About 7 mi into my 12 mi run (which burns ~1200 cal), I was dizzy and completely out of fuel (it was waaaaaaay windier and harder to run) when Matt and I went to the grocery store to fuel up. We got a Gatorade and Reese's fast break to split (about 300 cal each person) and the guy in line behind us warned us that we were "spoiling our workout" by eating during it. Seriously?

Confessions

Confession # 1

As I stuffed my face with a sugar-dusted paczki on Mardi Gras, I pondered my lenten sacrifice. What would it be this year? I have never given up a food item before and decided that for me, that would be the greatest sacrifice. So Hubby and I gave up cookies, cupcakes, and cake for Lent. What I found myself doing after a week of sugar withdrawals was replacing them with candy. While Hubby lost 10 lbs, I gained nearly that much. Apparently for me, it takes a lot more calories in candies and chocolate to get the same satisfaction as a few cookies. I'm extremely embarrassed to admit that I let this happen.

I weigh myself everyday, not really obsessing about the number, but just to realize an upward trend before it gets to be a huuuge gain. As the scale ticked upward the first few pounds, I wasn't alarmed. I allow a fluctuation of a few pounds (for water weight, daily food, and hormonal bloating). But as the scale trended upward further, I had to be honest with myself. Something needed to be done.

Easter Sunday, I baked a batch of cookies. I ate six in one sitting. Then I froze the rest. Hubby left for the week on a work trip and I wasn't going to stare at the cookies. And you know what? I haven't had one since. I restarted my food journal, keeping myself to one sweet thing a day (and sometimes not even feeling I wanted one at all). The scale has been showing a downward trend, so I'm happy for that.

Confession #2
Eureka isn't like most towns. In our home search, we found that Eureka doesn't have bad and good parts of town. It is more a patchwork quilt of the good and bad. The only running routes to the north from my house go through a REALLY bad neighborhood. It's just two blocks, but it makes me beyond nervous. I ran there once in the middle of the day and received two catcalls; one sketchy guy on a motorcycle that circled the block many times and followed me; and thug looking guys sitting on their porches watching me. I have not been back since.

The other day, I came across a can of pepper spray that my mom bought me in 2002 when I took up running. She said that I shouldn't run alone without it. UW-Green Bay is a really safe place to run so I hardly brought it along. Now I take it on my Humboldt Bay trail run and into the sketchy parts of town. When I approach a place that makes me nervous, I quicken my pace a little and turn my iPod off (if I brought it). I will not be afraid anymore. The fact of the matter is that I could probably outrun anyone that tried to catch me. So the real danger is someone jumping out in front of me. I'd like to hope that the pepper spray still works and I'd use it. But I think running with it in plain sight (finger on the trigger) would help deter someone. I don't run at the same time each day either, so someone would have to make an impulsive attack (less likely I think?). Some days, I am truly afraid and others, I brush it off and call myself a pussy. I'm not sure if the pepper spray is giving me a false sense of security, but it makes me feel a little bit more confident running in scary neighborhoods.

Confession #3
I have no confidence in my marathon goal pace. I'm even afraid to post what it is, in the event that I won't make it and end up disappointing my readers. During the two week taper, I hope to find it in myself to proudly post my goal times and to chase after them.

Summer Plans

Marathon training with a spouse is better than couple's therapy (provided both are runners to start with). It provides lots of time for nearly distraction-free conversations. After all those road miles, we are pretty much in agreement on where we want our summer to take us.

Following the Green Bay Marathon, we're switching to trail running for the summer. We've spent the last few weeks scouring the internet, quizzing people at the outdoors stores (I think they could smell a gear junkie come in the door), and browsing the local book stores for trail running ideas. Things are a little harder to find here, but I think we now have a pool of trails to choose from. As someone that isn't 100% into trail running, it's hard to believe that I'm actually excited for this prospect! Exploring the web of trails that roll over and around the mountains of the King Range; hunting for Hyperion in the redwoods; meandering along river valleys. Yes, trail running is exactly what we need to keep going.

