Thinking of Kelly on her birthday

Dear Kelly,

Another year has come and gone, another year of missing you.

Eleven years ago I ran my ninth marathon on your sweet sixteenth birthday.

Today I "ran" a one mile race.  I thought of you while I ran like I have so many times over the years.

Tonight I donated platelets in honor of your twenty seventh birthday.

Some things have changed over the years.

Missing you and wishing things were different have not.

Cutting the cake-2002 

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Welcome to 2015

I have been thinking about how to welcome in this new year.  I am not a fan of new year's resolutions.  I don't think that making a resolution will effect lasting change.  I think goals and intentions are more effective.

A resolution is weak, a commitment is strong.

You only make commitments for things you can control.

You can make a New Year's resolution to lose weight this year, but you can't commit to it.

However, you can make a commitment to running, cycling, and lifting weight three times a week and eating a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day.

Having said that, here are my goals for 2015.  Over the course of a year the goals may need to be adjusted.  After a year where I ran a grand total of four times, rode my bike outside a total of three times the very first goal I have set may not a realistic goal.  So rather than abandoning an unmet resolution, a goal can be adjusted.  During the years when I was fortunate enough to be able to run marathons, I always had an A race time goal if everything went perfectly, a B race time goal, all the way to a D race time goal.  Over the vastness of running 26.2 miles anything could happen and over the vastness of a year an athletic goal will most likely need some tweaks.  Only once in my running years did I ever exceed a yearly mileage goal so while I can commit to this goal, I will need to stay healthy and avoid the injury bugaboo that has derailed me in the past.

So here are my goals that as I begin this year are in my control.

1. 2015 miles. This can be done either running, cycling, swimming, walking for a total of 2015 miles. I don't care what the medium I use to accomplish this.  Moving forward is the goal. 
2. Read one book a month and write about it here or publish a review on Amazon.
3. Donate platelets fifteen times.

“Sometimes I can feel my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living.”
—Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

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Looking towards 2024

Adam and I were in San Antonio last weekend and were fortunate to be riding on the boat during a river boat tour with a a future olympic runner.

Our tour guide told everyone on the boat that we were riding with a young lady who had run in the USATF 3K championship earlier that morning.  We chatted for a bit and I found out she has already run as far as a 10K.  I didn't run my first 10K until I was in my forties.

As we were leaving the boat I waited on the dock so I could ask her a few questions.

I asked her what her name was and when I could expect to watch her running in the Olympics.  I told her that I would be watching.

She smiled sweetly and laughed.  Her parents said that was a ways off.  Maybe 2024.

So you heard it first here.

Keep your eyes open for Elly.  This is the future of American running.  She ran 13:48 for 3000 meters at the age of 10, which is totally ridiculous.

Elly, 2024 Olympic Runner!

In light of what happened at Arapahoe High school last Friday and on the one year anniversary of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, Elly gave me hope this morning.

Let's make sure this young girl makes it to her start line in 2024 safely.  It's up to us...

“Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need only take a deep breath and say, "Yes," and hope will reappear.”

Monroe Forester

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Patriot's Day

Adam and I were driving to lunch today when Laura called to tell me there were two small explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. 

We hoped that maybe it was just a terrible accident. As we watched the news unfold it became apparent that this was an act of terrorism.  At this point we don't know if this is a foreign or domestic attack, but nonetheless it is another attack on our country, on our way of life. 

As a runner this hit me hard.  My family has waited at the finish line of many of the marathons that I have been fortunate enough to have run  Finish lines from San Francisco to Paris, France.  Standing in crowds of thousands of people, waiting patiently for me to cross, cheering for countless strangers as they chased and realized their dreams of becoming a marathoner.  

Adam told me today that he has so many great memories of standing at the finish line of many marathons and today that memory was taken away from many runners and their families.  

My heart aches for the families who have had their lives shattered.  My heart aches for the community of runners whose spirit and courage has no limits.  I am honored to be a part of this community that laces up their shoes every week and raises countless money for charitable organizations. 

As a community as a nation, we will bind our hearts together and find a way to get through this.  

