hold on tight

And so it begins.

I am officially registered  for the Gorge Waterfalls 50k.

Bring on the hills, the water, the rocks.

Yahooooo!!!

getting on the log

I don't know about you, but for me, December is all about next year.  Sure, there are millions of things to do with the holidays and all, but by far the sweetest is dreaming and planning next year's running.

I've been doing that a lot.

I've decided to "get on the log" as my husband would say.



Which basically means I'm going to make a decision and go with it, even if it means that I end up crashing spectacularly or finding myself at the bottom of a hill I never planned to ride.

I'm going with the ultras.

What "log" are you planning to ride in 2012?  I want to hear about the races you are excited to be running next year!

baking a pie

Baking pies has always intimidated me.

It was something best left done to the experts.  It was too difficult.  It was a complicated process that I wouldn't have the patience for.  It was just too hard for me.

I wasn't making any pies, but I was making a lot of excuses.

Still, there was that small, still voice calling me to baking.

Make a pie, it whispered.

There were no further whispers of encouragement.

Just 'make a pie'.

So I stalled.  I practiced making cookies instead.  Cookies were small.  And then I baked a cake.  From scratch.  And it was good.

Still no pie.

Banana bread, pumpkin bread.  Check.

Make a pie, the voice still whispered.

How about chocolate mousse?  Pork carnitas?  Spaghetti squash?

Make a pie.

Finally, the voice had been whispering long enough.  So today, I made my final preparations.  Gathered my ingredients.  Read my recipe.  Did all my training, you might say.  And then I made my pie.

It just came out of the oven.  And it smells delicious.

It is not pretty.  First attempts seldom are.  But it is finished.  I am at the finish line, and it feels great.

Running can be like that.  That small, still voice whispers "run a marathon".  "Do a 50 miler."  "Run across your state."

It is scary.  It might be best left done to the experts.  It might be too difficult.  It might be a complicated process that you just don't have the patience for.  It might be too hard for you.

Then again, you might just find yourself at the finish line, your sloppy first effort in hand.  And it just might feel fantastic.

What is your small, still voice asking you to do?

If you'd like to try your hand at making a pie from scratch, I highly recommend the instructions from smitten kitchen.  I made this apple pie.

 If you are craving carnitas, she's got a fabulous recipe for those.  You will feel like a total rockstar when you whip up a batch!

for your listening pleasure

I've discovered a few new resources for fueling my ears on my runs, and I thought I would share what I'm loving right now.

Rock My Run: 

These free music mixes are great for running tempos or anything that requires energetic effort.  My current faves are Rock to the Beat and Miles Fly By.  They are able to give them away for free because they use samples from the music - not the entire song - which is especially great for those catchy tunes that quickly become annoying when you listen to the song in its entirety.  They pay attention to the beats per minute of the songs as well, so that the middle of the mix gives you the most intensity. A resource worth checking out!

Endurance Planet:
Endurance Planet was one of my go-to podcasts many moons ago, so I was very disappointed when they stopped producing episodes.  A few months back, though, new owner Ben Greenfield revived the resource, and their new podcasts are better than ever.  While much of it is about triathlon training, they have produced a new section just for ultrarunners.  Greenfield's nutrition information is great too.

Geeks in Running Shoes:

These guys are great.  Brothers-in-law Ray and Jason explore the world of running from their nerdy, newbie perspective (though I can't say they are newbies anymore - both completed their first marathons in the past two months).  They also land a ton of great guests!  Well worth a listen.

Stuff You Missed in History Class:

When you've had enough of running information, this podcast is a great alternative.  Every episode explores a new, random history topic.  I've learned about the first female surgeon in the Union Army,  the history of alchemy (did you know that chemistry is just a new name for alchemy?), the story of the likely inspiration for Mary Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein and more than I ever imagined I could learn about the history of the first blood transfusions (way back in the 1600's).  Well written and professionally produced, this podcast is fascinating.

What have you been listening to lately?

I've been quiet for awhile. Running more.  Joined the gym so I can swim more regularly. Doing the life thing. What have you been up to?

I have also discovered timelapse videos. The guy who made this one is putting together a movie that will be released in the spring. Enjoy!


TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

life gets in the way

I had to pull my entry to the Autumn Leaves 50 miler.

:*(

But I've got a family, and that family has taken up sport in the past six months, and all of their sporting events fell smack dab in the middle of the race.  I'm a mom first, runner second.

I know there will be other 50 mile races to run.  Well, survive, anyways!

custom marathon bib, baby

As I picked up my marathon number this morning, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.  One of the coolest things about the Portland Marathon is that if you sign up early enough, you can have your name printed on your bib so that spectators can cheer for you.  It's incredibly energizing to hear strangers screaming your name as you go by.

My decision to run Portland was a late one - a spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants type deal that I hatched after running a great 17 miler with my awesome running buddy, who has been signed up for Portland since last December. 

Boy, did that empty space look, well...empty.

Not to worry, I thought - I'll just get a sharpie at home and put @runnerteri or something like that.  Thus appeased, we proceeded to check out the rest of the expo.

Wouldn't you know it, but two legends of marathon happened to be upstairs - Frank Shorter and Jeff Galloway.  Now Frank Shorter is one badass dude - in the 1972 Olympics, he ran the 10k and earned 5th place, and then turned around and WON A GOLD MEDAL in the marathon.  That's my kind of crazy! 

So yes, I about died when he not only signed my bib but made a custom design on it.

Legend Frank Shorter signing my bib

Best marathon bib ever!!