I love Montana so much, whenever I fly back home, tears come to my eyes when I look down and see the mountains surrounding Missoula. But it still takes a while to re-acclimate myself after being back east. The cool, dry mountain air is so refreshing after the heat and humidity of NY and Ohio. Still, my first run after we got back I didn't feel so good. Then the next day I went for a very nice short run. I feel like I am finally back.
I have missed the feel of the earth beneath my feet. Even when we ran on "trails" in Ohio, they were paved. Knowing this would be the case, I brought my road-running shoes with me on the trip. I really missed my next-to-nothing New Balance trail shoes. Running with them on trails is about as close as I can get to running barefoot. My feet had begun to hurt from running on pavement. While it may be that people are meant to run barefoot, we are certainly not meant to run on pavement.
I missed the tall Ponderosa pine, the cool alpine desert/forest terrain. I missed that quiet alone time when I run for an hour and see no other humans, just maybe a deer or two. I do look forward to the day that the new puppy, Arrow, will be able to go for these runs with me though.
Arrow has surprising bursts of energy between naps. The other day we took advantage of one of these bursts to see how he would do on a walk to the creek (1/4 mile?). It was awesome! We have since gone on several walks of about the same distance, and he shows no sign of tiring. He is very smart and agile and stays right with us. Except, the other day when we got distracted by a snake and he decided to keep on going home without us. We were looking for him for a while before we thought to go all the way back to the house, where he sat calmly in the yard, waiting for us. Yup, he's a keeper.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Home Sweet Montana
After some travel delays, we finally arrived home on Tuesday evening. After leaving my father's, we met up with Jim at his mom's in Cleveland. While there, I went for a run every other day, and one day played Ultimate Frisbee with the family. We played kids vs. adults and the kids kicked our butts. Of course they had two superstar runners on their team, young miss Riley who can do a 20 min 5K and Joey who no one can beat - he'll be a freshman this year and may be on Varsity track.
One day Jim and I went for a long run, but I ended up walking the last part back to the house because the humidity was killing me. Another day I got to run with one of Jim's sisters, Becky, who does triathlons. The hardest part for me was all the sidewalk and pavement running. I missed the trails! But I resigned myself to maintenance running and was just happy to have survived the vacation without too much laziness and gluttony.
One of the best parts about coming home is that we finally got to get a puppy. The kids have been asking for a puppy since before Wesley died, and we told them we had to wait until one of our dogs passed away (thinking that Josie, who is old and has some health issues, would be the first to go). But we have learned that life doesn't always work out the way you expect it to, and we lost Wesley first. Since then we have talked a lot about the next dog we want to get.
We really wanted a dog that would be a nice, friendly family dog, who wouldn't scare people the way Wesley sometimes did. We wanted a smart dog with lots of energy to go for runs with us, and play with the boys. We talked a lot about different breeds that would be good for us. As much as I love the idea of rescuing a shelter dog, we really wanted to get a puppy that we could train ourselves, and because kids just love puppies. The week before we left for our trip, we found the perfect situation/dog for us. The day before we left, we went and picked out our puppy, Arrow.
Arrow's mom was rescued from a shelter in Idaho, very pregnant with him and his 8 siblings. (See story and pictures HERE.) No one knows who his father is, but he is a smart and good looking pup. We picked him up the day after we got home.
Arrow's first night here was a little rough. He was crying, alone in an unfamiliar place, so I went downstairs and cuddled with him on the couch. By the second night, he was comfortable in his bed underneath my desk, his own private little cubby. He has been exploring the yard a little bit at a time and has ventured as far as the chicken coop. He is particularly interested in the chickens, who make lots of noise and run when they see him. Josie growls at him, and yet seems happier now that he is here, so I think that she will eventually accept him. The cat, Fernando, has been sneaking past him, so that she knows that he is here, but he didn't know that she was here until this morning when they met up on the stairs. It will take a while, but I think they will eventually be friends too, like she was with Cody and Wesley.
