My dad

My energy, my stubborness, my high standards, my always wanting to be doing something don't even come close to my dad's. He was always "doing" - building this, taking apart that, making something perfect, puzzling through some conundrum, puttering around outside (and, until he was 90, literally putting four days a week at the golf course...but at 90 he found himself unable to walk the 18 holes so gave up the game). He was not a big fan of my new adventure - figuring there are lots better ways to cross the country (his choice would be flying, with himself at the controls as he had been a pilot in the Canadian Air Force during WWII). But I kept working on him - and it definitely provided us with some animated discussion.

The last couple of years have been tough for my dad. Physical ailments piled up and he was unable to do all the fiddling that had kept him so happily busy throughout his life. This fall, thoroughly frustrated with just sitting around and feeling yucky, he stated he wouldn't make it past Christmas. He is a man of his word. My pop, my standard of excellence, died this afternoon.

As I make my way across the country this summer, I'll picture him shaking his head over all the zig zagging I'll have to do. On the tough days, I'll dig deep and call on the big dose of stubborn he endowed me with. And as I arrive in Petoskey, I'll smile remembering that it was pop who moved his family to such a beautiful spot on this planet - a home worth running across the country to....and I'll look skyward with a wry grin - just like his own - to show him I did it!

95 miles. Done!

Slip sliding from my house to the bike path three blocks away took 7 minutes. But the bike path followed by 16 miles east on state highways were the best plowed surfaces I've run since the storm hit. A surprise wind added a new challenge today - but I got lucky and had it at my back for all but the last 4 miles or so. And to cap off the run, my family arrived at the right place at the right time then took me to breakfast. All in all, a mighty fine finish to my first 95 mile week!

Another 90+ mile week, another snow storm

The last time I had a 90-mile week scheduled (the first 90-mile week of my life), we had a snow storm - about 8 inches' worth. This week was my second-ever planned week of running in the 90s (95 miles to be exact) and we had another snow storm...22 inches of fresh powder was in our yard as the snow tapered off on Thursday. Covering 95 miles on foot is going to be a challenge this week. Here's what I have so far:

• Monday Run #1: 2.5 miles to/from the grocery store before heading to Denver to pick up my sons at the train station (the train arrived at 7 a.m.).
  
• Monday Run #2: 10 miles mostly in CU's cross-country course, with a friend, talking about travels, family, books - very pleasant.
• Monday Run #3: 4 miles looking at Christmas lights
• Tuesday Run #1: 12 miles on a hilly loop then a flatter trail warm down, much of the hilly portion with a running buddy. Again, very pleasant.
• Tuesday Run #2: 3 miles looking at Christmas lights on the way to meeting the family at a restaurant.
• Wednesday Run: 13 miles from the very beginning hints of the snow storm and on into the big snow, big wind, way cold. Very exciting.
• Thursday Run #1: 6 miles back and forth on a neighborhood street that had been plowed once. Very tough going.
• Thursday Run #2: 2 miles attempting to look at Christmas lights until I realized how stupid it was to be out there in the rutted moguly snow in the dark.
• Friday Run: 11 miles of verrryyyy slow running. Per my log: "snow pack, two feet of snow, ice, you name it - except clear roads." The middle chunk of this with a running buddy - good thing he was along since we encountered a never-plowed 1 mile stretch of bike path (in the middle of a 4 mile stretch of bike path) and I toppled over as we were wading our way through the thigh-high snow...I'd pr'y still be floundering in the powder if he hadn't been there to pull me out! I added up my miles for the week upon returning home and realized I'd have to run 16 miles on both Saturday and Sunday to get my 95 weekly total. I had my doubts that that would happen, given the road conditions...
  
