Adventure race

At the beginning of June, my friend organized an all-day adventure race. Basically, we formed teams (Megan and I partnered up) and had eight hours to complete as many elements as possible. Each element was worth a certain amount of points. There was a paddling element, that included finding checkpoints placed along a river, and an orientateering element that also involved checkpoints. Also, reaching on or more of several specified locations in the Chugach Mountains -- peaks, lakes, ridges, etc. -- earned the team points (You had to take a photo to prove you were there). All transportation was by bike or foot.

Megan and I completed the orienteering course and reached one of the specified mountain ridges. We also picked up some bonus points for picking up trash. The effort earned us last place... but first place in the women's division (we were the only all female team = ). Despite the defeat, we had a super fun day and found some new hiking trails.

Group photo on the ridge that earned us points.

Pretty flower on the trail

We found a ropes course and decided to stop and play. Hmmm... maybe there's a reason we came in last = )

Megan taking a break on a big log

At the trailhead

Three of the five checkpoints along the orienteering course

3 hours 49 minutes 53 seconds

On Saturday I ran my first marathon -- the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon -- and it went fantabulously. My goal was to run it in four hours or less, and I clocked in with 10 minutes to spare. I placed 36th out of 713 women finishers. And I enjoyed nearly every moment of it (mile 24.5 to mile 25.5, when I could see the finish line but had to circle a big lake, were pretty grueling).

The day was perfectly overcast and the course followed a great route through Anchorage -- part bike trail, part hiking trail, part urban enviornment, part mountain environment. As I passed within a stone's throw from my house, I thought, "wow, I do live in a cool place."

Now I'm qualified for the Crow Pass race. A 24-mile mountain race I've had my sights set on for a while. One of the "qualifiers" for the Crow Pass race is to have run a marathon in four hours or less -- bodaboom, bodabang! That will be next summer. In the meantime, I turn my attention to the Matanuska Peak Challenge -- a 14-mile ascent and descent of two mountains that covers 9,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Yousers! Just finishing that one will be an accomplishment.

April blizzards, bring May lizards?

I just took these photos through the windows of my house

Two days ago I was running without hats, gloves, etc. under 50 plus degree sunshine...

This morning I could see the dead grass in the backyard and the cement on the driveway...

Several hours later... Whabam! It's a blizzard.

Backyard sunbather

Just now... I was making breakfast... a bagel with cream cheese and a smoothie... and I looked out the window and saw that I had a visitor... sunbathing in my backyard!