Renewed Commitment

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~Howard Thurman

It's been a long time. Too long. Running has been pushed aside in favor of personal life or work. Now I am recommitting myself to my goal. Today I have registered for the next half marathon. On June 7th, 2020, I'll be running the Swan Lake Half Marathon in South Dakota. (Thanks to my work coach Kelly in Melbourne, Australia for the motivation to set this firmly.)

HM Recap: Mayor's Half Marathon, Anchorage, AK, June 18, 2016

John Muir, the famous naturalist, wrote in his journal that you should never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live. And there's a lot of truth to that. ~Tom Bodett

Since Alaska is such a great destination, my whole family (husband and two sons) accompanied me on this one. A recap of our family trip:

6/16
Arrived middle of the night, greeted by the famous midnight sun.  First road trip destination: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Inventory of wildlife seen at the Conservation Center: eagle, owl, lynx, moose, caribou, elk, wood bison, fox, porcupine, Sitka black-tailed deer, wolf, black bear, and brown bear. My son Kyle took the picture below of the brown bear we saw bathing in a pond to keep cool (long lens was used to get close-up).

6/17
Seward boat tour operated by Major Marine. Highlights of the boat tour: four groups of humpback whales, two groups of orcas (one resident and one transient), sea lions, mountain goats, glaciers. Lunch served while anchored close to a glacier. Entire tour narrated by a National Park Ranger.

Concluded the day with a short hike to Exit Glacier.

6/18
Race day! Temps in the 60s and slightly overcast. Course was mostly paved path with a section of grassy trail, much of it through woods or overlooking the ocean. What you need to know if you run this one: steepest hill climb was right before the finish.

Kyle, my oldest, ran in the race with me, his first half marathon. He's really fit, so we ran separately. As expected, he crushed my time. He finished in slightly over two hours, me in under three hours--both our times acceptable to us based on our prep.

Celebratory lunch at Benihana. Evening rest activity: a movie, Now You See Me 2.

6/19
Kyle was awakened by extreme thirst followed by severe abdominal pain. Initially thought it was related to having run the race, but ended up at the hospital that night for an emergency appendectomy. Good news was the appendix wasn't ruptured or abscessed, and a laparoscopic approach was used. Since the surgery was late and his white cell count was elevated, he was admitted.

6/20
Discharged from hospital, and 24 hours after arriving at hospital, we were on an airplane bound for home.

Alaska
There aren't words to describe the beauty, and the pictures really don't do it justice. Go. Rent a car and drive around. Take a boat tour and get close to a glacier. See the midnight sun. Run a half marathon. You won't regret it. (Maybe we'll see you there when we go back.) 

HM Recap: Great Bay Half, Newmarket, NH, April 10, 2016

Enthusiasm is the great hill-climber. ~Elbert Hubbard

The Great Bay Half in New Hampshire was a really well organized race. From the off-site parking and shuttle bus to the fresh pizza at the finish, the services provided were attentive and much appreciated. Also, the 1/4-zip red windbreaker given away with race registration is nice to have, and added to the vividly colorful participant pool. The temperature was in the low 40s so I dressed in multiple layers, though the sun was out and pleasantly warmed us racers both during and after the event.

On the downside:

• The hills were steep and super challenging (since I didn't prep well for them)
• There was a headwind to deal with the last few miles, making it hard to keep up my pace and stay warm as the sweat evaporated

Many pluses:

• A late start of 11:00 am
• One of the shuttle bus drivers, Captain Al, was a "party bus" driver as his regular job. His banter included welcoming us to "Disney" for the "worst spandex parade ever".
• Saw several pairs of beer socks. There was beer at the finish, and the socks were a terrific motivator. (I learned that "beer" is a two-syllable word in the Northeastern dialect pronounced "bee-ah".)
• Met twin sisters, local women about my age and my running pace, one running the half and the other the 5K. The two races started at the same time and shared the first 2.5 miles of the course.
• A couple miles of packed dirt road, surrounded by forest with glacier-dropped rocks and boulders strewn throughout, and the occasional bubbling brook. It was my favorite part of the course--not too hilly, peaceful, easy running.
• Musical entertainers along the course, including belly dancers between miles 9 and 10. Yes, belly dancers. I applaud their commitment to their art, dancing in those outfits that didn't provide much protection from the cold.

Newmarket is only a little over an hour drive from the Boston area and about 20 minutes from Maine. The weekend included sightseeing via duck tour in Boston on Saturday and a scenic drive along the southern coast of Maine on Sunday afternoon. Though my race time was slower than I'd like, it's another state checked off the list, number 11 so far, and a memorable trip with my husband to quaint New England.

Another Runner Connection

I donated blood this week and connected with a fellow runner, an Armstrong CC and Track coach named Sarah. She did a fabulous job drawing my blood and also suggest I try Clif Shot Bloks in order to maintain energy on the long, cold runs. Thanks, Sarah!

Schedule Juggling - NH, Here I Come!

Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight. ~Orison Swett Marden

Nearly a month has gone by, and I haven't gotten back to a regular training routine. Though I've been buried in work, I know that shouldn't be an excuse for maintaining a good exercise regimen. I commit to running a 5K as soon as I finish posting this. And continuing to train diligently until the next event.

Today I reviewed my race calendar and investigated options. Mississippi next weekend is unrealistic, not to mention too expensive (and also Easter--what was I thinking?). I also have to move Tennessee in April since there's a work meeting in CA the day before so it won't work logistically. Below are the scheduling changes I made:

• MS moved from March 2016 to September 2016 in Tupelo
• TN moved from April 2016 to April 2018
• NH moved from April 2018 to April 10, 2016

The NH race is in Newmarket, only an hour drive from Boston. The race is on Sunday, an 11:00 am start time. So much is good about this--Saturday-Monday airfare is cheaper, able to stay in Boston and eat fresh seafood, it doesn't conflict with work travel. Also, there's a jacket for racers:

Time to Buckle Down

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt

I've updated my tentative and upcoming pages, moved Texas to 2018. Though this winter has been mild, I haven't been keeping up my run training as I'd like, and I don't feel ready to do an event at this time. It's time to buckle down and ready myself for the Mississippi event at the end of March.  I got an email from a Minnesota run group with a recommended training schedule for beginners that I thought would be good to share:

HM Recap: Ole Man River Half, Gretna, LA, December 19, 2015

...Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy is to miss all. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

This was a race jammed into a busy schedule and not one for which I prepared well, but it turned out to be a good experience anyway. Race location was Gretna, across the river from downtown New Orleans. There are quaint houses lining the streets beside riverside shipping yard clutter. I went back the day after running via the ferry to take in a little more of the scenery.

While I didn't run very fast (a sluggish 2:41), other highlights from the race weekend:

• Cold, windy race day. 46 degrees at the start. Felt chilled to the bone all day long.
• Celebrated 20 year wedding anniversary in New Orleans
• Ate more cajun spices than ever in my life, including delicious Crawfish Etouffee at Pier 424 Seafood Market on Bourbon Street
• Met a runner named Katie from Rapid City, SD who is a Navy Reservist currently stationed in New Orleans--we mutually motivated each other near the end of the race