If you have a race shirt, please consider wearing it tomorrow or any day for the rest of this week and show your support and solidarity for Boston. 

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Thunder Challenge

Thunder Challenge-Larkspur Colorado

I did my first adventure race today, a 10K run/walk/hike with ten or so obstacles challenges to surpass.

Project Sanctuary  Super Hero's: Randi, Michelle, Heather and Ginny 

Here are the female members of the team that I ran with. 

The first challenge consisted of running up and down a  hill carrying an empty beer keg or a 10 pound sand bag. 

After that we jumped into a pit of water, lurched out of the water pit and headed over to the next obstacle. 

We hit the first few obstacles early in the course and then began a long hike before we encountered the next challenge.  And we climbed and climbed and climbed. 

View from the top of the climb

You want me to do what?

We finally got to the last challenge where we had to swing over another pit of water with a rope in one hand and then reach out with the other hand and began scaling a large wall.

A couple of things I learned today about adventure racing.

1.  Having a very strong upper body is an absolute necessity.  There was a lot of pulling oneself up over walls, houses, monkey bars.   The people that had strong upper bodies had a huge advantage.

2.  If you do not have a strong upper body, make sure you have a strong team.

I had signed up to do this race as an individual and was fortunate to bump into a friend of mine, Heather Ehle at the registration table.  She invited me to join her team and I am so happy that I took her up on her offer.

When I got to the last challenge, I didn't think I could do it.

I got coaching from a Navy Seal on how to tackle the challenge.  "Commit to jumping over the water, explode into the wall and grab the wall with your other hand."

My teammate Ginny went first and made it safely over the water and started to climb over the wall.

I don't think I exploded into the wall, I think it was more of a glide, but somehow I made it over the water and started to scale the final obstacle.

I got up to the top and wasn't sure I could get my leg over the top of the wall.  I was stuck.  I couldn't go up, couldn't go down.

Luckily my teammate Ginny was there for me.  She waited for me.  She coached me to swing my leg over the wall, she reassured me that I was safe.

I've got your back!

It was the perfect ending for the day.  The Thunder Challenge was designed by Navy Seals.  The Thunder   Challenge was put on to benefit Project Sanctuary.

One of Heather's military family members from Project Sanctuary, Ginny stood on a wall for me.

This is what our military does for us every day.   They stand on a wall and say nothing's going to hurt you, not on my watch!

Thank you Ginny and a heartfelt thanks to the men and women of our armed forces and their families.

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The Color Run

I ran the 5K Color Run yesterday at City Park,the happiest 5K on the planet!

Beautiful City Park Skyline

Yes. This was the most fun I have ever had waiting for a race to start.  The energy at the starting line was incredible.  Adults dancing, laughing, celebrating.  It was like being at a rock concert.  We did the wave from start to back of the corrals, thousands of runners.    I lined up near the front.  I went off in the first wave of runners.  There were still thousands of people waiting to cross the start line when I finished.  It probably took 45 minutes or longer to get everyone across the start line.  Once the running started, it felt pretty much like any other road race with one exception.  There were 4 color zones on the course and as we ran through the color zones, we were sprayed with different colors, red, blue, yellow and green.  The last color zone was green and that seemed to be the dominant color on my once white shirt.  I felt like I had been greenified like the wicked witch of the west, Elpheba.  At the finish line festival every 10 minutes there would be a color throw.  Each runner had been given their own color packet to throw in the air.   A rainbow of colors filled the air. Some four legged friends got in on the fun.  What happened to my paws? Color Run Warriors!

Pretty cool, 10 thousand people, playing like kids. 

Children have it figured out. What would be possible for us in our lives if we played full out all the time?  

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That Dam Run

Best Dam Run You'll ever See!

Need Motivation?

Today was the last race of the Denver Race Series.   Five races starting in December with the Rudolph Ramble.  January was comprised of the Polar Bear Run.  In February we ran the Super Bowl 5K and the Valentine's Day 5K and today we ran That Dam Run 5K.  

