In a span of 8 days, I ran 4 different trails with 4 different groups of people…all within 2 hours of Boise. The cool thing about that is that we had all ages, all speeds, all running “together.”

It started out a little over a week ago when my friend Christie proposed that we go for a long trail run to support Randy who is running his first 50-miler in July. She posted it on Facebook, and about 8 of us got together for a run in the nearby Boise foothills. Our only “live” meeting for some of us was a couple of months ago when we all ran the Weiser 50K. Prior to that, most of us didn’t even know each other. This was the first time this particular group had ever run together…and what a great run it was. The speedier ones ran ahead and waited at various spots while the rest of us caught up to them. This was not a race – it was a group trail run – so no one was truly concerned about time.

Later that week, my friend Donna who is training for the WIFKER (Wild Idaho Fifty Kilometer Endurance Run) asked me if I wanted to drive up past Crouch, Idaho, and run part of the WIFKER trail. Sure, I said, so we recruited Sparkle, and the 3 of us headed out about 430 pm and drove 2 hours to do a 9.5 mile run. We were lucky enough to see a rubber boa on the trail within the first 5 minutes and got its picture. We later learned that this a seldom seen snake – and the sighting was something very cool.

My next run for the week took a hardy group of 6 of us up to the Boise National Forest NE of Idaho City…about a hour an a half from Boise. What a spectacular run it was. We climbed 2 summits up to the Fire Tower lookouts – for a total of 4000+ feet of climbing in about 18 miles. The views were unbelievable (as you can see from the photos).

And, finally, as is tradition of the 4th of July, the Boise Y Striders get together for a trail run up to Stack Rock above Bogus Basin. About 20 of us hit the trails above Boise and trekked 8 miles to see Stack Rock.

So what’s the big deal, you wonder. They’re just trail runs. Yes, the scenery was some of the best Idaho has to offer close to Boise. But it was the people who made the runs special. It wasn’t about who was the fastest, or who can run a 3-hour marathon or a 6-hour marathon. We are all just folks who love running on trails, and in every instance that is what brought us together.

Sure we had some fast runners, but no one cared who ran or walked, and people who might not ordinarily run together were running on the trails side by side…stopping to take pictures and marveling at the sights.

Although I love solitary running, last week was one of the best weeks of running I’ve ever had in a long time.

To all my trail running friends – Thanks.

Last week as I was running along the Crestline trail in the Boise foothills, I came upon a most unusual sight (for me at least) – thousands of sheep! They were on the trail, down in the valley, on the hillsides. They were everywhere!

When I run the foothills alone, I generally take my cell phone with me (just in case I fall down a steep hillside), so I was thrilled that I could get some photos of this spectacular sight. I saw a man and his dog coming up the trail, and he told me that this is an annual occurrence – “the trailing of the sheep” – from the lower elevations of southern Idaho all the way to Ketchum.

I did a little research on this and I found that since the early part of the century, sheep migrate north each spring from the lower elevations of the Snake River plain of Southern Idaho, traveling in bands of around 1,500 sheep, through the Wood River Valley to summer high mountain pastures. This traditional route takes them up Highway 75 through newly populated, residential areas and the towns of Bellevue, Hailey and Ketchum. Some continue their journey over Galena summit into the Sawtooth Mountains. In the fall, the animals retrace this trail south to desert fields. Every fall in Ketchum and Hailey, they hold a huge Trailing of the Sheep Festival as the sheep make their way back to the south. This year, the festival is October 9-11.

I felt so fortunate to see something that most people have never seen nor will ever see. I was definitely in the right place at the right time. Running can take you to amazing places – I love running the trails and hills around Boise, and I love seeing the deer, fox, coyotes…and now sheep!

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!

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?

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.

A couple of nights ago, my running group had the end-of-the-season’s get together. End-of-the-season doesn’t mean we stop running or stop getting together. For a few weeks, we’ll suspend formal practice. But soon, we’ll be back out there together to begin our winter running groups. We’re all still running and training for something.

Our gathering was a time for people to share their success stories with the group and acknowledge those who helped them reach their goals.

• Amber shared with us her accomplishments and how she got through the rough patches and crossed the finish line of her marathon with the help of her new friend Chele.
• Joyce shared with us how she reached her goals in events she’d never done before.
• Paul shared funny stories of  going the “extra mile” and expressed gratitude to his running partners and coaches.
• Machelle shared her personal story of weight loss and getting on the path to health and wellness.
• Sue shared with us her personal story of how Donna, her running partner, literally saved her life.

