Relay for Life: Relay yes, Life certainly.

This past Friday and Saturday Boulder hosted the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  I was honored to be one of over 140 participants at this amazing event, held at the University of Colorado's Potts Field (track).  From the cessation of rain just as we arrived to set up our site, to the closing ceremonies where it was announced that over $24,000 was raised this was a truly memorable experience.

Just a few of the highlights:

* hearing about promising research,
* experiencing the survivors' and team lap,
* running to the beat of the band under dancing rainbows,

* sharing the luminaria ceremony with friends,
* strolling around the track with my son Paul as Friday turned to Saturday,
* running the midnight 5k, my first midnight race ever (note to self: never again eat an apple fritter minutes before running a 5k!),
* walking hand-in-hand with husband Kendall under the light of the morning star shining ever so brightly in the night sky,
* running my Saturday morning workout with friends who appeared at Relay just at dawnbreak



All of this happily done with the company of 21 Relay teams joined in the battle to beat cancer, the disease that never sleeps.

Relay by the numbers:

• 21 teams, 142 participants
• $27921.65 raised (updated 7/29/2014)
• Top team fundraiser: Boulder Balvihar, $2,773.36 (updated 7/29/2014)
• Top individual fundraiser: me! $1,440 (updated 7/29/2014)
• Relay hours: 6 p.m. - 6 a.m., but there were breaks from circling the track for opening ceremonies and survivor ceremony (~1 hour), and for the luminaria lighting ceremony and reading of names (another ~1 hour), plus a couple hours that I spent napping after the midnight 5k and 1 a.m. pizza.
• My midnight 5k time: 29:52
• Most laps reported by an individual: 100
• My total number of laps: 84 (21 miles)

4th of July

If I were to have to choose a day when I most miss living in Petoskey, it would be the 4th of July.  I am a sucker for parades, marching bands, open air concerts, festivities at the waterfront - all done with small town enthusiasm.  And the Great Lake. And the beach.  And the million dollar sunset that needs no fireworks to evoke the oohs and ahhhs.  But then there are the fireworks shot off over the bay - both Petoskey's and Harbor Springs'.  Yep, Petoskey - and all of the surrounding towns - does the 4th of July up right.


But if not in Petoskey nestled in the Great Lakes North Woods, but in Boulder nestled up against the Rockies, well, what's a runner gal missing her hometown to do but run the trails and revel in the Colorado blue sky, wildflowers, flatirons, hawks and butterflies.
 

 


Of course, being the 4th of July, it must be cherry picking cherry pie time.  You can take the girl out of northern Michigan but you can't take the northern Michigan cherries out of the girl!

 

My kind of running

Not much can beat running with friends.  You cruise, you laugh, you push each other to reach new heights, you commiserate, you build memories and dream up new schemes.  Yep, running with friends invariably brightens the day.

Not much can beat a hard run that squeezes every ounce of energy out of your body, tears at your muscles, covers you with sweat, and leaves you depleted - and with a big ol' sloppy grin on your face because you just conquered the seemingly unconquerable workout.  Yep, busting open a monster workout is magnificent.

Not much can beat a run through the wildest elements that nature can throw at us humans: torrential rain, hurricane force winds, blizzards.  As Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Watterson) said in March 1993:

But I do believe my very most favorite kind of running is along a trail surrounded by wind, birds, critters and long vistas.  Our recent road trip treated me to a plethora of trails, every one enjoyable, every one unique.

• The Flint Hills Nature trail - of which I ran but 15 miles of its 117 mile length through the Flint Hills and tall grass prairie of Kansas, following the general route of the old Santa Fe Trail.  Rolling, breezy, prairie peace.
  

• The Little Traverse Wheelway is now a bicycle path running along Little Traverse Bay/Lake Michigan from the north edge of my home town of Petoskey to the town just south of Petoskey.  In the "olden days" (pre-bike path) I would run this route via a dirt/sand dune path.  It's a bit more modernized now, and I certainly encounter more people now than I used to, but the views of the lake still can't be beat.  It remains one of my all-time favorite running routes.

Trillium spotted along Little Traverse Bay

 

Little Traverse Bay

 



 

• The Upper Yahara River Trail in De Forest, Wisconsin was a most welcome discovery within a few minutes' running from the campground we stayed at on our way back to Boulder.  A lovely little trail through a park, tree, and wildflower corridor along the Yahara River.

  

  Upper Yahara River Trail - photo from Village of De Forest WI web site

• Kearney, Nebraska's Pioneer Path is newly completed and practically right outside the doorstep of our campground in Kearney.  It made for an easy morning run, off roads, alongside an abundance of wildflowers (and the north channel of the Platte River) and right onto the grounds of the Archway Monument.

