2015 in Photos

I look forward to writing this post every year. It allows me an opportunity to reflect on the year as a whole. As I sifted through the photos, I noticed I was drawn more to those with special emotional attachment rather than physical beauty. Some of the photos I've chosen this year aren't the most beautiful, but represent a treasured moment in time.

My favorite photo of the year. Trinidad Head, California.

January
Without much winter reprieve, the California drought was especially hard on my allergies. A weight lifted from my chest each and every time we went inland. Our January trip to Ashland provided just the detox I needed to refresh myself. Due to our schedule, we landed a swanky bungalow at the Lithia Springs Resort for the same cost as our usual bargain place. During the day, we'd run and adventure, at night we'd get takeout Thai food, cozy up next to the fire, and relax. It was perfect. One of our daytime trips was snowshoeing at Crater Lake. It was the most beautiful winter weather for a snowshoe and picnic with Matt.

February
By February, Matt and I were anxious for a mountain trip. We chose the snowiest route through the Trinities and even there wasn't much snow. It was nice to unplug and even though I know it's not everyone's version of a romantic weekend, we loved the uninterrupted alone time and winter mountain sunshine.

Long Canyon, Trinity Alps.

Bonus shot: Super Bowl 5K in Michigan. This is one of my favorite racing shots ever. I love that look of determination on my face.

Snowy 5K in Okemos, MI.

March
In late February, we found out it was cancer making Zoey so sick. We didn't travel far from home during this time, but I truly enjoyed all the extra quality time with my little furry lady.

Zoey is an amazing little spoon.

April
After years of picking myself up and trying again and again to qualify for Boston, I made it! Even with a bit of cold rain, it was the perfect day, both Matt and I landed new marathon PRs. We made a vacation out of it, exploring Acadia National Park, visiting friends and family in Maine, and eating a lot of lobster.

I'm not sure we could smile any bigger than we did in this shot.

May
After a few weeks of recovering after Boston, I was ready to hit the trails. It's nice that just as I'm resuming my mileage, I start taking trips to check out my Grasshopper course. The park had to clear a few downed trees and even if I gave up all the other race directing duties, I'd opt to keep up with the course scouting. In May and June, I made five Grasshopper Peak summits, my most in any single year.

Running with Matt and Lanore near mile 8 of the 30K course.

June
My first solo camping trip will always hold a special place in my heart. One of the downsides to having such an amazing and compatible spouse is that our perpetual togetherness sometimes makes me forget who I am as an individual. Even though I spent much of the trip feeling like I forgot something (Matt maybe?), it was an experience I would want to repeat the rest of the summer.

Lassen Peak from Brokeoff Mountain summit.

July
I'm 100% introvert. When I first began running, one of the reasons I loved it so much was the long periods of alone time. I never would have guessed that would be the thing to pull me from my very protective shell. It started when I met Matt. Then we made more friends and now I can't imagine my life without my trail friends. This trip was nothing short of incredible, both with the views and the company.

Canyon Creek Trail with Matt, Adam, and Jeff.

August
Matt and I returned to Lassen so I could show him all the best spots I'd discovered in June....only wildfire smoke pretty much eliminated the scenery. Nevertheless, I reached the summit of Lassen Peak for the second time this summer and Matt got a teasing view of what it might look like on a clear day. That weekend in the smoke set me up for my first race DNF, but if I were to do it all over again, I'd skip the race, not the mountain weekend.

Inside the Lassen Peak crater.

September
If there was one photo I had trouble choosing, it would be September. So many good things happened. We took a week-long road trip through central Oregon and hit all the highlights. The one day that stands out from an already incredible trip was the day I pushed my fear of heights aside and climbed Mt. Thielsen. Although I was certain I'd be the dummy who'd require a rescue, you can see nothing but pure joy on my face here. I also tucked a copy of this photo into thank you cards I sent to my oncologist, nurse, and surgeon for my 10th survivor anniversary.

 

Bonus Shots: Okay, okay, maybe I couldn't choose just one.

Tunnel Falls, Columbia River Gorge.

Timberline Trail, Mt. Hood.

October
Slowly at first, winter began to make her comeback. Trails of scattered clouds followed each storm. Sunsets like this are rare on the coast but October was filled with them.

Sunset over Humboldt Bay.

