5 Miles On The Treadmill

I've been pretty lax with my training this last week.  Oversleeping and just being generally lazy.  I overslept today but couldn't procrastinate anymore.  I ran 5 miles down on the treadmill.  The weather has improved here but it's still below zero and windy.  Everything is coated with snow and frost from the recent week long blizzards.  My car's parking spot is so drifted in that I can no longer park there.  I even got stuck in my parking place tonight.  I guess I'll be looking elsewhere for a place to park.

I felt pretty good running tonight. So maybe the few days of rest were good.  I'm sure looking forward to the 4 marathons in Kauai in January.  I doubt that I'll be complaining about the heat regardless of how warm it might be!

5.7 Miles

I planned to run 5 miles but since I was watching Jeopardy on the TV I had to continue until after Final Jeopardy.  There is no end to the excitement up here in Deadhorse in December!

It's been blizzard conditions for at least a week now.  I'be been waiting for over a week for several packages that tracking claims left Anchorage December 6th. But the cargo planes can't get here. I'm glad the are nothing that I desperately need!

Then there is my car, when I went out to drive to work tonight!

5 Miles

I've taken a few days off because my right knee was hurting.  It felt fine today so I ran 5 miles on the treadmill.  I started feeling the pain a little during the last half mile.  But once I stopped running, the pain went away.  A little later when I went outside to clean the snow off the car, I slipped on the ice and landed on that knee.  It was very painful and it was several minutes before I was able to pick myself up off the ground.  But I was happy to find that I didn't have any trouble walking or any pain after the fall.  So I'm hoping that will be the last of the knee pain.

Treadmill 5 MIles

I've had a lot of trouble sleeping since I got up here to work. I really felt tired while running today, and it probably wasn't a very good workout.  But it was still better than nothing.  In addition to treadmill running, I've also been spending some time going up and down the stairs at night.  That will be the best practice for the Great Wall Marathon in April.  The Wall is mostly steps. So each night I add another trip up and down the stairs. I'm up to 13 now.

It's been snowing hard all day and the temperature is in single digits. I'm glad to have access to the treadmill.

Indoors

I dragged myself down to the treadmill.  I really wanted to run longer than I did but my stomach was giving me a hard time.  I did make it 8.4 miles though.  I got caught up in watching a good TV show which kept me from giving up and calling it quits after 5 miles.  I'm not about to venture outdoors and run in the dark and snow and wind.

I got this in my email today. 3 flags with Marathon Globetrotters.

Treadmilling

I'm back at work up in Deadhorse away from the warm Cuba temperatures and back in the icy cold Arctic. Which means I'm back running on the treadmill.  I'm registered for a couple of heavy duty races, the Great Wall of China and the Bhutan Thunder Dragon Marathon.  Both will be a lot more fun if I'm not struggling to survive and pulling up the rear in my usual way.  So I'm planning to do some serious training on the treadmill while I'm up here.  I'm also spending time on the stairs here at work since the Great Wall is mostly stairs.  I just did 5 miles today on the treadmill with a few speed sprints.  I was really tired because of a combination of jet lag and my first night shift.  But I managed to run 5 miles. 

Havana Marathon

I made it! Success at last.  I took care of my unfinished business from last year after falling and breaking my arm and shattering my left elbow at the Havana Marathon. This time I made it, still standing and crossed the finish line.  Not a beautiful finish, but at least a finish.  Dead last but not dead or in an ambulance!  It was a very happy moment for me.  Now I have 30 countries and have been accepted into the Marathon Country Club. My slow speed still bothers me though.  So I plan to devote a lot of time to training on the treadmill through December while up north at work. Running outdoors is not possible there in December so I will have to do what I can in the exercise room. 

I also had a wonderful trip in Cuba, and especially enjoyed the beach in Trinidad.  I wish I could swim there every day. I already miss the warm weather.

Polar Circle Half Marathon

I couldn't resist the idea of the Polar Bear Challenge, which is the full marathon on day 1 and the half marathon on day 2.  I completed both, even being a little sore from tripping yesterday and being kind of tired as well.  It was warmer today and the ice cap was extremely slippery because it had water running on it. Many people were slipping and falling, but my awesome ice grippers kept me upright the whole time.  The hills on this race are real killers though.  I can move well downhill but really slow down on the uphills.  But I'm just happy that at age 71 I'm able to run at all.  I love Greenland and it's exciting to visit interesting places like that.  It's a beautiful world!

The medals are beautiful for this series of races.  One for each race and one for the Polar Bear Challenge.

