mile high run

I'm blogging this post from Laramie, Wyoming!

I'm on a road trip from Austin, Texas back to Tacoma and have been getting my easy runs in along the way. Yesterday I ran in City Park, Denver. It was lovely. Tuesday I ran in Austin which sucked (because I had no energy and it was already too hot for wimpy little me at 6:30 am). But I did it.

Back on the road!

even dozen (12 miles, 2:34 min)

Another good run!

We bumped up two more miles but I can't say it felt all that different from 10. The first three miles were harder than last week but after the first water stop I quickly found the groove. We ran from Pt. Defiance ALL THE WAY TO Metropolitan Market on Procter. Impressive, no?

This time I remembered to take pictures, I'll try to get them up soon!

Next week: Baker's Dozen.

time for a little numerical reckoning....

• 218 - miles covered since I started running in late September
• 2760 - dollars contributed to my fundraising!! (73% of my goal!)
• 0 - times I've been knocked down by a deer (happened to a poor guy in the Austin Texas Marathon)
• 221 - number of times Maya has left her "calling card" on a run in the park (no, I didn't really keep track and I'm sure the number is much higher)
• 8 - number of long runs with Team in Training!

and sometimes it all comes together

(10 miles, 2:05 min)

wow - that was fantastic! it was another mile and a couple more hills but I felt so much better and stronger today. it seemed like a long run instead of a really long battle. I actually felt like a runner (although a slow one) and enjoyed myself. that doesn't mean I wasn't happy to see the parking lot at the end but I wasn't desperate for it. I also figured out how to wear my waist pack whereas last week it just annoyed the !#*% out of me.

this week I also had a fundraising boost from Bob's friends and family. thanks!!!

hey!

I got hailed on this afternoon! I guess that will teach me to dally after work and before the run. If I'd just gotten to it I would have been back inside before Maya and I got hailed on and then soaked by rain. Still, Bad Form as Peter Pan would say. I was slightly mollified by the rainbow arching over my house as we came in.

it was uphill, both ways (9 miles)

I so wish that was an exaggeration. We started out along our now familiar Pt. Defiance route which is plenty hilly. But this time we ran out of the park and I swear, towards anything that was a hill. And I'm not kidding, there's a section of this run dubbed the "Valley of Death" by the mentors who were training last year......(I'm not sure why, but I made myself keep running until the top of the VoD and then took a minute to walk)

But I did it and felt great (or at least proud) afterwards. It is really strange, the highs and lows of running. This Saturday, the first two miles were awful -- I was tired, couldn't seem to catch my breath and didn't know where the next seven miles were going to come from. But it's always like that ("what, am I crazy?") until you find the groove. And so far, the groove has always appeared. God bless endorphins.

I'm going to buy a disposable camera though cause we ran past a gorgeous panoramic view of the sound and I thought for the 20th time that I need to take pictures during the runs.

But lest the above paragraphs seem whiny or gloomy (they're not meant to be either, just honest), my run this afternoon was great!

8 mile (starring Lynn Olson)

Actually, I've never seen the movie by the same name starring Eminem. So if there is clever movie-related joke to make, I don't know it.

But today was eight miles out in Orting. The trail was beautiful (and FLAT!) and I was certainly in better to shape to run this week than last. I never did get sick though so that's been great.

Bob got his run in and for the first time, we tried a packet of "Gu" for energy. "Chocolate Outrage" tastes like slightly chewy chocolate pudding. It may have given me a little bit of a stomach ache but I didn't take any water with it so I will next time. I was curious to see if there would be this magic minute where I suddenly would feel like, "let's make it eighteen miles today!" but I can't say I did. But I also didn't crash so I suspect it did its job.