What a terrific day! The Prickly Pear 50K was even better than I had expected – and harder than I expected. Each race has a personality of its own, and the Prickly Pear 50K was no exception.

I left Boise Friday morning with snow on the ground – I arrived in San Antonio to 80+ degree temperature and lots of humidity. What a shock to the system! But I wasn’t complaining – I was so happy to be able to run without 3 layers of clothes. I met up with my friend Isabelle (from Ithaca, NY) who was also running the 50K, and we went to check out the course. Even walking the first 3/4 mile of the course, we figured it could be tricky in some spots given the rocks and roots we saw. But the first section was just a tiny snapshot of what was to come.

Ten minutes before the start, the race director gathered the troops for a pre-race briefing. The highlight of his talk for me was his advice: “The rattlesnakes are waking up after winter…just be on the lookout for snakes on the path.” Fun! I wasn’t too concerned though because I figured since I wasn’t going to be in the first half of runners coming through, the snakes would get the heck out of there before I got to that part on the trail. Read the rest of this entry »

This Saturday is the Prickly Pear 50K in San Antonio, Texas.  It will actually be the 3rd race in my personal “Ultramarathon Series” on my way to the big one: my first 100-miler. The series started back in November with the Stinson Beach 50K followed by the Running From An Angel 50-miler in Boulder City, Nevada.

Although there’s nothing easy about running marathons…or ultramarathons, I find that as I run the longer distances both in training and races, the longer mileage gets a little less intimidating. Am I nervous about this race? Not nervous so much as excited. I love my long runs (and I ran a 30-miler in training a few weeks ago), so I feel confident that I can do it. But my running has been a little “off” in the past couple of weeks because of my hand surgery, and I’m not going into it as prepared as I usually am for a race of this length. However, I know from experience that a forced rest is sometimes a good thing.

So, my “race strategy” is to relax, have fun, and enjoy the morning running on new trails.

People often ask me why I run…and not just why I run but why I run such long distances. And, like many other distance runners, I’m usually thinking, “If you have to ask, then you wouldn’t really understand.”  However, sometimes, even I don’t understand. I don’t always analyze “why.”

For me, running is a lifestyle. It’s something I love to do – whether it’s a fast 5-mile run or an comfortable 30-mile run. And, running long miles tests me – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Does it hurt? Yes, sometimes. But it’s good pain.

Somebody said, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” You spend 10 hours on your feet pounding the pavement, and you’re going to experience some painful moments. But the overall experience outweighs the pain. When I’m out there running on trails, through mountains, past rivers, lakes and oceans, or even on roads…seeing sunrises and sunsets, wild animals, storm clouds rolling in…deep down, it really feels good.

So, back to the question: “Why do I run?” Maybe I run because running stretches me, challenges me, teaches me.

But probably the best answer to that question is simply this: Running makes me happy.

Here I am – back on this topic again. I talked to my friend Michael yesterday who ran the Napa Valley Marathon on Sunday. Tired, thrilled, and worn out, Michael was still jazzed about his adventure from Calistoga to Napa Valley.

In our post-race recap, he told me how Bonnie had run with him for a large portion of the race and supported him in his rough patches. (We all have rough patches in our races.) He also told me how Bill took the finish line race photos – a role Michael is accustomed to playing. And, he talked of all the folks who were out there cheering him: Joe, Jan, Dick, Jill, Mary, and more.

Bottom line: It is running that has brought us all together. If it were not for Dick’s running camp, I would not know Michael, Jan, Bill, Joe, Mary, Anita, Kathy, or even Dick. If it were not for my running group in Chicago, I would not know Lori, Joan, Roz, Trina, Sherri, or Jim. If it were not for Boise RunWalk, I would not know Mike, Steve, Matt J, Ann, Sparkle, Matt B, Bob, Amber, or Jay. And there are so many others – I can’t even begin to name them all.

I have met runners through running groups, camps, on Facebook, on Twitter, and other running forums. We are all connected by that one thing that we all love to do: Run. We all know when the other ones are running a race, and we all wait to hear the post-race report. Was it hilly? Was it hot? Was it raining? But the main thing we all want to know is “Did you have fun?” And, strange as it may sound, even after what seemed like a awful day as it was happening – the pain, the struggle, the heat, the wind, the cold – when it’s over, we miraculously feel terrific. The magic of crossing that finish line is the (almost) instant cure for all ailments and weather conditions. And, the answer to “Did you have fun?” is almost always, “It was awesome!”

I am so proud of Michael – he had a wonderfully tough day – as we all do in so many of our races. He did the “under 5 thing” and by my account, he won his race. And, in a note he wrote to me – in reference to his running friends, he says, “You people are the best people I know…”

Way to go, Michael – you’re the best, too!