Matt and I seem to do better with a goal in mind, so we chose two races :
Pacifica 30K, June 18.
Sequoia Trail Race 50K, August 28. I've never run a 50K before, and it will be fun to enjoy the day and run at any pace to PR. :) I couldn't imagine running that distance in a road race.

In lieu of our tentative plan to go to Quebec this summer, we decided to return to Alaska. Instead of going to Fairbanks and revisit all of our favorite places, we decided to try a trip we hadn't done before. We have always wanted to backpack Crow Pass, 24 miles of up and down that extends from the Turnagain Arm to Eagle River (town) through the Chugach Mountains. Each summer, there's a race (more info here) that takes place on this route as well. It's challenging, with the first female finisher in 3:50. Matt liked to joke that he was going to make me run it with him one year.

Then one day last week, I was paging through the trail edition of Runner's World that came with our subscription, and in big bold letters on the page, "Crow Pass Crossing, July 27". During the eight day window we'll be in Alaska, on the same trail we plan to do, is the race. As I try to ignore the coincidence of this race falling perfectly into our trip plans, it's hard to ignore it. Fate wants us to run this race? But do I want to? Destination races require so much down time that I don't think I want to WASTE my time there with recovery. I want to take excessive amounts of photos and camp on mountaintops. So, Crow Pass Race, you'll have to wait until next time. It just means we'll need to backpack earlier in our trip to avoid the extra people on the trail associated with the race. Let's hope that Fate isn't too upset with me ignoring her like that.

Other summer plans include : Whiskeytown Lake, Redwood National Park, Lassen Volcano NP, and Crater Lake.

T-A-P-E-R!!!!

FINALLY.

This training plan has completely put me through the wringer, so the taper couldn't have come at a more perfect time!

Today, Matt and I completed our final big run before the taper : a 22 miler. The wind was light and the skies didn't spew anything cold and wet at us. The day was pretty perfect for a run. After we fueled up on coffee on the way to the trail, we were ready. I planned to run at a "sustainable forever" pace rather than my marathon goal pace and go the last five miles at or faster than my goal pace. By mile 10, my stomach was cramping so hard that I wasn't sure which end something vile was going to come spewing. I crouched down on the roadside, not sure whether to scream or cry. "Why can't I have just one good long run before this race? Is that too much to ask?" My inner drama queen soared as I whined aloud to myself.

After a really disgusting poop in a campground portapotty at Clam Beach, I felt better. My knee froze up while I was in the john and the first few strides were extremely stiff. A runner driving out of the campground parking lot saw my horrible limping and asked if we needed a ride. I just told her that my leg usually stiffens up really badly when I stop during a run, but it would go away. She shot me a condescending look, convinced that my leg would snap off if I continued to run like that, then she drove away. I stretched a little and my leg was okay to run on. By mile 15, Matt commented on how little we had been walking. I couldn't believe how much energy I had. Averaging a 9:20 each mile and I wasn't even pushing that hard. When we got to mile 20, in 3:06, I picked up the pace. The last two miles were 9:06 and 8:32. A group of cyclists rode by during the last mile at the exact moment I shouted our 21 miles to Matt. I heard one comment to the others, "wow they're going pretty fast". I was darn happy.

A rough start to the run, but it turned out being great. I was glad to be hitting the taper to race day as well as finally getting the confidence boost I needed. I've renewed faith in my goal time and have a plan figured out for the race : starting pace, when to pick it up, and I've decided to use my iPod for the final 10K (Thanks for your help!). We'll see what happens. :) ( don't think I'll use coffee)

Here are some numbers from the entire training cycle, which started Jan 1 :
537 miles.
19 of those runs were 10 miles or longer.
8 of those runs were 15 miles or longer.
4 of those runs were 20 miles or longer.
It took me 80 hours, 6 minutes, and 33 seconds to complete.
That is an average of 8:57/mi.

