Things that can't be underestimated

Hi all, I took some time off from racing and cut my mileage way down - oh, the value of a running break- I can't recommend this enough.  I took a break from a lot of things, actually.

I failed at my dream to break 1:45 in my January half marathon, and that's ok.  That race was physically painful for no good reason, so I cut my mileage in half for a few months, and feel renewed now.  I'm slower yet happier and I'll stay here for a while, please!

D moved to Kansas in January and I'm leaving El Paso soon too, but as a geographic bachelorette right now I have more time for running than I want.  And I've gathered a few thoughts, even (no one is surprised).  I have more time for this neglected blog, too.  

My only item of furniture may be a leaky blue air mattress but at least I have the internet still!

Don't worry, Nug will soon be reunited with our Pack Leader...she's counting down the days (until we visit Kansas) on all her extra, vestigial toes.

The chickens, well, they are heading to a friend's farm until we have a backyard again...not a euphemism, I promise!

I missed you, about as much as I miss having a washer and dryer in my own home.  Immeasurably!

The laundry monster is holding my laptop hostage - here goes, a post via iPad? Let's!

McKelligon Canyon Run, 6 months later

Autumn in the high desert, as interpreted by my cell phone

 Oh my gosh, has it really been six, SIX!!! months since I ran this gorgeous route?  

Nah, but it's been half a year since I brought my phone on a run with me (hence the lack of race selfies, or really any race pix at all).  

I don't know if you've noticed, but iphones are expensive and you can't trust the weather (I have an 11 year old BS in meteorology, and that's the sum total of what I remember). 

I've been out of town for about 4 months, and intermittently before that since May, so I haven't been running this route as much as I'd like.  I had some time today to fix that!

Rounding the first bend, atop the first hill

Whenever I run here, I have to wonder why there's no official race held here in the Canyon.  The scenery and facilities lend themselves to a great event.  It's a well-known, low-traffic, centrally-located, and well-loved route with a built-in amphitheater along a 5-mile loop.  Perfect!  And there are myriad causes out there of which awareness must be raised, I'm sure.  For example, I'm very aware that there's no road race at McKelligon Canyon!

Who wants to encourage a race here?  Me!

Miles and miles of the ribbon of road...mmmm!

Have I mentioned the scenery?  It's not too different from the pictures I took in spring.  Though, to me, this October, El Paso looks richly verdant.  Well, for El Paso:

Looks pretty green to me!

And if you're picky, there ya go, some more fall splendor! Yellow aster-looking things!

In other news, I'm heading back to San Antonio next week for the remainder of the fall....!  Just when I was settling in, too....sigh.

Perhaps upon my return to the Alamo City I will do more running and less stopping-and-taking-pictures-ing.  It's good to have goals :)

Perhaps the race theme should be LITTER awareness!!  boo.

El Paso Transmountain Challenge 2013

I would love to be that skinny one day!

 I ran the 36th annual 2013 El Paso Transmountain Challenge half marathon on Sunday.  I liked it - just like last year- and when I finished, I had the same thoughts as the year before: I could be a whole lot better at this thing if I practiced!

Please note I only think that after the downhill portion, not on my way up-up-up the initial climb where I generally wonder if I can gracefully tumble down the side of the thorny mountain just to get out of the event.

No matter how often you drive this road, you will wonder, "how did this thing double in uphill grade overnight?"

The weather last year fought us runners- as if the terrain weren't challenging enough- with biting wind and an unseasonable chill in the air.  I was also glad that there was no baby stroller involved this year, but thinking of that, I missed my friends who have since moved to New York. 

Last Sunday at 7 am?  Warm, still air, only a breeze picking up as the path crested the mountains.  This time D was with me at the start and he too ran the race.  We don't run together at these race events.  That's a subject for another post though :)

Just like last year, the path is a one-way half-marathon, climbing 1300 feet in the first half of the race, only to descend, once midway, to the end.  It is a challenge indeed. 

The border patrol delegation ran in a nice tight formation again.  Lots of elite-looking runners, and lots of people who are new to fitness and have chosen a challenge up front.  That's what I like about this race, the terrain is intimidating yet so many people start and finish the course regardless.

I believe a 5K is also available, with a start and end point coinciding with the end of the halfsie. 

