Honolulu Marathon

Finally, now that I've stopped working in Deadhorse, I was able to run the Honolulu Marathon in December.  It was a fantastic race.  It was quite warm, but there was enough of a breeze to keep me from being too uncomfortable.  Half the runners were from Japan since it was sponsored by Japan Air Lines.  It was interesting hearing all the runners around me speaking in Japanese.  It was such a huge race and since it has no time limit or participant limit, it attracts a lot of walkers.  I was in the middle corral but even then, there seemed to be mostly walkers and very few runners.  That was the most difficult part of the race for me. I wanted to run, so was forever maneuvering around all the walkers.  I figured at some point I would finally be ahead of all of them, yet even in the finisher chute, I was still working my way around walkers.  I'm not sure I'll even have a finish photo because just as I crossed, three men with gigantic flags walked right in front of me and the flags completely covered my entire body as I crossed the mat.  That was ridiculous!  But otherwise it was a really fun race.  I was a little slower than usual but still not terribly slow.  I didn't start feeling really exhausted until the last couple of miles.  I made the mistake of not bringing more energy gels, figuring they would have some on the race.  But they only had water and Gatorade.  I drank more water than on any race I've ever done, since it was over 80 degrees once the sun came up.  I loved the race and might want to do it again next year.

Diamond Head

I'm having a wonderful time in Hawaii.  I'm here for the Honolulu Marathon but of course, enjoying Oahu while I'm here.  Nice swims down at the beach, and a visit to Byodo-In Temple.  The weather was nice so I hiked to the top of Diamond Head and back.  It's not very long but is quite steep and mostly a collection of steps.  The view from the top is spectacular.

Palmer Happy Run

It was snowing so hard at my house that I seriously questioned whether I really wanted to go do a 5 mile run in the dark. But it was a wonderful run.  It's cold, about 25 degrees but dead calm and it was snowing fairly hard the whole 5 miles.  In places the snow was getting kind of deep and in other spots quite slippery.  So I was even slower than I usually am.  But I really didn't care. It was a great workout and just magical being out there in the quiet darkness with the falling snow.  There were only a couple other runners who chose to do the 5 mile long run, and they quickly passed me. So I was basically alone the whole time.  I like the wild and free feeling of running alone in the dark in a snowstorm.  It's a beautiful sensation.

Boycott Black Friday Day 3

What a gorgeous spectacular day to be outdoors!  It snowed about 4 or 5 inches last night and was still snowing lightly most of the day,  I felt a little better today but still gave up sooner than I had hoped.  I ended up running only 7 laps when I hoped to run at least 8 or if things went well, 10.  But towards the end of lap 7 I started getting dizzy and even ended up vomiting.  I took that as a cue to call lap 7 the last one!  I ran an extra .6 miles to bring my total for the 3 day series to an even 50 miles. 

This has been extremely tough for me.  I'm just not used to running in snow.  It's slippery because of the ATV ruts, so I spent lots of time just trying to keep my balance.  After the first lap, I grabbed my ski poles and ran/walked the whole way using them to help with my balance.  I have had very painful low back pain for the whole three days.  The poles definitely helped to keep me steady.

I loved this race and plan to do it every year if I'm home.  Happy Malamute Running is a fabulous local running organization and I always love their races.  They also put on the Hatcher Pass and Archangel Marathons that I ran this summer.  They gave us special gifts each day for running.  Friday we got a Malamute hat, Saturday some holiday socks and today a very soft blanket.  Nice gifts to keep us warm after being out in the snow for three days!

Boycott Black Friday Day 2

I knew when I woke up this morning that I was not fully recovered from yesterday's race.  But I wanted to see how far I could get today.  We had the same course as yesterday and the conditions were about the same.  It was a bit colder though, so there wasn't as much standing water.  My feet didn't get as wet. I was the first person to start because I got there before 8.  At first I felt great and ran the first two laps.  But I was still not running at a very fast speed.  My back was aching again and even a double dose of ibuprofen wasn't killing that pain. By the third lap it was really getting annoying.  The exhaustion from yesterday started to come back.  So by the time I was part way along the 4th lap, I knew it was time to stop.  I just got to a point where it was too much effort to even lift my feet and walk slowly.  I considered just taking a rest by the fire than going out again.  But I decided it might be best to just go home and rest, and be happy with 10 miles.  I still have one more day.  So maybe tomorrow I'll feel more like at least trying again for 10 laps.

But if I get that exhausted again I'll just quit when I feel ready.   I don't want to wear myself out completely because next weekend, I have the Honolulu Marathon.  I definitely want to enjoy and finish that one.  This series is just for fun and quite the challenge. I'm learning how to run in deep snow on uneven terrain, and it's tough!