This is just a sampling of the stories we shared. Everyone has a story. Every race has a story. And, people (especially runners and walkers) love to get together to tell their stories.

Six months ago, I knew only a handful of people in Boise. I had lunch with Steve, the “head” of a local running/walking group and offered to help coach. He didn’t know me at all, but he decided to take a chance on me and allowed me to join his other coaches in a successful program known for its dedicated, knowledgeable coaches.

Runners are welcoming folks. At our end-of-the-season gathering, I looked around at all my new friends – just since I had joined the group 6 months ago – and I was filled with gratitude.

I’m looking forward to getting back on the path with them very soon…and hearing more of their stories.

Throughout my running life, I’ve had the good fortune to run (and walk) with so many different people. There have been days when I was the one who had to do all the talking so that the others could focus on breathing. Other times, I was the one who needed to concentrate on breathing.

Over the past 13 years, running has brought me so many great friends – I can’t even begin to name them all. Some of us have moved to different places, but the friendships that we forged have withstood the distance. One thing is certain: We meet as strangers, but we become friends as we run and walk together.

I treasure my running partners – there is a mutual sharing of who we really are as we’re out there on the road together.  No cell phones. No emails to check. No distractions. No pretenses. No judgment. Just time spent with a friend on the road. What could be better?

So, what is it that bonds people together as they run or walk long miles?  Is it common interests? Common goals? Common challenges? Common pain?

If you have made good friends through your running or walking, I’m sure you understand this concept. I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or stories.

Last Sunday’s City of Trees Marathon could never have happened without the help of the many volunteers along the course. And, most volunteers are folks who are either athletes themselves or a family member of an athlete. Most likely, they have been in a race and on the receiving end of the service the volunteers provide.

Being a volunteer is also great way to watch a race. You get to see the dedication and determination of all the athletes – from the beginning to the end. Although all athletes appreciate the volunteers, it’s often those athletes at the back of the pack who need and appreciate the volunteers more than ever.

In my experience as a volunteer/supporter, I feel like the athletes give me more than I give to them. They inspire and motivate me, and I continue to be awed by their accomplishments.

My friends at Boise RunWalk had an aid station around mile 20 – generally a pretty tough point in the marathon. And, I can say with certainty that their cheerful encouragement helped many athletes push through this rough patch. Cheers to the mile 20 Boise RunWalk volunteers! You are the best!

My parents were philosophers. Not philosophers in the traditional sense of the word but probably in the same way that many of your parents were also. But we didn’t appreciate their wisdom until we got older when we realized that their simple teachings formed our values.

One of the things that my mama used to say was, “Everywhere you go, people are as nice to you as you are to them.” I’ve followed that value my whole life, and I hope that I’ve passed it on to my own kids. I have found this principle to be true everywhere I’ve ever been. (more…)

On September 13, three of my friends – Matt, Amber, and Chele – ran a marathon. Matt ran the Salmon Marathon (Salmon, Idaho); Amber and Chele ran the Timberline Trail Marathon (Mount Hood). For all of them, it was their 2nd marathon.

By all standards, these three runners would be considered novices – as is the case with any sport in which you have been competing for only a few years. But, the great thing about running – anywhere – is that we are part of a community of runners where it doesn’t matter if you have run 1 marathon or 41 marathons…if you run a 2:48 or a 5:48…you are a special and equal member of that community. And, runners everywhere support each other – fast or slow, old or young, novice or veteran.

Amber said, “It’s awesome how a group of runners can jump into conversations with each other so easily.” Chele said of running with Amber, “…to share it with a friend made it all the sweeter.” Matt met runners at the pre-race pasta party and ran with them the next day in the marathon. I talked with Matt the afternoon of the race, and he was on “Cloud 9.” Four days later, when I talked to him again, he was on the same cloud.

Runners often have an instant connection with each other. I’ve run races in which I was “with” the same runners for almost all of the 26.2 miles. You share a certain kinship with them – maybe because you know it’s as hard for them as it is for you – and you find yourself helping them get to the finish line because in a strange way, their success is also yours.

Running is technically a solitary sport. But it is the supportive running community that keeps us running. I’m so happy for Matt, Amber, and Chele that they had such wonderfully inspiring experiences. Running a marathon is hard, and it’s a monumental achievement. I am even more inspired every time one of my friends runs another marathon.

Matt, Amber, and Chele: Thanks for the inspiration!