Aid stations were as great as ever, every 2 miles, with liquids and potties and medical staff.  Such enthusiastic volunteers- and I love forever the guy who coined the term that today was just another great "El Paso Sunday!" as we ran past his aid station, less thirsty and far more motivated than when we arrived.

I love that you can see the immense 50' x 100' flag at the Old Glory Memorial finish line from several miles out.  The silence as you run along, at a tenth of the speed you'd drive, allows the beauty of the Franklin Mountains and El Paso to impress and distract you from the uphill plod.  

After the descent, a sharp right turn along an almost flat frontage road leads you just over a mile to Diana Drive.  A sharp left- and ahead you see the cheering finish line corral and the taunting clock.  I crossed the line, with water and a medal and time to enjoy the Old Glory Memorial Plaza and all the post-race treats!  Such yummy burritos, from Crisostomo I believe? 

From the snack-filled finish, buses await to take you back over the mountain to the start, where we parked the car.  This is maybe the one day a year the entire Transmountain Road is closed- which we didn't know prior to the race- the only real hiccup of the day.  As compared to last year, though, the parking was much closer to the start. The bus situation is really no hassle at all.  It's nice to have a 15 minute ride to chat with the other racers and point out the spots along the course where we all felt miserable. 

The city of El Paso executes this race flawlessly and safely.  The road is closed, and there are no cars anywhere near the path, even along frontage roads toward the end. 

Anyone can do this race, and everyone should.  The prices, even at the last minute, are in the $40 range.  I am thankful again for the military discount this year.  The packet pickup is Friday and Saturday but not available on race morning.  It's fuss-free, and the shirt is pretty stylish for a race shirt, and a nice technical material in sizes from XS-XL.

I could've run faster, but I didn't.  I had a great race all the same.  I am back from San Antonio (6 weeks early, thanks to the shutdown) and waiting to see if I'll be called to return today.  

Always surprises!

And Turkey Trot season is nearly here!  I am ready!!!

Who else is excited for autumn racing?

Reciprocal pain and injury

New Math

 I alluded to this problem earlier: running injury, err, pain in one place quickly migrates somewhere else.

In my case, I seem to trade sides and of course, my right plantar fasciitis has now manifested as left Achilles tendinosis.  This stinks worse than the original problem!

That is what I think of heel pain

 This happened previously with a right metatarsal stress fracture which morphed into left knee pain, culminating in right hip pain.

Now I see why physical therapists always check "one joint above and below" the site of injury.  The thighbone is connected to the leg bone, after all- and didn't we all learn that in nursery school?

It makes sense that pain on one side of your body affects your gait pattern, causing reciprocal problems elsewhere, especially as we compensate for the pain, weakness, instability, blah blah blah.

How to break the cycle?  And don't you dare say "rest!"  Strengthening and balance training is probably a good place to start.  One day I will learn that that should be done continuously and not only after the pain sets in...hmmm.

So far, my answer is to stretch, ice, take ibuprofen, ignore the pain, and be thankful that I am rarely injured.

Lately I've been doing more hill training since the Transmountain Challenge is next weekend.  This could be the culprit, too.

I'm not ready for the race, but I wasn't ready for it last year either and it ended up as such a fun time.  What's the big deal, it's just a 1300' elevation gain in the first 6.5 miles, and a 1300' foot drop over the last 6.5 miles....

Just have to keep the finish line burritos the main thing in your mind :)  Of course, it takes me so long to get over that Mountain, I could probably order a pizza on the course for a mid-race snack.  

You can still sign up for the race, and it's very value-priced, too, even at the last minute:
2013 Transmountain Challenge

Shutdown...yet still running!

So the government shut down...is not good for anyone.  I am thankful that my job is intact, but we certainly haven't been spared the insanity.  Two days ago, we were sent home in the middle of our training course, just to be called back a day later.  We will likely be sent home in the next coming days, over a month early, only to have to return again later in 2014 or beyond.  This is frustrating, and yes, will end up costing our government even more, but it's all about timing and flavors of money and other things I understand only well enough to know that one ought not mix them up!

