Destination Long Runs

The last few months have been a flurry of activity.  Any time I look at my calendar and discover a small block of spare time, poof!  It soon disappears and is filled with another commitment.  Anyone who knows me understands that I enjoy being busy, but this full calendar has (once again) made it difficult to keep up with a stringent marathon training plan. 

I traveled twice to California in the last month: once to Los Angeles/Long Beach to visit Issac’s family and once to Sacramento to visit my sister.  I was very proud of the fact that I was able to squeeze in all long runs scheduled for these timeframes without interfering with the tours, events, gatherings, and explorations planned for these travels.  My legs got quite fatigued after such long/eventful days, and my shins are still on strike, but I was so pleased that I didn’t let these trips ruin my strict running schedule.

While in Long Beach, Issac and I completed a 17-mile run that took us along the waterfront.   We passed a crew regatta (which caused me to reminisce about my college rowing days!) and lots of beach panoramas.  There were several downpours during our stay, but, remarkably, it didn’t rain at all during our run!  The stormy clouds were slightly ominous as we looked out over the water, but we had a lovely run.  Here are photos that I took on our way:

My first run in Sacramento was perhaps one of the most amusing ones that I’ve ever had.  As luck would have it, I had mapped out a route that precisely mirrored the course for the Shamrock'n Half Marathon on the American River Trail.  I found myself out on the course ahead of the runners of this race (as I had started prior to their 8:00AM start time), and many of the police officers, course volunteers, and bands thought I was in the lead of the run!!  They cheered me on, and two of the bands started playing when they saw me coming up around the bend.  I was actually quite embarrassed but had no alternative route planned, so I kept running along and announcing whenever I got the opportunity, “I’m sorry, I’m not in the race!”  Some of the kids volunteering at one of the water stations responded, “You still are doing a great job!” and continued to cheer me on anyway.  It was very cute.

Eventually, I reached a point where the course turned onto crowded Sacramento streets with many spectators lined up on both sides of the road.  I clearly did not have a bib number, and I felt uncomfortable completing a training run through such large crowds.  I had only finished about 7 miles, but I called Erica and asked her to pick me up and take me home.  I enjoyed this taste of what it would be like to be out front in a race, but I was ready for the adventure to end!

I also realized that I would have to run the opposite direction of the Shamrockn Half’s 5K event for my last 9 miles.  I certainly didn’t feel up for having a “fish swimming upstream” experience, so that was another reason to end my run early.

My second attempt to complete an 18-mile run in Sacramento went much more smoothly. 

I passed the sunrise over this bridge on the American River Trail.

I encountered several vocal wild turkeys as I ran.

I had finished the entire run by 10:00AM, which gave us plenty of time for our programmed culinary walking tour of downtown Sacramento. 

I don’t have any more trips planned within the 6 weeks between now and my second full marathon, but I’m looking forward to many other scenic and memorable runs!

The Final Countdown!

It is difficult for me to fully grasp that I will be running the Portland Marathon in just 3 days and 17 hours from this very moment.   Wow!  Eek!  Yikes!  This ominous, futuristic, unknown beast is finally here.  I’ve spent the past several months building it up in my mind and envisioning what it might be like, and now I’ll get to experience it firsthand at last.  It’s time to meet the monster.

They say that you’re not supposed to set a goal time for your first marathon, as it’s impossible to know what your body will do on race day.  Your only goal should be to finish.  However, it has been very challenging for me to not play the number game.  I even have a running calculator saved to my desktop, and I often find myself crunching numbers and creating various scenarios: “What will my time be if I start out at 9-minute miles, and then slow to 10-minute miles at the half?  What if I run full-speed to 16 miles, then slow down to 11-minute miles?  What if I get completely burnt out and have to walk 3 miles near the end, then resume at a speed of 9-minute-30-second miles?”  It’s easy to make myself dizzy with so many numbers spinning in my head.  I am constantly reminding myself that the time on the clock when I cross the finish line is completely arbitrary and insignificant, but this seems to be a tough lesson for me to learn.

It’s also hard for me not to think of all of the horrible possible occurrences throughout the course.  I’ve read scary accounts of marathon runners with digestive problems (who aren’t able to make it to the portapotties-- yuck!), unforeseen injuries, bad chaffing, muscle cramps, dehydration, vomiting spells, etc.  I am coaching myself to push these negative thoughts aside and focus on all of the positive things of running these 26.2 miles.  This will be a goodtime! 

