Ran 5 Miles Today

My last run on the treadmill at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel, until I return to work the month of March.  It will be nice to run outdoors or on the indoor track for a change, after I get home tomorrow.  I didn't have any pain in my knee so for sure, it must be all healed.  I wanted to run a little longer but I was short on time.  I had to do my last batch of laundry, pack the duffle bag that stays here, and figure out how to fit everything that goes back home with me into my backpack.  It looks like I got it all done.  I'm ready for the "Blue Moon" flight home from Deadhorse tomorrow, via Barrow this time.  I moved my seat to a window seat so I could admire the second full moon this month.  I hope it is a good sign for the new year.

I'm hoping to find a few more donations in my mailbox when I get home and check all the mail that arrived in December.  If I don't meet my minimum, Team In Training will charge my credit card for the rest.  If I have no new donations in the mail, I will just jump online and donate the rest myself.  Hoping a few people out there will want to make a last minute charitable donation for this great cause, before midnight December 31st. 

Don't forget those with cancer.  Please help!

Ran and Rode

I had a nice 3 mile short run on the treadmill here at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel today.  Then I rode the bike in the exercise room for another 30 minutes.  I love that bike.  It gives my legs the greatest workout.  I have this dream of one summer riding my mountain bike all the way home the 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Palmer, Alaska.  I always work up here for June, so July 1st would be the perfect time to start south on my bike.  24 hours of daylight then too.  But right now we have 24 hours of darkness so I do all of my workouts indoors.

I go home in a couple more days and can finally see the sun again.  Maybe get to run outdoors a little or at least on the indoor track at the Wasilla Sports Center.  It will be nice to get off the treadmill and do the real thing again.

Phoenix PF Chang's Marathon coming up next month.  I hope I will be ready after my little setback when I hurt me knee.  It feels fine now though. 

Don't forget, just a couple more days for charitable donations to be deductible for 2009.  Help me in my race to cure cancer by donating to my Team In Training fund.

10 Miles on the Treadmill

I finally got in a really good run.  The first one since I fell and hurt my knee a few weeks ago.  The knee feels fine so I guess it won't give me any trouble on the marathon next month.  Now I just have to do some catching up and make sure I am in shape for the marathon. 10 miles today on the treadmill here in Deadhorse at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.  I will go home on Thursday and can go back to running on the indoor track or maybe even outdoors if the weather isn't too bad or too icy. 

I'm coming up on my fundraising deadline, still about $600 behind.  My required amount is $3800 but my goal is however many millions or billions it may take to cure cancer.

If you want to help click here!

No Pain - No Gain!

Well, I decided to just ignore the pain in my knee and run.  I ran only 3 miles just to see how it would do.  Sure it hurt, but it really didn't get any worse.  I think at this point, running, and biking will just strengthen it and probably help it heal.  I rode the bike for 45 minutes too.  That really makes my legs feel great.  I hope to ride my mountain bike home the 800 miles to Palmer from Deadhorse one July - hopefully in 2010.  So, riding the bike is a great thing to do along with my running.

I feel like I'M BACK now!

Not quite able to run outdoors up here now though.  This is the view at noon the other day - Winter Solstice. I miss the sun!

GO TEAM!

Almost Ran

Well, I gave it a try today on the treadmill but after just a couple of minutes I had too much knee pain to go on. Then I tried the elliptical for a while, then settled for the stationary bike. I found I could ride the bike for 30 minutes with no pain. That seems to work well, so for the next few days I will spend time on it and try again each day to run. I'm running out of time because the PF Chang's Marathon in Phoenix is now less than a month away. I will do it if I end up walking all 26 miles. But I hope it doesn't come to that.


I still need more donations so if you would like to sponsor me, check my Team In Training website and make a donation. Every little bit helps. Curing blood cancer is the goal.

Resting my Knee

These last few days have been agonizingly difficult for me.  I want to run, and I feel like I am having withdrawals from running or maybe from endorphins.  But my knee still hurts from my fall last week and running seemed to be aggravating it. So, I have been taking a break until it no longer hurts when I walk up stairs. It seems to be almost better.  I may give the treadmill a try when I wake up, unless it hurts too badly.  I can't take the chance of a serious injury with only a month left before the PF Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix next month.

