though neither were to be seen. After a bit of wandering we found Eric (he'd been there while we were here and vice-versa). We never did see Rob - they'd been back about an hour by the time we came in, and Rob had already left with his family. Eric told us about the eight hours after they had left us - Rob suffered a bonk, Eric's feet were trashed, once Rob knew he was going to drop at Chikamin Tie, Eric decided to try and make it, missing the cut-off by six minutes. I think it was for the best though, as his feet are so bad he can hardly walk today. After his shower, I worked on the huge blisters on the balls of his feet, each the size of a half-dollar and deep under the calluses. He also had one between his toes that had ripped open, chafing around the collar of the shoe, and another blister on his heel. Plus, as soon as he stopped, his feet started to swell.

We waited to see Shawn finish (the only female this year, plus only the third or fourth woman EVER to finish Plain), and then waited for Tony. Finally, we climbed in the car and headed for home. We stopped again at our favorite burger joint in Easton, and arrived home about 8:30 last night.

I worked on Eric's feet again today - we've drained, soaked in Epsom salts and hot water, smeared antibiotic ointment and re-bandaged. I anticipate more of that to come.

I am very, very proud of all the runners - the ten or so that made it to the finish line, as well as all that did not. Plain is a brutal course - over 19,000 feet of climbing, tough technical trails, no course markings, no support. Runners can't ask for help except for from another runner. Water is carried and refilled at rivers and creeks. There are stretches where there are no water sources, so runners have a full bladder plus two bottles - a lot of weight on a big climb. Runners have one opportunity to see crew, refill their food and gather fresh supplies. Imagine heading out into the deep forest, up mountain trails, carrying all your food, water, maps, knowing that you are on your own. I can't even think about it. We are all used to trail races where aid stations pop up every five or six miles like an oasis in the desert, where you can talk to others, carry just a bit of food and water, look for ribbons or signs marking your course, ask for clarification and help, pick up a pacer to run by your side during the night - someone fresh and awake to cheer you on, keep you moving, remind you to eat and drink. That doesn't happen at Plain. It's you, all alone, or maybe with another runner. We heard stories of runners lost, some for just a mile or so, a couple for two or three hours. Shawn saw a bear while all alone out there. Amazing. To even think about tackling this race is huge, to attempt it, inspiring, to finish it, unbelievable.

So, before the race I groused to Eric - "I'm tired of all this training, I'll be glad when this is done, maybe you could just think about 50 milers next year..." After getting one look at him yesterday, I said "we'll be back next year and I'll be here to support you". How could I not? He's set himself an epic challenge...year one: 50 miles, year two: 77 miles, year three: 107 miles. He'll do it, and I'll be there to see it.

Six Week Goals and Off to Plain!

2009-09-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is the last week of my personal six week challenge. Here's how it shook out:

Pilates 3X week: accomplished for five weeks, this week, the sixth, I only got in two.
Running 40-50 miles/week, one cut-back week: done
Eating well: so-so. Ate more pretzels, ice-cream and cookies, plus a couple sets of veggie-burgers and fries than I planned on. (They were all awfully good though!)

Not too bad. I intend to keep the Pilates up, because I really do love it and it makes a difference in how I feel. When I wasn't doing it much my low back was constantly stiff and occasionally sore. That was gone within a week of getting back in the groove of Pilates. That alone makes it worth it! I'm missing my third work out this week because we are leaving for the weekend in the next few minutes - and my third workout would have been today or tomorrow. So unless I do it in the middle of the campsite, it just isn't going to happen. That's okay though, I have come to realize that there will be the occasional week where I just can't squeeze it out. And as long as it's because of scheduling or travelling, and not because of sheer laziness, then I'm okay with it.

And now, for part two: we are off to the Plain 100! (Check out the rules page.) This is Eric's epic goal race for the year. Steve and I are going to support Eric and Rob, though the only support we can give is at mile 55. This is an unmarked course, no race support, no pacers, no crew, no drop bags and it's actually closer to 107 miles. Water comes from streams. Racers can restock and get support at the 55 mile mark, but that is it. We can cheer them on at the start and the finish though, and we will! Steve and I plan to hit a few trails on our own, plus wander into Leavenworth and just generally hang out. Should be a fun weekend.

Send all your positive vibes and good luck thoughts to Eric and Rob for a successful completion of this huge challenge!

Grande Ass 2009

2009-09-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

Trophies by Steve Walters, photo by Rich Walter.

The 2009 version of the Grande Ass was a roaring success! When we first began planning this year's race, I wasn't going to run it. Last year, it was too warm for me and I felt sick for hours afterward, so this year I decided not to do it. Well, that decision lasted about a week, then I came up with Plan B. Plan B called for an early start. I figured that would help me manage the heat, plus give me the added bonus of finishing with the mid-pack, and a chance to see everyone. (As opposed to last year, where I was there to greet the runners, but finished dead last.) Since our marathon starts at 6:00 am, I decided that I'd start at 4:30 am. Margaret thought it was a good idea and agreed to go with me. Rick did too. Then late Friday night Bret and Dawn, a couple of local Maniacs, decided to join us as well - it was shaping up to be a party!

Course marker - flour dissolving in the rain. Photo by Rich Walter.

To save on a bit of sleep, we offered Margaret a spot on our floor. And since Steve, who lives in Oregon and is the designer of the logo and the website, was planning to spend the night camped in his car, we offered him a spot on the floor too. Steve does much more than the logo and website - he also keeps the entrant list up to date, assigns all the bibs, puts together the packets, and this year, he and his Dad built two beautiful trophies for the 1st male and female finishers. Oh, and he collected six pounds of Starbucks from his sister to give to the first three male and female finishers.

Running along Levee Road, during a dry spell. Photo by Rich Walter

There was a lot of race prep to be done - Eric and I worked on course marking for about three hours Thursday afternoon, then Eric spent another nine hours on it Friday. By the time he rolled in the door at 10:00, we were all ready for bed. Unfortunately, both Margaret and I had trouble sleeping - too many things whirling through our brains. I know that the last time I looked at the clock it was 12:30 am - that's a bit late when the alarm is going off at 3:30 am!

Margaret and I were up listening to the sound of pounding rain way too early. We met Rick, Dawn and Bret in front of the starting Starbucks. Sonya was there too - she was running half way, then her husband Patch was running the second half. We got started about 4:33. It was black and rain was coming down in sheets. It's too bad I don't have a picture for you - I'm sure I was a sight to see. Imagine a fifty-cent poncho over my running clothes, with a reflective zinglet over that, my backpack over the zinglet, a hat and headlamp. It was actually quite exhilarating to be out in the rainstorm, running down the dark, wet streets. We made it to the first Starbucks in Sumner just five minutes before they opened and decided not to wait. Our route started in Puyallup at our running club's "main" Starbucks, ran a little over six miles to the Starbucks in Sumner, then about sevenish miles through town and along the river trail, back to the Starbucks down in the Puyallup valley. After that, we crossed the river and ran along the levee road and through farmland and an industrial area to the Starbucks in Fife, through car dealerships and a business strip, up a killer hill and along a park, through the glass museum grounds to the downtown Tacoma Starbucks. From there is just a couple of miles along the working waterfront to the finish - the Old Town Starbucks. Sounds good, right?

The drenched runners and RD. Margaret, Dawn, me and Eric. Photo by Rich Walter.

My hat is so wet it's stuck to my head and looks huge. Photo by Rich Walter.

Eric made arrangements with all the Starbucks to have water tables out for us, and many of us popped in for drinks and snacks along the way. Margaret and I shared a soy misto at the River Road Starbucks, and again in Fife. Margaret even got a heated eight-grain roll to eat along the way. That is my kind of marathon! We had Y Run Club runners volunteering at each Starbucks, recording split times and making sure the water stayed full. We spent a bit of time socializing at each one, chatting with our friends and other runners.

By the time we got to Sumner (the first Starbucks) the rain was slowing down. When we hit the halfway mark, the sun was out. I pulled off my poncho and stuck it in my pack, just in case. We continued on our way, shifting back and forth, chatting away, getting to know Bret and Dawn and sharing stories. Just after we left Fife, we saw a rainbow, and shortly after that the next deluge started. I cannot describe to you just how hard it was raining. Water was flowing down the streets and gushing from downspouts. Cars were throwing up waves of water as they passed by. I left it way too late to put on the poncho, so I was drenched.

Chugging along, about 15 miles in. Photo by Rich Walter.

By the time we were running along the waterfront, my feet were sloshing. We splashed our way to the finish where runners were crowded into Starbucks. Jenny was sitting, foot propped (CCC injury) under an umbrella, recording finishing times. Eric was there to see us finish, then left to haul a bus load of runners back to the start. We changed to warm, dry clothes, loaded up on hot drinks and more goodies and sat talking for another hour. Eric returned and we chatted while we waited for the final runners to come in. By the time I got home and hung up my running clothes, a couple of hours had passed - and the clothes were still dripping!

The Glass Museum, right before the next rainstorm. Check out those clouds! Photo by Rich Walter

We quickly showered, gathered up more goodies and headed to Cat's house. She was hosting the post-run potluck, which was in full swing by the time we made it. (Eric had to return the Y bus that we borrowed and drop off the keys, which delayed us a bit). We spent a lovely afternoon, warm and dry listening to the rain outside instead of running in it. We even had a bit of thunder and lightening.

Everyone we talked to was happy with the run - rather than being bummed about the rain, the runners all seemed to embrace it and enjoy the challenge.

Putting on a marathon is a lot of work that we couldn't have accomplished without tons of help. Here is the final accounting of the day:

Ten volunteers: Wendy, Miriam, Laurie, Elaine, Cal, Monica, Linda, Jessica, Rich, and Jenny
One Course Director/Route marker: George
One website manager/packet stuffer/trophy maker: Steve W
One medal maker: Monica (maker of 60 woodburned medals!)
One party hostess: Cat
One official photographer: Rich Walter
One fabulouse Race Director/ bus driver/course marker/shirt designer: Eric
One YMCA Childcare bus
Six Starbucks
Four towns
39 marathon runners
37 marathon finishers
Two half-marathoners/finishers
One billion raindrops
One rainbow
One rockin' potluck

Many, many thanks to all of you! This race is success due to the combined efforts of the ever-fabulous Y Runners!

**A brief history for those of you who don't know the Grande Ass story: I love the run from Puyallup to Tacoma . Last year I wanted to do an early morning training run from town to town - something I think is fun. As we sat at Starbucks discussing the plan, we thought we'd do the Starbucks to Starbucks thing for sustenance along the way. Cat made the comment that if we were going to do it, we should make it "official" - in Marathon Maniac terms, that is. That means publishing the race at least a month ahead, having five starters and three finishers and posting results. We figured we could do that. I cobbled together a website, and we got it up on the MM calendar. Steve jumped in with a professionally designed logo and website. Before we knew it, we had 32 runners for our first year. This year we set a limit of 50, which was reached in July. Lots of last minute adds and dropped had us sitting at 49 on Friday night. I'm pretty sure the sound of the pounding rain kept the eleven or so runners who didn't show up away. Oh, and the name comes from the Starbucks "Grande" size, combined with the "Fat Ass" style run - free, no support races. That's the story!

CCC 2009

2009-08-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Let's find out how it goes when a blogger writes a post on two hours of sleep. I'm forcing myself to stay awake till bedtime, or at least till Eric gets home. Might as well get my thoughts down now...

Once again, it was an incredible weekend. I'm not sure how it happened, not sure how my life turned out like this. (Maybe I'm too tired and emotional to write this after all...fair warning it could be mushy for the next few sentences). For all the trash talk and teasing that goes on, I feel such a deep bond with my running friends. Somehow these events we share, whether running, crewing or volunteering, create a measure of friendship that I never expected to find in my life. We are a diverse group, mostly strong-willed, often of differing opinions and feelings, of various ages and abilities, yet sharing this common thread of running. I suspect that though our friendships have been forged in shared running experiences, that they will last well beyond our ability to run. How else do you explain the support we give each other, the time, energy and expense to see others achieve a dream? And not just for one of our own, but for many others as well?

Let's get on to the story.

I don't know how to tell you about the weekend. The run is Jenny's story to tell. The crewing is my story, shared by Sonya and Rick. Pacing is Rob's story. They are intertwined and viewed from varying perspectives, woven together to create lasting memories.

This was my fifth year crewing at CCC. Year one, I spent the day alone, crewing for Rob. Neither of us was sure what we were doing, but we made it through. It was a lonely day, as I didn't know any ultra runners, only Rob as he came into each station. Things improved when George and Olga joined us for the evening, alternately riding with me and pacing Rob.

Year two brought Sonya in, and I began to recognize a few crew members and runners here and there. George and Olga were there to pace, Rob and I both had a better idea of what we would do, and even though Rob's race finished at 63 miles, we had fun.

Year three found Eric running, Sonya and I crewing and Steve pacing. Rob was helping run the Hyak aid station at mile 55. This time I knew many of the crews, pacers and runners. We were comfortable in our roles and it was a great and successful weekend.

Year four found Rob burning up the course again, this time with Eric pacing , Sonya and I crewing, and the majority of the Y Run Club managing the Hyak aid station. We all knew what we were doing, we knew at least half the field and their crews, and it was another wonderful weekend.

And that brings us to year five.

Eric and Jamal were set to mark course on both Friday and Saturday. Eric also had another friend, Dave, lined up to help him clear some dead falls from the Trail from Hell. Evening would find Dave and Lesa with the rest of the Y Runners managing the Hyak Aid Station again. This year Rob was lined up to pace, Steve was pacing another friend, and Sonya, Rick and I were crewing. Best of all, our runner was Jenny. I was thrilled to be helping Jenny reach for a dream - she worked incredibly hard this year preparing for this race. She ran weekend after weekend, marathons, 50ks, 50 milers, training runs in the mountains. She gave up family time, and spent time bonding with Rob, Steve and Eric, soaking up their experience, and building her own. You all know that Jenny and I have run many a race together, including our two adventures at Pac Rim.

