Archangel Valley

I took yesterday off because I just didn't feel like doing anything.  I basically did nothing at all!
But today I decided that I need to spend some more time with those skate skis.  I felt totally pathetic on Sunday. I was kind of equally pathetic up at Archangel Valley today.  I didn't get nearly as far as I had hoped to, but I did get in a little bit of practice. Skate skies are really quite a workout, especially when you really don't have a clue what you are doing! I think if I can get better with them they will be a good way to get aerobic exercise.  They seem to be a better aerobic workout than classic skis.  But I need to get the technique perected.

Hillside Loop in Anchorage

I went into Anchorage today to ski with my friend, Diane. It was really nice in there, and no wind.  The trees are also still snow-covered.  I decided to try out my skate skies.  I've only used them a couple of times and really barely have any idea what I'm doing on them.  Diane is quite a bit better, and spent a lot of time waiting for me to struggle along.  I definitely need more practice or maybe even some lessons before I can claim to actually know how to skate ski.  But we had a nice time anyway.  We skied the Hillside Loop Trail.

Freezing Cold at Eklutna Lake

It was incredibly gorgeous up here today at Eklutna Lake.  But the sun doesn't hit the trail at all at this time of year.  I'm sure it was well below zero.  At first I skied about one mile in then realized I was simply too cold to continue.  So I skied back to my car and put a pair of the Hot Hands hand warmers into my boots because my toes were frozen.  I felt a bit better so started out again.  By the time I got to Yuditnu Creek I was pretty much frozen from head to toe in spite of the hand warmers in both my boots and my gloves, so I turned around and headed back.  It was beautiful and a great workout, but I was really glad to be reunited with my car heater.  I may want to wait for warmer days before I go back there. It was really spectacular though because the trees still have snow on them. Apparently the strong winds down below haven't reached the area yet.

Archangel Valley

I'm rested up and recovered from my wonderful trip to Hawaii, and back in Alaska.  It has been freezing cold and horrendously windy ever since my plane landed in Anchorage. I really don't see a good place to attempt to go running outdoors right now.  So I've decided to do my training on cross country skis.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no wind at all up at Archangel Valley in the Hatcher Pass area.  It was blowing between 50 and 70 miles per hour down in Palmer.  But clear and sunny up in the mountains.  I has a grand ski workout up there. It was a beautiful day for photography in general as well.  I will likely stick to skiing until I have to fly to Austin, Texas in a couple of weeks for the Austin Marathon.

Aloha Series Day 4

Today is the last day of the Aloha Series.  I'm sure going to miss Hawaii.  Tomorrow I plan to spend the day touring Kauai, especially visiting Waimea Canyon once again.  Today had the best weather of the series and the forecast is for better tomorrow.  We did have a little rain but it was quite welcome because it was hot with very little wind.  We ran once again at the Smith Family Gardens.  It's a gorgeous place. There are beautiful flowers and ponds and birds everywhere.  Since this is Kauai, there were as many chickens as people. They were everywhere and sometimes even running along with us. 

Me after the finish

Aloha Series Day 3

Up at 3 am and off and running at 4:30 am again along the same beautiful course along the ocean.  I was feeling a bit better today and actually able to run most of it.  Although my running probably looks more like walking to the rest of the world. I'm so glad that Revi is here because we kept each other company through the entire race again.  I usually end up running totally alone because I'm so slow.  It is really helpful to run with a friend.  We really have been having fun at these races.  We were quite a bit faster today, and not last, which was nice!

Tonight we had our Marathon Globetrotters meeting and we decided to dress for the occasion.

Yes we were definitely having fun!

Aloha Series Day 2

Today is the second day of the series in Kauai.  I was really exhausted from yesterday and was definitely dragging through the entire course.  It was along a gorgeous beach on a paved bike trail that was mostly flat.  It was extremely windy though and sometimes even cold.  I ended up wearing my windbreaker almost the entire time.  I was very slow and walked almost the entire way.  Revi and I walked/ran together the whole way too.  We shared the last finish together.  I let them give the caboose award to her though because I've been blessed with it in the past.  It's not my favorite medal but it is kind of cute. The actual medals have been lost in the mail so we will be receiving them at some later date through the mail.  Something to look forward to.

Beautiful Sunrise at the beach in Kapaa, Kauai

Aloha Series Day 1

Well here I am in beautiful and warm Hawaii.  This is the first of the 4 marathons in the Mainly Marathons Aloha Series.  Last night we had an amazing luau at the Smith Family Paradise Resort. Our Marathon Globetrotters had our own table and a reduced rate for the luau because Kamika Smith is one of the runners for this series.  Today's run was on the grounds with 16 loops back and forth among the beautiful gardens.  I ran the whole way with my friend from Indonesia, Revi. We met at the Da Nang Marathon in Viet Nam last year.  We run about the same speed so we had a great time urging each other on.  I was very slow, partly because I had a second surgery on my arm less than two weeks ago.  I got my stitches out two days ago.  I haven't done much since late December so I wasn't expecting to break any speed records.  It was warm but not overly hot.  Still a lot hotter than back home in Alaska.