From an email written to Joe Henderson:
“Joe,
It was a blast. I finished in 4:58 for 35ish miles. The second half of
the course was rerouted due to heavy snow pack. I especially enjoyed
these trails because they were very runnable. Only about five miles of
highly technical footing. This mountain running is very addictive. I
actually felt like I was running fast, even if it was an illusion!
The race organization was superb. I highly recommend the shorter race
(30K) for anyone interested in testing the waters. Very well marked,
never any questions of the route. Great aid stations every five miles,
chip timing, a couple hundred runners, plenty of volunteers and finish
on the track at Sisters HS.
The weather was all part of the fun. I did encounter some sleet, snow
and rain showers but it was intermittent. The 60K ran some portions
over hard packed snow and had one ridiculous climb that had me on all
fours for about five minutes. The 30K racers were spared that
excitement. I had a short but sweet bad patch around 29 miles. I think
it was the altitude! I recovered and the last five miles were my
fastest of the race.”
Bob ran the 60k, that’s about 35+ miles, last weekend. Congrats! This coming weekend Rachel and I will be running 17 miles, our very own nearly 30k run. The idea that I can do it is a little absurd, but for now that is what is motivating me.
School is settling for now. Apparently I haven’t forgotten how to be a student; in fact I am probably a much better student than I was before. Too bad I’m not getting paid though.
marathon training update:
miles run this week: 8
total road miles since training started(3/5/06): 83.8
total number of miles with joe’s sunday group since 1/22/06: 98.05
My dear Susan. A 60K is insanity. Running a marathon is definately pushing physical bounds and accomplishing a lot. While I personally cannot get behind it with my 80 year old woman knees, I support others who are a tad on the insane side and want/need to do this. (I like to save my less than sane energies for other aspects of my life, you follow?) SUPER marathons on the other hand, are just ridiculous and in my mind only run by anorexic males in their 40’s who have something to prove. Maybe a small penis? (I’m kidding, really, but why are there so many crazy skinny, running manic men out there? Seriously been wondering about this for a long time.) So…if you need to run a 60K then, whatever, but please consider how crazy this is before the training starts. Truly, if this is your passion in life I am the last to judge, but seriously…that’s a shit ton of running. Talking over coffee and cake is way cool too. (Not to imply they are mutually exclusive…but you know laziness is cool too). I’m rambling…bye. If you have any insight into the crazy running middle aged men I’d be into hearing it.
Comment by Administrator — April 11, 2006 @ 9:36 am
reading back over this it does seem as though i am pining after that illustrious 60k, but i was actually refering to the 30k which is about 18.6 miles. shorter than a marathon, but on a trail run through the snow in sisters, equally as difficult.
and yeah, what’s up with the anorexic older males and the running? i have no insight to share other than they have what we porkers call “runner’s legs” you know where they don’t touch in the middle? i on the other hand do not possess such fine qualities for running and must invest in products such as body glide or never run in shorts.
Comment by Administrator — April 11, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
“My name is Rachel and I don’t have “runners legs.”
Competitive dood runners are really skinny. I think it’s a combination that most men have faster metabolisms than women (lucky bitches) and that they subscribe to the idea that the lighter you are the faster you can run. So if you are a dood who weighs 110 lbs, you can win more running races and also duck while I throw cookies at you, mebbe even a meatball sammich.
Comment by Rachel — April 11, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
Legs that don’t touch in the middle are weird looking and unnatural in most cases, meaning those who posess such qualities spend way too much time doing something (running, going to the gym, having plastic surgery, throwing up, starving themselves,etc.). If you will notice, many other athletes build up muscle and are cut and lean as can be but their legs touch becasue this is a good thing!!!! That said, it also means that while they have endurance to run around me in circles, they are weenies who you can push over (except when they are ten feet tall and tower over you). 110 lbs is not scary for a girl who has some spunk, attitude, and the will to prove it. So…watch out skinny leg runners I do not envy you, but I will push you over if I see you. (Only under the right circumstances, I am not mean=))
Comment by Administrator — April 12, 2006 @ 10:07 am
awesome.
Comment by Administrator — April 12, 2006 @ 12:58 pm
I’m a little confused with the naming… I’m pretty sure one Admin is Christine and the other is Susan, but who is who? The world, it may never know…
Comment by Rachel — April 14, 2006 @ 2:48 pm
The world will never know because my computer,despite many, many attempts, will not log out of administrator ever since Susan logged in here once. We have tried. Dylan has (maybe) even tried. I suppose some initials could solve the problem in the future, but for now…the world will never know-you are right.
Comment by Administrator — April 15, 2006 @ 10:00 am