And Sonya. She's been running a lot on her own, coming back from injury, tending to her Mom, spending time with her family. We haven't seen as much of each other as usual, but it didn't seem to matter. We got in the car and time melted away. We added Rick to the mix - Rick who runs with me every morning, and with Jenny and I on weekends. He climbed in the backseat and put up with a lot of giggles and girl talk, he carried the heavy stuff and took the pictures. Rob was there to pace - picking Jenny up at Ollalie and running through the night and morning - keeping her moving and eating and steady.

It was...laughs, fears, cold, hot, dirty, scary, exhilarating, more laughs, talking and talking, and stinky, dusty, messy, fun, hilarious, serious, funny. It was spooky, tiring, relaxing, caffeinated, humbling, inspiring. Meeting the fabulous and fun Maria, knowing so many of the runners and pacers, the crews, the dogs, the aid station volunteers. Meeting new faces, sharing stories, seeing Eric waving me down in the road at Lake Kachess. Sleeping in the back seat, folded like a jack-knife. Feeling like royalty as we cruised into Hyak. Peeing in the woods. My infamous 29-point turns on dirt roads with ditches and drop-offs. Rutted, pot-holed, dusty, washed out roads. Roads carved out of mountside and forest, drop-offs that go forever, I-90 through the mountain pass in the dead of the night. Sleepy little towns and campgrounds. Jenny's car with all the bells and whistles and blessed seat-warmers. Hand-warmers in the pockets. Smiling runners, sick runners, stumbling runners, bounding runners. Dirty children. Smiling volunteers, caring and tending to runners. The crackle of radio communication. Flashlights and headlamps. Spooky forests and knowing that Sasquatch was around every corner. Sitting in the morning sun. And so much more.

Jenny's journey was epic. I have never admired her so much as I did last night, watching her huddled in the chair nauseous and tired, climbing to her feet and heading down the trail, alone and into the dark. Sonya, Rick and I fretted and worried, and rushed to the next mountain side aid station. She eventually came in as looking as strong as could be, weary, sore and invincible. Our fears calmed, she headed down the dark trail again as we went to get Rob and deliver him to the next mountain side. They ran off into the night, and she kept moving. Moving and moving and moving. Blistered and tired and always moving. Her race ended at mile 73, knowing she couldn't make the next cut off. Twenty-four hours and twenty minutes of constant forward motion - incredible, inspiring, amazing. She finished with a smile, with grace and peace and contentment. She gave it every ounce of herself and she came out a winner. Today reminded me why it is I love her and admire her and am so lucky to have her as a friend.

The trip home was a jumble of this year's race and next year's plans. We'll be out there next year, crewing for Rob again, seeing all the familiar faces and I'll find myself filled with all the best that life and friendship has to offer. I can't wait!

Busy-busy

2009-08-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy! That's life at our house right now. Eric is gearing up to do course marking at the CCC 100 Friday - Saturday, and I am gearing up to crew for Jenny during CCC, her first 100, on Saturday-Sunday. (Our running club is also hosting the Hyak Aid Station at mile 56ish. Lots of planning going on for that. Eric and I are not too involved with that). Then we add in the fact that the Grande Ass is coming right up the following weekend, and that's more busy. Marking course, assigning volunteers, last minute adds and drops, getting shirts, a short bus for transportation back to the start, and potluck planning add to the mix. Oh, and of course, ongoing training for both of us - Plain 100 for Eric, the Grande Ass and Portland for me. Throw in a bit of part time work, prepping for a new fall class...you get the picture.

In spite of all the busy-ness, I've done well with my Pilates and running goals. Week three was right on track with Pilates 3x and 50 miles logged. Eating was okay, though some junk food did pass my lips. I'm working on it!

In other news, Web has cut off his waist-length dreadlocks - he started them when his hair was shoulder length four years ago. They were down to his waist. Though he looked good in them, I'm glad to see them gone. He also sent me some recordings of him singing and playing accordion - listen to them here.

That's it for now. Hope you are having a great late August week! Check back next week for the CCC100 crewing report.

Weekend at Home

2009-08-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, a weekend with both of us home! Eric celebrated his 53rd birthday on Friday. We were very low key - lunch out at a new bagel place in town, dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. I didn't even make him a cake or pie - he said the blackberry crisp I made on Wednesday counted as his special dessert. Just to make sure I had it all covered I made a blueberry-peach crisp last night too. Good thing there is a whole lotta runnin' going on round here!

Saturday morning I ran 10 with Rick and Jenny, then Eric and I wandered down to the Farmers Market for the first time this year. Blueberries, tomatoes and corn-on-the-cob were on the shopping list. We found them all. As soon as we got home we had sliced tomatoes with salt, pepper and basil - yum. We had baked potatoes and corn-on-the-cob for dinner, and of course the crisp afterwards, using a bit of everything we'd purchased. Tonight I made margherita pizza - another yum! I'm already planning next weekend's visit.

I topped out week two of my six week plan with 48.73 miles (and yes, I should have just cranked out 1.3 miles for an even 50). I also got Pilates in three times, as per the plan, and except for the two crisps, some chips and a margarita, I ate really well. (I guess including those yummy things means I ate really well in both senses of the phrase!) I started week three out today with a tough 10 miler with Rick. We were both whupped - I figure it's the accumulation of all the recent miles. Here's what the last month has looked like:

week of 7/19: 52 miles
week of 7/26: 35 miles
week of 8/2: 45 miles
week of 8/9: 48 miles

That explains why I was so tired on today's run! Why, I remember when 35 miles was a high-mileage week instead of a rest week. That's nuts.

I figure next week will be around the same mileage, then I'll start tapering down for the Grande Ass. I'll drop back to around 30 for week four, then miss a weekend of running while I'm crewing at CCC100, then slide into the marathon the next weekend. I'm going to be able to hang on to the high mileage weeks right up until school starts, then I'm going to have to drop back to five-mile midweek runs again.

Farewell from beautiful Pierce County, where the berries are ripe, the crisp is hot and the runners are a-runnin'!

Low Key Blogging

2009-08-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's going to be low-key around this blog for the next few weeks. I don't have another race on tap till The Grande Ass on September 6th, though I do have the excitement of crewing for Jenny at the CCC 100 coming up later this month. I also signed up for the Portland Marathon in October. No other hard and fast plans for fall, though that is when races seem to start popping up on my schedule, so I'm sure I'll be adding more.

The next few weeks I'll be putting in a bit of time working at the local campus of our college as an academic advisor. I've already put some time in this summer and find it a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to my new assignment working in the lab school this fall. It will mean an adjustment to my running schedule , and I haven't quite figured out how it's all going to work.

With that in mind, I thought it was time to bring some discipline to my life. I've been having trouble getting my Pilates work outs in since I quit teaching Pilates last December, usually managing to do it only once per week, which is really not doing me much good. Somehow, I also got whacked out on my nutritional health - eating more junk food than normal, consuming more wine than normal, eating larger portions, in general, just being lax. I suspect it was the stressful spring that led me off into the land of comfort food and lots of it. Fortunately, I wasn't gaining weight because my running was holding steady, but still...at the rate I was putting it away, it was bound to start creeping up, and more importantly that five pounds of winter padding I packed on over the holidays wasn't coming off.

So. What to do? Here's my plan for the next six weeks (because I've read it takes six weeks to build a habit).

Pilates three times a week, no excuses.
Weekly running mileage between 40 - 50 miles, every third week drop to 25.
Eating 95% healthy - meaning appropriate quantities, less junk, but still allowing room for a nightly ice cream or the occasional french-fry splurge - after all, a girl's gotta have some fun! I will stay away from the chocolate chips though - those babies just lead me right down the road to temptation.

That's it! Should be eminently do-able. In fact Week One was already successful. Mileage hit right at 45 miles (okay Rick, 44.96 miles, I rounded!) Pilates successfully completed and enjoyed three times. Eating was really good. I'm on my way! I'm hoping if it's all established by the time I start fall quarter, it will simply mean a few adjustments and easier adaptation to my new work schedule and commute. Seems like a good plan to me!

Hot Week in the PNW

2009-08-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Holey-moley - has it been hot here this week! We topped out the other day at 103, and have had several days in the 90s. For a girl who thinks 80 is about as hot as it should ever get, this has been way too much! We don't have air conditioning here at home - on the day we broke 100, we broke 90 inside the house. It's finally bearable again - still hitting the low 90s, but the big difference is it's cooling down at night. When the temp was 70 at 6 am, our house would hang around the mid-80s. Yuck. Considering I've been told to stay out of hot tubs and saunas, having the house so hot was not a good thing - I could feel it in my chest all week. We spent one evening hanging out at the neighbors - they have air conditioning and they invited several neighbors over for tacos and coolness. One day I worked at the college (advising) from 12:30 -4:30, then stayed in the lounge an extra hour reading just to enjoy the cool temps. I picked Eric up at home and we went to Taco Time - again for the ac - and followed that by hanging with the run club at Starbucks. An extended ac day!

So, what did all that mean for me and running? I got up and out earlier, and still struggled through five miles on Tuesday. On Wednesday I ran 3.5, walking the last half mile. I skipped Thursday. Friday, Jenny, Steve, Rob, Eric and I headed back up to the White River course to run in the woods. Eric and I went up to Ranger Creek and the first look out the back way, the others did the traditional loop. We met at the lookout and came back down together. It was cool and beautiful and fun. I also had my first soak in the White River - so cold it made my feet ache (it's glacial runoff). I finished the week with 35 miles - not bad considering the heat. I managed that because I had run 9.5 on Sunday before it got hot, then the 12 miles at WR. I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of our run.

The trail ahead.

Climbing.

Eric and I and Mt. Rainier, photo by Jenny

Jenny and Mt. Rainier

Steve and Rob, photo by Jenny

Here's hoping for cooler days this week!

Volunteering at the WR 50

2009-07-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Eric, Jenny and Rob ran the White River 50 Mile Saturday - a tough course at the best of times, and especially so on a hot day. Eric and Jenny camped at the start/finish area with friends the night before, and Rob drove up that morning for the early start at 5:30 am. I chose to spend the evening at home, and to sleep in a bit Saturday morning. I was up at 6:00, picked up five giant bags of ice for the aid station, a Starbucks for the drive, and was on my way by 7:30. It's about an hour and 15 minute drive to the race area, up towards Crystal Mountain ski area at Mt. Rainier. It was a pretty morning to be cruising toward the mountain.

I was working at the Buck Creek aid station at the 27 mile mark, which, lucky for me, is right at the start/finish area. I got there just as the tables were going up, met my fellow volunteers and began helping prep for the racers. Ice out of bags and into coolers, check. Water and sports drinks tubs set, check. Pile of pb&j sandwiches ready, check. Bananas cut, check. Watermelon cut, check. S-caps out, check. Bowl of tums, check. Payday bars, pretzels, potato chips, granola bars, m&m's, animal crackers, goldfish crackers, boiled potatoes & salt, check. Coke and Mountain Dew, check. We were ready!

This shot is of Eric at Corral Pass, Mt. Rainier in the background. Photo is by Glenn Tachiyama, with permission.

The first runner blew through, there was a short pause, then the second, then the flow became steady. I saw tons of running friends coming through - covered in dust and sweat, some smiling, some not. Several runners chose to drop at our aid station - the heat and the tough course was taking a toll. Eric came through much earlier than I expected - he looked happy and strong, and nearly blinding in his neon yellow shirt. Jenny and Rob came through - a bit tired, but still going strong. Soon after I saw Linda looking cheerful, and towards the end (but before the cut-off) Jane come through - all our Y runners accounted for! The cut-off for our aid station was 1:39. I think there were about six runners who didn't make it. We cleaned up and packed up, and then it was time to kick back.

Jenny and Rob at our aid station. That's me with my back to the camera making sandwiches. Photo by Rich Walter

Socializing at the finish.

I planted my chair in the shade with another volunteer and whiled away the hours spectating and visiting. I think it was just a couple hours till Eric came through, and several other running friends after that - the socializing began in earnest. There was a great BBQ, complete with veggie options to share in, and still a steady stream of runners coming through. Jenny and Rob came in looking very tired and very dirty, but happy. By the way - check out Jenny's new running dress - it's a nuu-muu, an exercise dress made up in Bellingham. We first saw them last week at the Wild Thing, and Jenny had one before the week was over - she was stylin'. Most important though was that she reported it was fantastically comfortable.

Jenny and Rob finishing it out!

Eric and I finally got on the road as the sun was setting - and were treated to a brilliant, deep pink, turquoise and purple sunset on our drive home. We were up early the next morning so I could run a double loop of Pt. Defiance with Margaret, then off to coffee with the running club, and hanging out at Margaret's house while Eric did a bit of toilet repair for her. All-in-all, a fabulous weekend. Oh, and I managed to log 51 miles last week - frosting on the cake!

We are in the midst of a heat wave here - highs hitting the upper nineties, with threats of triple-digits, and lows in the mid-sixties. Good thing I got the high miles last week, because I suspect this week will be kind of low.

Have a great week everyone!

Wild Thing Summer Fling Marathon

2009-07-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

In short - it was a blast! Jenny, Margaret and I spent the night at the condo in Seattle, drove up early this morning (leaving at 5:00 am), and getting home around 8:30 tonight. The race was at my favorite place to run in Bellingham - 2.62 miles on a wide gravel path around Lake Padden. Gorgeous lake, most of it wooded and cool. The weather was perfect - brilliantly sunny, low 70s, constant cool breeze off the lake. Everyone (men included) wore dresses for the first lap, and lovely headbands, and we had to accomplish a specific task after each lap as follows:

Lap 1: three cartwheels (or reasonable facsimiles)
Lap 2: 15 mountain climbers per leg
Lap 3: Give a piggyback ride the length of the covered area or jump rope for a count of 25 (I piggybacked a little girl)
Lap 4: 25 squats
Lap 5: 15 Frog leaps
Lap 6: Lay in the grass for 60 seconds (my personal favorite)
Lap 7: 10 push-ups (had to be on your toes)
Lap 8: Hula Hoop for 30 seconds (I did it twice)
Lap 9: 10 Lunges
Lap 10: 25 Jumping Jacks

They accepted a reasonable attempt at anything, and they loved a goofy attempt - like me singing "I'm a little teapot" while doing squats. There are hills on the back side of the lake that aren't too bad when you are doing two laps, but become progressively more difficult when you do ten. We decided this day was all about fun and not about time. We finished in 6:30 and best of all, we had a great day! Here are pictures of the day from Jenny: (first ones are from the night before at the condo)

Over the top of the cheaters, with double chins...

