Early last week, I took Mark (and Fremont) to the upper trailhead of Hulls Gulch in the foothills above Boise. They had never been there, and I wanted them to experience the trails during the winter (I plan to take them back when the snow melts for a totally different experience).

Still quite a bit of snow on the trails, I had to be careful not to slide down the ravine. (I did, however, slip down once and flew head first into a snow-covered bush, but no harm done.)  I did manage to get in a beautiful 5-mile run while Mark and Fremont hiked the clearer sections of the trail.

Every time I run in Hulls Gulch, I experience such a sense of serenity. Usually the only one on the path at that time, I am surrounded by the vastness of nature and feel a true connection with the natural world. A couple of times, I have seen coyotes crossing the trail or running up the side of the mountain. It is quite a moving experience.

Normally, I run without my glasses, but on this particular day, I had my glasses on, and I was able to read a couple of the poems that are posted on the trail. I especially liked “Coyote” by William Stafford:

My left hindfoot
Steps

in the track of my right
forefoot

and my hind-right
foot

steps
in the track of my
fore-left
foot

and so on, for miles—

Me paying no attention, while
my nose rides along letting
the full report, the
whole blast of the countryside
come along toward me
on rollers of scent, and—
I come home with a chicken or
a rabbit and sit up
singing all night with my friends.
It’s baroque, my life, and
I tell it on the mountain.
I wouldn’t trade it for yours.

This has been a week of many inspirations:

• My friend Lori reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States
• Millions of people from every race and culture gathered together in Washington D.C. in a spirit of hope
• I spoke with a woman who went from weighing 527 pounds to running marathons
• I saw a lone bald eagle flying along the Boise River this morning

Always on the lookout, I find inspiration everyday in extraordinary people and experiences. It can be something as heroic as losing over 350 pounds or as simple as seeing an eagle.

I had an extraordinary run this morning. The run itself was a regular weekday progression run, but I came up with an idea while running that could potentially have a profound impact on myself and others. (More on that later.)

In any case, if we look for and expect good things to happen, they will. So be on the lookout for inspiration, and – guaranteed – you WILL BE inspired!

The entire team made it to the summit! I received this email a few minutes ago from Didi, Meredith’s mom.

“Meredith called a little while ago.  They made the summit!!!  She didn’t want to take the time and explain why they went early but they did.  It was snowing, so maybe the weather played a part.  My theory is when they reached base camp, they all felt great and so they went for it.  Whatever the reason, everyone made it and everyone feels great.  As Meredith said, “It is absolutely amazing Mom.” I could hear in her voice that it dawned on her the enormity of what she accomplished.  Can’t wait for them to get back to Chicago so we can hear all the details.  Battery power permitting, the girls were going to call home.  Time for them to celebrate.”

While we were sleeping peacefully in our warm beds, the Mt Kilimanjaro trekkers were making their way to the Mountain Top inch by inch. Here are the two latest reports from Didi:

“Meredith called this morning (Monday).  The phone is still working.  They are on the Shira plateau.  Everyone is doing fine, no sickness at all.  Jenny & Cindy, Laurie wants her family to know she is feeling great at 13,000 feet, and the expedition team is wonderful.  Meredith said they were managing to keep clean, but it is getting colder and that will be more difficult to do.  The weather has been good for trekking.  I told Meredith to call on Wednesday and then again on Saturday to try and conserve battery power.  That stair climbing in Chicago seems to have helped them all.

“Meredith called this morning (Wednesday), and we talked for about 30 seconds. We are trying to conserve battery power.  Hope it lasts for a call on Saturday after they summit!! Today was the day they scrambled up the steep “Barranco Wall” and they all made it.  Everyone from the Chicago group is still feeling fine and doing great.  Last night a couple of older guys from Oregon had altitude sickness and had to head back down the mountain.  Our girls are doing great though.  Meredith will not even try and call the next couple of days.  Between low battery and cloud cover it isn’t worth the chance.  Let’s hope we hear from them on Saturday.”

You’ve heard the expression, “The  hard part is not knowing.” This applies to so many things – running, work, relationships. And, how many times, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, do you keep saying, “I just don’t know”?

Most of the time, you really do “know” – you either (more…)

I actually have 2 updates on the Kilimanjaro hikers. Didi writes:

“I heard from Meredith about 5:30am central time.  They transported the group to their base camp.  Meredith was impressed with the tents, they have wooden floors!!!  I’m not sure if the floors go with them up the mountain.  They were getting ready to go for a two hour hike to warm up and stretch out the legs.  Meredith said they were being spoiled.  They deserve it.  Today, they even get to take showers.  Apparently there are two groups of 12 going and 45 porters.  I believe they are in good hands. According to Meredith, you can see Mt. Kilimanjaro off in the distance, far away in the clouds.  It sounds pretty awesome.

