PBOC Fun Runs

Today was a gorgeous day!
We had fun runs again today over at the Prudhoe Bay Operations Center at 6 am and 6 pm.  An official ID is required to get through the security gate.  I've never had one before but this month we were issued security badges from the DOT (Department of Transportation).  So I was told the badge would get me through the gate.  But as I approached the gate the two guards started frantically waving their hands signalling for me to immediately turn around. There were several vehicles stopped at the gate so I assumed there was some emergency preventing anyone from entering.  As I drove away I saw two more trucks pull up in the line, and noticed they were not being turned around.  I called over to work to see if I could find a clue, but it was a mystery to them too.  They suggested I just try again.  On the second try there were no other vehicles at the gate.  The guards still both came out and were staring at me through binoculars.  That made me feel a bit odd!  When I reached the gate and showed my badge they let me right through.  It seems they turned me around because they thought I was a tourist because they didn't think my filthy dirty muddy SUV looked like it belonged there with all the filthy dirty pickup trucks!  I was apparently 'car profiled'!

Since I spent too much time fiddling around with all that, I only had time to run the course once, and logged 3 miles.  I went back for the evening race with a friend who had a more official looking vehicle, and we got right through.  I did have time to run it twice for another 6 miles. In spite of the morning nonsense it was a really fun run and a beautiful day.  Only 35 but calm in the morning but 48 with a bit of wind for the evening race.

Gorgeous Morning!

Morning Run

Evening Run

NSB/ICE Fun Runs

It was foggy and cold and windy and 34 degrees, but I dragged myself down to the North Slope Borough pad to do the fun runs. As usual, I do the morning one at 6:00 am twice and the evening one at 6:00 pm twice. I got 4 T shirts but they didn't order any smalls this time so I didn't even get one for myself!  That's OK because I really don't like T shirts!  But I did get some for my friends.  I really felt good during the morning race, but the evening one was much colder due to the 20 knot wind. 

It was a good workout in preparation for the two upcoming marathons I have on my July schedule. 

Morning Run

Evening Run

Beautiful Day!

Finally, a day that isn't snowing.  It also wasn't raining or blowing 30 knots.  37 degrees and there was even a little bit of sunshine.  Lots and lots of migratory birds starting to return to their summer home here in Deadhorse.  I ran my usual 5 miles around Colleen Lake.  There is a lot of standing water and mud in many places, but it was still a very pleasant day for my favorite run up here.

Colleen Lake

I'm back up in Deadhorse for the month of June.  Today is the first day I've been able to run.  I have been sick with a bad cough and laryngitis ever since I left Bhutan.  Most of it seems to be over but my voice is still kind of scratchy and I also have lost most of my hearing in my left ear.  It feels plugged up ever since my flight up to work.  I hope that corrects itself before I go home. I never did feel very sick but didn't think I could run if I was coughing constantly. 

It's been overcast, cold and foggy all week.  It was only 31 when I was running but the wind wasn't too bad, at about 10 miles per hour.  It was tolerable.  I was warm enough.  I enjoyed seeing the migratory birds that are arriving now.  I startled a poor sand hill crane who tripped and fell on her face when she saw me.  Poor thing ran off dragging a wing to distract me from her nest.  That was kind of sad.  But I'm sure she is ok and back on her nest now.

The lake is still quite frozen and there is still some snow around.  There is also lots of standing water in places and the mud is quite obnoxious.  But in spite of all that, it was nice getting out for a 5 mile run.  I'll try to do it as much as possible this month.