Jenny ran a 27 mile trail marathon Saturday, making this a double marathon weekend. Soaking sore feet at the condo.

A princess pose.

(photo by Matt Hagen)

Playing Catch Up

2009-07-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's halfway through the day and I'm barely beginning to catch up! I'm behind in reading blogs, in facebook, in email (both work and home), in laundry, house keeping and our cupboards are bare. How did this happen? We were only gone four days!

We spent a fun weekend camping with my parents up in Birch Bay. Not so much the kind of camping we usually do, but the luxurious-laze-about type my parents do. We were in a private campground, staying in their 35 foot motor home with slide-outs -much like a very nice and small apartment. We were parked right behind the building that used to house the drive-in where I was working as a carhop when I met Eric (at age 16). It was a lot of fun running, driving and walking through our old haunts, reliving memories of our youthful summers. Eric grew up just down the bay, and I spent three summers working out there.

My sister, her husband and one of my nieces visited on Saturday, and on Sunday my other sister and an aunt and uncle spent the afternoon with us. We also got to go to a mini-reunion with some of Eric's old high school friends. Four girls from my high school class (including me) married guys from Eric's class, and two of them were there, plus a girl I worked with at the Beach Boy (as carhops), and a guy from my class who married into one of the families from Eric's class! Small towns...

I had to laugh at my elderly aunt - she says Eric and I are too skinny and that we look like "death warmed over", and after she saw me eat a veggie burger and a dixie cup of carrot sticks, she told me she couldn't believe I "ate all that crap!" It made me laugh out loud. She thinks I should be eating meat and potatoes and pies and cookies and ice cream - "normal stuff". My uncle ran four marathons back in the day, and he whispered to me "can you imagine what it was like to train for a marathon while married to her?" I think Eric and I got him all excited about marathons, especially when we told him we know many people in their 70s still running them.

We had dinner plans last night near Seattle so we spent a very leisurely day travelling home. We toured my hometown (grown by leaps and bounds!), drove through the neighborhood we lived in from the time I was three till age eight and visited Eric's brother. We got to our dinner spot early, took a nap in the car and walked through town. Then we had great pizza with a group of runners before finally heading for home. It was a long and late day, but wonderful.

I'm going to slip this little bit of information in here at the end, and then hold my breath and bow my head whilst receiving my well-deserved lectures (I guess I'll find out how many of you read to the end this way!). I'm running a marathon this weekend. What's that you say? I'm not supposed to run summer marathons? I promised? You are totally right, I did say that. When will I learn? I was tempted beyond all endurance, really I was...Jenny and Margaret are running it, it's at one of my very favorite places to run, it's a silly and free event, and...I just want to! We have plans to deal with the heat (if there is any) - the majority of the course is under canopy, plus I can always dive into the lake... Check it out here. Okay, let me have it!

A Good Weekend

2009-07-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Just to shake things up a bit, I ran a 5K on the Fourth. Eric was on the race committee for this new race sponsored by our Y. He helped will all aspects, answering questions and making suggestions based on race experience. However, I'd say his main focus was working out the route. Eric and I worked on packet stuffing Thursday, Eric worked on course marking most of the morning on Friday, then that evening we worked at packet pick-up, Saturday we were at the Y at 5:00 am to ferry supplies to the fairgrounds, help with day of race registration and packet pick up, and final course marking. It was a fun and busy couple of days.

I haven't run a 5K in about three years, and I really didn't plan to run this one. I thought I'd volunteer at the event instead. However, when we were stuffing packets on Thursday, Phil, the executive director, talked me into running the race. I'm really glad I did!

We had 600 participants in this first-year race. Pretty good, huh? A local church was co-sponsoring with the Y and the city to put on an all day event. The day started with the race, and was followed by a festival in the fairgrounds, with fireworks that night. Race entry included a technical shirt and entrance to the fireworks. They are hoping that this becomes an annual community event - my guess is it will, as it seemed to be a big hit.

Riley signed up to run it a while back, and come race morning, decided to run it with me. We started off with Jessica and Barb, and it wasn't long till Riley had us all laughing. He displayed the same Mad Monkey tendencies of his Dad - running here and there, leaping hydrants, hiding behind parked cars and popping out, and generally being silly. I think it generated some sympathy for me, once Jessica and Barb realized that I live with those goofball antics all the time, and not just from Eric, but from Riley too!

Riley was encouraging me to run faster and I kept picking up my pace. There's one short steep hill in the otherwise flat course, and once we reached it, I told him I was "pulling out my marathon card" - in other words, using last Saturday's marathon as an excuse to walk the hill. Once we reached the top, we picked up the pace again. As we entered the fairgrounds for the last mile, Riley said that we should sprint. I had to break it to him that I already was sprinting. He responded by announcing that he would be my rabbit, running just ahead of me and forcing me to keep up. We decided to skip the last walk break since we could see the finish line - giving me a last mile pace of 9:14. Our overall time was 31:48 - a PR for me. And it was good enough to net me 3rd in my age group!

Upon reflection, what I really took away from the day was a sense of pride and satisfaction. But not for what you might think. It wasn't for running the race or gaining a PR. Instead, it was for the young man I spent the morning with. I thought it was simply wonderful that he wanted to hang out with me both before and after the race, and that he wanted to run it with me. Imagine, a 20 year old wanting to hang with Mom! He is growing up, and we have a great relationship, and it is a pleasure to spend time with him. What more could I ask? I also want to mention here that Cat had the same experience with her son. We are two lucky Moms.

Then to top off my weekend, we got a phone call from Web. He's been really good about calling us every week or so. Life is sweet...

Seattle Rock and Roll

2009-06-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

The crowd - 25000 runners, about 7500 of them were marathoners, the rest did the half.

Well, I did it. It was 49 degrees when we got up this morning, and 79 degrees on the drive home. Forecast was a high of 77. Okay, okay. I knew I was taking a risk, but the weather has been varied here lately, and doesn't always match up with the forecast (surprise!) so I worked out a plan, and got it okay'd by Eric. My plan was to run while it was cool, and when it got hot, walk. Before I go any farther though, let me back up and tell the story from the beginning...

On Wednesday afternoon, Eric and I headed north to Seattle. I had a conference up there on Thursday, and Margaret very graciously offered us a night in her condo. We had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon and evening, and I attended an absolutely amazing eight hour lecture on Brain Rules. Wow! I got out of the lecture at 4:30 and we headed straight for the expo - which closed at six. Not so bad, it's just on the other side of town...wrong! Traffic. Seattle traffic compounded by the marathon expo and the Mariners game that had just finished up. At 5:20, I hopped out of the car in the midst of traffic and walked the rest of the way to the expo. Eric finally got to an area where he could park and met me shortly after. He had picked up his bib earlier, but of course, the Rock and Roll people wouldn't let him pick up mine. If there is any complaint about this race, this is it - the expo ended too early for working folk to get there amidst Seattle traffic and they wouldn't let anyone else pick up for you. Better change that!

We fought traffic to get out of Seattle as well, but finally got home. Friday was a kick-around day for both of us. I went for a three mile run to loosen up my legs, and then just puttered around all day.

We were up at 4:00 this morning, Laurie was here by 4:45, and Cat and Larry picked us up shortly after. We stopped to get George and headed north again. Larry was able to get us right to the drop-off point, then we had about a half mile walk to the corrals. I was in corral 28, Eric in corral 6. Once the gun went off, it took us 45 minutes to make it to where Eric's corral had started! Dori was up for the race, so she, Wendy, Tammy and I started together. Wendy, Tammy and I ran together for the first 13 miles, sometimes with Dori, and sometimes leap-frogging her.

At the half way point, Wendy was feeling good, so she and Tammy kept going. By this time, it was getting warm, so I decided to be proactive in my battle with the heat. I had filled my hydration pack with ice and water this morning (6.5 pounds) to help me stay cool, which was part one. I was applying sunscreen regularly to fight sunburn (did I mention I had a reaction to the sunburn I got in Spokane?). And finally, I decided to shift in to the old and familiar post-to-post method of running before I got into trouble. I pretty much did that from mile 13 to the finish. I figured it would keep my pace down, keeping me cooler, and hopefully, prevent some of the issues I had in Spokane. Doing that, the slight breeze in places, and the ice water at the aid stations in the last miles saved me. I finished in 6:04:40 and feeling good. Dori and I continued to leapfrog, with periods of running together, through out.

Heading to the stadium.

Finish line - remember to subtract the 48 or so minutes it took to get to the start line.

Dori and I.

It was a pretty good race for an inaugural - I didn't experience any mishaps or inconveniences. It was a pretty course, though the three out-and-backs seemed really, really long. I feel great now, and am pleased at my ability to manage the heat today. Wendy finished well, pulling in marathon #2, and Laurie did great with marathon #3. Cat ran a good race and so did Eric, and George in the half. All together, I think it was a good day!

The Happy Finishers.

The Other Door

2009-06-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Now that it is official, I can tell you about the new path that I will be following in my work life.

As many of you know, the Parent Education Program at our college was a victim of the budget cuts. As coordinator of the program, as well as adjunct faculty, that meant that I would be out of work on June 30th. I began looking for something new back in mid-March. After exploring a few options, I decided that rather than following the money, I would follow my heart. I opted for a part time position with the college in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. This past week, my assignments were finalized and I couldn't be more excited! I will be an adjunct professor of ECE, with my main assignment being the practicum courses. Practicum at our college takes place in a lab school, where student teachers spend an intense quarter working with children ages three to five. They are in the classroom under the supervision of faculty (me) three days a week, and spend two days a week planning, preparing lessons and reflecting on their experiences (also with me). In addition, I will teach a one-credit parent education course to the parents of the children in the lab school. This is the perfect job for me, melding all my skills and knowledge into my daily work experience.

In addition to teaching practicum for all three quarters, I'll be doing some part-time academic advising during the peak advising periods (which turns out to be a really fun experience) and I'll be picking up addtional courses for winter and spring. Most likely these will include an evening Intro class - which I have taught several times - and the music course. (Donald, I can hear you lauging all the way from CA!) Music will be new for me, and those of you who know me know that I am just about the least musical person on the planet. I'm told that will be a good thing because it will give confidence to the students - you know the old "if she can do it, then I certainly can do it too" theory. Bear in mind, this is music for ECE - songs and movement, finger plays, get-the-wiggles-out type activities.

To be honest, the minute this was offered, I knew it was what I wanted. It incorporates everything I love about my job - working with children, working with adults, working with parents. It's got it all! I hesitated though, only because I really thought I should pick up something full time in order to make our finances stronger. After a lot of thought, discussions with Eric and a single interview at another place, I realized that I had to do this. It means driving past the campus that is less than a mile from our house, to the other campus that is 30 minutes away, and it means a pay cut (from full time to part time, which, on the plus side, brings a shorter work day) but it also means getting up each morning feeling excited about going to work and loving what I do.

I also picked up a project working for a local private university, helping develop courses for a new program - a bachelors in ECE. I've already begun working on that. It'll probably take about nine months to hammer all the courses out, and I'll have an opportunity to teach there as well if I'm interested.

So, it's a pretty sweet deal. In February, it seemed as though my beloved career had come to a screeching halt. I knew there were other options out there, but working at the college was what I really wanted to do. And now, even as I'm overwhelmed with sadness at the passing of Parent Education and our ties to the co-ops, I'm also ready to move forward, and beyond excited as I step onto a new path.

Trail Marking for 20th Century 50K/100K

2009-06-19T22:03:00.001-07:00

Eric and I decided we should take advantage of our time off and hit the trails, and he suggested helping Michael and Scott out with marking for the 20th Century race tomorrow. I was a bit skeptical as we headed out, as I am not fond of steep descents and I knew our piece of the trail would include the infamous rope section from the CCC100. I'm proud to say I did it, and I didn't freeze up, and I didn't cry. It poured rain on us and we got a little cold, but it was well worth it!

(I can't make the captions match up in Mozilla, though they are fine in Explorer. Sorry for the mess.)

On the way up to the Iron Horse Trail.

Eric is a little wet.

Marking the turn that leads to the PCT.

Up we go.

Into the deep, dark woods.Heading down to the rope section.

At the end of my rope.

Back at the falls. Can you see how wet my jacket is?

Countdown

2009-06-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it was another quiet week here at the Barnes house. I ran 12 miles with Wendy on Saturday, and up at Mt. Peak on Sunday. I'm still fretting about Rock-n-Roll, which is silly, because I have no control over the weather. It will be what it will be and I will have to live with it. I have been suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) as the last two weekends have had lots of races in our area. I've seen pictures and read reports, and so wished I was there! On the other hand, I'm still working my way through my recovery from the heat-related issues of the last marathon. It seems like it is taking a long time to bounce back, yet I am seeing incremental improvements. It often takes as long as six weeks after an episode to feel fully recovered. Like I said before, it's a good and not-so-gentle nudge to remind me of what I already know about my limitations.

