CAMP REPORT!!!

I am, as many of you probably already noticed, not an especially good blogger. I'm not one for detailed and illustrative descriptions and insights, and this report will be no different. The upshot of it is that I had an absolute blast and met lots of incredibly cool people whose collective experience and wisdom I tried to take advantage of. I received a lot of advice, which can be boiled down to: "do everything just exactly so and you will do great." For example, start conservatively but not too conservatively. I did actually get a lot of good and useful information -- I'm sort of kidding about what I just wrote a second ago.

The camp is broken into three days of running. The first day we ran about 28 miles and the portion of the race known as "the canyons." The canyons consist of steep descents and ascents in what is typically unbearable heat. The training run saw moderately bearable cold and rain. It was a soggy and muddy run. (See pics below). The terrain of this section is definitely hard and physically will be a great challenge. I look forward to seeing how I handle it come race day.

This picture shows that Montanans and Californians aren't all that different. Evidently, we all have the same brilliant idea to take old appliances into the woods and shoot 'em. Heartwarming, isn't it? (I posted an identical picture not too long ago that was taken locally).
This may look sort of like a river but it's mud. And it's tough to capture the steepness of some of the downhills but it was steep and muddy. Not ridiculously slippery or anything -- I don't want to exaggerate -- but I was ridiculously cautious. My ankles took a beating this weekend. On Saturday I was observing some large pine cones which made me think of Ted and how he frequently keeps pine cones and suddenly I was consumed by a love seizure when BOOOM!!! I turned my right ankle and was wincing in pain. It ended up not being a big deal but I kept turning the darn ankle again and again all weekend. I hate to complain though since a guy I had JUST met that day destroyed his ankle and then went hypothermic ambling to transportation out of the woods. While I'm on the subject of that story, Chris, who will pace me, was a very important part of this guy's eventual path to safety and I have even increased confidence that I'm in good hands. Granted, Chris was volunteering as a course sweep and that was his job. . . but he did a great job helping the guy.

Day two was a lovely and easy run of about 18-19 miles from the aid station where I get to pick up Chris (Foresthill) to the River Crossing. The sun came out and I turned my other ankle a couple times to even things out. The third day was another easy pleasant run of about 21 miles -- Chris was sweeping again, along with a few other cool folks, so I took the role of "sweep groupie" and hung with them for the third and final run. It was tougher than I had anticipated though since the sweeps walked slowly then ran quickly to catch the last runner. It was reminiscent of a speedworkout, except without the blazing speed part :-) I was tired though.
Above I am showing you "No Hands Bridge." I was thinking to myself "I really hope I am here again next month." It's a weird feeling to actually be in a spot on the course (this one is very near the finish) and wonder whether you will actually make it that far. I look forward to testing my mental fortitude next month. I am increasingly appreciating that I can't control or predict all the physical stuff. I am trained -- but could break my ankle or something. I'm not going to obsess about that. It's the mental aspect that I can control and that I can prepare for. To make a long rambly musing about mental strength short, I'm excited about seeing if I can do it.
Above is Chris, who I mentioned before. He's good at reassuring me continually through email or verbally over the weekend. I've been a little needy lately I think. Sometimes I need a little more encouragement and reassurance than is probably normal for an adult who has made it as far in life as I have. Oh well!!!

So this is a smattering of my weekend at camp. Here are all my pictures:

Pictures -- they're not in order btw

Saturday was a sunny warm day -- and since it's a rest week and I didn't have to run all day, Ted and I went for a hike. We hiked on the Columbia Mountain trail, which was dry for at least 3 miles. I'm guessing that once you hooked up with the Alpine No. 7 trail there would be a lot of snow, but in two weeks I will run that trail and check it out more. The trail overlooks Columbia Falls which means the view isn't all that wonderful -- and the sounds of activity below are clearly audible. Nonetheless, I think it will be a good training trail since it's easily accessible and good trail with respectable elevation gain. My hope is that the loudness from the valley below keeps the grizzlies away. :)

