Climbing a 14'er at the North Shore

Today, Matt and I climbed a 14'er. It was an awesome climb to the top. When we reached the top, we JUMPED! Out of a plane!! It was incredible! We free-fell for one minute and then glided slowly over the blue waters spying pods of whales as we descended.

Jumping out of a plane has always been a fear for me. I knew that one day I would conquer that fear. Matt surprised me with this jump today and I was so excited but not really as afraid as I thought I would be. Just another beautiful day in Paradise.

I have not been able to run here. I don't feel safe here in this town to be running. I would definitely stand out like a sore thumb. There is few tourists where we are staying and I don't get the feeling that the locals would welcome me. I am so glad that I feel totally comfortable in the ocean. I can get my exercise there. Speaking of the ocean, Matt and I went to Sharks Cove to snorkel today. It is suppose to be a calm cove with excellent snorkeling. The cove was rough today and after getting thrown into the rocks and cutting my hip and ankle, I decided to watch instead. Matt stayed out for about 30 minutes and enjoyed the beautiful fish. Aloha, all.

H.U.R.T sure does hurt!

The HURT 100 was just an amazing race. I had the honor of pacing my good friend and running partner, Suzanna Bon, to 1st woman and on top of that she finished in 5th overall! All this in just a tad under 32 hours. 31:56!!

The trail was just gnarly with deep soupy mud, roots, rocks, and lots of technical trails. The weather was warm and humid and the rain forest was just beautiful. We ran through bamboo forests and crossed a river with the help of a long rope. I saw a 160 ft. tall waterfall and watched Suz perservere despite a leaky hydration bladder, and a led light that was just not up to par. Despite everything, she managed to keep her sense of humor and dug deep both physically and mentally. Even as she continued to run with a very painful knee, she remained focused and strong.

I have to say that the HURT 100 is a well put on race. The aid stations are well stocked and the volunteers are top notch. Thank you to Luis Escobar, Cindy Goh, Jeff Vierya, and to everyone else who helped make our time in Oahu fantastic.

I better start saving my money as I just might have to go back and run this race myself next year. That gives me a whole year to prepare for the hurt at HURT!

Matt and I are enjoying ourselves while we swim and snorkel at Makaha, which is on the west side of the Island. We are enjoying the warm sun and sand in our condo on the beach. We have seen several turtles while we have been swimming and the fish are just so beautiful. Aloha for now.

Onward to Hurt!

Tomorrow Suzanna and I leave for Hurt!! I am so excited. Please send good vibes for us on Saturday!! It will be tough. I may not get a chance to blog while we are in Hawaii. If I can get to a computer, I will update my blog when I can.

Above, is a picture of Karen making her way across a rock face.

Today my Mom had surgery to have her cancerous thyroid taken out. Thankfully, she did very well. My sister and brother and her many friends will watch her closely while we are gone. Thank you to everyone who prayed for her.

Yesterday Karen and I took Matt to see this amazing cave that we found last week. Sometimes it is so much fun to just relax and EXPLORE. Sometimes we find bones and sometimes we find caves. You just never know what you may find when you start to bushwack and explore.

Thursday, Suzanna and I are leaving at the buttcrack of dawn for Hawaii! I am excited about seeing the Hurt 100 course and to be pacing Suzanna. Matt will join me on Sunday where we will stay a week in Makaha. I am looking forward to some R&R.

Today I swam for a long agonizing 45 minutes. My arms felt like they weighed a ton and it was quite a chore to stay in the pool today. I need to commit to getting into the pool more often so that it is not such a pain in my butt to do it. I should be able to swim for 45 minutes easily.

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." Oprah Winfrey

A friend trains for the Susitna 100 in Alaska

Check out this video of my friend Bill Bradley. He is training for the Susitna 100 mile in Alaska. He is a crazy, but very likeable guy. Good luck, Bill!

Check out my Slide Show!

Running and Stuff

First off, the GOOD NEWS. My Mom's CT scan of her brain and lungs showed NO cancer!! Thank you to all who said prayers and thought about her yesterday. We felt every positive thought out there. Thank you so much. Her next surgery is scheduled for January 16th to remove the rest of her Thyroid.

Well, Hurt 100 is in exactly 16 days! As I mentioned before, I am pacing Suzanna and I am so honored to be doing that. Matt is going to come over after the race, and he and I will stay there for a week for some much needed R&R. I can't wait.

My running is going well. I feel good except for a nagging right hip that has been inflamed for a few months. I am going to have some treatment for it tomorrow. The guy is suppose to be good and does a technique called A.R.T. I will let you know how it goes. I ran with Karen today in gale force winds and freezing cold rain. It was far from pleasant. Our heads and hands were so cold that it was painful and we had to cut our run short due to the pain. I know, it sounds kind of wimpy now.

I came across the greatest blog. Check it out if you get a chance. The nutritional sections are amazing. I just love information like that. It's motivating and really interesting. A perfect read for the beginning of the new year. This blogger also has some interesting things to say about the aging athlete, racing and finances. He is also a coach. I guarantee you that it will be hard to move away from his site. Enjoy. Peace out for now.

Happy New Year 2008!

Happy 2008!!

We started the New Year out right with an incredible run/hike up Goodspeed trail and to the summit and back down. A clear, cold and beautiful day! Karen and Bob and Matt and I. Certainly a day to remember. Here's hoping all of you a great and Healthy year in 2008. Now with all of our resolutions under our belts, it is time to start executing them. Exciting huh? Well, kinda.

Tomorrow afternoon we find out the results of my Mom's CT scans. I am so nervous and scared. I just feel so helpless. This is so out of my control. I. hate. it. The future seems so uncertain right now. I know that I need to get positive and I must stay that way. Being any other way is not an option. I pray that I can stay strong for her. Please keep her in your thoughts. She means so much to me.


Dance in the rain

“There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?" So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head."H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly....

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass--it's about learning to dance in the rain."