So, yeah, trail running - an injection of peace and quiet while providing a delightful tour of whatever part of the country one might find oneself!

A hodgepodge of running this past month!

When last I posted, I had just finished a long peaceful run in the snow with Taz pup.  Many miles have been put on the running shoes since that day and the days have warmed up quite nicely!

Connie, me & Anita post-race

After a whole lot of miles and weeks and weeks of solid training with running buddies Connie and Anita, the 2014 Bolder Boulder came and went.  And, just like last year, I ran it in 58-and-change, beating my age, and placing sixth in my age.
What was my goal for this year's running?  Consistency!
Can't get much more consistent than that!




Two days after the Bolder Boulder, Kendall and I set off in Hedwig for an almost-summer trip to Michigan, this time by way of Kansas City.  It was great to have a change of scenery and what a delightful change of scenery it was!  Some highlights:

The Eisenhower Presidential Library - Abilene, Kansas!

The Flint Hills Nature Trail 

- where I ran east for about three hours.  The entire trail stretches 117 miles from Herington at the west end, then Council Grove where I picked it up, to Osawatomie in the east, passing through Flint Hills tall grass prairie lands.  It also happens to be the 7th longest rail-trail in America and the longest trail in Kansas so I certainly have plenty more trail to run the next time we're in the neighborhood! As it was, 'twas a real treat to once again spend a few hours trotting along a quiet rolling rural rail trail... just me, birds, butterflies and the breeze.... 

wildflowers abound

broken down bridge & butterfly

flint face

Flint-stone fence posts

long view

Hedwig - always a welcome sight at the end of a long run

 Kansas City

From the trail it was straight to Kansas City  for a visit with Devon and Corinne (our son and his girlfriend) and the Stanleys (Corinne's parents).  Kansas City is quite the happening town (actually two towns - one each in Kansas and Missouri): parks, art, food, music, and great people.  A wonderful visit!

Loose Park where we ran & walked each morning

In KC, they even think about the dogs

Mom and her first-born son

"League of Extraordinary Librarians" to Kendall from Devon with love

 Up North!

 On the way from KC to Petoskey, we made a quick stop in Fort Wayne to visit my cousin, Kathleen.  No run there - but a lovely luncheon interlude during a long-drive day.

Then it was on to Petoskey and days filled with visiting mom, reuniting with old friends, enjoying Petoskey's summer playfulness, running in one of my most favorite places on earth - and gazing at the aptly-named Million Dollar Sunsets over Little Traverse Bay.

,

Me and mom - together again

Petoskey Yarn Bombers liven up Central Park's cannon

Great Lakes Rail Cars cruising through downtown

View of Little Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan from a favorite run route

...a good trip...

Mother's Day!

Mother's Day 2013: snow in Petoskey!

Mother's Day 2014: snow in Boulder!

Taz and snow-bent flower on Enchanted Mesa trail, Boulder, Mother's Day 2014

Taz is beginning to wonder what this whole "Mother's Day" thing is about.  Methinks the next time he hears those words, he will automatically start looking for snowflakes!  This year's Mother's Day, Taz and I are in Boulder, elder son Devon is at his home in Kansas City, and Kendall and younger son Paul are on the road back from KC with my brother, Dave, whom Kendall treated to a weekend of NASCAR racing.  So Taz and I spent the morning doing one of my most favorite while-away-the-morning activities: running on trails.  Yes it was snowy and wet. But oh yes it was lovely.  In the two hours we were out there, we encountered only two other people - one woman walking, one woman running.  And we also encountered deer, rabbits, a fox, robins, hawks, flowers bending under the snow, and sparkling white pines.  'Twas like running in a cocoon.  So peaceful, so quiet.

Back at home: a big bowl of oatmeal with walnuts and dried cherries, followed by a pasty-making extravaganza.  I'm trying out a vegetarian version, so not quite traditional but they sure look good - pry even better once out of the oven.  Hopefully a yummy treat for the fellas when they arrive back home!

Overlooking Boulder from Chautauqua trails.  Boulder? Where's Boulder? Mother's Day 2014

Turning the Corner

Westerly view from Singletree Trail - May 3, 2014.  Beautiful.

As mentioned in prior posts, I am attempting to rebuild fitness...an effort that has been taking much longer than in any prior instance where I've had to build back up again.  "Frustrating" would be the word that most aptly describes the current experience.  However!  Progress is being made; the plateau is shifting!