November
Craving some fall colors, Matt and I headed inland to Weaverville for a trail run. Combine this group run with our fall marathon training runs, there wasn't a single long run we did without friends.

December
Immediately following our fall marathon, both Matt and I came down with a terrible cold and it lingered on until Christmas. Zoey's health continued to deteriorate. It rained non-stop. Then we harvested our chickens. It was a good time to lay low. When it came to traveling to visit my brother in New Mexico on Christmas Day, we decided not to leave Zoey alone so Matt cancelled his trip and I went solo. As I'm typing this, I'm on my final day of that holiday trip. New Mexico is gorgeous in the wintertime and managed to sneak in a couple of sunny runs in the month of December and close out my year with 2,345 running miles.

Bonus Shot: My brother, Chris, (did you CTL+F to find this, little brother?) is four years younger. Growing up, we were always fighting. I still tell him that I didn't like him until he became an adult. Each visit we have together, I realize how similar we are and how lucky I am to have a person in my life who gets me so well.

We even look alike.

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Siskiyou Outback 50K, July. SOB photo credit.

Now that we've recapped my year, I'd like to say something to all of you: It has been wonderful sharing my experiences here and I truly appreciate each and every comment I've received. I never imagined that this is where my adventure ramblings would take me, a place rich with real life friendships. I hope you've enjoyed hearing about my adventures as much as I have sharing them all with you.

Love, Karen and Matt.

Turkey Trot 5K Race Report

(It has been a month since this race. Nothing makes that more obvious than the fact that it's a turkey trot, right? Oh well, better late than never.)

A crisp morning dawns and a brilliant sun climbs in the sky. Living in a place where winter clouds drip anything ranging from leaky faucet to fire hose, I've come to appreciate a sunny race day, especially in November. This is my fifth turkey trot...and my fifth one on a sunny day. I wish more races had the same good weather fortune this one does.

Matt and I begin our warmup. The temperature is hovering right at the freezing mark and I've got a balaclava over my mouth. My lungs and asthma handle training runs at whatever temperature, but racing requires a bit more care. After almost three miles of warmup, my longest ever, we're ready to go. We head back to the car to finalize our outfits, hit the bathroom, and are ready to start.

I line up next to a woman with two small children, one of which is in a jogging stroller. I can tell by her jeans and parka that she's lined up well ahead of where she should be. Since this race start is chaotic already, I lean over to her and suggest she move back a little so she's not trampled, careful to stress that this is for her own safety, not because I'm trying to be a jerk. She insists she wants to be in the starting photo. Umm...okay. The race director sneaks through the crowd and mentions the same to her. She finally listens and tucks in next to a tree.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

With a group countdown, my race begins. People weave all over the place and I resist the urge to do the same. Saving some energy here and remaining relaxed seems to help. Within a few blocks, the pack has thinned considerably and I charge up the hill, following the cloud of frozen breath.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

Ever since the fall I took on Sunday's trail run, my whole body had been angry at me. Today isn't going to be a PR day, let's just run a strong race, I coach myself. I had turned off the auto-lap feature and when I hear other watches beeping with no mile marker signs in sight, I realize there won't be mile splits today. When I hear someone's watch beep, I glance down at mine. First mile in 7:00-ish?

For me and the 5K, it is essential that I find a racing buddy. I spot a ponytail up ahead and glue myself to her. Soon, I find that her pace feels too easy and I zoom past her, looking for my next buddy. I soon find him, the man in the black beanie, tank top, and neon yellow shorts.

Now running alongside the bay and marina, I pull ahead but hear his breathing right behind me. Sometimes the best way to motivate me to go faster is a noisy person in my bubble of personal space. I pick up the pace, he comes with me. I spot Matt as he heads back in my direction. He's in third place with his friend Jorge not far behind him. Shortly after, I realize I'm in fifth place myself. Huh. That's a surprise, I'm lucky if I break top 10.

Just as I approach the lonely turn around cone before mile 2, a seafood truck approaches. It doesn't appear he's going to stop. He arrives at the traffic cone just as I do and I come to an abrupt stop as I squeeze between the bumper and cone. A course monitor rushes up behind me from his post at a nearby intersection. The distraction throws me off for a few seconds, but I feel my pace quicken as we make up time on a slight downhill.