The rest of my time has been taken up by the gradual closing of our program at the college. I have attended the last day of three preschool classes, a good-bye tea hosted by the college president, a wonderful gathering of coworkers, both past and present, to celebrate the retirement of Virginia, our program assistant, and also to celebrate the years of support and education for families that our program provided. The Parent Ed program has been supporting families in our area for 36 years. The amazing part of this story is that Virginia was there as a parent in the program when it started, as a college instructor until last year, and as the program assistant for the last several years. She has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children and families over the years - a real cause for celebration. All the endings have been wonderful and bittersweet. I've heard it said several times over the last few weeks, that "without Parent Ed, our family would not be what it is today." I've found myself in the position of buoying the spirits of others, reassuring them that we made a difference and that yes, it is difficult and not what any of us wanted, but that we will all make it past this closure. I have worked hard to keep my equilibrium through it all. I've been packing up files for archive, and packing up my office, and today hosted the last teachers meeting, and the last staff luncheon, each adding to the emotional roller coaster that comes with the end of an era. Right now, I have a headache that won't quit, I suspect it is due to suppressed heartache. So, I have ten days left till my final day....

However, there is a bright side. There is that point that we've all heard about, the point where a door swings softly shut, bringing darkness to the room. But all the while, as the door is moving, another door is slowly swinging open, allowing a bit of light to creep in, till slowly, slowly, the room is filled with a soft glow. That is happening for me. I'm going to leave you right here, knowing there is more to come. Next week, I'll fill you in on what was on the other side of the door... and I'm ever hopeful that there will be a race to report on as well!

Quiet Week

2009-06-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting this week. I was happy to see sunny mornings and warm temps of 60 this week - right up until about mile three of each run. Then my chest would tighten up and the run would become a struggle. I spent the entire week with a knot in my chest and feeling lethargic. I decided to give myself a break on Thursday, so I'd be rested for Friday's 15 mile run with Wendy. I was worried enough that I came up with a plan: I asked Eric to drop me off at the meeting spot so I could call him to come get me if I ran into problems. Lucky for me, Friday morning was gray and cool, and once we were out on the trail, even a bit breezy. Margaret had come to run with us too, and we enjoyed a good 14 miles. We cut it a bit short so everyone would have plenty of time to make it in to work.

I didn't run yesterday, instead I went to what I'm not-so-fondly referring to as "the meeting from hell". (Having to do with a side project I've taken on, and may regret...) Today I ran 9.5 miles at a fairly quick pace - for me anyway: 11:20, including walk breaks. I don't think I've mentioned it here, but recently I've pulled off some five mile runs with an average pace of less than 10:30, again, including walk breaks. I'm getting faster, but certainly can't sustain it over the long distance.

I got a new pair of shoes last week. I bought my last pair on February 15th, and I started thinking that my shoes weren't lasting me very long. I can always tell when it's time for a new pair because my feet begin to hurt. They actually began to hurt a few weeks ago, but I was trying to stretch out the usage. Once I finally got the new ones, I sat down to see what the deal was. I knew I had run a 50K, a 100K and three marathons in those shoes. Well, I was surprised to discover that I'd run 580 miles since February 15. I figured about 40 of those miles were done in my trail shoes, so 540 miles were on the old shoes - in about 3.5 months. That falls right into the 500 mile range that the shoe manufacturers cite. Don't they usually say 6 months or 500 miles? It also explains why I'm buying shoes every three months. Too bad I'm not faster so Asics would sponsor me and send me shoes!

That's it. A quiet week, a post without pictures, a report without a race. Might be that way for a while, as I'm actually trying to behave myself this summer and stick to my promise of not running summer marathons and ultras. After the Seattle Rock-n-Roll at the end of the month, my next one will be Michelle's Grande Ass in September. That's right - we've brought back our popular Starbucks-to-Starbucks marathon. We are limiting the field to 50 runners and we already have 30 signed up! Let me know if you want in...I know the RD quite well!

Blanchard Mt. Run

2009-05-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Tamara giving pre-race instructions.

Early last week Eric and I decided to join in on the Blanchard Mountain fun that Michael and Tamara were hosting. Then, late Thursday evening, Wendy decided it might be more fun to go with us than running 20 miles alone. Never mind that she'd never run on trails, with a little discussion, she decided to try it out. Lucky for me - instead of running alone in the woods like I thought (and worried about), I'd have company! I was planning to run one loop - 11 miles, then hang out in the sun, visiting with others while I waited for the rest of our group to finish. I thought maybe, if I felt like it, I'd go for a bit extra...no hard plans though. I like joining these trail runs and doing a half version (or less - this was a 33 mile run, three 11 mile loops). It takes all time pressure off me and lets me run purely for fun - no "racing", no need to rush because I know I'll be in before everyone else in the car pool.

Blanchard is a-way up north, nearly to Bellingham. We left Puyallup at 4:30 am, which of course meant getting up at 3:30 am. Just in case you are not aware, Starbucks is not yet open at that time. We had seven of us packed into Steve's Yeti, with all our gear in our box up top. As usual, the gang got a little rowdy on the drive up and we had lots of laughs. Once we arrived, Abi said she'd like to run with Wendy and I - it was Abi's birthday the night before, and she had gotten very little sleep, and had maybe one too many sangrias. No problem - double the fun! Oh, and on the drive up, I also found out that not only was this going to be Wendy's first trail run, it was also her first time in the woods - she had not even been hiking before. Wow, that took some guts, don't you think?

We had a wonderful day. Wendy was a little anxious, and she didn't like the slippery-slidey downhills, but she handled them like a pro. We kept her between Abi and I, and we kept the pace comfortable, took breaks, talked up a storm and just generally enjoyed ourselves. Wendy and I were nervous about the infamous "Kill Bill Hill" - we'd been told that you had to scramble up it, using roots as hand-holds. Abi ran the race last year and kept trying to reassure us. In the end, it wasn't too bad. I did have to use roots a couple times, and think about my way up a couple times, but we did it!

Steve and Rob on Kill Bill Hill

From the view point, straight across. If you click on the picture to enlarge, you can see Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island (where we ran in February), and behind it the Olympics.

Once we came back to the start, I mentioned that I wouldn't mind doing a bit more, but did not want another complete loop. Tamara suggested a trip to the outlook and back for another five-ish miles, so that's what we did. We had all forgotten how much climbing that involved, but enjoyed the added miles anyway. We finished our 16 miles with time to change, eat and rest a while before the others came in. It was fun visiting with the other runners and hanging out in the sun for a while. After a burger at a local tavern, and a long drive home, a shower never felt so good. It really was a perfect day and it gave me the itch to get out on the trails a bit more this summer. We'll see...

From viewpoint, looking a bit south.

Aftermath.

Long Weekend and Lot of Running

2009-05-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Cat and I with Rhubarb, the mascot (who happens to be a high school friend of Riley's) photo by Eric.

This has been the best holiday weekend - a few days of sun and relaxation. The fun started Thursday evening with a trip to the ball game with Rob, Eric, Riley and Steve. We got to watch the Rainiers, a local minor league team play, complete with free food, beer and wine, in thanks for our volunteer efforts at the Tacoma City Marathon. Once we got to the game, we were joined by Rick, Angela, Tony and others. It was a cool evening, and a nice way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Friday was a kick-back day - a few errands, a trip to the library to stock up on books for the weekend, and a glass of wine with Lorri and Steve. Saturday, Eric and Steve headed off for a day of trail running, while I went to the Y to run with the group. A nice and easy five miler with Jenny and Emily (who was pushing a double jogging stroller) followed by a long Starbucks session. Home to one of those good books I picked up, a little cookie baking and later that night, a movie (at home) for Eric and I.

Sunday morning Wendy picked me up at 5:30 for an 18 mile training run. We headed down to the Orting Valley, where Jenny and Rob were waiting to run with us. We ran a short out and back, picking Monica up in the park, then began the long trek to South Prairie. It was a beautiful sunny morning, with stunning views of Mt. Rainier straight ahead. We were chattering away, and the miles were slipping by. It wasn't too long till I found myself laughing so hard I could barely run. There's just something about running along with good friends that brings out the best in life...silly topics, trash talk, race plans, we covered it all. We made it to South Prairie, took a little break and began the run back. After a while, we spotted Rick and Elaine up ahead - they left the park a little earlier than the regular group and ran out to meet us - probably about six miles in, giving them 12 for the day. Once we finished up, we joined the rest of the Sunday morning group at Starbucks, for another relaxing morning. Eric and I spent the rest of the day lazing around, puttering here and there, a bit of laundry, a little of this, a little of that. No major tasks, just an enjoyable run.

Today Mt. Peak was on the agenda. We picked Steve up, then drove to meet up the others in Bonney Lake, where we piled into cars for the drive to Mt. Peak. We had a good sized group. We began the power hike up the trail - about a 1200 foot climb in about a mile. Eric, Rob, Steve and Lisa raced for the top- getting there in 16 minutes - while some of us took a more sedate approach, reacing the top in about 28 minutes. A quick rest, and back down the other side, running down a wide gravel road. Mike, Monica and I opted to hit the road and run around the base of the mountain, while the others ran back up to the top and back down the trail. Once again, back into the cars and off to Starbucks, where we found Sonya, Patch, Jessica and Brian waiting. It wasn't long after that when Rick, Lesa and Cat all showed up. Except for Jessica and Brian, the others had all run elsewhere then come to Starbucks to hang out with us! Jessica is recovering from surgery - she had a melanoma and skin graft on her shin, but is now cancer free and working hard to recover. She's been mostly housebound for the last few weeks and was happy to be out for coffee with the gang.

Mt. Peak Photos:

Jane, Abi, Steve, Jenny, photo by Rich Walter

Resting at the top on the new benches, Me, Monica (on bench), Jane, photo by Rich Walter

Down to the back trail, I'm the slow poke watching my feet, photo by Rich Walter

Linda, Jenny, Jane, Abi photo by Rich Walter

Me, coming down the back, in what Eric calls my "classic arm flapping downhill", Monica and Mike in the background, photo by Rich Walter

After helping Abi with a little mishap with her car keys, Eric and I spent another lazy afternoon. Finally, just before dinner, we both decided a little weekend work was due. Eric went out to weed whack and mow, and I swept and vaccumed. Not much, but at least a little got done! An all-together wonderful weekend.

Inaugarual Windemere Marathon

2009-05-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

This was a great first-time race! Cool medal, love the shirt (and ladies, it fits!) and gorgeous course.

Margaret wanted to celebrate her 50th birthday (which is today - Happy Birthday Margaret!) with a marathon, and she picked the inaugural Windemere Marathon. We left Puyallup around 11:30 Friday to head for Spokane - about 5.5 hours away. We were fortunate to stay at the Davenport Hotel, just blocks from the downtown park where the race finished. We checked in, dumped our stuff and walked through the park to the Expo on the other side of the river. It was fun for me - Eric and I lived in Spokane for two years, way back in 1982. There have been some substantial changes to downtown, and even more to the Spokane Valley and Post Falls, since that time, but at the same time, much was unchanged.

The Expo was small, yet fun. Lots of friendly volunteers and vendors. Somebody had left the goody bags at home, but we were told they'd be there in 15 minutes, so we wandered around for a bit. We finally saw someone carrying the bags in - nifty reusable grocery bags with the race name and date on the side. We followed her over, and she pulled out the packets inside saying they were for the kids race, and then handed us the empty bags. No swag or info at all - but we didn't think it was a big deal. We made it almost all the way back to the hotel before realizing we didn't have times for catching the bus to the start in the morning, that was info that should have been in the missing packet. Back across the park to the expo - by this time, starting to feel like a long walk. Once there, we got varying bus times, but finally a volunteer found a packet with the printed schedule.

We left the hotel the next morning at 5:30, walking back to the Expo area to catch the bus. Our driver seemed a bit confused, but luckily, local runners were on the bus and directed him, first to the half-marathon start, then to the marathon start. Once there we waited for about an hour and a half for the race to begin - giving us time to visit with other Maniacs, and to find Lisa and Tim. The skies were clear and the sun was out, and it was already beginning to burn off the morning chill. The race started with a loop through the industrial park to thin the pack before we hit the trail. Then it was onto the Centennial Trail, running with the river on one side and I90 on the other. It wasn't long till we moved away from the freeway and into beautiful fields dotted with lupine and sunflowers. It was gorgeous! We wound through stands of ponderosa pine, we listened to the river tumbling past, we gazed at rock walls and we soaked in the sun. The course was varied - sometimes we'd come close to the freeway again, a couple of times we were off the trail and onto the roads, but mostly it was the wide, paved trail.

I did really well, with a steady pace and no problems till about mile 17. By that time it was feeling really hot, I was down to my Maniac singlet and I was, unfortunately, feeling the signals that tell me I'm beginning to get into trouble. Heat is always a problem for me, adding undue stress to my heart. My chest was getting tighter, my energy was flagging, the pain was creeping in under my shoulder blade. We shifted to the familiar old post-to-post, focusing on moving steadily forward. I fought the mental battle here - I get so frustrated when this happens. I hate feeling fragile and feeling like my running companions are worrying about me. I soon reached the point where even walking I was gasping for breath. We slowed even more, and shortened our running segments. I focused on breathing as deep as I could, eating and drinking. I won't lie, those last nine miles were a struggle. Even so, there were wonderful things to be seen - a red fox running across the trail and through the field, a groundhog sorta thing pawing through the grass on the Gonzaga campus, a wonderful young lady on a bike riding up and down the course, chatting with runners, encouraging, cheering and the ever-present river. As we entered town, the surroundings became a bit more tailored, pretty in the way of old parks. We crossed bridges and entered the big park downtown, weaving our way through families and couples, kids and dogs, all oblivious to the fact that there was a marathon finishing amongst them.

The finish line was on the other side of an old iron bridge - I crossed at 5:58 and change. I looked back to see Margaret standing on the other side of the line, watching the clock. She waited till it turned to 5:59 - the date of her birth - before crossing. What a fun way to celebrate her birthday! We sat in the shade for a while, cooling down, getting some food in, and chatting with others who finished near us. We began the walk back to the hotel, stopping at Starbucks for an iced mocha on the way. Back at the hotel, I checked in with Eric, and we cleaned up and rested before heading out to sample some local brews. After that we walked about a mile to a grocery store, and then another block to get the "best black bean burger in town" - as reported by the waitress back at the pub. She was right - it was great!