......and I think it might be nap time now.... :)

I want your opinion on this! please comment!!

On a particularly crappy afternoon here in Eureka, where the rain came down sideways, I decided to do a tempo run. The only thing that convinced me to go out and run was my iPod. I normally don't listen to music at home, so it feels like an extra special treat when I use it on a run. The run actually wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Cruising along with my Tom Petty, Lady Gaga, and Mes Aieux (fun Quebecois group nobody in the US has heard of), it almost bordered on fun.

That got me to thinking that maybe I should race with my music. I generally don't like to race with music and have only done it once :
2009, Campus Hill Run. It was -30F and icy. I had to convince myself to run : "Do it with music and it'll be ok." Ice actually built up inside my shoes (and it feels like you have a rock stuck inside), my eyelashes froze together and froze my eye shut--I had to remove a glove to and apply a warm finger to get it to open again. I had carefully placed my ipod cord underneath layers, but there was a tiny bit showing where it went from my coat to my snow pants pocket (so I could change to a different song if I liked). This bit of cord snapped off completely after just two miles. I was disappointed that my music died, but I was warmed up enough to keep going without the crutch.
----
I am considering running the last 10K of Green Bay with my iPod. I struggle there the most and maybe having something to focus on OTHER than how much I want to lay down in those soft, green lawns the last few miles and nap for a few hours instead of finishing. Music might give me just enough motivation and distraction to keep on going.

BUT

Part of the reason I like to run races is to hear the crowd and chat with other runners. The last 10K in particular is where we are all digging deep down to find the thing to keep us going. We lean on each other for support, a family of strangers. I'd miss out on that with music.

So what are your thoughts?

Busch Light

When you buy beer in Michigan, you pay a 10 cent deposit on each can, refundable upon recycling at any grocery store that sells that brand. Central Michigan University has the reputation of being a party school, particularly along Main Street, which holds all the university's fraternity/sorority houses, in one neat little row.

By 4am, Main Street was deserted, beer cans littering yards and streets. In a few hours, bleary eyed (and still drunk) frat boys would emerge from their holes and to clean up the mess before the 8am deadline. If the yard wasn't cleared of cans by 8am, the city slapped them with a $200 fine. Matt and I often were up at that time anyways, walking around town, watching the debauchery with sober eyes. (Matt was a resident assistant and wasn't allowed to drink with his residents or be seen drinking). We spent many late night walks with large trash bags. The sea of cans, glittering in the street lights, turned to dollar signs. We collected anywhere between $20-50 a night and stopped just as the bags became really heavy. We lugged them back to my apartment (two blocks from Main St.) and turned them upside down in my bathtub. There's nothing worse than the smell of stale beer in your car from a can that isn't completely empty, the bathtub is wayyy easier to clean.

The next morning, with a beer scented bathroom, we collected our cans. Driving to the store, we decided where to go for breakfast. That was our tradition on can weekends : breakfast out, courtesy of the drunks of CMU. The can we most often collected was Busch Light, pretty much the cheapest beer in existence. Once in awhile, we found a full can that someone had dropped, the seal completely intact. But usually they were empty. I haven't seen a Busch Light can since.

Until today. Today I bought the cans with beer inside. Busch Light for the slugs in my garden. Rumor has it that if you put out a pan of beer, slugs will get completely hammered and die (or the yeast expands and their insides smash up). After seeing them eat every single leaf off of my peas, I'm ready to kill them all with beer. And if they keep me up tonight with their drunken debauchery, I'll sleep happily.

Tourist in My Own Town : Eureka Edition, part 3

As (nearly) Wordless Wednesday :

We visited Humboldt Redwoods State Park and our favorite trails : Drury Chaney Trail and Addie Johnson Trail. Drury for the giant trees and Addie for the views of the surrounding mountains. Also, a little goofiness at the Drive-Thru Tree Park.

Group photo with one of the giants.

My favorite stump.

Drury Chaney Trail

Brotherly love in the redwood tree house.

