Better than drugs

I woke up in a grumbly mood. As usual, upon waking, I prepared for a run. I knew in my head where I wanted to run - up...up on trails...up on long trails. But it took a lot of effort for my head to first convince my body to go out the door and, secondly, to convince my feet to keep heading west. Two miles into the run, the rhythm of the run began to encompass me. Three miles into the run, the cacophony of the city began to fade. Four miles into the run, it was just me and the trail... burnt-red leaves of scrub oak, the occasional twitter of a bird, sporadic breezes cooling my face, and a bright blue sky overhead.

This running, this running to quiet spots...quiet spots out of doors with sky as roof and trees, pine needles, streams and boulders as pathways...this is how I stay right with the world.

Keeping Busy

Almost-full October moon over the Continental Divide at dawn

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling a tad bored...so I started a landscaping project. That wrapped up just before a dose of wintry weather blew in. And now, as of today, I find myself working three jobs!

The day started with the volunteer job I've had for a little over a year - a three-mornings per week gig that I thoroughly enjoy reading newspapers over the airwaves for the visually impaired. Bonus - this volunteer job I can actually run to & fro and revel in the early dawn hours of quiet Boulder town.

After reading, I trotted home and took on my second job of the day, copy editing some articles. The copy editing actually pays Real Money - just enough to cover the cost of my fiddle lessons. Wahoo!

Now I'm off to my third job of the day - volunteering as a data entry person at the Boulder Obama headquarters.

Not bored no more no more nope nope!

The perfect loop

I wake up to discover it's loads warmer today than yesterday...comfortable shorts and long-sleeve t' weather.... So! head out the back door under a star-studded sky, run by the post office to drop a letter in the box, head east into the next neighborhood, point myself toward the sunrise and realize it's getting light enough to run trails so I do just that, and after an hour of smooth easy running, arrive at my volunteer job relaxed and refreshed.

Finish my Wednesday morning assignments, drink a cup of most-excellent coffee (Unseen Bean - superb stuff!), walk out the door to downright balmy temperatures, and continue on in the counterclockwise direction of my earlier run. Jump off the road and onto a sort-of-a-trail for a change of pace, spot a snake slithering away just in front of me, duck under golden quaking aspen leaves, cross some railroad tracks, discover the place where they make jibbitz (those decorative thingies for crocs), duck into another neighborhood zigging and zagging and daydreaming until I discover I've come back out onto the road I'd ducked off of so zigged and zagged some more back into the neighborhood then onto a bike path, heard a woman tell her dogs to "pay attention" and thought wouldn't that be something to teach a dog how to do - I never quite succeeded on that one with my boys!, gawked at a yellow-flowered bush covered with dozens of butterflies and bees, meandered over to another trail followed by yet another bike path, then on into my neighborhood and home, scoop up my newspaper and trot through the front door.

Ten miles of town running, almost all quiet roads, trails and bikepaths, from twinkling stars to sparkling sunshine, and didn't retrace a single step. I love those loop runs!

Heart and mind

Several years ago I was offered a job in New York City. Just prior to the trip to NYC when I was to give them my decision, I went for a run at Boulder's Teller Farms trail with the satboys gang. It was a glorious autumn day, blue sky, crisp air, and wonderful company. We ran over a series of hills, finally cresting the "water tower hill" when the Continental Divide and a host of hot air balloons filled the view. Much like today.


It was at that moment, that I knew I couldn't leave Boulder for the fast track job and faster NYC life. I've never regretted the decision. Every time I run up a hill and see hot air balloons drifting in front of the mountains, I think of that day and am grateful. Yes, my life would have been filled with great opportunities and adventures. But! My husband wouldn't have gone back for his teaching certification, my sons may not have discovered the college where they have had their own fantastic experiences, and I wouldn't have been able to retire at 54 opening the door for the year's training and subsequent run to Michigan when all the planets aligned to make it such a successful journey. The logical analysis of the job opportunity pointed to saying yes, but my heart and gut said no. Listen to that heart and gut - and revel in the sun, the mountains, and hot air balloons.

One year ago

June 6, 2007 - the adventure began. 1400 miles later, I was changed forever.
I am a lucky woman.



The send-off festivities (driveway and past my office):

Leaving Boulder:

Nebraska - of sandhill beauty and friendly drivers:




Iowa - 25 days into the journey...
who'd've thunk it'd take so long?!

Minnesota - a state of corn - lots of corn - but over 70 miles of trails too!

Wisconsin - a return to the great north woods - and - Lake Michigan!













...and then Michigan...









A mere 57 days and 1384 miles later, there was just one run left to go:

August 1, 2007, the finish line:

oh yeah...

Why I run

A local marathon has been advertising a "Why I Run" promotion. Such a question typically leads to a myriad of responses. Today I woke up in a funk. Perhaps the combo of no-big-goal and too-much-routine were wearing on me. Who knows. But rather than trot off to my Thursday morning exercise class, once I laced up my shoes and headed out the door I found myself pointed toward the trails. Up hills, through woods, over rocks, along babbling brooks, spring flower-dappled meadows at my side, blue sky above, air filled with bird song, and funk nowhere to be found.
This is why I run:

How 'bout that?!