Sunday morning we took a short and easy jog through the park again, crisscrossing the bridges, stopping to gaze at the immense power of the river several times. We spent some time watching a colony of those groundhog type animals beside the river, picked out the riverfront condo that we would buy and once again, made that all important Starbucks stop on the way back to the hotel. Though my legs were willing to run, my chest still felt tight. It usually takes a day or two for that to pass. Hopefully, being back on the cooler west side of the mountains will help that along. Though it was a long drive to and from, it was a spectacular weekend, and a great new race. I'd do it again - hopefully on a cooler day though. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the sunburn. My shoulders are a lovely deep red, and the backs of my calves a similar, though lighter shade. I forgot to bring sunscreen - frankly, we've had such a wet spring, it didn't even cross my mind.

This marathon was a good reminder - I had made the statement that I wouldn't do the summer marathons this year. In recent days though, I found myself looking over the calendar, trying to see what might work. I guess I'm the kind of knucklehead that needs a harsh physical reminder on a yearly basis... Though I may struggle, or hit the wall for lack of fuel or rest, I haven't had the heart stuff in nearly a year, which coincidentally occurred during a race that was much warmer than predicted. It's a different feeling than a bonk - it's that, rolled up with an inability to breathe, with a tight chest and specific pain. And yes, for anyone who's new to my blog, I've been tested, I've been cleared, I know what to watch for and what to do. I am just thick-headed enough to need the nudge to remind me that I'm not invincible. However, I can learn - I'm resting in July and August and will look forward to fall races instead. I am signed up for Rock-n-Roll in June in Seattle - could be hot, could be cold, could be wet. It's unpredictable. I'll make the call for the race that week, when we have an idea of what the weather might be. In the meantime, I'll enjoy supporting friends, running my daily runs and maybe get some trail time in with Eric.

In summary, I had a great weekend, and even with struggling, a great race. Spokane is a beautiful and bustling city, with just about the friendliest people around. Add this one to your list!

My Spring Essay: Why I Love Marathons

2009-05-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

I love marathons of all shapes and sizes. I really love the small local ones where the entry fee is a can of soup for the food bank, the runners are all friends from our local running scene, and the course winds through a forest or along a rails-to-trails course. I love point-to-point marathons - the idea of running from city to city tickles my fancy. Kent to Seattle, Puyallup to Sumner to Tacoma, Sequim to Port Angeles, or next week, Post Falls, Idaho to Spokane, Washington (city to city and state to state - what more could I want?). City to city seems to spell out the distance in ways that giant loops do not.

I love the couple of big marathons I've run: Nike Women's in San Francisco, so crowded that it wasn't till the half split off that I could finally take a comfortable stride, or The Marine Corp in DC - the Marines, the crowds, the national landmarks, the thrill of being at one of the "big" ones. I love the marathons that show off nature in all it's glory: the Yakima River Canyon and Big Sur both come to mind, as does the double loop of Leavenworth. The scenery of these marathons gives perspective and peace.

But what I really love are the ways a marathon shows me a city - the good and the not-so-good sides both. I've run through ugly industrial areas that remind me of the hard work that goes on there and helps many people make a living. I've run through beautiful neighborhoods that remind me of patchwork quilts - colors and shapes and sizes detailing so many lives. Running through the hidden jewels along the way - the small and tidy parks, the large and glorious parks, the waterfronts, next to rivers. Running past college campuses, through deserted early morning downtown streets, offices and businesses edging the course. Under bridges and past missions where the homeless gather, sometimes watching in silence, sometimes cheering us on. I've run down an alley where dumpsters overflowed, through pot-holed and cracking streets. Past grade schools and high schools and churches. The unique experience of running on the boardwalk crossing the bay. Across old bridges and floating bridges and along freeways. Running a marathon through a city gives a perspective that is like no other.

I love the challenge, I love the hoopla, I love the buzz from the other runners. After finishing Tacoma last week, I found that everything that makes a race for me was present: a challenging course, friends to run with and friends along the way, the city tour, the palpable thrill of all the exhausted runners gathered in the square after the run. Satisfaction was hanging in the air, smiles were huge, I could feel it. And that is why I love marathons.

TCM 2009 - Year 3

2009-05-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

If only all my marathons could go as well and feel as good as my third running of the Tacoma City Marathon!

Summary: Marathon #32 in the bag, bringing the marathon & ultra count to 42. Time was 5:38:27 by the Garmin, compared to 5:52 in year 1 and 5:29 last year.

Detailed version: Marathon weekend started about 3:00 on Friday with a five hour shift working the expo. Eric and I were in charge of day of race registrations. I looked down the line of volunteers handing out packets, shirts and goody bags and realized that every single one was from the Y Run Club. And that didn't count those on the earlier shift, those helping move supplies, those volunteering on Saturday and on race day. I'm here to tell you, we have one stellar group of runners in Puyallup! Of course, it helps that Rob is the volunteer coordinator for TCM - we all love helping him out. Working the expo is a blast - meeting new runners, answering questions, trash talking old friends and other Marathon Maniacs - what fun! After we closed down a few of us walked to a local bar for some burgers and fries to round out the evening.

Saturday, Eric and I both opted for a 2.68 mile run with the group in the morning, followed by an early departure to coffee. After hanging out at Starbucks for a couple hours, we went home to clean house and then spent the day lolly gagging around. I guess it could be more politely termed "resting". We also spent time checking the hour-by-hour weather forecast. Despite the fact that the wind was blowing the rain sideways, and the sky had opened up, the forecast was good. We crossed our fingers and hoped that they were right.

We were up early this morning at 4:15. I was taking the early start at 6:00 am, and Eric needed to meet the other pacers at the same time, but a few blocks away. The first thing to do was check on the weather: clear skies, no wind, temp at about 44 degrees. Perfect! Eric dropped me at the start line about 35 minutes early and headed down to the pacer meeting. I was surprised to see him jogging down the sidewalk toward me about 15 minutes later - he'd seen a pair of sunglasses in the car that he thought I needed. But I didn't. They were my car glasses, I had my running ones with me. (Side note: after Lasik surgery you are told to wear sunglasses religiously for the next year. Even if I hadn't been told to do that, I would be, as my eyes are quite sensitive to light now. Eric assures me that this improves as the year goes on).

Jenny, Jessica and I ran together for the whole race. TCM is a hilly course - rolling hills through the city, then a nice long downhill to the waterfront, then about mile 11, just after the tunnel, the first big hill. A long climb takes us up to our favorite park, Pt. Defiance. Regular readers know that Pt. Defiance is a five mile, hilly, hilly loop. Today the sun was streaming through the old growth, hitting the wet plants and roads from last night's storm and making every thing steam. Runners were steaming, roads were steaming, bushes were steaming. It was beautiful and humid. My sunglasses were so fogged up I had to take them off - which was fine as we were under the canopy. After leaving the park, we turn the corner to face the infamous "dip". Down, down, down, up, up, up. Another corner and short flat stretch. Right at the end of this, we were on our walk break and passing a group of spectators. A little girl, probably about three, looked at us and said "they aren't even running!" prompting much laughter. We turned the corner and faced the one mile hill of Vassault. After that, there were more hills, but of the rolling type, not the huge type. All in all, the mega-hill section of the course lasts from about mile 11 through mile 18. It isn't till about mile 24.5 that we finally pass the last hill on the course.

By this point, I was feeling amazement. I didn't want to say it out loud, but I was wondering when I was going to get tired, and when my hip would really start to hurt. I kept chugging along, thinking about the beautiful weather, how good I was feeling, and yes, about my sister Sue. I finally said it out loud to Jenny and Jessica - that I had not felt this good in a marathon ever! Jenny said she'd heard me say that another time, and we started trying to figure out when. Best we could come up with was over a year ago.

I had a great race. I felt good, I had a little bit of achy knees and feet - normal - but none of the hip pain I usually feel. Two small blisters on the tips of my second toes - also normal. I felt energized and strong the whole way. What a day!

One of my very favorite parts of this race is knowing so many volunteers along the course. I collected hugs and high-fives, smile after smile and tons of encouragement from all our friends, and as well as all the great volunteers that we didn't know. We thanked them all and we thanked every police officer we saw. Taking the early start meant that as we ran along the water, the leaders passed us, then in the park the pace groups began passing - more friends and lots of Maniacs. I actually missed it when Eric took his pace group by - I was in the porta potty - we shouted out to each other anyway. Rob rode up on his bike - he was out checking in with volunteers along the course - and stayed beside us for a while - more great fun. Coming into the finish chute, I looked up to see a line of friends waiting for us, wrapped in silver blankets, cheering like mad. All in all, this was my best race of the year - both in terms of how I felt and overall fun factor. And, that's the way I like it!

Holding Pattern

2009-04-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

A quick summary of life at the Barnes house:

I ran the hill run and Pt. Defiance (more hills) five out of six runs last week, plus again on Sunday to get ready for the Tacoma City Marathon
Friday night we'll be working the expo for the Tacoma City Marathon
Saturday we'll be resting for the Tacoma City Marathon
Sunday we'll be running the Tacoma City Marathon

My incredible husband ran the 50 miler at Capitol Peak last Saturday, and will be running the marathon this week - amazing that he can bounce back so quickly! I finally feel recovered from the 100K and marathon and am looking forward to the race this weekend. Two weeks after TCM I'll be out running another to celebrate Margaret's 50th birthday with her - we'll be in Spokane for the Windemere Marathon. My bad toe healed up nicely and is ready. My good toe developed some problems, I lost more of the nail, and last night it was throbbing so much it woke me up. I gave it a test run this morning and it was fine, and it actually feels better now (don't ask me why, you probably don't want to know as it involves needles), so I think I'll be good to go come Sunday.

We went up to Bellingham last Sunday to celebrate my baby sister's 40th birthday. She has spent those 40 years bound in an uncooperative body, dependent on her chair and on others to perform life's basic tasks. Her daily struggle humbles me, and reminds me not to take the simple gift of movement for granted. When Sunday morning rolls around, and I find myself running through the streets and parks of Tacoma, I will remind myself of that gift and I will honor my sister, recognizing the daunting tasks she faces each day, and the humor and spirit with which she faces them. Running a marathon is an easy task in comparison.

Whew!

2009-04-18T12:04:00.001-07:00

Eric and I, Easter 2009

I ran the hill run this morning with Jenny and I think I finally feel back to normal! Yay! I ran the same basic route, starting from home, Thursday morning (six miles) and felt pretty tired at the end. Then I ran again Thursday night at the track and didn't feel too bad. I had this kind of intense desire to do the hill run again, but I was worried that I wasn't up to it. I talked to Jenny and we decided to go for it. We left the Y forty-five minutes early this morning. From the Y, the route is 7.6 miles, plus one extra hill - another big one. I figured since I have been so tired, it might take me a bit longer than usual, maybe 1:39.

We left the Y early, running into a clear, bright morning. I was feeling good and our pace was pretty good. We were chatting away as we approached the first hill. Jenny pulled away from me as we climbed, circling back as she made the top. I have a personal rule on the hill run - if my walk timer goes off while I'm on a hill, I can't walk till I'm over the crest. I'd rather not walk then either, because I think that I should "run off" the fatigue of the climb, but I will do it if I've just run through a break. The hill run is all about conquering hills and building strength and it seems to me that I'm defeating the purpose if I walk on the hill. The Tacoma City Marathon is very hilly and challenging, so I need to get my hill muscles back.

Anyway, our timing was off and the beeper seemed to go off on almost every hill today. We kept chatting, and the hills kept rolling by. Before I knew it, we were on the final approach to the Y. I felt great! I looked at my watch and realized we'd come in well under my projected time - in 1:30. And did I mention I felt great? Really good!

The daffodil fields are blooming late this year - Easter morning

After a month of dragging through every run, feeling worn out and clunky, it was wonderful to feel fresh, strong and fluid. Whew! I think I might finally be recovered!

Recovery

2009-04-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Add this to the list of lessons learned from running 100K: do not follow 13 days later with a marathon. I have been worn out and constantly tired since last weekend's race. I went for a run four times this week, just an easy five miler each time. And every time, the first three miles felt great, and the last two miles felt like the end of a marathon. Then I take a nap, and still find myself dragging through the rest of the day. I even passed on a planned 18 mile trail run with Eric, Rob, Steve and Jenny, and the amazing thing about that is that is was easy to opt out. I usually struggle with having to miss a run, but not this time.

My next marathon is Tacoma on May 3rd, followed by another on the 16th. I'm determined to be rested and running well by then. My plan is simple - run five days a week, five miles at a time. Nothing longer - I figure I've got the base miles, now it's all about bouncing back. And that includes eating well and plenty of sleep.

Life has a funny way of throwing challenges our way when we least need them. We've been handed a new one this week, and it knocked me back a step or two. It's part of the reason I was determined to get out for my daily runs - that need to let some stress go, to find peace in the rhythm of my feet hitting the ground, in the deep breathing and the silky morning air sliding by. I've regained my sense of balance and feel optimistic once again, and I attribute some of that to running. It also serves to remind me of the value of friends and that there are times that we need to set aside our independence and accept all the wonders that friendship has to offer. And finally, as in all adversity, it reminded me that the man who walks beside me is a man of amazing spirit and strength.

All in all, it's been a week, and I'm ready to move past it and on to the next.

Yakima River Canyon Marathon 2009

2009-04-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Puyallup Girls: Cat, Abi, Jessica, Jenny, Me, Monica, Angela (Where's Linda? And Lesa?)

Whupped. That best describes me at the finish of the marathon. I felt pretty good for ten miles, a little tired for the next six and plain old whupped for the last ten. I felt the 100K every step of those last miles. The road through the canyon is severely cambered in many areas and when it tilted right it hurt my ankle injury, when it tilted left my entire left ITB felt it. But more than that was just a general fatigue.

