Almost July in Montana -- Makin' Plans!

This has been a "cool Spring" and the snowpack was above normal this winter.  This makes for an interminable shoulder season.  Yet, staying inside and doing nothing isn't an option (unless you want to cry) so you have to make the best with your minimal options.  Right now that means playing at low elevations, doing one of three possible hikes in Glacier National Park (like Avalanche Lake, which I've now done thrice and NO MORE this year...) and bike riding Going to the Sun Road.  OK there are more things to do but these are the things I've been doing.

Near Siyeh Bend

While waiting for the skies to turn blue and for the sun to melt the snow, I've been contemplating my goals (the trivial ones like running anyhow -- I don't have grand life goals or anything... I'm fine without them right now).  I really enjoy goal setting, even if I don't always follow through.  I'm reading a book that encourages the goal-setter to set really agressive dream goals -- that makes them more fun and possibly more worth going for.  I think this is really true.  The times I've agressively pursued goals were when I didn't really know if they were possible.  For example, qualifying for Boston seemed like a stretch since I'm such an unathletic and soft and slow runner.  But, I just worked at it and did it within a couple of years of setting out to achieve.  As a result I'm still faster than I would have been if I had just assumed I'd always be doomed to slowness.  Now I don't even think, in hindsight, that the goal was all that agressive.  It seemed like it though at the time. 

So what the heck are my goals now?  The first and most immediate goal is to really get back into shape by September.  I want to get my running ramped up, weight training ramped up and my eating improved.  I say this a lot so it's sort of boring but you never know, maybe one of these days I'll surprise everyone and actually follow through.

My brother Dave

My most important near goal is finishing Susitna next winter.  Heck, rather than just finish I'd like to (at least try) to finish under 35 hours so as to minimize the time I'm out the second night.  That increases the brutality I think (running two nights). 

Even more immediately I think I am for sure going to sign up for Slickrock 100 and train up for it.  I started my training Monday, which involved turning the alarm clock off... but Tuesday morning I got up and ran my 10 miler and then hiked in the Park with my brother Dave, who was in town visiting.  Yesterday I did some speedwork and weights and tonight I will do a 2 hour mountain bike ride.  I also would like to hike around Mt. Ranier with my friend Dave, who scored me the sweetest uber lightweight gore-tex pullover EVER for my birthday.  I just need to do a gear test.  I LOVE GEAR!  Yay me.  It makes goal setting that much more fun because my goals often require new gear.  See how that works?

My supersweet birthday gift from my friend Dave

I'm going backpacking with my friend Meghan in September and my goal is to already be well trained and fit by then so I can keep up and have the strength to carry all my extra GEAR I will want to bring (just kidding Meghan I will pack light I promise.... I love to buy ultralightweight gear and will bring the above lightweight rain jacket).

So, I have lots of fun things planned and some goals.  My dream goals?  I don't want to share because when I write them down they actually seem pretty reasonable.  I'll just tell you that I have a couple I might work on next year.

Third "Two Bear" Run

 It was a cold rainy muddy run down memory lane last weekend.  I recited my Bear poem for Tom and promised I'd make a You Tube video... I lied I'm going to do no such thing but I will pen my word art for you:

Bear, Oh Bear!
Into my friend Tom's flesh you did tear.
Why?  Oh why?
"because he was there"

Ruth, Mary Ann, me, Allison, Tom, Leanne

The sun has finally come out and I'm hopeful that the snow will melt and it will somday soon be possible to hike in the high country.  This sort of spring is all about patience.

I am thinking about an October 100 -- there's a new race in Utah near Moab called Slickrock or something.  Devil's Backbone is coming up in a few weeks.  I'm anxious to get back into the mix.

Dads Rock

I am my father's daughter, and I sure hope my Dad lives forever because I cannot imagine this world without him.  I must also mention that my father-in-law is one of the smartest, sweetest men I've ever met.  I'm pretty blessed.


Me, my dad and my brother "Doot Doot" (aka David)



A dubious pre-party

It has been two years since my friend Tom was bitten by the teenaged punk grizzly bear.  The anniversary run will be this weekend, a bit later, but Deb Callie and I figured we'd have a pre-party and hit our favorite early season low-elevation spot in the Park.  Of couse, never mind that it's mid-JUNE and it's basically like late April or May.  It is grey, wet and cool here.

Lots of snapped off tree-tops

It appears that there was a fair bit of drama in the woods this winter -- lots of freshly snapped off tree-tops and a delicious woody fragrance everywhere.  This picture is not necessarily newly disturbed trees but the views to the left of the trail are much more open this year than in prior years.

I have nearly identical pictures from at least four years now I think

I hadn't seen Callie since the Salmon Marathon last fall.  This is insane to me.  But I don't feel like we've missed a beat.  Good friends are like that.

didn't eat it but do you know what it is?

expecting an Ewok to jump out

Ewoks are somewhere

I am deperately longing for summer.  I want to go backpacking.  I want to be hot and feel the sun.  The weekend of summer only whet my appetite.  It's not promising to get better this month.  Ugh.

The coolest thing EVER

Today I recieved a box from someone I haven't had the pleasure of meeting.  Inside was this fabulous "Susitna 84 Finisher 2011" mug and a very thoughtful postcard from a blog reader (who is way more articulate than I am by the way).

I feel like I won suddenly :-)

Said blog reader, a Susitna enthusiast, while trying to think of something to make at the make-your-own pottery store after her kid demanded to know "aren't you going to make something?", thought to make this!

happy stars!

She hasn't done Su yet but is "under the spell" after having lived in Alaska.  It's funny because I was trying to describe to my friend this weekend the power that this race (and other similar arctic ultras and Alaska generally) has over people.  There's something other-worldy about Su that's entirely different from your typical dry-trail ultra.

This purple sky is happy!

"Endurance" postcard

I truly think everyone who is thinking about or is interested in Susitna should GO FOR IT. Especially you friend.  Because that way I can meet you in February and say thank you in person.  Don't worry parents, I will send a proper thank-you card.

Happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy....

Yesterday my Bozeman friend Emily and I did nearly 2.5 hours of hiking/running  and I did take pictures but I don't have a USB cable to download them from my camera.  Today I ran part of the Old Gabe 50k course (and determined that I will drop down to the shorter distance -- 50k of THAT would certainly kill me).  All told I got in more than 4 hours of blissful trail time this beautiful sunny warm weekend.  Boy I've missed running.  And trails.  And sun.  Oh sun. 

 I was completely and utterly blissed out on both runs.  Being able to run again is like being reunited with a good friend.  There is no substitute for the feeling of flying down the trail by foot.

I am so happy to be back.  I just need to be careful and not hurt myself again.  I love you running!  I love you sunshine!  I love you warm air!  I love you Bozeman!