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January 25, 2008
Must. Write. Something.
There it is again, the dreaded blank screen. After 7 days of inattentiveness, a blank screen appears on my blog. I could change the settings so that doesn't happen, but a blank screen or an impending blank screen both encourage me to post. Could time slow down? Could I maybe get just 1 extra hour in the day? Just a little something to help it all fit in?
Here is what I've been up to in the last 7 days:
1. a 3-day whirlwind trip to Portland, OR to visit my sweetie's family and friends,
2. the Capitol Peak (Sort of. I only ran 25 miles of the 34 mile race.) Mega Fat Ass Race near Olympia, WA,
3. entertaining company in town for 3 days,
4. playing in Yellowstone with said company to include some up-close wolf watching and some backcountry skiing in knee-deep powder,
5. planning and preparing for the Rocky Raccoon 100,
6. dealing with a major construction project in my yard that included an accidental broken water main and no water inside my house for 2 days, and
7. graduate school responsibilities (Listed last for no particular reason, of course.).
The weather and the trails were equally nasty, but I had SO MUCH fun at the Capitol Peak race last weekend! Despite having packed a carry-on bag full of running clothes for our brief trip to the cold and damp Pacific Northwest, I remained concerned about physical discomfort during the race. My concerns increased upon our arrival to the starting line, as the the temperatures were hovering precariously close to freezing and Mother Nature was providing a full sample of precipitation types for our pleasure, including but not limited to rain, sleet, sleet pellets, hail balls, snow pellets, small snowflakes, and big snowflakes. The combination of cold and moisture was an intimidating one.
All of those tough Pacific Northwesterners stood around like it was a bluebird morning despite the weather, so I tried to act like them. Miraculously, as I did this, I realized that I was warm and comfortable, and that this was going to be a fun day. We met up and chatted with Eric and Michelle at the starting line. At the finish line, we also chatted with a guy we had met earlier this year at the Teton Races. Everyone was fabulously friendly, so thanks for making us feel so welcome in your world!
This year's course was altered due to deep snow at higher elevations, such that the course made a figure-8 that contained an 8 mile loop with 800 feet elevation gain and an 8.5+ mile loop with 1200 feet elevation gain. People ran 8 miles (1 loop), 17 miles (2 loops), 25 miles (3 loops), and 34 miles (4 loops). The 8 mile loop was a literal mud bath that involved slipping, sliding, and sloshing through shin-deep, shoe-sucking mud. The 8.5+ mile loop was a good split between similar mud and hard-packed snow.
I ran 3 loops (25 miles) at an extremely easy pace, and I loved it all! I was covered in mud afterwards, even though I stayed upright the entire time. I'll note that I wore Montrail Odesseys, which I've grown to adore this winter for their persistent grip on snow (and dirt, and rock) surfaces, and they had really poor traction in the mud! I chatted with people (and petted the many dogs that accompanied their owners) for the first 2 loops. I never saw another person during my third loop, though! Those were some quiet miles! The solitude was also nice, though.
I can't help but take a moment to mention clear cutting in the Pacific Northwest. If you ever fly over the forested mountain ranges in the Pacfic Northwest (Or other areas, but clear cutting is especially prevalent in this region.), you can't help but notice the wide swaths of clear-cutted land in various stages of regrowth. During this race, we ran through several tracts of brand-new clear cuts, and it was shocking. Shocking, sad, and disgusting. If you've never seen what clear cutting looks like in person, I encourage you to take a gander over the Internet. It will only take a moment for you to realize that forest management policies that include clear cutting are just plain bad. It's also important to realize that forests don't have to be managed this way, and they just plain shouldn't be. There are numerous other management techniques that are both ecologically and economically sustainable, but we just don't do it. I've liberally oversimplified the issue(s) here, but I couldn't help but mention my thoughts.
In all, it was a great day in the mountains. With that, I officially wrapped up my Rocky Raccoon 100 training. I'm currently enjoying the deep throes of the beloved/hated taper. I can hardly believe that the race is next weekend! I'm excited and *almost* ready. Just 8 more days!
