Two Bears and a Moose

It was a beautiful sunny weekend here in the Flathead Valley. A much needed respite from rain rain and more rain. Today we returned to the scene of Tom's fateful bear encounter one year ago to remember -- and run. There were seven of us and we all had bear spray. Which was a good thing because we saw two humongous black bears (that were brown). The second was bounding down the trail right towards Deb, who was leading the group back to the beginning of our run. It was pretty exciting in the safety of our numbers.
We stopped along the way and Tom recounted his encounter. With props.

Here (above) is the first bear sighting. This was about 2 feet into our run. We had barely left our cars when Iris (who I was super stoked was in town and came with us and has better pictures on her blog of this run than I do) kept saying "bear, bear, bear, no you guys BEAR!" It was pretty funny. Especially Tom's response, which was like he was going to personally give it a talking to.

Saturday, Ted and I roadtripped to Fernie, B.C. (that's in Canadia :p) and hiked up to the Island Lake Lodge right outside town. It was really pretty and a lot of fun.

Ted spotted this moose. It was pretty close.

I think rain is supposed to be back in the forecast so I'm really glad we had this incredible summery weekend. Next weekend I am going to Wyoming to pace Leslie at the Bighorn 100. It's going to be really fun!

Bowman Lake to Quartz Lake (GNP Trail Run)

A friend and I did a 13 mile loop in the Park -- up the "North Fork" (of the Flathead River, near Polebridge) on Saturday that was great. It was pretty runnable and there were some nice views. Above is Bowman lake.
There were ladyslippers everywhere! Gorgeous little flowers.
Above is a glimpse of upper Quartz lake coming down the ridge.
This is Bowman Lake again. It was overcast or drizzling for most of the run so the pictures weren't that awesome. But it was a lovely run.

In other news, Sonja continues to show us new ways in which she can be expensive. She bit an elderly little pomeranium at the dog park on Sunday, who required a visit to the vet. Thankfully the little doggie should be fine, but ugh.

A MUSING ALONG THE ROAD TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT

In a couple weeks I turn 35, which is a minor landmark age I think. It’s half way to 40 (the new 30). I like reflecting on “where I am” in my life when I hit these milestones big and small. Turning 30 was fantastic – I embraced the notion that I got a visit from the “f off fairy” upon turning 30 and could be a happier more secure person. This was true, even if only because I made it true.

So where am I at 35 that is different than when I was 30? There are many things that are different, and one has to do with my relationship with weight and food. I thought of this because my “blog friend” Sea Legs Girl often posts about weight and running and her struggles with wanting to be really skinny. She recently posted about BMI and running. Personally, I think she has evolved since I’ve been reading her blog into a more reasonable person on this topic, but her posts are typically easy to dismiss as insane or eating disordered. But then, probably most of us have to admit to being conscious of our weight and occassionally making ourselves crazy over it. Who hasn’t stepped on the scale and allowed the number to affect our mood at some time or another? Hopefully most or many of us have found some sort of peace with our bodies, the scale and our relationship with food. I feel like I have come much closer to a permanent treaty, which might not be totally obvious if you hear me make jokes about being morbidly obese etc., but old habits die hard, right? And what’s funnier than self-deprecation? I thought I would share some of the “eureka” moment type realizations I’ve come to, and hope stay with me as I continue on in my 30s and closer to the new 30.

1) Most of these realizations must be credited to my friend Cheryl who is now a Registered Dietician. In learning about how incredibly smart our bodies are at getting their way (to put it simply), she (and thus me) has learned that to some extent obsessing is a losing battle anyhow.

2) Cheryl has a good friend, who I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, who is anorexic. Knowing someone and seeing someone in person who is truly anorexic helps put things in perspective. Being healthy and able to do the things we love is what matters. Strong bones, strong muscles and a healthy attitude don’t get enough props. Check out my friend Corey, below, with her overhead squat -- pretty awesome.



3) I was overweight in law school and did need to lose that weight – I did so (lost about 35 pounds total) and was about 10 pounds lighter than I am now for a while but have hovered at my current weight more or less (+/- 5 pounds) for the past 5-6 years. And yet I constantly have this idea that I should diet or do something to lose X pounds in X months. And how is that working for me? J What a colossal waste of time. The things we do every day or over the course of an average week for all our life are what affect our weight in the long run. Sure, extra holiday weight should be shed so as to not let it pile on year after year, but on the whole, a diet is a complete waste if the weight cannot be maintained. That’s the tough part. I cannot maintain at 115 pounds. I’m done bothering with that nonsense.