Over 1,000 runners lined the start of either the 5K or a 1/2 marathon.   I was amazed at how many people were running the 1/2 marathon this year.   This is very early in the year to run a 1/2 marathon.

The 5K runs over the top of the Cherry Creek Dam road.  It is about as flat of a road as you could find.

If you run at least 3 of the 5 events, you "win" a medal.

Finishing is Winning

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Potts

I had heard last week that one of my favorite people(Parenthia Jones) in the world had a serious health challenge and today I found out that she is battling cancer.   I am not sure what the nature of her cancer is or the prognosis.

Potts as she is affectionately called by all of us who know her is an icon in the Denver running community.  She is a tireless volunteer. She carried the olympic torch when it passed through here in 2004 on the way to Utah.  Potts carried the torch for a mile just like John Elway.  Almost everyone in Colorado knows who John Elway is and I believe that Potts in her own way is as powerful, maybe more so than John Elway is.

One month after 9/11, Potts through together a 5K run so we could have something to hold onto as a community, as a nation.

A young couple was murdered in Aurora several years ago and Potts put together a wonderful race to honor their memories and begin the healing process for the mother's who lost their children.   Before the start of the race they released beautiful white doves.  It was a beautiful moment.

Potts puts on 4 or 5 small races through her running club, Potts Trotters every year.  She has a loyal following of runners.  The post race award ceremony can take longer than the race did to run with all of the age group awards that she gives out along with all of the raffle prizes.

It is not unusual at all to have age group winners in the 70-74, 75-79 and 80+ years at her events.

Potts was the race director of the Colorado Youth at Risk Possibility 5K last year that Sue put on.  Without Potts helping us, the race doesn't take place.

Potts has a huge heart and is loved dearly by all of us who are lucky enough to know her.

 You can read more about her by clicking here. 

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Gathering Place

For me, one of my favorite places: City Park-Denver Colorado. I have been running races here spanning 3 decades now and what this represents to me is community. 
My running tribe, connection, belonging, memories.


 My first race ever in the dark, running intervals with my daughter last winter while we trained for the Paris marathon.


 Coming together as a community to heal shortly after 9-11, running as part of the United Airlines team.


I love my running community. Today's run supported an organization called the Gathering Place. The Gathering Place is Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women and children who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. The start line is my gathering place...

The children for Lake International school raised money to support the vital work of the Gathering Place. 


Week after week, the running community comes together and supports numerous non-profits here in Colorado. 

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Worldwide Running Community

This is too good not to share.

Please watch the slideshow of the worldwide run that honored Sherry Arnold last weekend.

Runners across the United States, Egypt, China, Switzerland to name a few places came together in outpouring of support for Sherry and her family.

WOW!

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Valentine's Day 5K

The Denver run series this year has the cutest race bibs.  I ran in the Valentine's Day 5K today.

My feet were cold.  I don't really ever remember that happening before or maybe I just didn't notice.

I was hoping they would play the Whitney Houston version of the National Anthem(best performance ever) this morning, but they play a tinny sounding instrumental.

Some runners are dressed as Valentine Candy.  Where do they get their outfits?  It is fun to try and catch these tasty morsels.

I have run this so many times before.  The race ends now almost six minutes later than it used to.  It is a mystery to me.

I still love the sound of my feet striking the pavement, the sound of my breath as I move myself towards the mile markers,  making the final turn on the diagonal.

The sprint begins at the 3 mile mark.  It lasts 10 seconds longer than it used to.

And I still love to run, the feeling of my legs burning, my heart pumping. I just get to enjoy it longer now...

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Running for Sherry Arnold

I fastened my race bib to my shirt and ran in honor of Sherry Arnold this morning.

I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures that the worldwide running community posts about this. 

I ran just under 4 miles, that has become a long run for me these days.  

As I ran I thought about Sherry Arnold and her family and I have never been so proud as I was this morning that I am a part of an amazing community.  A community of runners. 

Runners Edge of the Rockies had over 150 people that came out to run in the snow and 14 degree weather. That is just one of I am sure many more stories to be told about communities that came together because the unthinkable had happened to one of us. 