Now just a few steps ahead of me is my racing buddy. I zero in on his hat and the rest of the world melts away. Yes, this race is chaotic and by far the largest local 5K, but I enjoy having different buddies each time I run. I never know who it will be and I never would have guessed he would be the one to help me push the pace. Last year, my racing buddy was eight years old. The year before that it was one of the college cross country runners. Out of a thousand runners, it really could be anyone.

I slow a little to make the final turn and cross the train tracks and he pulls away a little. I think back to the year the XC runner out-kicked me and want to make sure that doesn't happen again. Now with just half a mile to go, I can barely make out the finish line. My legs, hips, and lungs are on fire. It feels like my whole body is being turned inside out. Must. catch. buddy.

Two more blocks. One more. I'm bashing myself against that red line and refuse to stop before I get there. Each step becomes increasingly more painful. I scan the finish area for a clock and can't find one. In the final block, on a slight incline, I sneak by three people, my buddy included. I flash a brief smile at Yoon and cross the finish line.

Without a finish clock to stare at on my way in, I'm genuinely surprised by my finish time.

That's Bryan in the neon yellow shorts behind me. Y. Kim SRRC photo.

21:22
6:53/mi.
5th lady
55th of 1001 runners

Did I just PR? Holy crap. Happy dance!! I make it through the tag line and feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man in the yellow shorts and black beanie. We introduce ourselves and I learn his name is Bryan. We thank the other for the company and just as a cold air coughing fit sets in, he disappears into the crowd. I grab a cup of water and start a cool down mile with Adam and Matt. I hold a warm hand over my mouth as I attempt to calm my irritated throat and lungs. Within a few minutes, the coughing fit tapers off and my lungs relax.

My thoughts drift back to the race, wondering what I can do differently next time to produce similar results. For me, a larger race with an unknown field is key. What a perfect way to start my Thanksgiving holiday! Then my number was called and I won a free pie! Sweeeet!

Matt ran a new PR as well, finishing in 17:11, a 5:38/mi. Jorge edged him out at the last minute and he came in 4th place.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

In the spirit of full disclosure, the course may have been a tiny bit on the short side. My Garmin registered 3.09 miles. Some of the buildings lining the course block out signal on my training runs, so if it's short, it's by the tiniest of margins. Since last year's too long course netted a similar pace (but slower time 22:11), I'm counting this year's run as my PR. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do next summer! I'll have to make sure at least one has a larger field because that really helps me push the pace.

Marathon Recovery Weeks

While some people struggle with the taper, I struggle with recovery. No matter the outcome of my race, I am always anxious to get back out there, whether it is for redemption for a poor performance or to continue the excitement of a good race. This is the main reason I don't run more road marathons each year, even though I want to try everything at least once: I hate the month of short and easy runs it takes for me to feel normal again. 

Since most of my blog posts focus on the workouts leading up to a race, I thought it would bring a nice balance to talk a bit about my recovery. Matt has enjoyed using Strava for most of his runs, so unlike most of my previous recovery periods, I've got paces to go along with the mileage numbers.

December 6-12:
Mileage including marathon: 41.25
Kitties: 18
My first run after Sunday's race was on Tuesday. Run is a pretty loose term to describe a slow hobble shuffle. I was dreading the stiffness of the five hour car ride, so I decided to go two miles, at an 11:30 pace. Other weekly runs were 3 miles, 9:43/mi; 4 miles, not timed; and 6 miles, not timed.

Other notable events: 
-While exploring Davis on Monday afternoon, I was passed by a very old lady pushing a walker. I tried to keep up but she totally smoked me. My ego did not like that one bit, haha.

-Matt and I both caught a cold right after the race. This sometimes happens and he definitely got it worse than I did. Either way, we kept everything lighter than we would have in order to recover.

-I got a massage on Wednesday and I finally stopped walking funny. I need a rematch with the walker lady. By Saturday, the thought of spending time with my yoga mat didn't make me want to cry, so we bonded over 45 minutes of glorified stretching.

December 13-19:
Mileage: 36.75
Kitties: 31
While I'm recovering, I’m reacquainting myself with the fundamental aspects of my active life. Training for American River will begin in January and I want myself in the right head space to make that happen.  So here's what I'm focusing on:

Easy runs have kept my head calm and my heart full of joy and I’m loving every rainy minute of it. I’ve hit the trails a couple of times, my soul is most at home here with the earthy rich smells and larger than life trees. I’m looking forward to many more trail miles when training resumes. Runs this week were: 3 miles, not timed; 8.25 miles, 8:57/mi;

10.5 mi Grasshopper course;

 

5 miles, not timed;

and a double day: 6 miles with the girls, 9:40/mi and brunch

 

and 4 miles with Matt, 8:46/mi.