4) My athletic performance is dictated by my training. Yes, with all else being equal I am faster when I am skinnier, but all else is never equal with me because being skinnier usually means I’m not eating enough to train really well. Seeing how no one is paying me to run or Crossfit, I’m not going to beat myself up over failing to reach my highest potential as an “athlete.” I’ll take the low-hanging fruit in terms of victories :p Not that others shouldn’t make this a priority even if it’s a hobby – I’m all for that. Me, I have other priorities too that don’t jive with peak performance.


5) No one cares how much I weigh so long as it’s healthy.

6) I am not happier when I weigh 5 pounds less. I’m the same only lighter and probably hangry (hunger = angry).

7) If I do not obsess about calories or WW points and just use basic common sense in my eating, I don’t feel as hungry and don’t gain weight. At this moment I know I could have a piece of that chocolate cake if I wanted it. I don’t want it because I’m not hungry. Thus, I won’t eat it. My brain doesn’t work this way when chronically calorie deprived. My brain and my stomach instruct that I binge on the cake. . . then I feel sad and must starve and the cycle continues.


8) If I eat more fat like nuts and load up on veggies I’m pretty full anyhow.

These are all the things I can think of for now. No, I’m not holier than thou and I do not claim to never feel bad about my weight anymore. But for the most part I can’t conjur up that much care over the topic anymore. It’s good for me to try to keep things in check, but I can’t spend the rest of my 30s worrying about 5 pounds. There are other things to worry about. Like beargate.

The Cubs, Cheryl and Chris' wedding and, of course, a race

Our close friends Cheryl and Chris got married this weekend in Chicago, and I was honored to serve as a bridesmaid, so we spent the long weekend in Chicago. Ted LOVES this picture of us at the Cubs game Friday. I basically spent the weekend eating, drinking and enjoying the company of friends. The bride, groom and I did take time to participate in the Soldier Field 10 mile, which runs along the lake and then finishes in Soldier Field. I felt morbidly obese and sluggish -- and it was hot. Nonetheless, I managed to finish in 1:21:20, which placed me around 80 out of 1000 women in my age group. Cheryl registered me for the race and put me down as older so I was actually placed in the wrong age group where I placed a little higher. My stomach was wrecked from all the celebrating which made it even more interesting. However, it was a great way to start what was ultimately a great day -- the wedding day!!! I am so happy for Cheryl and Chris :-)

Just another fantastic weekend. . .

My friend Quinn and I ran 14 miles in Glacier National Park on Saturday. We ran long Lake McDonald, which was a really nice flattish trail. Although the forecast screamed rain and nasty coldness, it was warm and sunny and awesome.

It appeared that there had been a bear on the trail as well. That's a lot of poop. Maybe the bear had been drinking beer the night before or something.

Big bear prints in the mud. We never saw the bear(s) thankfully.


Speaking of bears, here's an article from today's Daily Interlake about the Swan Crest 100 and the challenge by a local environmental activist. Although I am vexed by the situation, I have to admit that I'm glad someone is fighting hard for the bears, even if in this case it renders us "collateral damage" in this guy's war against the USFS. However, I don't believe for a second that our run is going to displace bears. This guy is worried (I think) about other permits being issued for different types of events. I don't really think he really believes our event is going to displace bears. I just can't believe anyone would really believe that.


In other news, today I ran with Deb, Tom and Jenny up Columbia Mountain. Since I was out dancing at the Blue Moon until bar-time last night (I was so tired!) I overslept and arrived late to the trailhead. Sonja and I booked it up the mountain until we caught our friends. It was a nice run/hike of about 8 miles. Unfortunately I was camera-less. I did remember bear spray though at least.

Ted and I have been really busy. This past weekend was the "Herron Hustle," a 5.5 mile trail run I organize for Foys to Blacktail Trails. It went well and we had great turnout. Sunday we helped out at a fundraiser/run for the dog park in Whitefish. That seemed to go really well too. Between those two things, our weekend was shot. It was a beautiful weekend! It has warmed up and you can see the snowline creep up the mountains daily. I have some fun stuff planned for the summer -- all short adventures -- and can hardly wait.

