Bay To Breakers, Baby!

Me and two girlfriends went on a road trip last weekend. We drove 8 hours to the Bay Area to run Bay to Breakers on my 48th birthday! It was the best time. A Girls Road Trip! A birthday I'll never forget.

We left after school got out on a Thursday...our car all decked out with "Bay To Breakers, Baby!" written in white shoe polish on the back.

We drove, we laughed, we talked. We stopped at In 'n Out Burger! (Yumm! We don't have those in Oregon!) We filled up our tank in the pouring rain and we laughed as a car full of young boys honked and hollered at us (surely because of our FUN rear window, not because of our extreme HOTNESS!)

We pulled into our friends' house at almost midnight, tired and rummy expecting to go straight to bed. Instead, we stayed up till almost 3am chatting, laughing, making new memories and planning our wine tasting tour the next day.

We awoke the next day. It was a glorious, sunny day in the East Bay. We went for our last training run...3 miles thru the neighborhood streets of Danville. We came back, showered and took off on our next adventure! Wine tasting thru Napa Valley.

We had an incredible day. Wine tasting. Private tours. VIP service at our friends' restaurants. A drive along Napa's beautiful Silverado Trail. We ate until we couldn't take one more bite. We drank until our hearts content. We even mustered up the energy to hit a local bar and dance a little bit...before we retired for the evening.

Then, it was up and at 'em early the next day! We drove into the city and hopped a ferry from Larkspur to SF for a day of shopping, walking, eating, drinking and exploring! It was so fun! Each of us had a few things on our list of what we wanted to do or see or eat! We crossed most of them off our list, including a hike up to Coit Tower. Wow! What a view!

A cab ride to Chinatown...beers on the sidewalk in North Beach...and fresh crab on the bay!





It was truly the kind of day you dream about in the city.

Then, we headed back into Larkspur on the ferry.

We had decided that day (over several cold beers!) that we were not serious about running the Bay To Breakers. We were more concerned about having fun and exploring our newfound terrain, than we were about getting a PR! So, we asked our host to take us to a dive bar! Turns out, there are no dive bars in Larkspur but, we had a great time at the local watering hole, The Silver Peso! We had planned to have one beer and then, call it a night. Well...one beer turned to two and two turned to a round of kamikazes!! And, by that time, well, it was my birthday ... so, we continued to celebrate well into the wee hours of the night (er, morning!) We headed back to where we were staying...and crawled into bed around 2am. The alarm clock rudely jolted us out of bed a couple hours later and we were scrambling around in the dark to fix a cup of coffee, down a bagel and hop on the 530 ferry to SF for our race!

Good thing we had 45 minutes on the ferry to go back to sleep!

When we got off the ferry, we walked up Market Street to the Start Line. Feeling a bit queasy, I must say. Not quite sure how the next 7.4 miles would go. But, we sure looked cute in our homemade tutus!

And, then within moments, we were OFF! It was such a feeling of exhilaration to be running this race that we had talked about for so long, that we felt as if we were being propelled through the streets. Running was actually easier than walking. We passed several naked buns (my friend even slapped one while passing by!), the sun was beating down already and the road loomed ahead like a birthday gift waiting to be unwrapped! The lure of the ocean beach calling our names...We passed live bands, more nakedness, fun costumes, gorgeous waterfalls and folks who should not be wearing tutus! It was so much fun - the first time I have ever run with my camera in my hand - not wanting to miss a thing!

We ran. We walked. We stopped for water. We chatted with folks and we took a ton of pictures! I had a sign on my back that said "It's My Bday!" so, I had several people serenading me along the way and many, many more saying "Happy Birthday". It was so much fun. I was sweating so much...my shirt was soaking wet. I was certain that if I wrung it out, it would produce a very large and strong cocktail!!

Finally, we began to smell the ocean air, feel the salt air on our lips....and we saw the infamous windmills off to the right. We rounded a bend and came face to face with the glorious San Francisco Coastline....or Breakers as it is referred to. The three of us crossed the Finish Line, hand in hand. I think it was somewhere around an hour 43 minutes for the 7 mile run. We quickly grabbed water and found our way to the beach where we plopped ourselves down in the warm sand and took a nice, long nap!

 

 

It was the perfect end to a perfect race! And, one of my best birthdays yet!