Please be sure and check out the post from Shut Up and Run about the outpouring of love and support for Sherry and her family. 

Running for Sherry:  Courage, Strength, Grace. 

Honored. 

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Worldwide Virtual Run for Sherry Arnold

I am participating in a virtual run tomorrow for Sherry Arnold who was abducted one mile  from her home on January 7, 2012 while she was out running.

Please take a moment and watch the video here about the run tomorrow and visit her cousin's blog to read more about the movement.

As someone who loves being a part of the running community, it will be an honor to run for Sherry and take back our roads and hopefully begin a healing process for Sherry's family through a worldwide outpouring of love.

To continue my thoughts this week about love, here is another circumstance that could cause us to doubt, to lessen our resolve.

"When in doubt, love"~Patti Digh

"Love is the answer to everything, baby"~Kim Mailhot

So tomorrow out of love for Sherry Arnold we will shut up and run our hearts out.

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Taking back the Park for Chelsea King

Sunday morning, I lined up at the back of pack to begin my run to take back the park for Chelsea King.

I rode my bike through the Garden of the Gods last summer.  Jaw dropping beauty.  I know of no other way to describe this.

I was glad I had chosen this venue to run in honor of Chelsea. 

There were many fun cheer stations lined with young high school students from Manitou Springs.  Beach party themes, Santa's workshop and river rafting were some of the cheer station themes.  Very high spirits.  Nice to see those young people donating their time.

I think Chelsea would have liked that.  These young people could have been her classmates...

Only bummer of the day was my Canon SD750 battery pack was dead so I had to use my cell phone to take pictures with.  No camera can do justice to what one sees with our eyes.

Oh my gosh.  Those hills.  I keep trying to remember the time when I liked to run uphill.

The actual race report.

Did I mention it was hilly?

I arrived at the mile 3 mark and saw the lead men on their way back to the finish.  I had run 3, they had almost run 7.  They were smoking!!!

I followed the wisdom of marathon runner Walter Stack to "go out slow, and then taper off".  

I stopped on many occasions to try and take some pictures with my cell phone. Almost none of them turned out...

I really was present to the beauty of my surroundings during the run. So many times, I hurry to get to the finish and end up missing so much...

I hope that Chelsea enjoyed running along side me today.  I know I enjoyed keeping her close to my heart.

I can't wait to go run this again next year.   I want to make this an annual run to take back the park for Chelsea.

Running for Chelsea, running for Kelly and Laiken. I consider it a sacred honor.

Light and Love for Chelsea x 17 x forever...

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Virtual Finish Chelsea's Run

I will be running the Garden of the Gods Ten Mile race tomorrow in Manitou Springs to help take back the park for Chelsea King.

Thanks to my friend Katye at Long Legs on the Loose for putting this event together for us.

I can't think of a more beautiful place to run for Chelsea.

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Virtual 10K run for LLS

I ran in a virtual 10K this morning to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

One of my awesome Facebook, Twitter, TNT friends Courtney was hosting a virtual 10K.

I lined up at the start line at 7:00 and off I went to run in some of my favorite areas of Denver.

I took an early lead and never looked back :)

                                          Running East on 7th Avenue towards Colorado Blvd.  

                                         One of many quiet and shady tree lined streets.

                                                   Love being mindful and enjoying the awesome
                                                               beauty of this city.

Oh my gosh, it was so hot this morning.  I tried best as I could to enjoy the run and not think about the situation at work. 

I put on a burst of slow and finished my 10K run in 1:03:10

Thanks Courtney.  Best first time 10K race director ever!

                                   

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Unwrapping my Christmas Present

I finally got to unwrap the Christmas present Laura gave me in 2004.

Laura's present to me in 2004 was to run the Bolder Boulder in 2005.

Laura got really sick right before the race that year and  injuries, a trip to Cut Bank for Kelly's graduation and more injuries delayed the opening of that present.

3 weeks ago, Laura and I ran in qualifying race for the Bolder Boulder on her birthday.  Laura already had a qualifying time from her 1st Bolder Boulder last year.

