Two Weeks To Boston

Well, in just two weeks from tomorrow I'll be off and running the streets of Boston in the world's most famous foot race. There will be 25,000 of us at the starting line. I'll be in a pen with all the other people who ran my qualifying time of 3:46. It'll make for an interesting experience starting with hundreds of others who are the exact same pace of runners.

After much effort, I've selected my Boston outfit. Here is the Bouvier showing it:

I went for the colour blue to refelct the fact I'm a bit blue because I pulled my calf muscle two weeks ago and will be able to do little or no running the month prior to the big race. I'll be doing some test running today to see if it has recovered yet. It's probably not the worst race to go into a bit injured since "no one runs a PB at Boston" anyways, and it's probably the race you can get through completely on adrenaline.

I'm Going To Boston, Baby

Well folks, it seems time for me to admit that I am running the Boston Marathon in a few short weeks. I'd like to blame the Bouvier, but in reality it was my choice. I registered for Boston in a moment of insanity or desperation last fall.

Because hotels fill up so quickly up to a year before the Boston Marathon, I had to make a snap decision to run last fall when I heard a lot of hotels were already full. So I committed the $150.00 entry fee, made a reservation and deposit at a ritzy Boston hotel, and booked my points flight. None of these choices came with a refund option should I choose not to run, so before I was ready to train or contemplate whether it would be physically prudent to attempt Boston, it became financially imprudent to bail out. So, I'm going to Boston, baby!

(Bouvier will not be going to Boston, he'll be resting quietly here in "The Valley" with his new nanny, circling the house for exercize, peeing on our six cedars, and dining on wild salmon, herring and organic broccoli stalks.)

To get ready for Boston I've been training with the NSA marathon clinic. We do long runs on Sundays, intervals on Tuesdays, and mile repeats at race pace on Thursdays. I did my longest run so far this past Sunday (33k) and felt good. I ran most of it at race pace, that being on pace for a 3:45ish marathon finish - which would make me quite happy as everyone seems to say "you don't PB at Boston" you just go for the atmosphere and experience. (Truth be told, I'm going to see what it's like to stay in a $500 per night hotel room - don't worry, Boston runners get a good discount!).

For a bit of an adreneline rush to get reved up for Boston, I did the Dirty Duo 25k trail race a few weekends ago. It was my first trail run of the season, so trial by gnarley trail was the order of the day. I started out slowly, but felt good and picked it up half way thorugh. True to form I ran up the long gradual hill that is the Old Buck Trail, and picked off many who chose the power walk option. I was, in the end, the 7th woman finisher and was quite pleased with my day. Even moreso I was pleased that my foot didn't hurt, as it was my foot which curtailed my trail running last year even forcing me to withdraw from the Kneeknacker. (On the positive side, it was my foot related abandonment of trail running last year which got me onto the road and which resulted in me qualifying for Boston and thus this blog. There is a positive side to everything if we care to look for it).

I am planning to do one or two more big runs before Boston, with the longest probably being in the 38km range. I'll be heading to Boston with Guy 4 days prior to the race in order to de-jet lag, preview the course, and feel the vibe of the marathon. On race day, Bouvier willing, I'll complete the world's most famous foot race! What more is there to say. I'm going to Boston.

Introducing: Baby Brodie

My awesome boyfriend treated me to this beautiful Brodie mountain bike.
It has great components, handles beautifully, and is just the right tone of blue to look fabulous on my orange Yaris. It is described as the bread and butter classic Brodie hardtail x-c bike. I can't wait to get up to Squamish on the weekend and get dirty! Thanks sweetie, you're the greatest!

Humpy the Camel!

Oh, I love this story. God bless and all, but sometimes you've got to say...one for the animal kingdom! I just hope the Bou doesn't get any ideas!!!

Pet camel kills Australian woman while apparently trying to have sex

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex, police said Sunday.

The woman, whose name was not released, was killed Saturday at her family's sheep and cattle ranch near Mitchell, 600 kilometres west of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, state police Detective Senior Constable Craig Gregory said.

The 10-month-old male camel - weighing about 150 kilograms - knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behaviour, Gregory said

"I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing," Gregory said, adding the camel almost suffocated the family's pet goat by straddling it on several occasions.
Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behaviour was sexual.

Hill, who has offered camel rides to tourists for 20 years, said young camels are not aggressive, but can be dangerous if treated as pets without discipline. The fate of the camel was not known.

The woman was given the camel in March as a birthday present from her husband and daughter. "She had a love of exotic pets," Gregory said.