On that note, I’ve created non-numeric goal for myself: I’m going to find something “fun” on every mile of the course.  This could be an amusing sign, an enjoyable entertainment band on the side of the road, an interesting running outfit, a particularly enthusiastic supporter, an adorable child giving out high-fives, or a cute dog.  I will attempt to mentally take note of them all. The Portland Marathon is supposed to have one of the best crowds around, and this should greatly enhance my first marathon experience.  I’m going to try to appreciate every minute of it.

I also feel incredibly grateful that so many friends and family will be there to cheer me on throughout the way.  The support of my parents, aunts, friends, and co-workers (who are all traveling to the race) is very inspiring.   They will certainly make a difference for me.

I’m in the process of creating the final preparations for this event.  I have so many last-minute decisions that can stress me out (e.g.: Should I wear my water belt during the race or rely on the water stations?  What shirt should I wear?  Should I wear my heavier socks?  Should I wear rain gear?  What should I eat for breakfast before the race?  What should I eat to carbo load?), but I’m attempting to just take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of the journey.

Portland Marathon 2013, ready or not-- here I come! 

The Enchantments

A year ago, I fell in love with the Enchantments-- an Alpine Lakes Wilderness region near Leavenworth, WA.  The area offers an amazing juxtaposition of tropical-colored waters, stark black-and-white granite geology, and rugged mountains, and it's impossible to describe the extensive color combinations and diverse panoramic scenes found within it.  Because it is such a natural treasure, the US Forest Service restricts the number of people who can stay in the Enchantments via a lottery system, and I feel very fortunate that I've been able to backpack into this natural wonderland two years in a row (thanks to Rachel's incredibly good luck!  I have never been awarded a permit myself, even though I've entered the lottery multiple times).  Both trips exposed me to different parts of the alpine basin (we entered and camped at opposite sides of the region) and reminded me of the fact that I don't need to travel far to see some of the world's most spectacular views.

I've struggled with writing an accurate trip report from our backpacking trip two weekends ago, but here are a few highlights with some of the 200+ photos we took throughout the journey:

We powered through the challenging hike-in with our heavy packs.  Although it included many obstacles and steep inclines, it was nothing compared to our scramble up Aasgard Pass last year!

We set-up camp right next to Upper Snow Lake, and Marc's  hammock provided the perfect accessory to go with our "home" for the trip.

We covered a lot of diverse terrain during our explorations, and our brightly colored outdoor apparel often contrasted with the bleak rock faces that surrounded us.

We came across lots of wildlife, including several friendly (luckily, non-aggressive) mountain goats --  as well as deer, marmots, and fish. 

We also ran into a fellow hiker who had the misfortune of injuring her leg while in this remote wilderness.  We watched as the helicopter circled around us, struggling to find the best location from which to rescue her.  (I later read in the local newspaper that she had been airlifted to a hospital and was doing well.  Thank goodness!).

The cold lake water helped soothe aching feet and legs at the end of long days.

My observations about this outdoor kingdom included the following:

The beautiful scenery of the Enchantments ranges from bright wildflowers...

... to austere peaks.

The colors of the waters range from bright greens...

... to teal blues.

                                       

In addition to the numerous lakes, the astounding water features of the area include many natural waterfalls...

... and this crazy man-made drainage created in the 1930's.  It looks like the world's largest fire hose spewing water off the top of a mountain!



Perhaps my favorite images of the Enchantments are the breathtaking, picturesque reflections often displayed on still waters.  It doesn't get more beautiful and peaceful than this!

We celebrated our successful 2013 Enchantments backpacking adventure at the Icicle Creek Brewery in Leavenworth. Unfortunately, it was then back to reality!

We have no plans to return to the Enchantments at any point in the near future, but perhaps these photos and memories will serve as my "happy place" during future times of stress or frustration.  Who could feel upset in such a majestic setting?!

Out and About

After running 15 miles on Saturday (my longest run yet-- yay!), we ventured out for some more fresh air on Sunday.  Here are some photos from our hike:



 

 

The weekend culminated with a Sounders game, which also seems as though it should count as physical activity-- as there is so much standing, cheering, jumping up and down, etc. involved.

  

It is now Monday, and I am dragging.  As usual, I feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.  :)