Map, Trail, Green mojave rattlesnake...

We were intending to camp in Greer this weekend, to get a break from the hot local temperatures. The reason we chose Greer for this camping trip was that Karen and Reddin would be there doing extended family stuff, but they were going to take a break so Karen could run with me and Reddin could bike with Noah. Intended departure, thursday. But Karen called me wednesday night and said it was too rainy there for fun camping.

Thursday we were celebrating my daughter's birthday lunch at Joe's BBQ. Noah suggested we take off for one night in Sedona. I will never turn down an opportunity to get away somewhere fun with the family, and to run in a fun new location. So we went home and packed the van. On the way to Sedona Missy watched a Dora movie over and over. Bridge, door, tall mountain....Dora always picks a sequence and the kids use a map to help them follow through the sequence.

Noah got me a map, and pointed out some trails I might run the next morning. All of them close to Bell Rock. It looked fabulous. Bring on the 16 miler!

I got up semi-early and snuck out of our hotel room leaving everyone else to sleep in. I took my little map and 2 bottles of water and a couple of gu's.

The trail was nice and not too difficult. There was a fair amount of climbing, and it was humid. My pace wasnt very fast. It was fun to look around at all the big red rock formations. Sedona is a magical place. Some even say it is literally magic! Some people practice yoga in Sedona in special vortex areas. Maybe I did run through a magical vortex because my ankle seemed to be healed. Last Saturday in Las Sendas my ankle hurt like crazy- but not at all yesterday.

There was a mountain biker playing leap frog with me out on the trail. He was from the local village and seemed to know the area well. He seemed really capable and nice and I was glad to have him close by. At one point I saw his bike sitting on the ground, in the trail in front of me. I worried he might be hurt. But then I saw that he was taking a picture of a HUGE snake. It was rattling at him and he told me "Stand back, this is a Green Majave Rattlesnake, one of the most deadly snakes out there!" After that I really kept my eyes and ears open and was easily startled by every beetle and rabbit out there!

Do you see the snake? It doesnt look like much in this picture, but I promise it was Huge!

The rest of my run passed uneventfully. I was sad for it to end. Sedona is definitely a new favorite running location for me. It seems to me that the best way to experience a new place is to run through it. Something about passing through a place, not so fast as in a car, but not so slow as a walk. On foot so you are a part of it.

So if you yearn for adventure like Dora does, I highly recommend the sequence in Sedona- Map, trail, Green Mojave Rattlesnake!

Summer Running

I dont have any pictures and not any races to report. But Ive been having some really fun summer runs. We were in Utah for over a week and I got to do some of my favorite runs there. I ran with Noah's sister Mary. She is kind of new to running and this was our first time running together. She recently ran her first half marathon and did really well. It was fun running with her and bonding with her over a view of Pleasant Grove. She showed me a new running route- a canal that I didnt know was there. It is really close and convenient to my in-laws house.

I pr'd on my interval session on the Pleasant Grove Highschool track the next morning. Thanks to the cooler weather in Utah.

I got to run twice with Marcie. Once in Provo Canyon where she challenged me with her 8:16 pace for 9 miles. Go Marcie! And a 12 miler in Ogden. We ran a nice foresty trail run for the first few miles. Unfortunately the foresty trail ran out so we finished on a nice paved trail. Its the trail that is part of the Ogden Marathon. I really enjoy catching up with Marcie while we run. (literally and figuratively!) Conversation is easy and the miles fly by. I am already anticipating our next run when I go back in the fall.

I had a chance to run with my brother Blake. It wasnt a real chatty run. It was only 4 miles but more up hill than down. Blake was visibly holding back to run with me. I enjoy running with Blake, because its something we can do together one on one. But I think Ill be in trouble if he ever has time in his life to run consistently! He is already naturally faster than me at the top of my game. Im glad he puts up with my pace.

And then today back to a long hot arizona run. I anxiously anticipated today, as 13 miles is the minimum distance we feel is worthy of a post-run chocolate milk. I took a lemon-lime gel on the way there and celebrated post-run with a chocolate milk from Circle K. Me, Barb, Cynthia, and Karen ran the canal system to my gym, getting 9 miles on the way, and then finished up with 4 more miles on the treadmill.

The treadmill and the indoors might not be as glorious as a foresty trail run, but there IS something to say for a posh fancy flushing toilet, a clean white sweat towel, and a cold drinking fountain. Not to mention stepping into the cool air conditioning. Aaaaah!

Good stuff, all of it! Thankyou friends! Thankyou running! Thankyou God, for our sport!