Fundraising for Team In Training has been agonizingly difficult for me also.  I just donated another $500 myself and will probably have to donate the remaining required $635 myself.  But it is for a very important cause.  My required goal is $3800 but my real goal would be $900 trillion, or a cure for blood cancers, whichever comes first. 
You can help by making a donation to my Team In Training Fund here:  HELP!

I will try my best to do a treadmill run tonight.

Short Run

I need to go in to work early tonight so only did a short 3 miles.  Also I am still fighting with my sore knee so it probably appreciated that I only ran 3 miles!  I really need a good long run, but don't want my knee to make me regret that.  I still have a month before the marathon, and have done two full marathons since I started training for this one.  So, I guess I am not too far behind in long runs.  But I would like to get one or two good long runs in before the real thing.

It sure hasn't been outdoor running temperatures the last 24 hours.  It was minus 38 this morning.  The wind chill was minus 63 which was even more inviting!

I'm still pretty far behind in my fundraising too.  Please help me in my fight against cancer by making a small donation to my Team In Training Fund.

Did 5 Miles Today

I had a pretty good treadmill run today.  I didn't have much time so had to keep it to only 5 miles.  I was still having some knee pain but it didn't seem to be too much of a problem.  I sure didn't want to run outdoors today.  It is -22 and the wind chill is about -50!  Thank goodness for the treadmill.

I finally finished upgrading my website completely so now all of my photos there are for sale. All of the sale price goes to my Team In Training fund for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can view and order them on my website - Habataku

 

I'm Back!

Wow, I'm so happy.  My knee was still bothering me but I decided to try to run since it seems to work ok when I walk on that leg.  I ran slowly and carefully on the treadmill but did 3 miles with no problem.  Then I rode 30 minutes on the stationary bike, and that actually felt terrific.  I think I can safely go back to my training. 


I've been updating my Habataku website so that I can offer all of my photos for sale. You can click on any of the links and order prints. The entire price of any of my photos goes directly to my Team In Training fund for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

5 and 5

I ran 5 miles today on the treadmill followed by 5 miles on the stationary bike.  It was quite a relief too because two days ago, I had a bad fall and hit my kneecap so hard that even walking was difficult.  Yesterday it was impossible to run due to the pain.  But today, I decided that I really needed to try to run so I could see just how bad the pain was.  After a few minutes, I could tell that I just have a simple bruise on my knee and running didn't seem to aggravate it at all.  I certainly don't need a serious injury right now!  But I suspect it is nothing more than a simple bruise.

Here is my Nike+ run from today. 

Help me in my fight against cancer here.

Ran & Biked on a "Fake Road"

I seem to have shin splints again so kept today's run short, only 3 miles.  But then I rode the cool new stationary bike they have here for 6 miles to get some cross training.  I have a dream of riding my bike home from work here in Prudhoe Bay, in July, the full 800 miles to Palmer, Alaska.  So, I guess a little biking practice is a REALLY GOOD IDEA!

Here is my run on Nike+

Help help help, I'm still quite short with my required fundraising for my Team In Training run in January.  Help me cure cancer - please!  Every little bit counts.  Here is my fundraising page.

5 More Miles

I had kind of hoped to do a long run today but whoops - I woke up too late, so didn't have time.  I'm working 7 nights a week so I have to do my runs on the treadmill when I wake up, and be done before I have to go to work.  I find it is hard to get up right now because the sun went down November 25th and won't come up again until January 18th.  It's really easy to sleep too long!  But I did have a really good and invigorating 5 mile run today.  I'm still getting used to the new treadmills here at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.  I hope to get in a really long run in the next few days if I can drag my lazy bones out of bed in time!!!!!
Here is my run today on Nike+.

But most important of all, the reason I am running is to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fund life saving research to cure and prevent these devastating cancers.  I really need your help, so please help sponsor me by making a donation through my Team In Training website.

THANKS SO MUCH!  Go Team!

Short Run Today

I really didn't want to run today.  I wanted to make sure I got enough rest in between runs, but I guess I am just plain addicted.  I couldn't do it.  I couldn't NOT run.  So much for a rest day!  But I tried to run a little faster, and just ran 3 miles.  I notice my Nike+ shows me running a lot slower, but that is just because I stopped for almost a minute because I had some weird leg pain.  But that went away so I hit the resume button on the treadmill.  Today's Run on Nike+.

That was a GREAT run!