Polar Circle Marathon

Wow what a beautiful and difficult course!  I finished but at 7:05:35 which is 05:35 past the time limit.  So I'm battling with them to get my time official so I can count Greenland in my Marathon Globetrotters country count.  I have my medal and an official chip time so I think it should be published in the finisher's result, like ALL OTHER RACES DO!

But either way, it was an interesting race and fun meeting so many people from all over the world.  I did trip on a rock and ended up with a couple of stitches to my left eyebrow.  But it didn't stop me from continuing on for another 20 miles. 

Grand Rapids Marathon

Well, that was one brutal marathon experience!  It was pouring rain most of the way and winds reached 40 mph or more.  There were places where the water was over my ankles.  It wasn't terribly cold, around 55 degrees or a bit less, but when soaking wet with the wind chill.  I got pretty cold. I ended up wrapped in a space blanket and extra plastic rain poncho by the time I finally reached the finish line.  I was much slower than I had hoped. Very discouraging too because I am still hoping to beat my time next week at the Polar Circle Marathon.  I'm trying not to get discouraged.  But I can only do what I can do.  I've tried my best to pick up the speed.  At least there I won't be running in shorts and a T-shirt.  I'll be bundled up for what will obviously be very cold weather.  Today's run was certainly a good long run for training.  Hoping for the best in Greenland.

I can check off Michigan now in my quest to finish the 60 states.

5 Mile Run

Finally a decent enough day to actually run directly from my house.  It has been pouring rain up until today.  It was even raining a little today but it was still OK.  I ran to Wolverine Creek and back.  I felt great the whole way even up and down the very steep hills. The larch trees in fall color were gorgeous. 

Eklutna Lake Hike

I didn't actually run today but still got a great and very beautiful workout. I hiked the Eklutna Lakeside Trail to the Bold Creek Trailhead and back for a nice 10 miles.  It didn't record properly with my Nike+ app but I know the distance.  I've been so busy with house and yard projects that most of my workouts have involved my chainsaw, lawnmower and other heavy equipment.  Not much running though.

I loved seeing what's left of the fall colors.

5 Miles Indoors

Another dreary, wet, foggy, nasty day outdoors. So I ran 5 miles on the treadmill here at the hotel. The first couple miles were slow and I thought I might fall asleep out of boredom. But by the time I started into mile 3, I started to wake up and move faster. I listened to music and watched Big Bang Theory on TV.  It started out slowly but by the time I was done, I felt pretty good. At least it was better than just hanging out in my room watching the news.  I'm into my last week here at work so I'm hoping I'll get some nice long runs in once I get home.  In two weeks I'll be flying to Michigan for the Grand Rapids Marathon, so at least I'll get a nice long run that day.

Treadmill Workout Today

Humm, 36 degrees, muddy and a 40 mph wind blowing.  So I was forced to run on the treadmill today.  It was not my best workout because I didn't sleep well and was really tired.  But I did cover 5 miles, slowly, but surely.  Even a poor run is better than no run at all I guess.  I'll be home in a week then I can run outdoors again.  I'm so looking forward to that!

By The Pond

I did my 5 mile run on the Dalton Highway about 7 miles south of Deadhorse by a little pond.  It was a beautiful sunny day when I started but it quickly deteriorated to cloudy, windy, cold and overcast. But I had a really nice run.  I like running there because in late afternoon there is almost no traffic and I feel like I have the whole world to myself.  I can see far enough in all directions to easily see a bear in time to make it back to my car safely.  It's still much too muddy to do my favorite run around Colleen Lake, so maybe this will become my new favorite place to run.

A Beautiful Peaceful Place!

Another Lovely Day!

Today was another really nice day. Not quite as warm as yesterday but nice enough to hit the little side road where I like to run.  It's still pretty muddy around Deadhorse so I just ran back and forth on the little road to the river, which is good gravel and still pretty dry.

Yesterday was beautiful but I was not feeling well so had to stop after running only 1 mile. It was kind of tragic too because yesterday it was 60 degrees and sunny. But today it was only 50 degrees. But that's a good running temperature.  I was still feeling kind of sluggish but did make it 5 miles. I hope I get some dry weather so I can run around the lake again.  I really miss doing that but so far this month it has been too wet and much too muddy.

My Little Side Road

Another Rainy Day on the Treadmill

Yesterday I totally failed.  I made it only 1/2 mile on the treadmill before I gave u, tore my earbuds out and went back to my room.  It just wasn't happening.  But today, even though I still had to drag myself down there, I did manage to run 5 miles.  I was pretty sluggish until the last couple of miles. But I was happy that I didn't just give up.

The treadmill has the option of showing trails on it's little screen so you can pretend you are actually running in a beautiful place.  I try to pretend I'm really running in these lovely places, but in my heart I know it's just not true!