Last night I went to my friend Krista's cabin for an impromptu "girls' night" slumber party -- there were four of us and we had a relaxing and fun time. There was a robin who was determined to get inside the cabin and would repeatedly try to fly through the window. Evidently, the robin has been doing this for weeks. It struck me that this was a very determined robin, who probably spent a large chunk of its waking hours throwing itself against this window. At the same time, I felt somewhat saddened by the fact that this robin was never going to achieve its goal, no matter how persistent it was. In fact, I wondered whether the robin would literally die trying. I tried hard not to read too much into the robin's endeavor, especially since Kim pointed out that the robin might already be a bit brain damaged from its efforts. I guess I'll file that away in my brain under "hmmmm."

I wish I knew my flowers

smirk
Mmmmm salt

Race numbers for Western States are out and I am # 136. Wikipedia actually has an entry for my number, and by far the best parts are:

Doreen Virtue PhD, renowned angel therapist and clairvoyant, states the numbers 136 mystically relates to: "the ascended masters and goddesses ensuring that your needs are continuously met. You help with this manifestation by keeping your thoughts attuned to the positive."

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (UK law) details removing a mentally ill person from a public place to a place of safety.

I had no idea that angel therapy was a field. But evidently I have to keep a positive attitude for the ascended assistance. . . as for Section 136, I won't make jokes about mental illness. Not on my public blog. :p

I'm so excited I could explode. And I still have 3 hard weeks of training, plus this week (cutback) and the taper to go. I'm starting to make my charts and graphs (namely what I must do to finish under the 30 hour limit) and am pretty much obsessed. I don't know what I will do with myself when it's over! I can't let that be a reason for me to DNF (so that I can plot my comeback/revenge etc. . .).

GOING TO CAMP!

It has been a long time since I've gone to camp. I'm going to go to the Western States training camp (I'm not actually sure anyone calls it camp or whether I'm making this up) over Memorial Day weekend. Yeah, it's a couple weeks away, but unlike how I felt before being shipped off to Girl Scout camp growing up, I'm really excited. But, like before Girl Scout camp, I'm wondering who will be there and will they be fun.

Speaking of camp, one of my favorite memories is of me and Joanna (Hedy and Maggie's mom)hiding under a perma-tent in effort to avoid collecting wood. Camp is always more fun with a partner in crime.

So who out there will be there??? I know Chris (one of my pacers) is going to sweep (pictured below):

Um. . . so yeah who else will be there???

P.S. JR, I am not going to set up a bicycle in the sauna at the gym!!! THAT is lunacy my friend ;)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

First, congrats to Cheryl who ran the Ice Age 50, her first 50 miler, and finished around 10 hours. Despite planning to stop around mile 37 (which is incidentally where I DNFed when I tried this race in 2006 -- but Cheryl was pre-meditating her drop) she finished and did great. I'm so proud!!!

Pictured above is Cheryl, Gretchen the Beagle and Ted, who will be annoyed that I posted this picture of him :p Below is Leanne, who deserves a HUGE congrats for pulling off the Fourth Annual Great Northern 5k -- this is her second year as Race Director and the 4th year of the race and there was a record turnout. She even survived being yelled at by an angry man who just wanted to yell and was convinced his daughter was second in her age group rather than third or something like that. PLEASE. Do people really have such high expectations of a fun run? We do our best and sometimes mistakes happen. Of course, it's not clear that an error was even made. That guy was such a jerk. Leanne rocked as RD and I'm super proud of her too :-)

My Little Pony 1980s Commercial

Exhibit A as to why I struggle so with my weight! Between Cookie Monster (an ok guy, ha!) and the ice cream smelling toys. . . :-)

Running Weekend

Saturday, to mix things up a little, Iris and I went to Missoula to the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area to run. Missoula has a pretty extensive trail system just a few miles from town -- much of it is flat but some of the trails really gain in elevation. We did some of both. The weather was perfect. I even got a little sunburnt. We ran 20 miles (I ran 10 beforehand to make 30) and had a great time. Then we went shopping. REI is having its 70th anniversary sale so I cleaned house at REI and Iris purchased a Garmin GPS running watch -- a birthday present from her parents.