Posted by Meghan at January 25, 2008 2:38 AM
Comments
I've been following your blog via Kendra's blog, and I would really like to know more about how you've been training for Rocky Racoon -- and after the race of course I'd like to know your thoughts on your training. I'm training for my first 100 -- it's 5 months out -- and am hungry for all the info I can get. I will be wishing you great luck for RR!
Posted by: Danni at January 25, 2008 10:08 AM
I can't believe you didn't let me know you were in Portland!!! I know what you're talking about clear cuts - I think it hit me as hard a couple of years ago when I swipped the course, so I was going slow and looking around more (with more interest?). It stunned me, and saddened me as well, and I am not any near in my adoration of nature-stay-as-is (I mean, I love it, but I am not an activist by any means). Actually, that day/moment I thought of becoming an activist...
Glad you enjoyed our 'hood, seems like for the second year. I am wishing you all the bestest best at RR100, and I KNOW you'll do awesome, the most single important part is fueling/hydrating, you got therest of it in a bag with genes and training!
Posted by: olga at January 25, 2008 10:42 AM
GOOD LUCK!
Posted by: jeff at January 25, 2008 10:58 AM
It was so much fun meeting you! You made me laugh about realizing you felt warm - we're always saying that -"If I act warm, I'll be warm". We also say "fake it till you make it". Either one will work! I was a little worried about your shivering after though - wrapped in a blanket by the fire and still cold! How did your sweetie's parents do? I didn't see them after - hope they liked it.
I hate the clear cuts - always have. In Whatcom County they have ruined the hills of my childhood. From a distance it looks like large shaved patches. I notice that they are now leaving a band of trees so you can't always see what they've done behind it. I don't know anything about forest management, but I still hate clear-cutting!
Posted by: backofpack at January 25, 2008 11:58 AM
Good luck with your taper, Meghan. I always have a hard time with those things; I think they deserve more well-wishing and good-luck back slapping than the race itself.
Posted by: duncan at January 25, 2008 1:23 PM
I knew you were off somewhere galavanting about. Nice to hear you had a great time.
Taper is hard, but too much taper is worse than not enough. With 25 miles in Oregon this close to RR100, I think you're right-on. I tapered too much leading into LT100. I don't plan to let that ever happen again.
Too bad about the clear-cutting. It really is take-the-money-and-run. Some entities try to "sell" clear-cutting as being good for deer because clear-cuts allow tons of brush to grow, which deer graze on and live in. But the forests grow back "wrong". Too many thin trees too close together, which makes it take longer for lumber-worthy trees to grow back.
Would a farmer want to get a bigger crop this year if they new it would ruin the prospects for the next several years' crops? Whatever they do should be sustainable and resonably replenishable.
RANT!
Have fun during taper. Watch a movie!
Posted by: JeffO at January 25, 2008 1:51 PM
ha ha! I love how you casually mention "oh, you know, and graduate school stuff" at the end of the list. ha ha! Funny. :)
What a fun trip! Wow!
I especially like the listing of the various precipitation types that you sampled. :) Buffet by Mother Nature! ha!
Now that we've heard about the run, (what an adventure!) let's hear more about the wolf watching and backcountry skiing! wooo! :)
glad you have been out playing!
Posted by: anne at January 25, 2008 5:37 PM
Oh the love! You people are too nice!
Danni- Thanks for reading and commenting! I'll do a post on my training shortly.
Olga- I WISH we could have met up this weekend, but it was very busy and harried! I have a friend in Vancouver who I didn't have time to look up either.
Jeff- Thanks!
Michelle- You're right, I was *really* cold after the race! I stood around too long in soaking wet clothes. I'm sorry to read that your childhood home has been ruined by clear cutting.
Duncan- Thanks! I'm still in relief mode, using the extra time for other stuff.
JeffO- I hope this is a good taper! You're right about how the forests grow back "wrong" after clear cutting.
Anne- You caught my grad school sarcasm, yeah! I'll try to do a post on my Yellowstone "play time."
Posted by: Meghan at January 25, 2008 6:33 PM
Meghan, best wishes at Rocky Racoon. I can't wait to hear your report. You sound very well prepared and it looks like you have a great crew lined up. Enjoy every minute of it. The experience will be unforgettable! Trust your taper, your body will be happy that it was given a bit of rest before the big event!
Posted by: Mary at January 27, 2008 11:36 AM