Go Team!

Yippee!!  I just signed up for my next Team In Training event - Anchorage Big Wild Life Runs in August, Humpy's Marathon.  I will also include my 830 mile July bike ride from Deadhorse Airport in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to my home in Palmer, Alaska into that event.  I'm flying up to Deadhorse in the morning so was glad to be able to get my paperwork in while I was still at home and able to fill it all out and sign it.  I will have my donation website up soon. 

I'm ready for the big ride!

Snowing Hard, Back on the Treadmill

Winter has returned, with about 6 inches of new snow last night and still coming down hard.  Since I ran 13 miles yesterday, today was a short run.  I did 4 miles on my home treadmill.  It sure feels a lot different from running on the road or even the indoor track.  But judging by my heart rate and the sweat pouring down my face, it was a good workout.  I will probably go cross country skiing somewhere today and take advantage of all that nice new snow.

I am getting very anxious to set up my new Team In Training website.  I will be running the Anchorage Big Wild Life, Humpies Marathon in August with them.  Since I have run so many marathons lately, it seems like not much of a challenge anymore, so I will also be riding my bicycle home from Deadhorse to my house in July.  830 miles from the Deadhorse Airport to my front door in Palmer.  That will be my primary endurance event for this next Team In Training race.  I will have the site up soon.

Me and my bike will be starting from here:

Go Team!

Half Marathon Today

I ran an unofficial half marathon today. 13.1 miles at the Wasilla Sports Complex.  After that I spent another hour and a half practicing my ice skating on the ice rink below.  This is the last day I can skate because the rink is closed for hockey the next two days.  Then I am off to Prudhoe Bay for the month of March.  Lots of ice and snow up there but nothing that a person could skate or ski on.  Today it was 44 below zero up there too.  A little too cold for outdoor activity.  I will be hitting the treadmill and stationary bike hard all month, getting ready for the marathon in Ireland in April.

It snowed all day here today, keeping me from an outdoor run today too.

Running & Skating

I did my 6 mile run indoors this morning at the Wasilla Sports Complex, then went downstairs and raced around the ice skating rink on my new ice skates.  Finally, after about 20 years, ice skates that actually fit.  That was really fun.  Now if I could just improve my skating.  I can speed really fast going forward but am struggling to make any progress at all in reverse.  It shouldn't be that different, but it sure is!  One of these days I want to take figure skating lessons and really learn how to skate.

Last Downhill Ski Day

This is probably my last day downhill skiing for this season.  I skied almost non-stop for 5 hours today.  The snow was great, perfect spring skiing - in February???  I fly up to the North Slope on Sunday so this was probably my last day to ski since I will only be home for less than a week after my month at work up north.  April 6th, off to Ireland for the marathon and my trip around the UK and back east to visit family.  I hope to get lots of treadmill running in up there in Deadhorse since there isn't much else I can do with my free time.  That and the stationary bike should get me into marathon and biking shape for my next events.

5 Miles & Silent Auction

Did my 5 mile short run on the indoor track today.  Then the afternoon am at Pandemonium Books in Wasilla having a silent auction to raise money for Team In Training.  I have 12 of my Alaska photos for sale.  Hoping to make a little for my combination marathon and 800 mile bike ride this summer.

4 Miles Today

Another perfect day for an outdoor run.  Amazing for the middle of February in Alaska!  I'm trying to stick to the Nike+ marathon schedule, and today was 4 miles.  It was pretty easy after yesterday's 16 miles. I still used my old iPod because I had not had a chance to set up the new one.  At least it worked long enough to record today's run. I will probably have to substitute some skiing for my running on Sunday though.  It will be my last chance to downhill ski up at Alpenglow before I head back to the North Slope for the month of March.  Then it will be back to the treadmill.

I got some new ice skates today and hope to get out on the ice rink either Monday or Tuesday.

Best Run Yet!

I had the greatest 16 mile run today.  I ran from my house to downtown Palmer to the Post Office, to check my mail and back, with a 40 knot wind and 40 degrees.  Standing water everywhere, but just the perfect temperature for a nice long run.  I felt better than I have ever felt during and after a long run. 

I was pretty annoyed at my iPod though.  The silly thing quit at about 12 miles, so it never got recorded to Nike+.  The battery runs down after only a couple of hours so I finally gave up and replaced it today with a brand new 5th generation purple iPod Nano.  I guess I solved that problem!

I will be running again with Team In Training in August doing the Anchorage Big Wild Life Humpies full marathon.  I plan to lump my 800 mile bike ride from Deadhorse to Palmer in July into that run so I can fundraise for it.  I should have my new Team In Training website up in a couple of weeks.