"That's the thing about running - your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is." -Kara Goucher

 

the run that would not be

We sort of knew from the get-go that this half marathon would be different. We were busier than usual. Long weekend training runs got replaced with a condensed version, racing against daylight to get 'er done. We talked about how it would be so different to stay in a hotel the night before the race, not in the comfort of our own beds. We never ran the route ahead of time. Half of my toenails were black & blue from a labor day hike up South Sister. The only good thing going for us was that we'd be racing at sea level as opposed to 3.600 feet. We hoped that would make up for everything else!

The day before the race, we said good-bye to our families. My oldest son had just come home from college so, it was hard to say goodbye but atleast, it was me who was leaving this time, not him. Rachel's hubby and 3 boys were all packed in their car, heading to see family in Hood River. We both sighed as we pulled away, saying how excited we were to have a night away. From family. From responsibility. A girls day out of shopping, dining and staying in the big city, before our big race. We were excited! We were nervous. We were off!

We killed a few hours shopping at the outlets near Portland. We picked up our race packets. We checked into our hotel. We found a great little italian place to have dinner that was walking distance from our hotel so, we headed off in search of big bowls of pasta, bread and red wine! The perfect pre-race meal!!

We had a wonderful dinner. The place was so quaint, complete with red and white checked tablecloths and, a wait staff that looked like they had stepped right out of a mob movie! It was so nice to just sit and eat and drink and enjoy each other's company without any time frame or children at the table! We shared stories, talked about the upcoming race and just savored the wine and the feeling of freedom.

Then, the phone rang. It was Rachel's husband calling to say he was headed to a hospital in Portland with their oldest boy who had been experiencing scary symptoms such as weakness in his right side and trouble talking. This had happened once before, so they knew it was nothing to mess around with.

We both felt like the world was moving in slow motion as we paid our bill and walked back to the hotel. Surreal for sure. We went back to our room. She quickly grabbed her things, that she had just, hours before, set down in the room, and we headed to the hospital in the dark of night. Both of us sat in silence, not sure what to say. She prayed. I drove as fast as I could.

Soon, her husband came flying into the emergency room driveway and I said good-bye to my friend and headed back to the hotel - alone. It was such a sad, lonely feeling to walk back into our room. I couldn't help but think that this was not how I had pictured our night going. As I began to feel a little sorry for myself, I thought how sad and scared they must be sitting in the ER awaiting test results and doctor's orders.

I got into bed, but couldn't sleep. I lay awake, staring at the clock. Midnight passed. I don't know what time I finally fell asleep but, I could not make myself get out of bed the next morning. It was called the "Girlfriends Half" and my girlfriend was not with me. She was in a cold hospital room, awaiting test results and the fate of her oldest child. And to be honest, I didn't want to run 13.1 miles without her. I lay in the dark and just prayed. And cried. And prayed some more. And finally fell back asleep. When I awoke a while later, I heard the runners passing beneath my hotel window. I quietly pulled the curtains shut and said a prayer. A prayer for those running. For those not running. For those who were in a whole other race altogether.

It confirmed my belief that no matter how much we plan or train or think that we are in control ... we are not. Sometimes, God has other plans for us. But, He always puts us exactly where we need to be. And, this weekend was a perfect example of that - God's grace and divinity shining through in a difficult situation.

I have run for fun. I have run for time. I have run for beer. And, I've run for pie. But, this was a different kind of race. One that you just have to close your eyes and trust that God that will get you to the finish line and show you why you had to take the road you hadn't planned on taking. Everything turned out okay in the end, as I knew it would. My friend's little boy is a healthy, happy, perfectly normal 5th grader...Praise God! Life really is all about how you handle Plan B or as I like to call it - Plan G.O.D.!

The sneeze that rocked my world!

The other day, I was walking up the stairs and felt a sneeze coming on. Not wanting to wake up my sleeping college student in a nearby room with a BOOMING sneeze(as I am certainly know for), I held it in. I stifled my sneeze. I did what they tell you NOT to do. And, I paid a price. A big price.

I felt a sharp pain and it was not going away. I was on my way to meet my running partner to run 3 miles, so I headed out the door and began walking to our meeting point...I had a horrible pain in my stomach. I tried a light jog just to see how it was going to feel once we started running and it hurt. I couldn't imagine how I was going to run. Once I met up with her, I told her my sad story and explained that I may not be able to run the entire route. We started running and amazingly, the pain wasn't so bad. I made it the whole way.

