The Work's Not Gonna Do Itself

Brrrrr! I have been out of the state visiting with some family for the last few days, which was really nice after the holidays. It required a bit of extra motivation to get myself out of the warm house and company, especially when the temperatures outside were negative! I had forgotten what it was like to step out the door and instantly have your nose hairs freeze; that's how you know it is cold. I just went for a few jogs down a local bike path. The pictures that I have posted show the clear sections, but a lot of it was covered in a sheet of ice. In spite of that, I was able to get some speedier workouts in than normal. It is amazing how much faster I can go without my dogs stopping and distracting me every few minutes. Still, it will be nice to get home to them tonight and be back on the trail tomorrow morning. :)

Christmas Run!

I made the last-minute decision this week to do the YMCA Christmas Run. Last night, it dumped snow in Boise, so it made for some interesting conditions on the roads today. (And here, "dumped snow" means that we got a few inches.) Because snow that sticks is such an infrequent occurrence, the city does not really have any resources for plowing, and the sanding of the roads is VERY light- not enough to cut the snow. You know that feeling when you are running on the beach and the sand slips a little from under your feet every time you take a step? Now imagine that happening when it is twenty degrees and you are going uphill. Oof.

Fortunately, I am not one to get grumpy about these things. I was hoping to do a 8-8:15 pace and wound up finishing the six mile course in 51:23- an 8:34 pace. I was stoked to have been so close to my target considering the way the roads were. I am not normally one to set time goals, but as I am trying to get myself a bit faster over the next year, I am trying to push myself a bit more for speed. Today's run was a good experiment and helped me to see what kind of speed work I need to be doing.

I met up with some folks that were with the Girls on the Run group. We were pretty sparse today; I think that the snow kept more people home than usual! As always, it's great to see the girls out doing runs when the season is over.

I saw a bunch of other local running friends, mostly in passing before and after the race. I am always amazed by how many people I recognize, even in these 2000+ people events.

Views from the Top of the World (sorta)

Little photo shoot with the pups.

Boise has had a bit of a nasty inversion going on this week. I headed out of town a bit for my run (hill climb) today to get a little clean air! Cervidae Peak is just between Boise and Idaho City. It is a short climb- about two miles- but has about 1800 feet of elevation gain. My quads were feeling it today, which was surprising. That means that more hills must be on the menu for the next few months! The temperature changed pretty drastically with the elevation change, as you can see from the frost in the photos. With the exception of the one with the dogs and me, the photos were taken from the top-down. The pictures taken from the top are pretty clear, but farther down the hill, we ducked into the inversion and ran through beautiful, ice-covered grass and sage. Then, as you can see in the last picture, everything was clear again at the bottom.

Above the clouds.

There is that fog- facing towards Boise.

You can see the sides of the hill that spend most of the day in the shade.

Somewhere in the mid-point of our run..

Jake eatin' some snow.

Above Spring Shores Marina 

Anniversary

Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of my first marathon. I cannot believe how much has happened between then and now. Truthfully, it was overly ambitious for me to sign up and run that race. I had not trained in a fashion that was nearly adequate to run 26 miles, but fortunately twenty year old bodies are springy and malleable and withstand much more regular abuse than long-distance running. 

The marathon had always intrigued and intimidated me, in particular because training would usually require running in either extreme heat and humidity or extreme cold in Massachusetts. During that time in 2009, I was living in Honolulu for my year of exchange, and though I had not been running far, I had been running consistently for many, many months. I paid my entry fee, and race day came quickly. I don’t think that I had run farther than sixteen miles, and even runs of comparable distance had been rare. Ahhhh, well!

I showed up at the start of the race with another girl who was on exchange, and we came across a huge group of people doing a strange organized warm-up. We joined in, thinking that it was being put on by race management, and it was about fifteen minutes before we realized that we were actually in the middle of a large Japanese tour group that had come to run the marathon. (Japan Airlines sponsors the race, and there is a huge percentage of the participants that come in from Japan.)

The marathon started with fireworks, traveled through a Christmas-decorated Chinatown with a huge Hawaiian Santa Claus, and continued alongside the ocean. We passed Diamond Head and even continued even farther west before looping back and finishing next to the zoo and Waikiki Beach in Kapiolani Park. It was beautiful all the way, and it was a great first. I was so happy to have checked “run a marathon” off my list.

