Official News

Official Time: 3:24:41

I was number 15694 out of 17605 finishers. 1,911 people finished after I did.

Which essentially means I was somewhere in the pack.

I'm the one in purple.

From another angle you can see the people walking alongside me.

This is a decent photo.

Getting ready to call Mr. Steve again

Am I just being naive to think the Sheraton downtown will return my phone charger? I called as soon as I remembered where I had left it. That was Sunday evening, as I had checked out Sunday morning. The phone charger, by the way is plugged into the wall between the two beds. The cord is snaking around from behind the open legged nightstand. Mr. Steve at the desk, whom I have spoken to twice, once Sunday then again on Monday, is treating me as if it is in my luggage and I am scatterbrained.

It makes me wonder how many people do not turn their backpacks and purses inside out looking for their phone chargers before they call the hotel. It makes me wonder how many phone chargers are turned in by housekeeping at a facility this large. It is a small city, to be sure. I was on the eighteenth floor -great view by the way- and I wasn't at the top. I can imagine small mountains of phone chargers in a secreted back room where a young girl with long golden hair sits in a dank corner spinning, spinning day and night, spinning phone cords into wireless towers...I dunno. Poor thing.

I want my phone charger back. I know there is a phone store I can visit downtown on my way home from work. I was just hoping not to have to.

a bit of overacting

I'm curious what the official photo looks like...

I'd like to thank my beautiful daughter for being there to help me check in at the finish, for guiding me to the foot ice soaks, for fetching sausage sandwiches from the street vendors and for generally making sure I was okay.

She takes good pictures too (above & below). Here's the communal foot ice bathing station...this is my first "real" smile. I'm good. I'm walking. I'm glad this is done. It was a good adventure.

3:24 Official

I ran. I ran the whole way. I am very pleased. I feel great. My phone is dead. I can't find the charger. I have a phone full of photos. My official time was 3 hours 24 minutes. I am still tired. That's okay with me.

Did you know after 3 hours of running your brain and any other functions, such as communicating or even connecting thoughts is severely limited? It's true. I just smiled and kept running.

I think I am still severely limited. Another nap and maybe I can find my phone charger...

What a great day I had!

Where I'll Be Saturday Morning

What I'll be doing on Saturday (this version only takes about 7mins, my version will be slightly longer...

Time to Run

I run on Saturday. I run the 1/2 marathon on Saturday.

Last night and tonight I went to a local gym and got my heart rate up on machines that created no impact for my feet. I am doing this run with a rather petulent case of Plantar Faciitis. There are several reasons why I don't belong to a gym. I offered to pay a "day rate" to use their machinery for a couple days to stay in shape until the run. They offered me a two week free pass. I kept my money. I'm glad I have. The machinery is jerky; not smooth at all. The place has poor air flow and feels stuffy no matter which machine I use. I didn't plan on joining after my two week free trial. At least now I don't have to change my mind.

After work today I stopped at the Exhibition Hall in the stadium and picked up my race number and timing chip. I'm in corral number 36 of 39 corrrals. This means I really am slow. Just so it's noted here...I never said I'm fast. Just showing up I'm as good as at the finish line already.

I should, by now, have all my gear packed and myself ready to go to the Appreciation dinner after work tomorrow, the hotel after that and the race (at 4 a.m.) on Saturday. I do not have all my gear together. I am not packed. I am not ready to meet all the deadlines that will be looming as my work day ends tomorrow. I have one more store run to pick up the heavy duty over the counter pain killers. I have laundry (my work out clothes so people will still stand near me) in the dryer and my Race Day paperwork and bib are sitting out because I don't know where I want to pack it so it is sacred safe (know what I mean?)

Enough playing around here on line. I have stores to go spend money at, and dryers to peek into and sacred suitcase pockets to find. You all have a good weekend. I'm off on an adventure.

I am so surprised at me.

