New York - 10 Year Old Style

Day 1 - Friday…NYC, Here We Come

Despite being morning people, 3:15 am was very early for Logan and I. Nevertheless, we bound out of bed and got out the door by quarter til. We had a 5:20 am flight to Portland in hopes of making a REALLY tight connection to a nonstop to JFK at 6:25 am.

We were grateful to have our flight out of Eugene leave right on schedule. But the true test came in PDX where we had to RUN from the Horizon to the Delta Terminal. We were of the last 10 people on the plane. All sweaty (and yes a little smelly), they asked to check my ID. Problem is, I couldn't find it…at first. With Logan starting to panic, I found it flush with my the screen on my phone in my pocket. Whew!

So, we made it onto the nonstop (thanks, Aunt Malia!) to JFK and were on our way.

After a great flight, we got ourselves to our hotel just south of Central Park. 

Our first outing would be a NY Knicks basketball game.  I'd ordered tickets three days prior and they thankfully arrived at the hotel ahead of us.  After a quick meal in the hotel (it would be our last sit down meal and the last vegetables Logan would have for the next five days, as the remainder of his meals consisted strictly of vendor cart fare), we took in a quick trip to FAO Schwartz and other NYC-sized retail giants. 





The piano from the movie, Big was high on the list at FAO. The boy totally dug it, and I was glad to have seen it threw his eyes.

Then, it was on to our first subway train (the first of many) and headed to the game. They lost, but it was great to be there.

This was a day of many firsts for my boy…first big city, cab, hotel, subway ride, pro basketball game. He was enamored with it all. He'd soon settle in and think about taking up residence.

Day 2 - Saturday…Drizzle, World Trade Center, SoHo, Times Square Part One, The Hunt for Good Local Joe

First things first…a run in Central Park. This meant finding a bike rental for the boy. We managed to pull this off without much ado and mama got her run in. A quintessential NYC experience was had.

We rented L's bike at Central Park Bike Tours which was inside of a very PNW-like bike racing store. We got to know a couple of the locals and asked for the local place to get some good joe following our run.














We were referred to Fika Espresso Bar down the street where Håkan Mårtensson (Famous Guy) has won a number of local awards for his swiss chocolate concoctions and where the joe, staff and vibe were all very cool.  This is probably my top pick for local joe that we experienced while in NYC.  Logan, however, couldn't believe they didn't have whipped cream and voted his chocolate "not very good". It was true, there was a moat of chocolate left at the bottom when he was done, but man it was REALLY good chocolate. His pallet has yet to mature beyond Hershey's syrup. But, who am I to judge? You like, what you like, right?

Once properly caffeinated and showered, we shot down Manhattan to the Financial District to the site of the Twin Towers. Or, I should say, "the gigantic hole that used to be them". Not much to see there as construction of a memorial is underway. It was fenced off; a big construction zone. But, we were glad to have experienced it. The drizzly, foggy day, matched the sentiment felt when you were there.






On our way back uptown, we stopped in at SoHo which I would liken to an older version of Portland's Pearl District. It was dark at this point, a crowded Saturday night and we were tired from a very full day of walking. But my boy was a trooper as his mama drug him through a couple of boutiques recommended by Aunt M (our family's expert big city traveler).

We thought we were done after SoHo, but L caught a second wind when we got off the subway at Times Square. There's nothing like the place. We meandered around; L particularly in love with all the touristy gift shops as he searched for the perfect souvenirs for friends and family.



We did encounter a strange mystery during the walk back to the hotel that night.  There are a gazillion food vendors in NYC.  I know from both visual inspection and because after Friday's dinner in the hotel, Logan didn't eat anything but pizza, ice cream and pretzels from these carts.  But, on Saturday night as we crossed the street to our hotel at about 10 pm, we noticed that one particular cart had a line like 50 people deep.  My first thought of course was that the guys must be selling crack (because you know how I love the crack).  No question the chicken smelled awesome, but wasn't it late for dinner even by big city standards?  And it was "just chicken" (sorry, Nancy).  We couldn't figure it out, but were intruiged.  So much so, that Logan proceed to watch the line progression until midnight that night from our 36th window, above.  This continued into Sunday morning and evening and the line ebbed and flowed, but was huge over any meal hour. 

Day 3 - Sunday….The Weather Breaks, We're becoming Veteran Mass Transit Traveler's, Times Square Part Two, Bryant Park, Rockerfeller Square Part One, Statue of Liberty, More Local Joe Searching

We were rolling at this point. Today was more local retail and another walk through Times Square (it would be our last; just to crowded for this mama) and a trip to the Statue of Liberty.