We stopped for coffee before walking home. My body was stiff. It was hard to sit and cross my legs. Simple things suddenly became very tedious. I had no idea that would be my last run for the week.

That night, I had trouble getting comfortable in bed. I woke up even more stiff and sore ... I had to walk so gingerly and take precaution not to agitate my already sore belly. I tried stretching but, that hurt too much. I got my leg about halfway across my body and over my other leg before I screamed out in pain. That was as far as I could go. At Easter Sunday mass, I felt more like a little old lady than my usual spry self as I slowly kneeled in the pews. Getting up was even harder. Ugh...how long was this going to last?

I started to panic. I am in the midst of training for the Bay to Breakers 12k in May. I had 4 training runs to complete this week. And cross training to do. At that moment, I thought of a familiar saying, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans!" I suddenly realized I wasn't in control anymore. And, that scared the hell out of me.

As each day passed, I tried to figure out what God was trying to tell me. What is the lesson He wants me to learn from this? How could a simple sneeze wreak such havoc on my body and my life and more importantly my training plan?! It was frustrating to say the least. Then, it hit me.

Thankfulness and Gratitude were two lessons I needed to learn. You see, lately, I had been going through a little bit of the "Poor Me's" or "Why don't I have this or that?" or "I sure wish I was going somewhere tropical for spring break." I really try to instill in my children not to want what you don't have and to be content with what you do have, but was I practicing what I preach? Apparently not.

God has always been very good at getting my attention. I remember very clearly, 14 years ago, when my life was going in a direction that was not the best route. That was the year I found out I had MS. It stopped me in my tracks, literally. And, believe me, that whipped me into shape real fast!

So, here I was, practically a cripple with this awful pain in my abdomen. I saw the doctor on Monday. He checked for a hernia but, luckily that was not the case. He told me it was most likely a strained ab muscle, to take some Aleve, take it easy, and that it should feel much better by Friday. In the mean time, I couldn't run. Couldn't lift. Couldn't even break a sweat. There goes my training, I thought.

The week went on. I had a hard time doing my job. I work with Special Ed children and that requires me to get down on the carpet with them, dance, sing and jump around at morning circle, tie shoes, have energy galore. Thursday morning, I woke up and did my stretches that I had been doing each morning. But, as I was stretching, I heard something pop and felt a jabbing pain in my adbomen. Sort of like the "charlie horses" I would get in my legs when I was a kid jumping on my parent's bed. I layed on the floor in excrutiating pain, so afraid to move and create further damage. It was getting late and I had to get ready for work. So, I managed to crawl to my room, and get in the shower. I held onto the safety bar in the shower and I made sure my cell phone was within reach. I had terrible visions of myself falling in the shower and not being able to get help.

When I got out of the shower, it was a chore just to towel off my body. I tried to put one leg in my pants but, the pain was too much. I fell to the ground and just sobbed. I cried and pleaded to God to "please take the pain away." The only thing that felt good was to lie completely still on my back, on my yoga mat. I knew there was no way I could go to work. I somehow managed to call into work (I had to make 3 separate phone calls) and fell asleep on my yoga mat, half-dressed and still wet from my shower. My sweet dog curled up at my feet keeping a protective watch over her crumpled mama.

Well, it has been exactly one week since that sneeze that shook me to my core...and I am happy to report that I am almost 100% again. I was able to run this morning (yay!) and I can move around with relative ease, no longer looking like that little old lady in the front pew at church.

Although, the pains in body are nearly gone, the lessons I learned this past week are invaluable and ever-present. I learned that I have no right to take a single thing for granted. I have been blessed with so much. There is nothing that I need that I don't already have. Life is precious and can change in a heartbeat (or a sneeze!) so, enjoy it moment by moment. It's only when you realize how awful things could be, that you can truly appreciate how wonderful things really are. It's God's plan. And, it's perfect.

This was the daily devotion I read on Friday morning...(after my horrible day on Thursday)
"As you go through this day, trust Me to provide the strength that you need moment by moment. Don't waste energy wondering whether you are adequate for today's journey. My spirit within you is more than sufficient to handle whatever this day may bring."

Amen.

Here's to a lil' Spring Stay-cation!

What do you do when you have a kid in college (aka: have absolutely no indespensable income) and live in one of the most beautiful places in the country...and it's spring break!? Well, vacation in your own backyard, of course!