It will be a while before he can be a running, or even walking partner, for me, but I think he's going to be a good one and I'm willing to wait. He has quickly become a part of the family and we look forward to many years with our new friend.
One day Jim and I went for a long run, but I ended up walking the last part back to the house because the humidity was killing me. Another day I got to run with one of Jim's sisters, Becky, who does triathlons. The hardest part for me was all the sidewalk and pavement running. I missed the trails! But I resigned myself to maintenance running and was just happy to have survived the vacation without too much laziness and gluttony.
One of the best parts about coming home is that we finally got to get a puppy. The kids have been asking for a puppy since before Wesley died, and we told them we had to wait until one of our dogs passed away (thinking that Josie, who is old and has some health issues, would be the first to go). But we have learned that life doesn't always work out the way you expect it to, and we lost Wesley first. Since then we have talked a lot about the next dog we want to get.
We really wanted a dog that would be a nice, friendly family dog, who wouldn't scare people the way Wesley sometimes did. We wanted a smart dog with lots of energy to go for runs with us, and play with the boys. We talked a lot about different breeds that would be good for us. As much as I love the idea of rescuing a shelter dog, we really wanted to get a puppy that we could train ourselves, and because kids just love puppies. The week before we left for our trip, we found the perfect situation/dog for us. The day before we left, we went and picked out our puppy, Arrow.
Arrow's mom was rescued from a shelter in Idaho, very pregnant with him and his 8 siblings. (See story and pictures HERE.) No one knows who his father is, but he is a smart and good looking pup. We picked him up the day after we got home.
Arrow's first night here was a little rough. He was crying, alone in an unfamiliar place, so I went downstairs and cuddled with him on the couch. By the second night, he was comfortable in his bed underneath my desk, his own private little cubby. He has been exploring the yard a little bit at a time and has ventured as far as the chicken coop. He is particularly interested in the chickens, who make lots of noise and run when they see him. Josie growls at him, and yet seems happier now that he is here, so I think that she will eventually accept him. The cat, Fernando, has been sneaking past him, so that she knows that he is here, but he didn't know that she was here until this morning when they met up on the stairs. It will take a while, but I think they will eventually be friends too, like she was with Cody and Wesley.
It will be a while before he can be a running, or even walking partner, for me, but I think he's going to be a good one and I'm willing to wait. He has quickly become a part of the family and we look forward to many years with our new friend.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Concrete Jungle
While visiting my father in Rochester, NY, I have gone for a couple of little runs. The first was a very short one on my first morning here, then yesterday I went for a bit longer. Even longer than I'd meant to.
I do prefer to run on trails and in parks, etc., and am used to running in the woods where dangerous wildlife life and can be seen, but most of them prefer not to be seen, and will hide when they sense my approach. The city is a much different experience. My father lives in the suburb of Irondequoit, an area of manicured lawns and lush flora. However, only blocks away the scenery changes dramatically.
I chose to run from the house instead of driving to a park, in order to save time. My father showed me a route on the map that would be about 5 miles. I thought I knew where I was going, but I didn't realize that Clifford turns into Empire. Because I was looking for Empire, I missed my turn and just kept running, right into the city.
The neighborhoods were quickly going downhill (boarded up windows, lack of lawns, etc.) but I kept expecting to run into Empire, continuing on, thinking it would be the next light or the next...I saw some young black men standing on the street corner and figured the best thing to do would be to confidently run right by them, but I startled one of them so badly when I came up behind him he said "whoa girl, I almost started running myself."
Soon I saw signs for "Marketview" and "Beechwood," neighborhoods I'd read about in the paper before, usually in some story about a shooting or something equally unpleasant, and I knew I was definitely in the wrong place. So I asked a young woman who was walking down the street if she knew where Empire was, and she had no clue. It was time to turn around. Finally, I saw some white people out on a corner, selling the Sunday paper. I asked them for directions and they sent me on my way.
