Brooks Running Dig Deep Laces, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

I am so excited to announce that the hard work I have put into Run a 5k in 2012 is finally paying off.
It’s May and I have almost already reached my goal.
Brooks Running donated DIG DEEP shoelaces and I put together a Giveaway for our group on Facebook and then began reaching out to other companies around the US.
We now have 4 other companies willing to help us out with products for future giveaways!

Please join Run A 5k in 2012 and help our group grow and motivate others!

I did it!
I woke up this morning with minor ankle pain.  We got up to Cool to start our run and I had taped up my ankle and was thinking about how my calf on the other leg might get blown again for trying to baby the ankle on the other foot.

The run started and my boyfriend and I were together for about a half mile before I got stuck on the single track behind some walkers. There was no getting around them, so I just hung back and listened to them complain on how hot, dusty and muddy this run was.  HELLO, it was TRAIL RUN!
I got a chance to get around them and tried to catch up with Lester, but he was over the hill already.

Further in on the trail I came across a group of people who were training for a half marathon and thought this would be a good ‘warm up’ for them.  I’ve never heard more complaining.  ”This terrain is so weird, I can’t run. It’s like it couldn’t make up it’s mind if it wants to be uphill or downhill. Was that a snake?”  At one point I had to giggle.  The one woman heard me and she giggled back, “I’m complaining a lot huh?”  I told her, “it’s usually me that is doing the complaining, but since this is all I do…I don’t know any better.”  Then for the next half mile I heard all about the joys of street running and how it’s usually flat with just minor ups and downs.  It was about then we opened up to the most beautiful meadow.  ”But do you get to see THIS?”   I wanted to spin around and spout out the joys of trail running, but if you couldn’t see it while you were running through it, there was no use in trying.
“Yeah. It is.” She agreed and then her and her friend were left behind as I listened to them try to figure out how to maneuver through a big mud patch.
Up ahead was my ‘pacer’. She was appointed the job when I noticed her slow stride.  ”HI!” I said as I caught up with her.  She had to be sixty something and she was past running and just power walking up a hill.  We got to talking and she told me she had fell down one of the hills that I have run many times.  She has busted something in her hip and was still recovering.   As we neared the creek, she plowed through it like a trooper and I let the icy water cool my feet as I helped some runners that were trying to make their way across the slippery rocks before they took on Knickerbocker climb.

During the middle of the climb I met another woman. I said, “Jezzus. I have to quit smoking!” and she, straight faced said, “I have to quit smoking crack!”  She asked me if I had done this before and I told her that yes, I had and it was almost over, I mean…after you get up this bitch, around the corner and up the last bit.  She groaned and tried to catch up with her friend.

Finally I was alone and could find my stride. The sun was about 5 miles from the earth and my arms felt like I had stuck them to the tail pipe of a motorcycle.  The aid station was up ahead and I drowned myself in two cups of water and started down a hill into another meadow.  At one point a giant butterfly came and tagged me in the head.  ”WELL HELLO MISTER BUTTERFLY!” I yelled out and thanked him for reminding me why I was so happy to running.

My watch told me that it had lost GPS satelites and I didn’t even care, I knew the end was near and that meant I could finally go pee.

Cresting the hill I could see Lester’s bright yellow shirt at the finish line and I was all smiles as I rounded the corner, high fived the volunteer and crossed over into his waiting arms where he gave me a huge hug and kiss!
Best Finish so far!
He was there for me during the Resolution Run, but when I crossed the finish line the only thing I could think of was finding a first aid station for my blown calf.
This time, I said, “I FELT GREAT! NO PAIN AT ALL!! That was SO MUCH FUN!”  I could still feel him breathing hard so I know he wasn’t too far ahead of me and I was was so proud of him I almost cried.
We found a fellow runner and got our picture taken at the finish line.  I am all smiles because it was the perfect run for me!

IMAG0121, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

On Monday night going into the kitchen, I BARELY twisted my ankle on the kitchen rug. I had a shooting pain go from my outer ankle and up my leg.
Many times on the trail I am running and I lose my balance and my ankle gets all worbly and hurts like hell, but I keep running through it and it’s fine. I’ve even hyper extended my knee on two different running occasions and been alright after resting for a second. I would be fine. The next morning I was standing in the kitchen telling Tabitha how my ankle was sore from walking into the kitchen. I turned to get something and that exact pain came shooting again. “SON OF A !”
“Ice it.”
So I did. All day on Monday I iced the hell out of it. I would have to be fine before Saturday because I had my trail 10k coming up. I iced every day and each day it didn’t get better, it got worse. Yesterday I hit the point of frustration because it was up to every 20 steps I took, I got that shooting pain.
Now it’s Friday and my race is tomorrow and I am sick to my stomach thinking that I won’t make it through.
I decided that I don’t care how much pain I am in. I am going to start it and finish it. I might be dead last, but I need to prove to myself that I am stronger than I am. I’ve already proven I am more stubborn and more stupid than I thought I was.

I told Lester he has to run his own race. Get his time. When it comes to time and placement I am not as competitive as I should be. I’m just always the person out there just happy to be able to run and be a part of something bigger than myself. I thought Tabitha was going to kill me when I gave up 10 to 15 minutes of my time in one race to help this guy over one of the obstacles. In my first run I was the person stopping to help people take pictures next to the mile markers. I really don’t care if I’m last, but that I can look back on that race and say, “OMG, that was so fun!”
This race I actually TRAINED for though. I took the trail in sections and ran it during the week and on the weekends. I did the whole trail to see how well I could do it and how much water I would need. This was going to the race I could be proud of my time.

