Hells bells those are hills....

A little more than a week ago, my friend Sophia said to me "hey I signed up for another trail 10k, you should do it. I don't know where it is but I'll send you the link." Me: "Sounds great, I'd love to do it and I get back home Friday night, so it's perfect."

Sophia knows I'm a sucker for any race, especially trail runs, so of course I followed the link she sent me a couple hours later and registered for the event without really paying attention to where it was or what the course was. Sometimes you just suck those things up in order to put together two of my favorites things - my friends and running.

Only after registering for the race, I decide to read into the organization and the run itself...oh yeah, and discover that the race is up near the Pennsylvania border about 75 minutes away. But I digress, let me first tell you about the organization.

I have to tell you, once I started reading about River Valley Ranch, not only did I wish they held adult summer camps, I was thrilled to be participating in a fundraiser for them. River Valley Ranch describes itself in the following way: "Started in 1952 as a cowboy summer camp for youth, River Valley Ranch in Carroll County, Maryland now serves over 20,000 youth and adults annually as a summer youth camp, retreat facility, outdoor education center, and a destination for exciting seasonal events in a distinctly Christian and wholesome family atmosphere. River Valley Ranch is a non-profit ministry, a part of the Peter & John Radio Fellowship, Inc., a registered 501 (c)3 non-profit religious organization." The race was to raise money to provide scholarships for disadvantaged children to the summer camps. How cool is that!?!? They also take donations to support scholarships for military children. Check them out at www.rivervalleyranch.com.

Okay, so now we know that this is a good cause. Next we read about the course, which sounds right up my alley all the way down to the river crossing. I'm a sucker for a race that looks like it challenges runners. This one had everything, water, hills, rocks and a gazillion water stops which meant I wouldn't have to carry my camelbak.

Well let me tell you, just reading the course map won't prepare you for the hills in the first 3.5 miles of the course - ending with what they aptly called "Dead Man's Hill." Suffice it to say my calves were sore by Monday. It didn't take long to get to that first hill and then they just kept coming. We all know the saying "what goes up must come down"? The race directors for this run managed to defy even Newton...I truly believe there was a lot more uphill than downhill to this race.

If you survived the hills, which I obviously did, there were a lot of other fun aspects to this course. From the rock scramble (which took me several minutes to get through not because I was slow but because I had to stand in line and wait my turn to go through them), to the straight down plummet that took out more than one runner, it was great fun.

I was sadly disappointed, however, in the lack of enthusiasm shown by many at the river crossing. Here's my philosophy on trail running - you didn't sign up to go home clean and dry. I take every opportunity to make sure I have to scrape off layers of sweat and dirt, but apparently some of my fellow racers are afraid of a little water. There were two options at the river crossing - you could go out of your way to cross on a bridge or you could plunge in and run in water no deeper than your knees. So (a) we've got the wimps who took the bridge...come on, are you kidding me? Then (b) you've got those runners who decided to brave the water but were so afraid of getting too wet that they basically walk through the water slowly so as not to splash.

This is where I come in. I'm sure I got several dirty looks from behind, but I aim to ensure everyone close to me gets a real trail experience. So, as I enter the water there are several of the version (b) runners in front of me. I devilishy grin to myself and run through the water at top speed splashing EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE within a 10 foot radius. Dude, you got what you deserved by not respecting the water enough to have fun with it :)

I finally cruised into the finish line just over an hour after the start. My last two miles were my fastest (easy because there were no death defying hills to climb) and joined Sophia at the finish line. I can tell you honestly, I would do this one again though I think I need to get in a few more bridge runs first.

What's the best part? I opened my email today to the following email from Sophia:

no more crazy 10k's with stacie!!! i'm pretty sure i have plantar fasciitis. hurts to just stand up! :(

- the sign of a truly good trail run.

Bring it!

Sticky air and sailboats....

No, the two don't really go together (at least not this time) but I got you to wonder for a moment didn't I?

Last night's bridge run was uber sticky. The temperature was a nice 83 but the humidity was 85% and the feels like was 93...ergo sticky air. I knew this going in, after all we had a torrential downpour only two hours before my spectacular bridge crossing, but I just laughed at the air and said "bring it."

The run was definitely nothing to write home about. Since (as I pointed out earlier) it has recently rained, I was the only runner out there and have no "girl in blue" story to recount today, nor anything even remotely interesting. In fact, the scenery was so tremendously ordinary that I counted the fishermen on the Jonas Green Park pier - 28...and a dog and a really old lady. While rainy weather sends the runners in it apparently brings the fishing enthusiasts out.

So, while crossing the bridge four times and shaving 2 minutes and 30 seconds off my previous bridge run, I had an internal dialogue about what I would write about. Here's where sailboats come in.