Back in the Arctic

I'm back up north for the month of December and did my first run on the brand new fancy treadmills here at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.  It really is the nicest one I have ever used.  Not as nice as running outdoors in the sunshine, but then, this time of year there is no sunshine up here.  It's pretty cold and windy too.  I will have to do all of my training indoors while I am up here.  I also did some time on their new stationary bike machine.  Very nice equipment now.  I was still a bit tired from my first night working so only ran 5 miles today.  I need a 20 mile run this week, so it will be on the treadmill.  I hope I can find enough enjoyable music on my iPod to entertain me during that exercise.

I track my runs on Nike+.  Click here to view today's run.

15 Miles Today

I had a really fabulous run this morning on the indoor track at the Wasilla Sports Complex.  This will probably be my last day to run there until January because Monday I fly up to Prudhoe Bay to work for the month of December.  Then I will only have a treadmill to train on.  Prudhoe Bay is on the Arctic coast and the sun is not coming up at all this time of year, plus the temperatures are usually well below zero with a charming continual strong wind out of the North East.  There is no place even remotely safe for outdoor running.  Not just the dark, cold, wind, and ice, but big trucks are on the roads and would not see a runner.  Of course there is always the occasional polar bear to have you for dinner as well.  Although, I suppose one of them running after me would help me to pick up my pace!

I injured my toe on Thanksgiving when the chair I was sitting on suddenly collapsed into a pile of wooden legs that had been recently glued back in.  Apparently the glue was not the right kind!  That was a bad sign because I had not even eaten Thanksgiving dinner yet - and the chair I was sitting on fell apart.  But the sore toe didn't bother me while I was running so I guess I don't care that it is black and blue and my toenail will fall off.  It sure could have been a whole lot worse!

Want to help me fight cancer through my running?  Check out my Team In Training page.

13.1 Miles Run Today - Half Marathon Distance!

Had a really nice run today at the Sports Center indoor track in Wasilla.  Too cold, dark, and icy to run reasonably outdoors, so decided the track was better than the treadmill.  In a few days I go back up north and all I will have there is the treadmill, so I thought I should grab the chance to run the track.  With luck I will get there again before Monday when I fly north to work. 

I had wanted to run longer but made the mistake of not bringing anything to eat and I felt myself running out of gas.  I usually try to bring something to eat and drink on long runs like that.  Oh well, next time.  I would like to get in a 20 miler before the marathon in January.  I guess it will be on the treadmill in Prudhoe Bay!

Skate Skiing - Again!

It's just such great skiing weather and I feel like I am running uphill when on those skate skis.  Hopefully this form of cross training is doing as much good as running.  So, I did another trip up to Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass today.  I may do that again tomorrow but I think a long run might be in order for tomorrow too!

I sure could use some more help with my fundraising.  I'm running out of time.  Any donations, large or small will be greatly appreciated.  Gotta get rid of blood cancers!

Please Help!

Great Skate Skiing!

The temperature has warmed up to +20 so I took advantage of a nice day and did my daily workout on my skate skis this afternoon. It was a beautiful day up there today.  I tried not to be too intimidated as the high school ski team screamed past me on their way up the hill!  Funny how it took an hour for me to get up to the top and it seemed like about 5 minutes to get down.  But it was fun!

I'm Back!

It's been a tough week for my training.  After the Nike Marathon, I went to Argentina and Chile for an awesome two week trekking vacation in Patagonia.  Amazing place. But it was a very tough workout in itself with hikes of almost 20 miles and at least 5 to 10 on the short days.  Some days we hiked for 12 hours, on mountain trails with unbelievable howling winds and blowing snow.  But that really only added to the adventure. 
I'm back in Alaska now and had some sore foot problems most of the week so only ran about 10 miles all last week.  The temperatures have been well below zero so I got myself a treadmill so I could run indoors when the darkness and cold were just too much.  Today I ran 10 miles on the treadmill and I think I may finally be over my jet lag. 

Now I need to concentrate on training for

PF Chang's Marathon for Team In Training in January.

Here is a peek at the beauty of Patagonia, Mt. Fitzroy - WOW!

Training Break

I'm mostly recovered from the marathon, but have been busy getting Christmas shopping done and mailed for me and my mother.  I'm heading to Argentina on Sunday on a two week trek in Patagonia.  After that, it's back to traiining, then December in Prudhoe Bay, training on the treadmill.