Four years later and several hundred (thousand?) miles behind me, here I am, still looking down the long road (trail?) ahead.

Winter Running

The key to winter running is doing it. Did you have to read that sentence twice to see if you had missed something? You didn't- that's the key. Do it. Everyone will have their own tricks and their gear needs to cover ears and finger and traction for the sneakers, etc. etc. But the biggest part is truly just getting yourself out the door. This could be said for running at any time of the year, but when the temps are sub-40, sub-32, sub-0 (whatever is your personal cold point), that extra rest day sound even more appealing.

No one is immune, even those of us who run daily may need to engage in some self-talk to get out from under those covers when it comes to running in the wintertime.

The view from my window. 

This morning, I woke up to a beautiful layer of snow out my window and a temperature of sixteen degrees. I made myself some breakfast, drank some tea, and sat in my armchair by the window surveying the foothills. I did NOT want to think about layering up and getting out there, but the longer I looked out at the white hill in the haze of still-falling snow, the more I knew that I would be kicking myself later if the snow melted before I put some miles into it.

Jacob looooves the snow!

Then I waited a little longer. Finally, I started pulling on my running tights and preparing to leave. That gets the dogs excited, so there was really no turning back. Sneakers on, buff on, gloves on. Out the door. Brrrrrrrrr, that winter air is COLD!

Then, magically, it all becomes better. Minutes start passing, and you don't need the buff over your face any longer. Your body warms so quickly, and you can't remember why you ever thought there was a better place to be than out running on this beautiful winter day..

The beautiful Harrison Hollows trails.

All of us

(I wrote this on December 7th, and it is just being posted today since I have internet access. I should include a disclaimer that I have been sick all week and have not run since then. Ahhhhh, well.)

Hazy November Morning

The overhead clouds trapped in a sort of hazy mist over the valley this morning. The photos can't really do justice to the beauty of the foothills that were masked in a silvery sheet of fog. It's a nice lazy day for some tea and puppy snuggles. And, unfortunately, HOMEWORK! Boo..

Tofurkey Trot

I did NOT go up the huge hill on 5-

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. I don't really know why, but it probably has something to do with all the food. I cooked my vegan Thanksgiving food on Tuesday and have been thoroughly enjoying it all week.

I was going to head out to one of the local Thanksgiving Day races yesterday, but I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than be on the trails for the morning, especially since I am pup-sitting for my friend. Having three dogs around is a lot easier if they have all had a nice run! I headed up Rocky Canyon Road to do the Watchman Trail loop, which is about six miles. It was chilly in the shade, but as the sun popped around from the other side of the hill, the temperatures were perfect, and I had a perfect run on the trails with the dogs.

The water has finally made its way back into the creeks, and we crossed water about four times. The dogs all have completely different approaches to the water. Rosie flops down in anything wet she can find. Jake doesn't care about the water so much, but he will play if Rosie is enticing him. Gracie, who looks like she should love the water, is a princess and tries to avoid getting wet at all costs. (For which I am very thankful, since she is the one that is attached to me on the waist leash.) Goofy animals!

Photo Credit: The sagebrush that served as a camera stand.

End of Season Celebrations

With my last race a month behind me, I have been thoroughly enjoying the off season. I jog when I want to jog. I hike when I want to hike. (Frankly, that isn't too different from my on-season, but I don't have any big runs in between.) Part of the end of the season for the last two years has been the awards ceremony for the Idaho Trail Ultra Series. This series and all the races involved hold a special place in my heart. When I started ultrarunning in October 2011, I made some lofty goals that I was somehow able to pull off in 2012 by completing all 6 races in the series, plus an additional 6 ultras that were elsewhere.

What a fantastic group! (Photo Credit: Tempus Photo Design)

King and Queens of the Mountain! (Photo Credit: Tempus)

I was able to get back out to most of the ITUS races again this year, so I managed to rack up enough points to put myself in the second slot of the Dirty Dozen again. It was another fantastic year with some tough trail miles, beautiful views, and amazing company. A huge reason this party is so enjoyable is the fact that I am able to see all the friends with whom I have shared the trail over the last year. It makes me incredibly appreciative of the running community that I have here in Boise.