“Heard from the trekkers this morning.  All is well.  Today was a perfect weather hiking day but they expect it to start getting colder.  I think Meredith said they took a ’shower’ today.  The meals are gourmet so they are eating and storing up energy.  Everyone is doing really  well.  Yesterday, they saw monkeys in the rain forest.  The mountain seems a liitle closer but also  higher.  The battery on the satellite phone is running low (rather dissapointing) so I’m not sure how much longer we will hear from the group.”

New Year. New Challenges. New Goals.

I always hear Zig Ziglar in my head when I think of goals: “You gotta have a goal.” Goals give us direction. Goals give us something to strive for. Goals motivate us. Reaching a goal is great, but working towards the goal is even better.

Several years ago, my friend Roz gave me a framed print which is probably one of my favorite prints I’ve ever had. It is a drawing by Sybil Shane, an artist who explores the extraordinary found within the ordinary. The title is “Toward the Mountain Top Inch by Inch.” I keep it in a visible spot where I can look at it everyday. And I’m reminded that things worth achieving take time and patience.

I thought of another friend today as I looked at the print. My friend Lori is in Africa right now climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. (more…)

How many times have you heard the metaphor, “Life is a marathon”? It has been said so many times that it’s become cliché. However, the reason that things become cliché is because they are basically true.

Believe it or not, last Saturday’s 50-mile run for me was one of the best, most enjoyable runs I’ve ever done. That’s not to say that it was easy or that I didn’t “run” into some rough patches. I will say, though, that there was not one time through the course of the day that I considered quitting. Even when things got a little dicey or lonely out there, I knew that if I just hung in long enough that it would get better.

We all face challenges in our lives. Do we just give up? No. We keep plugging away, and what happens? (more…)

What a spectacular day! Two days ago I ran my first 50-mile race in Boulder City, Nevada – Running From an Angel 50-miler. The event was so well-organized, the volunteers at the aid stations were unbelievable, and my fellow runners were all super supportive.

We ran an out and back course in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Forty-eight of us started at 6 a.m. (in the dark), and many of us ran for most of the day. I finished a little after 4 p.m. – about 45 minutes before it got dark again. Can you think of anything more fun than running through the desert from sun up to sun down? Man, what a day!

I thought about a lot of things while I was out there for 10 hours. The one recurring theme off and on during the day was all the people who have inspired me throughout my running years.

I know it’s cliché but… “You can’t do it alone.” Although I went to this race by myself and was the only soul in sight for many miles, I was never alone. How many times have I been inspired by folks who were completing their first race? How many people’s stories have inspired me to go that extra mile even when it’s really hard? How many times have I crossed the finish line with someone who was accomplishing something they once thought impossible?

Everyone we encounter has some impact on our lives – we just don’t know what it is at the time. Everything that happens along our path is a part of where we are at this moment – both the good and the bad.

I am so grateful for all the people who have encouraged, supported, and inspired me in all aspects of my life, not just my running. You were all out there with me during my 50 miles, and you will be with me on future paths, trails, and hills.

On January 3rd, I am going to run my first 50-mile race. I’m a little nervous, but it’s more excitement than anxiety. I’ve done the training, I’ve done the research on the race and the course, and I’ve planned my race strategy. However, I know that all the planning in the world can change on race day. It will be…what it will be.

I’m not really sure what to expect as I’ve never run this long at one time.  My longest run to date is 40.48 miles, but that was in 2004. My most recent long runs have been back-to-back 20-milers a few weeks ago (on a Saturday and a Sunday) and a 50K (31 miles) race in November.

Part of my philosophy is to “Look for and expect good things to happen.” And, that is what I expect for Saturday. I’ll be running around Lake Mead in Nevada, and the scenery is reported to be spectacular. I can’t think of too many other things I would rather do than to spend the day running while taking in the beauty of nature.

50 miles may seem a little crazy to some people, but the idea of testing yourself is the same for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you are running or walking  2 miles or 50 miles – the accomplishment is equally inspiring.

The distance will be a challenge, but I love challenges.  I will be testing my limits, but that is how we grow.

So, find a way to challenge yourself – to test your limits – to do something that previously you might not have thought possible. I know it will be worth the effort.