This week was one of my favorite spring breaks. We didn't take a tropical vacation in a faraway place, or take our usual drive over to the beautiful Oregon Coast or visit family in Northern California...we stayed home in beautiful Bend Oregon! We didn't have to spend hours in the car or lots of money on a vacation rental or take our doggie to Pet Paradise Doggy Kennel (nope, instead, she got to go on lots of adventures with us!). We just stayed put! And I loved it! (Not sure my pre-teen daughter loved it as much...but, someday I am certain she will look back on it with fond memories!)

We skiied a couple days at Mt. Bachelor, took an amazing hike at world renowned rock climbing area, Smith Rock. I got in a few outdoor evening training runs and a ladies spa night...and took the fam to dinner at our fave local restaurant. I also took in a kayak film festival at the local theater with my son before he headed back to college the next day!

Breath-taking view at Smith Rock

 Kiddos and dog on the trail down





Gorgeous view of Three Sisters from the chair lift at Mt. Bachelor

 (I hiked the one on the left last summer!)

 

Marlee and I ride the chair lift up to Pine Marten





Family dinner at Zydeco...Mmmmm!

It was such a nice week, exploring this area that we are blessed enough to call home. I truly am never as happy anywhere else than I am in my own home, with my own little family. Life is good.

I can't help but think of one of my favorite sayings when I relfect back on my week...

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."

George Moore

 



 



Let the training begin!

My girlfriends and I got together for a run this morning. We met at my house, did a nice 3ish mile loop near my house in the snow! The sun was shining and we were warm in no time! We all wore yak trax, but I had lost one of mine on a New Year's Run in the snow, so I only had 'em on one foot! (I'm pretty sure, my right leg is going to be a lot "sore-er" tonight than my left because I definitely landed harder on the one with the yak trak!!)

After our run, we returned to my house for an "apres-run" planning meeting in my hot tub, complete with prosecco pomegranate mimosas (served by my wonderful hubby in solo cups on a plastic platter!) You see, we are signed up for the infamous Bay To Breakers 12k in San Francisco on May 19th (which just happens to be MY birthday!) and we had some planning/discussing to do!! Can't think of a better place for a meeting than my hot tub!!

Ingredients for a perfect prosecco pomegranate mimosa!

Meeting in the hot tub!

(We actually solved a lot of the world's problems!)

 



After our soak, we headed inside for a lovely brunch made and served again, by my amazing husband...Eggs Benny topped with avacado, homemade potatoes, fresh berries and of course, more mimosas!! We sat and visited...for what seemed like hours. It was so nice to just relax, catch up and plan for our next big adventure!

Yummy!

We are so excited for B2B (that's what the local's call it!) and you could feel the energy starting to mount - even though the race is almost 3 months away! I said at one point, "It's not even about the race, it's about all the fun we are going to have in the city!" And, I think that is exactly why I love running so much. You get a race on the calendar, you train, you make plans for the big day but, the real adventure lies in all the stuff that surrounds the race! We are going to spend 4 days in the bay area, all for a race that may last 2 hours!! My life is so much fuller and exciting now that I run! I now have an excuse to go places that I wouldn't have gone before!

I decided that since today was sort of our "training kick off" for the run...I would put together a little goody basket for my girls! I printed up our training schedule and rolled it up like a scroll and added a few runners necesseties: ibuprofen, hand warmers, chapstick and put them near their placesetting. I included one of my favorite running quotes:

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1

It was perfect!

 

Next up for the three of us? A wine night/tutu-making party at Sue's house!!! We decided to go with a Jamaican-Rasta-influenced theme so, we are thinking strips of red, green, yellow...Oh what fun!!

 

So, look for us on the hills of San Francisco on the third Sunday in May ... The Rasta Runners!!

 

*According to the book, "Long May You Run", Bay To Breakers is one of the Top 5 Races that "Every Runner Should Try at Least Once!" It is described as one part elite competition and three parts carnival - and over 70,000 Runners! Woo Hoo, Bring it!

(Side note: Don't drink Prosecco on an empty stomach, after running, while sitting in a hot tub! It makes you a little dizzy!!)

the joy of missing out

Some people hate missing out on things. There is even a name for this syndrome. It's called "FOMO" or Fear of Missing Out. With the onslaught of social media, this phenomenon has only gotten worse. Now, not only are you missing out on an exciting event, party or vacation, you are forced to see all the photos of someone else who is not.