Addie Johnson Trail

More shenanigans at the drive-thru tree. Worth every penny
of the $6 entry fee to get this shot. Yes, that's my "O" face.

Tourist in My Own Town : Eureka Edition, part 2

"Woah", Craig breathed with childlike fascination. He was speechless. For a guy that is rarely quiet, this really meant something. His head tilted to the heavens and remained there until he nearly ran into one of the giant Sequoias that he was admiring.


As we climbed out of the ravine, no evidence of rain showers remained. Nothing but blue sky greeted us as we emerged from the forest. "The marina and boardwalk look the best in the sunshine," Matt explained, "let's go there next!"


At barely 10am, most of the shops in Old Town were just opening for the day. We explored a few of the over-priced tourist shops for souvenirs and had lunch at Bon Boniere, a cafe/ice cream shop that annoyingly calls themselves by a french name but pronounces the name wildly incorrect in all their commercials. Drives me crazy, but the food is good.

One of the most interesting things about Old Town and Downtown Eureka is finding the murals. I have yet to see them all, but I think I've found my favorite :
Alley Cats, appropriately placed in an alley beside the Redwood Theater. There is a map of all the murals that can be picked up somewhere in town, but I think that would take all the fun out of discovering them by accident.

That afternoon, Craig helped Matt and I with a few projects. I finally have a light installed in the bedroom closet, our attic water pipes are insulated, and our garden is free of the giant jungle of weeds and overgrown shrubs. We should convince him to come visit more often. With two hard-working brothers, jobs get done in no time.

Tourist in My Own Town : Eureka Edition, part 1

Just eight months ago, Hubby and I were showing our college friends around our town in Alaska. Last week, we did the same for our visitors to our new home. This time it was even more fun, since a few of the places we took them to were new to us as well.

Our first trip was to the South Jetty of Humboldt Bay.


"That is one freakin' huge stump," my brother-in-law, Craig exclaimed. Craig is one of those people who speaks whatever is on his mind the instant it pops into his head. Sometimes this gets him into trouble, but it was fun to see our new home through his eyes. The winds were calm and fog was beginning to close in on the bay.


Water particles hung in the air with such saturation that I could taste the salt and sand mixed into the air. Waves smacked against the jetty walls. He stood near the wall and shouted, "bring it on Pacific". I stood, calmly poised to catch the Brother-in-Law-Drencher-Shot.






Walking back to the beach and scanning the eastern horizon, I found the house-covered hilltop that is my home. It took 20 miles of driving to get to this spot, but home was less than a mile away, directly across the water.


Matt's cousin, Jenny came to explore California too. She had recently acquired a new boyfriend just days before the trip and glanced up at the scenery in between sending text messages (this eventually drove me absolutely INSANE). It was easy to tell which things she found the most interesting because she'd carefully place her phone in her pocket, out of sight, for a few moments. She was particularly mesmerized by the waves and made a game out of running just ahead of the surf as the water came rushing in.

Focus enjoys watching the dredge circle the bay.

We drove away just as the sun was beginning to set. It was 8pm. With virtually no difference in temperature, it was odd for the days to be getting longer. Eureka varies a mere eight degrees (daytime high) from winter to summer. The only difference is in precipitation and cloud cover.

Bonne nuit, Humboldt Bay!

Updates

Having company is exhausting. Cooking for twice as many people, cleaning up. Then there's the mountain of laundry after they leave. Check back tomorrow for a few posts about what the four of us were up to last week.

Morning Run

Hubby's brother and cousin are coming to visit for the week, so we had to squeeze our runs in. Or at least that's what I told myself when I agreed to a 5:30 am run before Matt left for work. (guhhh!)

"I don't see any monsters, you can go run now!"

I awoke after five hours of sleep. As I put my second contact lens in and focused
on my reflection, I finally looked my age. Puffy bags under my eyes stared back.
Wow, this body sure doesn't look pretty after so few hrs of sleep. (Since chemo ended,
I find that I need almost nine hours to function....and not kill people.)