We felt so blessed by a glorious day weather-wise for our trip see the Statue and Ellis Island. We opted to simply enjoy a ferry ride around both rather than visiting the islands. It was so fun to see how much Logan appreciated two of our nation's premier monuments. We had a great time.

My search for local joe took all day today.  In hindsight, the wise move would've been to have found some BEFORE waiting in line for and taking the ferry around the monuments. But, after we finished, we got off the subway at Bryant Park where stumbled on a Saturday Market of sorts (open between now and the holiday) where we got to take a break from mass market retail and enjoy more local wares. We found a great hat for Elise and finally some decent joe at Wich Craft; a company that has seen success by creating unique panini sandwich combinations. They also do coffee and treats come to find out. A little trendy/touristy for sure, but good nonetheless.

Bryant Park (left) and Rockerfeller Center made for the end of a great day.

We saw the ice rink at The Center (behind L at next left), Dean and Deluca (very nice and decent food on the run) and the Rockerfeller Tree covered in a shroud of scaffolding as it's being prepared for the annual tree lighting festivities. We were a week early for the annual tree lighting.

Day 4 - Monday….The Neighborhood's Tour, Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Square Part Two

This was our last and my favorite day of them all. We were veteran NYC traveler's by this time and another warm, sunny day made for a light-hearted, fun day. Today's route was all about getting away from where we'd been and into the surrounding neighborhoods; meeting interesting people and taking in unique and interesting sites.

We took the subway all the way down the southeast side of the island. We got off at Essex and Delaney Street in the East Village and worked our way back up to the Empire State Building.  Yes, that is a Starbuck's I'm holding.  It was worth it to have it first thing.  They're on every corner like McDonald's.  Crazy.

Our first stop in the East Village was a vegan and sometime gluten-free bakery called, Babycakes NYC. I had picked up Erin McKenna's cookbook this summer in Eugene at Passionflower and given a couple of copies as gifts. Her local haunt is a total hole in the wall (below, left and right), but the products are of excellent quality and so yummy.

The staff at Babycakes recommended Bluestockings Bookstore and Coffee down the street and our local tour was off and running. Once at Bluestockings, we had decent joe and enjoyed more really helpful and interesting folks

Left is Logan as we headed out of the East Village toward Soho enroute to Union Square.

Our trip took us through Union Square's Farmer's Market and NYU's campus.

Enroute to the Empire State Building, we happened by Madison Square - cute little urban park (at left).

We stopped at Max Brenner's (the bald guy's) chocolate restaurant/shop. Logan and I each chose a special, bite sized chocolate.  His mama followed with instructions that this was not the Hershey's variety and that he must not be eaten in fewer than four bites. He managed to comply, and his first truly quality chocolate experience was had. He even reprimanded me for eating the second half of mine later in the day in only one bite (a total of three). Mom, seriously. I smiled.  Dude, was right.

We arrived at the Empire State Building at 3 pm; right at the time the website said would be a good time relative to beating the crowd. Plus, it was Monday. We were rewarded with NO WAIT TIME!

This is a site that on beautiful fall day, should not be missed. We got tickets for the 102nd floor observatory which is inside, but is as high as you can go. Worth it. We dropped back down to the 86th floor which has an outdoor observatory and was also quite awesome. We took lots of pictures, took our time and enjoyed the lack of crowd (my NYC standards, anyway).

View from the 102nd floor indoor observation deck.

Logan and I from the 86th floor outdoor observation deck

I couldn't resist this picture.  There were a number of beautiful old churches in New York and this was one of the few I got a picture of during the.  We did go into St. Patrick's Cathedral which was amazing, but it was at night and the outside was under construction.

We thought we were done after the Empire State Building; planning to continue north back to the hotel!  But, on a lark, we juked all the way back down to the south of the island and just over the water to Brooklyn.  While there, we enjoyed Grimaldi's ; a classic pizza joint near the Brooklyn Bridge.  Our goal was good pizza and a walk over the bridge.  This was totally worth it and a great time.  Sadly, it was well past dark and there are no decent pics to share.

Day 5 - Been There, Done That

Our flight out of New York has in the middle of the afternoon.  This left us with a leisurely morning and time to go for one last walk.  I've been asked why no museums or shows were had on the this trip.  I certainly would've appreciated both, but the boy was interested in the big, major sites he'd been studying as part of his school state's project and I figured we'd stick with the stuff he REALLY wanted to see given the cost and time.  Next trip.