I am one of those "all-or-nothing" types of people. I have said this before. I don't just drink one beer, I drink 4. I don't just eat one juju bee candy, I devour the whole box! I don't just go on facebook for 5 minutes, I spend about 5-6 times that reading posts, checking out photos and finding clever pics and sayings to post on my own facebook!

So, when Lent rolled around this year, I decided that giving up facebook would probably be the best thing I could do and would probably lead to more spiritual growth than giving up sweets or swearing. So, I did it - cold turkey!

Let me just say...Wow!! What a liberating feeling. I no longer feel the need to run in the house and log onto my computer before putting down my bags. I no longer go to bed with the gnawing feeling that someone else is having way more fun than me. I no longer carry my camera with me everywhere hoping to capture the perfect moment to post on facebook. And, I have an inordinate amount of "free time" that I did not have before. I jokingly told my husband, "I may have to take on some projects around the house now that I am off facebook!" He, of course, handed me the mop and bucket of cleaning supplies and said, "Have at it!"

I have only been off FB for 4 days and already I have this sense of peace and joy that is inexplicable. I have more time to read my daily devotional book. I have more time to stretch and practice yoga before bed. I have more time to read novels. More time to spend with family...the list goes on  and on. I think I have discovered a new phenomenon called "JOMO"...the Joy of Missing Out!

It's funny because last Wednesday at Ash Wednesday mass, one of the scripture readings was all about doing things, but not letting people know about it. For instance, when you fast, do not look glum, but rather try to look happy so others do not know you are fasting. Or, if your right hand does something good, do not let your left hand know it. I can't remember the exact scripture reading (although I have plenty of time to look it up now!) but, it hit home.

How often to we do something fantastic (make a wonderful dinner, run a race, help out in our child's classroom, participate in a charity event) and then immediately post it on facebook?? We even go so far as to post pictures that prove we were really there, that is was really us. That scripture made me stop and think, "Wow! I have been so self-absorbed." God doesn't want us to shout from the rooftops about our accomplishments, but rather, he rejoices in our ability to be still, quiet and reflect inward.

In reading my daily devotion this morning, I came across this wonderful little nugget of wisdom and found it especially poignant: "Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in spiritual realms."

I am hoping that this brief respite from the outside world will teach me how to look inward and upward for encouragement and positive reinforcement. Who knows? It may even last longer than 40 days.

bless my mess

I have stated before how much I hate cleaning! I came across a funny saying the other day that sort of sums me up:

"My husband says the only thing domestic about me is that I was born in this country." -Phyllis Diller

I read it to my husband and he totally agreed. Clearly, he married me for my good looks and athleticism!

I believe that a messy house is a sign that people live and love there. I believe that piles of laundry represent kids being home from college. I believe that messes have purpose and sometimes, you can equate a parties success to how messy your house is the next morning! I believe that summer days are meant to be spent at the lake or hiking a mountain, not spent at home, cleaning. I am certainly not going to be on my deathbed, wishing I'd spent more time cleaning.

"Dear Lord,

Please Bless My Mess. I know that the New Year is upon us and that represents a clean slate. I love the idea of starting fresh as much as the next person...of getting rid of all the clutter of the holidays and starting anew. But, don't let me lose sight of the meaning behind my mess. A messy life is a fun life --- a life well lived, a life where people feel comfortable coming into your house and just being themselves. Keep your shoes on if you want. For goodness sakes, we have a dog! There is not a lot you can do to our carpet at this point! I'd rather have my son home from college and a never-ending pile of laundry than to not have him home at all. Think about it. When my kids are grown and out of the house for good, my house may finally be clean. But, it will also be quiet, void of chaos, perhaps a little lonely. Please allow me to enjoy the chaos and the mess during this time of my life -  and Please Lord, Bless My Mess! " Amen.

P.S. If you want to throw in a housekeeper for a New Year's gift after the kids head back to school, I wouldn't be mad at that!

My husband came home with some laundry detergent today and said, "I bought some laundry detergent...so, you can now do the laundry!" I laughed and said, "I wondered why there were no large piles of clean clothes to fold the past few days." Silly me, I thought it was just a Christmas miracle. Ahem. Back to the grind. Gotta go. Apparently, I have some laundry to catch up on!