It's a mess- yes- a lot of important folks are furloughed, and that frustrates me on their behalf.  But I still feel that we have it really good in this country, which you know if you've traveled anywhere else.  We aren't living under an oppressive regime (though you may have thoughts otherwise!) and we live in relative safety and security.  I learned from others earlier this summer during the furlough, that you've got to keep more in your savings account than you think and that no job or retirement plan or anything is guaranteed.  I made some changes in these lean times, too-- I cut out going to Starbucks, foremost because it's way too pricey and I don't need it, and second of all because of their rumored idea not to allow firearms, carried concealed with a permit, in stores.  I'm a little confused, though, since at some point in the past, they were on the other side of the firearms story.  I just feel like if people are carrying gun, I want them caffeinated and alert to their surroundings.  Oh yeah and I also think we should endorse our Constitution.

This morning, we (well, 4,000 of my closest friends and I) met up at 0445 for a unique concept...the Brigade Run.  So despite being broke and shutdown, we are still running!  What a metaphor!  What is this nonsense, you ask?  A celebratory event?  Sometimes.  A way to bring local festivities to the post, albeit very early in the morning?  Oh yes.  A commemoration of the retirement of a distinguished individual?  Occasionally.  Super annoying to all those involved?  Always.  The good news is that in these broke times, this is a free event, powered only by tired Soldiers, too tired in fact to gripe much about it. 

If you like to stand around for 45 minutes, then sprint madly down a dark street, followed by walking and bumping into the lines of people in front of you for periods of time, then more sprinting, walking, stumbling, over a course of about 3 miles, then this is an event for you.  For the rest of us sane people, it's tolerable and amusing.  The best part is when you smell the bacon, because that means you're near the chow hall, and there physically isn't much road left at that point.  It also means that you can quickly replace both the calories burned, and then some.

Next up...the Transmountain Challenge 2013 in El Paso.  I signed up!  Hope you are there...here's how it went for me last year.  I'm looking forward to a weekend home.  D promises to run this year too.  He is such a trooper and responds fairly well to my "guess what I signed us up for?" announcements.  Fairly. 

Who's doing more running now that the government's shutdown?  I sorta am!

Off topic: 30 months later...

Guess what?

...I now have a master's degree...(not sure it made it into the picture!)

Couldn't, wouldn't have done it without you!

BF Leah was able to take some time away from work to share in the morning's celebration and of course D and my classmates came through as well as some of the bigwigs...

Couldn't have asked for better classmates and coordinator!

We ensured job security/celebrated National Donut Day with our post-graduation refreshments.

Dan and I will celebrate later with a bike ride- more specifically, a spin on my new 29er, the Giant Anthem.  I have never had a women's-specific bike before, or a bike with disc brakes, much less a 29" and with dual suspension!  I can't wait to try it out on the rocky trails near home.  I am not the tallest kid on the block and I love having a frame that fits so well. I also love the Giant brand (my other bikes are a Giant SE Rincon from 2000 and a Giant OCR 1 road bike from 2002) and the folks at our great local bike shop set me up with the perfect fit.  I am not one to make big purchases lightly and I'm happy to have found a great bike we will keep for years to come.  

I am far more excited about the new bike than the new degree...but I only got one because of the other, so that's saying something I guess :)

Did you have a big week?  Or at least get a free donut?  

Either way, here's to having a big weekend!

Happy National Running Day!

How did you celebrate?
I ran 5 miles...with +Lacey Rainone; so great to have a running buddy even if we are 2 time zones apart.

I decided on an easy run at Chuck Heinrich Park, a great park with a large grassy expanse (rare find!) tucked into a quiet neighborhood.  There is also a playground for kids, a war memorial, and a walking path.  This is the gateway to the city's best mountain biking trails, shared between the Franklin Mountains State Park and the edge of a giant cattle ranch.  

I love that at this time of year, it's plenty light enough to run by 0600.

Never too early to get a sunburn in El Paso

 The desolate landscape inspires me to run well as there's not much else to rely on out there:

This landscape is making me thirsty

Thanks +Lacey for celebrating with me, I wouldn't have been so diligent about getting the miles in without you!

Happy running all!

Army 2-mile run: is it fair? (boys vs girls)

The army PT test occurs at least twice a year and consists of a very early morning wake up, a long wait in line to be weighed and height(ed?- not a word), a 2 minute push-up count, and then 2 minutes of sit-ups followed by a 2-mile run at the unit's designated course (track, stretch of road, etc).  It's all very official and though I've done the PT test plenty of times and have always passed (I hope I haven't jinxed myself), I still get uber nervous beforehand.