On the other hand, this is a gorgeous marathon, running through the canyon of the Yakima River, the water flowing beside or below us the entire race. The road is carved out of the dry and beautiful hills, rock walls loom to the left, and drop off to the river on the right. And the weather was incredible! Starting out clear and sunny and 28 degrees, finishing near 60 in the afternoon. I actually got a sunburn!

Jessica and I ran together for 23 miles before I talked her into going ahead. She had a goal of beating last year's time by an hour, and at 23 miles she only had a half hour to do it. She didn't quite make it, but we agreed not to blame my slow shuffle, but instead blame the lady who took FOREVER in the porta-potty. We waited till mile 12 for a porta-potty with no line, only to have the lady that walked in just as we arrived at the aid station spend what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time in there (and to be fair, I'm sure she needed it - it was just frustrating to wait). There is a pretty long hill at mile 14 in the marathon, and we used the post-to-post method to climb it. The next big one comes at mile 22 and is one mile long. We used the same method to get up it, then I told Jessica to go, and go she did. From the crest of that hill to the finish is almost all downhill and I could see her way off in the distance running hard. I can't remember what her time was, but she was close!

Jessica flying to the finish!

My unhealed no-toenail-toe leaked.

My final time was something like 5:54. I was happy to come in under six hours - something I haven't done since the Marine Corp Marathon last October. I just looked back at my list - I guess my times got slower because I ran the triple, then a marathon on a couple inches of snow, then a double. All the others since then were 50Ks or the 100K. I shouldn't have been surprised to have slower times. The other statistic of note is that yesterday was my 31st marathon, plus 10 ultras for a total of 41. That's exciting!

Finishing.

Happy post-marathoners Michelle & Steve

Snapshots

2009-03-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

When the boys were very little, Eric bought me some beautiful coffee mugs from a local Amish shop. Handmade, white with sponged blue borders and a single pink heart, and a pitcher to match. We used these cups every day for years. Last week, when Riley was home for spring break, I made a pot of coffee, and poured us each a cup - into the heart mugs. When I handed the cup to Riley, his face lit up. Apparently, it was the first time he'd ever used one of these special cups, and me offering it to him made him feel honored and grown up. It's the small things, sometimes that we are not even aware of, that send big messages.

We are hosting a potluck for the running club tonight. I promised Eric chocolate chip cookies. I pulled down my little recipe notebook, falling apart at the binding, and slipped on my glasses. There on the first page, in my curlicue adolescent handwriting, was my name, and the notation "BD gift Jan. 2, 1973". I slowly paged through, seeing each handwritten recipe, the note "from Mom" across the top of most. All my favorites. I was 15 years old that day, and I remember digging out Mom's recipe cards and copying them all down. I don't know if my Mom knew it, but I interpreted her gift to me as a sign that she thought I was growing up. Today, I find it poignant to think of all the times I've cooked or baked those recipes, how many times I've served them to my sons and husband, how many times the boys baked following those same recipes. Smudged and smeared, the pages represent thirty-six years of life gone by. It's the small things, sometimes that we are not even aware of, that send big messages.

Yesterday, I went in for my biennial echo cardiogram. There is a very slight increase in leakage in my aortic valve. No change in meds, no change in activity. All the usual warnings - watch for infections, particularly strep. Call if you have a sore throat that lasts more than three days. Call in you notice a change in your endurance or stamina. It was 10 years ago when they first found the murmur that lead to the discovery of the defective valve. Those first years, every echo showed a steady progression in leakage. I was told that if it continued at that rate, I could expect a valve replacement at 52. Then, five years ago, it stabilized. And two years ago, I got to start going every other year instead of every year. So yesterday, I will have to admit, I was a little bit bummed to hear there was a slight increase. At the same time, the cardiologist was so encouraging - it's very slight, I can continue to run as much as I want. By the time I was driving home, I was over it. I reminded myself that it's to be expected, and that I'm 51 now and that I'm running mass miles instead of having valve replacement surgery. Life is good, very good. And on a funny note, you should have seen the cardiologist's face during this conversation:

"There is a very slight increase in leakage. Have you noticed any change in your stamina or endurance?"

"Well, I was pretty tired after running 62 miles last weekend."

Blank stare. "In one day?"

"In 19.5 hours."

"Oh."

He broke out in a huge grin, and with all the appropriate cautions told me to keep at it. It's the small things, sometimes that we are not even aware of, that send big messages.

And today I find myself smiling quietly as I think back. Scenes from a childhood on a tiny farm in a bustling family flit past as I look over the recipes. My son's face flashes before me as I put the coffee cups away. Races and runs swirl through my mind as I bake. I look around my warm and happy home, I look over at my sweet husband, I read an email from Web, I anticipate an evening with friends. It is the small things, the quick moments, that add together to make a life. I am forever grateful for each moment of mine.

Reflections on PacRim

2009-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

I wrote my race report yesterday, if you haven't had the chance to read it yet check the previous post. I had to write again because my mind is overflowing, and this is the place for it to spill out.

I've been thinking about PacRim all day. It's hard to describe the impact it has on me. It seems as though running in one mile circles for 19.5 hours would be mind numbing and a simple feat of endurance. It seems that one would tire of the same footsteps over and over, the familiar turn of the path, the sameness of it all. But I don't. Those feelings never came to me. It's a beautiful little park, a busy place in a small town, with a variety of people and pets passing through. The circling runners always have something to say as they pass by, the lap counters cheerfully call out my name and number when I go by, the banter never ceases between friends. And of course, that may be the key for me. I was never alone, I always had Jenny by my side, and Abi, Jessica or Margaret. Jamal ran many laps with us, and sometimes Rob and Steve. Other runners fell into pace for a few steps or a whole lap. I think that feeling of community was and is key for me. It's reaffirming and keeps my faith alive. I mean my faith in humanity - it is a larger feeling than I can describe. It feeds my spirit.

So, first there is that renewal of faith, and then there is that interior struggle to keep going, to push through the difficult moments, the negative thoughts. When the tummy is queasy and the hip hurts, and the blisters are building. When it's cold and the body is weary. The little deals I make with myself, to finish the lap and then I can walk. I walk a bit and Jenny starts shuffling forward, and like one of Pavlov's dogs, I start my shuffle too. Or we both walk a little then giggle as we realize we're hoping the other didn't notice. Or I insist I need more walking and she falls into step with me, because no matter what, we're in this together. I play games in my mind...so many laps till a trailer break, where I will flop down on the bed for just a minute or two - when my back is hurting, nothing fixes it like laying flat out. Hoping which ever of our group is taking a potty break will take just a little longer so I can sit, or even occasionally, lay flat on the nearby park bench. I hear the advanced miles of others - 50 miles, 100K, and we seem so far behind. I remind myself that it doesn't matter, all that matters is my finding my own pace and reaching my own goal. All the little battles overcome to keep moving forward. Small battles, small goals, reached one at a time.

And the physical piece. Little bits of pain here and there. Aching knees. The always present left ITB/hip/knee. The everlasting blisters (though these are getting better). The tired back muscles as the night wears on. Relentless forward motion.

And the joys. Eric arrives with a warm soy chai. His smile feels like home just came to PacRim. Margaret's hug and encouraging words. Jessica's cheerful chatter. Incredible runners, runners I so admire, telling me how great I'm doing. Good friends teasing as they go by. New friends sharing stories, making connections. There are elite runners in this race, and they rack up miles beyond belief, at speeds that are amazing. At the same time, it doesn't matter - in a sense the field is level and we are all fighting the same battle. There may be elite runners, but there is no elitism, there is only a shared bond of endurance and encouragement.

I love the night at PacRim. I love it when darkness creeps over us, and when I think of the race, I think of runners flowing through pools of light, of the quiet town around us. I love the shadows of the shrubbery, the reflections off the lake, the feeling that we runners are the only ones awake in the entire universe. The chatter becomes quieter, everyone turns inward, and the motion continues. The aid station is a warm oasis, waiting for us, glowing across the park. This is the best part of the race. I'm tired beyond belief, everything hurts, and yet, it is my favorite time.

After a day of reflections, I now know that I will do it again. I know that everything that draws me to PacRim outweighs the temporary discomforts of the effort. I find myself wanting to give the entire 24 hours a go. I jotted notes about what worked and what didn't and what I need to change. They are tucked away waiting for the next time, hopefully to ease a few of the difficulties on race day. It is so much more than a race, so much more than the physical challenge, though of course, that is a huge piece of it. I need to run this again, to fill my heart up again and again. Now I understand the lure of 100 milers. I have no desire to tackle trails at night, run solo in the forest or up a mountain. Nor do I have the speed for those races. This peaceful little race is just right for me. It challenges me, it fills me up and one day later, next year is on my mind.

100K Done!

2009-03-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I were successful in our 100K quest. We began the race at 9:00 am and finished at about 4:29 am the next morning. We took a "trailer break" at 50K for about 20 minutes, resting, changing socks and clothing, then another trailer break at 42 miles, another at 52 miles, and the final one at 56 miles. Those were shorter - a quick change to warmer clothes, a minute to sit down, a minute to roll out the muscles with my tiger tail roller and back out. Jessica was true to her word, showing up to run 13 miles with us and then cooking pancakes and grilled cheese during our 50K break. I ate an entire grilled cheese, which was a mistake. I spent the next five miles feeling queasy and thinking many thoughts of putting on warm clothes and walking the rest of the miles. Jenny helped me through that low spot by keeping me moving. I think, in total, throughout the hours, we walked two complete laps - one right after the 50K break, and the final lap. Otherwise, we ran each long stretch, and walked the ends. In the last five miles we added a couple walk breaks to the long stretches too. We had grand plans to hit 100K and then walk a few more laps - that lasted till what we thought was mile 59, but in reality was mile 58. Finding out we had one more mile to go than we thought took some of the wind out of our sails. Those last few miles were of the "put your head down, grit your teeth, and get it done" variety.

There were several things about the race that are remarkable. The first has to be the fabulous camaraderie of all the runners - our entire fun group from Puyallup, Van, Tony, Lisa, Tim, Bret, Gail, Olga, Marilou and all the others out there on the course. Everyone was cheerful, friendly, encouraging and amazing. Steve pulled in 101 miles, Lisa pulled in 113, Tim something like 126. Those are truly amazing distances. Other successes ranged from Abi's first 50 miler, Bret and Gail's first 100K, Linda's 75 miles and Eric's 50K in the morning, six hour drive and second 50K in the afternoon. Oh, and Jess and Linda B were with him too - I'm not sure what Linda's final mileage was, but I know Jess ran 49 miles at Pac Rim after the morning 50K. Watching others keep running through the dark, the steady and relentless lapping, the ups and downs, the cheery "good jobs", the quiet "not doing so good" comments, watching runners dealing with sore muscles, sore feet, disappointments and successes. It was life in a microcosm, and it was amazing. I am so inspired by the human spirit, and mostly, by the sharing and caring nature of other runners. It was epic in a quiet way.

The next is friends like Margaret and Jessica, driving 2.5 hours to support us - running laps, cooking, helping a stiff runner (me) pull on tights over my shoes at 42 miles - because my shoes were the perfect tightness and I didn't want to ruin that. (Yes, things get that silly on a long run). Coaxing us along, cheering for us, and just plain old giving of themselves. Thanks you two!

The weather was remarkable too - cloudy, with flashes on sun, and dry all day. One downpour during our 50K break, then dry till sometime after I was asleep in the car. (Eric made us a fabulous camp bed in the Element and we slept for an hour or two).

The food planning paid off, sorta. I did lose my appetite, and nothing appealed, but at least I had options. I went through three shirts, two pairs of tights, two pairs of gloves, one skirt, two pairs of socks, the armwarmers, a headband, a hat, a vest, a lightweight shell and a raincoat. Again, nice to have options.

My feet are toast. Red-speckled with a flat rash, lost half of a toenail (of which half was already missing), blistered under the nail, and on the pad of the toe. Two other small blisters. Bruised on top of both feet (swollen feet in shoes that were the perfect tightness), bruised where I injured myself a couple weeks ago (which bothered me in the beginning, but with an adjustment of laces and a smear of arnica cream at every break, didn't bother me again).

I thought we could match last year's pace, and crank out those additional 12 miles in three hours. I was way off. I learned that 62 miles is a long way to run, that those additional 12 miles are the hardest 12 miles of my life, and that I'll probably never want to run 62 miles again. I'm satisfied I've done it, I'm proud of myself - I set a challenge and I met it. But, I think marathons and 50Ks are far enough! (At least today,sleep deprived and sore, that's what I think).

It was hard, it was wonderful, it was my epic adventure. It was so much more than I ever imagined myself doing, and certainly not anything I thought I'd do at the age of 51. I'm happy.

100K Prep

2009-03-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

There are two things I know for sure about the 100K+ this weekend:

1. The weather will likely cycle through rain and sun, maybe even sleet & snow, and a bit of wind.
2. I will get tired of eating, and nothing will appeal to me, and if I don't eat, I will run out of energy.

These two things have sent me into a planning frenzy. Since we're on a one mile loop, we have the luxury of having spare clothes and food handy. Here's what I'm thinking:

Clothes. This one's easy. Basically, all the running clothes I own will go into a bag. Okay, probably not the sleeveless tanks, but skirts x 2, tights x 2, short sleeve x 4, long sleeve x 6, multiple pairs of socks, gators, gloves x 2, arm warmers, vest, lightweight shell and rain coat. Also, caps x 2 and sunglasses. A second set of shoes. And the $1.09 poncho. Plus a set of post-run clothes, and a sleeping pad and sleeping bag, just in case I stop before 9 am.

