4/24/2009

Howdy everyone! Ok, so I finished up my last night in the ER on Wednesday night! I'll still work little 4 hr shifts there from time to time to keep my skills sharp and also to remind me why I left. ha I haven't run at all since Rocky Hill and that's no good. I feel like I needed the break but it's time to start getting busy again. I am definitely planning on heading back down there for the inaugural (and free) running of Hell's Hills 50. The course from what I could tell is a lot of fun and I think I'll have a good time running it. Hopefully I can coerce Aubrey into joining me for this trip and he can run the 25K. I'll keep ya posted and let ya know what's up.
I'm headed to Dallas this weekend for my cousin's wedding and then I'll hit the road hard come Monday. Peace!

4/19/2009 Rocky Hill Ranch is a Washout this year!

Zach and I headed towards Smithville around 6am. We made good time and got there around 1:30pm. On the way, Matt Crownover called me and warned me that if I was bringing Kelli and Makenzie along for their first camping trip.........it would be their last! He said that they, the Crownovers, had made it down there the night before and the rains had soaked everything. It had also been hailing some. Once Zach and I got there the rains had picked back up again and it was just a sloggy mess! The saloon at Rocky Hill Ranch was flooded and the electricity was off for a bit as well. My plan was to pitch the tent as usual but the ground was so wet that I knew it would make for an absolutely miserable night. We decided to just sleep in the Xterra. It was pretty cramped with all the camping gear in there but we did ok. I had supper with the Crownovers and the Teasters and had a really great time. The food was fantastic and so was the company. Zach and I headed to the car and got settled in and watched a movie before we retired. We all still had hopes that the race would go off as scheduled but we just weren't sure. Matt had decided to drop down to the 50K since he is in for Western States this year and didn't want to chance an injury in the mud and slop going the full 50 miles. I got up around 4am and got myself ready. The rains had stopped pretty much for the night but you could tell the weather was pretty ominous, even in the dark. Buddy and I met up and walked the mile to the race start. People were showing up late, including Joe and Joyce. So weird for one of their races to be like that! But with the weather the way it was, it was understandable. They had had a really hard time the day before because their truck got stuck in the mud and they had to have a tow truck pull them out! Anyway, before he started the race he let us know that, if there was ANY lightning, he would be cancelling the race. The safety of the runners and his volunteers is definitely the most important thing. So a little after 5am we took off! The first 50 feet or so were ok and then we hit the mud! Sloppy, sticky, and soul-sucking! ha My feet were each about 10lbs heavier! Then the rain started and the whole loop, which I felt was about 12 miles long, was like running in a stream the whole time! It rained, it poured, it was dark, and it was FUN!! It was a lot like being a kid again and not worrying about getting dirty or wet cuz you had NO CHOICE! There were a couple of steep areas where you just had to "ski" down and then spin your way to the top on the other side! It was terrific fun! However, all fun must come to an end! The lightning started about 15 minutes into the loop and we knew that he would be calling us off. It was pretty impressive, the lightning. Striking the ground in some areas and lighting up the course. Some of the 50 milers actually turned around and just headed back. I never even thought of that! Most of us just kept plugging around the loop enjoying ourselves and acting like kids. We knew he had called it when the two aid stations we ran through were like ghost towns! Anyway, I made it back around to the race start and found out for sure that it had been cancelled. I made it back to the Xterra and accidentally scared Zach who had just started watching a movie in the front seat! ha It was only 8am at that time and he hadn't been awake for more than 10 minutes! Boy, did HE miss all the fun! I headed to the shower, ironically, to rinse off and get the mud off of my shoes and legs and then I got back to the car and dried off (which is hard to do in the rain) and we headed out! I was so ready to be warm and dry! The trip home took a helluva lot longer than the trip down I thought.
I never saw Teresa after the race to ask about the Grand Slam and what we needed to do about it but I suspect she'll be in touch. We got to see our awards on Friday night and they are pretty dang cool! Once I got home, there was an email from Joe explaining his decision to cancel, which really didn't need explaining. However, the cool part of the email was that we can all head back down there on June 6th and give it another whirl! He is offering all of the distances, a start/finish, minimal aid, and awards for people to come back. And in light of this catastrophic weekend, he has changed the name of the race to Hell's Hills! Very cool! We can even invite our friends and we all get to run FOR FREE! So if you read this and you want to head down to Smithville, you have an opportunity to enjoy a great run and great company! So come one and come all, let's have some FUN!
So I've got to decide what to do now. I will probably head back down there and run the 50 miler again! I am leaning toward running the Lean Horse 100 this August instead of volunteering at TransRockies. So Hell's Hills will be a great training run for Lean Horse!