To provide you with a little comic relief during this otherwise boring post, I decided to tell you about a sailboat Jason and I recently considered buying. As many of you know, we are looking for an older 24'-30' for weekend cruising on the Chesapeake. Something sturdy, doesn't require work and will last us several seasons if we treat it well.

This brings me to a 1976 Catalina with loads us recent work, a new engine and lots of upgrades. The sailboat was in really great condition and would require us to do very little but sail it for at least two years pending any disaster.

So with all these pluses, why didn't we buy it? I'm glad you asked...it was the current name of the boat. Yes, even though you can change a boat's name with a little paint, Jason just couldn't think about this boat without groaning.

I'll hold you in no more suspense, the name of the boat was Driftwood. While you sit there thinking about why this would be such a tough name to handle and come up with images of a boat beached and turning into something you might like to display in your garden, let me recount the real reason. Have you ever been to Camp Lejeune? If so, you know where I'm going. Marine Corps bases aren't known for nearby sophisticated shopping areas. In fact, quite the opposite. They are known for rows of barber shops, tattoo parlors and strip clubs....oh and rental furniture places.

Now you've guessed it. The absolute closest commercial establishment outside the main gates of Camp Lejeune is none other than The Driftwood, a strip joint (which I imagine on certain evenings may have very sticky air, but I can't speak from experience). And so our search continues.....

The girl in blue...

So, the humidity was soupy (76%) but the temperature wasn't bad for my first attempt at the US Naval Academy bridge challenge I discussed earlier. As you may recall, the 5k run requires crossing the bridge four times and there is an uphill climb each of those four passes. The first couple crossings were fine, the third started to burn and I had to prod myself to continue upward, and I took a short break during the fourth...like one minute. All in all it was a good run, though I think I spent the next several hours sweating as a result. Yeah, gross, I know.

Finishing the task is definitely the point of doing the challenge, but would be relatively boring to write about again and again. Let me tell you about the girl in blue last night...

On my first pass over the bridge I ran into a girl wearing turquoise blue running clothes just watching the sunset with her ipod at the crest of the bridge. As I passed, she looked over and smiled. You would expect that of anyone you pass running, at least in the friendly town of Annapolis.

That same girl in blue was still there when I made the second pass over the bridge. This time, however, she had climbed over the edge of the bridge and was sitting on the concrete under the railing with her feet dangling over the river. I wanted to say "Girl, do you know how high it is? And oh by the way, the threat of gusts up the river." The crest of the bridge is 75 feet above the Severn River navigation channel. That is really high.

So during this pass, the girl looked back over her shoulder at me once, maybe twice. I looked over my shoulder many more times than that wondering just what the heck she was doing. Was she a jumper? A thrill seeker? Casual observer looking to get off the bridge walk path? Each time I looked back she was still there showing no signs of climbing back over the railing.

On the third pass she was gone. Now, I'm not going to speculate about what happened to the girl in blue (okay, maybe just a little). When I crested the bridge again I didn't see her running down the other side or even up Routes 450 or 648. Nor did I see any police action which would indicate she had an accident (though I was passed by the same county police cruiser three times and that cruiser ended up going down into Jonas Green Park below the north side of the bridge but without any lights on). I guess we'll never know what happened to the girl in blue, though since there was no police report about a jumper we can safely assume she made it home last night.

Outdoors enjoyment....

While the weekend didn't come off exactly the way I would have liked, physical fitness speaking at any rate, this weekend was definitely not about being a counch potato. A) We had fantastic weather and B) we just had to be outside in it.

Saturday started with a great three-mile walk with the dogs. If you know my dogs, you know Jimmy Dean refuses to be the last dog ob the porch though his legs are only an inch long, and he's overweight. I'm surprised that his heart didn't burst fronm overexertion, but he would not walk at a slow pace. Duncan, on the other hand just enjoyed being out and about at whatever pace...though we did discover horses aren't really his thing. So, we made it home, mostly in one peace though slightly traumatized (there was a dead snake in the road, and I don't care if they are alive or dead, they cause me panic), and got ready for our afternoon out to see Wicked at the Kennedy Center.

The evening exercise just couldn't be helped. We had evening reservations at Chart House to celebrate my birthday (yes a few months late) but we were early and decided to walk around Market Square and City Dock before dirving over to Eastport. After trying on all the hats at Hats in the Belfry (that's exercise isn't it?) the weather was too good not to walk to Eastport, regardless of whether stilettos make great walking shoes. The roundtrip to where the car was parked added about another three miles to the day's tally.