5k Race Report

On Saturday I ran the Great Northern 5k, and forgot to wear a watch. I'm pretty sure this is the first race I've run without a watch. I actually started out as first woman, for probably a good few minutes, but had no Garmin to verify that I was running too fast. I was passed by 4 other women by the time I reached the finish line, but was pleased to have run 22:12, which is a Montana PR and only 44 seconds slower than my all-time 5k PR, which was run at sea level. I previously thought this made my race time close to my PR time but that's not true. According to Jack Daniel's running formula, this is the equivalent of 21:54 at sea level. Anyhow, I'm not sure whether it was the new shoes (Nike LunarRacers), the lack of a watch or what but I'm pleased. I felt good and my legs never felt tired. Much like the Shamrock Shuffle, I actually triggered an asthma attack and was limited by breathing rather than leg speed. I don't know what's up with that but apparently I now have some manner of exercise induced asthma (it has always been allergy induced). Next 5k I'll puff my inhaler first and see if I can PR. Someday I'd like to run sub-20 minutes. That would be pretty cool.

Finally, the group ran a great 13ish mile loop today around/near Herron Park. Mostly single-track with a little double-track thrown in there. It was fantastic. I wish I had brought my camera, but I was planning on running 5 miles.

Checking up on melt progress

Ted and I went for a hike Sunday in the Jewel Basin area. We stayed pretty low but discovered that the mountains have recieved a fresh blanket of snow. Better late than never, right?The snow wasn't really deep but it was still pretty difficult to hike in. It was still nice to get outside, hike off the Derby Day mint juleps and let the dogs get some exercise.

This weekend is the Great Northern 5k, which my friend Leanne puts on every year. I think that this year I'm going to run it and see where I'm at with my 5k. Probably not very fast, but I'd like to set a Montana PR. If I could even run as fast as the last 3 miles of the Shamrock Shuffle I will have a Montana PR!

FIRST VISIT OF 2010 TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

On Saturday a friend and I did a 14 mile trail run in the park. The trails were relatively flat and very soft -- a perfect running surface. The trail meanders through lush green forest until Avalanche Campground, where we headed to Avalanche Lake. This is, evidently, a Glacier Lily. I thought it was a pretty yellow flower, whatever it was.
Avalanche Lake is a great early-season destination. It is always a great view though I haven't actually seen any avalanches there yet.
Today I flaked out on a planned trail run with the running group. I feel really guilty about it since I wanted to see my friends but I really felt like I needed to sleep. I slept until 11 -- I honestly can't remember the last time I slept that ridiculously late. I also feel guilty because I feel like I lost a substantial part of my weekend by sleeping so late. Ted and I did hike 6 miles in Herron Park with the dogs, which was a really nice way to spend the afternoon. It was sunny, warm and snowing, all at the same time. It was like June snow in April! :-)

RUNNING FASHION

I am a big fan of running skirts. However, I can't say I personally would want an "elkommando" skirt. My personal favorites are from http://www.runningskirts.com/. Anyhow, I recieved my Mountain Gear catalog yesterday and "read" it before bed. I was delighted to see that there are similar offerings for men. Behold the "Mountain Hardwear Elkommando Kilt."

The description states that this kilt "frees you from the restraints of shorts and pants so you can enjoy your outdoor adventure to its fullest." (Source: REI.com). I'm curious to know whether men's adventures are restrained by shorts or pants. Chris O'Connor, who paced me at Hundred in the Hood, has worn a kilt running, but I think it was meant to be funny. I'm curious to know what men think about running in a kilt and whether they would try it -- not to be funny but to avoid the restraints of pants and shorts. Me, personally, when it's hot out a skirt is much more comfortable than shorts for a variety of reasons. I wonder if this will catch on for men though?

SPOKANE RIVER RUN - 50K

Yesterday I ran the Spokane River Run 50k. I set an aggressive goal of sub-6 hours, which was silly considering I haven’t been running much all winter, but thought it would be fun to see what I could do on no training. I finished in 6:15, which included a bonus .5 mile for getting off course after some signs were moved (or something). I finished 54/70 total.

The race was really well organized and the trails were quite pretty. I had no idea that the area around Spokane was so nice. Not that I’m prejudiced against Spokane like some people are, but I never thought of it as a great trail running place. There is a large system of trails along and near the Spokane River and some interesting terrain. The course was primarily runnable though there were some climbs and some really rocky portions that were difficult to run. On the whole it is a fairly fast course for trails.

The 50k course consists of two separate 25k loops, and the loops are marked every mile. I have never done an ultra where every single mile is marked. I actually like it and it seemed to make the race go faster, even though I was also wearing my Garmin and knew my distance. There was some sort of military practice thing going on in the woods and the soliders readily allowed me to take their pictures. I thought this was weird.