While I've been blessed never to have a problem with the running portion of the test, I know lots of folks who do.  Sure, some of them simply don't prepare for it, and that's their own doing.  Some people just get overwhelming bouts of The Bubblies.  Some people claim the 2-mile test is "stupid" and "not a valid measure of aerobic fitness," but here we are--with science--and as with all good things, it came from the 1980s:  the 2-mile test is a valid measure of aerobic capacity:

Free eye chart... "This study confirms the usefulness and validity of a timed 2 mile run test to indicate the level of aerobic capacity," thanks Mello, Murphy and Vogel!

 So I don't really want to add anything to that debate.  Let's talk instead about the current time standards for the army 2-mile test, here they are in sum (thanks Wikipedia):

...much studied by everyone the night before the PT test

But on the way to the gym the other day my husband (who has been in the army far longer than I and always passes his PT tests too- it's in our pre-nup*) and I got to wondering...are these charts, by gender, fair?

I suspected that it was more difficult for a guy to max the run than for a woman. As a woman, I hate to say that, but I hate more to think that we have it disproportionately easier, as though we have been expected, quite literally, not to pull our own weight.

The army developed these charts...well, I don't know how.  Here's what I did (math, but not science):

Mad excel skills...well whaddya know

Ignoring p-values or any actual statistical tools, I independently decided that 63.87 seconds is not statistically different from 78 seconds and that army men and women aged 32-36 are roughly equivalent to the participants in a local 5K and the difference in times between the best army runners is about the gender time difference in the best local 5Kers.  So that's nice to know, my fears are assuaged, I am thrilled in spite of my mass generalizations.  There is likely some body of data the army used to determine these time sheets, but I couldn't find it, and independent "verification" is so fun in comparison to what I should be doing anyway.

The true shocking find in my "research project" is that the top male and female runners on our planet are only about 30 sec/mile apart, regardless of the type of race!  New research project ideas are already brewing...

What are your thoughts?  What should my next research project be?

*just kidding, no pre-nup, but if we did have one, well, that might be in there

Sources: DTIC (Validation of 2-mile test)  A fascinating read.  Wish I'd thought of the study, but I was in elementary school at the time they were doing it.

Track meet: Haley

My friend Haley is an audiologist and she's awesome.
 
She also used to live on a poultry farm so she appreciates the goodness of a good egg, so of course we were destined to be friends! 

Staged photos?  Not in my world!

 We are about the same height (5'2") and build (read: we don't look like pro runners but don't let that fool ya) and she has taken some time (years) off from running to become said audiologist and develop her practice (responsible adult, what what).  She has faced some health problems and recently quit smoking and I couldn't be more thrilled for her and her quest for fitness.

She's challenged me to pull her back into the running world and finally this morning we met at the track to get a quick workout in.  

I hate the track. 

I wouldn't have shown up without Haley meeting me there; good thing we didn't car pool as we would have strayed towards Starbucks or breakfast instead.

It was brilliantly sunny.  And hot already.  We were slathered in sunscreen, wearing hats, sunglasses, etc.

Not wanting to start the week with heat stroke, we did a quick workout:
1.5 miles around the track, quick on the straights, slow on the curves.
Followed up by 4 miles at a medium pace.

And to bide our time we talked about ossicles and acoustic neuromas of course.  Actually we share a lot about our quest for motherhood...2 nulliparous gals in their 30s, well, there's just a lot of room for bonding there.  

We had a great time, sun prevention efforts worked, no one pooped their pants, success all around.

What advice do you give to a friend who is trying to get back into running?  I'm the shallow end of the knowledge pool...

Race report: Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home 5K

I know I've never been to a casino this early in the morning when it hasn't been the continuation of a night's festivities, but no ponies here today, just the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino hosting the Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home 11th Annual 5K which was a fun event, well-supported and well-organized with a good showing from the community.  I liked the 0800 start time and same-day registration since I couldn't make it to packet pickup yesterday.

As you'd expect there were lots of kids participating in both the 1 mile racetrack walk and the 5K run.  I was hoping the 5K would take a lap around the horsetrack too, but nah.  Save that for the Flying Horse Half Marathon.