Boycott Black Friday Day 1

Wow, this race was too much for this tired person!  Today is the first of the three day series of Boycott Black Friday races.  They are 12 hour races from 8am to 8pm.  But you can come and go when you want and run as far or as long as you want.  It's a 2.6 mile lap and you count laps for your total distance.  I had hoped to make at least a marathon distance, but that hope was quickly dashed.

What a tough course!  It's along snow covered deeply rutted ATV trails through the Palmer Moose Range.  It's been so warm so that even though it's all snow covered, it is very slushy and the deep tire ruts are full of standing water. The second half of the course is very hilly trail.  That part is very narrow foot packed deep snow, about the width of my two feet.  The entire course is so uneven that my poor legs and ankles felt like limp spaghetti as I stumbled along.  I managed to do 10 laps for about 21 miles.  But that took me 9 hours, which is absurdly slow even for me.  The sun doesn't come up until 9:45am and goes down at 3:45pm, so much of the.race is in the dark. I kept hoping and calculating, figuring I'd have just enough time for the 10 laps for a full marathon. But by the middle of the 8th lap, in the dark, I felt it was questionable whether I'd even make it back to the start point.  The uneven terrain was causing me to have severe low back pain, which was quickly becoming intolerable.  At the end of lap 8, I gave up and called it a day.  I only know of one person who actually ran the full 12 hours, and many didn't run as many laps as I did.  But I knew I'd had enough.  It was great fun, but I was so ready to call it a day!

Route 66 Marathon

Today was the last day of my 8 marathon adventure.  It was a fantastic fun race with so many Marathon Maniacs.  It was icy cold at the start but by the time I crossed the finish line it was 70 degrees.  There was enough wind that I was not sorry that I kept my windbreaker on the entire time.  The course was very hilly.  None of the hills were very steep but they just seemed to keep coming and coming.  I think the downhills saved me from taking too long.  I was just over 6:30, partly because I added the Center of the Universe detour for an extra .3 miles.  They call that the world's shortest ultra marathon.  I'm not sure I'd actually consider it to be an ultra marathon, but it was kind of fun to run up to that odd monument and claim my little medallion.

I was first in my age bracket.  There were only 4 of us in that bracket though.  But at least I wasn't the last person scrambling to beat the time limit.  There were several hundred runners who finished behind me. 

Grand Canyon Rim Trail

1455 miles from Bakersfield to Tulsa.  But not without a wonderful visit to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It's been so many years since I've been there. I wasn't really planning to go on a 5 mile walk, but once I saw that spectacular place I just kept going.  I hiked to the Rainbow Angel Trail head.  One day for sure I want to hike down into the canyon bottom and up to the North Rim.  The Rim to Rim hike has long been on my list of things I must do before I die.  Seeing that trail winding down into the canyon moved that desire higher on my priority list.  Maybe next spring or summer, I'll finally get to do it. 

Bakersfield Marathon

I got a nice little break after driving 240 miles from Nipton to Bakersfield.  I slept almost the entire day yesterday, recovering from the last 6 marathons.  I did get up and go to the expo. I was a bundle of nerves with this one.  It actually has a 6:30 time limit.  That is usually plenty of time for me, but I wasn't sure after a week of marathons with only one rest day.

The temperature was perfect for most of the race.  At the start I was freezing but it quickly warmed up.  I thought it was a really nice race with a pleasant course.  It was ia nice sunny day with just the right amount of breeze to keep me comfortable.

It was also fun seeing several friends who had also run the Southwest Series.  Plus I got to see Keith who I met last April in Beijing, China during my first attempt at running the Great Wall.  We have been chatting on Facebook Messenger ever since China!

A few photos before the race start

Keith & Me

Clyde & Kelly

Clyde, Ed, Kelly, Me & Keith

Beginning

My Happy Finish

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 6

Now for the last day of the Southwest Series.  Lots of fun with friends.  The amazing runners who I get to see on these races are the best part.  With no time limit, I have time to visit and cheer each other on, without the stress of a time limit.  There are so many inspirational people who have run incredible numbers of races.  I am always in awe of them.

Today we ran in the desert in Nipton, California.  The course was a rough old road with so many different surfaces.  Sometimes rocks, then gravel, then broken asphalt. Everyone was tripping and falling.  I almost feel 4 different times but luckily was able to catch myself in time.  There were a few minor injuries and one poor girl broke her collarbone.  I enjoyed the day but was glad to see the end of that course.

Below are some of the wonderful people I love t run with

Tricia

Ila

Pascal

Stacey who puts us all to shame! She never gives up.