Treadmill Screen View

Indoors Again

I slept in and skipped my run yesterday.  But today I woke up early enough to get in 5 miles on the treadmill.  It wasn't a good workout but at least it beat sleeping in two days in a row.  The weather is ridiculously dreary, raining, and even a little snow.  The roads and parking lots have foot deep lakes in them, so running outdoors wouldn't be worthwhile even if I did dress for the rain.  So on the treadmill again.

Pouring Rain

And another 5 mile run on the treadmill.  Rain is one thing, but pouring rain, mud, and howling wind, no thanks!  Ran on the treadmill while I watched the news on TV. Multitasking!

My last Team In Training event is over so it was time to find my next one.  Austin, Texas in February. I'm registered.  My usual domain name now points to my new fundraising page:
Race4Cancer.org

I'm having the metal removed from my arm and elbow on January 3rd and I assume I'll be up to running by February 18th.  I sure hope so since I'm also running 4 back to back marathons with Mainly Marathons in Hawaii starting January 18. Just some warm-up long training runs!

Beautiful Run!

It was kind of chilly at 42 degrees, but what a beautiful day!  It's still pretty muddy around Deadhorse but not too bad down the Dalton Highway.  Someone was parked on my usual little side road so I continued on down until I found a turnout.  Then I just ran back and forth along the highway itself.  It's still pretty muddy even there, but at least it wasn't the kind of mud that you sink into and ends up building up on the bottom of your shoes.  It was just kind of wet.  I was a bit pushed for time because I woke up a little late.  But I did manage to get in my planned 5 miles.

Also, this arrived in my email today.

5 Miles Today

I have a goal this month of running at least 5 miles every day this month. The weather today was not exactly outdoor runnable so I had to hit the treadmill again.  It is very foggy and still ridiculously muddy out there. So it would be too dangerous to try to run out there on the road dodging trucks that may not see me, or bears that I might not see!

I got official notification that I was accepted into the 100 Marathon Club of North America.  That was fun.

Outdoors Finally!

Wow, it's a beautiful sunny 50 degree day here in Deadhorse.  The road around the lake is a slippery mud hole, but it's pretty dry down the Dalton Highway.  So I drove down to the little side road leading to the river, parked the car, and ran back and forth there foe 5 miles. It wasn't even windy!
I ran into a cute little ground squirrel but no other wildlife.  I was glad not to see any bears. They are still out but I haven't seen any yet.

5 Miles Again

I guess I may be stuck running on the treadmill for a while. I ran 5 miles on it today. Pretty boring but better than just rolling over and going back to bed!  It is still incredibly muddy and foggy outside.  I hope it clears up at some point so I can get outside.  It's much too wet to do anything out there right now.

Back to Work

Well all the exciting travel is over for a little while.  Back to the treadmill here at Deadhorse.  It is exceedingly muddy and wet outside making it impossible to run outdoors.

I'm pretty disgusted at how slow I have gotten. I lost a lot of running time when I broke my elbow. So I'm planning to try to get some good training time in this month, even if I do have to do it all on the treadmill.

I registered for the Grand Rapids Marathon in Michigan and will be repeating both the Polar Circle Marathon and the Havana Cuba Marathon on my next two month break. So I need to get in some serious training to make up for lost time.  I don't like the frustration of trying to beat impossible time limits.  I feel optimistic after my short 5 mile run today. The most important part of training will be simply the act of doing it and not rolling over and going back to sleep, even if I can't get in extremely long training runs.

This is the parking lot at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel!

Zambia

This was the final race. I started at 2:30 am so I had lots of time and wasn't the last person to finish. Today's course was quite pleasant and not nearly as stressful. The zebras and emus and lots of ducks were wandering around keeping us company. This was a beautiful lodge with lush grounds, ponds and flowers.

I really enjoyed seeing little bits of these countries and especially having the chance to see Victoria Falls.  That made it all worthwhile. Plus of course I logged 6 more countries, bringing my country list to 29.

Victoria Falls

Namibia

I started earlier today so it wasn't quite as much pressure.  Some of the guys are starting much earlier in the dark.  I may do that. we had the choice of an early start today though. It looks like I will be able to finish the rest of the races. But these have been difficult due to the time constraints, the altitude, and the travel in between each race. We end up taking unexpected amounts of time at some of the border crossings too. But we aren't as pressed for time for the rest of the marathons.

Today was really beautiful by the Zambezi River.

Botswana

This was a very slow day for me. Lots of pressure to move faster.  I thought for sure they would stop me. I kept checking to see if there was still enough time, and was assured there was. It was very hot and the terrain was sandy and difficult. Of course I was last.  I really hate that. But I did finish.