Food. This one's harder. Stuff that's easy on the tummy, not too much fiber or dairy. Salty and sweet. Something that's light, something that's filling. Here's what I've got planned:

~Two bagels, pre-toasted, one with butter and honey, one with a slice of cheddar.
~A bag of peanut butter pretzels.
~A bag of honey wholewheat pretzels.
~A couple veggie bacon sandwiches.
~Peanut butter crackers.
~Trail mix.
~Four cans of Doubleshots.
~Hershey's chocolate Easter eggs.
~Little graham cracker cookies.
~Breakfast cookies.
~Rice Krispy Treats (homemade).
~A couple cans of cane sugar cola.
~Some no-chicken broth

Plus, Jessica is going to make pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches for us, and there's a full aid station. And Eric is going to bring me a soy chai when he arrives late that night. And I'm bringing my own water, because I thought the water tasted funny last year and I found it hard to drink.

It's not about eating everything I listed, but about having choices and hopefully, something that will sound good as the hours add up. And, it's also not that there is anything lacking in the aid station, it's just that I'm kind of particular about what I eat when I'm running. You'll also notice the conspicuous absence of burritos - that just didn't seem like a good idea on a run as long as this one.

Tomorrow I'll pack all this up, plus eat a lot and drink a lot. Saturday morning I'll hit the road to Kelso bright and early with my running buddies . At 9 am we'll start and I'll go till I can't go anymore!

Update and Countdown

2009-03-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Injury: Feeling good! A week of rest seemed to take care of my ankle. It hurts a little when I start out, but once it's warmed up, I don't feel it at all. I had to mess around with the laces a bit to find a way to lace that didn't go over the sore spot, and I'll keep that up till PacRim is done. I logged 30 miles this week, no problem.

Spring break: Riley's home! Yay! His Friday the 13th was not without a couple doses of bad luck. He left the campus much later than he wanted, locked his keys in the car at one stop, and burned out his clutch on the way up the pass. He called us at 10:30 pm, sitting on the side of the freeway near the top of the pass. By the time Eric got there (about an hour or so away) the tow truck was taking them to the nearest town. Eventually, Eric got the boys and their gear loaded into our car and headed home, where they arrived around 1:30 am. Riley's roommate's friend picked him up around 2 am, and we finally all got to sleep. Heaven forbid we miss a run - we were up a short four hours later to head to the Saturday morning run. It was worth it! So, here we are. The value of a new clutch is about equal to the value of the car. We're looking at all our options...

Countdown to PacRim! Minimum goal is 100K, and if I'm feeling good, to keep moving as long as I can. It'll be an adventure for sure! Jenny and I are planning to run together, and it sounds like Abi will join us. We've got lots of Y Runners participating this year. Steve is bringing his trailer to use as a rest/changing station, which is a huge luxury. Eric and a few others will join in after running the Chuckanut 50K (up the mountain and down, then a 3.5 hour drive to PacRim, where another 50K is the goal). It's gonna be a great weekend!

Slightly Injured, Majorly Bummed

2009-03-04T08:31:00.001-08:00

It's small, and I'm sure it will pass soon, but it's keeping me off the streets this week and that is bumming me out. Plus, I'm generally stressed with the program closure and all, I'm eating too much, which would be okay if I was running, but I'm not, so now to top it off I feel fat and out of control.

That was it, that was my whine. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I wanted to hit 62 miles last week - the length of the 100K. I wanted to do it because the mysterious "they" say that if you can do it in a week, you can do it in a day. Since doing it in a day is exactly my intent, this made sense to me. I did the 50k on Sunday, so in the normal course of things, this should have been easily achievable: rest Monday, five on Tuesday, five on Wednesday, five Thursday morning and five that night, 11 on Saturday. It didn't quite work out like I planned. Tired legs Tuesday produced four miles. Wednesday was the five that was planned, but Thursday morning brought light snow and icy streets. I made that up by running to the track early on Thursday night, then running laps for a while before we ran to the park. Got ten in. Now I needed 12 on Saturday. I planned to run one mile loops at Bradley Lake - getting in the groove for Pac Rim in a few weeks.

Less than a half mile into my run towards the lake, I felt a strange cramping just above my foot - below the shin, above and between the ankle bones. It felt like it was cramping in an upside down horseshoe shape. Strange. Maybe my shoe was too tight. I loosened it and went on. The cramping continued off and on. Cramp, run a few steps, clear, and repeat. I fiddled with my shoe a couple times, but pushed on. (Silly me.) I recognized that this wasn't a normal muscle cramp type feeling, but since it was coming and going, I just kept running. Once I made it to coffee, I realized it hurt as I was sitting there. When we left and walked a half a block to another store, I found myself limping. Once we got home and I took my shoe off, the pain was gone. However, there was now a big, dark red bruise covering the area and it was beginning to swell. Ice, rest, ibuprofin. Skip the Sunday run. Finally decide I'm resting it till Saturday. It's better, still slightly sore, still slightly swollen, but the bruise is mostly gone.

I, of course, looked it up on the internet. I found this picture, and I believe I did something to the superior extensor retinaculum. (Whatever that is). Notice how it almost forms an arch - exactly where I felt the cramp? The thing that bugs me is that I don't know what I did - I know that I didn't bang it against anything, I know that I didn't stumble, or twist it. Repetitive stress injury? Could be. Funny that I ran a triple and a double and didn't have problems though. I just hope it heals well enough to let me get through 100K in 18 days!

Lasik update: Still great! Several people have asked about night vision. I have never had great night vision, but I haven't noticed any changes. There are halos around the lights, but I'm told that fades with time, and honestly, I don't even notice them. It's all good!

Program update: The big parent meeting is tomorrow night, I'll be glad when that is over. I've heard of two other colleges in the state that are closing their parent ed programs too, and many others are on the table. I have my resume together and sent one out this week to a specific posting. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but I do have a back up plan. I can teach ECE on the other campus next fall, but it would be about half-time. I'm looking around for a while before I make that committment.

That's the state of things here in our fair village. Hope things are going well in yours!

YT 50K, Puyallup Style and more...

2009-02-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Race:
We totally lucked out on the weather Sunday. The forecast was for rain all day - we had one short shower in the morning, then it was clouds and sun for the rest of the run. The rain came to stay for a couple of days after we were finished. Lucky!

I anticipated a long stretch of solo running towards the end of the 50K. I knew Rick and Margaret were going to run with me for 10 or so miles, and that Jenny was going to run as long as her ankle held out. I talked to Wendy Thursday night, and she said she'd jump in somewhere for a few miles. Friday night Rob called to share his plan - run dog miles, then join me for the last eight. Okay, he called it yo-yo miles, I call it dog miles - where you run out and back, out and back over and over, just like a dog off leash. Rob figured that he'd accumulate a bunch of extra miles that way and we'd get to run the end together. As it turned out, another Maniac was there and asked if she could run with us too. So our group started out with five, then Margaret and Rick dropped off, Wendy jumped in for the last seven, Jenny's ankle held up for the entire distance and Rob ran with us for the last eight - so we finished with five runners too! And, to top it off, Monica rode out on her bike to pace us in to the water stop at her truck, then moved the truck a few miles and did it again. What fun!

I finished feeling good, satisfied and tired. Eric, the best RD ever, was cooking grilled cheese and soup at the finish, and oh, was it good! Lorri and Steve had us over for a wonderful dinner later that night, letting me completely relax. It was good to be home for a weekend, and even better to share all that time with friends.

Lasik update:
Great! Fantastic! 20/15 in left eye, 20/20 in right eye the day after surgery! I didn't think I ever felt my contacts, but since surgery I have noticed every single day that they are not in and that my eyes feel great. I especially noticed it during the 50K , where I would normally experience contacts glued to eyes about halfway through. I highly recommend getting it done.

Changes:
Now for the big change in my life... The trickle down of the economic crisis has reached me. The severe budget crisis our state is facing has led to deep cuts at the college, which in turn has made the decision to completely eliminate my program, Parent Education, at the end of spring quarter. I face this with a deep and abiding sorrow - we have served our community for 36 years, supporting families and children. I have been personally involved in the co-ops and Parent Education for 20 years - starting as a parent when we lived in Redmond, continuing as a parent in the program here in Puyallup, and working as faculty for the last 15 years, and in my third year as coordinator. This job has been my passion and the loss will leave a huge hole in my heart. I am trying to face the change with a positive attitude - looking for that new door that is going to open, finding new and exciting pathways in early education. I must admit that I am currently on a roller coaster of emotion - positive and happy one day, sad and searching on another.

This has been new ground for me, as I've never been in a managerial position in times like these. I've had to talk to my five staff members, and the boards of five preschools, and next week attend a parent meeting for over 140 families to explain the situation. Fortunately, I work for wonderful people at our college who will be there to bear the burden of that meeting. My stress levels have been pretty high for the last few months as the college administration has worked through this decision.

I guess I can look at this as a life experience...it has pushed me out of my comfort zone in many ways. My goal, as it always is in times of crisis, is to walk through the experience with grace, to hold my ethics close and my head high. I have been blessed with a wonderful group of friends who have listened to my laments, have helped me see clearly and helped me find laughter through out. Spring quarter will be a process of winding down, packing up, and moving on. I'm slowly beginning to look forward to whatever might be next, but in my heart, parent co-ops will always be my first love.

I can SEE! And other stuff...

2009-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

I can see! WHA-HOO! Other than a residual fog that will fade in the days to come, I can see all the way across the street! I opted for the clearest distance vision I could get rather than the mono-vision option, (one eye for distance, one eye for close), so reading glasses are going to be the norm for me. I had to use them all the time with my contacts anyway, so no big deal. I've been wearing glasses/contacts for 30 years - and today feels like freedom! I'm so excited! My vision was bad enough that I could not see Eric's face across the dinner table without correction, but now! And I can read clocks in the middle of the night!

Eric and I at the trail head.

Me, Heather and Riley on top of the library.

In other news, Riley is 20 today. We spent the weekend visiting him at WSU, and we had a wonderful time. We met up with fellow blogger and runner Scott on Saturday morning for a nice run along the Chipman trail. Okay, I ran with the guys for about a mile, then they took off . I logged eight miles, they got in 11. It was cold but beautiful in a Palouse kind of way - rolling hills, farms, dry fields and snow along the sides.

Along the trail.

After our run we met Riley and Heather for breakfast, then spent the day walking all over the WSU campus. Seriously, we probably walked four miles as we toured. WSU is a pretty cool place - I could live there easily! Eric and I went for a run together the next morning in a frigid wind. We ran to the trail head, then along the trail for a mile, then veered off to see the grizzlies at the university research center. After that, we found a road that we guessed would take us to the heart of campus (it did) and eventually back to the hotel. Another breakfast with Riley, then it was time to say good-bye. Why doesn't that get any easier? I know he's doing well and having fun, but, it's hard to leave each time.

Scott and Sadie

Grizzly research center

We left Pullman and headed for Couer D'Alene Idaho. Eric had business the next day in Sandpoint, and Monday was a holiday for me, so we rolled it into one trip. We spent the afternoon kicking back, then drove to the Spokane Valley to meet my brother and sister-in-law for dinner. We had a great and relaxing evening with them, then back to CD'A for the night. We drove to Sandpoint the next morning, where I wandered around the shops while Eric worked. We headed out of town around noon, and started for home, where we arrived seven and a half hours later. Total mileage for the weekend: 906. We certainly did our part for the economic stimulus this weekend! Hotels, gas, restaurants, one new pair of running shoes and a new pair of tights. (Oh, and let's not forget to add the cost of eye surgery in.) Hope it helps! After three weekends away, it's going to be nice to stay home for a few.

Next up is the Yours Truly 50K this weekend. This is a world-wide 50K that can be done anywhere you want, any time on the 22nd. We have set up a course on our beloved Orting Trail (okay, real name is Foothills Trail, but for the longest time only the Orting section was done, and that name stuck). We'll have about 10 runners out there, with Eric and a couple of other runner friends (Rick, Monica, Mike) offering support. Should be fun!

Orcas 25K

2009-02-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

Me, Tamara, Marie, Jenn, Sydnee (photo from Jenn)

Orcas, as always, was beautiful. The morning began with fog wafting through old growth forest, eventually burning off under a brilliant sun and blue skies. We were back on the original course (after a course change last year, due to snow), so it was all the way up Mt. Constitution and back down. We had gorgeous views across the Sound of Lummi Island, Mt. Baker and Bellingham, and down forested slopes to the water below. Jenn, Sydnee and I spent much of the day talking and laughing, hiking up, up, up and running down, down, down. We crossed frozen trails of snow, planting our feet in the knee-high holes of those who'd gone before, we ran on trails carpeted with green bits of fir, down rock strewn, washed out trails and over rumbling creeks. It is, by far, my favorite race.

Puget Sound, Lummi Island, Mt. Baker (photo by Jenn)

The stars in Eric's eyes forced a slight change in our plans, causing us to leave Orcas on the 6:15 ferry. The line of cars seemed to be mostly runners, and we enjoyed the hour wait. The hour and twenty minute ferry ride was a blast - the boat was filled with runners and it seemed as though we were in the midst of a post-race party. I'm sure we missed a great time back on the island, but the ferry ride made up for it! We got home around 10:15, unloaded the car and went straight to bed.

Sunday morning we were up and down the road by 8:00 for Eric to run the infamous Valentines Day Marathon - his crowning run in a series of 13 in twelve weeks, and bringing him to SEVEN maniac stars. There's much to say about this series of marathons, and not much of it is positive. Many of the early starters made it past the halfway point before encountering an aid station. Now, on the one hand, it is always a caveat that if you start early, you'd better be prepared to go without aid (as a frequent early starter, I know this). However, it is usually set up before runners are too far in. Knowing Eric was pushing exhaustion after the extremely challenging Orcas 50K, I was out there to give him support. I had a two gallon jug of water and food. I ended up using all my water supporting runners - first I had them drinking from the jug, then I rinsed out Eric's paper cup from Starbucks and had the runners sharing that. Finally, just before Eric made the halfway point, the aid stations were set up. Eric got a second wind and finished strong - I'm guessing negative splits. Seven stars!

And last, I'm getting Lasik eye surgery next week. I'm spending ten days in my glasses, an old prescription. I'm also using some that Eric had, which is about the same as my old prescription. Life's a little blurry around the edges right now, but in a week and a day it'll be crystal clear!

