June, 2010

First and most important — we finished the half marathon. We raised over $4,000 and did it injury free! Although we were a little sore walking to dinner, leaning on each other to get downhill and praying we never get arthritis that bad.

On Thursday we watched the Cubs/Mariners game at Safeco Field. The park was super nice, with terrific views all the way around and an excellent beer selection. I grew up going to games at Wrigley so anytime I’m in one of the “new ballparks” I’m amazed at the amenities and that I can go a whole game without someone spilling beer on me. We got our money’s worth — the game went to 13 innings and the Cubs finally pulled it off in the end.

Terrible, terrible seats.

After a warm-up run Friday morning, we walked around Pike Place market, down to the race expo and then to the International District for lunch. We ate at the Phenom Penh Noodle House where the owner showed us how to eat like the Cambodians do. We met with our Team in Training coach to go over the course and race-day information. The runners from St. Louis and Columbia ate a pre-race dinner together with the other 800 Team in Training participants. The whole group raised over $2 million for the race! We heard the parent of a cancer patient and running writer John Bingham speak — tears and laughter.

Then it was back to the hotel for bedtime — at 9 p.m. However, I did not sleep at all well because my throat kept bothering me. When the alarm went off at 3:50 a.m., I had already been up for 30 minutes. We loaded the bus for the start line at 4:15 a.m. and arrived with 2 hours to kill.

4 a.m. smiles

Thank God for the 24-hour Starbucks (and its restrooms) down the street. I got my coffee and we ate breakfast. Then we got in one of the portopotty lines behind two people who were making friends over their divorce stories. Man, were we ready to run after an hour of that.

One-third of the pre-race port o potty line

The course wasn’t too bad. There were a few hills but they didn’t stick out. We stopped for a second to stretch at mile 7 and my knee started hurting when we stopped. The course was fun, lots of water and a stretch on an interstate offramp leading to a downtown finish. We finished in 2:32, impressive considering neither of us had run more than 10 miles before and Josh averaged a 12 minute mile for that run.

It took us FOREVER to get our snacks, foil cape and beer so we could walk back to the hotel. Once back, ice baths, soccer and the best tasting Subway of my life were in order. I haven’t been able to enjoy Subway since before my middle/high school served it every day for lunch. This sandwich hit the spot, especially since the post-race snack line didn’t include any protein. Bagels, oranges, rice chips, granola bars… no chocolate milk or anything like that. And the bagel made me sick. Luckily, the Team in Training booth made PB&J to hold us over until we could eat the best Subway evar.

Are we there yet?

We recovered and drove to the Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville to meet a fellow education reporter and her family. Food, beers and stories were shared. The sun had come out by then — perfect day. Somehow we had enough energy to play video games at the Team in Training party and eat a long, leisurely dinner at the Steelhead Diner, lit by a just as leisurely setting sun. Aaaaand we were asleep by 10.

We ate breakfast at Cafe Presse, walked around Capitol Hill to stretch sore muscles and watched the exodus to downtown for the Pride Parade.

And then I got sick. Itchy watery eyes, runny nose, etc. I was that girl who didn’t take off her sunglasses in the airport or on the plane. Movie star? Hungover? I wish. I couldn’t keep my eyes open longer than a minute at a time. Thankfully, I got on an earlier flight and drove in to Casper at midnight instead of the planned 2 a.m.

I made it home safe and sound, but a bunny crossing the road about 20 miles outside of Casper wasn’t so lucky. I completely plowed over the sucker at 85 mph — my first roadkill. It gave me a much-needed wake-up call to get me home. Thank you, bunny, for your sacrifice and for not being an antelope.

I can put a new (and my only) notch on my rodeo belt.