Qualitatively, I am noticing an uptick in energy and runs are beginning to flow.  Better yet, there is quantitative evidence to support the theory that a return to fitness is an achievable goal:

• I got up the gumption to race!  A 15k!  More slowly than years past, but much better than I had expected.  I would have been disappointed with anything slower than 99 minutes, elated (astounded, in fact) if faster than 90.  In actuality, I crossed the line at 91:57 and felt great having run a very steady pace throughout (purposely conservative in the very low 10s for the first 5 miles then dropped into the upper 9s for the last 4+).
• I logged over 200 miles for April - my first over-200 month since last April.  More than a number, the 200+ reflects a consistency which has been sorely lacking and much desired.
• As part of the quest for 200+, I logged 57.5 miles last week - my highest mileage week this year and only the third week in the 50s for 2014.  And they weren't just slogging miles, nope nope!  They included two speed workouts (one 2k, 2x1k, 4x500m workout and the other 4 x 8 minutes hard/3 minutes easy) as well as a very long run.  Which brings me to:
• I completed a 3-hour run yesterday!  On a gorgeous day (as illustrated by this post's pictures), the last hour with two good friends, and finished tired but strong.  My last 3+-hour run: April 28, 2013.  It is good to be back.

Easterly view from the same spot/same time on Singletree Trail.  Peaceful.

I've always considered the true test of fitness to not just be the workout, but the day-after-workout.  How does one feel the next day? How well does the next run go?  So how did today's post-57.5-mile-week/ post-3-hour-run test go?  Splendidly!  Mondays I run to my volunteer job - a run that often takes over 40 minutes (depending on fatigue and weather) but has been done as quickly as 37 minutes.  Today: 39 minutes and feelin' smooth!

Weehaw!  The comeback is for real!

Something new and different!

 

Taz and I had a new experience today:  the Canine Classic 5k for people and dogs.  The starting corral was quite interesting.  For one thing, it was, without a doubt, the noisiest race start I have ever been involved with - dogs do not quiet down when start time approaches!  And little Taz was a bit unsure of himself, being hemmed in with humans and dogs - most bigger than he - with no room to do his jump-up-and-spin-around move when other dogs started getting up close and personal. 

Once the run started we got the full effect of this morning's driving snow pellets.  Yow!  My cheeks are still burning, five hours later.  To add to the entertainment, there was the whole weaving around moving dogs, people, and leashes challenge coupled with a running surface that was primarily two-track mud.  Most folks chose to run off to the side - which gave me and Taz clear sailing right through the mud.  It was, indeed, muddy, but not too slippery so seemed a good choice until my left shoe was sucked halfway off my foot.  Oops!  But mostly it was fun.  Driving ice bits, shoe-sucking mud, dogs everywhere.  Who could ask for more?

At the turnaround point, it really, truly, became enjoyable.  The wind (and ice pellets) were primarily at our back, the crowd had thinned out, and Taz decided that this was mighty good fun. Rather than the flush at my side or slightly behind me position he had held during the into-the-wind portion of the course, he strutted out in front and got his big ol' cattle dog grin on his face.  Both of us picked up speed - and picked off dogs (and humans) - as we cruised to the finish.  A classic 5k indeed!

More fun was in store for Taz after the race.  Ya' know that mud we charged through? Well a whole lot of it ended up on Taz's legs and belly.  Into the bath the pup went (poor li'l fella, he really does not like water - even with Kendall feeding him ham bits continuously while I was scrubbing him down).  He did, however, like the post-bath towel rub and nap.  And we sure think this sparkly clean beee-a-U-tiful cattle dog is just about the finest pup - and running buddy - on the planet!

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning: not just my house, the yard, and my desk and the pile of tax stuff, but the air, the town, the hills, the prairie.  All is sprucing up and coming alive!

We had a spring snowstorm to start off the week.  It also added a bit of character to the land as well as a jolt to start greening things up.



  
As the week and training progressed, I realized that my body also seemed to be taking part in the reawakening going on around us. Hills were successfully tackled on Wednesday, tempo was enthusiastically thrown into the midst of a 12 mile run Saturday (yesterday), and today....ahhhhh....today.... 

Looking toward the flatirons from Enchanted Mesa Trail

The plan was for a long run, easy pace, and to be back in time to go to Captain America with Kendall and Paul.  Two out of three ain't bad!  I meandered and found myself up on the trails....soul cleansing, mind freeing and oh-so-peaceful.  When I realized how long I had been out, and that I'd have to find the shortest, fastest way down to get to the house in time for the movie, I pulled out my phone and called Kendall to tell him I was having a wonderful morning on the trails, was thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet - something that Captain American was just not going to offer - and to go on ahead without me.  I then tucked the phone away, and headed higher up on the trails.  Fabulous!

Spring flowers peeking out along the trail