January 17, PF Chang's Marathon in Phoenix.
I still need more fundraising for my Team In Training fund. Can you help?  Please?  It's an extremely important cause!

Nike Women's Marathon

I finished the Nike Women's Marathon today, another 26.2 miles. My 7th full marathon. What a beautiful race it is through San Francisco. The weather was kind also. It stayed a little foggy to keep things cool.  After training on the North Slope in 30 degree weather, sunny California seemed pretty hot. I was slow as usual, finishing somewhere right after 5 hours and 35 minutes. The official race results are not showing on the Nike site yet, but according to my Nike+ and my iPod, my chip time was somewhere in that area. I'm hoping one day to figure out how to pick up the pace.  


Maybe in January when I run PF Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix, for Team In Training, I will improve my time. But right now, I am just thrilled to reach the finish line. It is always a very emotional experience to know that you made it the whole way.

6 Miles With Great Hills

Ah, finally got to run from my house again.  I ran 6 miles to Wolverine Creek and back.  I remember a time when I couldn't even begin to run up that incredibly steep hill from Wolverine Creek.  Now I hardly notice it.  I was a bit worried after over a month up in the far north where the nearest hill is 60 miles to the south.  All my running up there had to be on totally flat land.  But I am happy to see that I can still run up hills.

It was very windy out by the hay flats, and raining a little, but compared to my last couple of weeks in Deadhorse, it was really balmy.  About 45 degrees!

Now to get back to the job of fundraising. 
Care to help out with a donation? 
Check out my Team In Training Page.

Cross Training - Hike

Today was a beautiful autumn day so I took advantage of it and went for a spectacular hike.  I had not been running or hiking any hills lately because the land around Deadhorse is probably about the flattest in the world.  So instead of doing a hike on the flatlands, around Eklutna Lake, I hiked up the Twin Peaks Trail.  It was cold and crisp, with some frost.  But Eklutna Lake is still open, and the trail was covered with fallen leaves.  It was a great workout even though not actually running. 

Home Again

I've been home a few days recovering and reuniting myself with my home. The trip across Alaska from Deadhorse to Palmer was fabulous. The road from Deadhorse through Atigun Pass was snow-covered but quite nice driving. Not to mention, absolutely gorgeous. The Brooks Range was sunlit behind the pipeline. As I got closer to the range, the mountains became more and more spectacular. I got to the Galbraith Lakes right at sunset. Atigun Pass was fabulous and I saw the moon rising from the summit looking to the south. I camped at Dietrich River on the south side of the pass and woke up to the fabulous view of the jagged mountain to the south.

Then of course there is the obligatory stop at the Arctic Circle crossing. Then the Yukon River where I found the lodge closed for the winter. Caught a good view of the pipeline after it crossed the river though. By Cantwell it was dark night again but the moon was peeking through the clouds. So now it is back to life as normal for a couple of weeks. I was having some fairly serious leg pain, suggestive of shin splints, so took about a week off my marathon training. But I plan to hike today and run again tomorrow. Next Wednesday I will be flying to California for the Nike Women's Marathon. Then a week visiting with Mom, then to South America for a 2 week trek in Patagonia in Argentina and Chile. Once I return from that trip in November, I will be hitting the marathon training hard again because the PF Chang's Marathon will be coming up in January. I will be running on the treadmill for the whole month of December because I will be back in Deadhorse that whole month.

Then, off to Phoenix to do my Team In Training event.

Down The Road

I'm about to head down the Dalton Highway, leaving Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic behind until I return to work the month of December.  The weather looks pretty nice, at least it isn't snowing.  There is a low overcast here but most likely it is fairly clear farther south.  The Brooks Range is visible beneath the low stratus so I can see that there is good weather ahead of me.  No snow in the forecast for the next few days either. 

I have an 800 mile drive from Deadhorse to Palmer, Alaska, and most of the road is snow-covered.  They keep this road open and clear for the truckers, so it should be fine for me in my Subaru.  I have chains with me just in case.

Once I am back home I will be able to continue my running outdoors.  That will be great!  I am running the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco October 18th too. So I guess I can call that my LONG RUN for that day.

GO TEAM!

