Other Long Distance Adventures

It's been a while since I've blogged about running, mostly because my runs are pretty consistent now: short and great, or long and boring.  I'm training for a half that is a few days before my thirtieth birthday.  I hope to crush my PR (1:57:30), but I also am trying to have fun with it since it will likely be my last long distance race.  The longer distances are getting harder and harder on my thirty year old body, and I want to keep my knees.  Instead of continuing to tackle long distances, I'm changing my focus to short and quick runs (5k's in 24 minutes or less).  It will take a new type of training, but I'm ready for some change.

I also have been training my body through long distance hikes, which are less harmful to the body because the impact is not as bad.  Backpacking is one of my new favorite hobbies, but the extra weight is also a concern.  So far, I have not have any issues, and I still get the same sense of accomplishment from conquering long distances via hiking shoes.

So, without further ado, here are my favorite two adventures from this summer:

This summer, we found our favorite place on Earth.  We also backpacked 25 miles in three days. 

This summer, Nathan and I invested in some backpacking gear so that we could hike and stay overnight in remote locations.  Now we are addicted!

Our first major trip was to Reed Lakes in Hatcher's Pass, Alaska (pictured above).  After nine miles of hiking, rock jumping and river crossing, there are two beautiful lakes and no people.  We went with two friends, one of which is also new to backpacking; the other an avid hiker and backpacker.  We learned a lot about what to bring (lots of extra toilet paper) and what not to bring (a box of wine).  After camping in paradise for one night, we had a long trek back but it was worth the effort.  We plan on going back again soon for a day trip.

Crow Pass - 25 mile hike from Girdwood to Eagle River

After our first backpacking trip, we realized we were pros and should spend two nights out in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere.  This time, we went with two newbies and started 45 miles south of Anchorage in Girdwood.  We hiked up a few thousand feet and came across a group of mountain goats; the ram was not very happy to see us.  We had to veer off trail to avoid him (those suckers are big up close)!  Once we were far enough away to feel safe, we camped overnight near the glacier.

The following day, we hiked 10 miles, which included a large river crossing.  I will spare you a few of the embarrassing details—okay, no I won’t.  I cried like a baby as we crossed the river.  It was so cold, our toes were numb for weeks after due to nerve damage.  I was so relieved when we made it across, but when I looked down, my legs were beet red from the cold and I almost didn’t know they were still there because they were so numb.  We quickly took off our wet gear, got dressed and got moving because we learned this was the best way to warm up.  It worked.

There were a few other minor river crossings, none of which were as bad as the first.  That night, we camped between piles of bear scat, clearly in bear country.  None of us slept great, knowing that there could be hungry predators nearby.  In actuality, bears want very little to do with humans, but it’s always better to be more cautious than not. 

Day three was another 10 mile hike, which seemed to go on forever.  By then, we were all tired, hungry, stinky and ready to be home in our own beds and using a real toilet.  We made it to Eagle River, about 15 miles north of Anchorage, and celebrated with a nice dinner out reminiscing about our adventure (and how I wanted to do it all again—I was the only one).

Sadly, we took very few pictures because we were conserving our phone batteries for emergencies and they were hard to access in our bags.  However, we did capture the glacier, valley, and our happy faces as we finally finished the hike! 

NEED to post/reflect/update

So...
It's been over a year since I've blogged, but it will be easy to catch you up to speed (pun-intended).  I have been enjoying running, especially with my puppy (who is no longer a puppy) and new running mates!  (I've been trying to get people to jump on the running band-wagon, except there's no wagon because you have to use your own two feet to stay with us!)  It's been pretty successful, and if I could tag those people on my blog, I would, but they know who they are!!!

But really, I've watched people lose weight, get into shape, get addicted to runners high, and increase lung capacity.  I've also watched people learn that they can enjoy running outside with other runners JUST FOR FUN.  That is a huge enlightenment for some people.  And it all starts with moving your left foot, then your right foot, then your left foot again...it all starts with simply giving running a try!

As for my own journey as a "runner" (still weird when people refer to me as such a thing), I've learned that I can take a week off and then not die when I go for a run again.  I've learned that the 3.5 YEARS of running that I have under my belt, or shoes, or whatever, are MINE, and cannot be taken from me, even if I miss a run here or there.  I've learned that I can sleep, eat what I please, and think better after a run.  In fact, when I'm cranky, my husband often tells me lovingly, "why don't you go downstairs for a bit" (and visit our treadmill).  It is my happy place.  It is time for me.

Aside from that, I've learned what it means to run alone, and how liberating that can be, as well as what it means to run with others.  Sharing a run and runners high is really no different than sitting around a campfire and sharing memories.  Oh, and I like to share memories, especially secrets...
(I've learned that I don't hold my thoughts back when I run.  A day, week, month later, I hear myself say out-loud, "I told you that story?..." when I'm chatting with friends.  Oops.  Your secret is safe with me, until I run and tell everyone everything!)

I've learned that races are fun, although they can be a bit defeating at times.  I PRed during my last 12K race, BUT the first half of the race was so disheartening because I just kept getting passed, and passed, and PASSED!  In retrospect, I probably started too close to the finishing line (beginner's move, I know), so I was running with people who clearly had a faster mile pace than me.  However, I kept my head up and just ran for me.  I imagined that I was running alone, running for myself, running to beat my previous time.  And I did!  Of course, the competitive part of me said, "really, you couldn't cut off three more minutes" when I crossed the finish line at 1:03, but then the other part of me said, "no, and shut up!"

The good news is, I cut 10+ minutes off my time.  Did I enjoy the race as people were passing me and I had a heart-to-heart mid-run?  I've been better.  But when my Lady Gaga song came on, everything changed!  And when I saw that hill in front of me, I owned it.  And then I PRed, had some snacks and went home.  I got to run, which means it was a good day.

The next day, I was browsing through my race time, pics, video, etc. and decided to compare it to the last few 12K's I've done over the years.  Here are two pics:

Aside from the fact that I'm wearing pretty much the same thing and look like I'm carrying the world in my front pockets (the new iPhone 6 is larger than life, literally), I noticed...

MY FACE!  I look miserable during my PR (second picture) but happy as a clam as I finished the race with a friend.  My NEW race goal is to stop worrying about my time and have fun.  Less pressure, more smiles.  And then...who cares if someone passes me?!