The Bou Goes to Cal-i-forn-i-a

Ok, first what you've all logged on for...some Bou content. Here's a picture of the Bou drinking from the incredibly pure water of the headwaters of the Sacramento River in Mt. Shasta City. This picture is about 400 metres downstream from the granite rock from which the spring flows bringing water from within the earth to the river where it will flow out to the ocean near San Fransisco.

Every day we would go to the spring and fill up our water bottles. The spring is right in the city and there are always many people there filling their bottles for the day. The water in the area is so pure the city does not even treat their drinking water.

On the way down to Mt. Shasta last week, the Bou and I spent a night in Eugene, Oregon with my friend Alan. We spent a night on the way back too, and got to see lots of Eugene, a great little university town with lots of Simpsons history and inuendo. Alan is a profoessor at the University of Oregon, where he is "the applied math guy" and studies ice, particularly how glaciers move dirt. This is my friend Alan:

The next day we were in Shasta where we stayed for 6 nights in the tent! The Bou was a good sport about it all, but at almost 12 I knew he'd rather have his creature comforts. Here is the Bou in our tent:

We managed to find a nice day care for Bou, where I payed double the price to have him in a luxury cell. His cell was nicely air conditioned, and located beside the kitchen where he got to smell and sample the doggie cookies being baked.
Last time we were in Shasta, Bou was younger and a little more able. On that trip he climbed the Black Butte with me! It is picutred here:

The areas of California and Oregon we went to were very beautiful. The blues of the skies and the lakes are spectacular. The blue of Lake Tahoe is an example of the beauty, though sadly "Keep Tahoe Blue" has been appropriated for political purposes. Crater Lake in Southern Oregon was a bit off the path we were travelling, but having seen it's blue before, I really wanted to see it again so we took some extra time to go by Crater Lake on the way back to Eugene:

Ok, we'll wrap up with some more Bou content, cause he's so cute. Here is the Bou smiling at the border, smelling the salt air once again, and happy to be almost home. He was a good sport and never complained, but I know he wanted his couch and buffalo bones.

On Peace

The Bou decided we needed a little time out of town last week, so we packed up the Yaris and set off on an 8 day vacation.

My destination of choice was Yosemite, but after stopping in Mt. Shasta City on the second night we went no further. In Mt. Shasta I was comfortable, I was safe, I was home.

For those who have not been to the area, Mt. Shasta City is a little town of a few thousand people at the foot of Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Mt. Shasta is one of the 7 spiritual mountains of the world. It is an incredible vortex of positive energy, and hosts vibrant sub-cultures of all things love, peace and positivity. Wrote naturalist John Muir about the impact of his first vision of Mt. Shasta:

I was fifty miles away and afoot, alone and weary.

Yet all my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.

- John Muir, 1874

Without knowing the history, power, or mythology of Shasta, I too was awed by the mountain the first time I saw her and felt her energy and presence in 1999. I've gone back three more times since then, always drawn by something intangible, something safe.

On this most recent visit, Mt. Shasta did not disappoint. While the Bou lounged in his air conditioned day care, I spent my days trail running and hiking in the area, and found the mountain's reach and power were ever present. As I ran on nearby ridges and mountains Mt. Shasta was always there, either ahead as a beacon to guide me safely, or behind, as a watchman protecting my back. At night, sleeping on the slopes and dirt of Mt. Shasta, under clear starry skies, I consciously experienced for the first time what it is to be "at peace."

Haida Marathon Success!

I am pleased that I successfully completed the Totem to Totem marathon in Haida Gwaii this past weekend! The race started at 7:30 am Saturday, from the newly opened Haida cultural centre just west of Skidegate. We ran through the village of Skidegate, up the coast road to St. Maryś spring, and returned the same way. There was absolutely no one watching the start, finish, or interim parts of the marathon. It was to be run for the sheer love of running.

The weather was perfect, with the sky clouded over and a light tail wind on the way out. There were about 12 people in the marathon, and 2 in the half-marathon. One local chap ended up in hospital after not eating for 23 of the 26 miles. The rest of us finished, in some degree of pain or another. We recovered shortly afterwards, and hoped to compete as a team in the war canoe races in the famous Bill Reid canoe, though the races were eventaully canceled due to rough seas.

In the marathon, I am pleased to say I ran a best ever time, clocking in at 3:43. That is 3 minutes off my Vancouver marathon time! I placed 2nd in the womenś category, and 4th overall.

I really enjoyed the solitude of running on my own for that long, compared with the noise and chaos of Vancouver and other big city marathons.

The race organizers (Running Room, Skidegate Band, and Indian Affairs) are thinking of eventually putting on an 100 km ultra, running from Masset to Skidegate. Now that, Iĺl sign up for. They are also thinking of adding a shorter race, to get more local involvement.

Howa Haida Gwaii for the great time, and long may you and all Bouviers run!