The good news is that on our way back to the hotel to retrieve our bags and check out, we did solve the mystery of the "crack vendor".  We started by asking a guy at the end of the line who said, "all I know if that he's one of the most famous/popular street vendors in NYC, but I'm not the guy to ask".  A nice couple about half way forward basically said the same thing.  I'm still thinking crack, of course.  But then I see a couple of local cops at the front of the line (Actually not really in line at all.  Must be a perk of the job.) and I asked about what was up.  They informed me that the vendor made the best chicken and rice.  That's it?  No crack?  Nope, just chicken.  Really good chicken.  We'd have tried some if Logan hadn't been stuffed with pretzels and have a plane to catch!

So, the best street vendor in NYC is supposedly the guy on the corner of 53rd and 6th Ave. (or thereabouts).  Check it out.

Our time came finally came to an end and we were treated to the most perfect flight home.

Great trip for me and the boy.  Perfect amount of time.  A memory maker for sure.

Say

My friend Nan posted a status on FB recentlly illuding to a John Mayer's song "Say" that stuck with me.  It is about saying what you need to say and it being good to do so even when it's hard.  Remembering liking the song myself, I downloaded the song from iTunes and it's continued to stick with me.

I've been pondering what a blessing it is to have friends (and if you're lucky, family) with whom you can, "say what you need to say".  Those who with their hearts and ears somehow manage to listen to us.  To the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.

I think of how FB let's us share the simple things we need to say and how much our close knit group of friends appreciates this vehicle to stay in touch during this busy time in our lives.  I think we sometimes forget that we're sharing with more than 5-10 of our closest, but I think God uses this.

I think of how friendships from long ago can be rekindled.  And even when we don't know when we'll connect next, we give each other the freedom to just, "say it" and we are gracious enough to "hear it".  Like in the old days, but better because I think whichever end you're on in the moment, we appreciate the gift more now.

I thought particularly of this concept as my friend Nan called every couple of days to touch base with me while running up and down I-5 to tending to her ailing sister.  The calls would be short; the years under our belt requiring very few words.  But, there was no doubt that we could "say" and it was safe; a touchstone for us both during what at the moment are very hard times.  I treasured these moments with my friend Nan.

I am blessed to be able to "say what I need to say" and hope to never stop working on listening with love and graciousness.

Erin.

Gratefulness - The Great Heart Changer

I've said more than once it's been a tough year or so in parentland.  Nothing profoundly earth-shattering; just time catching up with me and coming to terms with my own sinful nature.  It's all very humbling (and frustrating, enraging, annoying, and, and, etc.).

I've found the Podcast!  Yes, instead of getting the new Nano that comes with an FM Tuner (for the news), I'm trying NOT to go out and buy the latest and greatest; to be satisified with what I've got.  Enter the Podcast. 

My favorite so far has been the stuff from Focus on the Family. Usually 10 minutes podcasts on a wide variety of family and parenting subjects.  I wasn't crazy about having to stop every 10 minutes while running to go to the next one (anyone know how to move through them without having to select the next one?), but they've been "that good" that it's been worth it.

Gratefulness was one of the recent topics and it hit me where I needed it this week.  At first it was, "I need to make sure my little people 'get' grateful".  Nice, huh?  Oh, yeah and maybe I should get on that train to.  So, I pondered some more.  I went to bed focused on grateful; despite being a little sad and very tired. 

Grateful for friends and family who are constantly giving me grace and understanding.  Grateful for a God who walks alongside of me even when things are so very hard.

I woke up this morning with "grateful" on the brain.  It wasn't easy.   It was morning afterall, and followed 6 intermitten hours of sleep.  It was a choice.

I chose to say thank you to my people for remembering and doing their chores.  I apologized for often asking for more instead of thanking them for what they do. 

Getting out the door to school can be nightmare and sadly, the nightmare can become a pattern. 

Today, we got out the door to school in a different way because mama's heart was in a different place.  Because by the shear Grace of God and making a choice, chose to be grateful instead of otherwise.

Gratefulness - The Great Heart Changer.....

Love to you,

Erin.

Three Generations

E, L and I waited all day for the rain to clear.  Then, we got a surprise visit from Grandpa Bob.  I guess we were supposed to wait today because we finally found our window of blue (enough) sky around 5 pm and then we were three generations, two bikes, a dog and off and running.

I was grateful today for my dad and my children who are both amazing and humbling reminders of how I got here and how I'm getting there.  They are patient with me and gracious to me as I stumble along trying to become the woman God put me here to be.  I hope I remember to be the same with them in return.

I love that I still get to run (and have to work to keep up) with my dad who turned 63 this year.  I love that we share a love for being outside and particularly running.  I love that my children get to see this. 