We left the house at 5:15 for the drive to Bolder, caught a Run and Ride Bus to the start line with just a few minutes to spare.

Laura's wave started 11 minutes before my start.  She was probably 2K ahead of me before I started running.

This was my first Bolder Boulder in 5 years.  I had done very little training for this race and both of my calves were incredibly sore from the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic ride that I had attempted on Saturday.

I didn't really know what to expect as I started to run.  I was surprised that my calves weren't really bothering me and I didn't feel too tired from the ride on Saturday.

The first 1K of the race should be the fastest of the race as it is mostly downhill.  When I got to the 1K sign, I was dismayed that my first split of the day was 5:56.   Good grief, I can't believe how slow I have become.

It was a beautiful morning, although it was already becoming quite warm and not a cloud in the sky.  One spectator took a quick spin while enjoying a glass of wine.

                                                Heading to the 5 mile sign.

• Denver Nuggets Mascot Rocky runs the Bolder Boulder in 1:03!!!  He is an amazing athlete.

Great moment at the end of the race.  The elite men's team from Ethopia has absolutely destroyed the rest of the field during the Men's race.

Frank Shorter was doing the color commentary as we waited for the men to arrive in the stadium for the finish.   He commented that running isn't like the sport of cycling where there are agreements made in the peleton on who will win the stage for the day.   He said that all three men wanted to win the race and would eventually make their move to win the race.

When the three men entered the stadium they ran together in unison and held hands with one another.  They had raced as a team, won the team competition and finished as a team.

I found their commitment to one another to be very inspiring.  You just don't see this in sports anymore.  There is so much emphasis on winning, at any costs it was so refreshing to see this amazing gesture of sportsmanship. 

Simply Inspiring!!!

After the race, we watched the Memorial Day tribute.

It was a great day. 

I can't wait for Christmas to come again :)

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Calf Attack!

Tonight I was going for a run using my new(old approach) to running.

I took one step and almost fell over from a sharp pain in my calf.

I get these sometimes when I am sleeping.  I will just move my leg and suddenly my calf feels like it is about to explode. 

I have woken up from these spasms screaming.  YIKES!

Tonight was the first time that has ever happened as I was about to exercise.  I tried to walk it off, but to no avail so I turned around and came back inside much to the dissapointment of my dog Harley.

Harley loves to sit on the couch and watch for me to return home.

We were both dissapointed tonight.

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A post about running

It has been a long time since I have written anything about running.

I ran for the first time today since Saint Patricks Day. 

I used to run six days a week and it seems like now I might run one day a week.

It is strange how running had gone from being something that used to bring me such joy has now become a chore.

I can't remember the last time I  really enjoyed being out for a run.

I keep wrestling with wondering if it is just time for me to trade my running shoes for my cycling shoes.

I may have run my last marathon and if that is the case that is okay.  I ran 16 marathons.  Something I never thought I would do or could do.

Along the way, I fell in love with a young girl that ended up changing my life in ways I would have never dreamed of.

I have met many amazing people and have some wonderful friendships with people that I hope one day I will be able to meet in person.

So for now, I am going back to the beginning. 

When I first started running, I learned how to run using my own modified version of the Jeff Galloway run/walk program.

Right now, running isn't fun for me and so I hope to go back and fall in love with running all over again.

Today, I walked for 90 seconds and ran for 30 seconds.  I repeated that  sequence 19 times.  I only ran 9.5 minutes over the 38 minutes.  I actually ran for the 30 second interval instead of the slogging through the run.

I would like to run another marathon again someday.  I don't know if I ever will.  Time will tell.

For now, I want to have fun again.

Has anyone ever run into a problem like this?  No pun intended.

What do you do to put the fun back into your running?

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The Run for Water

I can't even fathom this.

Women and children in developing countries average walk to get clean water is 6K. That is 3.7 miles.

I get my bottled water delivered to my front door and I think it is a pain to bring it in from the porch and
replace the empty container when it is time.

I thought this sounded like a neat idea from Active.Com.  There isn't a current running event planned in the Denver area.

Please click here and read more about this cause and see if there is an event in your area.

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