The run was lit only by headlamp. For the first five minutes, I was afraid of falling on my face, not because of the darkness, but because I was still half asleep. The air was quiet. As we crossed Hwy 101, I marveled at how quiet it was. Then it hit me, this was our first early morning run at our house! We came to a road that I really hate running on in the daytime, Elk River. It is usually busy, has a 55mph speed limit, and hardly anyone crosses the center line to pass me (even with no oncoming traffic). I run on Elk River with headphones and always manage to run faster than I normally do, just to be done with it. This morning, Elk River Rd. was completely deserted. We ran past a dairy farm. The familiar hum of the milking process sent me back to my grandma and uncle's farm in Wisconsin. Running on Elk River always reminds me of there: the smell of hay, manure, and silage. I probably shouldn't tell Grandma that my running route smells like manure and makes me think of her. :)

I returned home to this ^^^. In the upper left corner of the photo is something pink.
The pink thing is my current project. Next to that is something green and yellow, my
yarn bag. Zoey actually dug around in the bag, chose her favorite color,
and proceeded to unroll it around all the furniture in the living room.
Thanks, Kitty.

Smug kitty admires her work.

Now it's time for a nap so I don't kill the in-laws with Snarly Karen this afternoon.

Whiskeytown Lake

(final post on our Redding trip, I promise! haha, I just took so many photos!)

Me and Konnie.

Not seeing too many perfect sunshine days at home, Matt and I had trouble saying goodbye to Redding. As we drove toward the coast on Hwy. 299, silence washed over us. When we drive in the car, silence means one of two things : someone is sleeping or we are thinking to ourselves. This time it was the latter. As we passed the entrance to the Whiskeytown Lake area, we both looked at each other, clearly thinking the same thing. Without a word, Matt turned off the highway to the Visitor's Center. I gave him a look. "Just research for our next trip", he explained.

Could you drive away from this beauty?

After chatting for an hour with the volunteer worker, we had purchased a year pass to Whiskeytown Lake Area (a national park) which was also valid at Lassen Volcano Park, and gotten a list of all the park's trails. A map too, to piece all the trails together like a neat puzzle. We came out with suggestions for a day hike, too. We settled on the Oak Bottom Water Ditch Trail, which has a long name, but isn't a long hike. It was once a trail to the canal system that pumped water from the gold mines. It does look silly being on the shore of the lake, but apparently the lake didn't exist until the 1960's. I cursed myself for not bringing my hiking sandals, especially since they've never been on a hike due to chilly temperatures, but this day was the PERFECT sandal day.

Oak Bottom Trail.

The trail headed into a tunnel of trees and shrubs. Just one day after our 20 mile run, we were grateful to have a flat, easy hike. The trail skirted the lake and alternated fantastic mountain views with the shrubbery tunnel. It would be a good hike for the heat of summer, mostly shaded.

Snow-capped mountains, fall colors, and 75 degrees. Where am I? It was like
three seasons blended together.

After fighting through downed trees in the trail and gaining a large gash on my back from one of the branches, I told Matt, "one more downed tree and I'm turning around". The trail emerged from the trees and ran through the ditch between the lake and highway. Sun poured down on us in large buckets. I didn't start to sweat. Finally acclimated? Figures that would happen when I'm headed home. We headed back into the tree tunnel and came upon a giant tree, rendering our trail completely impassible in the dense web of woody limbs. We turned back and headed for the car.


Don't worry Whiskeytown, we'll be back soon!!!

Where The Sun Has Been Hiding.......

Redding. It's an amazing, summertime-9-months-of-the-year oasis. At the peak of summer, the temperatures soar well into the triple digits, but it is comfortably summertime (as I know it) in April. It took until the afternoon of our last day for me to finally become accustomed to the increase in temperature. After dinner the night of our 20 miler, we returned to the Sundial Bridge. We felt that we had to absorb every bit of summer we could before returning to the cloudy coast.