I'm glad our blue sky came late today.

Some running articles I dug this morning

Here are some links that I enjoyed this morning and thought you might also:

My friend H and I were talking about her experience running daily doubles this summer.  My first thought, was "no way", "don't have the time", etc.  But, the more I thought about it and occassionally tried it, there were things about I really liked.  Here is an article that discusses some of these points.  However, once school starts I'm sure it's "game over" in this arena.  But, maybe we try it once or twice per week through the fall before the winter kicks our behinds?

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Double-Up-Your-Daily-Runs.htm

For those who like a plan, don't have lots of days during the week to run and are early in their running development (or not), I like what Jeff Galloway is saying in the article below:

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Double-Your-Endurance-in-6-Weeks.htm

And finally, two articles on strength training.  I started doing Jillian Michael's "Cutting it Up" routine with great results back in April.  Stonger, leaner and fitter I am for the things I like to do.  However, it's circuit approach which focuses on keeping your heartrate up and moving between upper and lower body assumes it's a complete workout with very little extra cardio.  I like to run about an hour a day and found it was making me super fatigued.  My solution was to cut way back on the lower body strength stuff while I'm running so much this summer and boost it back up this winter while continuing to do maintain upper body and core strength through two workouts per week.  That said, I'm still fine tuning the lower options as I don't like to completely eliminate lower.

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3-Reasons-Strength-Training-Will_Benefit-Your-Run.htm

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Strength_training_for_runners.htm

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Reach_your_best_running_weight__Strength_train.htm

Run on friends.

Consequences of Freedom - Nike Free's Part Three

This is the third post in a series on my experience training in the Nike Free's.  As discussed in previous posts, these shoes are intended as supplements to your existing running shoe.  But, in true E form, I walked for 1 week instead of 3 and ran 5, then 6 miles on consecutive days when I was supposed to try running a single mile. 

My bad.  Really.  I've got this nice pain in my glute which is running down the middle of my hamstring.  And like my long ago sciatic issue, I'm not 100% sure yet if it's muscular or nerves shooting junk down my legs from my lower back.  I suspect it's the latter, but honestly I go back and forth.  For now, I'm running through it hoping it'll go away.  Stop laughing.  You've done it. 

I haven't given up on Freedom, just going back to the original plan.  Back to walking in them for now.....

Love my ASICS GT-2140's.

Run on friends.

These are the days to remember....

I've finally mastered (using this term loosely) the "art of pre-positioning" with my children.  After years of carefully pre-positioning possible outcomes with clients so as to make a future experience occur without surprise and/or incident, I've finally started to take this approach with our kids.  For example, one approach might be, mommy comes downstairs in the morning and says, "we're going on a bike ride (while mommy runs), so saddle up (please)".  On the other hand, something like (at the beginning of summer), "you need to plan on being on your bikes an hour each day so that daddy and I can get our runs in this summer", while met with initial groans doesn't come with any immediate consequence and so passes quickly in the moment.  But, the seed has been planted.....

Of course we didn't make them get on their bikes everyday this summer.  But, when we have asked them to do so a couple of times a week, it's come as no surprise and with little to no whining.  Plus, we've found lots of ways to make it fun along the way.  In fact, as the summer has progressed we've found these outings to be our very best times.

Tonight Logan and I had time just the two of us.  He has enjoyed some additional freedom he's earned this year by getting to bike to and from places solo or with his best buddy, Van.  To and from their houses they've gone or to and from soccer practice.  The sense of freedom has been a thrill for them both.  But, I digress.  Off he and I went tonight for what ended up being a 9 mile bike ride to dinner, dessert and then a ride home using headlamps; a fun little adventure in total.  We chatted along...as the pace and time not trying to do 10 things at once makes room for lots of questions, comments, jokes and laughter.  Great gifts, indeed.

A couple of days ago, Logan and Van joined me on their bikes for a 9 mile run.  Yes, I'm not above subjecting my friends' kids to the insanity.....At one point during the run, they seemed to be lollygagging up ahead of me and my first thought was, "The gig is up.  They have finally figured out that they can outpace me on their bikes and are going to start getting bored with these outings."  When I asked Van if I was slowing them down, he responded in his true philosiphizer (This is a word, if you know this boy we love) with "no" and then something about bike gearing and pedals that I didn't understand for the life of me.  I was so relieved.  Maybe it's that they've biked with me since they could and only gradually gotten to the point where they could so easily leave me in the dust that it didn't even occur to them to do so (they always wait a ways up ahead which I think is really sweet) and/or were so enjoying each others company and chatting away as we went that it didn't matter.  But, regardless; the experience was pure joy.  The quiet rhythm of the park, the river and the pace; the carefree chatting and biking I got to watch (and even sometimes got to join in) which comes from years of being best buds.  Another great moment.