Last night I'd baited Dan with the idea of breakfast out at D'Lox after the 5K, but my personal cheering section looked like this when I left home this morning...  

20lbs yet hogs the bed the minute I leave!

Geez D this race is to support your people, but my big foster kid decided he'd stay behind; he had a pretty thick week at work.  Nug agreed to be in charge, so I journeyed solo across the Mountains and therefore we are low on pictures...

At the start/finish: music and enthusiasm from cheerleaders and a marching band as well as a radio station and some fun characters:

 

Kids run with such unabashed joy.  I feel bad for the negative thoughts I was having about the cloud of kiddos swarming haphazardly during the race, but geez, could I be more a grump? This was a 5K supporting families in crisis...so I got my brain back on track and considered running with more joy myself, but then I thought of the Prancercise youtube video I'd seen (what in the what!) and decided instead that I do ok with my current modicum of running happiness.

Running up for his medal!

No PR, but I had a great run and ended up 1st place in my age group.  I celebrated with this:

FFCMFTW! I drink this every day in the hospital cafeteria!

Other post-race treats included donuts, oranges, apples, bananas, bottled water...and door prizes (lots of them!) like restaurant giftcards etc.

I will do this race again and with a possibility of donuts at the end, I'm pretty sure D will run next time, too!  Thank you for the military discount at registration!

Happy weekend running and racing to all!  Any great local 5Ks out there for anyone else?

Time to run less and take care of the backyard more

McKelligon Canyon Run

It's no secret, I love El Paso.  The funny thing is, I didn't set out to, a year ago it was actually the only place my husband and I could both be stationed, and it started out as a well at least we will be in the same place for once and now it's home and a place I hope to stay for a while.

Not least of my favorite El Paso features is McKelligon Canyon.  
Every time I run this 5-mile out-and-back route, it's a completely different vibe.

Let me tell you a little about this beloved route!  I ran it this morning just to show it off!

Roadside flora

The entrance to McKelligon Canyon is on McKelligon Canyon Drive, just off of Alabama Street and across from William Beaumont Army Medical Center.  There are plenty of well-marked signs leading you to the Canyon and ample parking is available on the side streets. 

From my parking spot...McKelligon Canyon Drive ahead!

The road itself (McKelligon Canyon Drive) is well-maintained and has clearly marked bike lanes on both sides which are great walking/running paths.
 

Rounding a corner

It's a twisting, rolling run that transports you immediately out of the city bustle and into the open wilderness of Franklin Mountain State Park.  Don't let the very first hill scare you- that's the steepest climb.  Midway you will pass the 1500-seat McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater entrance on the left, where concerts, movies and other events are held.  Follow the road as it becomes a one-way turnaround lane.  The picnic shelters and trailheads that line the road and are good places to stop and stretch before the return trip. 

Initial steep climb - I took this pic on the way back so as not to lose momentum :)

Today, along the way, I explored the amphitheater a bit:

View from the entryway

Guess I'm a little early for the show

The road can be crowded (with runners!) between 0600-0800 as soldiers sometimes do PT in the Canyon.  Parking is a little more challenging on Friday mornings (today) which seems the busiest runner day in the Canyon, but I've always found a spot.  Also, be careful during evening hours as the street is not lit at night and during the summer on Thursday evenings I would advise reflective clothing and headlamp/flashlight: Cool Canyon Nights means more traffic on the road.

I have not yet come across the McKelligon Canyon Caveman, recently in the news.  He hasn't bothered me or anyone I know but as always and everywhere, be safe and smart when running, especially if you go solo.

If I visit your hometown, what running route do you recommend?

Beat the heat: hydration for performance

Lots of "army places" are hot and dry and austere and as part of my training, I was lucky enough to participate in a course aimed at physical performance maintenance in hot and unsavory environments.  I would even lump El Paso summers into this category!  This overview is based on what I learned and I've cited the Human Performance Resource Center at the end of the article.  I love this stuff and I hope it gives you a new perspective on adequately meeting your body's hydration needs.