Yoga has found its way back in, too. Because my body is in recovery mode, so is my yoga practice. I’ve been focusing on truly feeling every pose flow through me and I think that has made all the difference. Each day, my body feels different and I’m enjoying the opportunity to explore that. I love how simple, stationary poses can bring that same feeling of power and strength as some of my best runs. I made it through three, hour-long sessions and finally, finally, finally ventured into that spiritual calm that I've been looking for these last few months. Two hour-long sessions this week too.

Strength training. Three times this week. Ideally, I'd like to keep a minimum of three days, but we'll see. I love how quickly my body responds to these simple workouts, but it's still a huge chore to do them because they're not my favorite.

Other Notable Events:
-On what has been the only dry day this month, we harvested our meat chickens.

Zoey is a good helper.

-Zoey put on 0.7 lbs. since CIM. She's back to hovering right around ten pounds and eating well. I don't know if it's all the fresh chicken or the increased chemo dose, but I'm glad to see she's back to her old self again.

-Rain. More rain. Then a little bit more.

-Having Christmas lights all over my house has been the only thing that makes it feel like December.

The holiday twinkle lights help improve my mood and make everything cozy. Zebra-moose cookies and peppermint tea help too. :)

Every run this week has ended with cookies.

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Now that I'm almost three weeks away from the marathon, I'm beginning to build a training plan. It's not to make sure I get hard workouts in, it's just the opposite. I tend to run myself into a hole if I don't plan out my weekly runs and rest days. So far this week, I can feel my energy levels backsliding because I'm saying yes to too many running dates. Most of my running friends are teachers and it's all too easy to want to spend their break playing alongside them.

How much recovery time do you take after a big race? Do you make a running plan to rein yourself in?

A Run with Karen: Holiday Edition

I peer out the window to see dark clouds hanging overhead. The weather has been the same since I turned my calendar to December and shows no sign of changing anytime soon. At least it has warmed up a little bit. The 40F and rainy we had last week was no fun at all.

Even though winter here isn't cold and snowy, it's still a bit gloomy. The amount of light pouring from the sky is so minimal with the dense clouds that it feels like dusk all day long. If I'm not able to have a full, snowy winter, this is preferable. Against that gray backdrop, all the colors of the world are more vibrant and punch through the drab.

Once I've got my therapy light set up, I almost enjoy this quiet time each year. As I overdress for the umpteenth day in a row, I notice that I've been drawn to cozy, comforting fabrics a lot lately. For the months of December and January, I always find myself reaching for things that delight my sense of touch and it's unlikely you'll find me without a thick pair of wool socks on my feet.

Pulling on my festive snowflake tights and rain hat, I head for the door. This is my first solo run since CIM and I decided it would be fun to share it with you.  For an additional change of pace, I grab my camera, turn on some music and head out the door.

Tree branches and leaves litter the sidewalk as I make my way down the road. I dodge small puddles here and there and note an especially large downed tree. A neighbor's tree fell into our yard on Saturday and I'm not surprised there are many more. I snap a photo of it for Matt, thinking maybe he can use it at the office.

 Holiday decorations have been different everywhere I've lived. Here, it seems, everyone loves their inflatables. I'm sure these outdoor decor decisions are based off of the weather, so only the most water-resistant options are put outside. Since they require a fair amount of electricity, most people only inflate theirs at night when they're at home. They glow brightly in the rain, adding cheer to an otherwise dark and rainy night. During the day, it looks like someone murdered Santa and his snowman.

Poor Frosty!

I'm still not used to seeing these holiday displays against a backdrop of green grass and fall colors, but without such displays, I might otherwise forget that Christmas is just one week away.

Since I'm out for an easy run, I take some time to stop and pet the horses. I feed each horse a handful of grass as we bond over the shared desire for just one more sunny day before Christmas.

PS- Those gloves. They're made of raincoat material and the only thing that keeps my hands warm in the rain.

Now almost done with my run, I have yet to see a single kitty. Sightings have been sporadic lately and I never know which rainy day will have kitties on every porch and which ones will have none at all.