As I was reading my friend Kelly’s blog ( http://ksrgmck.blogspot.com/), I noticed that she had a bookshelf containing books that she recommends. What a great idea! So, I put a bookshelf widget on my blog with some of my favorite books. I’ve included the amazon links if you think you might want to check them out.

I’m not sure that Joe’s books are still available or if there’s going to be another printing, but they are worth finding if you can – both his book and his training log.

I’ll be updating my list from time to time, so check back. I’ll add both nonfiction and fiction as I discover new books I like. I love to share good books – you never know what will spark new interest with other people. I just put a few up for now – I’ll be adding more later.

Athlete for a Cure, Josh Cox not only breaks the American record, but he also reminds us about all of the good in sports and competition. Two and a half years ago, Josh’s dad passed away after battling prostate cancer. Josh dedicated this race to his dad. Watch the inspiring video at http://p3xom.th8.us

Last weekend, I went with a couple of my friends to a BOW (Becoming and Outdoors Woman) Workshop near Tomahawk, Wisconsin. My college friend from El Dorado, Arkansas, was the instigator of this adventure, and when I mentioned it to my friend Lori (the Mt Kilimanjaro climber), we were all over it.

So, the three of us made our way to the deep north woods of Wisconsin to join 86 other women to take on the challenges of dogsledding, ice fishing, snowshoeing, geo-cacheing, skijoring, snow cave building, and trapping. There were many other outdoor activities, but the 3 of us chose these particular adventures.

Being from El Dorado, Arkansas, Kelly had never seen that much snow – nor had she ever experienced that kind of cold, so the outdoor activities presented a totally new perspective for her. Already a outdoors woman – hunting, fishing, and trapping – Kelly took to the snow and cold with the zeal of a northerner. The two of us went ice fishing and dogsledding for the first time, and Kelly was instantly a master dog musher (See photo above). Read the rest of this entry »

When I was growing up and things seemed to go wrong, my mama would always say: “If everyone put their troubles in a pile for everyone to choose from, you would probably want to pull your own back out. Your problems don’t seem nearly as bad when you look around and see what others are going through.”

Her philosophy was simple but true. I’ve learned to focus on what I have rather than what I don’t have. I learned to look for the “silver lining” in things that seem really bad. And I’ve learned to ask, “What is the opportunity in this?”

Last week, I hurt my hand while I was cross-country skiing. I had some x-rays done, and nothing is broken, but I was referred to a hand specialist. I’ve been to the hand doc twice in the past week, and he definitively determined today that I have a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, commonly known as skiier’s thumb. So tomorrow, I’m having surgery to repair the damaged ligament.

The catch is this: Read the rest of this entry »

I continue to pair the words “Running” and “Friendship.” That’s probably because it’s through running that I have found my best friends.

Last weekend, six friends from Chicago – Lori, Roz, Trina, Sherri, Lisa, and Jim – came out to Boise to run, ski, snowshoe, and generally have fun with me and Mark. We pulled out inflatable beds, blankets, quilts, and rented roll-away beds. I wanted to be sure that they experienced as much of the Boise outdoors as possible, so we scheduled events for many different venues. Several of them said the weekend was more like bootcamp rather than a vacation, but they all loved every minute of it.

• Friday: Mark and Lori started out with a 5:15 am spin class at the gym after which we all took off on a run/walk/hike on the foothill trails.
• Saturday: We mixed old friends with new friends as we joined the group at Boise RunWalk for a run up Shaw Mountain Road. After our morning run/walk, we headed up to Bogus Basin Ski Resort where we skiied and snowshoed.
• Sunday: It was up again at 530 am to head to Tamarack Ski Resort where the Saturday snowshoers took cross-country ski lessons and added to the hilarity of the day.
• Monday: Since we had already done a run in the foothills, we hit the Boise Greenbelt and took a run along the beautiful Boise River before they all headed to the airport to go back home.

Trail running, skiing, snowshoeing, bruised tailbones, runaway skis, tear-inducing laughter, massages, and Idaho potatoes – it was truly a weekend to remember and cherish. Roz dubbed it “Episode 1″ of a new hilarious reality tv show. I guess that means we’ll have follow-up episodes…

There were a few members of the “gang” who couldn’t make this trip, but in keeping with the tv show theme, we’ll continue to add cast members with each new episode.

I am truly lucky to have such terrific friends – friends crazy enough to leave the frozen Midwest to come to Idaho for … a winter vacation. Don’t people usually go someplace warm for a winter vacation?

Yesterday as I was trudging up the hill with my friend Matt (around mile 12), I heard the words of my mama…”You’re no spring chicken anymore.” Most days, however, even at 49 years old, I feel like a spring chicken. Yesterday just wasn’t one of them.

And, as is often the case – especially when I find myself “struggling” with situations that are uncharacteristic of my normal behavior and capabilities – I ask: “What is the opportunity in this?” Read the rest of this entry »

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.