• Saturday Run #1: 11 miles with the first half very slow over packed powder and icy chunks but the last half with running buddies along the cleared portion of the same bike path as yesterday's run. Very tired and tight quads, glutes, and hams from all the slogging through snow.
• Saturday Run #2: after the morning run I was ready to drop my quest for 95 miles, I was just so tired of running through the snow and ice. But, I had to mail my sons' tuition payment so I stood up from my desk, told my younger son (the cross country runner) it was time to go for a run to the post office, and donned my running gear (just a couple hours after returning from the morning run). Off we went to the post office, then extended the run a bit into the next neighborhood over, then returned back to our neighborhood at which point I realized that if I did another out/back on our semi-plowed neighborhood street (a one-mile long stretch each way), I'd have a total of 5 miles for this run and 16 miles for the day. Done.

So - "just" 16 more miles and I'll have my 95 for the week. I've laid out the route for tomorrow - a road that was quite well plowed when we had our last snow storm and that I can follow east for 16 miles (at which point the plan is for my family to pick me up). If it gets dicey the further east I go, I'll just turn around and head back towards home, the same way I came...hopefully totaling a 16 mile round trip!

No faux sneaux here!

The weather forecasters were waffling big time earlier in the week about how much snow we might get with an incoming front. I figured I'd best get out early today just in case the predictors of a Big Snow (the majority of the weather folk) were right. When I left the house there was just a wee itty bit of a dusting of snow on the ground, temperatures were mild (upper 20s), and the wind was light.

My route started on a southerly direction then curved east/northeast where the wind picked up a tad - but the snow lightened even more and I was starting to believe we were in the midst of a faux sneaux storm. This was maybe 5 miles into the run. Howsoever, about 8 miles into the run, the snow gods got serious, the wind howled and the snow whooshed down. It got so bad at times I had to swing around and put my back to the wind...the snow simply stung too much when I was pointed straight into it. Fortunately, around 10 miles into the run my route curved west and south putting the wind at my back....but not before questions such as "What are you, crazy?!" started popping into my head.

I was having to dig deep to keep myself running, then decided to provide myself with a little diversion and ran past my pre-retirement office, waving at all my coworkers as I passed their windows. One dashed outside and hollered "Are you nuts!" and I replied with "This is what you get to do when you're retired!" By the time I got home, I was one frozen popsicle runner. And just as I stripped and was stepping into the shower, my husband walked in yelling "hot latte delivery" - my hero!

Oh - as for the weather forecasters: those who were going for the big numbers had it right. We're measuring 18 inches in our backyard, a mere 12 hours since I started running in the aforementioned "wee itty bit of a dusting of snow" and the flakes continue to fall.

Holiday endeavors

Last week I ran 85 miles and this week I have 95 miles planned. It's also one week until Christmas. Here's my current schedule of activities: wake up, bake, run, stretch, shower, eat, bake, clean up after all that baking, eat, run, bake, clean up, sleep. Do it again!

Running: play? job? sanctuary?

For most of my years as a runner, running was play: a chance to gallop in the sunshine, skip through the leaves, hop over rocks, race - or not - with running buddies. But, with my run to Michigan on the horizon, I've had to take running very seriously - fit in the miles, do the stretching, get enough to eat and sleep, run in the morning, run in the afternoon, and do it all over again...sort of more like a job, though I can't really bring myself to call it that cuz, well, it's running and I do love to run.

Back when running was strictly play, it also provided a sanctuary whenever I was going through a rough patch. It just so happens that I've hit another rough patch and when I headed out on my longest run of the week at 5 a.m. today, I was wondering if running, now my serious endeavor, would still provide sanctuary. I'm relieved to report that, yes, running - no matter how seriously I need to take it - still soothes the soul. My miles gave me time beneath the moon and stars, sounds of a nearby owl, a rooster, and the rhythmic tapping of my feet against the pavement, wind brushing my cheeks and crisp air filling my lungs, the mountains' gradual appearance on the western horizon as the sun slowly climbed behind me. A couple of hours alone with my thoughts heavy and light undulating with the ground I covered - then a rendezvous with my running buddies for another hour running, this hour with their banter and friendship. Yes, running is still my sanctuary.