It is an unsettling feeling being the minority in another culture. The people I saw were not used to seeing a little white woman jogging through their neighborhood. It was a good thing it was Sunday morning, I suppose. As I ran back to my father's house, I noticed the neat, mowed lawns, then realized I was noticing lawns, not just mowed. It was really strange to me to see how much the neighborhoods changed in such a short distance. There is a line there, between cultures, and I had crossed it, but most people here usually don't.
So everything turned out fine, and I ended up going for a 6-7 mile run instead of the 5 miler I'd intended, but I am still bothered by the contrast that I saw, the disparity between these two cultures that exist side by side but never mix, the wealth next to the poverty, and the huge difference between this place and where I live.
I do prefer to run on trails and in parks, etc., and am used to running in the woods where dangerous wildlife life and can be seen, but most of them prefer not to be seen, and will hide when they sense my approach. The city is a much different experience. My father lives in the suburb of Irondequoit, an area of manicured lawns and lush flora. However, only blocks away the scenery changes dramatically.
I chose to run from the house instead of driving to a park, in order to save time. My father showed me a route on the map that would be about 5 miles. I thought I knew where I was going, but I didn't realize that Clifford turns into Empire. Because I was looking for Empire, I missed my turn and just kept running, right into the city.
The neighborhoods were quickly going downhill (boarded up windows, lack of lawns, etc.) but I kept expecting to run into Empire, continuing on, thinking it would be the next light or the next...I saw some young black men standing on the street corner and figured the best thing to do would be to confidently run right by them, but I startled one of them so badly when I came up behind him he said "whoa girl, I almost started running myself."
Soon I saw signs for "Marketview" and "Beechwood," neighborhoods I'd read about in the paper before, usually in some story about a shooting or something equally unpleasant, and I knew I was definitely in the wrong place. So I asked a young woman who was walking down the street if she knew where Empire was, and she had no clue. It was time to turn around. Finally, I saw some white people out on a corner, selling the Sunday paper. I asked them for directions and they sent me on my way.
It is an unsettling feeling being the minority in another culture. The people I saw were not used to seeing a little white woman jogging through their neighborhood. It was a good thing it was Sunday morning, I suppose. As I ran back to my father's house, I noticed the neat, mowed lawns, then realized I was noticing lawns, not just mowed. It was really strange to me to see how much the neighborhoods changed in such a short distance. There is a line there, between cultures, and I had crossed it, but most people here usually don't.
So everything turned out fine, and I ended up going for a 6-7 mile run instead of the 5 miler I'd intended, but I am still bothered by the contrast that I saw, the disparity between these two cultures that exist side by side but never mix, the wealth next to the poverty, and the huge difference between this place and where I live.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Effortless!
Today was just about the opposite of Saturday's grueling run. I got up before the sun so I could get a run in before Jim went to work. Conditions were perfect, a nice cool morning, and I felt great. I saw several deer, including a nice looking young buck and a doe with twins. I felt so good, I wished that I could just keep going and going. It's days like this that I remember why I love to run. Hill? What hill? I just flew right up it.
Was it the weather? The terrain? The rest? The shoes? Who knows. A combination of all of the above. Sometimes its hard to predict when you will have a good run or a bad one, but when you're having it you know for sure. I am so thankful for days like these.
Was it the weather? The terrain? The rest? The shoes? Who knows. A combination of all of the above. Sometimes its hard to predict when you will have a good run or a bad one, but when you're having it you know for sure. I am so thankful for days like these.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What can you learn from a bad running day?
Two days after my strenuous run/hike with John, Jim was ready to test his legs out again, and John offered to watch the kids for us as we went out for a run together. Although I was still sore (like, barely able to walk down the stairs my quads hurt kind of sore) from Friday, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to run with my own personal ultramarathon man, Jim.
We ran out in the woods behind our house here, along a route both of us have done many times. It was a great day, early, not too hot, and just a super run. We figured we went about 11 miles. I was feeling pretty good. Better, in fact, than when we'd started. So we planned another, longer run, for the next weekend. This time we actually had to pay someone to babysit the kids, but it was well worth it (they hung out with our friends Adam and Aubrey - an experienced outdoorsman and a nurse - so we felt comfortable leaving the boys with them!).
