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."

This is a pic of my three beautiful kids. This pic was taken on Dec. 27th 2007, my youngest daughter Courtney's 18th Birthday. I feel so lucky that we were all together at Christmas. My middle daughter is Chelsea and she is 20. Caleb is the oldest and will turn 22 in January. Chelsea is on the left, Courtney in the center and Caleb on the right. They are growing up so fast.

Today is my Mom's 76th Birthday. She is the best Mom anyone could ever ask for. We are all getting together for a Birthday dinner tonight at my sister's house.

Today I ran with my brother and a couple of his friends in Annadel. We ran between 8-10 miles. The pace was fast and my knee felt great. Even my bad ankle didn't hurt. YEAH!! What a great run to end 2007 with.

"Life is a great and wonderous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here and right now. Don't miss it." Leo Buscaglia

New Years Resolutions----Believe in Yourself

Once again, I am guilty of being a blog slacker. Sometimes it is so hard to think of something creative to say....

Christmas went well this year. As I have said before, it is not my favorite holiday, but it turned out to be a Christmas filled with lot's of family and good cheer. The kids were thrilled with their gifts and we managed to pull off a Christmas Eve celebration with 35 family members for dinner!! Whew! I got a new pair of running shoes and I just love them. They are the Brooks Adrenaline ASR. Trail shoes that have proved themselves to be my favorite. They are light and supportive and they have a low profile. I have been wearing them for several months now and hold up well even during a 100 miler. Try them if you need pronation control.

Yesterday I got out on the trails after a two week layoff due to an injured knee. It was so hard to just cross-train and not run, but the rest paid off. I ran for an hour without any pain! The eliptical and the pool have been my saving grace. Thank God I have a gym membership and a pool to swim in.

It is almost time for New Years resolutions. I don't know about you, but I always start the year off with some promise to myself that I try and stick with. I am one of those people that can be quite strong and filled with will power if I put my mind to it. In 1981, I made a New Years resolution to never drink alcohol again. My father was an alcoholic and I had had a very bad week with him and his drinking. It seemed like a perfectly good resolution for me. Well, it is almost 2008, and I have stuck to my promise and have never had a single sip of alcohol since!! I am very proud of that. I was afraid to ever become like my father in that way. My chances of having alcohol become a problem in my life was higher due to my family history. I never wanted to become controlled by the bottle. I wanted to break the chain of destruction and prevent my future children from going through what I had gone through. I also loved myself too much to possibly live my life like he did.

I challenge you to find a New Years resolution that will change your life for the better. It can be anything. Believe in yourself and love yourself enough to make a positive change in your life. You will be surprised at how powerful that can make you feel. As we plan our races for 2008, think about what you want to do that will positively change your life for the better. Then, stick with it and you might be amazed at the outcome. I am a better person today because of my 1981 New Years resolution. I am a good example to my children and I hope they understand just what not drinking has done for me and for them. Start brainstorming and BELIEVE!!