There's snakes in them there hills!

                                                   If you listen close you can hear the rattle!

Okay so this post could have a had several names and all would have fit....

      * Baking at Red Rock Canyon

Temperatures soared into the 100's as 53 runners took part in the inaugural "Flight of Fire" 1/2 Marathon Trail Run at Red Rock Canyon today.  Sure hope you remembered your sunscreen, head gear, sunglasses, and water.  It is gonna be a hot one!

* Since I am a Tortoise I belong in the Dessert

I could quote so many little feel good lines at this point.  You know we have all heard them and said them I am sure....At least you were out there, Run Walk or Crawl Just Finish, You did better then the ones who never tried.

 I love the positive thought and believe me I will love them tomorrow but today my only thought was I will not get another DNF (did not finish) at Red Rock Canyon.  Today my motivation was I will win my own personal battle in Red Rock NO MATTER WHAT! 

Today I was the tortoise in the dessert, slow and I wish I could say steady but with the mile taking me anywhere from 15 minutes to 36 minutes  I am not sure steady is the correct term.  But it is true at least I was out there and at least I did finish.

For this race I decided to wear my Vibram Five Finger Shoes.  This was my first race longer then a 5K that I decided to wear them.  I love my vibrams and do wear them everyday.  I have also worn them to hike up in Red Rock and I liked how well I can grip the rocks when I have them on my feet.  Since this race is a trail run I decided that I wanted the extra grip and boy I am so glad I did.  Not once did I slip on the lose gravel or on the big rocks as I climbed up and over the very narrow single track trails.  Only draw backs were that the rocks and sand were very hot and I could feel the heat on my feet and my calves were crying the next day. 

So for the snake story....lucky for me I never actually saw one.  Now mind you I am not afraid of snakes I just do not like things that can be lethal when they bite.  I can say now that I do know what a rattle snake sounds like though as I heard several as I ran my fastest hill ever once I realized what that rattle was. 

So I have now done something that I had never planned on doing....I have actually ran a Trail Run, will I do it again?  If you would have asked me the next day I would have said no....but....now that a month has gone by I say of course I will do it again! 

My Heart Still Skips a Happy Beat Just Before the GO!

There is something about the start of the race that always brings a tear to my eye and a little skip to my heart.  I love running in a race.  I love to see my fellow runners before the race in their various attire doing a variety of things to warm up.  My favorites are the ones who are running back and forth, as if the race was not going to be far enough for them to run, really do have to run before the race also.  I love asking random strangers to please take my picture thinking I do not want this moment to go unrecorded on my Facebook page or maybe in my BLOG and then taking pictures for them also. 

Each race is so similar and so different.  I know the distance today was a 10K or 6.2 miles (give or take) today had a little more give at 6.28 according to Map My Run.  I know that I will start out with the crowd and for about 3 minutes I will be a part of "the pack" and then my personal reality will set in and I will slow down just enough to be in what I know as my own personal "zone" the place where I am still able to breath and run at the same time.  

What made the "Las Vegas Run in the Sun" so much fun to be a part of.....it all started with getting up at 5am to do my pre-race prep which includes making a yummy race day drink, filling my water bottles with water and ice, making sure that I have put glide everywhere that I need to glide and not stick, getting dressed in my summer running gear because this is Vegas and it has been around 90 by 9 am lately and then out the door for the 40 minute drive to the other side of town where this run is being held, only to realize as soon as I walk out the door and close the door (alarm set) that is is only about 50 degrees and I will need a few more items of clothing for this morning.  Back in the house grab my long sleeve tech shirt and back out the door again.  Thank goodness for a smart phone that has a map app and shows me just where to go. 

I love arriving at the race and seeing all the people milling around just waiting to start.  I often wonder what is their story?  How did they become a runner?  Is this their first or their 50 race?  I have personally found the best place to glean information is the bathroom.  At this race where we all thought it would be warmer outside the bathroom which was heated was a real hot spot.  This is also where I met 2 women one from Kansas and one from Kentucky who had just flown into town the night before for their anniversary and were running this race with their husbands (nope they did not know each other before the race).  My thoughts were how fun is that, followed by, why are you not cuddled up in your hotel room. 