Paying attention to the details

My legs have felt rather rickety this week. But, rickety or not, I had a 12 mile run on tap for this morning and I was determined to get it done. On the plus side, some of it was with the Boulder Road Runners; running with others tends to make me forget all the aches and pains and the miles fly by. But by the time I left the Road Runners and added another hour to the run, my legs were once again squawking. It may take a bit of pounding on the cranium, but eventually, I get the hint. This time when I got home, I did everything right:

• got the coffee started as soon as I walk in the door
  
• stretched gently but thoroughly - all parts of my body
• drank some chocolate soy milk to do a quick nourishment replenishment during the window when replenishing is most effective
  
• hosed my legs down with cold water - lots of cold water, lots of hosing, thighs on down
• fixed a good breakfast and sat down and ate it without rushing

It seems to have paid off. After breakfast I went over to Kendall's school to help in the library and my legs felt lively on the walk both there and back. I definitely need to pay attention to these details if I want to make it through The Run!

Meeting with The Coach

Mark P is my volunteer coach. Since he simply stepped up and said he'd love to help me with this adventure, I don't like to impose on him too much - so we exchange emails and meet just every now and then. Today was one of those meeting days. What a positive influence he is! He still gets a most amused look on his face when we talk 180-mile weeks during The Run - but then he turns right around and lays out a plan that positions me well for achieving those 180-mile weeks and assures me that a lot of training effect will take place during the run.

So, between now and June, I stay on the four-week cycle:
Week 1: pile on miles
Week 2: pile on more miles
Week 3: cut back on miles and emphasize quality (hills, tempo, fartlek and an overall quicker pace)
Week 4: easy week
Throughout: focus on recovery (nutrition, vitamins, stretching, ice, epson salts, sleep)

Based on the plan we arrived at today, I'll be running 100-mile weeks by mid-January. And the week of March 12th, I'll run a 180-mile week ("for my head" since I'm really concerned about going into The Run, of many 180-mile weeks, without ever having run a 180-mile week). I'll also have a 160-mile week in April and a 140-mile week in May to experiment with back-to-back 30-mile days. The last 3 weeks before The Run I cut back on the mileage so I can hit the road feeling fresh. So! That's the plan ...as of December 13th!

Where do the mornings go?

When I was working, my mornings usually consisted of a pre-dawn run, dashing off to work (packing both my breakfast and lunch), responding to a myriad of emails and voice mails, going to meetings, problem-solving, adjusting project plans, testing, analyzing, yada yada yada.

In contrast, this morning (a fairly typical post-retirement morning) saw me: wake up around 5-ish (a hard habit to break), turn on the bedside lamp and grab my book as soon as my husband awakened, get up and get ready to run when I got to a good stopping place in my book, run for a couple of hours (hill repeats with AndyE today), get back home and stretch, do situps, pushups and a few other exercises, fix breakfast, do the morning sudoku, take a shower ....and, can you believe it, it's already noon!

Gifts from Japan

Firstly, I didn't post anything yesterday - but - I must make mention of Saturday morning's exquisite run. I ran from home to the Boulder Reservoir (the site of the Boulder Backroads Marathon's start and finish) to meet up with running buddies AndyE and Joe. We then headed north on the dirt roads from the rez for a few miles then came back via trails. Bright blue sky, sunshine, countryside peaceful quiet, hawks watching from trees, literally thousands of geese flying overhead filling the sky. A golden, golden run.

As yesterday's grand finale, my eldest (Devon) returned from Japan last night. He had a great trip and came home bearing fantastic tales - and gifts! He has a knack for selecting the perfect gift and it did it once again. He brought me two wrist sweat bands, black with Japanese characters in gold lettering (CU Buffalo colors!). One translates into "strong will" and the other is "sure victory." They may be a tad toasty to wear every day on the way to Michigan, but I certainly wore them on today's run and plan on wearing them on many runs to come. Arigatou Devonsan!