Basically, human thermoregulation is impaired when you lose 2% of your body weight (in water).  When you have lost 3-6%, you experience reduced muscular endurance and strength.  At more than 6%?  That's the heat cramps, exhaustion, stroke, coma threshold.Before any race or long run, I struggle with hydration (fantastic) vs. empty bladder (also quite nice).  My professor advised that we drink copious fluids for the 24H preceding an event and then an additional 14-20 oz 2-3H before exercise, leaving enough time for urine production and micturation and thus adequate hydration without having to tote a full bladder around town (or at least to the next aid station).

Dan is so thirsty he could not keep his eyes open

    During exercise, the key is to maintain this balance- and she suggested 6-12 oz every 15-20 minutes which is best adjusted by the individual sweat rate, a pretty common sense equation...try it on a training run and see how well you are maintaining your fluid balance!

1. Weigh yourself before and after exercise
2. Convert to ounces (by multiplying by 16)
3. Add this to the number of fluid ounces consumed
4. And divide by minutes exercised
5. This gives you the volume per minute you need to drink to maintain hydration during exercise

As it turns out, after exercise, we recover best when we replace MORE than the amount of sweat lost- it's not 1:1, more like 3:2 or 2:1, let's just call it 24-32 oz for every pound of water lost.  In truth, the amount depends on the sodium content of the fluid with which you rehydrate after exercise.  Plain water?  You will find yourself hyponatremic and hypo-hydrated within 2H post-exercise.  Better beverages are tomato juice, sports drinks, milk, coconut water.  Or, if water's your thing, drink up but have a food snack with it.  I don't like most sports drinks but I do have Spicy V8, chocolate almond milk, coconut water in the fridge.  I guess it doesn't do me much good unless I drink it...something to work on this summer.

I wish everyone a safe summer running season!
 
More information: the Human Performance Resource Center
Source: My memory and MAJ R. Rogers, MHA, RD, CSSD, LD, CSCS "Fueling for Optimal Performance" lecture

Late add 5K (Saturday!) Join me!

Today I hope to recruit some friends (plan: pepper everyone with texts) for a last-minute 5K on Saturday benefiting the Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home, an organization I would like to support as we pursue this process.  Dan's childhood was a messy transience in and out of foster homes and now that I've adopted him, supporting children's services and adopting a little buddy of our own are high on the priority list.  

The last official 5K I ran, the Ft Bliss Turkey Trot (T-giving week, 2012) was my fastest in recent years - I surprised myself with a 2nd place age-group finish.  Dan still gave me a ride home even though I wasn't fast enough to win the first-place Butterball turkey prizes.  And we had a great Thanksgiving dinner with friends even without a guess-how-I-earned-these-vittles story. 

Not expecting great things on Saturday but I'm curious to test myself as I have been focusing on distance running lately.  I use that term loosely of course, I mean, geez, 18 miles this week so far...woowee...I know you actual Distance Runners are doing that each day...half day...whatever...good for y'all :)

Race registration here!  Much appreciate the student/military discounted entry fee! 

Blah running, good eggs, fast math

3 miles / 23 min on the treadmill early this morning...felt blah!  Another 5.25 this evening...which was just another lesson in "mobility is motility" for my poor GI tract.  I've also been feeling lead-legged for the past few weeks.  I am going to stick it out by breaking up workouts into a morning piece and an evening leftover.  We are in the mid-90s now and the drain of the heat is only going to get worse.  I do not do extremely well in hot weather...gross understatement...I fade when it's over 70...luckily El Paso has 0.00413% humidity...thank you high desert!  My next race is the Mayor's Marathon in Alaska (June 22), not a coincidence :)  I'm doing the half with Dan and some friends who are lucky enough to still live in Alaska.
 
Meanwhile we are shopping for a new chicken coop as our girls have outgrown their current home, originally intended for bantams and not our two chunky seven-pounder free-rangers who are now 14 months old and still laying 9 eggs in 10 days each.  I did not grow up with poultry as pets but they are so easy to care for.  "What won't the chickens eat?" is a pretty popular game in this house, yes of course we avoid giving them foods or items that could be dangerous.  Nugget is completely uninterested save for their food/poop...which is a magic cycle between dog/hen...guess how that works before you let Nugs lick your face.

I warn you, invite me to your home and I will show up egg-handed.  I would love to overnight eggs to anyone curious about organic fee-range eggs and their crazy golden/orange yolks!  With just 2 hens we no longer need to buy store eggs, not that we expect these chickens to start paying for themselves.