This race started like they all do with most of the runners crowding around the start line and me on the outside towards the back just enjoying that moment of teary eyed thankfulness that I get each time I know I am running my race, that I will finish this one not in first place, maybe even in last place, but the important part for me is that I am out there running the race.  That makes me a winner every time.

This course was 2 miles up a gradual hill, 1 mile of rolling hills and then about 100 yards of a steep hill where you then turned around and came back the same way(an out and back in runner's terms).  I loved knowing as tough as the hills seemed going up I would love them coming down.

In every race I try to find something amazing, sometimes it is a person, or the scenery, sometimes it is just a feeling I have as I run or a thought and sometimes it is all of the above listed items.  During this run it was the fact that for about 1/2 of the race I could see the Las Vegas Temple with the statue of the Angel Moroni visible.  What an inspiration to me as I ran, this became my amazing today both in vision and in thought.  I paused a moment to take this picture and to say a prayer of thankfulness for it is "but by the grace of God" that I am even able to run today.

All in all this was a great race for me.  Did I get a personal record? No my time was 1 hour and 30 minutes (making my pace just under 15 minutes per mile).  The race just felt great and that is why I love running.  I love feeling great at the end of each run.  I love knowing that I am doing what very few are willing to do or even want to do.  I am an athlete, and no matter how fast or slow or where I place to me I am an elite runner!

It All Began a Year Ago...Celebrating Being a Runner for One Year Today!

......it all begin on May 22, 2011 with the Weight Watcher's Walk It Challenge.  I was wearing my tennis shoes that I had been wearing in the garden because it was all that I had.  I drove to Salem alone telling my family that I was running a 5K but I did not ask anyone to go with me, after all I had not been running and I was not really sure if I could do the run.  I just knew I wanted to earn the 5K charm for my Weight Watcher's Key Chain and so off I went.  I got lost on the way trying to find the school where the race was being held (the website had the wrong school so I ended up really lost and having to call the number to find the way).  At last I was there and ready to run and run I did, okay really it was a very very very slow jog but I can say that I did not stop to walk during the whole 3.1 miles and it only took me 59 minutes a very long 59 minutes but I will always remember the feeling of running through the balloon arch and having them hand me my 5K Star that said "I did it" on one side and 5K on the other.  A simple toy star that will always be a treasure to me because it truly changed my life.  An amazing first step in what would become a life's journey.

A journey that has led me to run in 1 marathon, 5 1/2 Marathons, 7 10Ks and 5 5Ks plus put in an average of 20 plus miles a week with a month that I even ran 126 miles.  Running has become not just a healthy habit but it has truly become a life style for me.  I love running!  I love the feel that I have before a run, I love the feeling I have as I push myself to go further, faster and harder then I have ever gone before, to step out of my comfort zone and overcome my fears, I love the feeling I have after I have finished a run, a feeling that often stays with me the whole day.  I love the people I have met and the ones I will meet as I put one foot in front of the other and run on down the road. 

Story behind me crewing for Croix Sather

I belong to an amazing group called a Mastermind Group.  In this group I have been meeting at least once a month with four of the most amazing, strong, creative, courageous, spiritual and inspired women I have ever met...we have been together for more then 3 years and during our meeting we share our intentions and then together offer inspiration and power to those intentions.  So what did this have to do with crewing with Croix....it all started with my intention.  I set the intention to crew for an Ultra Marathoner....that is someone who runs more then a marathon.  A super running machine.

On a Sunday night in December right after Christmas I was inspired to check out Craigslist.  Looking at jobs in Las Vegas under spas.  The one at the very top caught my eye...Ultra Marathoner is looking for a crew member.  Must have massage experience but no need to be licensed,  be able to cook and drive an RV.

My intention stated right there!  If you know me you know that I am an excellent massage therapist but currently not licensed, I am an outstanding cook and I can drive almost anything  compliments of my Daddy who was a long haul truck driver.  This posting was just for me my intention in print right before my eyes.
So I answered the ad right then and there.  I knew this was a great opportunity for me and that the details would work themselves out.

Croix answered my emails, sent me his information so I could check out that he was in fact a real runner, really running from LA to Las Vegas and had already really ran across America.  There was only one glitch for me.