Our kids bicker.  Yes, it's shocking I know since I'm sure they are the only ones that do.  Mark and I do not enjoy this.  Get them out biking while one or both of us run along and they generally do this less.  Maybe it's the lack of confined space or the fact that they are otherwise engaged.  But, other than the occasional "she cut me off", I find these outings to be a nice reprieve from the silliness.

I've mentioned before that I dig hills.  I like that it's hard to get up them and how great it feels once you've caught your breath.  My little Elise has become a hill monster.  I asked her to join me last Saturday morning on the run that I try and do as regularly as possible with my sister.  With sis out of commission last weekend, I thought I'd see if she'd join me so we could have some one on one time; figuring competing with Saturday morning cartoons would be a futile exercise.  But, along she came.  I was so glad to have her along.  I told her ahead of time that in the middle of the run there would be three small hills; two a little steep, but all pretty short (notice, the pre-positioning? ;>).  It was so fun to encourage her up them all.  Despite needing a little push here and there, there was no whining and the victory was all hers.  She felt like a rockstar!  Big smile and yes a big cookie for us both at the end!

So, if it's not completely obvious by now, I love having active kids.  Kids who can get into a rhythm with me and spend quality time doing something that we all enjoy and that's really good for us on so many levels.  Who knew that lacing up a couple of shoes and pumping up a couple of tires could do all that?

Free Running - Day 2

Day 2 of Free Running.  In classic form I pushed the recommendation of how much to actually run in these "barefoot shoes".  Luckily, my friend H shouted at me on Facebook what my pea brain had been whispering to me tonight during a "measly" 6 mile run, "BE CAREFUL, we are not Kenyan and have been in shoes for a very long time.  The 2140 is a structure shoe; the Free has no support".  She went on to suggest something about the possibility of stress fractures in my feet; an area I've never had trouble with before. 

I will say this about day two, I like that more of my leg muscles seem to be showing up to the running party.  But, H is likely correct about pushing the mileage in this new fangled shoe.  I could sense some possible issues in my right ankle, my hams from my glutes down were doing something a little funky (not good funky) and I actually noticed my shins when I was done (not bad, but not in a good way either).  Finally, I noticed that in the second have of the run I had to pay closer attention to my posture/stride so as to not get sloppy and cause additional issues.

Key take-away at this point.....walk in them for 3 weeks, then do a mile the next week.  Not 12. 

Running Free...We'll See

I bought a pair of Nike Free 5.0 shoes the other day. Following our brutal climb in the Sisters, I was actually looking for a trail running version of my ASICS 2140's because the rocks caught me wrong a couple of times wearing my standard issue pair.

I ran in Nike's for years - being from Eugene, this is what we always did. Support the local team, so to speak. But the more air they put in them, the fluffier (and less functional) they got in my humble opinion around the late 90's.

I switched to the ASICS 2140 (aka 2120 or 2130) about 8 years ago and never looked back. Just a good fit for me. The nice thing is they update the technology, but don't totally change it up (like Nike always did); forcing one to go out and find a new shoe.

I'd been considering the Free's for awhile. The story goes that the African (specifically, the Kenyans) runner's essentially run injury-free. While we American's have all sorts of issues. The argument is that the Kenyan's run barefoot from the time they are 6 years old and never look back. They are trying to correct over-pronation or supination with a pair of heavy shoes. They run like they run and let their bodies correct whatever it is they naturally do. Our heavy shoes tend to keep us nice and straight (in theory), but many of the small twitch muscles become lazy because they don't have to come to the party like hams, quads and glutes.

Enter the Nike Free 5.0. They are supposed to in varying levels (3.0, 5.0, 7.0); each a little thicker, be like running barefoot. The 3.0 are as close as you can get. They fit like slippers/gloves, have arch support, but very little for the balls of the feet or heels.

I was instructed not to go out and bust out my usual run in them as I'd be in agony afterwards. Instead, I was to walk around in them for 3 weeks and then run a mile the next week. So, I walked around for a week and ran 5 miles in them yesterday; finishing the final 4 miles in my ASICS. Initial results were good, if not miraculous. I was a little sore in my legs in areas that I'm not normally, but I was slightly sleep deprived and had run lots of miles the prior 5 days which had me slightly beat up anyway.

So, the jury is still out on this. But, I'm going to give it another go tonight and see how I feel over time. I sure like the story though.......