Bolder Boulder participants - my 2 favorite quarterbacks (see www.bolderboulder.com)

When I last posted, I pondered how I'd run the Bolder Boulder. It was a day of surprises.

First surprise: I was in the mood to race...and not so much to race the clock, but to just see how fast I could go while feeling good. Hopeful goal: break 60 minutes. Dream goal: run my age (56:xx).

Second surprise: I ran the first mile (a downhill mile, very tempting to go too fast) well in control and hit it in a comfortable 9:11. It just so happens that a 9:10 pace would get me across the finish line just under 57 minutes.

Third surprise: After running miles 2 and 3 (uphill miles) in the 9:20s, I started picking up both speed and energy, and mile times dropped for each mile from 4 on.

Shocking surprise: I checked my watch at 9K and discovered that, if I could hammer the last kilometer, I'd sneak in under 57 minutes. AND I DID IT!!!! I've always known that my brain/stubbornness has a whole lot to do with any running success I might have - and it came through again this time. Not only did I concentrate on picking the shortest line along the course from 9k on in, but when I got to the very rude uphill just before the 6 mile mark and my legs started screaming at me, I answered back with "if I can run 1400 miles I can run this friggin' hill" - and so I did. Mind over matter - a delightful phenomenon.

Lessons learned:

• Bits of speed work add up. I did the occasional workout with the Boulder Road Runners, hill repeats on my own, tempo runs with running partners, and 1 minute pickups tossed into everyday runs. A little something at least once per week...apparently enough to jazz the legs up sufficiently for a 10k.
• Attitude is everything. Arriving at the starting line in the mood to experiment with speed, combined with putting my ego on hold, opened the door wide - and I leapt right on through.
• A little luck goes a long way. The weather was cool with occasional light drizzle. Hard on spectators but a perfect day for a run.
  

The Bolder Boulder question

Another stellar morning in Boulder. During today's run, I was greeted with the sight of two hot air balloons rising up behind Valmont Butte as I made my way to my volunteer job. (The balloons are the two specs just above the butte in the center of the picture...my phone camera certainly leaves something to be desired...)

A few mornings hence and the Bolder Boulder will fill the streets with runners and spectators. It's quite the gala event. I've not yet decided what approach I will take this year: run? race? run with a friend? see how fast I can run? As I trotted home from my volunteer job, I crossed paths with a fellow Boulder Road Runner who asked what I was shooting for on Monday. I told him I wanted to finish with a smile on my face. He had the better answer when I asked him what his goal was. His response: "I want to be drinking a beer by 8 a.m."

As for racing versus running, my body has still not fully transitioned out of the long-slow-run mode. However, I had a revelation after volunteering at last weekend's Big XII Track & Field Championships (a fantastic meet by the way - info can be found at www.cubuffs.com). Much of my volunteer time was spent at the back of the final straightaway where I had a fabulous view of runners flying down the track...spectacularly chiseled bodies, with soles of their shoes flashing back at me as the runners accelerated toward the finish line.
A few days later, as I was doing 90-second repeats along the South Boulder Creek path, that vision of the soles of the shoes came back to me - and I started pulling my feet through, lifting my heels behind me...not as high as my butt like the gazelles of the Big XII mind you, but certainly off the ground more than the millimeters I had been lifting them all last summer. My goodness, what a difference that makes! Not only does one go faster, one goes further with each footfall as well. Miraculous! My hopes for a potentially fast(ish) Bolder Boulder went from "hah! in your dreams!" to "hmmm! perhaps...maybe...wouldn't entirely rule it out..." Bottom line goal, however, remains Finish With A Smile! It is the 6.2 mile-long Bolder Boulder party after all!

Mothers Day

In my younger days, I did not have plans to be a mom.
Spending a decade or so with Kendall and the Miller family changed my way of thinking.
Now, I cannot imagine life without my sons, Devon Andrew and Paul Kalen VaughanMiller.

Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life.
~Maureen Hawkins

Loose ends

After pretty much coasting of late, I experienced a flurry of activity this past week (perhaps inspired by completing our final project for the CU class I was taking - or perhaps egged on by the realization that almost a year has gone by since The Run started). In any case, the last two items of my post-run to-do's have been checked off the list:

1. Submit my four-part series of articles to Marathon & Beyond. (Who knows if they'll want to publish them; fingers are crossed.)
2. Send a thank you to Gatorade who provided me with 1400-miles' worth of Riptide Rush for the trip. A palatable enough beverage that I still drink it! Along with my thank you note, I included a link to a Gatorade-related slide show of pictures from the run. The link to the slide show is on the side bar of this blog.

So! Now that the post-run checklist is done - perhaps it's time to start on a new adventure, eh?!