Huge thanks is always due to the organizers of the series and of the individual races. Runners, always remember the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and be sure to give your RDs some love!

Reflecting back upon the past few years, I think that the big takeaway is persistence. I always express to people that I am not an extraordinary runner by any means, I am just stubborn. I sign up for races, and do my best to kick my butt to the end of it. Fast or slow, I usually get there, and I enjoy the journey.

Brrrr!

Boise downtown from Sidewinder

Getting out of bed this morning was ROUGH. Not only was it the first day off in many, many busy

days, but the temperature was about twenty degrees. It was hard enough to think about pulling myself from under the covers, let alone step foot outside. I had to remind myself that it feels like this at the start of every winter, and that I would feel better when I started moving. I layered up with my Gore-Tex tights and Under Armour top, and braved the outdoors. (I am quite a wimp the first few cold runs.) The first few minutes were rough, but as the sun continued to rise, I warmed up and had a lovely run. 

The dogs were happy to be out after all of the rain that we have had the past week, which was keeping us off the trails. A great benefit to waking up early and getting on the trails in the cold is that they are still frozen, and therefore usable. Once the sun hits more, I am sure that there will be a few wet spots.

Jake showing off his coordination on the ice.

Ahhh, Idaho.

Fresh Air

I think that everyone should have the opportunity to start their day with a dose of fresh air. If you have the chance to do so and do not take advantage of it, I highly suggest that you give it a try. Whether it is going out and pounding many miles on the trail or taking your coffee out for a ten minute walk, I assure you that your day will start off with a bit more mindfulness and peace. I enjoy my mornings, and I hate to spend them rushing. Giving yourself time for a little air will just slow you down for a moment before you start your day.

Just some thoughts!

Is it November?

I enjoyed a nice lazy morning with the dogs this morning: some toast, some tea, some extra time in bed. It snowed yesterday morning, so I was anticipating that the trails would still be soggy and in need of some extra sunlight to dry out. Unfortunately, there was still a bit of moisture that cut my run short, but I was able to enjoy a little time on some of the drier and sandier trails.

Governor's mansion to the left, with those beautiful snowy foothills in the background

Whenever I talk to people from out-of-state about the winters here, they assume that winters in Boise are much more harsh than they actually are. Unlike McCall, which is just a few hours north and gets slammed with snow every year, Boise is high-desert, and the snow doesn't stick around for long. A unique thing about living in Boise is that you can be walking around in town with a tee-shirt and looking at snow up in the higher foothills. Today was a perfect example of that: I went out for my run in a running skirt and long-sleeve and wound up ditching the long sleeve very quickly. It felt like spring!

I want to make note of something that I have observed in the past few years. Since I have moved to Boise, I have met people who have some of the oldest dogs I have ever seen. I came across a man walking two dogs this morning, and one of them was running along very happily, but very slowly. I asked the man how old the dog was, and he told me that he was thirteen. But, he said, the other dog was going to be twenty-two in a few months. TWENTY-TWO! And he was plodding along as well as any of the other dogs I see on the trail. "Dry food, and a walk every day," was the advice that the man gave me.

Gracie Girl sits long enough for a photo for once!

I think that part of this phenomenon is that most of the dog people I meet are out on the trail, which indicates that they are staying active and keeping their dogs active. It is just one more thing that makes me appreciate the community where I live!

Vertical Therapy

Gracie, looking for something to chase I am sure.

Jacob!

Whew! The past week, I have been completely bogged down with assignments for school, and I felt like the entire week went by in a blur. I struggled to get myself out and on the trails, so when my schedule finally freed up yesterday, I took advantage of it and spent a bunch of time on the trails. As soon as I woke up, I leashed up the pups and headed over to the Highlands to Hollow trails that I had been eying longingly for the past few days. Ahhh, it feels good to get to the top of stuff!












A bit later in the day I had a break of time and went for a quick hike on the trails around Castle Rock. I don't think that I had been out that way since I got dogs (2+ years ago).

Boise's East End.

Castle Rock has some interesting history that I am going to research a bit and post about later.

Some rocks...

Ahhh, the colors!!