Sunshine with the Sundial Bridge.

In comparing outfits of others in the park, it was obvious that we were not locals. Matt and I in shorts and short sleeves, we were surrounded by people in jeans and sweatshirts. The park was magnificently landscaped with lots of different flowering bushes, the peak of their beauty coinciding with our visit.

Had to double up on my allergy meds.

This butterfly was quite the photo whore. He turned around and let me
take his photo from many angles.

On our shopping excursion that day, we hit the jackpot at Big Lots. Boxes of Snickers Marathon and cases of Made tea were at bargain prices. It was amazing. We had to make a return trip the following day for more to take home with us. :) We also purchased the "foam roller in crack", called The Grid and a couple things in the 50% off section at Fleet Feet. What a day for deals!

The Grid. Great for my back and all my legs' hot spots. Between that and The Stick,
it pretty much eliminates all need for my Husband's touch. He wasn't happy
to hear that part.

Our final day in Redding, we hit the disc golf course. Our disc golf course in Eureka is a muddy jungle that is way too easy to lose a disc. This was a welcome change! A clear, open area to play, and views of the mountains off in the distance. The park was green and in full bloom. It was funny to think that in just two months it would be dry and brown.

Coffee and disc golf. Perfect morning, no?

There were many trees with ridiculous amounts of flowers. As Matt and I stood under the tree, I could literally feel my sinuses swelling up. Time to double up on the allergy meds!

Smiley morning for both of us. I love my hubby.

Looking up into the tree. I want one of these in my yard.

As we headed out of town we stopped at Shasta Historical Site. Once a bustling gold mining town, now only shells of brick buildings lining the highway remain. We stopped for lunch and walked around the park a little bit. Shasta became a ghost town when Redding was linked to the rail system. A lot of the bricks missing from these buildings were removed and used for businesses in Redding.

giant cone.

Iron Mountain Road!? Yaaaaaaaaaaah!

Upon our return to cooler and moister climates, Matt and I both spent Wednesday freezing to death.

Tan 20 Miler

My skin has always tanned easily. I remember coming back from Christmas and Spring Breaks in grade school and having the teacher ask where I went for the holiday. I would always reply, “Grandma’s house, in Wisconsin”. They always assumed that I had gone somewhere warm and tropical, when the farthest south I had gone was to Wausau. I was always the darkest of all my friends. I nearly changed race each summer, my hair sunning itself blonde and my skin darkening. I rarely burn, and when I do, it never is bad enough to peel or hurt, it just turns a little pinker.

Glancing at the forecast as I chose my outfit for the 20 mile run in Redding, I knew I was in for some really sexy tan lines. I slathered up my neck, ears, and left arm (the only part that burns, forever sensitive to the sun after radiation), my burn prone areas. I searched online for a Dairy Queen. It was going to be a Blizzard day. Once I completed all my race day rituals, I was ready. Matt watched me with quiet curiosity. He believes in not having rituals, so changes in his routine don’t throw him off. By 8am and 60F under partly cloudy skies, we were off. Our hotel was half a mile from the Sacramento River Trail, so we ran to the connecting park and hid a Gatorade in the bushes. The first five miles were slightly chilly in my sleeveless racing top, but were tolerable. Nearly every mile, we sucked down some water from Matt’s CamelBak. The trail snaked around through several parks and on both sides of the river. We crossed Redding’s famed Sundial Bridge.



The clouds disappeared. As we returned to our starting point, near mile 6, we grabbed the Gatorade, sucked some of it down and hid it behind a tree. Miles 6-10 were gradually uphill with some even steeper spots mixed in as we climbed toward Keswick Dam. The clouds had completely disappeared and revealed the snow-capped Trinity Mountains in the distance. It was one of those perfect weather days. After the cloudy winter, it felt especially nice to have the sun beat down on me. I spent the next several miles daydreaming about having this path at home. It would be a lot more fun to train on this trail everyday!! I made up my mind that I would run the Redding Marathon on this trail next January.