Well, that run didn't turn out to be as glorious an experience for me as the previous one. For one, I felt like shit. I'm not sure why. Maybe still recovering from the previous weekend. Also, we started too late on a hot, sunny day (8 am) and I forgot my sunglasses and didn't bring a hat. I didn't eat breakfast, and didn't bring my preferred trail food (cliff bars). I was soon standing at the side of the trail feeling like I might pass out. I had a Montana Huckleberry Hammer gel for breakfast, and was able to go on, but never really very well.
We did get to run somewhere we've never run before - up in the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. We went to the Franklin Bridge - 16 miles round trip. I can't say that I actually ran the whole way. I was feeling pretty poorly and the sun was blasting down on us. I was struggling. I was suffering. Then, on the way back, I realized that we had been running gradually uphill the whole way. It was so gradual, I couldn't even tell. I just knew I was floundering. So, I felt a little better on the way back.
I had a bad running day. It happens. But, it helped me to realize something. I have been pushing myself, trying to get to the point where I can run a marathon, and giving myself a hard time because I'm not there yet. And I've finally accepted that maybe its just not going to happen this year. And I'm not sure I even want it to. Races stress me out. I get so worked up the night/morning before racing, then I get down on myself for not performing better...when really I just want to run to stay fit and healthy and have a good time. Why stress myself out?
One problem for me is that I compare myself with Jim. This is completely unrealistic. Jim, obviously, is not like everyone else. He finds great joy in just running for miles and miles. I'm not sure if it is the same for me. It is a different thing. And that is ok.
So, I've kind of let my marathon goal go for this year. Because in order to get to the point where I can do the one in September well, I need to be doing long runs (like 20+ miles) while on my trip back east to NY and OH. It may be better to just take it easy and enjoy myself.
We ran out in the woods behind our house here, along a route both of us have done many times. It was a great day, early, not too hot, and just a super run. We figured we went about 11 miles. I was feeling pretty good. Better, in fact, than when we'd started. So we planned another, longer run, for the next weekend. This time we actually had to pay someone to babysit the kids, but it was well worth it (they hung out with our friends Adam and Aubrey - an experienced outdoorsman and a nurse - so we felt comfortable leaving the boys with them!).
Well, that run didn't turn out to be as glorious an experience for me as the previous one. For one, I felt like shit. I'm not sure why. Maybe still recovering from the previous weekend. Also, we started too late on a hot, sunny day (8 am) and I forgot my sunglasses and didn't bring a hat. I didn't eat breakfast, and didn't bring my preferred trail food (cliff bars). I was soon standing at the side of the trail feeling like I might pass out. I had a Montana Huckleberry Hammer gel for breakfast, and was able to go on, but never really very well.
We did get to run somewhere we've never run before - up in the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. We went to the Franklin Bridge - 16 miles round trip. I can't say that I actually ran the whole way. I was feeling pretty poorly and the sun was blasting down on us. I was struggling. I was suffering. Then, on the way back, I realized that we had been running gradually uphill the whole way. It was so gradual, I couldn't even tell. I just knew I was floundering. So, I felt a little better on the way back.
I had a bad running day. It happens. But, it helped me to realize something. I have been pushing myself, trying to get to the point where I can run a marathon, and giving myself a hard time because I'm not there yet. And I've finally accepted that maybe its just not going to happen this year. And I'm not sure I even want it to. Races stress me out. I get so worked up the night/morning before racing, then I get down on myself for not performing better...when really I just want to run to stay fit and healthy and have a good time. Why stress myself out?
One problem for me is that I compare myself with Jim. This is completely unrealistic. Jim, obviously, is not like everyone else. He finds great joy in just running for miles and miles. I'm not sure if it is the same for me. It is a different thing. And that is ok.
So, I've kind of let my marathon goal go for this year. Because in order to get to the point where I can do the one in September well, I need to be doing long runs (like 20+ miles) while on my trip back east to NY and OH. It may be better to just take it easy and enjoy myself.
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