To Lead or To Follow

Our kids were with my folks last week, giving Map Guy and I a rare opportunity to hit the trails together. We haven't gotten to do this since we ran in Marin in June. Map Guy was gracious to do the planning this time; Middle and North Sisters was our destination.

Map Guy had wanted to do Sisters for quite some time. He just loves it up there. I love that he loves it. Click here to see our route.

I was subtly warned that our distance would between 12 and 16 miles and I only vaguely recall a whisper of there being "two peaks". The mileage didn't bug me and I tried not to hear the latter comment. You'll recall that I am a bit of a "Do Now, Deal Later Gal". Not sure it makes for a cool nickname (maybe dndlg? I don't think so.), but it's a fact.

It was nice to have the time in the car to catch up and after the 1 1/2 drive up the McKenzie River (one of our favorites), we arrived at the Obsidian Trailhead.

The weather was perfect and with shoes, water and food on board, we headed out. Or I should say, UP. We started at 4800 feet. The first peak was 6589 feet and 6 miles up. We then dipped down to 6195 feet; a welcome reprieve. I thought we were home free at this point. Not so much. This is where Map Guy tells me that he didn't know how to come right out and tell me that we had two peaks. So, we headed up another 1.75 miles to the second peak at 6882 feet.

A couple of comments/observations about the day:

• I led us out of the starting gate for the first two miles. At about 3 miles in, I started having gastro-intestinal issues that plagued me for the rest of the run. Really just a bummer of a stomach ache that got worse rather than better. Map Guy mentioned something about coming out of the gate to fast and I had to wonder (with a grrr) if he was right, but I also wondered if elevation was a factor.
• I normally like hills - the challenge, the victory of a strong finish even when it's hard, etc. My head was not hill-friendly from the start on this day. The GI issue did not help, but today was hard.
  
• Trail running is typically a single track experience; you normally can't run side by side like you do on pavement. This requires that someone lead and and others follow. Trail running requires you to maintain enough space between you and the guy in front of you so you can keep your eyes on the one to two feet of ground in front of you so you don't trip and knock yourself senseless. I prefer to be in front when trail running because I really like to run unencumbered and having someone right in front of you on the trail feels confining and frustrating.
• When my mojo went south and the climb became a struggle, I eventually took a backseat and did more run/walking than I like to admit.
  

Despite the weather and the company, today was a hard run that I was glad to have behind me. Even going into it, I was dreading the hills that I normally embrace. Many factors went into this...not enough sleep, GI issues, elevation. But, it could have been anything. I found myself wondering, "will it be like this next time"? or "what if it's always like this"? Both possibilities were distressing and I decided that you can't focus on what if. You simply have to make a choice to accept that there will be days like this, find the joy even when there is little to be found look forward to the next round. If you don't then you're done before you've started.

Some pictures from the day:

Mark with Sisters in the background. This is somewhere following the first peak. Then he's heading down into the first valley.













This is looking back at some of the second climb. Really fun switchbacks up a lava field.










This is the last climb and pretty much did me in. This is a hill of lava rocks; big and small. It was steep switchbacks (which you can't even see) with lots of loose rock on the trail so that you'd take a step forward and half a step backward with each step.

At two different points I found myself picking up rocks. Needed to throw something I guess. Luckily Map Guy was already at the top. So, I just threw them at the ground with lots of OOMPH!

A Little Bit of Everything

We had a wonderful family weekend in Maupin, OR with my dad. It's quite a hike for just two days, so we like to take Friday and if we're lucky also Monday to make the trip. We'll stop at the half-way point in Portland to see family and friends. Or just hide out and enjoy the city for a few minutes.

Mark had to head home to work yesterday and the kids and I stayed in Portland with Uncle Jason and Aunt Malia to do just this. We'll stop and see my Grandpa (who turned 99 in April) and Grandma in Vancouver on this trip and maybe get a stop into Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie before we work our way home.

Ja and Malia are a great gift to our family. My sister is a great love and the man she married warms my heart. I'm grateful for them and the role they play in my childrens' lives.

On this morning, I headed out early for a run while they got some downtime watching Narnia.











It was overcast, cool and a little muggy. Quite good running conditions, actually. Malia and Ja live up behind PSU below Vista and Council Crest. When I'm hear, I like to run straight up, wind around and then fly back down. Today, I made it to Council Crest Park before anyone decided they had to fly down the hill in their race to work in the city below. Nice and quiet. There are beautiful houses that overlook this city I love, lots of trees and even trails that make you feel like you are miles away from the city. Today, I experienced them all. I got a little turned around, but turned 8 miles into 10.5 and got back just in time to kiss my sis and Ja good-bye as they headed off to work. I think this will be a start to a very good day.