As we crossed a long foot bridge, I sucked down the first of my GU packets and a whole ton more water. It sloshed around in my stomach with each stride. I was sweating at such a rapid rate that I had to keep on drinking, or I’d become faint. We headed south on the opposite side of the river. Small patches of shade dotted the path with chilly oases. By mile 12, I needed another GU. And Mile 14, with a hint of dried sweat salt…yum! Nothing seemed to make a difference for my energy level. We turned around and headed back to the dam and over the bridge to return the way we came. It was nice to have the last five miles be a slight downhill slope, but at around mile 16, we sucked up watery bubbles and then air from the Camelbak. Out of water. Somehow we miscalculated our turn around spot and came to our starting park, 2 miles too early. This ended up being a good thing, since our Gatorade was still waiting for us in the shade. We emptied the bottle and continued on. We crossed the Sundial Bridge again for the third time. The temperature had climbed to 70F and people were everywhere. They looked at our sweat-stained and salty faces with odd interest. We must look really awful, I thought. My muscles began to cry out as they stiffened. My feet begged for me to stop. As we crossed Sundial Bridge the fourth and final time, my feet were happy for the softer surface. They almost bounced with excitement. We returned for the final mile, uphill, to the pavement. My previous 20 milers reduced me to a walk break nearly every mile, so I bargained with myself as I created a new strategy : keep on running, but slow it down as much as I needed. I think I’m going to need this strategy in Green Bay, I always walk too much of the final 6.2 miles. It was a struggle to keep myself slow and steady, but it worked out. I picked up the pace for the last half mile, just because I was ready to get out of the heat and sunshine (who thought I’d ever say that?). We finished at around 11am, with 3:07 for the total time. I’m happy with that time. It is three minutes faster than the previous 20 miler (with a 30mph headwind for half of it). Come to think of it all of my 20’s have had challenging aspects :
1. Michigan in January. 20F with a 15mph wind.
2. Right before a powerful front came through : 40 mph headwind for 10 miles
3. Another powerful weather front : 30 mph headwind for 10 miles
4. and this one, 20 miles, in the heat (warmer than I’m used to).

I hope this isn’t a sign of what the race will be like!!!



As I stretched in the comfortable shade of the hotel room, Matt pointed out how salty my shirt had become. Fabulous. In the shower, I was amazed that I had no chafing spots. Usually as salt washes across the raw skin, I scream in pain. I definitely have found my racing outfit!! If it can hold up in the heat (and extra sweat!), it’s a keeper!! I couldn’t help but laugh at myself in the mirror. Really noticeable tan lines stared back at me. I even got a tan line from the Garmin on my wrist. Immediately after the shower I addressed my dehydration issues. Butterscotch colored pee. I sucked down three bottles of water and felt better.



We headed to the pool with our lunches. Matt brought a sandwich and I had cheese and crackers with salami. As I iced my ITBS knee, I wrote my Race Rituals post. After lunch, Matt and I headed to Dairy Queen (forgot to take the photo, I was too excited for the Blizzard!!). Then we did some shopping in the AC. Several different store clerks commented on my tan. I told them that we were from cloudy Eureka and that I had gotten the tan in one day. All the while, my still pale-but-slightly-pink Husband rolls his eyes in jealousy. Matt only gets burned and more freckled.

That night, we had burgers at Red Robin and took a walk near the Sundial Bridge.

--
There’s a lot of information about damage the sun’s radiation does to skin. For as many sources that say that any amount of tan is damage and horrible for the skin, there’s an equal amount that say that a “base” tan is helpful to prevent burns. So who is right? Everyone agrees that limiting sun exposure is wise,and enjoying it in the morning or evening hours when the sun isn’t as strong, but the agreement ends there. Who is more at risk of skin cancer : my husband is pale and freckled and burns easily, or myself, whom never burns but tans very easily?



I wish I had that answer.