Sunday just begged for sailing. We hustled up a few crew (read Elizabeth, David and Emma) and rented a Rainbow out at NSA Annapolis. We spent a few great hours cruising the Severn and the bay, zigging and zagging with the other sailors looking to take advantage of the fantastic winds. Jay got some very unique exercise while we were out. Emma wanted to swim - DESPERATELY - but we weren't about to let her jump out with the boat traffic, so Jay grabbed hold of the straps on the back of her lifevest and held her over the edge. She looked a bit like a dolphin skimming the surface of the water. Rather amusing if you ask me. Good thing he didn't drop her. While we definitely didn't add to the cardio tally, we did get that upper body workout. All's well that ends well, and we managed to fish an American flag out of the river while we were at it.

All in all, a weekend well spent. Onward ho....

Setting some goals....

This week I've managed to lay down a bit more than 13 miles so far. It's been a bit of a rough week because I'm currently taking medication that makes me drowsy...but I haven't let it keep me at home. Depending on what time I get home from work today, it could be a rest day. I need one and so do my muscles for recovery, but I'd rather take a rest day Friday if I can manage.

So what's with the goal setting headline? Didn't I set a goal in my last post? Of course I did, but I managed to leave something out - battling my nemesis. I hate hills. I'm not bad at running hills, but I absolutely abhor running any hill I don't have to. To that end, I choose training routes that are relatively flat or with minor rolling hills. This may be fine for first time runners, but I can do better.

Time to step up to the plate. Relatively close to my house I have a fantastic long climb on the Naval Academy bridge. Those of you who have run the Annapolis Ten Miler or Zooma Annapolis have had the pleasure of tackling this beast - twice per race. It looks relatively gentle, but by the time you are ascending either side, you wish you were cresting the top. So. I'm going to run this bridge more often.



I could set an outrageous goal like "I will run the Naval Academy bridge every week or twice a week." Let's be honest, my schedule is pretty much a moving target. So instead, I will work my darndest to run a pre-determined route at least twice per month that includes the Naval Academy bridge.

Here's the pre-determined route - Start at the Perry Circle parking across from Gate 8 at the Academy. Run north across the bridge. Cross the road just before the right side ramp onto 648 and run south back across the bridge. When outside the gate on Longshaw and Wood Road, cross the street and repeat the bridge returning to the parking at Perry Circle. The distance is a 5k and crosses the bridge span 4 times.

That ought to do it.

My next edition of uphill running? It may actually include what I refer to as Bastard Hill....but let's not go crazy just yet.

Turning over a new leaf...

Well friends, it has been more than one year since my last ramble on this blog. It's not a result of laziness, nor is it a result of lack of interest. I haven't felt inspired. So, I'm turning over a new leaf. While I'm certain to interject a political rant, rave about the glory of being a marine spouse or insert an advertisement to support this or that cause from time to time, the rest of this year will be devoted to journaling about my fitness progress.

That's right, you will be privvy to my workout log (or blog as it were). Between now and December 31, I hope to regain my ability to lay down 50k on trails. Since my sacroiliac joint injury about a year ago I have been unable to race any further than 16 miles. This has been a point of massive frustration and during the Northface Endurance Challenge in early June (where I have previously run in the 50k distance) I have been feeling the need to challenge my body physically once again.

So here I go. I'm starting from the beginning and will rebuild my mileage from scratch. You can cheer, you can jeer, or you can just grimace. You may even choose to join me in a run or two. I appreciate your support and look forward to meeting you on the trails.

Happy world water day....

Happy World Water Day!!!

You may or may not know that each March 22 since 1993 the globe has celebrated World Water Day. This year's theme for the global observance is water quality, aimed at raising awareness that even seemingly water secure areas may in fact be water-deprived. Think of the magnificent flowing rivers that upon further reflection are too contaminated from sewage, bathing, manufacturing, and other harmful practices to provide a safe water source for the villages that depend on the river for survival.

The UNEP World Water Day site states "Every year, more people die from the consequences of unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war. Every year, the contamination of water resources within natural habitats affects us all directly by destroying fresh water fisheries, affecting food production and spreading sickness and disease. Clean, safe, and adequate freshwater is vital to the survival of all living organisms and the smooth functioning of ecosystems, communities, and economies. However, the quality of the world’s water is increasingly threatened as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations of the hydrologic cycle."

Please take a few minutes today to think about what you have done recently to promote clean water sources in your community.

On a related note, as many of you know, this year I have pledged to do my part to help improve access to clean water supplies in developing countries by running with Team Blue Planet. This past Saturday I pounded the pavement around Annapolis for four miles towards my goal to encourage friends and family to donate $3000 this year to Blue Planet Run Foundation who then invests 100% of the donations in providing clean water access to the developing world. The run was ironically called the Four Rivers Four Mile Maryland Day Run. While most of Maryland enjoys access to safe drinking water, we are not without our own problems in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed thanks to harmful environmental practices. I encourage you to visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website at www.cbf.org to learn more about the challengese our own water resources face and ways you can make a difference locally.

Thank you to all of you who have so far donated to this cause! WATER IS LIFE, PASS IT ON!!!