100 Miles

I reached my goal of running at least 100 miles this month.  I decided to take a day or two off to let the sore muscles heal, so today I just watched the snow falling.  It is getting a bit deep out there so I may have to find a treadmill to use.  Both of the ones in the Prudhoe Bay Hotel are broken, which is totally annoying.  There is one at the Flight Service Station so I will probably use it tomorrow.
 

It's becoming quite a winter wonderland out there now.  Colleen Lake is partially iced up, and most of the small ponds are covered with ice.  The birds are heading south.

I will drive south next week back to my home in Palmer, Alaska.  Then in a couple of weeks, off to San Francisco to run the Nike Women's Marathon.

I guess I will call that a 'long run' in preparation for PF Chang's in January!  GO TEAM!

Running in the SNOW!

It has been snowing hard for several days now. I ran 6 miles in about 4 inches of snow, and it was actually quite pleasant. At least it wasn't windy today. At first my depth perception was really off because the snow was untracked. I ran back and forth on my favorite side road, 1/2 mile from my car and back. Once I made some tracks, I was able to judge where the ground actually was. It was a little slippery so I wore my ice grippers on my running shoes. My feet got a little wet, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I like the feel of the snow falling gently on my face, and looking out over endless tundra as I am running. I stay close enough to my car to scurry back if I see a polar bear or a grizzly bear off in the distance. But so far I have been totally alone out there. I saw a flock of geese flying south. I guess most of the open water is gone now, so it won't be long before all the birds have flown south. I think the quiet Arctic winter has arrived.

On The Tundra

Wow, today turned out to be a great day to run outside!  At first I certainly didn't think it would be, since it was snowing hard, only 32 degrees, and I could see the wind sock at the airport standing straight out. But I knew I had to get out and give it a try.  I found that if I just pulled my neck gaiter up over my face when running into the wind, it wasn't bad at all.  I was kind of bundled up in rain gear, hat, and gloves - no running shorts today!  But I warmed up quickly, and because it was right at freezing, the snow on the gravel road where I was running, had melted off.  It wasn't even slippery even though it was snowing the whole time.  I have come to the conclusion that it is only in extreme conditions that it is not possible to run outdoors.  I do stay indoors during blizzards though!

I feel great after that nice 5 mile run.

Waiting Out The Storm

Today it was blowing and snowing so hard that it was barely possible to walk, much less run. So I will have to wait another day to run outdoors.

The North Slope Borough police returned my kayak today. They were able to use it to retrieve the body of the unfortunate man who drowned in the Sagavanirktok River the other day. So sad for that family.

Please help me fight blood cancers!

Blizzard!

I usually try to run outdoors no matter what. But the wind is over 30 knots and snow is blowing sideways past my window, and the fog is so thick I can hardly see across the street. It looked like a forced treadmill day. So, I went to the exercise room in the Prudhoe Bay Hotel and took a chance on the treadmill. Both have signs on them saying that new ones have been ordered, but I have had good luck running on one of them. But today, after 1 1/2 miles it started making a horrible noise, and I could tell something finally broke. So, I guess today was an unexpected rest day. I did use the elliptical machine for a while, but it just isn't the same. I'm hoping for better weather soon.

I woke up with bad leg cramps, so maybe it is just as well that I rest another day. It was a nice invigorating mile and a half run though!

But this is what matters the most.
Running to save lives!

To the Rescue

Today was a rest day for my marathon training. Of course, rest days are almost as important as training days, so that the runner doesn't get injuries.

While I was driving around looking for photography subjects, I got a phone call from the North Slope Borough police. It seems some unfortunate hunter drowned in the Sagavanirktok River and they wanted to borrow my kayak so they could retrieve him. How sad for his family. My prayers go out to them. That river is icy cold and fast and has no mercy.

I guess my bright red car with the bright orange kayak is pretty easy to see around here. I'm glad they were able to track me down, so that I could help them out by loaning it to them.

I hope to do a long run tomorrow.

Please pass on my fundraising page to anyone who would like to support me in the very important cause of fighting blood cancers.

Running and Snowing

I ran 5 miles today with light snow falling. Those tiny little snowflakes felt like little needles hitting my face when I was running into the wind! The snowfall was too light to make the road slippery, but it is starting to feel a lot like winter. It was about 30 degrees, but not windy enough to be intolerable.

I had a hard time getting motivated when I saw the snow falling, but I'm glad I got out there and ran. You just can't let a little snow stop you when you are 300 miles NORTH of the Arctic Circle!