If I get there and there is absolutely NO WAY I can do it, I will be cheering people on…NOOOO, I don’t want to not do this. That trail is SO MUCH FUN! It has these massive hills and a beautiful creek and meadows with butterflies the size of your head!

I’m going to go cry…and then ice some more.

A photographer from a well know national magazine was assigned to cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park. The magazine wanted to show some of the heroic work of the fire fighters as they battled the blaze.
When the photographer arrived, he realized that the smoke was so thick that it would seriously impede or make it impossible for him to photograph anything from ground level. He requested permission to rent a plane and take photos from the air. His request was approved and arrangements were made. He was told to report to a nearby airport where a plane would be waiting for him.
He arrived at the airport and saw a plane warming up near the gate. He jumped in with his bag and shouted, “Let’s go!”
The pilot swung the little plane into the wind, and within minutes they were in the air.
The photographer said, “Fly over the park and make two or three low passes so I can take some pictures.”
“Why?” asked the pilot.
“Because I am a photographer,” he responded, “and photographers take photographs.”
The pilot was silent for a moment; finally he stammered, “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?” 

Just found a bunch of videos going all the way back to Christmas.
Alyx has been taking video for Kara since she left and she uploads it so Kara will feel like she’s still here and not missing anything.

There is every moment of us opening presents this year, the trip to Shingletown with Paw-Paw, Alyx getting her ears  pierced, and then about 10 videos of us on our road trip to Redding to see my sister.   I think every hour of that ride was documented.
I look like hell in the video and there isn’t a single moment in these videos I would keep for any reason what so ever.  My hand hovered above the delete button and then I thought about it.
Someday I won’t be around anymore and they will scramble for any video or picture of me from a certain time in their lives so they could remember.
If they were to watch this video after I am dead, it will be like going on a weird 3 hour road trip with me…and they will be happy to have it…unless of course I die in a horrible firey car crash, then of course it will be painful to see me in a car when I could actually drive.
Maybe I should just delete those videos.

Naw, she has a video of me singing The Bee Gees.  That is SOLID GOLD right there.

Wanna See?

I went to go see 5 Year Engagement with Jason Segal and the way I see it, he owes me that money back.

In 2003, My boyfriend at the time and I went to watch Ben Affleck in Daredevil and it was so bad that my boyfriend broke up with me.  Well, that’s not exactly why we broke up, but it was the clincher.   For a long time I blamed that movie and had I thought it would work, I would demand he give me my money and shattered ego back.   Then him and Jennifer Garner got together because they were in that lame movie together so I forgave Ben and chalked it up to fate and if my 8 bucks means that he has a lifetime of happiness then it was worth it.

So here it is. I forgave Jason for The Muppet Movie because even though he pounded us on Twitter about going to see it, I have always been a fan of The Muppets and you can’t really get too mad at someone for a lame movie that involves hand puppets. That one was on me. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
This movie though was HORRIBLE.  I felt like I was having to actually sit there through the whole 5 years.  I may never forgive him.

My trails are good listeners, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

I found this video on my trail runner page. It’s only been a year, but I have learned all these lessons in a quick time. It’s a good reminder, especially after a rough weekend of running and a rough couple of weekends coming up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MmAu2ILE6g&feature=youtu.be

she’s mighty mighty, originally uploaded by Random and Odd.

Things don’t always work out the way you want them to.
No matter what you do to build and hope that everything is strong enough to weather the storm…you just don’t know what little thing is going to bring it crashing down.

Today, I don’t feel like rebuilding. Today I feel like I just want to stand back and look at the rubble and be sad for it. Tomorrow I will move forward.

Tomorrow. Not today.

Kara has interviewed for 3 jobs in her life and has gotten all 3 jobs!  Congrats Bear Bear!

Got any pointers for dear ol’ Ma? ;)

I love you!!

I get these cryptic emails from Tabitha ever so often.  I pull out my Secret Decoder ring and try to figure out what she’s saying.  Today I get one with finishing times for a race.  I am pretty sure she’s saying, “step up the game, we need to do it in an hour.” because yesterday we ran the course and our time wasn’t pretty, but not bad for our second training run of the year so far.
I have looked at this race before and it’s kind of like the one I am running this month, but it’s put on by a company I don’t know anything about and I want to volunteer for a race before I run it to see if I like the company that is holding it.  I learned this lesson on New Years.
Anyway, I pull up the map.  PLEASE, can SOMEBODY please put together an updated Western States map? That one is tired and it’s not entirely correct.  The map makes it looks like there isn’t  a chance of getting lost.  Bullshit.  Oh yeah, sorry…So I pull up the map and laugh at it because we have ran this ‘half marathon’ before, TWICE.

I read the cute description: “ Half marathoners will run on the historic Western States trail, out to no-hands bridge and will then tackle one of the toughest climbs in the area, and training grounds for top runners, the dreaded K2. The latter portion of the half marathon will join up with the 10K and 5K runners and will traverse through meadows, single track, and farmland rolling hills, making your way back to the start/finish”

So yes, Tabitha if you’re asking if we can run this half marathon next year…YES we can.  If you’re saying our time sucks…Yep, I know. We are working on it.

If you’re saying ‘they are keeping me chained to my desk and feeding me nothing but gummy bears…”   I got nothing.