(above, trail somewhere, below, the trail were pretty dry until around 5,000 feet)

Sunday, the group ran at Herron Park. It was Iris' birthday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRIS! -- and it was another perfect day. Sharon brought her dogs, who were very cute. I managed 20 miles, feeling better and stronger than I had the day before. I realized at the end of our run though, that at Western States I will start before I did my pre-Missoula 10 miles (I did that at 6 a.m., the race starts at 5 a.m.), be running the whole time we drove to Missoula, the whole time we ran 20 miles, the whole time we were shopping, the whole time we drove home, the whole time I slept and nearly the whole time I did my Sunday run. On the one hand I'm excited for the adventure, but on the other I just have no clue how it will go down and it might not be pretty. To put it gently. . .

(Sharon, Leanne, me, Birthday girl Iris)

(below, Leanne finishing strong)

COOKIE! Came upon this on the interwebs and had to share. . .

from http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/5/5bryan.html

COOKIE MONSTERSEARCHES DEEP WITHINHIMSELF AND ASKS: IS ME REALLY MONSTER?

BY ANDY F. BRYAN
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Me know. Me have problem.

Me love cookies. Me tend to get out of control when me see cookies. Me know it not natural to react so strongly to cookies, but me have weakness. Me know me do wrong. Me know it isn't normal. Me see disapproving looks. Me see stares. Me hurt inside.
When me get back to apartment, after cookie binge, me can't stand looking in mirror—fur matted with chocolate-chip smears and infested with crumbs. Me try but me never able to wash all of them out. Me don't think me is monster. Me just furry blue person who love cookies too much. Me no ask for it. Me just born that way.

Me was thinking and me just don't get it. Why is me a monster? No one else called monster on Sesame Street. Well, no one who isn't really monster. Two-Headed Monster have two heads, so he real monster. Herry Monster strong and look angry, so he probably real monster, too. But is me really monster?

Me thinks me have serious problem. Me thinks me addicted. But since when it acceptable to call addict monster? It affliction. It disease. It burden. But does it make me monster?

How can they be so callous? Me know there something wrong with me, but who in Sesame Street doesn't suffer from mental disease or psychological disorder? They don't call the vampire with math fetish monster, and me pretty sure he undead and drinks blood. No one calls Grover monster, despite frequent delusional episodes and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. And the obnoxious red Grover—oh, what his name?—Elmo! Yes, Elmo live all day in imaginary world and no one call him monster. No, they think he cute. And Big Bird! Don't get me started on Big Bird! He unnaturally gigantic talking canary! How is that not monster? Snuffleupagus not supposed to exist—woolly mammoths extinct. His very existence monstrous. Me least like monster. Me maybe have unhealthy obsession, but me no monster.

No. Me wrong. Me too hard on self. Me no have unhealthy obsession. Me love cookies, but it no hurt anyone. Me just enthusiast. Everyone has something they like most, something they get excited about. Why not me? Me perfectly normal. Me like cookies. So what? Cookies delicious. Cookies do not make one monster. Everyone loves cookies.
Me no monster. Me OK guy. Me OK guy who eat cookies.

Who me kidding? Me know me never actually eat cookies. Me only crumble cookies in mouth, but me no swallow. Me can't swallow. Me no have no esophagus. Me no have no trachea. Me only have black fabric throat. Me not supposed to be able to even talk.

Me no eat cookies.

Me destroy cookies.

Me crush cookies.

Me mutilate cookies.

Me make it so no one get cookies.

Everyone right. Me really is cookie monster.
- - - -

Happy May Day!