Arriving back home after my five mile jaunt in the rain, I waste no time firing up the kettle and make some tea.

Thanks for coming along on my run today!

What do outdoor holiday displays look like in your area? Are your neighbors as obsessed with inflatable Snoopy and igloos as mine are? 

Life Lately

Being that this is a running, hiking, and adventure blog, I often struggle with how much of my everyday life I should share here. Just because we share one common interest, it doesn't mean my other interests are mutual too. However, since I'm not doing much running at the moment, I decided it would be fun to offer a few details about my life lately.

1. Weather: I know what you're thinking. How interesting can this post possibly be if I start out by talking about the weather?  Well, winter is finally here!! After almost three years with no winter, that's a pretty big deal. It has been a series of days with hail, high winds, driving rain, and severe thunderstorm warnings for the coast. And the rain! It has been raining pretty much nonstop since Saturday. Needless to say, it has been nice that I have to rest my legs right now rather than dodging hailstones.

Ruby Sue with the view.

The ocean was pretty angry about this and waves grew to over thirty-five feet high. I'm not much of a beach person because it requires a parka to visit, but Matt talked me into it.

Is this how you dress to go to the beach too? Not pictured: My ancient purple LaCrosse swampers.

The amount of foam the surf produced was pretty incredible.

That's all foam. When the wind blows, it shakes like Jello.

2. Zoey: My fearless traveler is happy to be home.

Here she demonstrates to block a finished knitting project without an iron.

My mom jokes that my kitty has been more places than she has, and she's right. Zoey has visited eight states and two Canadian provinces.

Even though she was not a fan of being thrown around her carrier for five hours straight during our drive home on this trip, I think she enjoyed all the extra attention and bonding time we had in our tiny hotel room.

Since it worked out so well for all of us, the rest of our local trips for the foreseeable future will be with a Zoey in tow.


3. My Garmin: Somewhere during mile 24 of Sunday's marathon, my beloved Garmin Forerunner 205 synced up with satellites for the last time before her battery gave out. While I've forgiven her for leaving me hanging at the end of what would have probably been my fastest marathon time had I know how close I was, I'm saddened by her absence. I will make one last attempt to resuscitate her when a replacement battery arrives, but I fear the repair may be beyond my electronic expertise and after six years and over 10,000 miles together, we may have to say goodbye forever. Cross your fingers I don't have to do that.

 

Thanks to a very nerdy rocket building club in high school and my background in ham radio, I have some fairly decent soldering skills and know more than the average thirty-something housewife. Heck, I even have my own soldering gun already. ;) I bet you didn't see that sentence coming. Haha, I'm full of surprises.



4. Guilty Pleasures: I shop at K-Mart a grand total of once each year. This is what I buy. Bonus: These bad boys were on sale so I got two and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now.

These are so nice when Matt's on midnight shifts and I'm sleeping alone.

 5. Christmas Cookies: Every year, Matt and I bake gingerbread cookies and send them along with our holiday gifts. I got a new cookie cutter for my birthday back in September and finally got to try it out. I love it! We also have Michigan cookie cutters, both the U.P. and L.P. and while I wasn't looking, Matt made a ton of extra lower peninsulas. Don't worry, I tried my best to burn all those ones.

6. Knit knit knit knit....oh no!!: A few days ago, I decided to add a pair of work socks to my Grandma's Christmas present. She's got poor circulation in her feet and they're always cold. About 3/4 of the way through the second sock, this happens:

The end of my yarn came too soon!

Ugh. I bought this yarn at a thrift store and it had no tag on it, so I don't even know where to start looking for more. Luckily, this pair are intended to wear to the barn, so I'll have to grab a similar weight yarn from my scrap and finish it with a different colored toe.

7. Projects: Since we're talking about knitting and I've been working hard lately, here are a few projects that were completed before I ran out of yarn:

Grandma's other present.

I'm still deciding whether or not the sheep hat needs a bobble on top. Thoughts? This was also my first stranded or Fair Isle knitting pattern. It was easier than I expected. Then those socks. Oh wow. That sock yarn is such a joy to knit, the soft merino fibers just glide through my fingers. I can't wait to find out what my feet think of them.

These are for me...as soon as I finish the other sock.

What have you been up to lately? What's your weather like?