Endorphin Rush

It's been a month since our trip and it seems like a year. I've had many moments since our return where I've thought about updating the blog with "post-run comments", but haven't quite made the time. I think part of it is feeling like there hasn't been anything quite as "big" to write about. Just lots of day to day details. But, as I look back on the month, I realized that "the details" have something to say and somehow tie it all together.

I remember the details. The routes, the scenery, the people we met; all of it. This might not seem strange. But, I don't usually remember the details like I did those of our trip to Marin despite being a fairly detailed oriented human in the way I approach most tasks. It's made me ask myself what it would take to "remember the details"? of my life. I think it would require moving at a less frenetic pace in general and making an effort to be more present wherever I am. My sense is that the former would facilitate the latter.

Endorphins are like crack (or what I assume addiction would look like). The first week back, I NEEDED TO RUN...FAR. My body just thought that was what I was supposed to do. And my head CRAVED the silence and quiet that running seems to offer. Being time constrained and goal oriented, I decided to run from our house in Eugene to Junction City where our son's baseball tournament was being held (about 16 miles north). IT WAS NOT THE SAME. It was to noisy. Keep in mind this should have been expected as I was not in Muir Woods but running adjacent to a rural highway. I got it done, but it wasn't fun. At about two miles out, I considered calling Mark to give me a lift on his way to the ball field. I don't do that. But, I got it done and my endorphin craving was abated for the moment.

Sleep is a good thing. Part of the reason the JC run was so hard had to do with how little sleep I'd offered my body since our return. I've read for a long time how critical sleep is to recovery. This was the first time I really saw the contrast so clearly. We got a solid 9-10 hours of sleep per night in Marin and weren't back a day before dropping back down to our typical 6-7 hour a night routine. I was amazed how little fatigue we experienced the day after each run while in Marin. And it was frustrating how crummy most runs were the first couple of weeks after we got back after. In making this observation, I noticed this contrast seems to also apply to the important details of life. More sleep seems to help me be a better mom, wife and friend. It made me wonder if the things keeping me up so late are really that important. Busy seems to be a way of life for most of us and I am certainly one of the poster children for this cause. But, it's starting to wear me out.

I found the trails again. I've craved trails since our return. The quiet; the challenge; the lack of concrete. Maybe I just want to have a sense that our escape hadn't ended. My friend HM helped me find the trails again last Thursday as we did an hour on Ridgeline, south of town. It was so great to combine the time with an opportunity to catch up such a great gal. Our lives tend to take us in different directions day to day and running is something we have in common. I love that. And I can almost keep up with her (okay, maybe not).

I have mixed feelings about whether or not I should continue to blog and if it should be running focused or what. I mean seriously - I'm not sure what I have to say is all that interesting. It's certainly not profound. And it actually feels like quite the cliche' to constantly be comparing running to life's ups and downs. For now it seems to work. However, if I get much further, I may have to go back to erinsexplanations.

Day 4.5 - The Extended SFO Visit

Did we mention we had the best time this past week? We came into today very relaxed (for us), had a lovely back road trip to the airport and even arrived with a few minutes to spare. We checked our luggage and wandered leisurely to the gate where we had time to charge the laptop, get some lunch and a cup of Peet's Coffee. Then, we spiraled into the SFO Airplane Vortex where planes do not take off and most certainly do not land.......because of weather.

At first it was a minor delay which is no big deal usually in the SFO Airplane Vortex. And we had a two hour delay getting out of Eugene and we handled that with perfect chillin' ease BEFORE we were in the zen-like trance of relaxation which we now found ourselves. No worries, we thought.

Then, we spiraled even further.....CANCELLED. "All other flights today are booked", came over the loud speaker. "If you are a famous person or buy the flight attendant a new car, we might be able to get you on the bottom of the standby list". "Did they just cancel our flight?" I asked a very relaxed Map Guy. "Yes", was his reply. So, Map Guy went to wait in a very short line for the next 45 minutes while I confirmed on-line that we had no other options but to take the 6:45 am flight TOMORROW; which as it happened United had ALREADY booked us on.

Did I mention that about 5 minutes after jumping in line and on-line, United was kind enough to call and tell me in person (okay, a computer person) that my flight had been cancelled, rebooked for o'dark thirty tomorrow morning (the reason we didn't use air miles and fly TOTALLY FREE!) and that they loved me very much. Wow, they are efficient and so thoughtful.