Actually, a few days ago I wondered if/when we could expect to break even on our hen friends here (they are strictly egg layers for us, not meaties) and surprise of surprises, we are in fact losing $1.00 per month per bird!  However, we derive at least a dollar a day in chickentainment so hush hush or they'll shove a bill under the back door.
 

So to bide my time and soothe my miserly side, I am still looking for good egg recipes... Also looking for neater handwriting, faster miles, and some discipline to do some studying!  Oy!

Race Report: Elevation Crazy in ELP (Transmountain Challenge)

My friend Janelle, what a gal.  She is an El Paso girl, born and raised and returned, and though she recently moved to Upstate New York, she continues to change my life in a positive way.  We used to cross paths in the mini-gym built on the first floor of the hospital for staff to use for the ol' odd hour of the day workouts, and there she was, each morning.  She never ran too far, and never too fast, but I admired her dedication.  We also share the same Red Bull addiction so we were kindred spirits from the start.  

On this day, Janelle, her 1-year old daughter, her husband X and I all found ourselves in the cool October morning at 0530 on the far side of the "southern tip of the Rockies," the Franklin Mountains, that divide our fair town of El Paso into East and West.  We were about to embark on something called the Transmountain Challenge Relay, but soon arose the question of what to do with Baby...the only obvious answer to which is, of course, if you are Janelle, to canx the reasonably apportioned individual relay segments and do the whole 13.1 together, taking Baby with us on this half-marathon run for which none of us had been training, much less with a baby stroller, much less in those wall-like gale-force winds that blow across our high El Paso desert, much less with an elevation profile like this:

Not the best screen capture- so to explain, this is a 13.1 mile course with a 1345 ft gain in the first half, and an equivalent drop on the flip side.

Somehow I had become enamored with Janelle's early am plan and instead of heading like wise people for the closest breakfast establishment (Crave, a favorite, would've really fit the bill) I followed X and Janelle to the starting line, put an extra race number on Baby, tucked her in to protect from the wind and pushed that little girl up and over the mountains.  Janelle and X (who is NOT, per himself, a runner) were in great spirits and I caught their enthusiasm too.  The stroller turned out to be a great contraption for holding phones, car keys, outerwear, snacks, Red Bull, and music thereby enabling us to sing Bon Jovi together and entertain all the folks passing us.  The downhill part was no easier than the uphill, and far more treacherous if you think about it from Baby's POV.  I was so proud of myself for not overturning or injuring or handing off Baby to strangers at any point and as a bonus I found a new respect for those mommas and kiddos out there, getting it done with running strollers each day.  I got nothing to complain about when I get my sleepy self out the door!

 

This was a great race.  For the addicts, one can achieve "Half and Half" status by additionally running the Flying Horse Half Marathon a week later in Sunland Park.  We were all too busy.  Even Baby.  Maybe next year!

I actually felt great afterwards despite the wind and babywindbreak and I wore my race shirt under my scrubs the next day.  I wasn't the only one :)

Of course, the surprise ending to our burrito-filled post-race stupor, where we all thought we were doing awesome and felt like winners...ended when we saw my BF Leah (of Jim and Barb fame!!):

Here she is pushing 2 little people each under 2 years old!  And that is the downhill stretch of a *&#$&%^ huge mountain!  So proud!

This event was great- well organized for a race with separated start and finish.  Be prepared to walk about 8/10 a mile from designated parking area to the start- it's a good warmup.  Designated buses (timely and frequent!) will deliver you from finish area back to starting line/parking lot.  The race was not overcrowded, but without long empty spaces between runners.  Beautiful scenery.  All skill levels.  Fantastic aid stations with local middle school cheerleaders, scouts, families, music, water, snacks.  Port a potties every few miles, but the road is lined by open BLM land if you needed to water a tree in between facilities.  We were blessed that the city provided for Transmountain Road closure all day for the event.  Delicious burritos at the end.  Motivated soldiers and DHS folks from Border Patrol carried flags and ran in formation.  Some costumes.  One crazy guy pulled a tire, strung to a backpack harness, the whole way.  I didn't see him or his tire at the end but I assume he finished either alone or with help from a brother.  That's just the El Paso way; that's this race.

Janelle and X