Fascinating mosaic octopus of Nipton

The medal with all 6 ststes

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 5

Last night was another long drive.  Not quite as bad as the day before, but still about 180 miles.  I spent last night in a crazy casino.  Today's race was in Laughlin, Nevada.  We ran on a paved bike trail along the Colorado River.  It's always nice to run along a river, but this one had a bit more industrial scenery than I would have liked.  We ran right by a dam.  But it was a nice run and not nearly so high or so cold.  I was much faster than the previous days.  But still painfully slow.  But I think I enjoyed today a lot more because it wasn't such an effort fighting the hills and the cold. 

We took turns getting our pictures taken with the Mainly Marathons Loon mascot.  It's so cute. 

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 4

Yesterday's 220 mile drive to Flagstaff, Arizona from Utah was exhausting.  Of course it was also quite a spectacular drive. I drove right through amazing Monument Valley.  It's such an unusual place.  Once again, I felt like part of an old western movie.

Today in Flagstaff, it was very tiring for me.  The altitude was over 7000 feet and most of us were feeling it.  The course was very flat so at least I wasn't dealing with hills.  It was just a simple park with pine trees scattered around.  I was a bit faster than yesterday, but probably felt more exhausted by the end of the race.

Here are a couple of photos of Monument Valley from my drive to Flagstaff

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 3

The 120 mile drive after yesterday's race was almost as tiring as the race itself.  Today we ran in Bluff, Utah.  It was a really tough race for me.  It was very hilly and also very cold.  I'm not sure I ever did get totally warm.  The course was beautiful with the backdrop of the monuments of Bear's Ears Monument all along our route.  The hills were killing me and my ultra slow time resulted.

I couldn't resist taking many pictures and simply indulging in the beautiful scenery around me.  What a fantastic little town. It looks like it's straight out of an old western movie.

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 2

It was a fairly easy 50 mile drive from Farmington to Durango, Colorado for the second day of the series.  Today is also a little milestone fore me.  It marks my 50th marathon with Mainly Marathons.  I never thought I would ever have that many of their runs.  But I do really enjoy them.  I love Durango and the whole surrounding area.  It's very beautiful and also about 7000 feet elevation.  I am hoping to get some altitude training for my upcoming Mt. Aconcagua climb in January. 
I stayed in a gorgeous historic hotel and got a much needed good night's sleep.

Today was another chilly run, starting in the high 20's.  I got pretty chapped and wind burned.  I may have to resort to wearing leggings.  I did wear them yesterday and found them to be very uncomfortable.  Today's race was another pleasant run along the Animas River.  I was just as poky slow as yesterday.  It seems like I just can't force myself to ignore all the wonderful distractions, like my friends and lots of food, and simply run hard. But I do feel like I'm getting a good workout.

I earned a little plaque for completing 50 marathons with Mainly Marathons.  I'll take it home and hang it next to the one I got after 25.  I wonder, will I one day have one for 100?

Mainly Marathons Southwest Series Day 1

This is the first day of my two week marathon adventure.  First I'm running 6 marathons in 6 states in 6 days.  Then on to Bakersfield, California for the Bakersfield Marathon.  Then a week later on to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Route 66 Marathon.

Today was the first day, in Farmington, New Mexico.  It was very cold and fairly high elevation.  It  was a lovely loop course, mostly along a beautiful river.  I really hoped to get some sort of decent time, but as usual, on these races, my time was very slow.  It's just too easy to end up chatting with friends or lingering for too long at the single food and water table. I could also tell the long flight from Anchorage to Albuquerque the day before was a contributing factor to my less than energetic performance.  But it was fun and not my slowest ever.  In fact, it was faster than my usual Mainly Marathons runs.

5 Mile Happy Run

Cold and foggy and dark tonight for the Happy Run.  Now that daylight savings is over, they will all be night runs. I was a little worried that I might get lost since the fog was incredibly thick.  But the route was pretty straightforward so there was no chance of that.  It dropped below freezing so the roads and sidewalks were getting pretty slippery.  Grippers might have been a good idea. I kind of like running in the dark.  It's not something I normally do.  I do wish there were some other runners who run at my pace because I have ended up running alone on both of the runs I have done.  I'll be gone traveling the next two weeks, but plan to do them whenever I'm home on a Monday night. Knowing others are out there with me, gives me a little extra incentive.

Gold Mint Hike

It was much too nice out to simply head home after skiing.  My friend Pam and I went on down to Gold Mine Trail and hiked another 3 miles.  A lot of the trail was clear of snow but we did start to encounter some ice about 1/2 mile in.  I had to wear my ice grippers to keep from falling on my face.  This time of year I would expect to be skiing up here.  But it looks like winter is going to hold off for a little while longer.

Independence Mine Ski

It was a spectacular day up at Independence Mine.  I skied with some friends from the Walkabouts hiking club.  It was so warm for November 1st.  The only real snow is right here at the mine.  There were small avalanches all over the higher peaks but nothing came close to the groomed ski trails.  It was a great up hill workout and a nice downhill returning to the parking lot. 