Saturday...running of the ____

I admit it. I'm a wreck. My feet hurt. My knees are acting up. I am sneezing and my nose is running. I've been unable to get a massage therapist for Thursday - I guess Thurday is a pretty active day for therapists, and nobody wants to work evenings. I'm feeling at odds at work. I'm feeling anxious at home. All this will pass and life will return to "normal" on Sunday after the half marathon. I'm sure of it (read:I'm praying for it) In the meantime, you will find me behind the bullet-proof glass at work, smiling, even though I don't want to. And if you ask - the answer is, I want to go home and crawl under the covers until Friday when we all gather to prepare for our run. I just wanna run. This has become my great release.

And after my run I can soak my body and go to bed. Smiling from the inside this time.

How to train for a marathon

With friends

while you run (below...kind of) and after (see photo above)

PS: We run The Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon this Saturday, June 26!!

WhooWhoo! GO TEAM!

Soltice & Freedoms

The Art Offices - Would love an office like this one

The periennial bloomer. I'm getting to know the regulars.

I'm looking forward to seeing him again next year.

Lenin lives in the U.S. Is anyone surprised? Probably not.

It was a good Solstice Fair. Next year...ah, next year. I love this fair. I'll be there next year too.

Nesting

The wrens are making a nest in my bicycle's handlebar bag. I'm not sure I like this.

Two Weeks

Only two weeks to go for the marathon. I'm at the deadline of fund raising this week, with only $258 to raise to hit bare bottom minimum to be able to run. Send a couple bucks my way - for care and cure of Lymphomas and blood borne cancers - button is to the left. I want to also say thank you, from the bottom of my heart to those of you that have donated. I am blessed to have friends and readers and friends that care so much, that like me, and/or that are dealing with cancers right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm running for so many reasons now, not just the side of me that wanted to run a marathon.

Half the team ran in the San Diego marathon last weekend. I'm heading out early to practise this morning to hear the stories. For my half marathon I need to find someone that will be at the finish line to get my picture. The photos on Facebook for the San Diego group have been inspirational, really moving. I may feel this way because I know what we've each been through to get here. It's completely different with a back story.

Being Newly Adult

Deciding to like something is as much a decision as deciding not to like something. There is no better or worse, things just are. Stuff needs to be dealt with. Buck up, deal with it.

If I said this to my daughter right now she would blow a gasket. At least here I don't have to bite my tongue. Thanks for the outlet.

Finish Lines

We're coming onto the end of training for the marathon. This is called The Taper. It means all the training, the long run, the practises are all done - now is just running to stay on top. Coach Jeff says, "Respect the Taper" - he means no more pushing oneself to do more. A team mate says, "The hay is in the barn." Meaning it's all ready.

I'm feeling anxious and excited and I want to do one more long run, I want to add 15 minutes onto each of the runs scheduled this week. But, here I sit...respecting the coaches' wisdom.

Fund-raising is winding down too. Anyone have a couple dollars they want to throw my way? I'm so close to the minimum required that every dollar counts. Let's pop it over $2,500 for kicking cancer's butt. Go Team!

Starting at the Ending

I'm a fan of motivational blogs and personal development sites. I cruise through these things a couple times a month. Catchy titles, that can-do attitude; I eat this stuff up. This weekend one blogger, Penolope Trunk, summed it all up in eleven words...

One thing at a time.

Most important thing first.

Start now.

Just thought I'd share that with you.

In the meantime, I've been writing a story for my mom since October. Today I was able to write those fabled words, "The End". These are fabled because I never thought I would see them. I can now go back and fix the stuff in our story I know now isn't in there right. I can question my mother again on all the things I left vague when I couldn't get hold of her and then forgot that I wanted to. It's almost that "The End" has started a whole new beginning. I missed the deadline to have this to her for Christmas...unless I really meant this coming Christmas. That must be what I meant. Well, shoot and by-golly, I'm right on schedule. What a great day.