My grandson was going to arrive any day!  Could I really leave Las Vegas and my daughter for 5 full days?  Most of which I would be out of touch (there is very little cell service in the Mojave).  I decided to go on faith.  This opportunity had came just as I had intended and I would just ask for the baby to hand IN there just a little bit longer.

It was decided I would be massage therapist....chef and part time driver.  Alfred would be going along as photographer and main driver.

Let the journey begin!

Crewing for Croix Sather Ultra Marathoner LA to Las Vegas

       Croix, Alfred, & I when we picked up the RV in Las Vegas.

 We came from the mountains in the far distance....

 Heading for the mountains in the distance......

                  Entering the Heart of Mojave

                                                 Croix Sather

           This tree stump really looked like a human who did not take enough water on his run.

                  Route 66 Roy, California

                      We hike Hole in Wall on our last day

:

      Finished crewing on January 6th 2pm and my new Grandson Noah was born that evening.  Oma was home just in time to see my newest grandson enter this world.  His first time seeing his Oma in her full running gear.  I bet he will be our little runner!

Bumper Stickers....really back window stickers!

      Until running I have NEVER allowed anyone to put a sticker on anything....

                           Certainly never on my car.....

                       This one fits me the best!

                                                X 4

    Can't wait to run it again!

                             Coast to Coast!

October 29, 2011 Run Away Pumpkin 1/2 Marathon

    October 29th, 2011 Run Away Pumpkin 1/2 Marathon in Lebanon Oregon

I often wonder who makes the rules when it comes to running.  I decided myself early in my running career (like 3 months ago) that I would do what my body felt was right not just what someone else feels is right.  Now this does not mean that I don't read and pay attention to what other great runners have to say because I have read so many running books in the last 6 months and I have used so many of their words of wisdom.  But in the end I feel that every body is different and needs to find their own path.  So when someone said it was wise to take a break after running a marathon I thought really why?  I feel great, my body feels great, my feet feel great....so off I went and this was my best run to date! 

This was my first run where I passed more people then people passed me.  I was no where near the back of the pack and I had a personal best time of 3 hours and 2 minutes.  And yes I looked like a punk-kin!

Three Generations Running

 Forest Grove Lions Club 5K Run for Sight. A cold rainy day with my Mom and Granddaughter Dakota who is 8.

                         Opa, Dakota & Oma after the Run for Sight

Run to Remember 9/11

                                       September 11, 2011 Run to Remember in Salem Oregon

  Jan rode his bike around while I ran.  It was a very solemn affairs.  They had asked for a silent run through the flags.  I ran behind a group of Army National Guard Soldiers.  Very emotional day.  Each flag had the times of everyone who lost their lives on 9/11

My first Marathon Long Beach California Oct 9th, 2011

At the Long Beach Marathon Expo the day before the run. I have written my theme on the big sheet of paper...Because I can! 

Race day! I had to be there by 6:30 am and my corral started at 7:30.  Here I am sporting my Oregon Road Runner Club hat! 

I did it!  5 hours and 56 minutes after starting I crossed the finish lines having truly accomplished something very few will ever even try.  I ran 26.2 miles and YES I ran every step. 

The course was amazing!  It actually had no hills nope not even one! A great beginners choice. Myself and 24,000 ran from the aquarium on the Long Beach Harbor around the island where I had just departed on my girls cruise a month before, along the Long Beach Board Walk and through a college campus. 

I will forever be grateful to my friend and elite runner Billy Strick because he gave me some great advice before I left for this run. 
         1. Fuel before you feel like you need to.
         2. Take a mineral supplement  so you don't get dehydrated along with your water.
         3.  Run the race at your pace.
He also told me if you feel that you are in trouble before mile 13 you are in trouble if you feel it around mile 18-20 you are normal and if you feel it after mile 20 you are blessed. 

I am grateful to say that I was blessed!  At mile 13 I felt great, right on pace I was averaging 14 minute miles and still feeling strong.  I had been fueling every hour along with stopping at every bathroom along the course since I was being so good to drink water every few minutes.  At mile 18 I still was feeling great and trying to decide what "hitting the wall" felt like, then I figured if I had to wonder if I was hitting the wall I was probably not hitting it.  By mile 20 my only complaint was that I was chaffing under my arms and could not wait to see the next first aid station for some Vaseline to put under my arms.  Once I checked that off my complaint list I really was feeling good.  I could feel a few hot spots on my feet and knew that I was going to have a few blisters but they were okay for today. 