Palmer Happy Run

I heard about the group of runners who gather every Monday night at 6 pm here in downtown Palmer to run.  It was horribly windy tonight but I wanted to see what it was like.  It was really fun.  From now on , all of their runs will be at night in the dark until next spring.  But with a good headlight that won't be a problem.  They had three distance options and I chose the longest which was 5.6 miles.  There were only a small number who ran that distance. Naturally I was last.  But I was more motivated just knowing that I was part of the group even though the faster runners soon left me behind. 
Matanuska Peak looked amazing as the sun was setting.

Gold Mint Trail

I had several hours before the Ski Patrol meeting so ran the Gold Mint Trail.  There was a lot less snow on the trail compared to last week when I was there. There was even about a half mile that was nearly snow-free.  But the rest of the trail up to mile 3 where I turned around was covered with wet snow.  It really was quite warm, likely above freezing the entire way.  It was a little difficult to run in some places because even with ice grippers, the snow was somewhat slippery.  But I was able to run most of the way.  It was raining down in town but not at all up on the trail.  The sun actually came out right at the 3 mile point.  It was a wonderful 6 mile run.

Matanuska River Trail

I spotted this large new sign for the first time yesterday.  I knew it must at least reach the river, but I didn't know how far it went.  I was curious as to whether it eventually would connect with the old Railbed Trail that starts on the north side of Palmer at the corner of Valley Way and Eagle Street.  So I explored it with friend Mark.  It seemed to end at the Matanuska River Park Campground.  But there was an unimproved continuation that followed close to the high riverbank.  So we followed it for a couple of miles.  It does really almost end at the start of the Palmer Railbed Trail.  But instead of actually connecting to it, it ends at Gulkana Street, one block from the Railbed Trailhead.  Since it was starting to rain we walked back mostly along Gulkana Street then cut back through the Matanuska River Park and rejoined the trail.  I'm so happy I discovered this lovely trail. 

Climbing the Butte

Climbed the newer Butte trail with friend Mark.  It's quite short but certainly a great little workout if you like climbing a staircase.  This trail has as many steps as it has sections of trail.  Quite invigorating and of course the spectacular views of the entire valley from the top.  It's been a long time since I've been up there so it was definitely time to visit the 800 foot summit before it is covered with snow.

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

A wonderful run with some hiking on the Eklutna Lakeside Trail to Bold Creek and back.  So peaceful.  No one else on the trail.  It was so calm at first with hardly a ripple on the water. It felt so great to run out there through the forest by myself.

Gold Mint Trail

It was snowing lightly at my house but I just had to get outside and do something.  I drove up to the Gold Mint Trail and hiked and ran in for a nice 5 miles round trip.  Mine was the only car in the parking lot and I was the only person on the trail. Most of the trail was snow-covered but it was well packed down from other hikers.  I did need my grippers to keep from sliding on the hills.  I loved the total quiet and peaceful feeling of walking alone through the snowstorm.  It was snowing but the snow was very light and the trail easy to follow so I knew there was no danger being out there alone.  I'm looking forward to skiing there in another month once there is enough snow for skiing. 

Blueberry Loop Trail

It's been a long weekend between all day yesterday at the Ski Patrol Outdoor Emergency Care Refresher and the CPR Refresher this morning.  So I just had time and energy for a short afternoon hike with my friend Diane up on the trail around Flattop Mountain near Anchorage. It was beautiful and a very pleasant hike.  I do wish we'd had time for a longer hike, but it was still a nice workout even with the gray skies.

Twin Peaks Trail

It's getting difficult to find good places to hike that give me a little altitude and some steepness without requiring an actual expedition, due to snow and the onset of winter.  But today I hiked up the Twin Peaks Trail to the second bench.  Most of the trail was snow-covered, but with heavy duty ice spikes, it was easy to walk without sliding.  Above the second bench I found it to be very slippery and decided against going up there.  It won't be long before that part of the trail becomes impossible.  But the main trail may be usable all winter simply because so many people will still be using it. I walked up then ran down.

I'm planning to climb Mt Aconcagua in January so I really need to be hiking steep uphill trails, preferably at altitude.  I can see that will be difficult now that snow has arrived in the high country.  I just registered for 6 marathons with Mainly Marathons in the Southwest US because most of them are high altitude, some at 7000 feet.  In addition to those, I also decided to do the REI Adventures Annapurna Sanctuary Trek the last few weeks of December.  The trek will give me 14 days at high altitude with difficult hiking.  I'm hoping that will make my January Aconcagua climb easier and I will feel more competent when faced with its supper high altitude.

Today was gorgeous as the Twin Peaks Trail always is.