Week Five, just barely

Some mom friends and I hiked trails at Glacier and I wasn't quite sure of what to expect physically. I WAY overpacked and wished I had taken pretty much nothing but my toothbrush and a change of underwear about mile three because all I really wanted to do was run.

  The views were lovely, the food was great once we got up there and it was a much faster 3 hour and 15 minute hike down as opposed to the six hour hike UP the day before. I knew hiking would be good cross training on my half marathon journey but I didn't plan on the soreness for two days after getting home. I think the walk down was what killed me, my calves were screaming after any moments of inactivity. My running got pushed to the side for a couple days but by that Sunday I was able to complete my 5 mile run so I felt that I successfully accomplished the week despite my missed runs that week.

 

Just coming out of the woods on our hike at Glacier.

 After Scott Jurek's book, I read "Older, Faster, Stronger," by Margaret Webb. It was definitely an encouraging read as I struggle with the thought of "getting old" as I stare down 40 in a few years. My husband and I just don't have people in our families to look to for inspiration when it comes to aging. The unfortunate thing is many of them seem to just be waiting to die. I know this sounds like a horrible thing to say but when you sit in your chair for the last 20 years of your life, complaining of "old age," I just can't seem to see it any other way. I don't want to be this way, and I don't want our boys to see us doing this. I want to hike to beautiful places and run trails as long as I can. I realize, of course, that good health isn't always guaranteed, but I can do my best to do what I can to stay as healthy as possible.

I really, really wanted to run this trail!

 I really enjoy reading inspiring books and articles written by people that feel the same as I do. I don't particularly care whether it is written by a woman or not, I pay more attention to the fact that they are beating the odds, male or female, and enjoying a healthy, active life. I came across a great article today about Laird Hamilton and his outlook on aging and staying active. He made an awesome point when he said "I think what happens is that we decide we’re old and we just stop, and everything stops working. There’s so much stigma and weirdness around being older." I just want to pull my hair out every time my grandma tells me one of her ailments is "just getting old." I try to encourage her to eat better and get out and walk but I think he mind is already made up that this is old age and this is how she will be. It makes me sad. Imagine if our society worked on changing this mindset with seniors and they found out there was another way? Unfortunately, I think, much like cancer, there is way too much money involved in the elderly, from specialty centers, to prescription drugs and the doctors that care for them. What incentive is there to encourage people to exercise and eat well? We have to decide that on our own and not look for a doctor to tell us these things. I hope to encourage others like so many have been encouraging to me, especially to my own family.

 But enough of that depressing talk! So I now on week six, having run SIX miles! last Sunday. The longest I have ever run in my life. It is hard to imagine that I can run 13 miles, but I keep putting along, checking off the days on my Hal Higdon schedule. This week has been the most difficult so far, even on my days of just 3.5 miles. It has been hot and I have been staying up too late (like I am doing now!) so I get up around 7:30 and it is already hot. There is nowhere to run in my area that has shade, I miss the heavily treed parks of my home in Washington. One day this week I decided to run my four miles on the treadmill at the gym, which was probably worse than running outside because for one it's mind numbingly boring, and two, the darn gym seems to have no air conditioning and while there was a line of fans along the wall, not one of them was on and I couldn't seem to see how to turn them on. I made a mental not to avoid the gym for running until the miserable arctic winds returned to the prairie this winter. I managed to run my four miles this morning in the 80 degree heat and reminded myself that next run day, which will be another 6 mile run on Sunday, I better get my rear end out of bed at 5:30!

A Mountain Goat enjoying the view with me, while my Lunas let my toes breathe.