Zimbabwe

We had a free day yesterday where we flew to Livingstone, Zambia then traveled by road to Zimbabwe.  I struggled again to finish while the race people kept telling me I had to speed up.  My friends stood by me and I finally did finish.  But I'm quite frustrated.  It appears we will be able to start earlier for the rest of the races.

This was a nice course with beautiful flowers along the way.

Swaziland

I felt a lot better this morning and was assured that today I would have enough time.  I was still pressured and came close to being stopped from finishing. But I did manage to finish the race. I can tell I'm going to be a nervous wreck for this entire series if we don't have the option of an earlier start.

Lesotho

I woke up feeling terrible this morning.  Again we were really pressed for time.  When I signed up for this series I had no idea we would have a strict time limit. When I found out about it a few days before flying here, it was too late to cancel.  The race director said it wouldn't be a problem and that he would make sure everyone finished each race.  But after the troubles I had yesterday and the nausea I felt this morning, plus the high altitude and freezing temperatures, I knew I couldn't run the full marathon today.  So I decided to just run the 5K. We still get the medal regardless of the distance we run, so I just ran the 5K for the medal. I actually barely had the energy to do that. I do think part of my problem today was simply intimidation due to my slow performance yesterday.

So Lesotho will not be added to my list of countries with Marathon Globetrotters, sadly.

South Africa Challenge

Arrived in Johannesburg yesterday and today we drove to Ladybrand, South Africa for the first run of the series.  It was very stressful for me because I am so slow ans we were pressured for time.  I made it but was very discouraged by the time I finally stumbled across the finish line.  We really didn't have a specific marked course but rather we times ourselves using our own GPS. I used my iPhone and my Nike+ app. WE did follow a course but were free to modify it as we needed.  If today was any indication of how this series will go, it's not looking too good for me.

Our Group

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 7

The last day of the series.  In St. Joseph, Missouri today.  One more state completed.  But today is a special one for another reason. This is marathon number 100 for me.  It's kind of an exciting milestone.  But again it was hot as blazes.  I'm driving to Detroit to visit the Nexus office to show them my new passport.  Then on to Chicago where I'll leave my camper while I fly to Africa.

7 marathons in 7 days in 100 degree heat, is kind of an odd vacation!

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 6

Hiawatha, Kansas.  This must be the hottest place on earth!  100 degrees most of the day.  It was too hot to camp again so I stayed in another motel. Just trying to find a place to camp has become too much trouble. Not sure if I could even find one or if it would have electrical hookups. Without the air conditioner it would be too hot to sleep.  So it was another day of putting as much cold water on me as in me.  But now I can add Kansas to my list of completed states.

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 5

South Sioux City, Nebraska today.  I'm getting pretty tired and the heat is outrageous.  I gave up on finding a place to camp so just stayed in a hotel last night.  Today was over 100 degrees and very slow running, if I could really call any of it running.  I was mostly walking and not very quickly at that.  But I finished still standing, and soaking wet from dumping water over my head.

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 4

Today we ran in Sioux City, Iowa.  Another very hot day at about 100 degrees.  I'm so thankful to be living in Alaska.  I can't stand this kind of heat.  Maybe this winter when I'm up at work and it's -50 I'll be wishing for a little of this heat. But right now, it is almost unbearable.  I keep pouring water over my head to try to cool off.  But it doesn't help very much. Iowa is another state that I did need.  I will gain 5 states from this series.

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 3

Now I'm in South Dakota for Day 3. I do already have a marathon in South Dakota, but figured I would do them all.  Today's marathon was in Baltic, South Dakota.  Hot hot hot once again. We've been starting at 4:30 am but even in the dark it is still very hot. I seem to get slower each day too.  But I love these races and the people who I run with.  They are simply fun with no stress because there is no time limit to worry about.  They sure give us a lot of food as we pass by the one aid station over and over again.

Mainly Marathons Prairie Series Day 2

Day 2 of the Prairie Series was at Wahpeton, North Dakota.  It was actually the exact same race we did yesterday but both races started in North Dakota and ended in Minnesota. So either race counts as either state.  I already had North Dakota, but I wanted to do the whole series even though I do have both of the Dakotas already.  It was another hot one in the high 90's. I didn't break any speed records, that's for sure! This day had a really bad ending too.  I had to drive about 200 miles to the next race plus after two in a row in blistering heat, I was pretty tired.  I pulled into a gas station on my way out of town and managed to hit a concrete barricade and damage the side compartment door on my beautiful new VW RV.  I've only had it for 3 days!  But I am still able to close the door, although I did add some duct tape to make sure that it doesn't go flying off somewhere down the road.