Mile 25 was where I had my only real challenge and that was my left leg (the kinda numb one) decided to give out for just a few steps.  Even this was not too bad just caused me to slow way down....yes it is true the almost slowest person in the race can go even slower if it means finishing. Funny at this exact moment where my leg gave out I was following a person with a t-shirt that said "Run Walk or Crawl Just Finish"  I finished the race with an 18 minute mile in the last mile but I did not care I was just so happy to be finished.  As for that wall I never did hit it. 

I will forever be thankful to my amazing husband who was standing on the wall a the finish line screaming for all he was worth.  Seeing the tears on his face as he hugged me Priceless!  The question would I do it again my answer YES a thousand time over.  I love to run and will do so until I can not longer put one foot in front of the other and then who knows maybe I will have to crawl.

It All Began With An Accident.....

Two years ago today my life was forever changed and yes it all began with an accident.  I was minding my own business driving down highway 99 exactly 2 years ago this very minute when I was hit from behind by a young women not paying enough attention to where she was going.  My little 1999 VW Beetle did not stand a chance against her Subaru Outback and my own back did not stand a chance against the massage table that was in the backseat not strapped down.  So as you can guess my car and my back were totaled.  Fast forward 4 months, lots of Chiropractor, Naturopathic and Doctor visits, 2 MRI's and lots of other tests and the big decision operate or not.

I opted for operate, at the time I was in constant pain and could not imagine not having some relief.  June 15, 2010 was my first back surgery on L4, L5 and S1, and who said it could not get any worse!  My first surgery was easy, in and out in 4 hours, home and in bed for a few days and sure I would be back to normal in NO time!  Right!  My back did in fact feel better,  but I had not expected to have either no feeling  in my leg and foot or complete pins and needles.  The pins and needles were the worst ever, I could not hardly put my foot down and could not wear shoes that had any sort of back because I could not stand to have anything touching the my Achilles Tendon.  The other issue came as my left leg started to forget that it had a job to do like walking, or even holding me upright.  I would be just walking along and it would simply give out.

Because the healing had not gone as expected my Neurologists suggested a 2nd surgery.  I remember thinking no way not again but I knew that I could not continue with the issues I was having with pain, numbness and loss of use.  The final decision came after I fell on November 14th, 2010.  I was leaning over the tub wiping down the far side of the tub and my bad leg gave out and I fell straight down on the edge of the tub right onto my right rib cage, breaking my 6th rib.  My 2nd back surgery was done on November 24th,  2010.  This time the doctor assured me that surgery would work and I would no longer have the issue of my foot feeling like it was always half asleep with constant pins and needles.  Little did I know that the only way this would be accomplished would be for him to sever the perennial nerve, replacing the pins and needles with complete numbness!  (My word of advice is to be sure you KNOW everything about your doctor!  I did not know that my surgeon had a history of needing to do multiple surgeries and never having the issues resolved. Information for another post.)

How do I feel about the car accident that forever changed my life....today I feel thankful for the amazing and healthy changes I have made to my life since the accident and resulting issues.  I feel that out of every bad situation we must make a choice and for me I choose to be healthy, positive and to set an great example to others who may not believe or have been told that they cannot take that first step, run that first mile or even Run Across America!

August 27th Highway to Well 1/2 Marathon

August 27th Highway to Well 1/2 Marathon in Pendleton Oregon.  Wow this one was HARD!
When the race started it was climbing up to reach 91 degrees and yes I have in pure black.  Silly me!  At mile 4 I decided to just do a 10K or 6.2 miles, at mile 8 I decided to just do 10 miles.  At mile 10 I had to jump over a snake on the road and thus had enough adrenalin to finish the race 4 grueling hours later I crossed the finish line dead last and dead beat!  What a great support staff!  The never left me alone on the course and they stayed at the finish line to give me my medal! 

August 6th Greater Portland 1/2 Marathon

Greater Portland Half Marathon August 6th in Forest Grove Oregon....My hero during this race was my daughter Pam who ran the race with me without doing any training...really how is that possible???? She did great and only finished 10 minutes behind me.  No I am not an Oregon Beaver Fan I just happen to LOVE orange!