Seven Star Maniac and me in my temporary-glassed glory. (photo by Matt Hagen)

A Visit Southward

2009-02-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here smiling. I feel peaceful and happy. We spent the weekend travelling south to visit our son, spending many hours in the car and three nights on the road. It was worth every minute, every single minute. Our Web is a wonderful young man, with a strong and purposeful sense of self. His path is far different from ours, yet he carries our values and love with him.

He's living in a communal setting, working hard and developing a strong interest in sustainable living and farming. He's about to embark on an adventure to another part of the US, to gain experience at a more established farm, and possibly bring those experiences back to his current home. Or, being the adventurous sort, he may move around a bit. Apparently there are many farms that he's interested in, so only time will tell. He's travelling with a trusted friend, and we feel good about the whole venture.

I have to tell you about Saturday night. We went to a nice little restaurant in town, Eric and I and two hippy-type boys. There was an open piano and an invitation to play. Web has about ten years of piano lessons under his belt, plus an amazing ability to play anything he hears. He sat down at the piano and played two beautiful classical pieces. Both ended in applause, and when we left, one table full of older adults said they were sorry to see him leave and had enjoyed his playing. I think he turned some perceptions upside down that night. I'm pretty sure they didn't expect what they got out of the dreadlocked, scruffy looking kid. He has an ability with music that truly amazes me, and often goes busking on street corners with his accordion. When he asked for piano lessons at age six, we didn't own a piano. We thought he'd try and give up, but we were mistaken. We bought the piano (after a year of lessons without one) and trucked him to lessons for the next ten years. It was money and time well spent.

In addition to the time we spent with Web, we ran together in new towns, and spent many hours cocooned in the car together. We had great conversations, lots of laughs and just general fun. Though I must say, poor Eric. He left Spokane on Friday morning (at the far eastern edge of our state), drove six hours home, then about two hours later we got in the car and drove to central Oregon - an additional four or so hours in the car. That's a big hunk of driving in one day! That left us with only two hours to travel on Saturday. Yesterday, we drove straight back to Vancouver (just over the Washington/Oregon border) so Eric could be at a business meeting. We finally got home about 3:00 this afternoon. All in all, a sweet weekend, full of life's best pleasures. And, yes, a weekend and a road trip that did not involve a race!

Of course, that's not the case next weekend...another race is fast approaching. However, we have another weekend like this on our schedule, when we plan to head to the eastern side of the state again, but this time to visit Riley. Parents on the move!

Pigtails 50K

2009-01-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Are you, dear readers, getting tired of these race reports? It's about the most exciting thing in our lives. If I didn't write about this, what would I write about? Next weekend is actually a race-free weekend , so maybe I'll have something else to report out. Until then, it's on to the race report...

The short story is this: hills, lots of them. 31 miles, time, I think, was 7:20. I had hoped to top my original time here - a 7:08. It wasn't too far into the race though, before I decided that it was more important to end it feeling good. I've had enough of races where I feel awful at the end, or even worse, sick for hours after. Instead, by letting go of that time goal, I finished feeling great. My left hip/ITB were giving me some grief for the last loop, but other than that I was good. I've been having off and on problems with my hip/ITB since the snow marathon back in December. It comes and goes, seeming to flare when I run faster than normal. I did just that at the track Thursday night, running six miles at a 10:40 average pace (including walk breaks). If I hold myself to more like an 11:40 pace, it doesn't bother me at all. Given all that, I chose to walk this morning when everyone else went out for the run - my hip actually felt fine, but I thought I should let it settle down for a day or two.

So, anyway, Pigtails 50K. Three 9.6 mile loops, mostly trail, lots of rolling hills. Then a 2.2 out and back to get to 50K. I signed up for this race thinking I'd be running it alone. Last week Jane emailed to see if I wanted a ride to the early start, and said she'd run the first loop (in the dark) with me. Cool! Now I only had two loops to do on my own. Thursday night Rick decided he'd join me for the first loop too. Then Jamal decided to run the whole thing with me. Friday night, Jenn said on Facebook that she'd be running the first loop too, Jessica posted in her blog that she was going to run, and then right before bed, Margaret called and asked about running the last two loops with me. How cool was that? Going from no running partners to six in just a few days?

The run was great - the weather stayed cool and dry, the icy mud thawed, there were lots of friends out on the course, and we were all feeling good. On the last loop we talked about how we'd just dump our stuff at the aid station and head right out to get the out-and-back done. When we came in there was quite a crowd of cheering runners, and I knew if I stopped it'd be hard to get back out, so I threw my water bottle down by the drop bags and took off. Here's the video - I guess I was quicker than the others expected!

(That's me running out, Jessica running after, Margaret hugging people and Jamal waiting for her)

I went through one of my periodic processing points yesterday. You know, the one where I worry about my speed. I think maybe because I run so many of the smaller local races with a lot of fast runners, and because in that crowd, I usually have DFL nailed, I start worrying about being too slow. I have to work my way through the same thought processes each time (and yes, Rob, I think of your lectures about speed work). It comes down to this though. I have gotten faster, but can't seem to hold the speed over the long course. I've hit the wall awfully hard more than once and consequently felt sick for hours after. I've discovered that letting go of those time goals gets me across the line ready for more, and in fact, will even let me do it multiple days in a row. So the question becomes, how important is it to be faster? Would it make a big difference if I carved a half hour off my time? And, as always, I conclude that no, it's not worth it, it wouldn't make any difference at all, and I wouldn't love it as much if I did. So there you go. Not fast, but persistent. Not fast, but the ability to endure. Not fast, but enjoying the journey. Not fast, but crossing that finish line anyway!

Capitol Peak Half

2009-01-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Me, in the car, pre-race

In the three years I've been running the 25K at Capitol Peak, we've had three different courses. The first year I got to run the original course. Last year that course was modified after severe windstorms caused some damage, plus there was an excess of snow at the peak. This year our December snow and January rain caused more damage, plus there was, again, too much snow at the peak, and so we got to run a completely new course. I love all three versions, and look forward to any of them (or something new) next year!

Jenny, in the car, pre-race

We started the morning in fog with temps in the low 30s. In the few minutes we stood to listen to pre-race instructions my toes and fingers went numb. Our start was uphill, which helped bring some feeling back, but it took a mile or two before I felt comfortably warm. Abi, Cat and I ran together, with a goal of enjoying the forest and the day. We knew that the others - who were all running the 50K - would need more time than us, which meant we could take it easy.

We were about two miles in when we saw Jenny walking down the trail toward us. We were bummed to discover she had twisted her ankle and was calling it a day. After many assurances that she'd be okay walking back, we headed on.

The course offered multiple types of terrain - smooth dirt, deep mud, creek crossings, rocky, dry stream beds, zig-zag switchbacks, more shoe-sucking mud, and puddles of water both small and large. At one point I commented that my feet were still dry and Cat told me I'd just jinxed us. It wasn't long after when my foot slipped from a fairly stable bit of mud into an ankle deep shoe-popping bit of mud and she got to remind me of my ill-advised comment. After that, I gave up on trying to avoid mud and water, even wading through two small streams rather than rock-hopping through - after all, it provided me with cleaner shoes!

I had a moment out there... We were running through the trees when what we thought was hail began dropping on us. We could see it falling all around, but when we looked to the ground, we saw small, flat panes of ice. Looking up, we discovered that the trees had iced over in the fog, and as the sun was beginning to burn through, the ice was falling off in chunks. The experience brought home to me the simple joy of nature, of sharing an amazing sight with friends, of the sheer exuberance of the day. It was a sight that I will likely never experience again, though I hope that future runs will bring that moment and those feelings back to me again and again.

We were the last of the first-loopers to come in, and we were greeted by the sight of Jenny, leg propped, ankle encased in ice, smile on her face. She was seated between the two burning barrels, and anxious to hear about the rest of the run. Her ankle looked like it had a tennis ball sticking out the side. We changed and ate, and chatted with everyone who came in. It came to me that this was the part of our races I usually miss, because I'm typically one of the last ones in. I got to talk to lots of people who are usually gone when I finish. I garnered a lot of interest with my veggie-bacon sandwich and ended up breaking off little pieces of veggie-bacon for others to sample. It caused a lot of laughs from the group (the verdict was that it looks like dog treats, but tastes much better. I wonder how they know it's better? Who tasted dog treats?)

Once Eric came in, cleaned up and ate, we brought the car closer and helped Jenny hop her way over. She reported today that it's still swollen and she's going to see the doc. Hope it heals quickly!

Next race is Saturday - Pigtails 50K. Pigtails is the first 50K I ever ran. (And, that day I thought I said I'd never do another). It's a 10 mile loop with rolling hills, and a short out-and-back. I know I will have company for one loop, and I'll probably be running the second two alone. I'm hoping for a slightly better time than before, and mostly, hoping to feel much better afterward than I did the first time. I'm in much better shape now and recover quickly, so I think that will happen. Here's hoping for another sunny NW day!

Return to Routine

2009-01-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

Rob, Jenny, me, Margaret, First Call Marathon (photo by Rich Walter)

A view of the trail at Last Chance Marathon. I don't know who the runners are!

It's been a quiet week around here. Eric and I are both back to our regular routine of running and work. We also made an effort to give up on all the junk food we've been eating and get back to our normal patterns. I even managed to shake my chocolate habit! Hallelujah cupcake!

Birthday party.

We had a fun evening with the Run Club on my birthday, followed by a couple of five mile weekend runs for me. I tried to go easy this week, skipping my usual second run on Thursday and accumulating 27 miles total. Since I've had heavy and tired legs all week, I decided to pass on the mudfest that Eric and the others are participating in today. When Eric told me that Bridle Trails would be like the shoe-sucking upper section of the R2R course that I ran last spring, with the addition of a thigh-high pool of water and horse poop, skipping it seemed like the logical thing to do. Especially since I have the half-ass at Capitol Peak next Saturday, which is a mud-fest in it's own right. I ran 7.5 this morning and my legs still felt fatigued - I really hope that clears up before the race!

Birthday party.

As you probably heard on the news, we had torrential rains (for well over 24 hours), high winds and warm temps (around 50) this week, on top of our recent snowfall, which led to flooding all over our area. All three mountain passes to the eastern side of the state were closed due to slides and high avalanche danger, plus a 20 mile section of I5 south of here was flooded, as well as sections to the north, effectively cutting off all road routes to or from our corner of the world. The trains were also halted between here and Oregon, leaving air travel as the only way in and out. And, of course, Riley needed to get back to Pullman to start classes next Monday. The original plan was for him to drive back on Wednesday, but by then we were cut off. Thursday evening we made alternate plans, making plane and shuttle reservations for today. Friday morning Stevens Pass was open (way out of the way, but do-able) and the prediction was that Snoqualmie would open soon. It wasn't long till the announcement was made that the pass was open, so Riley loaded the car and headed out. I'm happy to say that he and Heather arrived safely last night. WSU is a good six hour drive from here, and I always feel relieved when I hear that they are safe in the dorms.

By the way, we are quite safe from the flooding, as we live on a hill above the river valley. You've read about our runs in Orting - which is in the valley that lies between the hill we live on and the hill Rob lives on. The valley takes a turn just to the east of us, turning into the Puyallup valley - where the original town of Puyallup (and the world-famous fairgrounds) lie. We live on what is known as the South Hill, and of course, the valley runs between us and the North Hill. All of the rails-to-trails routes we run lie in the two valleys. Last years flooding caused damage to the Orting Trail section, and that area was covered again this year, as well as the River Walk section in Puyallup. We'll soon find out if the trails were damaged. There's been a lot of damage through out the state, particularly in Lewis County, which was hit hard by flooding just a year ago.

And the last thing I'll mention, is that I thoroughly enjoyed running in the downpour, with blowing winds, yet oddly warm. I love running on stormy mornings!

New Years Eve & New Years Day Double

2009-01-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

We drove up to Bellingham with Margaret and Jenny on Tuesday and stayed with my parents. Had a lovely dinner with all six of us, and a nice visit with Mom and Dad. Got up and faced a tough run at Last Chance. The first one or two miles were snowy and slushy, slippin' and slidin' everywhere, then it settled down to a beautiful, soft trail. We did a double out and back, resulting in messing with the snow four times in all - somewhere between four and eight miles of it. We didn't wear traction, because we knew there were clear trails ahead. Though I remembered the steep climb on one of the crossing roads, I'd forgotten about the little ravine we had to go through. The weather was perfect - right around 40 and dry. The night before we had howling winds and pounding rain, so we felt very lucky. Once again, dealing with snow extended everyone's times. Margaret and I made it in 6:16.

After the race, we slipped into dry, warm clothes, hit the Starbucks and drove to Seattle. We all stayed at Margaret's Green Lake condo which was wonderful. A nice evening of hanging out with friends, and an early New Year's Eve. We were in bed by 11:00, preparing to face today's race. This was the first double for both Jenny and Margaret. We figured we neede some extra time, so we took the early start this morning. Margaret and I started, with many others, in near dark. In fact, there was a rooster perched in a tree beside the trail, crowing as we ran by. The RD warned us we had a mile of snowy slush to deal with, then occasional patches. Once again it was slick and slow going. Also, due to construction, we ended up with another double out-and-back. It's fun that way because you see lots of runners, but sometimes that second out-and-back can be mentally challenging. We had Rick with us for the first 13, then we got a mile or so of Jenny and Rob during the second. Our final time was 6:42. Oh, we also got to see two bald eagles perched in a tree above the trail!

I have to admit, I was really tired during the last six miles. I couldn't figure out why everything felt so good during the triple a few weeks ago and not today, till Margaret pointed out that was exactly why - the triple was 4.5 weeks ago, and my last marathon was 11 days ago. I guess that could make a girl tired. Maybe I'll get some pictures up in the next few days. In the meantime, Eric and I are hosting a birthday party tomorrow night. I've got work to do! And, for the record, I'll be 51. I guess running a double the couple days before ain't too shabby for an old girl!