The College National Finals Rodeo took place in Casper last week. I wrote a feature story and helped cover three of the night performances for our live blog. On my second night, I took some video with our new handheld camera and posted them to YouTube and in the live chat. People loved the video and I did more on Saturday night. They’re all still up on my YouTube page with the nickname I chose back in high school. (YouTube, if you’re reading this, please allow people to change their user names!)
Clint, our high school sports coordinator, did most of the play-by-play and I covered when he looked up stats. I also tried to pepper the blog with as much color as an amateur rodeo announcer could. Goats were our favorite, hands down.

Steer wrestling

The rodeo blog wasn’t the most popular of the sporting events in terms of hits, but on the last night we had more than 100 comments from people listening to the live audiocast and following our blog. Two of the comments were from the mother and grandparents of one of the contestants who we posted video of. They were in Texas and couldn’t make it to Wyoming.

That, I told Clint, made all the scrambling worthwhile.

Casper isn’t the most convenient place to visit. We have an airport, but tickets can be very expensive, especially around the holidays. Casper isn’t world-famous for anything, but I live here, and that was enough reason for two of my best friends to visit me for a long weekend.

Monica and Iman moved to New York City after graduating college and I moved to Missouri and New Orleans and now here. I’ve visited New York a few times and met up with Iman in Missouri and Monica in New Orleans. So they had to visit Wyoming at some point.

They couldn’t have picked a better time. The weather was fantastic and there was enough happening to feel like there’s stuff to do around here. I showed them the best of Wyoming: hot springs in Thermopolis, antelope, cheap booze, lighters shaped like rifles, steaks, dudes singing karaoke, trucks with dogs in the back, movie theaters that smell like candied nuts and lots of pretty views.

Me and Iman checking out the buffalo in Thermopolis

Wyoming is like Roseanne/Roswell/Twilight, according to Monica, a pop-culture fanatic. Iman ran out of room for pictures on her camera on Saturday. If I had a dollar for every time she said “That’s so pretty” I could fly them back here next week.

They seemed to have a good time. I’d also like to think I’m a decent tour guide. My next scheduled visitor is my mom in July, but if you happen to be passing through, let me know.

Yesterday Josh and I ran the BolderBoulder, a 10K road race that winds through neighborhoods and downtown Boulder, Colo. and ends in the University of Colorado football stadium.

It was Josh’s first race and my longest race since last year’s 10K where I ran on a healing knee only to injure it further.

The lowest point: 5,284 ft.

I’m happy to say that we completed yesterday’s race injury-free!

We started out strong but slowed down a little bit so Josh could catch his breath in the mountain air. The race reminded me of the Crescent City Classic in that residents watch and cheer from their yards and people walk/run in costumes. Also like the CCC, spectators hand out free goodies such as donuts and beer and spray runners with hoses. I caught a marshmallow at 2.2 miles.

Early into mile #5, Josh waved me to go on so I finished before him, which wasn’t in the plan. So… we lost each other. I guess it wouldn’t be a 10K if I didn’t get separated from my loved ones. Kind strangers let me use their cell phones and we reunited in time to catch the real runners.

I was disappointed with my time (1:05:55).  I’ve run 6 miles in under an hour before and was hoping to finish close to that. But things happen, like your running partner can’t breathe because of the altitude. The hardest part about the marathon training has been doing it alone. Because we don’t run together, he doesn’t push himself the way I push myself. And I don’t have a clue about pacing and haven’t figured out how to adjust to change in pace.

Further disappointment: the post-race “lunch” that included a tiny box of cereal, fruit snacks, a bag of chips, chocolate soymilk and random coffee creamers. Runners over 21 were given one can of Michelob Ultra. Every race I ran in New Orleans ended in music, real food (red beans or jambalaya) and Abita beer — lots of it.

After the initial disappointment, I focused on the successes of the race:

• I didn’t train specifically for the race and signed up for it only 2 weeks before.
• I didn’t get injured.
• I had fun.
• I introduced a non-runner to the fun of racing.
• Whole Foods happened to be on the way back to the car.
• I finished feeling like I could go a few more miles.
• My split times for the miles we didn’t walk or slow down were good and sustainable for the duration of the race.
• I could walk the next day.

Not bad.