It was sunny and hot, maybe in the 70s, which made me feel especially drained. Our dinner Saturday night left much to be desired, as did my choice of breakfast. I decided against using the Caffe Latte Perpetuem for the race and decided to bring my camera rather than gels. I would consume whatever was available at aid stations, which ended up being primarily fig newtons and potatos. Normally I can do fine on anything for this distance but all of these things combined left me with a really upset and sporadically painful stomach. I finished the first loop in 2:45 feeling pretty tired but still optimistic that I could finish under 6 hours.

Early into the second loop there was a fork in the trail that was marked “10k” one direction and just arrows the other. I, along with these other guys, decided we should go the “other” way (since we were not running the 10k), and quickly realized we were going the wrong way. This course is so well marked that there are arrows every few feet it seems like – it became apparent once we reached another fork, that was unmarked, that we had gone the wrong direction. I was upset at first but thought of all the people I know who have gotten lost and run many bonus miles – and realized an extra half mile was nothing. So, no big deal. But, it was a half mile extra and would make it that much more difficult to run under 6 hours.
The second loop had many pretty sections and the miles ticked down. Eventually I made it to the finish in 6:15 and was sad to learn that all the people I went to Spokane with (and my new friend I was hoping would be the women’s winner like last year) had horrible races. The heat combined with the fact that it is APRIL, which means Montanans haven’t had a lot of opportunity to do long trail runs, made it difficult for the high-achievers to achieve characteristically high. They all still had to wait 2 or more hours for me though :p

I am pleased that I have some sort of endurance-memory that allows me to run 50k on little running. I’m increasingly appreciating the fact that keeping generally active can be enough to allow me to participate in stuff like this, though it would be more fun and I would do better if I were specifically trained. On the whole I enjoyed myself thoroughly and would definitely do this race again.

First Ultra of 2010 Tomorrow!

I have impulsively decided to run the Spokane River Run 50k tomorrow since I know some others who are driving over to do this race and I can tag along. Every year I want to do this race and then I forget or am too lazy to make the trip.

This will be an interesting experiment since I haven't been running a whole lot. I am unsure how this will go. I think it's two 25k loops, so if it's a disaster and I know it soon enough I can bail half way. But I'm optimistic that I will have some sort of endurance-memory. I don't really know what a reasonable goal is for this race since I haven't been running, so I'm going to set a somewhat agressive goal and try to run sub-6 hours. Plus, I will be the last one finishing among the guys I'm riding over with so hopefully the motivation of not having people wait around for me all day will help me run faster.

Another interesting experiment is that I plan to use a totally new fueling approach and use coffee flavored beverage during the race. Since I don't really run much any more I haven't had the need/opportunity to test it out. I'm sure it will be fine -- I think race day is a FUN time to try new things.

The final interesting experiment will be to see if I can even remember what I need to pack for an ultra.

Ying/Yang Weekend

Saturday was warm and gorgeous so Sonja and I did a 9 mile trail run on some lower-elevation trails that were mostly clear of snow. It was so wonderful to be outside.
I don't have pictures yet, but Sunday I skinned up Big Mountain with friends and it was cold, blizzardy and icy. It was hard to ski down the chopped up ice. Realizing how unfun it was, although I could manage it (slowly), I took my skis off and walked down the last third. There was glare ice mixed with chunks of ice mixed with other manner of ice. Blech. Not awesome at all.

Where are the plows?

It's that time of year folks -- the workers are plowing Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. You can track their progress here. Their progress is frequently hindered by snow storms and avalanches, but the worker bees dutifully keep plowing best they are able.

There's a period of time where the road is closed to cars but is open to cyclists and foot traffic. Biking in the park in the springtime is really great, especially on a sunny day. Below is a picture from a few years ago when my friend Cat (who moved to Hawaii, boo hoo) and I biked to Avalanche Campground (which it appears will be cleared very soon!) and hiked to Avalanche Lake. I am anxious to get back there.

I have spring fever!

CLOSING WEEKEND

so sad

Today was closing day on Big Mountain. It snowed and then the sun came out. It was pretty great and the skiing was actually pretty good. I'm a little sad that this fun winter is drawing to a close, and am especially not thrilled about the "shoulder"season of melt. Not enough snow to ski but not enough melt to get into the high country for hiking.
Above, left to right, are Corey, Shawn and me. They were my ski buddies all winter, although they actually snowboard. Shawn basically taught me to ski. He is a ski instructer technically though he mostly teaches snowboarding.

Sonja will be really sad to see the snow melt. She loves snow. Yesterday we went on a trail run in Herron Park and she was pleased to find some remaining snow.