No Running for ME today......even if I wanted to!

This post is happening about 4:36pm and it started raining and hailing about 15 minutes ago. The hail is not huge but sounds like cannons going off inside the house! Both of my kids are wigging out, thinking they aren't gonna make it through this HELL! ha I told them to sit down and shut up. It's still hailing while I write so I figure if I still have an internet connection, the world isn't coming to an end! Enjoy the pics! Peace!

4/15/2009 Rocky Hill ready!

The last one in the bunch coming up! I am ready to git er done! It'll just be Zach and I again, camping out at the race start. Also the Crownovers will be close at hand and that will be great for Zach. He loves spending time hanging out with Noah and Micah just romping through the woods and fields. Good times! This course should prove to be a little bit more diverse than the Grasslands and hopefully I will be a little more engaged. I feel pretty well trained up and am feeling pretty good physically.........at the moment. ha Teresa McCoul sent out an email and she is giving the Grand Slam finishers a spaghetti dinner on Friday night and a barbecue Saturday evening after the race. I, personally, think that's pretty cool. She's even offering veggie options for us weirdo veggie-people there. ha Alright, so, let's see how it goes!
I'm ready for a couple months of rest and relaxation. Also getting settled into the new job, starting Monday, April 27th. I can't wait for that! Peace!

4/9/2009 New Outlook!!

Alright, so the last few days have brought a total of 15 miles or so out on 1585. I'm feeling strong and ready to go. I plan on running another 10 miler tomorrow, wind-allowing, and then taper from there. I'm looking forward to the completion of Rocky Hill and then a couple of months of no racing. It'll be good to just rest without having to worry about getting ready for another long distance.
Ok, so in other news, I just found out yesterday that I got the new job that I put in for!! I am really excited about it! It'll introduce me to a whole new world of my profession. I am the new Case Manager for MICU/SICU!! My hours will be more "normal", being 8 to 5, Monday thru Friday, and I will have more flexibility as well. I will be so glad to finally get out of the ER! After almost 13 years it has really taken a toll on me. I am ready to settle in to something new and exciting! I'll keep ya posted as to how it's going. I won't start for a couple of weeks yet but I AM READY!! Peace!

4/3/2009 Gotta Run!

Man, it's been a busy week! I worked Saturday-Wednesday, all 12 hr shifts and I am beat! I was off yesterday but didn't do anything but sleep. I plan on doing a nice little interval workout on the elliptical later today and some strength training and then hopefully tomorrow morning will bring a good 10-15 miles out on 1585. I GOTTA RUN! I'm getting cabin fever big time. Rocky Hill is only 2 weeks away so I need to get in a few good runs before then.
Ok, so new subject..........I have been going through withdrawal from my La Sportiva Slingshots ever since the company discontinued them. I have been hopping from shoe to shoe trying to find something that I like just as well. When the Slingshots went the way of the dinosaur I decided that I would try to find something with more cushioning and support. I went with the Salomon Speedcross 2's and I like them but I don't LOVE them. However.....I've been really happy with the way the Salomon's fit my foot and they ARE comfortable, so I am going to give the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra's a try. They have been around for a long time and have lots of great reviews. They've got a nice low profile which I really like and they are a lighter shoe. Not lighter than the Speedcross but light enough. They should be here in a couple of days and I'll let ya know what I think. I wish we had a damn running store here in Lubbock!