I think the birds are getting ready to head south though.

Running on the Tundra

It is feeling a whole lot like winter out here on the North Slope of Alaska. It was snowing slightly when I first started running, but was kind, and cleared up a bit for me. It was only 34 degrees but at least the wind was fairly light. I ran 4 miles on the gravel road. The Dalton Highway was an unblievable muddy mess, and so are all the roads in Deadhorse. It rained all night last night and because the ground is all permafrost, the water has nowhere to go. So, it just sits on top of the ground and turns the land into a mass of mud puddles.
I found a few friends out there on the tundra today. A few caribou and some tundra swans.

I did see some snow on the ground here and there, so winter is just around the corner.

Fog, Wind, 7 Miles

It's getting colder everyday! I did my 7 mile run on the side road to avoid any truck traffic because the fog was pretty thick. The first mile or so felt pretty cold because it was only 35 degrees with a 10 knot wind. But after that, I warmed up as usual. I thought about using the hotel treadmill, but it just isn't the same as running outdoors where you are really moving from one spot to another. It is much more like the the reality of running a marathon. So until things completely ice up or the rain and snow become intolerable, I will probably stick to braving whatever conditions Mother Nature throws at me.

After all, even if I am uncomfortable, I keep reminding myself - It's not as bad a chemo.


Prayers to all who suffer from blood cancers!

Bike Ridin'

Today was another one of those rare days up here in Deadhorse. Not a whisper of wind, and 47 degrees. So I decided that it would be a good day to finally get out on my bicycle and ride all over town. I rode all the way around Colleen Lake and over to the store. It was only about 7 miles of riding, but it was fun, and felt great. A little cross training!

At the store I had the pleasant surprise of finding that 3 more of my photos have sold. So, I have some more to donate to my Team In Training fund. I'm so glad I brought the photos up here. That is turning out to be a great fundraiser. I'm pretty happy that folks around here seem to like my photography too!

GO TEAM!

5 Miles Today

Cool, 36 degrees with a 15 knot wind, running my usual spot along the Dalton Highway. I am really getting used to the idea of running in cool weather. At least I don't get overheated. I think exercise must be good for the brain because I am finding that I do my best thinking, and come up with my best ideas while I am running. I have new ideas for the book I want to write, and new fundraising ideas, that all came to me while on the run.

I found out today that my planned REI Adventures trip to Argentina finally has enough people for the trip to go. Trekking in Patagonia for 13 days will be the ultimate cross training experience, one week after I do the Nike Women's Marathon on October 18th in San Francisco.

Cross Training

Today was a rest day from running, but not from activity. It was not very windy so I took advantage of reasonable conditions and finally put my kayak in Colleen Lake. On the road it is 5 miles around the lake, and today I paddled my kayak around the entire shoreline. It took about 2 hours, and was really pleasant. On the downwind side, there were fairly significant swells but the wind was never more than 10 knots, so it was not difficult even paddling upwind. One trucker took my picture with his cell phone as I went by. I was probably a most unusual sight, since I have never seen a boat out on that lake. My arms got a great workout.



Nice view of the beautiful skyline of Deadhorse too!

Peaceful & Calm

It was a perfect running day today. Low stratus, 41 degrees, practically no wind at all. I ran my 4 miles along the side road from the Dalton Highway to the Sagavanirktok River and back. Only an occasional flock of geese flying over to keep me company. A perfect day for reflection as I ran. And a perfect day for reflection on Colleen Lake.

I'm running for a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. I could sure use some more donations to meet my goal.

Please help if you can. Thanks so much for your support!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Sold Some Photos!

I stopped by the Prudhoe Bay store today and found that two more of my photos had sold. That is very exciting, because that is another $60 for my Team In Training fundraising fund. I have 16 more there for sale. I hope more of them sell. I donate the entire price of $30 each directly to the fund. Here are a couple of my Arctic Fox photos.










I wondered if I would have the ambition to do a short run today after that 18 miler yesterday. But I did a short 4 mile run along the haul road and it felt great. I wasn't even sore. So, I'm really glad I got out there and ran. Sometimes I get lazy, but today I decided to ignore that urge.