After an hour, Mark motioned for me to come do the business traveler thing that I used to be good at and negotiate the best solution to our problem with the United Agent who had been doing this with other people just like me (and older retired people) for the last hour. By this time, we'd figured our best option was to let them put us up in a crappy hotel, feed us and take the flight tomorrow. But, as it turns out, the cancellation was due to WEATHER which eliminates their obligation to compensate us in either of these ways. Now, if you did a check of the nationwide weather (Map Guy was all over this; watching the United big screens which were tuned to the Weather Channel), you would have noticed, that the weather looked pretty good today. So, we Pricelined a Sheraton at the Airport, managed to get our luggage back and grabbed a shuttle out of SFO for the night.

I could tell Map Guy was a brewing over the "Weather Cancellation" because when we got to the hotel he decides he's going to go work out. "You do know we've been running a bit the past couple of days, don't you?" "Yep". Okay then, let's go. So, we went and worked out. Ran our brains out for an hour. Afterwards Map Guy seemed to have accepted our circumstances. Or so I thought.

We found a Kuleto's Trattoria down the street and had a good (not free) dinner and then a nice walk back to the hotel (because we needed to walk more). I've included some pictures and (will be uploading soon) videos which I think speak for themselves about Map Guy's actual feelings about the incident. Plus, we proved without a doubt that in fact planes can take off and land at SFO.

Planes DO land at SFO!











They really do. Stay tuned for the video.........








"Airplanes Really Do Land - Take 1"

"Airplanes Really Should Land"

"Airplanes Really Can Land"


"Airplanes Really Deserve to Land"


"Spying on Map Guy"

Day 4 - Olema to Inverness

We had to dig deep today. Right off the bat, we had a 1350 foot climb that our legs were in no condition to conquer. Mark ran the whole thing in rock star fashion.

The terrain was a combination of everything we've seen so far. We were supposed to do 12 miles today; we did 14.7. Go figure. Mapping isn't a perfect science as I've mentioned before :>). Once again, Mark waited until we were done to tell me this. I was grateful for this.

Before I get to pictures and comments about the day, I thought I'd give some statistics that Map Guy gave me regarding our trip. You data heads will love this; I did:

Day 1 - 12.2 miles, 2:24 moving time, 3084' total elevation gain.
Day 2 - 14.0 miles, 2:41 moving time, 2750' total elevation gain, max elevation of 2557'.
Day 3 - 16.2 miles, 2:46 moving time, 1354' total eleveation gain, 3163' total descent.
Day 4 - 14.7 miles, 2:46 moving time, 2647' gain, 2750' total descent.
Day 1 -4 . . . 57.1 miles, 9835' total elevation gain, 2 sore knees (not Erin's), and 3 blisters (2 Erin's).

We started today in Olema. Our first milestone would be Mt. Whittenberg, then Reyes Hill, and then would be mostly downhill to Inverness.



This is just outside Olema at the Visitor's Center. Off we go.




From left to right:

We can see "it" (the climb) coming toward us.
Two shots of me suffering up the climb. The scenary is nice though, right?
The final push.
Here we are after the climb. He snapped my picture before I got to compose myself. I look as bad as my legs feel, whereas he looks like he's fresh as a daisy.



At this point, Map Guy says, "I'm going the additional .2 miles to the top of Mt. Whittenberg because I want to summit. You can hang here if you want." I'm thinking "Of course you do and no I'm not hanging". I say, "Sure, I'll go with you". We agree to walk it.


This was a cool shot on our way up the summit.





And then, this is the Summit. I think a little chuckle might have escaped my lips at this point. We both agreed it might not have been worth the extra effort (It wasn't, but we had to go . . . mk).




After our anti-climactic summit, we head downwards and then up some again toward Reyes Hill. Best we can figure, this meant going up again and in this case, into the fog.

The larger pic is on our way up.







The two side shots were part of some government station of sorts. We couldn't figure out what these were. It felt very "other planet like" though.


Mark on the final descent.


Us very glad about this fact (and we finally came across someone who could take a picture of both of us).


Map Guy doing his best work.


Our trip down would lead us to the town of Inverness. It is a one horse town with very friendly folks.
A picture of Inverness (I wasn't kidding).

Mark and I posing at the official sign which marks our "doneness". Of course I have to "stick the landing".

And our very favorite person of the day; Elizabeth who as a fellow hiker and runner was more than willing to give us a lift back to Olema.



What a great trip. Somehow we got it all done injury-free for which we are extremely grateful. We're glad to be done running, but we feel like super heros and are more than slightly refreshed and ready to head home and conquer the world. We are grateful to our friends and family for caring for our little people in our absense. Early reports sound like they've had a great time.