Downhill Training

Yes, it was all downhill today - downhill skiing at Mt. Alyeska Ski Resort all afternoon.  3 hours was about all I could stand of the combination of pouring rain at the bottom and the blinding snowstorm at the top.  The snow was fantastic all over, even in the wet areas, but the visibility was maddening and I was wishing I had windshield wipers on my ski goggles. 

But downhill skiing is a great workout for my upper legs. 

Outdoors FINALLY!

It finally warmed up enough and the ice was off the road so I did a great 6 mile run along the road, up and down the hills.  It felt much better than the indoor track and a thousand times better than the treadmill.  But I don't think spring is really here yet.  Just a little warming trend for a few days.  I'll probably be out skiing again by tomorrow.

Alpenglow

I spent today downhill skiing up at Arctic Valley.  This post says February 15th but that is only because I am just getting around to writing it and it is after midnight.  It was incredibly warm but the snow was still soft and powdery.  It was a lot of work though because of course, none of it was groomed.  It was pretty deep and well skied from the day before, making it a little more challenging than last week's new fresh powder.  I gave my legs a really good workout.  5 hours of that was worth more than a lot of my long runs! 

And what a beauty of a day it was up there!

Skate Ski Workout

A gorgeous day for skate skiing up at Hatcher Pass along Archangel Valley Road.  I skied all the way to the closed gate and back, about 10 miles total.  Skate skiing is a whole lot like running and in many ways harder, but really fun on that nice downhill part from the gate to the Reed Lakes Trailhead.  It was so warm that I didn't even need my hat or gloves.  That doesn't happen very often in February.

Finally, a Good Long Run!

I did a great 15 mile run today at the Wasilla Sports Complex.  For a change, my legs didn't hurt, everything felt great.  We had an injury prevention clinic tonight with Team In Training and I learned quite a bit about stretching.  I found out some things that I didn't know and see where I could be stretching more efficiently.  I was surprised to find that the one muscle that gives me the most trouble, the inside of my lower legs, doesn't have a known stretch routine.  No wonder I was having trouble with that spot, I was not stretching those muscles at all.  The physical therapist suggested simply massaging that muscle.  I did give it some time with the ice pack after my run today too and that really seemed to help.

Skiing Again

We got a foot of new snow last night so I decided today would be another ski workout.  I went for a great cross country ski trek up Archangel Valley Road today.  It was beautiful and the groomer had just gone by.  It would be hard to beat those conditions. 

I'm still having some pain in my right leg.  Not sure what is going on there, but skiing doesn't seem to bother it.  Running sure does though.  I hope it quits soon because I really need to get in some long runs.  Maybe tomorrow on the treadmill or at the Sports Complex.  I feel like I'm getting behind in my running.  But the skiing sure has been great these last few days.  More snow is on the way they say.

How is this for gorgeous!

Ski Ski Ski

My workout today was on my downhill skis.  I can tell that I have not been using my downhill ski muscles because it was a lot of work skiing in about a foot of fresh powder.  I have been skiing for about 35 years, and still, the first day of downhill skiing of the season is always a lot of work for me, especially in deep unpacked snow.  But it was fabulous.

Running & Skiing

I did a little multi-tasking today.  Went for a 4 mile run on the treadmill when I first woke up.  Then went to Eklutna Lake for a nice cross country ski trip to the Yuditnu Cabin at about mile 3 of the lakeside trail.  I can see that I need more time on the skis.  I was moving too slow for my taste.  But at least I got out and got moving.  It was nice to do something outdoors instead of always running indoors on the indoor track or worse, indoors on my treadmill.  It was a really nice day with occasional light snow and about 10 degrees.  It got a bit cold at times, but not too bad if I kept moving.

Here is that cute little cabin.  My refuge for a nice break after the 3 mile ski in.

3 Miles

Just a short 3 mile training run today.  Trying out my new Mizuno shoes.  They seem pretty cool, but a little stiff yet.  I figure it will take a few runs before I know for sure how they feel.  It's always nice to have new shoes.  My old ones had 3 marathons and about 500 miles on them.  I guess it was time for new ones!

Awesome Run!

I woke up late this morning feeling like a complete zombie.  But after a good hit with caffeine, I managed to have a fabulous 10 mile run at the indoor track at the Wasilla Sports Complex.  I had a couple of days off of running with my driving trip to Fairbanks.  The rest must have done me some good.

I think I was also inspired by my niece, Amber who got 4 blue ribbons and won all of her events including overall first at her gymnastics meet in Fairbanks.  Thinking of her great achievement, made me run a little faster!

Go Amber!