This was a really fun winter. I truly think that having a winter sport is critical living in a winter wonderland like northwestern Montana. It makes living here that much more incredibly fun. There's really just so much to do. Even if you're not into exercise, snowmobiling is probably fun (though it's stinky and loud). But what seems important is being able to get out there and enjoy this incredibly beautiful place and take full advantage of each season. Yay!

SPRING IS SPRINGING (early)

My friend Angie, pictured above, and I hiked to Bond Lake on Sunday. The trail, Bond Creek, is 12 miles round trip and meets up with the Alpine #7 trail 2 miles from Bond Lake where we turned around.
There was plenty of snow still but things seemed to be turning green and the world beneath the snow is slowly emerging. It makes me so excited about trail running! I'm glad I've essentially taken the winter off from running because I'm genuinely excited to get back out there.

Also, this was a new trail for me and I'm pretty sure I will want to get back out there. Perhaps on a hot day I will take a little swim. . .

CHICAGO!

I spent the past week and a half in Chicago, where I previously lived (for 5+ years). And Montana is doing a huge ad campaign in Chicago -- many of the busses scream MONTANA! When I think of Chicago, I normally feel unsettled and not altogether positive about my former home. I now realize, however, that the stress of work and such influenced my feelings about the city a lot. Even though my time in Chicago this past week was incredibly busy and, at times, stressful, I enjoyed being back and think it's a great city afterall. I suppose it was a little like seeing an old friend you've totally lost touch with. I felt nostalgic, and at times a little sad. I left behind such great friends, and it was nice to spend a wee bit of time with them. Cheryl and Chris were nice enough to let me stay with them, and I got to see Joe and Kate, in addition to my friends Julie, Jen and Kimber. There were a lot of people I would have liked to see, but was unable to see. I attended a trials skills workshop and it was pretty time consuming and intense. But very helpful.

About that workshop. I've been reflecting on the experience on my way home, and what struck me is how I came across as totally lacking confidence. I learned ways to speak that remedy this impression, which was very helpful. The truth is, I don't lack confidence. I'm not over-confident, but I think I have the right amount of confidence. What I realized is I'm too embarassed to *act* confident and assertive, and I've developed a shtick that I thought would be usefully disarming and endearing. It just comes across as being unconfident which is poor advocacy. I'm glad I realize that now and will practice all the skills I've learned. I think I will be a better lawyer.


Finally, back to running, I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k and finished in 38:34, which is around a 7:4x pace, and was 2775 out of 25,561. Considering we jumped in the corral as the gun went off, and were just planning to jog and have fun, I was pretty impressed. Cheryl and I ran together and it was sort of fun spending the whole time weaving through the masses and pretending to be fast. It seems fast when you're passing people, even if you're not really running fast. It was a great way to end the week -- finishing the goofy race hand-in-hand with my buddy Cheryl.

FANTASTICAL WEEKEND!

Shawn took Corey and me up to Hellroaring Peak, which involved a lovely hike. I wore my skins and they carried their boards.
The sun was shining and the sky was blue. Does life get better than this? I am embarassed to admit though that at one point on the way down I took my skis off and carried them. I'm really not good in the trees. . . but it was really fun to get into the "slackcountry." Yesterday was similarly gorgeous. I got up early, hiked up the mountain, took a few turns and enjoyed some beer. Have I mentioned that life is good?

This week I head to Chicago for "trial school" and will be there for about a week and a half. I miss my friends and am looking forward to seeing them, but I can't say I think we made a bad choice with the relocation thing.

I think ski season is winding down with all this sun and warm weather we've been getting. I'm looking forward to trail running! Wheeeeeeee!!!

I ran a half marathon

Saturday I ran the Snow Joke half marathon in Seeley Lake for, I believe, the fourth time. I finished, according to my watch, in 1:53:29. Last year I finished in 1:52:59 (I think). So, pretty close. The differences were that 1) I haven't been running this year hardly, 2) I ran without Sonja this year and 3) I kept an even pace for almost the whole race. I made it my goal to maintain an 8:30 pace start to finish, and I stayed on pace until around mile 10 or 11 when I slowed a bit. The race is hilly and at 4,000 feet so I actually feel pretty good about my run. Especially given the fact that I've been running about 10-15 miles per week on average. So, I'm not sure what the take away is, but maybe it won't be so much work to re-qualify for Boston, especially now that I only need a 3:45 (I turn 35 this summer and will be bumped into the next age group). Or, maybe, running more miles doesn't help me especially. Who knows.

Yesterday I skiied and it was another great day. I made it down the moguled black run and fell only once. The snow was really soft which helped on the moguls but made it really hard to ski the normal slopes. It was like wet cement. Ouch.