18 Mile Long Run

The fog lifted and the wind stopped blowing and it was beautiful today. So I did my 18 mile run without suffering from the wrath of Mother Nature. It was as if she was helping me out by giving me such a nice day. In the morning the fog was so thick I could hardly find my way back to the Prudhoe Bay Hotel. But when I woke up, it was clear except for some low stratus on the north horizon over the Arctic Ocean. It was a really unusual day up here with no wind at all. I almost never see such nice reflections on Colleen Lake.

As I finished my last 1/4 mile, the fog rolled back in. I'm a little sore, but feeling pretty good after that run.

Another 18 miles in my fight against blood cancers.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Howling Bone-Chilling Wind

Whew, 4 miles completed. 37 degrees and a 30 knot wind blowing. Check out that windsock! Funny how I seemed to run so fast in one direction, yet could barely move in the other. I had hoped to run a little longer but

I JUST COULDN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!

I'm not having much luck with the fundraising. I guess that is always the hardest part. But with 4 more months to go, I hope I can get enough through donations, fundraisers, and my own bank account. Seems most of it usually ends up coming from there. But I'm just glad I have a good enough job to be able to do that if need be. I wish I was a billionaire so I could donate millions to this cause and all the other good causes out there.

Remember, every little bit helps:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Another 5 Miles Toward a Cure

It was cold and windy and nasty out there today, but I ran a nice brisk 5 miles. I did take the day off yesterday because my legs were hurting too much. I don't want to do damage! I want to make progress in my training. But today I felt great and was glad I got back out there. With each mile, I feel closer to a cure, if only because it will help me be in good enough shape to continue running these events for Team In Training. I don't want to be crawling across the finish line! But if that's what it takes, that's what I will do.

GO TEAM!

5 More Miles

What a beautiful day today up on the North Slope of Alaska. Not a cloud in the sky. Of course, the wind was still blowing but it was 63 degrees! That is like a warm summer day around here. I did a 5 mile run up and down the Dalton Highway. Waved to a few passing trucks, and saw a few Tundra Swans and Caribou.

This Swan has a very limber neck!

Saving lives one mile at a time. http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Nice Day - Short Run

Another lovely day on the North Slope. I had a really invigorating 3 mile short run and it felt great. Saw the musk ox herd while I was out there too.

I found another runner, this soaking wet musk ox who just swam across the Sag River.

Help me fight cancer: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Wind Wind Wind!

Pretty tough running today because the wind was 25 knots. But I managed to complete 15 miles. It was about 50 degrees, so downwind it was the perfect temperature, but upwind, I felt like I was running at a snail's pace. But it was still a whole lot easier than Chemo!

Each step is one step closer to a cure.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Rest Day!

Today was a much needed rest day from running, because tomorrow is supposed to be a long run day. The weather here on the North Slope of Alaska was gorgeous so I took my kayak out and paddled around my favorite little pond for a while. I rode my bike to work too, but that is only a 5 minute ride!

So, I'm all rested up for at least 15 miles tomorrow.

8 Miles Today

I had a great 8 mile run today along one of the side roads off the Haul Road. I am using the advanced marathon training program though Nike+ and today was my 8 miler. Tomorrow is a rest day so I hope to go out and play with my kayak on one of the ponds if the weather permits. It was raining a little today but 55 degrees. Quite balmy and perfect for running.

I sold two photos at the Prudhoe Bay General store for my Team In Training fundraiser, so slowly but surely I am increasing my funds.

I need all the help I can get though, so any donations would be greatly appreciated!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

Ran 4 Miles Today

I have been running outdoors but today was pouring rain and barely above freezing, plus the wind was howling. So, I ran my 4 mile short run inside on the treadmill. It turned out to be a very good workout! I found that if I feel tired, the treamill belt just keeps right on going. Not quite as easy to slow down and relax like I get tempted to do when outside running. So, I think alternating between outside and the treadmill might not be such a bad idea. The weather up here on the North Slope of Alaska will force me to run indoors sometimes so I guess it is a good thing!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop
Go Team!

Training on the North Slope of Alaska

I am training hard for the PF Chang's Marathon in Phoenix, in January 2010 with Team In Training to raise money for much needed research to help cure blood cancers like Leukemia & Lymphoma. I try to run everyday up here in Prudhoe Bay, either outdoors when the weather allows, or inside on the treadmill when the wind, rain, and snow won't let me outside.

Please help me save lives by donating to my fundraising page:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/pfchangs10/cdellaciop

GO TEAM!