We Have Been Running

Run, Run, Run….
There have been a few runs that I have ventured out on with and without Laura over the past month.  Some have been very tough, others have been smokin’ fast.  Guess which ones I like the best :)  Let me give you a quick update of some of the runs.

March 23, Blanchard Hill - 12 miles.  Laura and I headed up north to Bellingham/Mt. Baker.  As Laura drove, I looked through “50 Trail Runs in Washington” for a spot to run.  Blanchard Hill: Lily and Lizard Lake Trails would provide us with an 11mile loop, leaving us a mile short of our goal.  We always find a way to tack on mileage…..   After running this way and that along the trail, we hit snow.

Too much snow to try and navigate through safely, we went the other direction.  Laura and I came off the trail and ran on the dirt road, nowhere near completing the 11 mile loop.  We hit the dirt service road, running uphill, turn around, downhill, trail then back to the car – with still a mile left to make up.  DANG IT!  Down the hill a ½ mile, turnaround and come back up; phew we made it!  It was a good run, got some sun and checked it off as another run completed. 
It was time to make our way to Mt. Baker for the night, but first we needed to make our post run coffee stop.  We went to Woods located inside the Haggen’s store.  Since we were hungry and at Haggen's, might as well get some food, right?  That is where we found Half Pops - YUMMY!  http://halfpops.com/  Try it, you’ll like it! 

March 24, Chuckanut Mt. – 22 miles.  Laura and I had our asses handed to us.  The hardest run we have had so far.  Whose idea was this?  (Laura’s….and since I update this blog, I can tell whatever story I want.)  Per our usual, we set out with all the intentions to follow the trail…. We missed the turn off for a fairly significant portion of the trail (NOT well marked).  We made a loop that required us to run up a very LONG and STEEP forest road, twice.  That might be why Laura thought this sign said “Café Ahead”.

Canada in the distance

We did make it to the top of Chuckanut Mt and had an amazing view as our reward.  Laura and I finished up on the interurban trail of Bellingham managing to have a few 8:30s on very tired legs.



March 31, Puget Power Line Trail to Redmond Watershed – 22 miles.  Rain, rain, rain while running, running, running.  It poured the entire 4 hours we were out.  It was my worst run.  I don’t want to talk about it…….

I thought about it.....

April 3, Rockford Bay “Loop” in Coeur d'Alene, ID – 10 miles, uphill both ways.  I was in Spokane with the kids on “Spring Break”.  I took advantage of Grandma & Grandpa around :)  I love this loop and some of you have also had the pleasure of running it.  I was amazed at how easy it was to run.  Proves how far I have come through this training.  I look forward to this run again in the coming months.



April 7, farming roads in Reardan, WA – 22miles + not 100% of mileage on the route = 25miles.

Euclid Road

Get MOOOVING

I started off with a 6 mile run with my sister-in-law, Denise.  From “downtown” Reardan, I took off back to her house.  I knew it was around 10 miles to her house, so I needed to make up some miles along the way to hit 22.  Well…you know how it ends.

Mountains

This was passed on to Laura and I.  Thought I would share :)  See you at the top!

Mountains have always captured our imaginations, calling us to scale their heights, to circle and worship at their feet, and to pay homage to their greatness. Mountains can be seen from thousands of miles away, and if we are lucky enough to be on top of one, we can see great stretches of the surrounding earth. As a result, mountains symbolize vision, the ability to rise above the adjacent lowlands and see beyond our immediate vicinity. From the top of the mountain, we are able to witness life from a new perspective, cities and towns that seem so large when we are in them look tiny. We can take the whole thing in with a single glance, regaining our composure and our sense of proportion as we realize how much bigger this world is than we sometimes remember it to be.

Mountains are almost always considered holy and spiritual places, and the energy at the top of a mountain is undeniably unique. When we are on top of a mountain, it is as if we have ascended to an alternate realm, one in which the air is purer and the energy lighter. Many a human being has climbed to the top of a mountain in order to connect with a higher source of understanding, and many have come back down feeling stronger and wiser. Whenever we are feeling trapped or limited in our vision, a trip to our nearest mountain may be just the cure we need.

There’s a reason that mountain views are so highly prized in this world, and it is because, even from a distance, mountains remind us of how small we are, which often comes as a wonderful relief. In addition, they illustrate our ability to connect with higher energy. As they rise up from the earth, sometimes disappearing in the clouds that gather around them, they are a visual symbol of earth reaching up into the heavens. Whether we have a mountain view out of our window or just a photograph of a mountain where we see it every day, we can rely on these earthly giants to provide inspiration, vision, and a daily reminder of our humble place in the grand scheme of life.